Unveiled(75)

Tears burst from my tortured eyes as he holds me in place, anxious vibes shooting from his big body into me. “Fucking hell,” he growls. “Gracie, what the fuck are you playing at?”

The mention of my mother’s name injects life into my numb body. “Let me go!” I scream, and buck in Carl’s hold, distressed and panicked. “Please, let me go!”

“Olivia?” Her voice seeps into the corners of my mind, prompting a barrage of lost memories to attack me. “Olivia, please.”

I hear her voice from when I was a small child. I hear her humming lullabies, feel her soft fingers stroking my cheek. I see her back for the last time walking out of Nan’s kitchen. It’s all confusing me. Her face has spiked it all. “Please,” I beg, turning my welling eyes up to Carl, my voice trembling, my heart choking me. “Please.”

His lips straighten, and every possible emotion plays like a camera roll across the evil guy’s face—sorrow, sadness, guilt, anger. “Fuck,” he curses, and I’m suddenly being pulled behind the bar. He smashes his fist on a concealed button behind a shelf full of liquor, and the whole building is suddenly screaming, alarm bells ringing so loudly around us, making everyone jump up from their chairs. The hype of activity is instant, and the unbearable sound is strangely soothing. He’s drawing the attention of everyone, but I know he wants just one man here.

“Olivia, baby.”

I feel an electric shock fly through my body as her soft touch meets my arm. It has my small frame bucking again in Carl’s hold, except this time I manage to free myself.

“Gracie, leave her!” Carl roars as I bolt from behind the bar, my legs instantly numb from the speed I’ve achieved so quickly. I can think of nothing except escaping. Get out of here. Run away. I make it to the bar door and take the corner quickly, just catching her coming after me, but then William appears from nowhere and blocks her.

“Gracie!” William’s tone is oozing threat as he fights to hold her back. “You stupid woman!”

“Don’t let her go!” she yells. “Please, don’t let her go!” I can hear the anguish in her voice, see the terror on her beautiful face as it disappears from my view when I round the corner. I can see it. But I don’t feel it. I can feel only my own hurt, anger, confusion, and I can’t cope with any of it. I return my focus forward and pelt for the doors that’ll take me away from this hellhole, but I’m suddenly not moving anymore, and the sensation of my legs working but the door not coming any closer takes a while to sink in past the distress consuming me.

“Olivia, I’m here.” Miller’s soothing words are whispered quietly into my ear, but however hushed they are, I hear him perfectly over the screaming alarms and frantic activity around me. “Shhhh.”

I whimper and turn, throwing my arms around him and holding on for dear life. “Help me,” I sob into his shoulder. “Take me away, please.” I feel my feet leave the ground, feel myself held secure against his chest.

“Shhhh.” He cups the back of my head, pushing my face into the comfort of his neck as he starts to pace away. His strides are purposeful. I can feel the panic in me beginning to subside, just from being immersed in his thing. “We’re leaving, Olivia. I’m getting you away from here.”

My dead muscles come to life under his fierce hold of me and his calming tones, and I squeeze my appreciation, no words forming to voice it. I’m vaguely aware of the blaring sirens cutting abruptly, but I’m more than aware of footsteps pounding behind us. Two pairs of pounding feet. And neither are Miller’s.

“Don’t take her away from me!”

I swallow hard and push my face farther into Miller’s neck as he ignores my mother’s demand and marches on.

“Gracie!” William’s bellow dilutes the stamping of feet, making Miller’s stride falter slightly, but my head shaking into him soon kicks him back into top gear. “Gracie, damn it! Leave her!”

“No!”

We’re suddenly jerked to a stop, and Miller growls, swinging around to confront my mother. “Let go of my arm,” he hisses, his tone bursting with the same level of threat that I’ve heard him use on others. The fact that this woman is my mother is of no consequence to Miller. “I won’t repeat myself.” He remains still, obviously waiting for her to let go rather than yanking himself from her grip.

“I’m not letting you take her.” Gracie’s resolute voice puts the fear of God in me. I can’t face her. I don’t want to face her. “I need to talk to her. Explain so many things.”