She was in there.
Why didn’t she open the goddamned door?
He called her and got voicemail again.
“I’m out front, Liv. Open the fuckin’ door,” he growled into the phone.
He disconnected and then he texted that same message to her.
He hit the doorbell.
He knocked.
No answer.
Fuck!
He moved around the side of the house, found a foothold in order to jump the five foot tall fence and prowled to a set of French doors that led to the pool. He tried his key.
His temper cooled considerably when it worked.
He opened the door and moved into her space.
Then he moved through her space, going where he thought she’d likely be, the front great room.
She wasn’t there.
He called her name.
No answer.
He went back on the move.
She wasn’t in her bedroom. She wasn’t in any bathrooms.
His temper spiked along with his concern as he instigated a room by room search of the house, repeatedly calling her name.
He found her in her informal family room where she watched television. He’d not seen her in there because the room was dark, the curtains drawn, and she was at the far end of the room.
Having pulled a curtain back, she was standing in it, her back to the door of the room. He almost didn’t see her even stepping into the room to look for her.
He felt no relief due to the fact she didn’t even twitch when he joined her in the room and she had to have heard him moving around and shouting her fucking name.
“Jesus, Liv, what the fuck?” he bit out as he moved to a lamp on a table by the couch and switched it on to light the dim room. “Tweaked as all fuck, been callin’ you—”
She turned.
He stopped dead as rage seared through him.
“Jesus, fuck,” he whispered and took the last distance to her in two long strides.
In that time, she slid out from the curtain, away from the window and away from him.
Nick stopped moving toward her, instead he turned with her movements.
First things first.
“Who did that to your face?” he growled.
“Dad,” she answered emotionlessly.
He ignored the smoldering burn of fury.
Again, first things first, take care of his girl.
“You should have somethin’ on it. You got frozen peas?” he asked.
“It’s perfectly fine.”
He stared at her.
It was not fine. The corner of her left eye was blood red with burst blood vessels, her temple purpled angrily, the cheekbone under swelling and shoving up the bottom of her eye.
With some effort, he controlled his anger and ordered, “Come here. I want a better look at it.”
“Actually, if you don’t mind, it’d be helpful if you left.”
With those words, her demeanor finally penetrated.
Yeah, Liv not communicating…
Seriously fucking more than a little troubling.
“Babe—” he began as he started toward her.
“Though, before you go, you should know that they’re aware of your desire to have vengeance for your dead girlfriend so you should be careful. Georgia is dealing with a number of things and I’m told it’s highly likely she’ll also be dealing with that.”
And at those words, Nick stopped dead again, his gut twisting and his heart slamming against his ribs.
When she said no more, he whispered, “Livvie—”
She cut him off again. “I’m very sorry that happened. I was unaware of it, of course. Not that, if I was aware, I could have done anything about it. I can imagine that was very painful. If it occurred as I was informed it occurred and it happened with you there to witness it…” She shook her head. “Actually, I can’t imagine. But I’m sorry you have that memory.”
He moved cautiously toward her.
To his one step, she took two back.
He stopped.
She did too.
“Let me explain,” he started quietly.
“I think I already got it,” she returned.
“I know you don’t,” he replied.
“Not that you asked my advice, but although I haven’t been told precise details of plans that have been set in motion, I’m getting the firm impression that, regardless that things went at a snail’s pace for some time, they’ll be moving quickly from here on out. I’m certain you can take care of yourself. But you may wish not to delay in—”
“Livvie,” he interrupted.
She shut up and swallowed, taking another step away from him.
“Your father has been arrested for Drake Nair’s murder.”
For a beat, she gaped at him.
She gathered back her ice and nodded shortly. “As I said, things will be moving quickly from here on out.”
“I need you to come to my place with me,” he told her.
She took another step back, saying crisply, “That won’t be happening.”
He took a step toward her and she again retreated.
He stopped.
“Liv—”
“You need to leave,” she declared.
What he needed to do, seriously belatedly, was stop fucking around.
“Liv, it started one way, but you know, you gotta know, where we are now is a very different thing.”
She ignored his words.
“Now. If you don’t mind. You need to leave now,” she said, sweeping out an arm to indicate the door to the room.
“I fell for you.”
“It’s in your best interest—”
“I fell for you, baby.”
“To go immediately.”
“Please listen to me.”