Page 63 of Caught in the Middle

Chapter Twenty One

'You training for a marathon?'

Oliver's snarky comment went over her head, as she stared at him in disbelief.

Where had he even come from?

Lucy had never expected to see him again. It seemed like a forever ago since he had handed her that wad of cash, and told her that it was for the best.

And if she hadn't felt confused enough after that, she'd spent the last couple days building him up in her head to be this horrific, evil creature... who had killed Joey Leonardo's sister.

She glanced back for Elijah, who was smoking a cigarette on the other side of the path.

She turned back round, stared into those twinkling eyes that she was trying to forget.

And she slapped him, across the face, as hard as she could.

Oliver recoiled for a moment, a look of shock creeping into his expression, but he composed himself just as quickly.

'Well, I guess I deserved that,' he said.

His smug smile made Lucy want to scream. But here he was, in front of her, exactly how she remembered him. Cutting a sharp figure in his suit, strands of his tousled hair falling into his face. The strong jawline that had rubbed against her cheek that night in the tent...He looked exactly the same. She couldn't imagine him being a murderer now that he was right there.

'I don't even know what to say to you,' she whispered hoarsely.

He reached out to touch her arm, but she snapped it back quick enough to leave him hanging in mid-air.

'So then I'll talk,' he said, glancing over his shoulder, 'Jesus Lucy, why did you not get on that flight?'

'Are you the head of the Irish Mafia, Oliver?' Lucy blurted out.

His silence said it all.

'I can't believe you lied to me,' her whole body was shaking with rage.

'No, listen, I didn't lie to you, I just wasn't completely open with you, but please. We can talk about that later. Right now, we need to go -'

'I'm not going anywhere with you,' she shouted, clearly too loud for Oliver's liking, as he hushed her.

'Lucy, he's going to kill you - I don't know what he's said to you, but I promise you, he's sweetening you up. Everything I told you about him was true - you have to believe me,' he was babbling now, and Lucy had never seen him lose his composure like this.

But she wasn't listening. She just needed answers. Now that she had him in front of her, she wasn't going to waste the opportunity getting closure.

'Why did you give up on me?'

Oliver stared at her, almost as if he was staring into her soul. His eyes... were they watering? She could never have imagined him looking... weak. But here he was, looking vulnerable, desperate, even.

'Because... it was all getting... too much.' The vein in his temple throbbed as he shook his head. 'Oh fuck it,' he thumped the tree in exasperation, 'I'm falling for you, Lucy, and it scared me.'

Lucy's jaw dropped open. Her mouth wouldn't work, her brain couldn't formulate what to say, not that her mouth would form any words.

'You're funny, sarcastic. You didn't put up with my shit,' he laughed bitterly at a memory, 'but then when you shot Joey's hit men...' he shook his head again, 'I knew you liked me too. And that's dangerous.'

'Dangerous?'

A wry smile pulled at his lips. 'Because I'm dangerous.'

'Because you're a murderer.' she stated, bluntly.

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