Page 41 of Rivals Next Door

Then, I got a visit from one of his “associates” at my apartment. This man was possibly a mobster, enforcer, or drug dealer, and he knew where I lived! Apparently, Liam really did hate me because he must have wanted to see me dead.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I pulled in several deep breaths.

“Olivia Brentwood?”

I jumped at the sound of the slightly accented voice. It was so subtle that it was hard to place. I swallowed hard and reached deep for the Ice Princess… it figured I’d think about Alex even at a time like this. It was just that he always said that version of me was unflappable and intriguingly intimidating. Drawing on that persona now, I straightened my shoulders and turned to face the source of my current fear.

My forced courage wavered when I saw the man. He was a looming figure, standing over six feet tall. His face looked as if it was carved from stone, and his eyes were cold and soulless like a hungry shark. My gaze dipped to the jagged scar extending from the corner of his left eye to his neck. It made him look twice as scary.

He probably got it as a defensive wound from the last person he killed. Not to be judgemental, but the man gave off serious murderer vibes. Who the hell had my brother gotten involved with? Remembering that this man knew where I lived almost made me piss in my pantyhose.

I was about to have dinner with this guy. He suggested we meet to discuss business. I knew what that meant. Liam probably owed him money, and he was here to extort me. I figured a public place, especially on this side of town, would be a tad safer. Mr. Big and Scary was less likely to strangle me with his huge hands at a place like this, right?

Sweet Jesus.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, and you are…?”

He hadn’t shared his name during that ominous phone call yesterday or when he showed up in my apartment’s lobby.

“Names aren’t important,” he said.

I snorted inwardly. Of course, the criminal wanted to remain nameless.

“Shall we?” He gestured to the restaurant’s entrance and then had the nerve to offer an arm.

I gazed at his welcoming gesture with an are-you-for-real look. “This is hardly a romantic date,” I said acidly.

I spun and sauntered into the restaurant with my nose in the air. The ice princess was up front and center.

I heard a low chuckle behind me, and my step almost faltered. Was that an evil I’m-going-to-enjoy-killing-her laugh? I mentally slapped my forehead. Why would you piss off the murderer, Liv?

Still, I managed to maintain my unbothered, haughty facade as the hostess greeted us and led us to the table I reserved. I held it together until I passed a table where Alex sat with a brunette whose boobs were large enough to serve as lifeboats.

This time, my steps did falter, and my eyes locked with his for a split second. When he was out of sight, my eyebrows dipped. Seeing Alex on a date—it must be a date—made me insanely jealous, and I hated it. We broke up nine years ago, for goodness’ sake. The temptation to look back got the better of me. Just as I turned my neck, Mr. Big and Scary appeared at my side.

He grabbed my elbow, making me gasp.

“Who were you looking at? You didn’t do something stupid like call the cops, did you?” he asked.

“What…? No… I wasn’t looking at anyone.”

The thought of putting Alex in danger made me nauseous, so I didn’t dare look his way again. I even made sure to take the seat that wasn’t facing his direction because I knew I’d be tempted to glance at him and his date.

“Good, because that would make me upset.”

His tone made me shiver. However, I kept my expression schooled.

As we sat, he smiled—more like a menacing sneer—and glanced around. “Nice place. What’s good here?”

I glowered as a surge of annoyance zipped through me. “What is this? Why make this entire thing a charade of civility? You could have extorted me over the phone. It’s the twenty-first century, after all.”

Mr. Nameless chuckled. “I like you. You have bigger balls than your brother.”

My teeth clenched so tightly that my jaw ached. “I’m flattered,” I replied dryly. “Where is my brother? If you’ve done anything to hurt?—”

“If I knew where he was, I wouldn't be sitting here with you, Ms. Brentwood.”

I pulled a big puff of air into my lungs. Just for a moment, I allowed relief to flood me, but it was short-lived. Liam wasn’t dead or hurt… hopefully. That was good. However, he was still missing. Although, I gathered that was deliberate…

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