Page 76 of Until Bax

“Your mom told her the same thing, but right now, she’s staying with me. If she changes her mind, I’m sure she’ll let you know.” I walk back into the kitchen, where Olivia is sitting with Kourtney, the two of them hovering over Kourtney’s new phone, likely trying to program it.

Liam sighs. “I don’t like this.”

“You think I do?” I walk to the counter and pick up my coffee, and Olivia looks up at me with a small smile.

Jesus, just looking at her and thinking about what someone did to her things makes me see red. Worse, it makes me paranoid about leaving her alone. I have no idea who could be targeting her besides Julie. But the thing is, I can’t picture Julie breaking into someone's house. Vandalizing Olivia’s car? Yes. But breaking and entering is a whole other ball game, and someone who is capable of that could be capable of anything.

“No, I know you don’t.” He lets out a harsh breath, then asks softly, “Is she okay?”

“What do you think?” I take my phone with me down the hall to my bedroom, wanting to give the girls some space, especially since Kourtney always looks uncomfortable around me—or anyone who isn’t Olivia, really. “She’s upset that someone was in her room and that they touched her things. She's also freaked because she doesn’t know who it is.”

“Kourtney was in the house?”

“She was, and from the look of the mess they made, they had been there a while before she heard them.”

“She didn’t see anything?”

“Nope, she heard them, then went and hid in the bathroom to call the cops.”

“Sucks she doesn’t have a camera.”

He’s not wrong.

“Hopefully, that will change today.” I place my coffee on my dresser and scoot around Olivia's bag on the floor as I go into the bathroom and stop in front of the sink.

“If Olivia is staying with you, you need cameras at your place.”

“I got that on my list of shit to do today too.”

“Do you need help installing them?”

“Can you be around me and your sister without acting like a dick?” I prompt.

He huffs. “I don’t need to like that you two are together to want her safe.”

“Right,” I mutter, and he goes quiet for a long moment.

“Did Talon know?” he asks.

I don’t want to answer the question—only because there is already enough tension between him and me. I don’t need to add my brother to the mix.

“He knew,” he mumbles after a second, and I sigh. “What time do you want me there to help you install the cameras?”

“It will have to be this evening. I’m going to help Olivia sort out her shit today, and I need to run to the store to pick them up.”

“I’ll be over around four.” He hangs up without saying goodbye, and I drop my eyes to the sink, flip on the tap, and notice Olivia’s shit mixed with mine around the single basin.

And despite all the bullshit I’m going to have to deal with today, I smile because this is the future I have to look forward to when the dust eventually settles.

Olivia safe and under my roof.

Her shit mixed with mine.

And her ass in my bed every night.

And that’s a future I’m looking forward to.

CHAPTER23

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