Page 83 of Oliver

“What?” I ask but she shakes her head.

“Not here.”

“Ram—“

“I know. Let’s go.”

We bypass the crowd by going through an exit I didn’t know existed and once we’re free, she takes my arm and leads me through the cars.

“Willow, what’s going on?”

She shakes her head, glancing around and when I pull away, she says, “Go.”

“Where?” I ask, just as a dark SUV stops before us with Hate behind the wheel.

“What?” I ask and she opens the door.

“Listen, you have to go. Trust me.”

The urgency in her tone sends a shiver of awareness down my spine and gripping the jamb, I rasp, “What? What is it?”

“It’s Oliver.”

Chapter 26

I’ve always honored my parents…they just never honored me.

Penny

The entire way across town, I grip my fingers so tightly on my lap that they’re numb. My mind spins with those two words, uttered with complete disbelief.

I guess that’s why I believed her because even she couldn’t wrap her brain around it.

So, it was Oliver. Or at least he’s the one who traded a secret to Hate to warn me to back off. But why else would he do it? He’s involved.

Knowing my sister died from a drug overdose doesn’t make this any better because if Oliver is still threatening me then there’s so much more to the story.

Even up to the minute she approached me with wide eyes, I thought whatever he did could be explained away. Now I’m reeling when I should be smug because I knew it even though I convinced myself it was a lie.

Now I’m in a vehicle with a virtual stranger who could just as easily kill me as help me. With that thought, I glance at him sideways.

His strong hands grip the wheel with confidence. I silently admire his biceps when he makes a turn before reaching his face. He’s actually quite beautiful if you can get past the perpetual scowl written into his features.

Is he always like this? If so, I hope he knows he’s bound to have a heart attack eventually.

Snorting at my nonsensical thoughts, I cover my face and laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he grunts.

Dropping my hands, I wipe my eyes and blurt, “You. You’re going to have a heart attack if you keep this shit up!”

His brows furrow and he glances at me with a weird expression before saying, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

I’m practically sobbing, I’m laughing so hard, and I know this is hysteria, but I can’t seem to stop. “You’re wound so tight.”

He grunts but doesn’t respond as he turns down a road. A huge old house looms before us and the laughter dries up. Holy shit.

Is he going to kill me? It’s not so funny anymore and I gulp, looking around. We’re surrounded by trees, not unlike the place Charlie sent me and left me his warning. Which I guess wasn’t Charlie but Oliver.

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