Page 71 of Deception

The man loomed over her, leering at her.

“Mind your own business.” His gravelly voice stretched through the silence.

“What are you talking about?” Was this related to Rebecca’s case? Or did this tie into her dad somehow?

She honestly wasn’t sure.

The man held something to her throat, and Olive felt the prick of a blade.

She tensed, knowing that one wrong move could mean the difference between life and death.

He must have grabbed a shard of glass from that broken lamp.

Now he used it like a knife.

“I should kill you right now,” the man growled.

Olive had to think of a way out of this situation before he did that. But the sharp glass at her throat made it impossible to move. Even talking could be risky.

Suddenly, her life flashed before her eyes.

She’d made the best of things since her family had been killed. But she’d become a virtual island, keeping everyone at arm’s length.

If she died today, what would she have to show for her life?

Who would even miss her? Only her colleagues, and maybe Tom and Jill would mourn.

The thought left her feeling hollow inside. For years she’d told herself it was best to remain distant. But at the moment, it all seemed so meaningless.

Then another sound came from downstairs.

A door closing. Footsteps.

Someone else was here?

Her mind raced. It wasn’t Nova. Nova wouldn’t have come here after Olive.

There was no one else Olive could imagine it would be. No one knew where she was.

Her heart throbbed in her ears.

Had this guy brought backup? Or were two of her cases colliding and would she be faced with double trouble right now?

She had no idea what to expect.

The man continued to glare at her. Then he pulled the glass away from her neck and let out another guttural growl.

He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head into the wall.

Pain flashed through her head, and the house began to spin around her.

“Don’t go anywhere,” he growled. “I’ll be back to finish this.”

Footsteps faded toward the stairs.

Olive slid to the floor. Her head spun, and nothing made sense.

The man . . . he had to be downstairs by now, right?

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