Page 14 of Little Did You Know

A long breath crackled through the line. When Anthony spoke again, his voice had dropped to nearly a whisper. "Fire marshal just left. They found accelerant." He paused, and I could picture him glancing over his shoulder, checking his surroundings. "Professional job, they said. Whoever did this wanted to make sure nothing survived."

The implications turned my blood cold. "And Emmett?"

"Gone." Anthony's voice dropped lower. "Came back from the airport, expecting Emmett to meet me here. He never showed." He let the sentence hang. “I haven’t seen him in weeks.”

"If Emmett's the target, then Olivia should be safe here," I mainly stated to reassure myself. I didn't like that Emmett was a target, but he was resourceful and could take care of himself. Olivia, on the other hand, was young and naïve. I wasn't as convinced that she could.

"I believe so," Anthony stated. "Look, I'll let you know if I find anything else."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." He disconnected, and I crossed Anthony's name off my "to-call" list.

Anthony's "driver" title had always been a smokescreen. Oliver Ryan, Emmett and Olivia’s father, fresh off making his first billion, arranging security for his newborn while building an empire that made him more enemies by the day. The irony twisted in my gut—he'd protected his children but left himself exposed. Now his kids had inherited not just his wealth, but his enemies too.

Glancing at my watch, noticing how late it was, I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Hannah.

Nick: Bring Olivia to my house once you're done.

Nick: Do you have an ETA?

It didn't take long for her to reply.

Hannah: Finishing up and going to get a bite to eat.

Hannah: Don't wait up!

I sighed, powering down my computer. No reason to stay any longer. The office had emptied hours ago, the cleaning crew already making their rounds through the darkened hallways. I gathered my coat, took one last look at the notes spread across my desk, and headed for the elevator. Outside, the city had transformed into its nighttime self. The city lights blurred past my car window as I headed home, the clock on my dashboard creeping past nine.

My neck ached from hours of phone calls, and questions about Emmett and Olivia tumbled through my mind like clothes in a dryer. Each theory I came up with was worse than the last.

By the time I made it home, all I wanted was a shower, food, and sleep.

Hot water pounded against my shoulders, but each muscle it loosened seemed to redirect the tension straight to my gut. Steam clouded the mirror as I yanked on a fresh shirt, fingers fumbling with the buttons.

"Mr. Pearson?" Arlena's voice floated up the stairs. She paused for a moment, then added, "Miss Hannah and Miss Olivia have arrived."

I abandoned my half-buttoned shirt and moved to the bedroom window, catching sight of Hannah's car in the circular drive. Its headlights cut through the evening mist, casting long shadows across the manicured lawn.

The front door opened below, voices drifting up. I froze on the landing, my hand gripping the banister mid-descent. For a moment, I thought Hannah had brought back the wrong person.

The woman in the doorway couldn't be Olivia—except those eyes. Ice-blue and unmistakable, they locked with mine across the foyer, and her chin lifted slightly in recognition. My pulse quickened as I forced myself to continue down the stairs at a measured pace.

Gone was the frightened girl in the oversized shirt. In her place stood someone who made my chest tight with an emotion I couldn't name. Her dark hair cascaded past her shoulders, catching the foyer lights like silk. The black dress she wore told a story of its own, one that made me forget I was supposed to be her protector.

"Earth to Nick," Hannah's voice cut through my trance. "You're drooling, boss.”

My mouth shut as he sharp, sour tang of stale beer hit me before she'd taken three steps into the room. It clung to her like a second skin, replacing this morning's smoke with something equally potent. My nose wrinkled before I could stop it.

"Did you two go swimming in a brewery?" I crossed my arms and leaned against the newel post.

Hannah glanced at Olivia, her lips pressing together to suppress a smile. "No, Olivia spilled a beer," she replied, busying herself with her purse strap.

"It was more like four beers," Olivia corrected, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. She ran her fingers through her dark hair, meeting my gaze with a hint of defiance that hadn't been there this morning. Her shoulders straightened slightly, as if preparing for a lecture.

"Arlena, please show Olivia to her room so she can change," I directed Arlena. Olivia followed Arlena up the stairs, and I couldn't help but watch as the form-fitting dress hugged her assets perfectly. Hannah cleared her throat behind me, and I suddenly remembered she was still there.

Hannah dangled the credit card between two fingers. "Here's your card back, Mr. Pearson." A mischievous smile played on her lips. "Do you want to know the damage?"

I waved off the question, my eyes still fixed on the stairs where Olivia had disappeared.

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