Page 43 of Before the Night Falls
He waited to see if she’d share.
He wouldn’t push her. She didn’t need that pressure.
But more than anything, Tyson wanted to be there for her . . . if only Olivia would let him.
* * *
Olivia drew in a deep breath and let it slowly escape before answering. “The roses are a countdown.”
“A countdown to what?”
“It’s . . . it’s complicated.”
Tyson drew his eyebrows together in confusion. Instead of asking, he took another sip of coffee and waited for her to continue.
She gathered her thoughts as she drank her coffee. She wasn’t sure how much to tell him. But she had to start somewhere.
“He always begins with the dozen roses.”
“Who does?”
“The Admirer. He’s a serial killer, and roses were his MO. He’s supposedly dead, but . . .” She cleared her throat. “After he sends the initial dozen roses, he’ll then send ten—like the ten today in your office. Next, I’ll get eight, then six, four, and two. Finally, when I’m given the final rose, the person who bought them will reveal himself to me.”
Tyson blinked as he stared at her. “Like you said—it’s a countdown . . . a really sick countdown.”
She nodded somberly.
“But who . . . ?”
Olivia shrugged. “I have no idea. Was the wrong person killed? Did he have an accomplice? Or is there a copycat? Or is this a horrible joke? I have no idea.”
“That’s terrible.”
“I . . . I really hate talking about it. I can’t afford to send my mind reeling back in time. It will cripple me, and I have a job to do.”
Tyson lowered his voice compassionately. “I understand. But I’m here to listen if you need me, Olivia.”
“I appreciate that.” She took the last swallow of coffee and crumpled her cup. Standing, she looked at Tyson. “Thanks for listening, and I apologize for the misunderstanding. I’ll let you get back to work now.”
She started to walk away, but Tyson grabbed her hand.
She paused and looked back at him.
His expression was surprisingly gentle and kind—enough that her heart softened.
“You don’t have to talk about it anymore. But don’t run away from me because you’re afraid you’ll have to. I’m not going to pressure you into saying anything you don’t want to share.”
A knot formed in her throat. “Thank you.”
“Let’s go back up to my office together and see if we can figure out where these roses came from.” He stood beside her. “We need to get to the bottom of this before this situation escalates any further.”
If only that were possible, she mused. If only.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Curious glances flewbetween the employees when Tyson and Olivia walked back into the reception area.
The stares didn’t seem to bother Tyson, who kept his head high as he led Olivia toward his office.
