Page 32 of Operation Wolf: Eli
CHAPTER 18
Olivia
I WAS PULLING WHAThad to be the juiciest beef brisket ever made in history out of the oven when I heard the door slam.
“Eli?” I called.
My heart rate picked up in both anticipation and fear. Joy because I was looking forward to seeing him and fear because, in the back of my mind, the possibility always lurked that, one day, it wouldn’t be him but one of the Outfit’s cronies, come to drag me kicking and screaming back to Chicago.
Once, maybe even last week, a part of me would have welcomed going back to Chicago, to the familiar, where friends, classes, and my life awaited me.
After all, surely Dad would give these bastards what they wanted, and I would be able to go on with my life, wouldn’t I?
But ever since Eli and I had made love in that clearing, my feelings had changed. Now, instead of itching to get back to my art classes, I was itching to get back into his arms. Before, I had been a free spirit, wanting to travel the world, make new friends, and see new places. But now, I had the inexplicable urge to explore the globe with only him.
It’s because of Eli.
Now that I had been reunited with the man I loved, I wanted nothing more than simply to be with him. To be his partner in life, travel the world with him, create a home with him, have his babies, and support him, as I knew he would support me.
“I’m home,” he replied gruffly.
I frowned at the tone in his voice, which did not have a happy, expectant note at all.
“I made beef brisket,” I called, setting the pan on the chopping board to cool while I checked on the string beans. I could hear him hanging his coat on the rack, and I expected that his sensitive nose would likely pick up the scent of the mouthwatering brisket, lifting his spirits.
“Yeah, smells great.” He came into the kitchen, gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and then moved past me to grab some dishes from the cabinet. “I’ll set the table.”
We sat down to eat a few minutes later, but I didn’t touch my food, unsettled by Eli’s change in demeanor. He kept his eyes focused on his plate as he single-mindedly shoveled the brisket into his mouth. There was a tension in his face and shoulders that hadn’t been there before he left the house.
“Is the food all right?” I inquired.
“What?” He sounded distracted and briefly glanced up at me. “Oh yeah, of course. It’s delicious.” He returned his attention to his plate. “You outdid yourself.”
“Okay.” Frowning, I tried again. “Did the donkey give you any trouble today?”
“No.” He furrowed his brows. “I took Sunshine with me.”
“That’s it.” Frustrated, I slapped my hand on the table, rattling the silverware. “What the hell is it?”
He jerked his head up, giving me his full attention now, and surprise flashed in his wide blue eyes. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Don’t bullshit me. You’ve been tense and distracted ever since you got home,” I snapped, folding my arms over my chest. A little voice inside my head chattered that I was acting like a harping housewife and that I had no right to, but I squelched it with a mental stomp. “I thought everything was fine between us before you left, but now, you’re home and in a bad mood, and it’s worrying me. What happened? Did one of the townspeople say something that pissed you off?”
Eli closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wasn’t really ready to talk about this yet,” he muttered.
“Talk about what?” I asked. My anger was replaced by an unease that made my stomach twinge.
He sighed. “I got a letter in the mail today from Hunter.”
The unease quickly became foreboding, and I scooted forward on my seat. “What did it say?”
“The Outfit wants us back in Chicago. If we don’t return ASAP, there’ll be a shitstorm of trouble.”
“What?” I jumped out of my chair. “We’re not safe. They’ll find us.” I paced back and forth in the space between the kitchen and the table. “We have to get out of here. We should be upstairs packing right now!” I yelled, whirling around to face him.
“Calm down.” He was out of his chair, his hands on my shoulders. “We’re not just running out of here with no place to go and no plan in mind. I’m going to make some phone calls tomorrow, get a plan in place, and then we’ll go. You should expect to be on the move pretty soon.”
Sighing, I allowed my shoulders to slump as I looked around the room. I’d grown to love this place, and I wasn’t at all looking forward to leaving it. Nor was I looking forward to moving from place to place, falling in love with different locations and towns and then being forced to pack up again at the first sign of trouble.
