Page 12 of The English Billionaire's Obsession

“Some blokes I met inside.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I snarl. “You and some criminal lowlifes have been tailing me?”

It sounds like we’re in a bad police drama. Oliver nods slowly, fidgeting with his hair. He can’t be still.

“You know I’m grateful for all that commissary dough you sent me while I was inside. It helped a lot. It kept me alive.”

I say nothing. What was it that made me do that? Guilt or a perverse sense of loyalty?

“I’ve put all that crap behind me,” I tell him, “and if you and some criminal bastards want to tail me, go ahead. You’re not getting past Steve and the rest of my men, and if you do, you’ll regret it.”

“That’s the thing,” Oliver says, shifting from foot to foot.

He’s clearly on something. He’s relapsed, or maybe he never stopped, using my money to get his fix inside. Maybe I only made him worse. It’s not like I visited, and I never opened a single letter he sent me.

“This isn’t about you,” he goes on.

“George has security, too,” I snap. “So does his family. Loki has a dog sitter all day in my buildingwith security. That’s it, Ollie, everybody who matters to me.”

I don’t let myself think about how sad that is. I pause, hating how natural it feels to call himOllie, despite how long it’s been.

“No.” Oliver sighs. “That’s not true, is it? Because yesterday, you visited a house, and there was a woman at the windo—”

He shouts in surprise when I grab the front of his shirt, lifting him up and off his feet, shaking him so his legs kick. I don’t plan on doing this, but at the mention of Amelia, I lose control. It’s a savage instinct that roars at me. Anybody who hurts ortriesto hurt her is a dead man.

“Wait, wait,” Oliver gasps, clawing at my hands.

Behind me, Loki barks loudly, rushing over and running in frantic circles, wanting to help with whatever threat I’ve found. Steve and the rest of my security team approach us cautiously.

“What about her?” I snarl, shaking him again. “What have you done?”

“Nothing, just dammit, please, Tommy…”

I put him down, but it takes a lot of effort, and I’m ready to spring forward and grab him again, ready to fold him up if he provokes me.

“Is she safe?” I snap. “Tell menow.”

“Jesus, she’s safe, but I graffitied her house. I putTommy is a liar. I was high, man, but I’m coming down now. Listen, I came to say sorry. I came to warn you that these men from inside know about her. All right? I rang them and told them where she lives. They’ve been looking for a weak spot, a way to get to you.”

“Steve, take Loki home.”

“Wait,” Oliver yells as I turn and start running across the track. “What about some cash, Tommy? Just a bit, mate. Just a few quid. Just enough…”

But I can’t hear him. I can’t even hear Loki barking or Steve shouting at the rest of my security team, ordering them to follow me. All I can hear is the phantom of Amelia’s voice in my mind, lowered to a deathly whisper, her eyes draining of life.“Why didn’t you save me? You were supposed to protect me.”

Jumping into my car, I start the engine and tear out of the parking space, wheels screeching on the concrete. In the rearview mirror, I see the sleek black security guard speed away, following.

London is a bastard for traffic, but I’ve lived here a long time and know the best routes to take. I cut a few red lights, which I never usually do, but I’d do much worse if it meant getting to my woman in time. My Amelia. What if I never see her again and get to explain why I left so abruptly?

Finally, I reach her dreary-looking street, spinning the car around to a screeching stop. The residue of red paint smears the front window, a bucket of blood-colored water sitting beneath it, with the front door partially open. I push the door open, my heart pounding so loud, my instincts firing hotly. Everything tells me I must find and protect the future mother to my children, the woman I will spend the rest of my life with.

“Who are you?” a woman snaps at me, turning from the bottom of the stairs.

She’s a sharp-featured woman, her gray hair tied up.

“Where’s Amelia?” I roar.

The woman flinches, eyes widening as though a tornado has just swept in.

---