“I’m just scared you’ll yell at me. You can be really intimidating, you know.”
She wasn’t lying–he really could be scary. No wonder even someone as shameless as Sara ended up
in tears.
Patricia’s eyes prickled with tears, not quite crying, just feeling a little hurt. Then she felt something warm on her neck, and it was like all the fight suddenly left Oliver. His anger disappeared.
He sighed, slipped an arm under her knees, and scooped her up. Without a word, he carried her upstairs.
Cradled in his arms, Patricia felt a wave of nostalgia, like she was a kid again in her dad’s arms. She felt safe.
The heavy living room door closed behind them. Oliver pressed her to his chest, grabbed a tissue, and gently dabbed her eyes. “Unbelievable. I’m not even the one crying, and somehow you beat me to it.”
“You were way scarier than me out there. That speech of yours? Every word felt like you were shoving me away. Like you wanted to cut my heart out.”
Patricia shot him a look, then burrowed her face into his neck.
Oliver sighed again. “No one else could do this. You mess up, won’t let me scold you, and somehow I’m the one who ends up feeling guilty.”
Patricia believed it now. She hadn’t before. But after seeing him put Sara in her place, she was convinced. He didn’t care if you were a girl or a guy–he never played favorites.
Sometimes Patricia thought Sara could be a total disaster, but when it came to relationships and handling men, Sara was definitely more experienced than her.
“It’s because you love me,” Patricia said.
Oliver gave her a look. “That’s twisted logic. Because I love you, I have to reflect on my actions?”
Patricia wouldn’t back down. “You’re older than me. You should go easy on me.”
Mr. Padilla stared at her, speechless. “Patricia, can we please be reasonable for once?”
Patricia’s arms loosened around his neck. Sensing it, Oliver pulled her closer without thinking.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Patricia spoke first, her voice muffled against his chest. “I’m sorry, I know you care about me and only want what’s best, but people are complicated. When I’m with you, I just let my guard down. I can’t help how I feel.”
“Jackson means a lot to me. Before you came along, he and Marian were the most important people in my life. I can’t just stand by and watch him get hurt, especially when it’s my fault. If Jackson hadn’t protected me these last few years, I’d be dead a hundred times over.”
“He’s family to me. Not just someone who gets a paycheck.”
“And yes, I know I was reckless tonight. I didn’t put you first the way I should have. That was on me. I’ll do better next time, okay?”
1/2
18:49
Chapter 301
“Don’t be mad at me anymore.”
As she spoke, Patricia looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears and a nervous hopefulness. She looked exactly like a kitten caught in a rainstorm, and Oliver felt his defenses
crumble.
He realized he was totally gone for her.
He leaned down, caught her lips in a kiss, and let out a soft, helpless sigh. “Patricia, you are going to be the death of me.”
The rainy night went on–endlessly long and yet too short.
In the guesthouse, Jackson slept soundly. In the main house, two shadows curled together in the soft glow of a lamp.
They didn’t separate until dawn.
When Oliver finally pulled Patricia close, she was so damp it was like she’d just climbed out of a pool.
He lay there a moment, then slowly slipped away and got out of bed.
Still in his robe, he stood by the desk, carefully unwrapping the bloody bandage from his arm. He put on a fresh one with practiced ease, like he’d done it a hundred times before.
His phone glowed on the desk, speaker on. The call rang and rang, almost going to voicemail before someone finally answered.
Hector’s annoyed voice came through. “This better be important. You want to call me at two in the morning, fine, but six a.m.? That’s torture.”
“I can pull an all–nighter, but early mornings will be the death of me. You get that, right?”
“I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t urgent,” Oliver said, still focused on the bandage, his voice steady and calm like he was talking about breakfast. “There’s a dead foreigner in the woods northwest of the city. Go claim the body, get it into Theo’s trunk, and file a missing persons report.”
18.49
