Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Cate had retreated into herself. She’d had to. She couldn’t panic or he might shoot. And then what would stop him going after Ethan or her brother?
Now they were sitting on the couch in the living room, with her between Rhodes and Ethan. Oliver sat across from them, the gun resting casually in his hand.
He seemed so different. So . . . wrong.
“What is going on? Why are you here with a gun?” Cate asked.
“Well, I’m not here for you,” Oliver sneered. “Honestly, Cate. You have a big brain, use it. If it wasn’t for the fact that Rhodes loves you, I would have gotten rid of you a long time ago.” He turned to Rhodes, his body softening. “But my love cares for you so that means I have to as well.”
His love?
She felt Rhodes stiffen. Ethan drew her closer. He was practically vibrating with rage. She might not be great at reading facial expressions, but there had been no missing his absolute fury when he’d seen that gun aimed at her head.
He was in protector mode and Oliver better watch out. Any slip-up and he was dead.
Oliver had killed Kevin.
That part was confusing. He’d made Ethan drag his body down the driveway and into the garage.
There was a dead body in the garage.
“Your love?” Ethan asked.
“My love, Rhodes. I’ve been in love with him even since before I met him. It’s why I took this job with Cate. No one else would work with her. But it got me closer to Rhodes.”
“So it is you,” she said. “You’re the stalker. Or one of them.”
“I’m not a stalker,” he said sharply. “I’m an admirer. A secret admirer.”
“Were you working with Samantha?” Ethan asked.
“What? No! That stupid bitch took advantage of the situation. She decided to do all that herself. Although it worked in my favor, keeping the heat off me. Until I messed up and posted those photos of my love in New York with the bitch. Meanwhile, Samantha hired someone to run Cate and Ethan off the road. Then it became more obvious that there were two admirers.”
“You’ve loved Rhodes all this time?” Cate asked.
“Yes.”
“And you’re the blogger?” she asked.
“Yes.” He sighed dreamily.
“I’m surprised you didn’t try to get rid of Samantha,” Ethan ventured. “She was dating Rhodes.”
“He didn’t love her. I knew that. I could tell. But he needed her for his career. I would have gotten rid of her eventually. At times she proved useful. I got rid of Kevin because he was being a dick. He was going to make you pay a lot of money to get out of your contract. Now, that problem is gone.”
Dear Lord.
He was mad. Nuts. And she had to do something to save them.
“Would you like to sit next to Rhodes,” she said.
He narrowed his gaze.
“You’ve gone to all this work to be with him. You should get to know him better.”
“Is this a trick?”
“No trick. In fact, why don’t I make you a drink?”
“You’ll drug it.”
“With what? I don’t have any drugs. I’ll tell you what. I’ll make a drink and we’ll all take a sip. If it’s drugged, it will get us first.”
Oliver seemed to think about that before he nodded. “Put the big guy in these first.” He drew some handcuffs out and threw them at Cate. “Hands behind him.”
Ethan glared at Oliver as Cate handcuffed him. Then he moved to the seat Oliver had been in as Oliver sat by Rhodes, gazing at him adoringly.
She looked at Rhodes briefly, opening her eyes. She hoped he understood that she wanted him to keep Oliver occupied.
“So, Oliver, tell me everything you did to get close to me.”
It wasn’t much, surprisingly. But apparently, he was the one to try and break in. He’d wanted Rhodes to come back. He hadn’t been able to follow him that time like he had to New York.
She worked quickly, making up a mango and strawberry daiquiri. But with only a bit of strawberry so you couldn’t see that it was an ingredient.
She hoped it was enough.
She brought two glasses over, handing one to Rhodes. He took a sip when she nodded to him. Then she held the other glass up and drank from it, before giving Ethan some.
Oliver watched them for a long while. “What is it?”
“A mango daiquiri.”
“My favorite.”
She knew that. Cate stored a lot of stuff in her big brain. She sat on the arm of Ethan’s chair as Oliver began to drink. Rhodes let him get close to him. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for Oliver’s skin to go blotchy. He let out a gasp, the drink dropping from his hand as he reached for his neck.
“What . . . what did . . . you . . .”
Cate dove for the gun, ignoring Rhodes and Ethan’s yells. Oliver didn’t put up a fight. Ethan grabbed her, dragging her back. When he set her down, he took hold of the gun.