Page 144 of See You Maybe

“I know where the ashes are, or… at least, where they were a few weeks ago.”

All eyes turned to Olivia. “Chris told me at dinner. Looking back, I realize he was making the case about why I should feel bad for Courtney. Apparently, she had the ashes of her sons and David Bloom sent to one of those companies that make fake diamonds out of human remains. Chris says she doesn’t take it off. She’s wearing it around her neck.”

Dahlia’s face wrinkled. “That’s bizarre.”

“It’s worse than bizarre,” Wes said. “The ashes are compromised now. It will be almost impossible to prove the presence of thallium for one set of remains.”

“They didn’t use them all. Chris mentioned she left enough to have earrings made. The company should still have the individual ashes,” Olivia added.

“If we could somehow get our hands on them,” James said.

“I’ll call Vincent and Brady” Luke said. “I’m sure they have someone who can get it done.”

The words were slow to process in Declan’s brain. He seemed to be stuck in a loop as his family made plans around him.

If she’d been under my protection all these years, none of this would have happened.

“Declan.” He felt Olivia’s cool hands on either side of his face, forcing his head down to hers. Declan’s eyes focused on the clear, deep blue of her eyes and sucked in a breath, his body settling when she smiled at him. “Ashes first. Then deal with her.”

Declan couldn’t fathom what he had ever done for the universe to have brought Olivia into his life. But he knew he didn’t deserve her.

Her hands fell away, and he dipped his chin in a tiny nod. Declan looked at his family, who were all staring at him like they’d never seen him before.

“Don’t worry about Vincent. There’s no time for all that. I’ll buy the company.”

They hadn’t stayed much longer. Declan’s nerves were so badly frayed from what Olivia revealed, he wanted to be alone with her. Sensing his discomfort, Olivia whispered, “Are you ready to go home?”

Home.

Declan wanted nothing more than to be wrapped around Olivia in front of the fire. Ignoring his family’s objections that they hadn’t eaten yet, Declan practically dragged Olivia to the elevator.

They were barely through the front door before Declan was kissing her, needing to feel her alive and warm in his arms. To reassure himself that she was safe and with him.

“Puppy,” Olivia panted as his teeth scraped along her collarbone. Her hands pushed at him gently when he yanked at her buttons. “Seriously, Oscar needs to go out.”

Declan lifted his chest off of Olivia, where she lay sprawled across the kitchen island, hearing for the first time the whimpers from the crate in the corner. He shoved a hand back through his hair and exhaled hard, but released the lever and the puppy bounded out. “I think I hate you,” he told the dog.

Olivia stared at him from her semi-reclined position, face flushed with arousal and laughter. “Don’t talk to my baby like that.”

Declan pointed a finger at her as he strode toward the front door, grabbing Oscar’s leash. “Naked.”

“Hurry up,” he muttered to the puppy as Oscar sniffed, circling the same spot of grass for the fiftieth time. The sound of a car approaching had Declan looking toward the road. However, because of Olivia’s steep lot, Declan could only see headlight beams slowly sweep the cul-de-sac, illuminating his car parked halfway down the driveway.

The beams slowed for a moment, and the hair on the back of Declan’s neck rose. His body tensed, but the car continued on, leaving the street in darkness again.

Closing the front door, Declan set the alarm, and as soon as he unclipped the leash, the puppy galloped off. Declan cast one more look at the door. With his car in the driveway and the alarm set, he didn’t think Kyle would try anything, but it infuriated him that the man was still walking around.

All thoughts of Kyle vanished when Declan reached the kitchen and found Olivia exactly where he had left her, but this time she had laid out her bare skin for him like a feast.

“Are you awake?” Olivia whispered.

“No,” he muttered. “You wore me out.”

“Did you sleep with Courtney?”

Declan reared up on his elbow and looked down at her face, lit by the moonlight coming through her sheer drapes.

“Why would you even ask that?”