Page 163 of See You Maybe
But her limbs no longer responded, and Olivia felt her legs give out beneath her. Strong hands hooked under her arms, holding her up.
“Light it.”
She knew that voice too.
Olivia tried to shake her head to clear it, but her head lolled back against a firm chest, and her heavy eyelids refused to lift. An acrid scent filled her nose. Smoke?
“Why?” Olivia wasn’t sure if the words left her lips.
“Get her feet,” Chris Keller demanded.
Olivia felt herself lifted in the air and then heard the creak of the outside door as she fought to stay conscious. She moaned when she dropped a short distance onto something hard. Her eyes fluttered open at the pain. “Why?” she repeated.
Chris loomed over her, eyes glittering. “I have nothing left to lose, but he does.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
New York—Present Day
Declan was ready to climb the walls as he listened to yet another presentation to bring him up to speed on Bloom Communications’ current priorities. In this case, it was a financial snapshot of their European subsidiaries. He didn’t remember the job being this boring.
He rolled his shoulders. This was what he wanted, Declan told himself. What he’d fought so hard to get back. This was the third meeting in a row that felt like a major waste of time. None of the decisions he made would have any immediate impact on the company.
The thing Declan enjoyed most about streamlining the companies his private equity firm bought was the challenge. Here, he felt like a cog in a giant system. All they expected from him was to make a check mark next to a decision that had been made months ago.
“The milestones for Q3 and Q4 are in the same range…” The man droned on, and Declan found his mind wandering.
I wonder what Olivia is doing?
Declan sighed. Having more fun than him, he would bet. His phone buzzed on the glass conference table, and he turned it over to see the name illuminated. He sent Luke’s call to voicemail.
When the phone immediately rang again, Declan lifted his hand to the man still presenting.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Declan said, walking from the room. Normally, he would never walk out of a meeting unless something needed his immediate attention, but he was going stir crazy and grabbed at the excuse. “What do you need?” he asked his brother.
“Courtney’s dead.”
“What?” Declan halted in the middle of the hallway.
“Her housekeeper found her this morning. Looks like an overdose.”
“I thought she was in rehab,” Declan snarled. “Wasn’t that the whole reason we couldn’t get to her?”
“She checked herself out last night.”
Frustrated rage coursed through him. He felt robbed, cheated of his revenge.
“Where’s Chris?”
Declan heard a heavy sigh and murmuring. “Luke?” he snapped.
“Hang on.” Luke’s voice was just as sharp. “James is on the phone with Brady. I think something is happening.”
Declan’s breath came faster as he clutched the phone. “Problem?”
“Fuck!” Declan heard James shout in the background.
“What’s happening?” Declan was already moving toward the elevators. His instincts telling him he needed to move.