Page 166 of See You Maybe
“I have to pee,” Olivia said. Her mouth was dry, and her stomach rolled, but she had remained still as long as possible, not wanting him to know she was awake.
With her eyes closed, Olivia listened carefully, trying to determine where she was, but the only sound was the tapping of a keyboard and a slight squeak, like someone shifted in a chair. It was the aftershave that gave him away. Olivia didn’t know where she was, but she knew the man in the room with her was Chris Keller.
Where did Kyle go? Is he waiting nearby?
Finally, when Olivia couldn’t ignore her bladder any longer, she spoke up.
“I really need the bathroom,” she repeated, opening her eyes. He would have to untie her from the chair. That would give her a chance.
“Done playing dead?” Chris’s friendly smile was entirely at odds with the situation.
“Yes.”
“It really is a shame you met him first. I like you.” His lips twisted bitterly. “Isn’t that the story of our lives? Everything always cosmically lines up for Declan.”
Olivia didn’t answer, only stared at him, shifting uncomfortably to illustrate her point.
Chris watched her speculatively for a moment, spinning a lethal-looking letter opener between his fingers. He suddenly flipped it to grip the hilt, and then drove the tip of the blade into the wood desk next to a bronze bust. Olivia flinched as it quivered.
“Fine.” Chris yanked the letter opener out of the desk with one hand and picked up the small bronze with the other. He snorted, staring at the statue, and then turned it to show her. “David Bloom. Next to Declan, he might have been the most arrogant man in the universe. Who has a statue made of themself?”
Olivia kept her mouth shut. Chris set the bust down with a thunk before approaching her with the letter opener in his hand. Olivia’s eyes widened when Chris leaned over her, but he only slipped the point under the zip ties and flicked up, causing the plastic to fall away.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” The smile he gave her was so chilling she felt it in her bones. “At least not until Dec gets here. I don’t want him to miss the show.”
Her heart sank.
Grabbing her around her bicep, Chris pulled Olivia to her feet, and her knees almost buckled. Her legs felt like jelly, and she stumbled as he marched across the room. “Pretty potent stuff.” Chris observed. “I wasn’t super clear on dosage, so I gave you all of it. Knocked you out for longer than I thought it would.”
Chris walked her down a marble hallway and opened a door at the end, revealing a small bathroom. “Of course, you looked like you were dead, and your ex-husband freaked out that we wouldn’t get the ransom. Like I was ever going to share with him. Kyle was such a moron. I can’t believe you married him.” Chris shoved her into the room. “You have two minutes.” His hand slapped against the door, preventing her from closing it. “Leave the door open.”
“You want to watch me pee?” Olivia glared at him.
“Not particularly, but better that than you trying to barricade yourself in there. Clock’s ticking.” He made a shooing motion with his hand.
Nostrils flaring, Olivia took care of her needs as quickly as she could, lingering as she washed her hands. Her mind was blank of escape plans, but Olivia hadn’t missed how Chris referred to Kyle in the past tense. Did that mean he was alone here?
“Declan will come for me.”
“I’m counting on it.” Chris leaned against the open-door frame, the gun resting by his leg, and he’d stuck the letter opener in his waistband.
If she could grab one of the weapons…
“I wouldn’t,” Chris said, seeming to read her mind. He casually stepped away from the door and beckoned her with the gun. “I don’t want to hurt you before Declan gets here, but I will if I have to.”
“Where are we?” The enormous house was silent, and through the distant windows she could only see green.
“The Bloom family estate.”
“Rhode Island?” Olivia couldn’t help the surprise in her voice. How long had she been unconscious?
Chris inclined his head and motioned for her to sit in the chair. To her relief, he didn’t restrain her again. He didn’t have to, she thought bitterly. He had a gun.
The computer monitor on the desk beeped. “Declan must have broken some sort of speed record.” Chris sounded pleased and looked up to meet her eyes. “Lover boy is here.” His eyes returned to the screen. “It looks like he’s alone.”
“Why do you hate him so much?”
Chris ignored her, flipped open a laptop, and typed for a minute or two. Olivia inched toward the edge of the seat, her feet flexing on the carpet. She couldn’t sit there and let Declan walk into a trap. Her eyes measured the distance to the large plate-glass window that overlooked the side lawn of the mansion, and then at the paned glass doors that led back into the house.