Theo grasped Olivia’s arm gently and drew her behind him. Stepping directly into the Chief ’s path, giving him no choice but to step back.
“This is not your concern, Mr. Beckett.” His voice was cool and dismissive.
“I’m making it my concern,” Theo replied calmly.
“This is a police matter, and you are impeding an investigation.”
“I don’t care.” Theo crossed his arms. “Olivia has told you she had nothing to do with that man’s unfortunate death, and yet you persist in your bullish attempt to intimidate her. I don’t care much for bullies, Chief Walcott.”
The chief ’s eyes blazed, and his face turned an unattractive shade of red as his jaw clenched with barely concealed hostility.
“Chief Walcott.” Olivia laid her hand on Theo’s arm. “I had nothing to do with Adam’s or Brody’s deaths. You have already been warned by my attorney what will happen if you continue to harass me. Now, I think you’d better get off my property.”
“Ms. West.” She could actually hear his teeth grinding together as he inclined his head in a vague attempt at civility.
He glared at her for a long moment then turned and headed back down the steps, his foot had barely touched the ground when there was a commotion in the tree line. Deputy Walker stalked out of the woods toward Olivia’s house, followed by two of his colleagues. His face was a twisted mask of pain and fury.
“Where is she?” he bellowed. “Where is that bitch?”
When he saw Olivia standing on the porch, he broke into a run. Theo pulled her protectively behind him, shielding her with his body as the distraught man barreled toward them.
Olivia’s breath caught in her throat. Not because of the grieving man running toward her, but because she knew that the minute he hit her wards, they would repel him. Given his murderous expression, it was obvious he intended her some serious harm, which meant that the wards would react quickly and violently. He would probably be thrown several feet back, and she couldn’t rule out serious bodily harm.
Shit. How the fuck was she going to explain that in front of a whole audience of cops who already thought she was a deranged killer? Worse, how would she explain it to Theo? He still didn’t know what she was.
Her stomach tightened as he approached the perimeter, and she involuntarily clutched Theo’s arm as the furious cop leaped. Suddenly, he was yanked back by Deputy Hanson, who despite her slim build must have had a fair bit of strength in her grip. They’d stopped mere inches from the protective line, but her heart still hammered in her chest.
“What did you do to my brother, you fucking bitch?” He clawed and fought as two more officers helped to restrain him. Throwing his head back, he howled like a caged animal.
His screams tore at Olivia’s heart. No one deserved to lose someone they loved like that. The chief stepped forward, grasping the sides of the younger man’s face and whispering something to him over and over again. Cameron eventually dropped to his knees, his anger draining out of him as he wept inconsolably. Chief Walcott nodded at the deputies flanking him, and they hauled him to his feet and marched him back toward the squad car parked at the end of the road. The chief turned to look at Olivia one last time, giving her a look so filled with venom and contempt that she almost flinched.
Theo drew Olivia back inside and closed the door behind them. She felt numb, hollowed out and running on empty.
“I’m afraid your tea is probably cold by now,” he muttered, his hands twitching as if he was fighting the urge to reach out and comfort her. “I’ll make you another.”
“Do you even know how?”
“How hard can it be?” He gave a small smile.
“Actually, I think I need something stronger.”
He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she pulled a couple of beers out of the refrigerator, handing one to him. Cracking one open, she took a deep swig then rubbed her other hand across her forehead in frustration.
“Are you okay?”
She leaned against the counter, allowing her head to fall back against the cabinet behind her. Blowing out a breath, she stared at the ceiling. “Not really.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She huffed out a frustrated laugh. “Not really,” she repeated quietly. “But I suppose, since you seem to have appointed yourself my protector, you should at least know what you’ve let yourself in for.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything, but we have to start somewhere if we are ever going to learn to trust each other.”
“Theo.” She shook her head. “You have no idea who I am, what I am.”
“Olivia, I know,” he whispered. “I’ve always known.”
“Known what?” she replied warily.
