I wait, full of apprehension, for William’s answer. He looks just as taken aback by Miller’s little speech as I’m feeling. ‘Get me another drink.’ William sighs heavily, pushing his glass towards Miller. ‘I’m going to fucking need it.’
I catch the bar to steady myself, my relief making me dizzy, and Miller gives a sharp nod of respect before pouring William some more scotch, which he knocks back just as fast as the first. They’ve both fallen into business mode. I know I won’t want to hear any of the plotting, and I know Miller won’t want me to either, so I step forward to excuse myself before I’m ordered to leave. ‘I’m just going to use the toilet.’
Both men turn worried looks onto me and I find myself spilling my desire to remove myself. ‘I’d rather not hear how you plan on dealing with Charlie.’ I refuse to let my mind go there.
Miller nods, stepping forward to brush my hair off my face. ‘Just wait here for two minutes while I make a call. Then I’ll take you down to my office.’ He kisses my cheek and leaves quickly, not giving me scope for objection. Damn him! The conniving bastard! He knows I don’t want to be alone with William, and the resistance it takes not to run after Miller nearly floors me. My legs are twitching, my eyes are darting, and my restless heart has set off on another nervous skip.
‘Sit down, Olivia,’ William orders gently, gesturing to a stool next to him. I’m not sitting down and getting comfy because I don’t plan on being here for long. Two minutes, Miller said. I hope he means it. Thirty seconds have passed already. Another ninety, that’s all. It’s minimal.
‘I’d rather stand.’ I remain in place, exuding as much confidence as I can muster. William shakes his head tiredly and goes to speak, but I shut him down with my own question. ‘What’s impossible?’ I ask, standing firm. Even though I don’t want to know about their plans to deal with Charlie, I’d still rather talk about that than broach the subject of my mother.
‘Charlie is a dangerous man.’
‘I’ve figured that,’ I retort shortly.
‘Miller Hart is a very dangerous man.’
That soon snaps my cocky mouth shut. My mouth opens and closes repeatedly as my brain tries to form words and load them to speak. Nothing. I’ve seen Miller’s temper. It’s probably one of the ugliest things I’ve ever witnessed. And Charlie? Well, he filled me with dread. He exuded nastiness. He carries it around on full display, intimidating anyone he encounters. Miller doesn’t. He hides the violence lurking deeply within. Fights it.
‘Olivia, a powerful man who is aware of his power is a lethal thing. I know what he’s capable of, and so does he, yet he buries that deep down. Unearthing it could be catastrophic.’ A million questions burn my brain as I stand like a statue before William, absorbing every little scrap of information. ‘Unearthing it will be catastrophic.’
‘What do you mean?’ I question, though I think I already know.
‘There’s only one way to free himself.’
I struggle to think it, let alone say it, my throat closing off in an attempt to stop me from uttering such an absurd statement. ‘You mean Miller has the capability to kill.’ I feel sick.
‘He’s more than capable, Olivia.’
I gulp. I can’t add murderer to Miller’s ever-growing fucked-up résumé. And now I’m weighing up the merits of a conversation about my mother – anything to try and make me forget what my mind has just been subjected to.
‘Olivia, she desperately wants to see you.’
The change of conversation catches me off guard. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ I blurt, my fear transforming into anger. ‘Why did you lie to me? You had me alone on more than one occasion and instead of doing the decent thing, telling me my mother wasn’t dead, that she was back in London, you centred all of your efforts on breaking me and Miller. Why? Because that selfish bitch told you to?’
‘Hart insisted you shouldn’t know.’
‘Oh!’ I laugh. ‘Yes, so you managed to tell Miller she’s back but didn’t think that perhaps I ought to know? And since when have you listened to him?’ I shout, incensed. My anger is running away with me. I know damn well why Miller held him back, but I’ll cling to anything to validate my loathing for William and his reason for sticking around.
‘Since he’s had your best interests at heart. I might not like it, but he’s more than proven how much you mean to him, Olivia. Taking Charlie on spells it out loud and clear. He’s making every decision with you at the forefront of his mind.’
I have no counter for that, leaving silence for William to fill.
‘Everything your mother did was for a reason, too.’
‘But it was you who sent her away,’ I remind him, realising the moment the words slip past my lips that I’m wrong. ‘Oh my God! You lied, didn’t you?’
His pained expression spells a thousand words, and he remains silent, only substantiating my claim.
‘You didn’t send her away. She left! She left you and me!’