Page 73 of Winter
Inca felt anger roil up inside her. “Olly … are you kidding me? You’re talking as if we’re together … I’m not moving here, Olly. I’m not moving in with you.” She started down the stairs but Olly grabbed her arm.
“Why do you always have to do this? I try to do something nice for us and …”
“Olly, you’re hurting me.”
“I don’t care. I want to know what your problem is.”
She twisted her arm from his grip and turned to face him. “My problem isyou, Olly, telling me how to live my life, buying a freaking house ‘for us to live in.' We are not a couple anymore, Olly; do you understand that?”
His face twisted in anger. “I understand that you can’t make up your mind, but I won’t wait forever, Inca. Either you want this, or you don’t.”
She shook her head. “Fuck you, Olly. You were the one who ended things between us. You. And now, I am grateful for it because this is crazy. You are out of your mind.”
“I’m out of my mind? Me? I’m not the one fucking two brothers, Inca.” His voice was granite. She swallowed the shame, flushing. Luna had told him—was that the reason for this insanity?
“It’s none of your business who Ifuck.” Her voice was bitter now. “I’m just glad it’s no longeryou.” Her voice shook on the word, and she clenched her fists up to calm herself. “God, is this why you bought the Sakura apartment out from under me? To leave me homeless so I would have no choice but to move in with you?”
He smiled. “You found out.”
She wanted to slap the grin off his smug face. “Who are you, Olly? You are not the man I’ve known my whole life. Who the fuckareyou?”
Olly moved so quickly she didn’t have time to react. He pulled her into his arms, holding her as she struggled, grinding his mouth onto hers. Inca was breathless, and terrified. Olly scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the master bedroom. He dropped her onto the vast bed and as she struggled against him, he put his whole weight on top of her, kissing her with a ferocity she found terrifying. It was only when he stood and started to unbuckle his belt that she could move.
Inca rolled to the other side of the bed, kicking his hand away when he reached for her leg. She managed to get off the bed and tried to sprint for the door but he caught her. Petrified, she waited for his next assault.
To her shock, he dropped to his knees, pressing his face into her belly briefly and then drew away, tears in his eyes.
“I’m sorry. It’s just … I love you, Inca. I’m in love with you. And I want to make you happy.”
Inca couldn’t speak. Olly got to his feet and smiled down at her. “You don’t have to say anything back. Just know, I’m yours. For all time.”
The change in his manner threw her. Guilt, fear, confusion. She pulled away from his grip.
“Olly … I would like to go home now.”
He looked sad. “Are you sure? I’ve so much more to show you.”
She didn’t react, and he gave a martyred sigh. “I’ll take you home.”
Back in Willowbrook, Inca didn’t hesitate. She called Tommaso and Raffaelo, then went straight to the police station and lodged a formal complaint with Knox. Knox was shocked.
Inca held her head up high, but her voice shook. “I can show you the bruises, Knox.”
Soon, the police were looking for Olly, and a raging Raffaelo and Tommaso were having to be held back from ‘helping’ them.
“The sooner we get to Italy, the better,” Tommaso raged, but Raffaelo just put his arm around Inca.
“I think Inca’s probably had enough of men telling her what to do,” he chided his brother gently, and Tommaso nodded. He stroked Inca’s cheek.
“I’m sorry,bella.”
Inca leaned into his touch. “It’s okay.” She was hyper-aware of the other deputies trying not to stare at the three of them, at their obvious dynamic. “I feel the same. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
It wasafter midnight before Luna let herself into Knox’s apartment. Since Scarlett’s murder, they had become close—just friends, Knox was still grieving—and Knox had given her a key so that she would have a safe space to come to. She greeted him with a grin, waving a bottle of scotch.
“I saw all the activity at the station—Inca causing trouble again? A bribe. Spill it.”
Knox slumped onto the couch, patting the seat beside him. “You know it’s private police business. I could get into a lot of trouble …” He laughed as she kissed his cheek. “You’re going to have to try harder than that.” He tried to make his face disapproving, and she snickered.
