Page 38 of Golden Touch
The back of my neck tingles mightily. Even when I’m drooling over a glimpse of Livia’s kickass tattoo, I’m not too far gone to notice the ivy leaves. “What’s this girl look like?”
“Dark hair. Pretty. Good with numbers. She work here? Maybe in the office?”
Instinctively, I shake my head. “Can’t say I remember anyonelike that. Sorry. There’s only one woman who works here, and she’s in the shipping department.”
“She hot?” he asks. “That could be my friend.”
“Well, sure, if you like ’em about seventy years old,” I say. “Or maybe seventy-five.”
The dude grins. “Huh, okay. Thing is? Her car is out back. Dark red. Old Subaru. Kinda shitty. But I don’t see her anywhere.” He swings his big head around to scan the tasting room.
While he’s busy, I aim a glance through the glass doors of the freezer.
Livia is conspicuously missing.
“Here’s the thing,” I tell the guy when we face each other again. “This property backs up to a nice spot on the river, and people like to park their cars in our lot and take a walk. Maybe your friend is on a long, romantic stroll out back with her boyfriend.”
He scowls. “Huh. Maybe.”
“Yeah, if I were you, I’d walk down to the river and poke around some. If you think you saw her car, and she’s not here in the shop, then that’s your best bet.”
He nods his big, bearded head. “Alrighty. Will do.”
I watch him walk out the front door. Then I turn to Connor. “Can you cover us for a few minutes? I got something to do.”
“Sure,” he says, tapping a beer. “Just hurry back.”
The tasting room has a back door, and I use it to duck into the brewhouse, where I find Livia standing with her back against the solid metal door to the walk-in. She’s hugging herself, like she can’t get warm. And, sure, when you’ve been working inside a refrigerator, you might have a chill. But I think something else is going on.
“Livia. Keys.”
Her chin jerks up, and she takes me in with jumpy eyes. “What?”
“Give me your car keys. I gotta move your car. Unless that bearded guy really is your friend, and you’d like to say hi.”
Her lips part, and then slam together again in a grim line.
I put my hands on her shoulders and look into her frightened eyes. “Livia, you trust me?”
Her eyes widen with surprise. “Yes,” she whispers.
“Then I need those keys,” I repeat. “Right now.”
CHAPTER 16
LIVIA
I’m spiraling. One glance at Razor’s henchman—they call him Rotty, as in Rottweiler—and I felt my flimsy little world collapse.
He found me. It’s over. I’m going to have to run.Again.
But before I do, I have to deal with Nash Giltmaker. He’s still standing in front of me, demanding my keys. I shove my hand into my pocket and produce them, if only to shut him up.
Panic is loud inside my head. Where am I going to go? How did this even happen?
“Livia,” Nash barks. “Stay with me. Listen.”
I raise my eyes and find his caramel gaze locked onto mine. His hands are a warm weight on my shoulders, and it grounds me back into the present moment.
