Southern Comfort - Natasha Madison Page 0,3

on the fridge about making today count. I always shake my head, but every day, I look for that note.

Forget that I want to have her naked under me. Forget that she is the most untouchable person I’ve ever met. I’m about to forget that I made a promise to myself to respect what she is going through and not push myself on her. But it was getting harder every single minute, especially with her in her shorts at night and her long legs. The only thing I could think of was having them wrapped around my waist.

I shake my head, directing my focus back to the road, but no matter how fast I drive home, it still seems as if it’s farther and farther away. I dial my father, and I don’t even let him say hello before I blurt out, “There is someone in my house.”

“I’m ten minutes out,” he says, and I hear him rushing around.

“I’ll be there in two.” Hanging up, I hold the phone in my hand like a lifeline to her when it rings, showing me it’s Derek.

“Tell me something good,” I hiss out when I answer him.

“Okay, he’s going upstairs,” he tells me, “but…”

“But what?” I shout at him when his voice trails off. “But what?” I repeat again.

“I can’t find Olivia anywhere,” he says, and I stop the car in front of my house. I lean over and open the glove box, taking out the gun I have in there. Making sure the safety is off, I listen to Derek talk. “I am going over the feed from before, but I haven’t found her yet.”

“Call Jacob. Tell him someone is on my property, and I’m going in loaded.” Grabbing the handle, I’m pulling the door open when he says the next sentence, and I almost roar out.

“He’s upstairs in the bedroom on the left,” Derek says. “He’s loaded with a Glock.”

I leap up the steps of the front porch and enter the house as quietly as I can. Walking over to the stairs, I look up to see if the coast is clear. I walk up the first step and then turn to put my back to the wall as I climb the stairs with my gun in my hand locked and ready. My eyes never leaving the entrance to the media room, my eyes on the hallway, and then I hear him talking. “I’ve been watching you,” he says. Now I know it’s the guy who Jacob found on my property a couple of weeks ago. He’s been lurking around but hasn’t been caught. We haven’t gotten anything on him, and trust me, we’ve been looking. My heart speeds up so fast as I try not to make any noise. Hoping like fuck the floors don’t creak while I walk on them. I make it to the top of the stairs and tiptoe down the hall when I hear him say her name. “Hello, Olivia.” A drop of sweat runs down my back, and I make it to the doorway. He stands there with his back to me, wearing black jeans and a black T-shirt. His black hair pulled back, his right arm outstretched as he points a gun at Olivia, and I make the mistake of looking at her. Tears are running down her beautiful face, her lips tremble, and her whole body shakes with fear.

A black rage rushes through me. I’m going to make him pay, I think to myself, so I get into position, holding up my arms and making sure I aim. “Put down the gun,” I say so calm even I wouldn’t be scared of me. He turns around ever so slowly, and I know it’s going to be either him or me.

It happens in slow motion. He turns around, his right arm outstretched, and when he faces me, I see the sneer on his face. Before I even realize it, shots are fired, and one of us goes down.

Chapter Three

Olivia

It happens in slow motion. The man with the gun pointed at my face sneers when he hears Casey’s voice, and I want to yell for Casey to run away and let it be. But the words are stuck in my throat, and when the man turns around, I get one more glance of Casey. I think to myself he has to be the most beautiful man I’ve ever met, and I am thankful for having my time with him. Our eyes meet for one second