Unveiled (One Night 3)

‘Right.’ William’s tone has taken on an edge of decisiveness. ‘Now’s the time to stop thinking and start doing. You don’t want to go to war with him, Hart. If it’s not too late already. Charlie only knows how to win.’

‘I know what needs to be done,’ Miller states.

I don’t like the sense of William tensing behind me, nor the increased thump of Miller’s heartbeat under my ear.

‘Not an option,’ William says quietly. ‘Don’t even go there.’

Glancing over my shoulder to him, I find sheer refusal on William’s face. So I take my questioning eyes back to Miller, and though he knows damn well that I’m looking at him in confusion, he doesn’t tear his cool impassiveness away from William.

‘Don’t go all sentimental on me, Anderson. I can see no other way.’

‘I’ll think of one.’ William spells the words out through a tight jaw, revealing his disgust. ‘You’re thinking the impossible.’

‘Nothing is impossible anymore.’ Miller moves away from me, leaving me feeling exposed and defenceless, and takes down two glasses. ‘I never thought someone could claim me so entirely.’ He sets about filling the glasses with scotch. ‘I never even thought about it because who wants to consider the impossible?’ He turns and slides one of the glasses over to William. ‘Who wants to dream about what they can’t have?’

I can see with perfect clarity that Miller’s words are striking an emotional chord in William. His silence and the slow wrapping of his fingers around his glass say so.

A relationship with Gracie Taylor was impossible.

‘I didn’t think there was someone out there who was capable of really loving me,’ Miller goes on. ‘I didn’t think there was someone out there who defied everything I knew.’ He takes a long swig of his drink, keeping his eyes on William, who’s shifting uncomfortably on his stool, playing with his glass. ‘Then I found Olivia Taylor.’

My heart leaps in my chest and I vaguely register William downing his drink and swallowing hard. ‘Is that so?’ he asks. He’s on the defence.

‘That’s so.’ Miller raises his glass to William and finishes his drink. It’s the most sarcastic toast in the history of toasts, because he knows what William is thinking. He’s thinking he wishes he could turn back time. I, however, don’t. Everything that has happened has led me to Miller. He is my destiny.

All of William’s regrets, my regrets, my mother’s mistakes, and Miller’s dark past have brought me to now. And though this situation is destroying us, it’s ultimately making us as well. ‘I’ll tell you something else that’s not impossible for me,’ Miller continues, like he’s getting a thrill from torturing William, making him live through his regrets. He points a blind finger in my direction. ‘Fatherhood. I have no fear because no matter how fucked up I am, no matter how scared I am that some of my screwed-up genes will pass down to my flesh and blood, I know Olivia’s beautiful soul will eclipse it.’ He looks across at me and steals my breath with his sincerity. ‘Our child will be as perfect as she is,’ he whispers. ‘Soon I’ll have two bright beautiful lights in my world, and it’s my job to protect them. So, Anderson –’ his face hardens and he returns his attention to a silent William – ‘are you going to help me, or am I taking on the immoral bastard alone?’

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.’