Intrigue (Elvis Presley Story)

Chapter 21

"Just come quietly with me and get in the car." Olivia took the bulky blue enamel pot Louise refused to put down and urged her aunts to hurry away from the counter where she'd found them paying their bill.

Olivia was counting on the displays of annuals and perennials and plenty of costumers to hide the fact that three women were trying to sneak away from an ex-con stalker.

As soon as she seen Tony Fierro wheel a cart crammed with plants and supplies out to his truck in the loading area, olivia had dashed up to the counter.

Shushing their suprise and waiting impatiently while they collected their receipt, olivia warned them to be quiet and ushered them out of the greenhouse building in the opposite direction.

She'd asked Mirza to drive around the parking lot until she found her own car. Then she'd asked him to park in the nearest spot, several yards away, and wait until she returned with her Aunts and was safety inside her car.

Olivia offered him a subtle wave of thanks when she spotted him still standing beside his car. "Who's your friend?" Louise asked, missing nothing.

"He delivers mail at the office."

Olivia handed her the pot and turned a 360, surveying the parking lot over the roofs of the cars. No sign of Tony. His truck was still there, but the cart was gone. He'd be taking it back to the counter, looking for her aunts now. Olivia's heartbeat quickened with the countdown towards being discovered.

Louise was taking far too long to settle in with her purchase. "Please Lou, I really want to be out of here before Tony realises you've snuck off."

"I like Detective Presley better. What kind of friend doesn't even come over and introduce himself to us? Your detective has better manners."

"Well she did say that that they only worked together. Maybe this Mirza is shy like olivia. I imagine the two of us can be pretty intimidating if you're not used to confident women."

"Please, ladies!" Olivia chided them with as much force as her hushed voice would allow. "Tony Fierro wants something from me. And I'm ninety-nine percent sure that he's the one who's been calling and sending me those horrible letters."

"Horrible?" Peggy frowned with concern. "What letters are you talking about?"

"Has Tony threatened you?"

"Please!"

"Miss Louise? Miss Peggy?" Tony was coming.

Every cell inside olivia seized up. She heard him speaking to the Clerk at the counter, probably asking where her aunts had gone. Think, olivia. Act. You have to get Elvis. With Elvis in mind her adrenaline kicked in and olivia forgot that she'd ever been shy.

"Get in the car now. Lock the doors. Hurry."

"Miss Louise?" Tony's voice grew louder. He was coming this way. "Where'd you go? I've got the last of the stuff loaded in my truck. Miss Peggy....?"

Olivia was aware of him stepping onto the sidewalk. Tony's gaze followed the path to her car. Took note of her aunts inside. Then his eyes locked onto hers.

"Where are you going, miss olivia?"

Olivia tried to jump into her seat but a cruel vise of fingers clenched around her upper arm and pulled her out before she could get the door shut. Tony slammed the door and slammed her back even harder against it, pinning her with his hips and thighs while his free hand went to her throat. "Where are you going, bitch!"

"Olivia!"

"Tony! Stop that!"

"I'm just picking up my Aunts." Olivia writhed helplessly between the car and his unforgiving grip. Say something more. Make something up. Get out of here! "Peggy has a doctor's appointment that we forgot about, so I came to pick her--"

"Shut up!" His grip tightened around her throat, cutting off her words. He stuck his face close enough to hers that she felt his spittle on her chin. While the non-panicked part of her brain noted that he wore contacts, the darkness of his eyes were as fake as the colour of his hair, olivia felt his rock-hard thigh push it's way between hers as he lifted her by the neck. Pinpoints of light danced across her vision, but every sickening sensation was perfectly clear.

"I thought I could do this the easy way. That I wouldn't have to hurt any of you. I liked you three bitches."

Olivia sucked in a reviving gulp of air as he released her throat. But it was only to slide his hand down the front of her blouse and curl his fingers beneath the collar. Oh, God.

"Tony!" Louise was shouting. "We believed in you. we gave you a second chance."

He ripped the cotton of olivia's blouse. The pearl-white buttons bounced across the pavement as he opened the front of her shirt and traced the chain of her necklace across her sternum and over the swell of her breast. Bile churned in her gut.

He caught the necklace in his fingers. "Give this to me."

Olivia nodded. "Just get off me. Please."

She could hear sirens in the distance. Maybe it was a trick of wishful thinking to think her silent prayer had been answered.

Maybe these few seconds pinned against her car really were lasting for the eons they felt like.

Will Elvis come to her rescue? Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And thanks for reading! xoxo