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Back Vortex Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. Epilogue
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. About the Author
  60. Also by Catherine Coulter
  61. About the Publisher

“I’m bruised all over. I look really funny actually, but I’m downing aspirin, and it’s not too bad now.”

“I can’t come up, Mia, I’m too close to finishing up a case here in Washington. But I know someone who can help you, someone who can protect you until I get there. And she’s in New York this very minute.”

32

Olivia

New Safe House

Washington, D.C.

Wednesday night

Olivia hummed as she slathered on body cream, brushed her teeth, checked out her bruises from the airbag. Not too bad, she’d been lucky. She’d certainly had worse. She smiled at herself in the mirror and chanted, “Mike is alive, Mike is alive.” She’d have shouted it out if Gay wasn’t watching TV in the living room. She did a little skip and gave the mirror a high five.

No sooner had she stretched out beside Helmut on her new bed, this one hard as nails, than it hit her. What about Andi? Why hadn’t she called? Had the Frenchman gone after her? She dialed her number with shaking fingers. “Andi? Olivia. Tell me you’re safe.”

“Of course I’m safe. I was actually about to call you, but you beat me to it. Mr. Grace told me what happened to you today, while you were picking up pizza for you and Gay. I imagine Gay’s in big trouble, letting you go out alone like that. Where’s your brain? What were you thinking?”

And Olivia heard herself say, “It was only a short distance from the safe house, really, and I checked, no one was following me.” She paused. “All right, yes, I was an idiot, I’ll never do something like that again.”

“All right, enough penance. You saved yourself, kicked big butt. But you didn’t kill him.”

“No, not through want of trying. But I did wound him. I hope he’s really hurting.”

Andi laughed, then her voice hitched. “I was so worried. Mr. Grace told me to hold off calling you, said you’d be too busy for a while. You really are okay, aren’t you, Olivia?”

“Only some bruises, I promise.”

“That’s twice now, Olivia, they’ve tried to kill you.”

“Andi, they didn’t want to kill me, they wanted to take me, force me to lead them to Mike. And you know what that means? Mike’s alive! Andi, he’s alive and they don’t know where he is. I’ve been repeating that to myself over and over and I’m only now beginning to believe it.”