Allison Brennan - The Kill

Olivia unbuttoned her shirt and dropped it to the wet floor.

“You deal with it. I’ve had enough of Hall for tonight.” Olivia slid out of her clothing and stepped into the full tub. “I’ll wait here for you, if you don’t mind.”

Careful to keep the bandage on her chest dry, she sank into the warm water and sighed.

“Hold that thought. I’ll be back as soon as I kick everyone out of the house.”

Olivia smiled as Zack fled the room.

Twenty minutes later he was back. He entered the room naked.

Now they could officially begin their vacation.

“Where’s Olivia?” In the chapel, Zack checked his watch for the third time in as many minutes.

“I’m sure she’s on her way,” Quinn assured him.

“She’s late.” Zack had worried that Olivia would get cold feet on their wedding day. She’d already changed her entire life for him. Moved across the country. Taken a job with the State Crime Lab at a reduced salary. When they returned from their honeymoon, he was moving from swing to the day shift so they would be working the same hours.

He planned on spending every free hour with his wonderful bride.

He had considered quitting his job, intending to find a position in Virginia. He had a good résumé, good references. What mattered was that they were together.

She wouldn’t let him leave the force. She’d told him she wanted to move to Seattle and start fresh. They talked about it that week after Hall broke into her house, and together decided that they would make a home together in Seattle.

That was three months ago. But the last couple of days, she’d started distancing herself from him. This morning he hadn’t even seen her before leaving for the church-she’d left early for Miranda’s house to get dressed for their wedding.

He was worried she’d changed her mind. Regretted the sacrifices they’d made to be together.

He’d find a way to fix it. He had to. He wasn’t about to let Olivia be unhappy.

Ten minutes late.

Quinn’s cell phone rang and he smiled sheepishly at the small group of people who’d assembled for the wedding. “Excuse me,” he said to Zack. A minute later he hung up. “Zack, that was Miranda. Olivia won’t come out of her room.”

Zack’s chest tightened on the five-minute drive to Quinn’s house.

What was wrong? Was she scared? Did she regret her choices? Didn’t she love him?

They each had a failed marriage, but at least for Zack, he knew what he’d done wrong. He’d been young, stupid, and arrogant. His job had been first and foremost, and his ex-wife had been a distant second. He’d learned from his mistakes, and he wasn’t about to make the same mistakes with Olivia.

When Zack had met Greg, he had liked him. Well, if he was being perfectly honest with himself, he had been a tad jealous. But Olivia explained that she had married Greg because it was comfortable, they were friends, and she enjoyed his company. Love hadn’t entered into the equation-“Not the kind of deep love I feel for you. A different love, maybe.”

That had tempered the jealousy.

Minutes later, he parked in front of Quinn Peterson’s house. Zack strode up the front walk but before he could ring the bell, Miranda opened the door. If he hadn’t been so worried about Olivia, he would have complimented her-she looked beautiful.

“Where is she?”

“Upstairs. In the guest room.”

Zack didn’t knock; he just walked in.

“Olivia, what’s wrong?”

She wasn’t dressed. Her gown hung on the back of the bathroom door. Her hair and makeup were done-or they had been. Now streaks of color ran down her face. She had wiped most of it away with tissue.

He took a tentative step forward. “Liv-whatever I did, I’m sorry.”

She burst into tears, and Zack gathered her into his arms and held her.

“Liv, honey. Tell me what’s wrong. We can face anything together. You know that.”

She shook her head.

“Please, Liv?”

Since they’d decided to marry, Olivia had planned for today. But two days ago her life had turned upside down and she no longer knew how to cope. She didn’t know how to tell Zack.

“Is it Seattle? Do you regret leaving Virginia?”

She shook her head. How could he even think that? They’d talked about it for days before deciding she had no roots in Virginia. The few friends she had she could visit on vacation.

“Is it the crime lab? Do you hate your new job?”

“No,” she croaked out, sniffing. She actually loved her new position. Some of the equipment wasn’t as good as the FBI’s, but her position was challenging, she was in the field often, and she enjoyed her colleagues.

“Is it me?”

“No, Zack. It’s me. I’m pregnant.”

Zack’s face said it all: he was astounded.

“That’s okay,” he said slowly. “It’s fine. We haven’t talked about having kids, but I love them. I mean, I haven’t had one of my own, but we’ll learn together.” He paused, touched her cheek. “I’m okay with it, Liv. Were you worried I would be mad? Honey, it takes two to make a baby. This little guy is as much my responsibility as yours. He’s ours . I can’t think of anything better.”

She shook her head and more tears streamed down her face. “I can’t-”

“I don’t understand.”

“What if something happens to her? I can’t protect her every minute of every day. Children are killed all the time. They’re abducted out of their own beds! How can I bring a child into the world knowing she could die?”

“Oh, Liv.” Zack pulled her into his arms and she clung to him, her body shaking.

“Olivia, Olivia. All I can promise is to love this child with all my heart. To do everything in my power to protect her and keep her safe. It’s all any parent can do.”

“I’m petrified. I don’t see how I can function.”

“You’re not- Are you thinking of not going through with the pregnancy?”

She shook her head. “No, no, not that. I just don’t know what to do, Zack. I’m scared.”

He kissed her forehead and pulled her chin up. “Olivia, you will make an incredible mother. Your capacity to love is infinite. And every step of the way we will be together. We will love and protect this child.” He laughed suddenly. “We’re going to be a family.”

Olivia tried to calm her nerves. She didn’t know if she could make this work. She didn’t know how to handle the many emotions battling within.

Zack rested his hand on her stomach. For the first time since she had learned about her condition, she felt peace wash over her. She took a deep breath.

She was still scared. She knew too much about evil and what could happen. But with Zack, just maybe she had the strength to take it one day at a time.

“I do love you, Zack.”

He kissed her, embracing her tightly. “I love you, Liv. You and the little guy inside you. Forever.”

“Forever,” she repeated, holding him close. Her fears faded just a bit. With Zack, she could do this.

“Now will you marry me?” he asked.

“Right now?”

He glanced at his watch. “Right now.”

“Can I get dressed?” She stifled a combination giggle and sob.

“Absolutely. But I’m not letting you out of my sight. Do you need help?”

She wiped away tears. “No, but you can watch.”

He sat back in the chair and smiled. “This should be fun.”

The act of writing is a solitary experience. Taking a tickle of an idea and seeing it blossom into a 400-page novel is exhilarating. But in the process, the writer often seeks guidance from those with knowledge beyond her scope. Several people kindly shared their time and expertise to help pull together the details of this book: