Page 2

Chapter

Two

Alice Marshall could not believe she was face to face with Robbie Perrine. A throwback to her past. A past that had been happy and carefree and full of love. She was far from any kind of happiness or love now.

She couldn’t have imagined when Robbie left at eighteen to go save the world that she’d never see or hear from him again. He’d asked her to go with him, live on the army base two hours from home at Fort Benning. Leave her mother, who adored her, alone with her poor health and no family support.

Alice couldn’t do it. They’d fought for the first time in the nine months they’d spent falling in love.

He’d said her mother was selfish, manipulative, making up her symptoms, and holding Alice down.

She’d defended her mother, told Robbie he was the selfish one.

Alice had a coveted Tuten Scholarship at Georgia Tech for the architecture and design pursuit she’d dreamed about all her life.

She could be twenty minutes away from her mother.

At Georgia Tech she could be independent but still visit home regularly.

She had tried to explain there was nothing for her in Fort Benning. Robbie had stormed out the door muttering, ‘Nothing you care about, obviously’. She wished she had chased after him, or tried to contact him one of the thousands of times she had thought about him. Too late now. Far too late.

He was bigger than she remembered, thickly muscled and at least six-five.

He was also hairy. Like a Sasquatch had taken over the face and head of the man she’d once loved.

Those startling blue eyes peered out at her from above a thick, deep-brown beard that obscured his handsome face.

That face she’d once loved was shadowed by a head of dark, curly hair.

There was something dangerous, mesmerizing, and thrilling about this new Robbie, but she missed her Robbie—smiling, teasing, clean-shaven, devastatingly handsome, strong, and brave.

He used to pick her up and carry her around as if she were petite and light.

She’d loved soaring in his arms while teasing him that no one else could sweep her off her feet.

Who was this new Robbie—serious, manly, heroic, and hairy, his piercing blue eyes striving to see into her soul—and how in the world had she gotten stuck with him for two weeks? All the pain of him leaving and never coming back smacked her in the face.

“This isn’t going to work,” Alice snipped. “I can’t be alone with you for two weeks.”

Robbie splayed his hands as if trying to calm her down. The muscles in his shoulders and arms engaged, and her mouth went dry.

Stupid, visceral reaction. She wasn’t attracted to this new Robbie. How would she even kiss him through all that hair?

Oh, my! She wasn’t kissing him. Where was Natalie when she needed her?

Like a slap in the face, she remembered that Natalie was dead.

It was a gaping wound that would never heal.

Natalie had been murdered six weeks ago.

Because of Alice. Everyone had died because of Alice.

Big Buddha had killed her boyfriend Jack first, almost a year ago now, on the Fourth of July.

Her close friend Ruby had been next on Christmas Eve.

Then her dog Odie on Easter morning. Now he’d taken Natalie on Memorial Day.

She had no support. No close friends. No one to turn to. Her dad had died of a prescription drug overdose when she was twelve. She’d adored him and everyone had been stunned that he’d taken his life .

She had her mother, who thought the sun rose and set on her face.

Even though her mother loved her, Alice wasn’t immune to her faults.

Marianne Marshall was constantly sick, miserable, snarky, unwilling to turn to her Savior, and honestly a drain on everyone around her.

Alice visited her mother every day and stayed for at least half an hour.

Her mother always told her how brilliant and ‘stop dead gorgeous’ Alice was.

She made Alice laugh with her sarcasm, but she also frustrated Alice when she wasn’t nice to her staff or complained the entire visit.

It wasn’t always easy to make the visits, but it was her mother, her only living family member, and so she went.

Thankfully, her mother was insanely wealthy, so she had the top bodyguards and security system in all of Georgia.

She bragged to Alice she was ‘safer than the governor’ and ‘who would want to kill a bitter witch like me’.

Her mother believed Big Buddha had no hope of murdering her.

Alice hoped it was true. Her mother was sometimes difficult, but Alice loved her.

Brandon Richards’ random phone call had felt like a lifeline, a gift from heaven.

He’d offered her this escape to Venice, Italy, one of the many European cities she’d dreamed of visiting since she fell in love with architecture as a young teen.

She’d also loved the movie While You Were Sleeping as a young teen.

She, Ruby, and Natalie had watched the movie every Christmas and sighed about going to Venice on their honeymoons.

Ruby had married Joshua Payne two years ago.

The newlyweds had been saving for a trip to Italy.

Now Josh was a young widower. Natalie had dated ‘all of Georgia and still not found her prince’.

Once upon a time, Alice thought she’d found a prince among men.

Now she was face to face with him again, and all she wanted to do was run the other direction.

Brandon’s trip offer felt like a nightmare being stuck with the man she’d loved deeply and now couldn’t have.

There was also the terrifying fact that if she stayed with Robbie, Big Buddha might somehow find out about their dating history and young love, think she still loved Robbie, and kill him too.

Her mother had been right. She shouldn’t have come.

Alice was destined to be alone and miserable, just like her mother.

A serial killer was trying to make certain of that.

Her mother kept reminding her she could turn to Preston Lavity, her lifelong family friend, for comfort and love.

Preston would marry her tomorrow, if she’d agree.

How could she explain she wasn’t attracted to the wealthy, slightly pompous pretty boy?

The rough and tumble, smiling, and unexpected Robbie was more her type.

With a little less hair than he had currently.

“Not alone,” Robbie said in a consoling tone she didn’t appreciate. “We’ll have our four new friends with us.”

Alice rolled her eyes. Like these stoic bodyguards were going to be great company or insulate her from the heart-racing effects of Robbie Perrine.

She looked away from Robbie and tried to appreciate the penthouse.

An open floor plan with floating stairs to the upper level and a modern kitchen design were highlights.

Even more intriguing was the three-hundred and sixty-degree views of Venice.

The floating city was a marvel, renowned for its Gothic architecture with its pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and intricate stonework.

It was a cruel joke that Brandon would bring her together with him here. Had Robbie told his lifelong friend about her obsession with having a honeymoon in Venice just like While You Were Sleeping ?

Robbie stepped around her, ripping her focus back to him.

He had the gall to brush his arm against hers.

The simple touch sent off a mess of tingles in her arm.

She could smell him. That clean and luscious mint, bergamot, and ginger scent was all primeval Robbie mingled with his favorite Swiss Army Cologne because he’d always claimed he could be a lover and a fighter, versatile just like a Swiss Army knife.

Too many memories came rushing back—warm summer nights sharing heated kisses; cold winter days laughing and playing like children at his favorite spot, Activate Games Park; learning and geeking out over her favorite spot, the Museum of Design Atlanta; and Sunday dinners at his parents’ house after going to church with his family, feeling loved and accepted by her Savior and the entire Perrine family.

She couldn’t believe at this moment he had the gall to brush against her or to still be wearing that same cologne.

Ugh! She really needed Natalie. Instead of her best friend to confide in, she was stuck with five burly military studs, the most prominent of which was Robbie Perrine .

She whirled to watch him strut over with his hand outstretched to greet their bodyguards, who were obviously familiar, if not friends.

Alice knew he didn’t strut purposely. It was simply the way he walked, as if he were in command of the entire world. He used to be in command of her world, though he’d claimed she was in command of his. She touched her fingertips to her lips in remembrance.

Their guards had all given her their first names, Price, Curtis, River, and Merrick, when she had met them at the airport in Atlanta before boarding Brandon Richards’ luxurious jet.

The men shook hands, conferred in low voices, and then the leader, Price, said, “We’ll let you two work this out while we set up security and get settled in. Did you find your suite upstairs? Miss Presley had arrangements made.”

“I didn’t look too closely at any of the rooms.” Robbie glanced back at her. “I left my duffel in the hallway. I’m great with whatever room.”

Price looked at her and then back at Robbie. “Miss Presley has you next door to Miss Marshall and had clothing and toiletries delivered for both of you.” He arched his eyebrows and mouthed, “Good luck.”

Alice threw her hands in the air. “No!”