28. Olivia

Olivia

I’m? still dealing with that pain

A nsel arranges the pillows before helping me get in a comfortable position. It’s been a few minutes since I came to my senses and after making sure I was okay, Jasper and Mose went to the kitchen to bring me something to eat, despite me insisting that I wasn’t hungry. The pain in my lower abdomen is mainly gone, but I feel sick and I don’t think I can stomach anything right now.

Ansel helps me put on a t-shirt and a pair of warm socks. “What happened? Was I too rough with you?”

He sounds worried and he isn’t faking it either. I place a hand against his cheek, wanting to comfort him.

“You were perfect. No one has ever made love to me before.” A lump forms in my throat. “You are giving me so many firsts and I don’t deserve them.”

Why am I so vulnerable with him? It’s been years since I’ve been so open with someone.

Ansel sits next to me on the bed. “You deserve to be happy and loved—”

I put a finger against his lips, not wanting him to say another word. “If you knew the things I did. If you understood the gravity of my actions, you would hate me as much as Tyson and Rueben do. You would regret bonding with me. It’s not too late to break it.”

His jaw clenches. “No, Honey. You are mine for eternity. And whatever you did, let me help you. Let me love you.” I shake my head, but he keeps talking. “What really happened the night Camila died?”

My chin trembles and tears fall down my cheeks. “I… It should have been me. This is all my fault. All of it.”

Ansel pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. “You are safe now, Olivia. No one will ever harm you again.”

“You don’t understand. I broke—”

Someone clears his throat, stopping me from revealing too much.

I drag my eyes to the open door. Tyson is standing there with a bowl in his hands.

“I see you are awake now.” Lifting the bowl to the same level as his eyes, he adds, “I made your favorite food—macaroni and cheese.”

Bile rises to my throat and I rush to the bathroom and empty my stomach in the toilet.

Ansel follows me and holds my hair back while rubbing my back as I vomit.

“Should I call Mose?” Ansel asks and I shake my head.

When the nausea passes, I go to the sink and rinse my mouth with water. “Tell Tyson that, while I appreciate his, um, gesture, I hate macaroni and cheese. Even thinking about it makes me sick.”

“I will.” Ansel keeps rubbing my back.

I wash my face before looking into the mirror. Tyson is in the bathroom’s door frame, his shoulders stiff.

“I heard you,” Tyson says. “Stupid of me for trying to do something nice for you.”

I face him. “I didn’t ask you to do anything for me.”

“Fuck you, bitch,” Tyson snarls before storming out.

My legs give in and I grab Ansel’s arm to steady myself. “I hope you won’t fuck me, ever,” I mutter to myself.

I need to find Jason and get out of here tonight. Today, if possible.

Rueben’s voice comes from the hall. “We need to get out of the house. Now! There’s another bomb.”

“Fuck,” Ansel swears before lifting me up in his arms and running out of the house.

The others are in front of the kitchen door and Ansel rushes over to them. Jasper is holding Miss Teapot’s basket, the poor little cat hiding under a thin blanket. I’ve never seen her leave the house and I wonder if she is scared.

The air is so cold that I start shivering and I bury my face in Ansel’s chest, shielding it from the brutal wind.

“What happened?” Ansel asks.

It is Rueben who replies. “I was in the shed, talking to Jason when he told me ‘tick, tock.’ Given the last experience, I didn’t want to risk anything.”

Jason is in the shed. Did they torture him?

Mose rubs the back of his neck. “If there is, we have to find it before it detonates and leaves us homeless.”

Ansel passes me to Rueben. I recoil at his touch and he glares at me but holds me in his arms. “What the fuck, Ansel?” Rueben snarls.

“Jasper and I have to go inside and look for the bomb while Tyson and Mose look around the house. Since we can’t leave Olivia alone, I thought it would be best if she stayed with you,” Ansel replies. Looking at the others, he says, “Come on, we have a job to do!”

Jasper and Ansel run inside the house while Mose and Tyson go to search the outside of the house, leaving me alone with Rueben, who drops me on the ground as soon as the others are out of sight.

I crawl to where Jasper left Miss Teapot and take her out of the basket and cradle her to my chest. She is shivering as hard as I am.

“Where’s Diva?” I ask.

“In the barn, keeping the other animals safe. Stay here,” he says before disappearing behind the house.

Great. They left me here without clothes so I could freeze to death. On second thought, it doesn’t sound that bad. Maybe when I am cold enough, I can close my eyes, fall asleep and never wake up. Not here, though. I need to find a secluded place where they won’t find me until there’s no turning back.

I stand.

First, I need to take Miss Teapot to the barn. She will be safe there with Diva and the horses. And Juniper.

Ignoring the cold and the wind whipping me, I make my way to the barn and slip inside. A portable heater is next to the entrance. At least they are not keeping the animals in the cold.

Diva comes to me and I put Miss Teapot on the ground and crouch.

“Who’s the most beautiful girl around here?” I say as I pet Diva’s head. She licks my face and for the first time in years, I giggle. The sound is off, the muscles required not used for so long, and I inhale as deeply as my lungs allow me before saying, “You’re tickling me.”

Diva wiggles her ass and licks me so hard she almost knocks me down to the wooden floor.

I stand and Diva barks.

“As much as I would love to play with you, I am afraid I don’t have a lot of time.”

The door to the barn opens and I bite my bottom lip. I should have left when I had the chance.

My back is to the entrance. Thinking it is Rueben, I say, my eyes on the horses, “I know you told me not to—”

I am cut short not by Rueben, but by Jason. My blood chills in my veins. “Here you are, you stupid whore.” Diva starts to bark and I grab her by her collar before she can attack Jason. “Keep that mutt away from me if you don’t want me to kill it!”

I look over my shoulder. “Wait for me outside,” I say to my brother while I hold back Diva, who is getting more agitated.

Jason takes a few steps towards me. “Are you telling me what to do?” he questions me.

Holding his gaze, I say, “No.”

“Are you looking at my face?”

I quickly shake my head and keep my gaze focused on his coat. “I won’t be able to keep Diva back for much longer.”

“Diva,” he scoffs. “What a stupid name.” He turns to leave and Miss Teapot gets in his way.

Knowing Jason hates cats, I try to say, ‘no’ or ‘don’t,’ but he kicks the poor thing so hard she flies out the barn through the open door. Tears swirl in my eyes. I need to find Miss Teapot before she gets lost in the blizzard.

Jason leaves. I let out a sigh. “Stay here,” I tell Diva—who thankfully listens to me—before I go after my brother.

He is waiting for me in front of the barn. I close the door before he grabs my arm, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh.

“Let’s go.”

“I need to find Miss Teapot first.”

Jason narrows his eyes. “Who?”

“The cat.”

“I don’t give a shit about it. I said, let’s go!”

Jason tries to drag me after him and I dig my heels in the snow. “What is wrong with you? It’s a—”

Jason slaps me so hard my ears ring. “Say one more word and I will fucking beat you until the snow around us turns red!”

I stop resisting and just follow Jason as he goes in the direction of the shed—which is behind the barn, and from there to the pasture. It is snowing so hard that our tracks will be covered in seconds. There is no way Ansel or the others will find Jason and me in time. It is better this way. Things between Ansel and me would have never worked out. I am so broken there is nothing I can give him. Besides, he would have gotten in trouble with his blood-brothers because of me and I don’t want that.

It doesn’t take long for me to stop feeling cold. Am I becoming hypothermic? If so, it won’t be long until I die. I will start feeling hot, and then I will be reunited with Camila.

A car is waiting not far from the pasture, and I internally curse myself for the bad luck I have had since I was born.

Sean opens the driver’s door and gets out of the car. “Where’s Roy?” Turning his attention to me, he adds, “What happened to you? You look like you’ve been through hell and back.”

Something like that.

Jason opens the passenger door. “Get in,” he orders me. I obey without hesitation and I get in the back of the car next to Leo. “Roy is dead,” Jason replies to Sean’s question.

I can’t say I’m sorry. Roy, while he wasn’t the worst of Jason’s friends, took great pleasure in hurting me.

“Aren’t we going to avenge him?” Leo asks.

Jason takes out a small knife from the interior pocket of his jacket and gives it to Sean. “This was of great help. I wouldn’t have escaped without it.” Looking at Leo, he says, “We will, but first we need to get the whore home. My father has already been asking too many questions about her and I don’t want him to come here when he already has a busy schedule.”

Father is keeping tabs on what I’m doing? It shouldn’t surprise me, but it’s been so long since I heard anything about him, since Jason barely tells me anything.

Jason and Sean get back in the car.

“Can I have it now?” I dare to ask.

Jason looks at me. “Have what?”

I look out the window. “My drugs.”

It is Leo who answers. “After you suck my cock.”

I close my eyes. Fucking man after man was never a problem, but the idea of touching Leo makes my skin crawl. It’s not like I have any other choice. My eyes pop open and without looking at him, I place my hand on his thigh. “How may I please you, Sir?”

“Leo, you can fuck her when we get home,” Jason says. I snatch my hand back, not wanting to touch Leo anymore. “Meanwhile,” Jason opens the glove compartment and takes out a syringe, “give her what she wants. We need to talk.”

Leo grabs the syringe, and when I feel the familiar jab in my upper arm, I can finally breathe easily for the first time in weeks.

The car starts.

The drug kicks in, and I close my eyes, letting the numbness take over.