Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
She bites her lip and nods. “I remember,” she says with a shaky breath. She doesn’t look up. “We can start. I’m okay.”
“I still think you should leave, Mr. Aetos,” the fucking detective says.
I look at Cross. “I want to talk to you first thing in the morning.”
“Looking forward to it,” Cross responds, looking far too cocky.
“Let’s go,” I order Layna, trying to contain my anger.
“You aren’t going to let these people make you leave? Blake! This is ridiculous,” Layna whines.
“Get your fucking ass in the car or walk home. I don’t give a damn. We’re leaving,” I snap. As I turn to walk away, Olivia lifts her gaze to look at me. I stare at her. My gaze searches for any sign of the woman I faced off with last time. It disturbs me that I can’t find a trace of her. Is Olivia that great of an actress? She played me throughout our entire relationship, though. She could be doing it again.
I all but stomp my way to my SUV. Layna’s whining in my ear, but I’ve tuned her out. I can’t believe so many of my club were here to support Olivia—and it’s obvious they were supporting her. Not one of them bothered to speak to me. It seems I need to figure a lot of shit out that I hadn’t planned on.
The first of those being, what the fuck is going on with my club and Olivia Davis.
9 OLIVIA
“What are you thinking, Ollie-girl?”
I turn to look at Cross. “I’m thinking that my father would be disappointed in me for the meltdown I had at his funeral.”
“Bullshit. Your father would be damn proud he had a daughter who has survived all that you have.”
“I doubt that. If anything, he’d be ashamed of me.”
“Why in the fuck would you say that?” Cross asks.
I swipe at the heavy drops of tears I can feel on my eyelashes. “I don’t want to talk about it. I just hate that I was so weak in front of Blake and that stupid bitch Layna. I thought I was ready. Clearly, I’m not.”
“You’ll get there,” Cross says, his fingers moving through my hair like he’s trying to calm a skittish foal. Which might be an apt description.
I take a deep breath and decide to bite the bullet, so to speak. I need to tell Cross what is really on my mind. “Cross, I think you and the club should stay away from me.”
“What the fuck, Ollie?” I love that he calls me Ollie. So many call me Livy, and I hate it now. I hate the person I used to be because it reminds me of everything I’ve lost—everything I’ve endured. I push those dark thoughts away and look up at Cross. His kind brown eyes and the graying of his wavy chocolate hair make me smile. I’m glad Bear told him to find the letters he left. I’m glad he had things in place. It’s not fair, and I ache for the life we’ll never get to live, but I’m thankful he thought of me and wanted me to be happy. I won’t touch the money. Bear’s already given me his love and a family of some of his closest friends. I know he hoped Blade would step up, but that’s not what I want. Blade is a past that was shared with a woman I’m not anymore.
“You saw Blade today, Cross. I don’t want to cause trouble for you, Sasa, or Money. I know you’re here for me because of Bear, and I appreciate it, but Bear wouldn’t want you to take a stand against his brother. He loved Blade. More importantly, I don’t want you to hurt Blade or your relationship with the club.”
“Not happening, Ollie. You’re family. We don’t turn our backs on family.”
“But I’m not, not really. I’m just …”
“You belonged to Bear. You’re family.”
“I’m the reason Bear is dead. I tried so hard. I really did.”
“I know, Ollie. You’re as much of a victim as Bear was. Your brother and Bear hated one another. That began before you came into the picture, Ollie. It was always going to end with one of them dying. If you want to blame anyone, then blame the fact that Bear trusted a traitor. That’s what got him killed. He told you that, sweetheart, and he wasn’t lying.”
I nod because I know what he’s saying is true, but I still feel responsible for all of it. Cross doesn’t understand because he didn’t hold Bear in that tiny cage-like cell—while he slowly faded away.
“Winnie wants me to move. She says I’ll be safer at Black Stone Ranch. She has a friend, Carson, who runs it. He’s ex-military or something. She seems to think he could protect me from Douglas. I’m afraid all I would do is get one of them hurt, too.”