Page 8 of Property of BamBam
Since I’m unsure if she’ll remember anything she’s said in her sleep, I started recording it, figuring it would be helpful to the therapist. Because like it or not, my Good Samaritan deed for the day has brought a woman into my life that I want to get to know.
But first, she needs to deal with the demons that are keeping her from getting any kind of rest. “Your mama is strong and fierce, Theo,” I whisper. “She’s gone through the fires of hell to keep you safe. Now it’s time for her to let someone else take care of things so she can process what she’s survived.”
He snuffles but outside of that and the occasional whimpers from Livy, the room is silent. Satisfied for the moment that she’s safe, I allow myself to lightly doze.
“NO! I said no, Jasper,” Livy yells, startling me awake.
I settle Theo in his crib and approach the bed. “Livy?” I whisper. My heart, which has been encased behind a wall, starts to break when I realize that she’s reliving something traumatic. I’m not one to trust easily outside of my brothers, but seeing tears streaming down her face as she curls in on herself tells me that she’s barely touched the tip of the iceberg with respect to her abusive ex.
Horror cages me between steel bars when I see how violently she flings herself across the bed, her position indicative of someone having a flashback of a horrific sexual assault. While her arms remain stretched out to her sides, her body is jerking as though she’s being fucked as tears steadily flow until her hair is soaked.
A near silent wail pierces the silence, causing me to drop to my knees. I reach out to her, willing to try anything to break through the nightmare she’s currently trapped in, and I wonder if the sedative Doc gave her has done more harm than good.
“Livy? Pixie, please wake up, you’re having a nightmare,” I say, my tone soft as I gently touch her shoulder. Her screams tear through me like barbed wire, but what completely shatters me is when her eyes widen in horror while she shakes her head so viciously that I’m worried she’ll accidentally hurt herself. “Livy! Wake upnow,” I command, using what Rio calls my enforcer tone.
Her body shudders and then she’s completely still before she pulls away from me and curls into a ball, sobbing. I’m so fucking far out of my element; I want to bellow out the rage that’s coursing through me. If I’m correct in my assessments, not only did that piece of shit physically abuse her, he also sexually assaulted her.
If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to get justice for her. I don’t think about my next actions, I just do ‘em. Slipping off my boots and putting them by the door, I check on Theo again to make sure he’s settled, then I crawl into the bed behind her and gently pull her into my arms.
“Fuck,” I murmur. She’s practically skin and bones; there’s no substance to her. I know I helped her but being so close has me realizing she has a long way to go before she’s the woman she was meant to be.
And I’m the man who’s going to help her get there.
Snuffling from the crib awakens me and I’m happy to see that Livy is finally in a deep sleep. “Hang on, little man,” I say, my voice quiet so I don’t wake my pixie up.
Yeah, I’ll examine that later as well.
Or maybe never.
I get Theo changed then head downstairs to the kitchen where I know Constance got more bottles ready for him. Taking one out of the fridge, I end up pulling out my phone as I rock him in my arms so I can figure out what’s next. According to Google, I have to warm it slightly, but warm water is preferred over the microwave. I guess it makes sense; I wouldn’t want whatever causes the microwave to heat shit up to heat up a bottle.
Theo’s quiet snuffles have turned to soft cries as he gums his fist. “Not much nutrition there, buddy,” I tease as I continue to lightly jostle him while I warm the bottle. “Okay, what’s next,” I mumble, my focus on the next steps. “Says here I need to test the warmth,” I state. “Hmm, interesting. Alrighty, little man, let’s see if this worked.”
With baby and bottle in hand, I head out to the common room and walk over to one of the many recliners that are scattered throughout the large space. Finally seated, I pop the nipple of the bottle into Theo’s mouth, and he quietens, his focus now on filling up his belly.
“You’re a cute little fucker,” I say. “Got your mama’s hair and eyes, but I suspect you’re going to be taller than her by the time you’re out of middle school.”
I hear footsteps pounding down the stairs and glance over to see Livy, her eyes wide and panicked looking standing there. She pulls at her hair, and it dawns on me that she must have woken up and found Theo missing.
“Livy? I’ve got Theo,” I calmly state. “He woke up hungry and you were sleeping so well, I got him up, changed, and we came down so he could get his early morning fix.”
A myriad of emotions crosses her face; disbelief, shock, and fear, as she crosses the room to stand over the recliner. She reaches down and gently runs her finger across his cheek. “I freaked out,” she utters, her gaze never meeting mine.
“It’s understandable, especially if you were the primary caregiver,” I reply.
“I was the only one who took care of Theo,” she says, finally looking at me. “In fact, both you and Mongrel have done more for and with my boy than Jasper has ever done.”
What a piece of shit!
“Yeah, I’m feeling the same way,” she says.
Dammit, I said that out loud. Groaning, I apologize, “I’m sorry, Pixie. That was supposed to stay as an inner thought, not voiced out loud.”
She giggles, a sound that is so lyrical I instantly want her to do it over and over again. “I have a lot of those. I can take him from you,” she offers.
“Naw, I’ve got this. Why don’t you go and raid the kitchen? There’s bound to be something you can snack on since I’m sure the soup didn’t quite hit the spot.”
“I think I’ll do that. Do you want anything?” she asks.
