Page 58 of Bully's Darkness
D: I need to see you’re okay.
Liv: I told you, I’m fine. Goodnight. And thanks for saving me tonight . . . again.
D: Having you beneath me like that . . . got me thinking shit I shouldn’t. Until next time xx
I stare at the exchange. The fire in my chest seems lighter, dimmer. Her words take away all hope I had of ever sorting things out between us.
I go back into her bedroom. She’s turned on her back now, her hands laying either side of her head, relaxed, calm. I put the mobile back and shrug from my kutte, placing it carefully on the end of her bed. Then I lean close to her ear. “Wake up,” I whisper coldly, and she stirs. “Olivia,” I snap more harshly, and her eyes shoot open. I slam my hand over her mouth before she can scream and force her to look at me. “You’ve been lying to me.” Her eyes are wide with fear as they search my face for answers. I shove her away, standing and putting distance between us.
She scrambles back until she’s over the other side of the bed, where she brings her knees to her chest and watches me through guarded eyes. “What do you want?”
I pick the card up and throw it at her feet. She makes no move to grab it. “Mama?” I ask, arching a brow. “He has anicknamefor you.” I take a seat by the window, keeping my eyes fixed tohers. “And now you think I’m here to hurt you.” The realisation hits me hard, and I fight the urge to hold her, to reassure her.
“How did you get in here?” I don’t bother to reply, even though it’s on the tip of my tongue to remind her I will always be able to get to her.
“I assume there were flowers attached to that card?”
She glances at the card. “You’re making something out of nothing.” Her voice is quiet but steady. “He left a card. I didn’t ask for it.”
“And does he call you ‘mama’ to your face or just when he leaves you love notes?”
She glances at her phone, which instantly annoys me. “Call him,” I say coldly. “Get him here.”
She waits a beat before sighing heavily, like this entire conversation is an inconvenience to her. “You wanna ask me something, ask me.”
“Are you screwing him?”
“No.”
“Why are you meeting up with him?”
“Because you screwed his old lady and put me in danger. It was damage limitation, trying to stop it bleeding into me and Bria.”
My eyes narrow in irritation. “So, you’re befriending him? You feel sorry for him?”
“No,” she snaps. “I needed to know if me leaving you, leaving the club, means I’m safe.”
I smirk. “And what was his answer?”
She looks away briefly. “He didn’t really give me one.”
I laugh. “Let me get this straight, Liv. You willingly arranged to meet a dangerous man, one who wants to get to me by using you, and you told him you were no longer under my protection.” She fidgets uncomfortably, and I imagine the blush burning her cheeks, one I can’t see in the dimness of the moonlight. “Clever.”
“I’m still here, aren’t I?” she snaps. “No thanks to your bloody club.”
I frown. “Now, you trust his word?” My voice drops to a dangerous level. “He tells you my club was responsible for that shitshow, and you believe him?”
“He was there—”
I push to my feet, and she slams her lips closed. “Yes, I know. Protecting you from a threat he arranged.”
I let my words sink in, and she shakes her head. “Why would he—”
“Oh, Jesus, Liv, wake up. What better way to get at me than to take what’s mine? He gets you to trust him, and then he’ll parade you around on his arm just to piss me off.”
“Only I’m not yours.”
“The result will still be the same,” I mutter bitterly.
