Psycho (The Line Walkers #2)

2. Chapter 2 – Olivia

Chapter 2 – Olivia

I didn’t know where I was or what I was lying on, but I never wanted to move again. It was the softest thing in the world, and I was claiming it as mine. If I had a flag, I’d stick it in, so everyone knew this cloud was mine.

Unfortunately, the last couple of months taught me never to let my guard down, so I had to at least open my eyes and check where I was. Slowly, I pried my stuck eyelashes apart and peeked at my surroundings, hoping I wouldn’t attract attention to myself as I got my bearings.

The room was dark except for one lamp that was on in the far corner of the room, casting a warm glow down on an empty leather chair. As my eyes adjusted, I blinked a few times and moved my hand over the soft pillowy thing I was lying on and realized it was a bed. One look at each side of my body let me gather it was a giant, freaking bed. Like double the size of a normal queen.

I turned onto my side and tried to look around the rest of the room, but the agonizing pain in my ribs took my breath away and I gasped.

“Try to stay still.” From somewhere in the inky blackness, a voice, gravelly and low, called out, making me flinch and pull the blankets higher as I searched the room, my eyes darting around in fear. I saw nothing in the shadows. “Your ribs are broken.”

“Who are you?” I whispered, flicking my gaze around the room as best as I could from my position. “Where are you?”

From one corner of the room, the shadows morphed, and then a bear stepped out into the light. I watched, paralyzed by fear, as he neared the bed, my eyes feeling like saucers in their sockets. In the rational part of my brain, I knew he wasn’t an actual bear, but damn, did he look like one.

A big damn grizzly bear standing at the end of the bed, staring down at me.

“I’m a friend of Dane’s.” He crossed his arms over his massive chest and just stared at me. And I stared back, not sure what else to do. He had black hair, and a thick black beard covered his tanned face from cheek to neck. I wasn’t sure, but it felt like he used it as camouflage to blend in with the shadows.

Especially given that his clothes were all black, too.

“You saved me?” I whispered in confusion, trying to remember everything that happened when I was on the phone with Peyton right before I blacked out.

“I got you out.” He stayed still, “I didn’t save you.”

I dropped my eyes from his gaze and brushed my fingers over my stomach briefly. “Thank you anyway.”

His eyes fell to my hand, and I carefully dropped it back to my side, hoping he didn’t know what I had been doing at first. “You saved yourself,” He scowled, almost as if he didn’t like my gratitude. “All I did was get you out of there.”

I opened my mouth, but a buzzing came from across the room, and he looked over his shoulder.

“I’m sure that’s your sister.” He glanced back at me again and let his eyes fall to my abdomen once more before turning and walking away without another word.

Even though it hurt like a bitch, I pushed my hips to the edge of the bed and forced my feet off until I sat up with them dangling over the floor. The damn thing was so tall, they were still a foot above the ground.

“Oh, my god!” Peyton cried, and I looked up as she shoved her way around the bear and ran to me. “Livy, what the hell happened?” She crouched down in front of me and pushed my hair out of my face, but I hissed when she caught a tender spot on my forehead.

The bear crossed the room again without a sound and barked at her, “Be careful, Peyton. She’s covered in wounds. Go easy.”

My sister’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked me up and down. “I think I’ve died a thousand deaths since answering your call.”

“I’m okay.” Smiling at her, but it felt more like grimacing. “I’m just tired.”

“What happened?” Dane asked, standing next to the bear and crossing his arms as he stared at me. It didn’t feel like he was asking me, so I just looked away as the big guy stepped in.

“Made my way in through the kitchen entrance. Didn’t take long to find her.” He paused, and I looked back over at him, catching some sort of silent communication between the two men before he went on. “Slipped back out with no one spotting us.”

“So, he doesn’t know she’s gone.” Dane clenched his teeth. “Perfect.”

“What does that mean?” I interrupted, brushing Peyton off as she kept fussing over me. “Damon must know I’m gone by now; I stole his phone to call for help.”

“Either way, he’ll never find you again.” Dane stated plainly, and I tried to let his dominance reassure me. I liked the man, even if he was obviously a few crayons short of a full box. Compared to the bear standing next to him, still staring back at me in that unnerving dark way he had since he stepped out of the shadows, I was sure Dane was the more level-headed one out of the duo.

“So now what?” I asked, letting my body slide off the mattress, hoping like hell Peyton would catch me if my knees buckled. Sure enough, as soon as my weight hit my ankles, they gave out, and I fell into her waiting arms. My big sister was always there to clean up my messes.

“You can’t go home.” Dane stated plainly. “So, you’ll come to Hartington and when you’re ready, you can tell us what the hell you were doing with the Hell Eaters.”

“Dane.” Peyton sighed, deflecting his tone and glaring at him before tilting her head to the side with a sad smile. “I’ve been begging you to visit for months now, anyway. Looks like now you’re stuck indulging me.”

I grimaced again as she wrapped her arm around my back and helped me take a few steps. “Guess so.” Slowly making our way towards the front door, I leaned my head on her shoulder, breathing in her familiar scent. I tried to take in as much of the room as possible, like there’d be some clues to who the bear was. I could tell it was his place, but I didn’t think many people saw the personal space of the man very often.

Dane and the man chatted in hushed tones until we got to the door, and I turned to look back at them before Peyton could usher me out.

“Thank you. Again.” I said, and the burly man’s dark eyes left Dane and looked at me. I couldn’t read the expression behind them at all.

He didn’t speak, but nodded his head once and then just stared as I turned away and let Peyton get me out into the hall.

Why was his silence so loud?

And why was I so freaking intrigued by it?