Chapter 6 Blade #2
“You gave me the best night of my life tonight,” I whisper. The words are heavy between us. They might be stupid, but they are true—very true.
“Yeah, right,” she says, but she doesn’t push me away. “I had fun tonight.”
“I did too,” I agree—although fun seems a lame word for what I’ve felt tonight. “And I can’t wait until tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Blade,” she whispers.
“Goodnight, Usdi.”
Olivia drives off before I can say anything else. Her taillights shine bright red in the dark of the night. It takes everything I am not to hop in my car and follow after her.
When I make it back inside, Bear is sitting at the kitchen table, elbows planted, like he’s been waiting longer than he actually has.
“You look like a mighty happy man,” he says.
“That’s because I am,” I tell him. My voice is raw and solid with all I’m feeling.
“You do realize Livy will be a very hard woman to claim,” he says, his tone part congratulations, part warning.
I shrug, not concerned at all. “Anything worth having is worth the work—worth fighting for.” It may just sound like words but for me, it’s the truth.
Bear’s face gets harder. I can tell that he’s turned all business now—thoughts of me and Olivia pushed aside. “Did you get the permit applications in?”
“I filed them myself before I came over this evening. You need to just relax and enjoy this, brother. It’s going to work out fine,” I answer.
It might be a half-lie, but it’s true enough for tonight.
Everything is going exactly as planned and for tonight, I’m ignoring that small voice that has stayed in the back of my head warning me we’re headed for trouble.
We talk club business in low tones while rain begins drumming on the roof. Bear says things are going okay, but names get thrown around with a venom that makes me tighten. “We’re having some problems with the Feral Kings,” he says finally, eyes on me.
I lean forward. “Bear …”
He shrugs like he’s lifting a weight off his chest. “The bastards need to die, brother.”
“When will you stop this crusade to bring the Feral Kings down over that bitch who wasn’t worth it?
” I ask. It’s a fucking sore spot that eats me alive.
Bear always lets anything to do with Mavis gnaw at him like an ulcer that decays everything inside and around him.
It distracts him from living and no matter what I do—what Ayita does—it doesn’t help.
Bear’s hand slams down on the table almost hard enough to make it crumble. “This has nothing to do with Mavis.”
“Sure, Bear, whatever you say,” I scoff.
“I’m telling the truth. That’s not the reason,” he says. “Eyeball is pure evil. That fucking bastard needs to die, Blade. If you knew what I do, you’d feel the same.”
“So, tell me,” I invite, frustration bubbling over.
“I can’t.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because we both have roles in this world and yours is to make sure that casino gets off the ground for this town, or our people—our families.”
“And your role?” I huff.
“To keep those that I love safe,” he says, making it sound like a vow.
“What are your plans?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Nothing big—at least not yet. For now, just concentrate on getting this casino started. I don’t want anything to take that away.
This town needs hope and a way to build a future for its children.
But after that? I want to annihilate Eyeball,” mentioning the bastard that pulls the strings with the Feral Kings—and the one he holds responsible for Mavis dying.
He loved the bitch. I will never understand that.
I don’t know how she got her claws into him that deep.
Or hell, maybe it’s just him. He’s always felt like he had to take care of those that are weaker than him.
It’s why he stepped in to act as my father.
It’s what drew him to Mavis to begin with.
He holds himself responsible for getting her hooked-on shit because it was under his command the club was running that shit.
I shake my head. It’s a twisted path that I’m never going to understand.
My voice drops low. “You have to promise me you’ll be careful. No going off against him until there’s a firm plan in place and all of us have your back.”
Bear laughs, the sound like gravel. “Look at my little brother trying to watch over me now. I might be old, boy, but I’m not stupid.”
“I want your word,” I growl, not willing to give it up.
“Stop worrying. I’m not stupid.”
“Good,” I breathe.
Bear grins. “You crashing here tonight?”
“Yeah. I prefer your old lady’s cooking for breakfast over mine,” I joke.
Honestly—I want the comfort. I want the closeness.
I miss my family. It’s the biggest reason I want to move back into the club.
The last two years—living in New York, making a big enough name and work history for myself, all so that people would take this seriously—has been hell.
I want to come home—fully. Although, if things work out with Olivia, I may have to build a house for her like he did for Ayita.
I’m not sure she’d be entirely comfortable at the club. I really need to learn her history …
“Your room in the basement is ready,” he responds, before adding with mischief in his eyes, “I’m going to go make my woman scream my name.”
I roll my eyes. “Give me time to close the door to the basement and my bedroom, please. I don’t want to listen to that shit.”
His laughter follows me as I head downstairs.
I close the door to my room, strip quickly, drop my phone on the mattress like it’s a live wire and flop back.
I allow myself to relive spending time with Olivia this evening—remembering the steady beat of her pulse under my thumb, the shape of her smile, the sound of her laughter, and the way her eyes shined with happiness when she watched Bear and Ayita together.
I let my thumb wake the phone, find the appropriate screen, then type.
Me: You home safe?
Her reply comes fast, like she’s been waiting to answer me.
Olivia: Yeah, no issues. Thanks for walking me out.
Blade: Anytime. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Olivia: It’s Sat. You should go out instead.
Blade: I will be out. With the only girl I want to see and her dad.
Olivia: You’re very bossy.
Blade: I’ll make you like it.
Olivia: I keep hearing that.
Blade: You should listen.
She sends a string of emojis—one that’s laughing and one that’s a face I don’t know what to call but I like it—and then:
Olivia: Sweet dreams, Blade.
Blade: Sweet dreams, Usdi.
Even though I know that the conversation is over, I’m disappointed when she doesn’t respond.
I put the phone on the nightstand and click the lamp off.
The room goes dark in the kind of way that makes the rest of the world shrink to the size of the two of us—me and the idea of her.
I lie there, eyes on the ceiling, feeling the night settle into my bones.
Tonight was effortless and electric. I have it bad.
I know it. I’m not even going to try to hide from it.
There’s only one thing that edges the happiness with a jag of cold—the truth.
I can’t tell her who I really am. Not yet.
Not until I’ve got everything where it needs to be, until I can stand in front of her without the rest of it clawing at my throat.
I’ll need to make her fall in love with me so deeply that when the truth hits—when she learns the other side of me—she’ll forgive me for hiding it.
I roll onto my side and let the dark wrap around me. The rain hushes to a soft whisper. The phone is warm where it sits, and my last thought before sleep eases me is simple and unoriginal, but still fucking true.
I want Olivia. I’ve never felt like this before, and I know that she is the woman I want to claim as mine. One night with her made me that positive. I want to keep her, and, by God, I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
She’s it. My one.
I fall asleep with a smile on my face.