Chapter 2
CHAPTER
TWO
Olivia
The truck lulls me into a light doze which I don’t fight off because I’m utterly exhausted.
First, from fighting for my life, then from running from Jasper.
Any reserves I might’ve had are long gone, the adrenaline dump having taken the last vestiges of my strength.
I just wish I could sleep deeply, but my life with Jasper taught me differently.
As the miles pass, I slip into dreamland.
“C’mon, Olivia, it’ll be fine, you’ll see,” Jasper says as I weigh the pros and cons of moving in with him.
He was my high school boyfriend, and when my parents died right after graduation, I was trying to figure out what to do.
We had broken up, however, when I realized there were some aspects of his personality that I didn’t care for at all.
The house we lived in was a rental, and with no job outside of the waitressing I did at the diner which didn’t pay all that much, I couldn’t afford to pay the rent.
In fact, I was technically now an orphan, but too old for foster care, not that I thought it was the best system available to kids who need homes.
“Are you sure?” I question. “We only dated for a little over a year, Jasper, then we broke up. Remember? Hell, we haven’t even had sex yet.”
He leers at me which sends a frisson of fear coursing through my body. “Well, that’ll soon change,” he replies. “There’s plenty of room at my house, and you’ll be able to keep your waitressing job at the diner.”
Only… that’s not what happens. Within two months of me moving into his trailer, my parents’ vehicle was sold off to cover the bills because Jasper lost his job after he called in one too many times after an all-nighter with a case of beer and his buddies.
Then, I end up pregnant since I couldn’t take any of the birth control my insurance paid for, and he wouldn’t wear condoms.
I was able to keep working up until I started having problems with my pregnancy.
Spending the last month on bedrest was next to impossible since Jasper expected a hot meal when he got home in the evening, and he was a slob.
Theo was born one stormy evening; I was by myself and unable to reach Jasper who went out with the boys for the night.
He was definitely pissed when he got home and found me gone.
That was the first time he hit me, although thankfully he waited until I was home from the hospital.
Granted, it wasn’t the last time, and while I wanted to leave more than once, with no vehicle and no job since I was let go, I was stuck.
It wasn’t until I read about how one woman finally left her abuser that I began tucking money away and making plans.
I can hear whimpering but it’s not until BamBam lightly touches my shoulder that I realize that it’s coming from me. “Shh, it’s okay, Pixie,” he murmurs. When my gaze hits his, he asks, “Nightmare?”
Nodding, I reply, “Yeah, guess my brain decided to relive the past twenty-four hours or so.”
“But this wasn’t the first time he hit you, was it,” he states.
Shame has me dropping my head as I slowly shake it back and forth. “I had nowhere to go and nobody to help me,” I whisper.
“What about your parents?” Mongrel asks from the other side. Glancing over, I see that he’s efficiently changing Theo.
“Dead,” I reply. “You’re good at that,” I remark once he returns Theo to the car seat.
“Oldest of five kids,” he says. “There’s enough of an age difference that I helped my mom with the younger two.”
“You gonna be alright, Livy?” BamBam asks, drawing my attention back to him.
“Eventually,” I tell him. “I’m well aware that I’m fucked up, and probably need professional help of some sort so I can understand why I never left before, but my priority has been Theo since he was born.”
“We’ll get you sorted, Pixie,” he replies. “Promise you that. In fact, I’m almost positive that by the time we get back to the ranch, Issy will have a list of people who can help you heal.”
“I won’t leave Theo,” I warn, even though I have no clue who Issy is at all.
“No one will make you leave your son,” he promises. “Now, we’re not too far from the ranch, you good to go?”
“Yeah. Sorry you had to stop for me,” I mumble, now embarrassed.
“Nope. One of the things you’re not going to do around me is drop your head. Own your shit, Livy, whether it’s good or bad. You were having a nightmare, so I made the choice to stop to check on you. I suspect today’s been overwhelming in a lot of ways for you, but you and Theo are now safe.”
I don’t know how to process what he’s telling me.
I’ve gotten so used to cowering, to accepting that everything was my fault, and here’s this man telling me that I’m important.
Tears well in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall for several reasons.
First and foremost, the salt has been steadily burning me whenever it hits an open wound.
Second, before Jasper came into my life, I had my head on straight and was going places.
It’s time to figure out how to get back to that woman.
“Okay,” I finally reply. “Let’s get this show on the road then.”
BamBam chuckles as he once again heads to the driver’s side of the truck. “We’ll be there soon,” he promises.
Now fully awake, I pay attention to where we’re going. I think this chapter is somewhere outside of El Paso, but I’m not positive. Guess I’ll have to wait and see and pray that the things that BamBam have said will hold true.
Because I want nothing more than to heal from the hell I’ve been living in for the past two years. I just don’t know how to go from survival mode to healing.
“Home sweet home,” Mongrel utters as the huge gate slowly swings open and BamBam pulls through.
Two men dressed in Western gear motion for him to stop and as soon as he does, they detach the hitch from the horse trailer and truck, then motion him to carry on.
I watch with great interest as one of them backs another huge truck up to the horse trailer.
Once the horse trailer is reattached, the two of them head off down a driveway that’s off to the side toward a barn that I suspect houses the horses.
I can feel my anxiety rising as BamBam parks the truck in a spot off to the side of a huge building. I suspect this is the club’s hangout based on the number of bikes parked to the side and the men in leather cuts hanging around outside.
Once the truck is turned off, BamBam gets out and before I can do anything, he has Theo out of his car seat while Mongrel opens up my door and helps me out.
The stares of everyone who were just standing around has me cowering, feeling immensely self-conscious, especially when I remember I’m covered from head to toe in blood and bruises.
“C’mon, Pixie,” BamBam says, his voice low as his hand covers my low back and he propels us forward.
“I’ll grab the stuff from the truck,” Mongrel advises.
“Mutt, Monkey, give Mongrel a hand,” BamBam orders as we walk up the steps and into the clubhouse.
The only way I know for sure it’s the clubhouse is the small sign that says KOAMC West Texas.
It’s a huge, two-story building with a somewhat Western flare.
Not that I’m overly knowledgeable about design by any means.
The log cabin exterior gives way to a huge open concept room with a bar off in the back corner and a bunch of tables and chairs, as well as comfortable looking couches spread all around.
There’s a hallway toward the back, and a set of stairs that leads up to the second floor.
The walls are covered in pictures, and there’s a man striding toward me and BamBam who looks like he owns the place.
When he gets to where we’ve stopped, I see he has ‘President’ on his leather vest, and below that, it says, ‘Rio’.
“Got Issy and Constance setting up a room for her, Bam,” Rio says.
“Let’s take her to the infirmary so Doc can check her out first.” Then, he turns to me and states, “My name’s Rio, my ol’ lady is Issy and she’s getting a room set up for you and your little one.
If BamBam didn’t tell you, you’re safe with us. ”
“T-t-thank you,” I stammer.
“Is your boy okay?” he asks.
“Y-y-yes, he didn’t touch him,” I reply.
“Good. BamBam, get her to Doc then come see me,” Rio orders.
“Got it, Pres,” BamBam says.
I follow behind BamBam, my heart in my throat since he’s still carrying Theo. Up until today, his every care and need has been left up to me. Seeing this giant of a man caring for my little boy so carefully has me feeling some sort of way and I’m not sure how to process those emotions.