Chapter 10
Sometimes Violence is the Answer
Olivia
After days of the bitch constantly complaining, undermining and insulting Rhys and just being a pain in the ass, I finally crack.
I’m not usually a violent person, but seeing Rhys’s face and the smugness on Jerri’s face as she tore him down is the final straw.
All I can think about is the day of my wedding and how Gale humiliated me in front of the entire church.
Just like Jerri does with Rhys. Or how Ethan had laughed in my face and told me I wasn’t worth anything but a quick, casual fuck when I begged him to stay all those years ago…
I see red, and the next thing I know, my fist is slamming into Jerri’s cheek.
The pain is instant, radiating upward from my bruised knuckles, but the satisfaction of hearing Jerri’s scream overrides the hurt. It’s like music to my ears, and I can’t help basking in it for a second as she collapses to the ground while clutching her injured cheek.
“She hit me!” she shrieks, sounding like a banshee as she points at me. “She fucking hit me! What the fuck?”
“I don’t care who you are or how scared you are, you don’t get to treat anyone like that,” I snarl at her before turning my attention to the rest of the room.
Every single person in the barn has their eyes on me.
Some are staring at me with a mixture of horror and shock, while others are shaking their heads and tutting with disapproval.
Some even shuffle back away from me, their eyes wide and their faces ashen, like I’m some sort of rabid animal that’s about to pounce on them.
I pay them no attention. The only person who matters in this room is the man I defended.
Rhys looks at me like he’s never seen me before. However, it’s not just shock in his honey eyes, but smouldering desire. He looks like he’s trying to decide between strangling me, spanking me, or bending me over and fucking me—maybe all three.
I’m not going to complain.
“Damn. Beautiful hit, sweetheart.” Alex’s voice causes me to jerk my eyes away from Rhys.
He, Theo, my brother, and Rachel are all standing there, alternating their gazes between Jerri—who’s still screaming and crying on the ground like the drama queen she is—to me. Theo and Alex both have matching expressions filled with awe and heat, whereas Tobias looks horrified and confused.
Rachel grins at me. “I feel like a proud parent,” she says, bouncing on her feet.
Harlow barks her agreement, causing her, Theo, and Alex to laugh.
“What the fuck? Why did you just punch her in the face?” Tobias demands, his voice cutting through the amusement as he shoves past me to crouch next to a wailing Jerri.
Huh? Was he not here when she ripped into Rhys like a rabid hyena? Honestly, she’s lucky I didn’t do more to her considering how murderous I’m feeling. God knows she deserves it.
“Probably because the harpy deserved it,” Theo answers, echoing my thoughts as he sidles up to me. “Were you not here when she was spitting her venom?”
Tobias shakes his head. “No, I was on guard duty.”
“Can I have a look at your hand, baby? I want to make sure you didn’t do any damage while serving out justice.” Theo’s eyes twinkle with feral glee as he grins at me.
I nod and give him my hand, which is now trembling. I’m still reeling from the memories summoned by Jerri’s toxic words and the adrenaline surge from the rage and punching her to speak.
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Tobias bites out as he yanks the screaming woman’s hand from her face so he can see the bruise already forming there. He sucks in a sharp breath. “Jesus.”
The sight sends a thrill of sick satisfaction through me.
“Damn,” Rachel says in awe.
Theo whistles and presses a kiss to the back of my hand after examining it. “Very good hit, baby, and you didn’t even hurt your knuckles that badly. I’m so proud.”
Alex chuckles as he moves to my other side. “I didn’t even know you could punch like that,” he says, pride shining in his eyes as he smiles down at me.
I beam up at him, my chest warm from their praise. “I didn’t either.”
“Violent little thing.” He gently takes my hand and presses a kiss to my bruised knuckles.
“That slut fucking assaulted me and all you’re doing is congratulating her?” Jerri screeches as she stares up at us with hate-filled, watery eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you people?”
Tobias sits back with a sigh. “Ah, now I get it,” he says as she continues to rant.
I shake my head and pull my hand free from Alex’s grasp. “It wasn’t her name-calling that set me off. She started verbally ripping into Rhys and...” I swallow hard. “She reminded me of Gale.”
Tobias’s gaze is sharp and knowing as he stares up at me.
Even a year later, it’s something that still affects me, and I can practically feel the anger and guilt radiating off him from that day.
While he’s never said as much, I know he wishes he’d stepped in and put Gale in his place before all hell broke loose in that church.
And sure, that would have been nice for someone to have my back, but I’m more disappointed in myself and my lack of backbone.
Theo sighs and slings an arm over my shoulders. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, baby,” he murmurs as he pulls me against his side. While he doesn’t know exactly what Gale said to me that day, he understands it’s enough to have scarred me.
“Who’s Gale?” Alex bites out on my other side.
It’s only then that I realise that he’s tensed beside me, his eyes blazing with fury and his hands clenched into fists at his side. He looks about ready to rip my ex to pieces, and there must be something wrong with me because my heart flutters at the sight.
“Her sorry excuse for an ex-fiancé,” Tobias answers for me, his tone matching Alex’s.
I pat the big guy’s arm. “I’ll tell you about him later.” When you don’t look like you’re about to commit war crimes in my name.
“You’re all fucking psychos!” Jerri screeches, making Tobias wince since she did it right next to his ear.
He sighs. “I’ll get her out of here.” He turns to Jerri. “Come on, let’s find something cold to put on your face.” He helps a sobbing, cursing Jerri to her feet and leads her away from us. “Show’s over, everyone!” he shouts as he passes by the few people who’ve stayed to watch.
Rachel sighs. “I’ll help disperse everyone,” she says, shooting me another proud smile before striding towards the people who are still gaping at us.
Most of the group have moved on, some shooting disgusted looks at me while others scurry away without making eye contact.
The tension is even worse than it was before, all of it directed towards me and the guys.
We’re going to have to address it soon before it blows up in our faces, but that’s a future Ollie problem to solve.
Rhys, who’s been standing there, staring at us in a shocked stupor, shakes his head. The heat in his eyes morphs from desire to fury as he storms over to me.
Uh oh.
“We need to talk,” he growls as he grabs my arm and drags me out from between Alex and Theo.
I stumble, the action jarring my aching body and pounding head, and I almost collapse with a pained yelp.
“Careful,” Theo barks as he catches me before I face-plant into the straw-covered floor. “She’s injured, you prick.”
“Shit. Sorry, Ollie.” Rhys at least has the decency to look a little contrite as he stops dragging me. That lasts about two seconds before the brute scoops me up into a bridal hold.
“What the fuck?” I snap as I struggle to get down. “Put me down!” I slap his chest.
“No.” His arms clamp tight around me.
What the hell has got into him? I move my head to look back at Alex and Theo, hoping maybe they’ll be able to get me down, but they’re both staring after me with amusement.
Alex is holding Harlow by the collar, stopping her from following me.
Theo even has the gall to wiggle his fingers at me while grinning like a lunatic.
I scowl. “Traitors.”
His grin only gets wider. “Have fun with Daddy Rhys.”
My nose wrinkles. “Not my kink.”
Rhys grunts his agreement. “Or mine.”
He continues to carry me to the other side of the barn. There are fewer people on this side of the building, with most people in our group preferring to sleep near one another. A few battered wooden doors lead off from the main room, and Rhys chooses one at random.
The room through the door appears to be a small office. A wooden desk pushed to one side of the cramped space, with an ancient-looking laptop sitting on top of it. It smells musty, and there’s a thick layer of dust on everything. I doubt anyone has been in here since the world went to shit.
Rhys gently places me back on my feet and glares down at me.
Only half his face is lit by the pale moonlight pouring in through the dirt-smeared window, while the other side is obscured by shadows.
It makes his expression that much more menacing and, if I didn’t know the man as well as I do, I’d be shitting myself.
But I know Rhys. While he may be a grumpy asshole, he’s a good man. I’m safe with him.
“What the fuck was that out there?” he snarls, causing the tension in the room to skyrocket.
My eyes widen at his outburst. “What do you mean?”
“You punched my ex-wife in the face. Why?”
I’m still confused. “Because she was being a bitch and placing all the blame on you for no reason. No one deserves to be spoken to or treated like that by someone, regardless of their relationship with that person.” Did he not understand that?
Is he expecting me to apologise? If he is, he’ll have to wait until hell freezes over.
“I didn’t ask you to do that for me,” he grinds out as he flexes his hands by his side.
“I know you didn’t. I wanted to.” What the fuck is going on?
He rakes a hand through his hair. “I don’t need you to defend me. I’m more than capable of doing it myself and I can handle my ex-wife.”
Anger and frustration spark in my chest. Is he seriously pissed at me for defending him? What the hell? Is this why Theo and Alex never defend him against that woman? Because he acts like this when you do?
Stay calm, I remind myself as I take in a deep breath. Getting pissed will only make this worse.
“I know you can, Rhys,” I tell him slowly, calmly. “You’re a very capable person.”
“Then why the fuck did you do it?” he growls, his amber eyes practically glowing with fury in the low light as he stares me down.
I don’t back down. He needs to hear this, to understand just like I had to.
“I did it because that piece of shit you call an ex-wife has no right to speak to you like that. Because I’ve been there, unable to say or do anything as a partner tears me down, one poisonous word at a time until my heart and self-esteem are nothing more than bloody ribbons on the ground.
I’ve stood there, wishing that someone would step in and defend me the way I just defended you.
To put that vile person in their place and show me I’m worth more than the lies I’ve been berated with. ”
Every word is ripped from me, painful but cathartic as I pour out my deepest, darkest secret to Rhys.
To the man who’s suffered in silence at the hands of a malicious partner like I have, unwilling to fight back because there’s always that voice in the back of your head telling you that maybe those lies are true.
“That’s why I did it. Because you deserve better, Rhys and I’ll do it again if necessary. Even if you hate me for it.”
I’m practically panting by the end, my chest a war-zone of conflicting emotions as tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to cry. Rhys stands in front of me, the anger gone from his eyes and replaced with shock.
Thick silence descends on us. There’s only the sound of our heavy breaths as they echo against the wooden walls of this stuffy office.
I wait for Rhys to say or do something. Anything.
But he doesn’t. He stands there, stunned, like he can’t believe the words I just said.
Nausea and unease coil around my throat, strangling me with each second of silence until I’m struggling to breathe.
I just laid my soul bare to him, and he can’t even react.
I’m such a fucking idiot.
I shake my head and move towards the office door, unable to stand the smothering silence or his quiet judgement any longer. “Just forget I said that,” I say before fleeing the room like the hounds of hell are nipping at my heels.
Well, it’s more of a pained hobble, but it does the trick in getting me out of that room just in time for the first tears to fall. I wipe them away in frustration as I stagger across the barn towards the staircase, ignoring the curious stares from the group.
I’ve just reached the bottom step when Theo and Alex emerge from behind it, Harlow trotting happily beside them.
“Hey, baby. I was expecting you to be finished with Rhys that quickly,” Theo says in a teasing tone. “What’s—” He stops when they both see my face and their expressions turn murderous.
“What did he do?” Alex growls, sounding more bear than man.
I shake my head. “It’s nothing. Just leave it.” I crouch, ignoring the pain slicing through me at the movement, and call Harlow to me. She responds instantly, allowing me to bury my face in her thick fur.
“Nope. No can do. If you won’t tell us, I’ll beat it out of him.” Theo turns towards the office and storms towards it.
My head jerks up. “No, wait, Theo.” I stumble to my feet and go to stop him, but Alex grabs me before I can and hugs me against his chest. Not that I could have caught up to Theo, since I can barely walk.
“Let him,” Alex murmurs into my hair, his body vibrating with barely restrained anger. “Rhys deserves it.”
I’m not sure about that, but before I can argue, Alex scoops me up into his arms.
“Come on, you need more food and rest,” he says as he carries me up the stairs and to the small room I woke up in.