Chapter Twenty
Olivia
T he ride to Jessica’s is quiet as Hayes grips the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are turning white.
“What is wrong with you?” I ask him a few minutes into our drive.
He doesn’t look at me, but says, “Nothing. I’m taking you back to your home.”
I huff, “Are you mad that I said to take me to Jessica’s?”
His grip on the steering wheel tightens even more and his chin clenches.
“Fine,” I start, “don’t answer me. Don’t be a fucking adult and have a conversation with me.” I huff, sitting back in my seat looking out the window with my arms crossed.
He removes one hand from the steering wheel and turns the volume knob on the radio, raising the volume up so loud I cannot hear myself think. Watch me Burn by Michele Morrone plays throughout the speakers.
Arriving at Jessica’s apartment, Hayes pulls to the sidewalk out front of the apartment building. The car comes to a halt, and I sit in the seat, trying to give him time to tell me bye.
“You have a shift tomorrow night,” Hayes says still not looking at me.
“Okay.” I am disappointed that is all he wants to tell me. Grabbing the door handle and stepping out of the car, I slam the door shut behind me.
Taking a deep breath, I bend down to say goodbye, but the car speeds off down the road.
I straighten, stunned and unsure how to feel. This man is warm one moment and cold the next; I do not know how to read him. The dramatics and childish behavior are getting old.
Taking a deep breath, I walk toward the flight of stairs that leads to Jessica’s apartment. The lights are on so hopefully she is home.
Reaching the third floor, I make my way to the right and stop at door 315. Grabbing the knob, I turn it slightly and release the breath I was holding, thankful it is unlocked.
Pushing the door open, I stop in my tracks when I get inside, noticing a woman is sitting on the couch in the living room and Jessica has an ice pack pressed to her face.
Jessica turns and looks at me, her eyes look so sad but perk up soon as she realizes its me, “Livy!! I am so glad you are here! How did your date go?”
“Good.” I reassure her with a smile.
She removes the ice pack from the woman’s face and immediately my breath hitches.
“Gloria?” I run to her. Kneeling by her legs in front of the couch, my eyes scan over her face. Both eyes are black, her lips torn, and she has scratches all over her.
“Hey sweet girl.” Gloria forces a smile at me. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”
Jessica gets up with the ice pack and gestures for me to sit, “I’m going to the bathroom. Here,” she says, handing me the ice pack. “Press this to her eye. I hope it’ll take the swelling down.”
I nod, taking the ice pack from her. Sitting down on the couch beside Gloria, I gently press the ice pack to her.
“What happened?” I finally ask.
Her eyes look at the floor and a single tear slips out of her eye slowly going down her cheek and running off her chin.
“I am on my period.” she says and I look at her confused.
“He did not get me pregnant, and he got mad. So, he beat me.”
I look at her, my eyes widen. “Who did?”
She looks to make sure Jessica is not in the room and she whispers, “Your father.”
I gasp, but quickly reel in my emotions, unsure of how to react. That sick son of a bitch.
“I know no one knows your real identity, Olivia. I haven’t told anyone,” She reassures me.
“Thank you for that.” I tell her. “How did you get here?” I ask.
“He passed out from drinking; all his security was in the basement playing pool. I made a run for it, and I could not think of anywhere else to go, so I was just walking aimlessly down the street. Jessica was driving by and saw me. She picked me up and brought me here.”
She starts to panic. “He will be looking for me; I need to get out of here.” Her hand goes to my cheek. “I cannot risk getting you caught.”
“No. You are not going back,” I tell her sternly. “Let me call Hayes.”
Her eyebrow raises. “He lets you call him Hayes?” she grins.
My cheeks blush. “He will know what to do,” I reassure her.
I run to the land line Jessica has in the apartment, and I grab the emergency number on the fridge for Alan.
Ring Ring.
“Hello?” Alan speaks.
“Alan, it’s Ol- Livy.” I say quickly as Jessica re-enters the room.
“Yes Miss. Is everything okay?” he asks concerned.
“No, it’s not. Will you and Mr. Ricci please come over here. Now!” My tone is short.
“Lock your doors, Miss. We are on our way,” he tells me, and the line goes dead.
Great, by the way it sounds Alan is going to have the whole Cavalry on the way.
***
Hayes
I HAVE SAT IN THE DRIVEWAY for about thirty minutes since dropping Olivia off at Jessica’s.
My anger boils as I am still clenching the steering wheel. She is the only woman who has ever been able to get under my skin. I should have just dropped her off at the Hope House instead of bringing her to my house the night of the auction. But something inside me wanted to be with her and wanted her next to me.
Ring Ring.
My phone rings in the cup holder of my car and I notice it’s Alan.
“Yes,” I answer, a little more angrily than I anticipated.
“Sir, It’s Olivia. She called my emergency number and said something was wrong.”
“Is she at Jessica’s?” I ask already putting my car in reverse.
“Yes, Sir. Me and the men are on the way now,” he assures me.
“Good. I will meet you there,” I tell him and end the call.
Jerking open the middle console in between the seats, I pull out my 9mm. I check my clip to make sure it’s loaded and secure it in my waistband.
In record time, about ten minutes later, I am stopping abruptly outside the sidewalk I left Olivia on earlier and running up the stairs to her apartment door.
As soon as I reach the door, I notice Alan’s SUV stops behind my Audi and he, along with my other security, start jumping out with their guns in their hands pointing down at the street scanning the area like a Seal team, walking in formation up to the floor I am on.
“Sir,” Alan whispers, “Let me go in first.”
“No chance,” I tell him as I grab the handle with one hand while my pistol is in the other.
The doors are locked.
I knock and a small voice is heard on the other end. “He-Hello?”
I take a deep breath; it’s Olivia.
“It’s Hayes, open up.”
The door flings open, and the men and I go rushing in checking the area from top to bottom.
“We are okay,” Jessica tells us.
“Why did you call the emergency line if you do not have an emergency?” I ask angrily.
Olivia points to the woman sitting on the couch, looking like she is in full panic.
“Gloria?” I ask, rushing over to her.
“Ashton beat her. Jessica found her walking the streets.” Olivia fills me in on all the details.
Anger boils in me; I should have gotten her out when I had the chance.
I should have saved her, too.
“Don’t do that, Ricci,” Gloria finally says after calming down, a single tear leaving her eye. “It was better that I stayed behind.” She smiles at Olivia, “It was more important that Livy was saved.”
Olivia bends down, grabbing Gloria’s hand. “You are safe now.”
“My shift starts in thirty minutes guys. I’m sorry, but I have to go,” Jessica’s voice cuts in as she comes over to us and I stand turning to her.
“Not a word of this to anyone,” I tell her, and she nods.
Bending down and hugging Olivia and Gloria, she hands Olivia a spare key to the apartment and walks out quickly.
Olivia looks at me and then back to Gloria. “I know a place for you to stay.”
I cock an eyebrow unsure what she meant. “How about a word with you in the other room.” I clip to her.
Olivia and I stand up and walk to the bedroom Jessica has been allowing her to sleep in. Closing the door behind us, I am hyper focused on the way my hands want to grab her around the waist and kiss her. I need to work off the anger she had boiling inside me just prior to coming back here.
But I cannot. I need to focus on the task at hand.
I ask, “Where do you suppose she go? Ashton’s going to be searching for her.”
“To the Hope House, Hayes,” she tells me nonchalantly. “She needs to be around women who can help her heal. Those women will be able to help her in more ways than we ever will.”
Something in my chest stirs but I push it down, still pissed off that she did not want to go home with me tonight.
There is no way I could tell her no even if I wanted to.
She is right.
A thought comes to mind. “On one condition.”
She tries to fight it, but I notice her lip curl into a slight smile. “What?”
“I don’t want you here alone tonight. We will take Gloria to the Hope House and then you come back home with me,” I say walking toward her, pressing her back against the door frame.
Her breathing labors. “You don’t mix business with pleasure. Remember?”
I lean down into her ear, taking a nibble before I say, “I don’t give a fuck about rules when it comes to you.”