Chapter 10 Blade
“Are the men here yet?” I growl at Layna.
“The appointment is not until three. It’s only two-thirty, Blade, baby. You’re so tense. Maybe I can help you take the edge off,” she purrs, and just looking at her makes me sick to my stomach.
Since seeing Cross at the boys at the funeral yesterday, my head has been a mess.
It’s worse because I can’t figure out Olivia.
The girl at the funeral was a mess. There’s no way she’s the same woman who mocked me and then begged for her death.
That night I swore I’d make her pay. I’ve spent my time in prison thinking of twisted, evil ways to break her.
I vowed that this time when she begged for death, I would laugh at her and walk away, knowing she had no hope left.
Now? Fuck, I don’t know what I’m thinking.
“Get out, Layna,” I mutter, not even looking up.
“Lover, you forget I know just what you need.”
“I said …” I stop when I look up and realize her dress has fallen to the floor. This is my fault. I know it is, but that doesn’t lessen my anger one bit. “Get your fucking dress on. Then leave. If I see your face again today, you will no longer be working here. Do you understand?”
“But—”
“Leave!” I bellow. She quickly pulls the dress over her head. It’s barely slid down half her body before she’s running for the door. I turn away, determined to get my anger under control before I talk to my men.
“What in the hell?” I hear a woman say.
When I look back to the door, there stands the woman that I dreamed of last night when my brain finally shut down.
Dr. Winnie Mason. It didn’t take me long to track down a name when I left the funeral.
She’s a therapist at the Women’s Crisis Center in Townsend.
I have all kinds of information on her and the only thing it did was make her more interesting—which is fucking complicated.
My plan was to ignore she ever existed and fuck some women with long dark black hair and a curvy body until whatever has me on alert around Winnie disappears.
I did not plan on her showing up in my office.
“I didn’t have seeing a woman’s droopy vagina on my bingo card today. I guess I should have penciled that in when I decided to come to your office, Mr. Aetos.”
“You bitch. My body is perfect. It’s exactly how Mr. Aetos likes it!” Layna screeches. I really should have banned her from entering the club property. Even using her to hurt Olivia isn’t worth this kind of shit.
“Oh please. You’ve been stretched so much it was like they were trying to recreate the drum solo to In the Air Tonight. You should really try some Kegel exercises.”
“You cunt!”
Winnie steps up to Layna, slapping the hell out of her.
Layna’s head goes back, and red blooms on her face immediately.
“The next time you spout shit at me could be your last. I’d be careful if I were you,” she growls.
Then she whirls around to look at me. It’s an alien feeling to me, but I feel ashamed when I see the condemnation in her gaze as she looks at me.
“I came here to try to talk to you about Livy. I can see now it’s useless to even try, especially if this is the type of women you surround yourself with,” she huffs.
Her words piss me off and I already don’t like feeling ashamed of anything I do.
She came into my office. I can do whatever the fuck I want.
Yet even as I think that, I know I’m not doing what would make Bear proud.
Still, I’m not going to give this woman the pleasure of putting me in my place.
“That’s just the thing, Ms. Mason. I haven’t been surrounded by women for over four years, thanks to your friend, Livy.
Now, if you’re throwing your hat into the ring to take Layna’s place, I’m more than willing to give you a private interview. ”
“Blade—”
“I told you to leave, Layna. You should go now while I’m preoccupied.
I can promise you that if you continue trying to talk to me you won’t like where it goes,” I respond before she can keep going.
I don’t bother to look at her, however. I keep my gaze focused on Ms. Mason and the myriad of emotions traveling over her features.
I can see shock, anger, and disgust. I also see interest. Now that I can work with.
The sound of Layna’s heels clicking against the tile get fainter and fainter, yet Ms. Mason still hasn’t spoken.
She finally shakes her head. “If you think I’m going to have an adult conversation with you in a room that your secretary just came out of naked and trying to put her dress on, you’re mistaken. ”
“Talking is overrated, Ms. Mason. We can do other adult things in my office if you want.”
Surprise lights her eyes, and her face deepens in color before revulsion takes over. “And with that I’m out of here.”
“Fine, you can plead Olivia’s case tonight over dinner.”
“I’m not having dinner with you,” she argues.
“Then, I will proceed with my plan to take my revenge out on Olivia. Have a nice day, Ms. Mason.”
“How can you be so cool and calm? Do you have any idea what Olivia has been through?” she says, anger thick in her question.
“I have to ask you, Ms. Mason, do you have any idea what I’ve been through?”
For a second, I see shame move over her face.
I love how expressive she is. It all shines on her face.
There’s no guessing what she’s feeling—it’s there for me to read.
In the beginning, I used to think Olivia was like that.
I’ve spent a lot of years thinking about it and I slowly began to realize I was wrong.
Olivia was always guarded. I lived for the times she let her shields down, but she definitely had those up the majority of our time together.
I loved her, but she never truly let me know who she was.
I can see that now. I push thoughts of my past away. I don’t need to lose focus right now.
“Of course you have. I didn’t mean to imply that you haven’t. I just want you to take into consideration that Olivia was as much of a victim as you were, Mr. Aetos.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “I lost my brother and almost five years of my life. I hardly doubt anything Olivia has been through could compare.”
“You’d be wrong. I think you’d find you and Olivia have a lot in common.
I don’t know if you can weigh being in hell by the different levels you’ve both experienced.
I imagine that’s a personal thing, but I think if you heard everything Olivia has endured, you’d agree that of the two of you might have had it easier. ”
“That will never happen,” I answer at once, my words absolute and brokering no argument. That’s a line of bullshit that I’ll never entertain.
“You don’t think it’s possible?” she asks.
“Not at all.”
“What if I could guarantee that you are wrong?”
“You can’t, so it’s a silly argument, and you don’t strike me as the type of woman who would waste her time on frivolous chatter.”
“Frivolous chatter?” she laughs, shaking her head. “Well, you’re right. Not that I think there’s anything frivolous about what Olivia—or you—have been through. Yet it’s not my story to tell, Mr. Aetos. So, I can’t really share what Olivia has experienced with you.”
“Then, why did you even come?”
“Because I think someone needs to get you to understand that you don’t know the whole story. I’m sure you saw Olivia yesterday. You can’t tell me you thought the way she was could be described as normal. Do you think a woman gets broken that easily, Mr. Aetos?”
“Blade,” I correct her.
“I don’t—”
“Come to the casino tonight at six. We’ll have dinner in the restaurant and talk. I’ll consider what you say about Olivia. That’s all I can promise.”
“I’m not sure meeting for dinner is wise. Perhaps you could come by my office?”
“It’s dinner or nothing, Ms. Mason.”
“Technically, it’s Dr. Mason. However, since you want me to call you Blade, you can use my first name as well.”
I don’t let on that I already knew she was a doctor.
I decide to continue to play dumb because I know she’ll be leaving shortly—and I don’t really want her to.
In fact, I think I could be perfectly happy if she stayed beside me the rest of the day …
and night. “What is your first name?” I ask, pretending to be clueless.
“Arwen, although everyone calls me Winnie.”
“That’s an unusual name,” I respond, fighting the urge to reach out and take her hand in mine. What the hell is wrong with me?
“My mom was a big Lord of the Rings fan. I never got that particular gene,” she laughs. “If I do agree to this dinner, Mr.—” She stops when she sees my face and grins. “Blade, will you promise to hear me out and try to keep an open mind concerning Olivia?”
“I’ll do my best,” I respond at once, not sure if I’m being truthful—just knowing that I want to see her again.
The fact that I haven’t felt anything like this since Olivia scares the shit out of me.
I mean, hell, that didn’t end up well at all.
I can’t seem to help myself, though. If anything, my pull toward this woman is stronger than what I remember having with Olivia.
I do need to caution myself. I moved way too fast with Olivia and, fuck, I’m not in the market for a relationship.
Although an exclusive fuck-buddy setup, I could handle.
I’ll have to see if she’s on board for that, too.
“This place has several restaurants. Where do you want me to meet you?” she asks, bringing my attention back to her.
“I’ll be in the front lobby at seven. I’m looking forward to seeing you, Arwen.”
She blinks up at me, all at once seeming nervous. “Um … I’ll see you then.”
I walk behind her as she turns to look over her shoulder, staring at me with an unspoken question. “I’m just escorting you to the elevators,” I explain.
“Are you being a gentleman now?”
“Don’t get too excited. It’s not my norm,” I respond, finding myself laughing. That’s something I’ve not done at all in the years since being arrested and losing my brother.
“Now that I can believe,” she says, joining in.
For a second, it’s like a moment out of time—a moment that a normal person would enjoy. It blasts through me, and I find myself worrying if Dr. Arwen Mason is going to derail all the plans I made for the future.
Maybe having dinner with her wasn’t such a good idea after all …