"He won't."
"You can't know that!"
"I can." Tyler stands too, his presence suddenly filling the small room. "Because he'll understand that if he ever touches you again, it will be the last thing he does."
The absolute certainty in his voice sends a chill through me. This isn't an idle threat. This is a promise from a man who's seen and done things I can't imagine.
"What happened to you?" I whisper, really looking at him. The Tyler I knew was serious, yes. Intense, definitely. But there was a gentleness to him too. A moral center that defined him. "You were never like this before."
"Life happened, Liv. War happened. Coming home to nothing happened." He looks away. "Learning what really matters and what doesn't."
"And what matters to you now? Your motorcycle club?"
"You." The word hangs between us, simple and devastating. "You matter, Olivia. Always have."
I don't know what to say to that. What to do with the emotion behind it. So, I deflect. "Is that why you left without saying goodbye? Because I mattered so much?"
His expression hardens again. "I left because I had to."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I have right now." He checks his watch. "I need to make a call. Check in with my people."
Just like that, the moment is gone. The wall is back up. Tyler steps outside, phone in hand, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I sink back onto the bed, the reality of my situation hitting me anew. I've left my house, my relationship, everything familiar. I'm hiding in a motel room with a man who's clearly changedin ways I don't fully understand. And somewhere across town, Devin is going about his day, not knowing yet that I'm gone.
What happens when he finds out? What happens when he realizes I've run? The thought makes my hands shake.
Through the window, I can see Tyler pacing as he talks on the phone, his posture rigid. Even from here, I can sense the authority in his stance. This isn't the Tyler who left Hope Peak two years ago, uncertain of his place in the civilian world. This is someone who's found his purpose. His power.
It should reassure me. Instead, it terrifies me almost as much as the thought of facing Devin again.
Because whatever Tyler has become in those two years away, I'm starting to think it might be just as dangerous as what I'm running from.
Chapter 3 - Hawk
I pace the cracked concrete outside the motel room, phone pressed to my ear as Reaper's voice comes through, low and measured.
"You've got eyes on the girl now?" he asks.
"Yes. She's safe." I glance through the window where I can see Olivia sitting on the edge of the bed, her posture screaming vulnerability. "Situation's about what I expected. Boyfriend's been beating her regularly. It's bad, Reap."
"You need backup yet?"
I consider the question. Devin doesn't sound like the type to have serious protection or connections, but that doesn't mean he's not dangerous. A cornered animal can still do damage.
"Not yet. Let me handle the initial contact. I'll call if things escalate."
"Alright." Reaper pauses. "Knight and Dice are on standby if you need them. Just say the word."
The offer means more than he probably realizes. The club's resources being made available for my personal business shows their commitment to me, even though I'm still technically a prospect.
"Appreciate that."
"This girl..." Reaper's voice takes on a knowing edge. "She the reason you were so messed up when you first came to us?"
I tense, stopping my pacing. "That obvious?"
