"Save her from what exactly?" Damon moves forward, until he is a mere foot or two away from Sim, and I can feel the waves of malice radiating off of him. He's itching for a fight, and he knows Sim will give him one. "Who the fuck do you think you are even coming here, threatening anything?"
Sim raises himself to his imposing height, which is an inch or two taller than Damon, and the other guys. He flexes and squares his broad shoulders, his jaw hardening as his dark midnight blue eyes turn obsidian, and I get a glimpse of the fearless fighter, sizing up his competition. Fuck, this situation is about to go from bad to worse. A part of me wants to let that happen, to allow Sim to unleash his rage on these three idiots who thought it wise to hurt me. If I thought only fists would be involved, I'd let it happen and even join the fray, but Cross is still holding that gun pointed menacingly at Sim, and something tells me he won't hesitate to shoot him.
Just as I'm about to open my lips to implore them all to stand down, a loud throat clearing from behind us gets all of our attention. "What the hell is happening here?" Gerald's furious voice rings out, followed by my mother's large, dramatic grasp. "Who the fuck are you, and why are you breaking down my door?"
"Olivia, why are you at the door with only a blanket on? Why is River only in his underwear?" My mom's hysterical voicequestions, as she moves to stand in front of Gerald, her eyes wide with shock.
My eyes ping-pong between my parents and the guys, and I see the same shock they try to disguise instantly on their faces. They didn't know they were here either.Shit, this is bad, really bad.Cross lowers the gun and quickly pockets it, but Gerald clocks the movement, and a look of further displeasure mars his stoic expression.
"I'mLavender... I mean, Olly's boyfriend, Sim. I'm here to make sure your psycho son, and his deranged friends, haven't hurt her," Sim replies with conviction and reaches for my arm, pulling me closer to him, and using his large body as a shield between himself and everyone else.
Oh shit, forget worse, an atomic bomb just went off in here.
CHAPTER 40
SIM
"Ouch, Lavender! Can you stop hitting me for a sec?" I cradle my arm as Olly slaps my shoulder, head, and biceps, her strength waning, her body battered and trembling. She momentarily ceases hitting me to slam her bedroom door shut, and I take the opportunity to put some distance between us. It's not that she's really hurting me, but I see bruises and cuts all over her, and I don't want her to hurt herself further. Furious rage races through my bloodstream at her condition, the one I'm sure those three fuckers out there are responsible for, and the one I'm positive her overly observant stepfather also noticed. On second thought, I should go back down there and beat the living shit out of all of them, regardless of big, scary, daddy Weyburn being home. I'm not afraid of any of them.
I’m pretty sure he’s the only reason we were able to leave the entranceway, without a massive fight breaking out between me and those three assholes. Not that Olly helped that situation in the slightest, by giving her parents attitude, and spitting at Cross. Cross’s dad had to grab him and haul him backward, to keep from all hell breaking loose, then he ordered us upstairs and the guys to his office. Looks like daddy Weyburn hassome fascinating control over those three monsters. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall. Maybe I could learn a way to get Olly permanently out of their reach. I’m dragged out of my musings by Olly slapping her hand across my chest.
"What is the matter with you?" Olly demands, her voice trembling slightly, her hands on her hips, revealing a flicker of vulnerability beneath her defiance. I take in her gorgeous features, noticing the subtle tremor in her expression. Even all bruised up, she's stunning, and the sight of her makes my chest feel tight with emotions I don't want to think too hard on. Emotions I've never experienced in my twenty-three years of living on this planet.
"Me?What do you mean by that, Lavender? Look at you! You're covered in cuts and bruises. What the hell happened to you? Did they do this? Did they hurt you?" My eyes trail down her face to her neck, where I can clearly see multiple bruises forming, like some depraved hand necklace. I know the few bruises that are further along in healing are mine from when we were together, but the others are fresh. Which one of them did that to her, and did she allow it? My guts tighten with the thought of one of them touching, and fucking her, using her body to get themselves off. A part of me wants to lash out, but I also feel helpless, torn between anger and fear for her safety. She'smy girl, mine to protect from the monsters that inhabit this town, except she's not in any way that truly counts, and that's a devastating punch of reality. I've claimed her more than once now, but she hasn't returned the favor. Does she not want to be mine?
She sways for a second on her bare feet, her body trembling slightly, and I instantly dart in her direction, reaching out to steady her. "I... I just need to... sit down for a... second," she whispers, her voice hoarse and fragile, tearing at something inside of me. I don't know Olly well, but I know enough to senseshe hates displaying weakness of any kind. I reach down and lift her into my arms, bridal style, as gently as I can, mindful of all the cuts I can see, and betting there's a lot more that I can't see beneath the blanket. The fact that she doesn't instantly attempt to fight me tells me she's not well. With her in my arms, I turn toward the bed, but one glance in its disheveled direction and bile races up my throat. Jealousy instantly fills me, and I force myself to tamp it down, and not disclose my thoughts to the small, battered woman in my grasp, as I lay her down gently on the bed.
Her grimace tells me, regardless of my attempt at carefulness, I've managed to hurt her, and that makes me curious about the rest of the injuries hidden by the thick blanket, and who caused them. Before I can demand answers to my questions, her dark lashes flutter shut, and for a second, I think she's passed out. I watch her in silence as she breathes, cataloging the injuries I can clearly see. She's got cuts and scrapes all over her arms, shoulders, and upper chest. Her lips are dry, cracked, and sore, and a bruise is forming on the upper corner of her forehead. One glance down at her legs confirms my earlier thoughts: more scrapes and cuts along her calves, ankles, and feet, as if she's been running barefoot through harsh terrain. What the hell happened to this girl?
Her raspy voice breaks through my thoughts, and I return my attention to her face, realizing that her seaglass-green eyes are once again open, and watching me intently. "I'll tell you everything... but I need you to help me... shower...please." The way she utters the last word makes my stomach sink. I don't want her to ever feel like she has to beg me for anything. It's only been a few days since I've known this woman, but deep down, I know there's already nothing I wouldn't do for her. She's wormed her way straight into my barren heart, and now, even if I wanted to, I couldn't get her out. That's a devastating realitycheck. It means all my plans to get the hell out of Soule will have to be put on hold, 'cause there is no way I'm leaving her behind at those idiots' mercy.
"Baby, you never have to beg, don't you realize there is nothing I won't do for you? Look at me, Lavender," I demand as she refuses to meet my gaze, and her tired green eyes finally, unwillingly, stare into mine, and in them I witness so much pain, but also resolve and determination. She's a fighter to her core, a kindred spirit, and the missing part of my soul I didn't know was even gone. I'm completely fucked, and somehow the realization doesn't make me want to flee for the hills. Instead, it drives me to want to protect this woman behind strong walls I build around us. "You're mine. I didn't plan for it, and you've completely blindsided me, but that doesn't matter now. I protect what is mine, not because you need someone to protect you. You don't. I know you can fight your own battles, but because you never have to do it alone again."
A tear slips down from the corner of her eye as her trembling fingers trace my lips. It's a gift that she's giving me, allowing me to see her vulnerable, and I cherish it, kissing the tips of her fingers. "Where did you even come from, little cub? Is this real? You're actually here?"
My throat clogs with emotion, and before I lose what little dignity I have left, I wrap my arms around her once more, her weight feeling like a blessing in my grasp. I stare down at her questioningly, wondering where to go as I contemplate how to answer her. She nods in the direction of the door that's partially closed, and I make our way into a lavish bathroom. One look around makes me realize how out of my depth I am. Luxury screams from every fixture; this room might as well be a spa. Doubt instantly begins to creep in. How can I even compete with this? I'm not broke, but I'm not well off either, and every cent Ihave, I've made with my fists. If this is the life Olly is used to, I can't give her that. At least not until I make it big in MMA.
"It's ridiculous, right? Who the fuck needs a bathroom this large? Rich people,pfft." Her annoyance brings comfort to my frazzled nerves, and I release the breath I was holding. I sit her on the lavish marble counter and try to decide between turning on the massive shower that could hold an orgy, or filling the tub. Somehow I don't think she's going to be able to stand on her own, and I don't want to push my luck by offering to get in there with her, so a bath it is. I activate the bathtub stopper, turn on the water, and look around at all the products on the stone ledge. There are containers with fancy-looking salts, big chalky balls that smell good, and what I think might be bubble bath.Fuck it, my girl deserves it all.I dump a chalky ball that smells like lavender, along with some of the salt, and a generous helping of vanilla bubble bath stuff, into the tub. My eyes grow large as everything seems to activate at the same time, the ball fizzing and the tub filling with suds.
The scents are all mixing together with the steam, and Olly's moan catches my attention. "That smells good. Not too hot, little cub, I'd hate to burn some of your favorite parts." She tries to wink flirtily at me, but I can see how exhausted she is. I turn away, grab a bunch of fluffy white towels from a linen closet, and place them on the side of the tub, before heading back to her at the counter. She yanks on the blanket, releasing its grip, and I get my first look at her battered body. It's as if she can see the thoughts rampaging through my mind, and she grasps onto my forearm to keep me from leaving the room, and killing her stepbrother and his pathetic friends. "It looks worse than it is, don't go."
I know she's lying to me; she's riddled with bruises, and the side of her abdomen is already turning a wicked shade of purple-black. My fingers slide down her side, probing gently at the area,worry filling me that she needs to go to a hospital. "I don't think they're broken. I've had broken ribs before, but this just feels bruised." It's on the tip of my tongue to question her about the broken ribs in her past, when I remember that she's a damn tough fighter, and that wouldn't be out of place. I hope it’s from a fight, otherwise, I’m going to have to start a list of guys I’m going to go on a rampage and murder.
"Was this from a fight?" Even as I utter the words, I know that's not right. Her injuries are inconsistent with what a fighter would have, even if it were a dirty fight. I lean forward and kiss her forehead, and she inclines into me, pressing her nose against my chest and breathing me in. My arms wrap around her gingerly, not wanting to hurt her further, and for a moment, we just stay like that.
"Um, Sim?" Olly taps at my back frantically. "Sim, fuck, I think the bubbles are escaping the tub!" I pull away from her, and dash for the bathtub that looks like a white scented monster is crawling out of it. I almost land flat on my ass with the slippery marble floor, before I manage to get the water to shut off, and all the while Olly is laughing at me. I end up releasing a chuckle at my own expense as I make my way back to her, pick her up, bring her to the tub, and help her get inside. "Mmmm, that feels so good," she moans as she sinks into the water, and I have to look away and adjust myself at the sound of her pleasure. Now is not the time for this shit, my girl is hurt.
I sit down on the lip of the tub and watch her for a moment, before I attempt to get her to answer my questions. "Olly, tell me what happened. Were these injuries from a fight, or from those three fuckers downstairs?" At first, I don't think she'll reply. She seems lost to the warmth of the water, and honestly, it smells incredible, so I can't even blame her.
"In a way... yes. It was a fight with the three of them, me against them.” She pauses, and I don’t think she’ll elaboratefurther. I’m just about to demand she tell me the rest when she continues. “They drugged me and took me out to the woods, to play some fucked up game of naked chase." She doesn't open her eyes as she sinks further into the water, until she's only visible from the chin upwards.They did what now?I start to rise, getting ready to storm downstairs and tear their heads from their limbs, when her hand snakes out, and her wet fingers dig into my thigh, halting me.
"It's over now, little cub. They’ll pay for what they did to me, I'll make sure of that. Like you said, I'm a big girl, and I can fight my own battles." Everything in me is battling the violent urge to disregard her words, and go caveman anyway. They drugged and hurt her, before chasing her through the woods. What kind of sadistic monsters do that? Oh, right,Mayhem,those kinds of monsters. The entitled shits who think they own everyone, and everything, within a hundred-mile radius of Soule.
My mind reels with turmoil, as I think of creative and painful ways to hurt those fuckers. Olly's right, she needs to get revenge, and I'm going to make sure she gets it one way or another, and that they can't hurt her again. It looks like I'll be digging unmarked graves in those woods they enjoyed chasing her through.
Mayhem just fucked up and made a new enemy, one that has nothing to lose except her, and I won't, I vow silently to myself and her, right here and now. That makes me very dangerous. I hope they're ready to lose it all for hurting my girl.
CHAPTER 41
