AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You know what happens when you don’t stop running?” Ying asked, gesturing for Olivia to start putting the dumplings in a small pot of broth. Olivia dropped them in carefully, seeing the dark broth swallow the dumplings, the little tip of the dough sticking out of the surface before being swallowed, taken under.
Olivia turned back to Ying, her eyebrow arched. Ying leaned forward.
“You die, from exhaustion. Stop running. Whatever you did, it can be undone. So stop being scared. The fear is ALL over you, and it makes you a target!” Ying said rather loudly, pointing a weathered crooked finger at Olivia’s chest. “Learn to face your fears head on, only then you will have peace.”
Olivia’s eyes smarted.
I did the wrong thing. I shouldn’t have left him like that, she thought to herself. Feeling her cheeks burn.
They sat there in comfortable silence and ate. After a short while, Ying spoke to her about her younger adventures and how her children were doing, who were consequently in America.
An hour later, they were sharing a cup of tea when a man’s voice interrupted them.
“Hey Ying, how are you Auntie? Olivia, sorry I’m a couple minutes late. You ready to go? Did you save me a couple?” her bodyguard Erick came into the space with them and bent down, snagging a dumpling and biting into it.
“Hmmm,” he said appreciatively. “Olivia, did you make these? They’re getting so much better!”
Olivia smiled, glancing up at the man’s chocolate eyes briefly before looking away, wishing those chocolate eyes were someone else’s. Her heart swelled painfully.
“Yes, Ying is a wonderful teacher,” Olivia replied, leaning forward in her wooden chair to give the older lady a hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ying. Ramen this time?” she smiled, giving her a little kiss on her cheek.
“Yes, I’ll be here,” Ying said softly, walking them to the door and seeing them out.
Olivia and Erick walked back to her bungalow, talking about their day and sharing their adventures. Gypsy had graciously paid for Erick to look after Olivia while she was there and could get back on her feet.
They reached her bungalow and Olivia paused before opening the door, feeling herself sway into this tall man who reminded her of Colin. Except he wasn’t. Her eyes watered.
“Thanks,” she bit out tightly, giving him a small smile as she went into her home and closed the door behind her, locking it.
She slid down the door, wrapping her arms around her knees and let the tears fall where she sobbed for two hours straight before wearily crawling in the bed. She had to prepare for another day of vetting potential adoptees of children that she’d saved from being stolen, killed, or sold off by Asian black-market dealers. She was paid quite a pretty penny for snubbing the black market. No one messed with her here, her reputation somehow preceded her, thanks to her client’s whispers. Folks knew about the hard-hearted dominatrix who beat and did sick things to men… all the way in China.
Olivia couldn’t bring herself to submit to providing beatings any longer. Colin said she was done with that.
So, she would be.
***
Olivia twitched in her sleep, restless, dreaming about her husband.
"I love you, Amor," Colin said as he stroked his knuckles down her cheek softly.
They were in bed, and he was lying on top of her in between her spread legs. Every now and then he would give her a deep slow thrust, but then he’d just stay there, looking deep into her eyes.
"I love you too Colin…" Olivia whispered.
"You couldn't have…why did you leave me like this?" Colin said, reaching a hand up to place it over her chest. "Our glow is gone, baby. I can't feel it anymore. Can you?"
Olivia woke with a gasp, sweating, holding her hand to her racing heart. She pushed her hair out of her face and looked at the bedside clock.
8:00 AM.
She fell back to the bed and shuddered before letting out a body wracking sob that carried out of her bedroom. For a long time she cried, eventually hauling herself into her shower where she continued to cry. She placed both of her hands over her chest, trying to feel that glow.
He was right; it was gone.
She let out a pained whimper as she got out of the shower and slammed her brush into her head with every pass through her hair. Tying her hair into a shrewd bun at the back of her head, she roughly pulled her clothes on and made her way to the front of the house where she grabbed her purse and her phone and headed out the front door to the black unmarked car waiting for her.
***
