“It’s for your own good, kid,” he told her. “You don’t know Ricky.”
“He helped me when I had nothing,” the girl said, defending the sleazy bastard, and I leaned against the door frame.
“He would have wanted to fuck you as repayment,” I announced, making my presence known. The girl looked at me with her stunning, forest-green eyes as I glared daggers into her.
It didn’t matter how angry my state was, the girl was checking me out, and I could see the flush rising from her neck to her fuller cheeks. As cute as she was, I refused to let my guard down.
“Wondered when ya would be joining us,” Hawke chortled as I ignored him.
“Why are you here?” I demanded. She was thinking of an excuse to tell me, but I didn’t like waiting. “Why the fuck are you in my town?”
She was taken aback by my outbursts, and I just smirked. To my surprise, this kitten had some claws. “I just wanted a new life, goddammit!” she yelled, which caused a pained look to spread across her face. “Fuck.”
“Easy there, kid.”
“I'm nobody. I’m not going to do anything, but I have nowhere else to go!” She may have Hawke wrapped around her finger, but I’m not falling for her bullshit. “You don’t have to be a fucking cunt. I’m just trying to survive.”
“Find somewhere else.” I turned on my heel and walked out of the room with Hawke behind me. She had a hint of brat in her, and brats were my favorite. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, turning towards Hawke whose sympathetic look was plastered on his face. We were not doing this. “No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“I already murdered two men for attacking her. She needs to leave.”
Hawke sighed. This man was the scariest fucking man I knew and could put the fear of God in anyone, but when it come to a pair of pretty eyes and pussy, he folded every time. She could be a fed or working for someone who wanted to destroy me. I’d made enemies in my years, and I dealt with them accordingly.
As we were talking in the hallway, Fallon came scurrying towards us, kissing Hawke and giving me a seductive wink as shewalked into the infirmary with the girl. I looked at Hawke and arched my brow.
“You got your wife addicted to the girl, too?”
“Blaize, Fallon is her own person. But that girl in there has nothing. She needs a chance at a fresh start.”
I rolled my eyes. “She really has you wrapped around her finger already?”
“What can I say? I have a soft spot for broken girls.”
I groaned. “Why?”
“She reminds me of Olivia, okay!?” I winced at his words. Olivia and Charlee left a mark on every reaper. For Hawke, Olivia was like his little sister, and he hated that he couldn’t protect her. “Olivia was eager to please even with that bastard trying to destroy you. This girl was hurt, and she ran. It just happened to be here. I can’t toss her to the wolves with no one and nothing to her name.”
“You have a big heart, Hawke,” I told him. He looked at me with his cerulean eyes, and I already knew the next question that was going to fall from his mouth. “She can work at the club, but I don’t trust her. I’m going to make her break one way or another.”
“I’ll let her know.”
“Don’t make me regret it.” I pulled myself up and headed for the doors. “Don’t disturb me for the rest of the day unless you're fucking dead.”
I hated this cemetery.It was a constant reminder of what I lost years ago because of who I was. I stole both of theirinnocence. With two people bringing up my dead wife, I wanted—no, Ineededto talk to her and our little girl.
It had been five years since I buried both of them. They’re probably nothing but bones by now, but they were both together in the afterlife, waiting for me. It should’ve been me that night, but instead, he chose to inflict physical and emotional torment. Watching Olivia take her last breath with our daughter's lifeless body in her arms felt like my own death. He intended to make my life a living hell—and he succeeded.
It had been a few weeks since I’d been here, and the dead flowers in the vase screamed at me to be replaced. The changing leaves meant it was time for sunflowers on her grave. Autumn was Olivia’s favorite time of the year, and that woman would go crazy over a bouquet of fresh sunflowers. Even in death, I wanted her to be happy.
I could still see her beautiful face with the splash of freckles she hated over her nose. Her light brown eyes with specks of gold made me bend to her every whim. God, I could get lost in her eyes for hours, and her laugh was always so intoxicating. She chose me out of all the bastards who chased her; she settled down with me and gave me this beautiful life. Our life was perfect; she loved me even with the skeletons in my closet.
Hell, I never thought I would live to see thirty-five, but here I was without her. Fuck, I missed her. I missed them both.
“Hey, Livia,” I mumbled, sitting on the wet grass. “I miss you. You were the very breath in my lungs. Now, without you, I feel like I’m constantly fighting for air.”
Olivia Marie Matthews calmed the demons that constantly fought inside me; she was my peace. Now without her here, I felt like I was constantly at war with myself and this shitty existence.
