Page 80 of Claiming Becca

Liv yanks her hand out of Victor’s and stands. She begins to pace and wipes at her face furiously.

“Olivia,” Victor says calmly.

She turns to him and lifts her hands in a defeated gesture. “I tried,” she rasps out. “I tried so hard, but he’ll never let go. He’ll always have his claws in me.” He wraps his arm around her neck and pulls her into a hug, but she doesn’t return the hug. She just stands there.

Ansley, Caroline, and Bailey watch on with horror on their faces. Bass and Lincoln have a look of shock.

Julian leans forward with his elbows on his knees. “We’ll get a restraining order.”

Liv pulls away from Victor with a watery laugh. “That won’t stop him,” she tells him. “He will not stop until he gets what he wants, or he’s dead.” She sits back down, slumping in her chair. Victor sits beside her and runs his hand down her long black hair.

“Then we’ll kill him,” she says. All eyes turn to him, but no one contradicts him.

“How would you do that?” Bailey asks. Julian’s eyes snap to her, and she shrugs. “He’s a bad guy, Julian. We have to do something.”

Julian runs his hand through his hair. “We can’t plan a guy’s murder,” he says rationally.

“Then we’ll plan what happens if he comes after one of us. But it will end up with him dead,” Victor says.

Connor adjusts me so he can sit up. “Julian, you know how bad Donovan is. You know what he’s done.”

Julian nods. “I do know, but we must go about this properly,” Julian says calmly. Connor exhales sharply. “I know we all want to protect Liv, but this must be done correctly.”

Lincoln leans forward. “And the right way is to put him in prison only for his people to protect him or get him out somehow?” Lincoln asks.

Julian turns to him and nods. “He’s going to have people regardless of where he’s at. He has a crew that is probably very committed to him. If we were to kill him, they’d come after us.”

Liv stands again. “You all think you know him, but you don’t. It doesn’t matter what you do. He will not stop. Even if he’s put in jail, he’ll find a way out.” She runs her hands through her hair. “I don’t know why I thought me running away would work. I should have known better.” Liv sounds defeated. “Maybe I should just give him what he wants. At least, then, I’ll know you all are safe.”

Victor shakes his head. “There is no way in hell I’m letting that happen.”

“I know he’s a bad guy. You’ve told me that much. But why is he so obsessed with you? Why is he determined to get you back?” Ansley asks.

Liv wraps her arms around herself and sucks in a breath.

Ansley tilts her head and watches her closely. “Never mind. You don’t have to tell me. I can only imagine why he’s obsessed with you,” she whispers. Liv looks at Victor, and his eyes soften.

“Olivia,” he whispers.

She shakes her head to quiet him. Taking one last deep breath, she turns back to our group. Looking at her, I see her eyes are dull, not the usual vibrant color. “You guys will find out eventually, and you need to know what exactly you are dealing with when it comes to him.” She takes another deep breath, and we all wait. “I have only told Victor and my therapist...” she whispers, her eyes looking away from us.

Ansley and Caroline share a look, but neither says a thing. Looking back at us, her voice is dead, as she says. “His obsession is because he took my virginity against my will. He continued to force me until I ran away.”

She drops down into her seat next to Victor, a slight tremble in her arms as she clasps them in her lap. I watch as he tenderly runs his finger from her shoulder down her arm, placing them gently on her hands. There’s no way he doesn’t have feelings for her. He wraps his arm around her and pulls her close as she lays her head on his chest.

“Liv, I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Caroline whispers. I don’t know what to think about this revelation. After staying at Liv’s, I knew something happened, but I thought he hit her. Oh god. Maybe he did that too. Everyone is quiet, thinking about this new revelation.

Bailey clears her throat. “So, he’s obsessed with you because he still wants you?” she asks.

Liv nods her head. “He thinks he’s the only one to have me and wants to keep it that way. At least, that’s what I’m assuming. He always told me that no one else would ever be able to have me, and if they did, he’d kill them.” Victor turns his head so his lips brush against her hairline. He’s so gentle with her.

“So, hear me out,” Bailey says. We all focus on her. “What if you show him he’s not the only one to ever have you?”

I look at Bailey in confusion. “How will she do that?” I ask.

Bailey’s eyes flit around the room before landing back on Liv. “Maybe you and Victor could kiss in town or at his pub. He has eyes on you. Word would get back to him,” Bailey explains.

Liv sits up and moves away from Victor. “It’s not like that between Victor and I. We aren’t together or anything,” she says quickly. Connor huffs, but only loud enough for me to hear.

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