Page 49 of Charming But Reckless

She pulled her hand from Arick's and covered her mouth. We watched as she processed the words, her gaze moving from us back to the play area where her children were clueless to the horrors she was hearing.

Arick, sensing her indecision, decided to speak up again, going off script. “My son out there — he was the first one that your dad purchased. We saved him, and that's why the sale fell through. I don't want anyone else to go without their child. Will you please help us, Olivia?”

I will never know if it was the sincerity in Arick's voice or the fact that she could actually see the child that had been taken and trafficked under her father's instruction, but something pushed Olivia Varr over the edge. Something about our words and pleas resonated with her enough that she was nodding her head and agreeing to come with us.

“What about the kids?” she asked.

"We'll bring them with us," Arick answered. "I have a tutor that spends time with Sol since we're not ready to go back to public school yet. He wouldn't mind having the kids all come in and watch a movie or something. It'll keep them preoccupied so you don't have to worry about it while we go through the plan."

Olivia agreed once more, and then we gathered up the children to leave. We made our way to the NightShade offices in separate vehicles, though Arick insisted on riding with Olivia just to speak with her more and answer any questions she might have as discreetly as they could with the children.

Sol leaned against me in our vehicle as Ronan and Cohen discussed random TV shows to keep the energy from being heavy. Once we got to the office, we sat down and hashed out all the details once more while the kids ran off to play.

Olivia accepted her role and said she wanted to get started immediately.

"We can't let him get away with something like this," she said. “If he really is behind it, and you find the proof, I want him locked up, and I don't ever want my kids near him again."

I stood by my claim that momma bears in protection mode were the most dangerous people in the world. Olivia was out of hibernation and ready to fight.

CHAPTER 17

ARICK

After dealingwith the park mission, it was clear I was worn out. My emotions had been on a high all day with the lead up to the big reveal. And all I wanted to do was go home and be held by Orion.

I wanted us to snuggle in bed together and pretend that the world outside didn't exist. That wasn't something we could do all the time, but I truly needed some type of reassurance.

I knew it wasn’t Olivia's fault that her father was a bad guy. She was clueless to his ways. As a mother, she was also truly concerned about her children's safety. She agreed to do whatever we needed to help stop her father and the men around him.

It was the fact that I was so close to someone that meant a lot to Jackie Varr that had me thrown off. The knowledge that I could have made him hurt as much as he made me these last several months.

I wasn't an evil person though. I didn't have it in me to torture and kill.

Sure, I'd gotten in a fair few fights through the years. Some while trying to defend myself, and others while gathering information about my son. They were all rather short. Nothing that had any permanent effects.

Orion though, he was different. I didn't need him to tell me that he had tortured and killed people. It was clear in the way the NightShade men held themselves that they would do anything to take out a target. Those X's on those faces Memphis kept putting up on the wall weren't because they were arrested.

It was because they were gone. As in dead.

The thought should have scared me. Strangely, it did the opposite.

I was aroused knowing Orion would do whatever he could to protect the people he cared about. It gave me confidence I wouldn't normally have.

The man was so much more than I could have ever imagined.

And the way that he swept in today, claiming my mouth so publicly, basically branding me as his for anyone watching, it did silly things to me.

Part of me knew it was because of what I said on the phone. Those words that should not have left my lips but felt like the truth. Or as if I was headed towards the truth.

Because things were still too high octane for me to really know.

Did I love Orion?

Was he my forever?

Or was I simply having a speed moment? Was the adrenaline and excitement of the situation, the fact that I found my long-lost friend making me feel things that weren't really there?

I didn't believe that was the case. I had spent enough time with others casually dating before my son was born to know that what Orion and I shared was different. It was unique. It was more.

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