Page 2 of Psycho

“Who hurt you?” He demanded with that same calmness, but I knew there was darkness deep inside of Dane that would show its ugly head for this.

“Dam—” I coughed as more blood filled my mouth from my split lips. “Damon Kirst.”

“Stay with me, Liv.” Dane commanded, and then I heard him talking to someone else in the background. “Maddox. I need your help, it’s Peyton’s sister.”

I tried to focus as Dane literally assembled the troops for me, but I was so tired, sleep weighed down on me like a warm blanket. Dane’s voice sounded so far away as he came back to me. “Liv. Talk to me. Stay with me, brave girl. I’ve got someone coming to you. He’s the best of the best and he’s close. But you must stay with me. C’mon, Olivia.”

Peyton’s fearful sobs echoed behind his voice, and I felt bad that she was so sad. I never wanted to add to her burden like this. Our whole lives she took care of me, and now it seemed she’d do the same at my end.

“Tell P I love her.” I slurred, “And I’m sorry.”

“No!” My sister cried and Dane barked out loudly over her, finally raising his voice as he lost control of himself.

“Olivia, focus! Stay with us!”

The phone slipped from my fingers, and I couldn’t gather the strength to pick it up again as I hugged my stomach. “I’m so sorry, little baby. I tried.”

Chapter 2 – Olivia

Ididn’t know where I was or what I was lying on, but I never wanted to move again. It was the softest thing in the world, and I was claiming it as mine. If I had a flag, I’d stick it in, so everyone knew this cloud was mine.

Unfortunately, the last couple of months taught me never to let my guard down, so I had to at least open my eyes and check where I was. Slowly, I pried my stuck eyelashes apart and peeked at my surroundings, hoping I wouldn’t attract attention to myself as I got my bearings.

The room was dark except for one lamp that was on in the far corner of the room, casting a warm glow down on an empty leather chair. As my eyes adjusted, I blinked a few times and moved my hand over the soft pillowy thing I was lying on and realized it was a bed. One look at each side of my body let me gather it was a giant, freaking bed. Like double the size of a normal queen.

I turned onto my side and tried to look around the rest of the room, but the agonizing pain in my ribs took my breath away and I gasped.

“Try to stay still.” From somewhere in the inky blackness, a voice, gravelly and low, called out, making me flinch and pull the blankets higher as I searched the room, my eyes darting around in fear. I saw nothing in the shadows. “Your ribs are broken.”

“Who are you?” I whispered, flicking my gaze around the room as best as I could from my position. “Where are you?”

From one corner of the room, the shadows morphed, and then a bear stepped out into the light. I watched, paralyzed by fear, as he neared the bed, my eyes feeling like saucers in their sockets. In the rational part of my brain, I knew he wasn’t an actual bear, but damn, did he look like one.

A big damn grizzly bear standing at the end of the bed, staring down at me.

“I’m a friend of Dane’s.” He crossed his arms over his massive chest and just stared at me. And I stared back, not sure what else to do. He had black hair, and a thick black beard covered his tanned face from cheek to neck. I wasn’t sure, but it felt like he used it as camouflage to blend in with the shadows.

Especially given that his clothes were all black, too.

“You saved me?” I whispered in confusion, trying to remember everything that happened when I was on the phone with Peyton right before I blacked out.

“I got you out.” He stayed still, “I didn’t save you.”

I dropped my eyes from his gaze and brushed my fingers over my stomach briefly. “Thank you anyway.”

His eyes fell to my hand, and I carefully dropped it back to my side, hoping he didn’t know what I had been doing at first. “You saved yourself,” He scowled, almost as if he didn’t like my gratitude. “All I did was get you out of there.”

I opened my mouth, but a buzzing came from across the room, and he looked over his shoulder.

“I’m sure that’s your sister.” He glanced back at me again and let his eyes fall to my abdomen once more before turning and walking away without another word.

Even though it hurt like a bitch, I pushed my hips to the edge of the bed and forced my feet off until I sat up with them dangling over the floor. The damn thing was so tall, they were still a foot above the ground.

“Oh, my god!” Peyton cried, and I looked up as she shoved her way around the bear and ran to me. “Livy, what the hell happened?” She crouched down in front of me and pushed my hair out of my face, but I hissed when she caught a tender spot on my forehead.

The bear crossed the room again without a sound and barked at her, “Be careful, Peyton. She’s covered in wounds. Go easy.”

My sister’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked me up and down. “I think I’ve died a thousand deaths since answering your call.”

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