Page 4 of Psycho

“Hmm.” He hummed and then started walking toward the door. “Thanks for getting to her so quickly.”

“Yeah.” I replied, because there wasn’t anything else for me to do. He effectively dismissed me. There was no reason for me to be involved further.

Except—.

He left, and I walked over to the window, looking over the private parking lot behind my building, and caught Peyton leading Olivia to their waiting car.

The two sisters looked so alike except for Olivia’s hair being a darker auburn color. Peyton never attracted me, but, damn, I found her sister beautiful.

Right before Olivia climbed into the car, it was almost like she could feel my eyes on her and she looked up at the tall building, finding me in the darkness.

Her green eyes glowed through the dark night and my body reacted the same way it did when they first fluttered open as she laid in my bed. Warmth spread through my limbs followed by some sort of tingling to other parts, and then she looked away, getting into the car, severing the connection.

I silently watched as Dane got in the front seat and drove away, taking his wife and sister-in-law to the secluded Hartington Estate where they’d be safe.

Leaving me with nothing but silence and time. So, I did what I did best.

I went to work.

Hunting.

I was going to figure out exactly what happened between Damon Kirst and Olivia Everett. I was going to avenge every single scar that now marred her perfect skin.

Chapter 4 – Olivia

“You can’t go.” Peyton huffed, sitting down on the end of the bed in the guest house, and pulling my things back out of my bag. “It’s not safe.”

I snorted and kept adding more things to the bag even as she kept pulling them out, “It’s not safe for me to stay here any longer. Lincoln has gone feral and only Dane remains.” My clothes and toiletries had randomly appeared inside of the guest house the morning after my rescue, but conveniently none of my computers or electronics came with them. Though Peyton assured me that someone had emptied my apartment andsecuredmy things. They didn’t let me have them.

She waved me off, “He’s fine.”

“He’s hiding.” I deadpanned. “You deserve to enjoy your new married bliss without your little sister lurking in the guest house.”

“He’s fine.” She repeated. “He’s busy working, that’s all.”

“That’s what I should be doing!I’mnot fine.” Forcing her to look at me, I stopped. “I hate being cooped up here. I have to go back to the city. Believe it or not, P, the fresh air makes my head throb. I need the pollution and the chaos, and I need my life back.”

“You can’t have your life back, you know that!” She ripped my toiletries bag from my hands and set it back on the bed. “It’s not safe. Not yet.”

“What does that mean?” I put my hands on my hips, careful to avoid the sore ribs on my right side that I tried to pretend didn’t still hurt like a bitch every single morning, and stared back at her. Dane and my sister were keeping things from me about the Hell Eaters, and I hated feeling like the little kid being told,we’ll tell you when you’re older.

It was my mess, not theirs, and I needed to see it cleaned up.

Even if the idea of coming face to face with Damon again made my heart seize up and nausea roll through my stomach.

“It just means that you have to stay here a little while longer.” She sighed, pleading with her eyes for me to just follow her directions.

“I can’t P.” I grabbed my bag and put it back in my luggage. “I refuse to be kept in the dark about my own mess.”

“Is that why you’re fighting me on this?” She huffed, “Because I’m trying to protect you?”

“I don’t need your protection!” I cried out in frustration. “I’m almost thirty years old, P. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“I know that!” She stood up and put her hands on my shoulders, “But you have no idea what it did to me to hear you like that on the phone.” Her voice cut out, and she looked down at my chin instead of my eyes, “I thought I was going to lose you, and I can’t get that feeling out of my head.”

I closed my eyes as the same familiar feeling of grief washed over me. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t you dare apologize for calling me, that’s not what I’m saying.” She dropped her hands off my shoulders and pushed her hair behind her ear. “I just need you to understand why I’m neurotic about your safety right now.”

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