Page 6 of Psycho

“What would you have us do, Olivia?” Dane asked, drawing my attention back to him. “If you go back to Boston, you’ll be in danger. Period.”

“So I’m supposed to do what?” I asked, weaker because I knew he was right. “Hide here for the rest of my life in a guest house I’m not even wanted in?”

“You’re wanted—,” Peyton cut in, but I held my hand up and silenced her.

I stared right at Dane and dared him to lie to me. “You hate me being here.” I settled, and I thought for one second a flash of regret moved across his face, but it was gone so quickly I couldn’t know for sure. “Almost as much as I hate being here.”

“It doesn’t matter what either of us wants, Liv.” Dane sighed, “The facts remain the same.” He got up and walked back around his desk, unlocking his screens and bringing up a page, motioning for me to come next to him to read it. “You’rewantedby the enemy. Enough for a hit to be put on your head.”

I knew it would happen, considering the accusations against me. But seeing the price printed in black ink still gave me whole-body shivers.

Fifty thousand dollars.

I didn’t know if I should be glad or upset that my life was valued so highly. Either way, seeing it in person made my stomach churn, and I placed my palm over my stomach in my hoodie pocket.

“See why you can’t go back?” Dane reasoned gently.

“I can handle it.” I stared at the screen to avoid the painful sympathy in his eyes. “They’ve already charged, tried, and sentenced me. I’ll clean up my own mess.”

“What did you do, exactly?” The bear finally spoke, my eyes flicking over to him. “Because we can’t find any trace of you inside of the Hell Eaters’ operations.” His brows furrowed deeper into his black eyes. “And believe me, we’ve dug deep.”

I tried but failed to hide the smug smile that pulled at my lips as I looked back at Dane. “I didn’t know it was possible to freeze outThe Ghost.”

“Damnit, this isn’t funny, Livy!” Peyton snapped from the couch, and I looked over at her as embarrassment burned in my chest. “This is serious! So serious that Dane and Maddox have been working around the clock for a week straight, trying to find out a way to stop this whole thing from claiming your life!”

“I never said it was funny.” I replied with a calm venom I perfected during my time with the Hell Eaters’ inner circle. “Excuse me for smiling for the first time in months.” I swallowed down the emotion that burned in my gut as my sister blushed with guilt. “It won’t happen again.”

“Liv—” Peyton sighed, and I hated how that sound made me feel like an insolent child. Again.

“I have to go.” Once more, I tried to make it clear to anyone who might fucking listen. “I can’t stay here, or it’ll destroy my already shit relationship with my sister. You’ll have to physically restrain me if you want to stop me.” I shrugged dejectedly. “But I can’t stay here.”

I walked out of the office, ignoring Peyton’s call for me as Dane told her to let me go. It wasn’t as if I had a plan exactly, but I had to keep moving. If I stopped, I’d crumble.

It was the same thing I repeated nonstop for the last few months when I realized I was in so deep with a crew worse than death itself, with no way out.

I guess when you stare death in the face long enough, it doesn’t hold the same power over you anymore. Or at least it shouldn’t have until the life growing inside of me was a factor.

Chapter 5 – Maddox

It wasn’t easy, but I finally convinced Dane what we both already knew.

Olivia needed to leave Hartington. If we didn’t help her do that, she’d get herself killed trying to prove she could do it on her own.

I leaned against the side of my truck and stared at her closed front door, waiting for her to show her bravery, even if everyone else thought it was stupidity. I knew better.

When the solid oak door swung open a few minutes later, I held my breath and watched as she towed two suitcases behind her, struggling to get through the doorway. “Need a hand?”

She gasped and snapped her head up to look at me, and then froze.

Fuck, those eyes. Why’d they have to look like one of those perfect princess’s eyes, all wide and full of wonder? And clouded with uncertainty.

Olivia looked around the driveway like she was expecting someone else, and I tried not to let that rile me up as I let her process it.

“I have a car coming.” She fought with one suitcase as it got stuck and I couldn’t stand by anymore. I closed the distance between us and reached around her short frame and grabbed the handle, lifting the bag over her head and set it down in the driveway behind me. “You can’t stop me from leaving.”

“Does it look like I’m stopping you?” I raised a brow at her and took the other bag, pulling it around her, and then carried them both to the bed of my truck and put them in.

“Whatareyou doing, then?” She crossed her arms over her chest but stayed put.

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