Page 101 of Light My Fire Three Times
What the hell has happened now?
Fuck.
“What’s going on?” The question comes out before I can even think about it. “Can I do anything?”
Olivia sniffles, which is when I realize that she’s crying. Holy shit, this is bad.
“Olivia’s boss,” Ivy finally sighs. “Richard fucking Stokes.”
I narrow my eyes. “But I thought you were done with him, Liv? What could he possibly want with you now?”
“He's suing her,” Ivy barks. “For misappropriation of funds. Accusing her of stealing.”
The words don’t make sense at first.
My mind stalls, scrambling to connect the dots. Olivia… stealing? No. She’s the last person to do anything criminal.
I’ve seen how hard she works, how much she pushes herself to keep her head above water. The idea of her doing anything underhanded is beyond me.
She gave all of herself to that job before she was pushed into a corner and had to quit.
“That’s fucked up,” I mutter, feeling a rush of anger that I didn’t expect. “What can we do to stop him? Especially as this sounds to me like some revenge bullshit.”
Ivy nods. “I know, which is why I’ve called my old college roommate. Sloane Katz. She’s an investigative journalist. She’s incredible at her job. I’ve never known anyone like her. Ireallythink she can help.”
Is it enough?
I don’t know this woman, but I do trust Ivy’s words. Jesse always says she’s the best judge of character, so I guess this is good.
Olivia doesn’t speak for a moment, and when she finally looks up at me, she’s trying to hold herself together. I can see the fight in her eyes, but I also see something else—a kind of resignation.
“I didn’t do it, Leo. I wouldn’t do anything like this.”
“Oh, I know that.” It isn’t even a question in my mind. “I know you wouldn’t.”
“But if he has a high-powered lawyer, I might lose everything. Even my coffee truck.”
Rage simmers within me. The words stab deep into me.
“Not on my watch,” I say, and something snaps inside me. It comes out of me without even thinking, without hesitation. My chest tightens with fury and protectiveness. “Not on my fucking watch, Liv.”
Her coffee truck. It’s more than a job to her. It’s her sanctuary, her safe space. I see how much it means to her. It’s where she’s carved out a life for herself after everything went to shit. And Stokes? Stokes wants to take that away.
For what?
If Stokes dares touch her, touch that, I’ll make sure he regrets it—every single day for the rest of his miserable life. I don’t need to know the guy to know I can take him down.
“I’ll help,” I add. “Whatever it takes. Stokes isn’t going to get away with this. You’ve got people on your side, Liv. I’m not letting him destroy you. No way. You’re a part of this town now, and we arenotgoing to let you fall.”
Her gaze locks on mine, and I can see the flicker of gratitude there. But there’s hesitation too.
The walls she’s spent so long building up are still there, just beneath the surface. She’s always carried the weight of everything by herself, and I know it’s hard for her to accept help, even when it’s offered.
“I don’t want to drag you into this,” she says quietly. “I know I have to fight this myself.”
I step closer to her, my gaze hardening. “Yeah, well, guess what? I’m going to be here for you anyway. We all will.”
I let that sink in, letting her see the truth of what I’m saying.
