by T. L Smith
“You’ll let me in,” he sneers at me. “You won’t do anything to me. Because this is the real world, and police will lock you behind bars. Now, let me in that place and give me the girl with the blue hair to play with. I like her fire.”
Wrong words.
Wrong words.
My hand is moving faster than I can comprehend. The knife I carry with me flies through the air and lands in the guy’s neck.
Did you know if you slice someone’s throat, they don’t die fast like they do in the movies? No, it’s long, it’s painful, and even then they aren’t guaranteed to die unless you cut deep enough.
This is the reason why the knife that’s currently in his throat didn’t slice him open. It’s embedded, making it impossible for him to speak.
He tries to stand then falls to his knees, his hands clutching the knife’s handle.
“I wouldn’t do that if I was you, leaving it in there is keeping you alive right now.” His eyes go wide. “The minute it’s out, there will be blood everywhere.” He goes to move away from me as I climb up the stairs, but he has nowhere to go. The end of the porch is behind him, and I’m blocking the way for him to move or go inside. “That little blue-headed woman you speak of, yeah… that was where you fucked up. See, everything in that club is mine, her included. So, you just succeeded in pissing me off even more.” He tries to make a sound but it comes out as a blood-curdling gurgle, so I lean down, getting close to his ear. “What did you say?”
“You…” And that’s all he can say.
I stand back up. “You see, I’ve had an annoying day. And you’ve just made it worse. So, because I want to get home as soon as possible I’m going to do this…”
He goes to back away, but I pull the knife from his neck. Blood spurts out everywhere. His hands try to cover it to stop the flow of blood, but it doesn’t help. His eyes look everywhere for something to help him, or even someone. When they land back on me, all I see is desperation in them. But I don’t really care.
“Goodnight.” I insert the knife in his neck again, this time not missing a major artery. “I just cut your carotid artery. Now this… most people bleed out before help can arrive, and even then, if help did arrive in time, you would need an operation to fix it. The artery supplies ninety percent of your brain’s blood, so since you’re out in the woods and can’t speak… I guess this is where I leave.” I wait a few seconds to see what he’ll do, and when he starts to fall, I know it won’t be long until he’s dead.
And somehow all I can think about is a girl with blue hair, instead of a man dying at my feet.
Life.
20
Olympia
“You’ll always be my baby, always.” My father strokes my hair as I lay my head on his shoulder.
“Love you, Papa.” He’s been staying at home with me for the last few days. I called Creed today to let him know I will need extra time off. He basically grunted then said yes, and that I should call Darby, so I grunted back.
“You can always move home,” he says as I sit up in the rocking chair out the front, watching the sun set. The beautiful colors that light the sky are truly magical. Especially the pink and purple as the sun goes down. I turn to observe him, the wrinkles under his eyes reveal his age, but that’s it. You wouldn’t guess he’s old enough to have two full-grown children. He’s lucky, age hasn’t affected his appearance.
“This is yours and Barren’s life, not my life,” I whisper.
“I’ll change. Barren said—”
I shake my head. “I know your views, and I don’t want you to change them. I’m happy, I am. I’m better.” I tell him the truth, because I am better.
“But a bar, Olympia, you’re better than a bar. You have multiple degrees. You’re one of the smartest people I know, and trust me, I know a lot of smart people.”
“I have multiple degrees because I couldn’t make up my mind and kept switching, and you kept paying.” I roll my eyes.
“That’s because it made you happy. I would buy you the university if that’s what you needed,” he says in return, being honest.
“I am happy. It’s not the career of my dreams, but I actually like what I do. I like the people I work for and with. It’s settling me for now.”
He runs his hand through my hair again. “And the man?”
I pull away and look out to where Barren is pacing the dirt driveway, speaking on his phone. “It’s… well…” I don’t even know what to call what Darby and I have together. “…It’s complicated.” That’s definitely the word I needed to find and get out.
He pats my chest. “Guard this from anyone who doesn’t want to love it, it can’t take any more pain.”
I smile at him and pat my own chest. “It’s guarded, Daddy, don’t you worry.”
“Good, and you know Slate would leave that woman in a second if you told him you wanted him back.”
“That wouldn’t be fair.”
“I know, I know. Savannah’s nice, I guess, just not you.”
“That’s because I’m your daughter.”
He hugs my shoulders. “That’s true, baby, that is true.”
We both sit here, taking in the silence as the sun finishes setting, and my heart beats hard in my chest, proving to me that I’m alive and well.
Walking back into the bar, Creed is the first person I see. He doesn’t say a word, just glances back down at what he was doing and continues. I carry out my duties of setting up and start the process for the night. Falcon walks in next with Echo behind him, hitting his head. They both stop when they see me, then turn to Creed.
“He know she’s back, yet?”
Creed shakes his head, and they all smile then walk over to the bar, sitting in their seats.
“Blue, where you been, babycakes?” This comes from Falcon.
I check the money in the till and shut it with my hip as I reach for the washcloth. “Visiting family.”
“Come on, has to be juicier than that.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Nope.”
“So, no ex-boyfriend or secret lover you aren’t telling us about.”
“Well…” I say leaning forward. He does the same as the side door opens, and in walks Darby himself. He pauses when he sees me, his eyes squinting when they look over to where all the guys are sitting watching.
“D,” Falcon yells.
Darby glances at me, and his eyes narrow before he speaks. “My office, now.” He walks off through the door that leads up to his office. Each of the boys watch me as I place my cloth down and follow him. When I reach his office, he’s behind his desk, and he regards me when I enter.
“That’s not to happen again. Do you understand?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Which part? The sex part? The part where I wake up in your bed? Explain?”
He growls, it’s light but I can still hear it. “The part where you take off from work.”
“Don’t you mean the part where I took off from you?”
Darby stands, and his hands slam on the table. “No, Olympia, that is not what I mean.”
I start to walk away, effectively ending his conversation because, clearly, it’s not getting us anywhere.
“Where is your car?”
“I came straight from the airport.”
“I’ll take you home after work.”
I simply nod my head and walk out. That doesn’t bother me, I would have asked someone here anyway to take me home, because waiting outside in the dark is not something I intend to do again.
“You get spanked, blue?” Falcon asks as all sets of eyes look up at me.
“Why do you want to know so badly, Falcon?”
Those sets of eyes turn to him. “Because it’s ever so much fun watching him fall for you.” He smiles then stands—all of them do at the same time.
His words hit me hard.
No way that could be a possibility.
He wouldn’t fall for me, surely.
We aren’t even li
ke that, yet. Nope.
Turning back to Falcon to say something, I realize he’s gone and so are the other two.
Fuck.
Nope, that’s not happening.
I work my shift. It goes by fast, and as always, I thoroughly enjoy it. But this one I kept looking toward the door, waiting for any of them to walk down, mainly Darby, so I can watch him. See if what Falcon told me is true.
Is he falling for me?
Darby doesn’t know me well enough to fall for me. That’s impossible, and I know Falcon likes to stir trouble. So it can’t be true.
At the end of my shift, I wait where they usually sit, on the stools at the opposite side of the bar. Darby’s the first one to walk out, the others following closely behind him. He stops next to me as close as he can, and the others keep on walking out the door.
“Thanks for the lift, big man,” I say jumping down from the stool so now I’m standing in front of him, and he doesn’t move back.
“Do you do that a lot? Run off?”
I’m taken back by his words. “No, never. My brother lied to me to get me home.”
Darby nods then starts to walk. I follow behind him, watching the way his ass moves in his black trousers and wanting to tear them off of him so we can have some time together again.
He comes to a halt, and I slam into his back. “You aren’t watching where you’re going.”
I shrug, and he gazes down then back up to me, pulling the door open for me to walk out first. His car’s within eyesight, so I don’t have long to walk to arrive at the passenger side, and when I do, he unlocks the car and pulls the door open for me to slide in.
“How’s Charles?” I ask as he closes my door and walks around to his side.
“He’s good. He’s a baby.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Of course, he is. But how is he?”
Darby starts the car and pulls out of his spot, fast. “What’s with the chitchat, Olympia?”
“Should I not speak, big man? Is that how you like your women? Quiet and subservient?”
He nods his head. “Yes. Now if you could ever so kindly shut up the rest of the way home, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
His words cut deep. The words the boys said ring through my head—he doesn’t like me. I was just a convenience for him at the time. Someone who was willing to have sex with him, but he wants nothing more. My arms cross over my chest as I watch out the window, getting closer to my apartment.
“Look…” he starts.
“Shut up, Darby. You fuck with my head, and all I was doing was asking how your baby was.” I don’t turn when I speak, and my apartment comes into view.
“Olympia…” I open the car door and don’t look his way or even glance up.
My name is muttered, but it’s not from Darby. When I look up, a soft hand touches me as Slate stands there saying my name.
I shut the door of Darby’s car, slide my hand into Slate’s, and pull him to the door.
And I don’t look back.
21
Darby
Who the fuck is that! And why the fuck is he looking at her like that? I’ve seen that look plenty of times—it comes from a man in love. All of my boys have that look when they stare at their women, and when a man gets too close, their eyes squint and their lips thin in anger. Which is exactly the way he’s staring at me as she pulls him toward her door of her apartment. I’m almost tempted to get out and ask her who it is, but the way she clasps his hand, I get it. This one isn’t a brother, that’s for sure, he’s something more, of that I am certain.
I stay seated in the car until the both of them are out of sight and contemplate my options. My hand touches the gearshift, and I rev the car, pulling out and flying down her street only to come to a screeching halt at the end and turning around.
I have no right. This is what I have to tell myself. This is what I’m reminding myself of as I press call on my phone and her voice rings through the car.
“What do you need?” is all she says.
“Come back down here. Now.”
“I’m busy. And I’m not some plaything you get to boss around, boss.” She hangs up so I ring again. “You’re just going to keep ringing until I come down there, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you can come up. I’m not coming down, and I’m about to hop in the shower.” She hangs up again, so I park the car and start the walk to her apartment—well, penthouse is what I’d call it. The elevator takes me to her door, and when I open it, the guy who had her hand is standing there. His arms are firmly crossed over his chest as he assesses me. “She’s showering.” I nod, not saying a word to him. “Why didn’t you just drive off?” he asks as he reaches for a glass next to him, taking a sip before gripping it tighter in his hand.
“We have unfinished business.”
“You want her.”
“And who are you?” I ask, my stance not changing, my eyes watching his every move.
He gazes into his glass as he speaks, “I was her first love, she is my last love.”
“You talk as if it’s right now. Yet, she hasn’t mentioned you to me, at all.”
“No, she wouldn’t.” The way he says it holds pain. His eyes look up to me. “I can see you like her, I’m not blind. And you’d be silly not to. She has something very special about her that pulls you in and locks you hard. Trust me, I know. I was head over heels for her, and if she told me right now she wants me back, I would be hers, even if I have moved on and found someone who loves me the way I need to be loved. But that’s the enigma of someone you love more than you love yourself…” He pauses. “Have you ever loved someone more than you love yourself?”
“My son.” I don’t see the point in lying.
“How old?” He seems interested, not fake interested.
“Four months old.”
“We had a baby. Did she tell you that?”
Everything goes quiet.
Everything.
Then she walks out, looks from the guy sitting in front of me to me.
“Slate, what did you say?”
He shakes his head as I turn to her.
“You had a baby?” I ask. Her eyes go wide and her face changes—something so deep, so life-changing, and so much pain passes through her face that I want to take back my words, but I can’t.
“You can’t say that. Why would you speak of that?” Olympia doesn’t look at me as she steps up to him. Her hands begin to hit his chest hard, and he lets her. When she stops, he pulls her to him, cradling her head as she cries in his arms.
“As you can see, your timing’s off, please leave.”
They have their own demons, and I have many of my demons to deal with that I really don’t want to take on any more. So, I do as he says and don’t turn back around as I reach the elevator.
“Darby…” She doesn’t usually say my name. She calls me everything else but my name, so when it leaves her lips I pay attention and turn to her tear-streaked face as she makes her way toward me.
“I quit. Thank you for the job.”
My hand reaches out to touch her then I quickly pull it back. “You don’t have to quit. Take some time.”
Her head starts shaking. “No. I don’t want this. I need to… thank you, Darby.” She turns and walks to the guy who’s watching us and falls back into his arms as the elevator dings.
I get into it, not having a clue what just happened and why she’s up and quit on me that easily.
She had a baby?
That’s a big thing. And with him. Who is he to her? A past lover? Or maybe a current one? Did she cheat on him, or was he allowed to? He looked at her as if he still loves her and he told me as much. Yet, the way she used to touch me was as if there was no other in her life.
“D,” Creed says into the phone as I drive away.
“She had a baby,” I tell him.
He goes silent, we both do for a few moments.
“What happened?”
“I d
on’t know, a guy was there. She didn’t tell me.”
“Fuck.”
“She quit, too. That’s what I was ringing to tell you.”
“Did you fire her, or did she actually quit?”
“She quit,” I tell him, speaking the truth.
“Well, I guess you got what you wanted.”
The words aren’t true now, but they are true in some ways, I guess.
“I didn’t—”
“I know. That’s why I never let you fire her.”
He hangs up without a word more, and I stew all the way home.
She had a baby.
And she was in love.
There’s many things about her I don’t know, or was it that I didn’t care to know.
22
Olympia
Then
“I’m going to marry you someday, make you my wife.”
I laugh into the phone as I drive. It’s dark. So damn dark. And usually that doesn’t bother me, but for some reason, tonight I need to make sure someone’s there, so I rang Slate so he can talk to me while I drive home.
“Oh, you are, are you? Are you sure of that?”
He laughs at me through the phone. “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”
“I’m jealous.” And I am, I’m so jealous that he knows what he wants out of this life. I love him, but I feel his love for me trumps my love for him. And I’ve always loved that about him, his ability to love so easily no matter what. I, on the other hand, had to warm up to that fact. It took a while for me to fall in love with Slate the way he loves me. Even now, though, I don’t think it’s enough.
“No need to be jealous, I have enough for both of us.” He laughs and my belly groans loudly.
“I need to get something to eat.”
“I’m cooking for you right now, my girls have to eat.”
“Gosh, I love you,” I whisper as a sharp pain hits my belly, and I groan loudly.