“Rachel.” Olivia whispered standing at the bottom of the stairs.
Shaking my head I went to go by her when Jonah’s words stopped me.
“Denny has a right to say who is around his son too Rachel. It took both of you to make him.”
“Yes thank you Jonah, I was there.”
“Jonah don’t.” Olivia whispered shaking her head.
“No how about she doesn’t. I’ve watched Denny go through hell since the day Lucca was born.” Gasping I turned back to look at him. “Yeah Rachel, Denny was there but your father, the person Denny is now busting his ass to find, told him to leave the hospital and not to come back. Do you have any idea what it must feel like to not be able to hold your newborn son? Or maybe how it feels to watch another man hold your son?”
What the hell was going on? Denny didn’t even come to the hospital.
“You’re forgetting something Jonah, he left me!”
“Yeah Rachel I left you over a year ago move on.”
“Move on are you fucking kidding me?”
“Yeah Lucca and I are going to go back upstairs.” Ty said over my yelling as he retreated up the stairs.
“I’m trying to make up for that Rachel. Were you not there when we were in bed together yesterday morning?”
“Your apology is sex?” Oh my god I was not hearing this. “Would you like to know why we didn’t have sex yesterday Denny? We didn’t have sex because I refuse to be one of your office girls. Yeah baby I know all about you having sex with anything that moves. The first night we met was I just an office girl too? Only I was different right because I unfortunately got pregnant.”
“Fuck this I’m out of here.” Denny hissed walking to the front door. “But just so you know you weren’t an office girl Rachel. The office girls only started because you ruined me.”
“You ruined me!” I screamed back as the front door slammed shut.
“Are you ok?” Olivia asked quietly.
I couldn’t answer my heart was in my throat. This scene was almost as bad as the break up.
“Why the hell are you asking her if she is ok? Do you not see what she is doing to Denny?” Jonah yelled. “He had a fucking break down yesterday.”
Grabbing Jonah’s arm Mason pulled him towards the front door. “We’ll go to Risk, everyone could use some space. Call my cell if you need me.”
Giving me a look of disgust Jonah walked out not even saying goodbye to Olivia. Guess I really pissed him off.
“Thank God Ty brought ice cream.” Olivia said turning and walking up the stairs.
When she was at the top she looked down the steps at me, “you coming?”
“You still want me around after what just happened?” I said feeling numb.
“Of course. Unless you’re mad at me and don’t want to come?”
“I’m not mad at you Olivia but what about the guys?”
“They won’t be back for a while, trust me.”
It took me ten minutes to pull myself together enough to walk to Jonah and Olivia’s room. I found Ty and Olivia lying on the bed eating ice cream and laughing at Lucca who was trying to feed Miss Daisy’s her own tail.
I was hurt and pissed off but I still couldn’t find it in myself not to care about what Jonah had said about Denny having a break down. So call it self-torture or simply reopening closed wounds but I had to know. “What did Jonah mean by Denny having a break down?”
Olivia bit her lip and dropped her eyes to the ground. “It’s not my place and Jonah would hate me for telling you but well I honestly think you’re the only one that can fix him so I’m going to tell you. Denny thinks he is turning into Vinnie, he also told Mason and Jonah that he is hearing Vinnie’s voice and seeing his dying eyes.” Jesus. “He’s been drinking a lot, Jonah said it’s the only way he can sleep.”
“I don’t know how you want me to fix any of that. Denny hates me.”
“Denny loves you.” Olivia snapped. “Jonah is the yeller, if something makes him mad he yells and fights. Denny’s the calm one, yeah he yells and fights sometimes but only when it’s something that really matters to him. I’ve never seen Denny lose his cool before Rachel. If he didn’t care he wouldn’t be fighting with you, he just simply wouldn’t care.”
Did Denny really care? Did I even care anymore after the hurtful things he’d said tonight?
“What just happened?” Shark asked coming into the room his eyes locked on Olivia.
“Denny and Rachel had a fight. The guys are at the bar if you want to join them.” Olivia said.
“You might want to.” Ty said, “We’re about to break out the nail polish to make Rachel feel better. So unless you want pretty pink toes.”
“I think I’ll go.” Shark said with a smile.
Before he could leave Olivia jumped up and grabbed his arm stopping him from going. “Have you seen Nicky lately?”
Cupping Olivia’s face Shark shook his head. “Not my case anymore darlin’ I haven’t seen him since you last saw him.”
For a DEA agent he sucked balls at lying or maybe he just couldn’t lie very good to the girl he was in love with
Chapter 12
Opening my tired eyes to bright pink nail polish had me flinging my head back wondering where the hell I was. Then it all came back, the fight with Denny, ice cream with Olivia and Ty, and Lucca crying almost all night.
What was I thinking fighting with Denny like that? All the fight had done was make my already complicated and confused relationship with Denny much more strained. Something I did not need right now on top of everything else.
“How are you feeling?” Olivia asked chewing violently on her pink nail.
“Horrible.” I said simply.
Nodding her head Olivia rolled onto her back, her eyes focusing on a rather beautiful drawing of herself. “Can I ask you something?” She whispered with a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Sitting up I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. “Sure.”
“Last night Jonah made it sound like you kept Denny away from Lucca. Is this true? Did you keep Denny away from Lucca?”
“God no,” I screeched, “I didn’t keep him away. He never came to see Lucca.” Did I call him no, but that wasn’t the point. If he wanted to see his son he should have called or came over. But he did come to see us, in the hospital if what Jonah said last night was true. Why would he have come to the hospital? Sighing I shook my head, just like the money I gave back to him in the yellow envelope, I couldn’t answer why because I still didn’t know why he left me. Yes he gave me a reason, but the reason was bullshit. I knew it and so did he.
“Ok.” Olivia said jumping off the bed.
“Ok?”
“Yeah ok as in that answer is good enough for me. Now get your ass up and dressed, Shark’s onto something.”
Scrambling out of bed I started to dress. “Where’s Lucca?”
“He’s with Denny and Jonah down at the tattoo shop.”
Nodding I pulled a thin sweater over my head. “I need to call work before we go. Wait where are we going?”
Walking to the door Olivia looked over her shoulder giving me a devilish smile. “Somewhere we shouldn’t be.” Winking she left the room.
Those words and that wink had trouble written all over them. Actually Olivia had trouble written all over her.
Walking down the stairs and into the hall I heard Shark talking on his cell. “Is it a positive ID? No but a person matching JD’s description is the best we’ve got right now, so yeah I’m going to check it out. Yeah Nick she’s ok. The scars look bad but they’re healing fine.” Nick as in Nicky the guy Olivia asked about last night? The guy Shark said he hadn’t seen since she saw him last. “I know you do Nick just a little longer. Get back to Mika before you get yourself in trouble. Make sure you check in with Felix until I get back in town.”
Gasping, I slapped a hand over my mouth. Mika was the freaking Russian drug lord and this Nick guy was working for him. Holy shit! Nick was the name
Denny used last night in the car. Was Shark talking to the same Nick?
“Morning Rachel.” Sharks deep voice said behind me.
Oh no.
Turning around I gave Shark what I hoped was a friendly smile. “Morning.” I whispered my voice shaking slightly as his sea blue eyes searched my face, his lips pressed tightly together.
“Olivia?” Shark called walking past me.
“Yeah?” Olivia said cheerfully bouncing out of the kitchen.
Placing his hand on Olivia’s shoulder, which had me seeing red with rage. He spoke softly to her, “I have to go out. You and Rachel stay close to Mason, yeah?”
“Yes.” Olivia said sweetly throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him.
Stepping away Olivia waved goodbye as she grabbed hold of my arm.
“Olivia you shouldn’t do that. Shark is not−”
“Not Jonah. Yes Rachel I know that. And yeah I guess it looks wrong but the only feelings I have for Shark are brotherly.” Looking a little lost Olivia lowered her voice, “he’s treats me like Nicky and Alex use too.”
“Who’s Nicky and Alex?” I asked looking down at Olivia’s suddenly sad face.
Taking a big breath Olivia looked me in the eyes. “They used to be my brothers.”
Used to, they were dead, which meant Shark wasn’t talking to the same person. That was good, kind of.
“Olivia, Rachel?” Mason called from the kitchen.
“Oh no!” Olivia screeched grabbing my hand, “do you have your car keys?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s go.” Olivia said urgently pulling open the front door and running towards my car like hellhounds were chasing us.
“Olivia Rees don’t you dare get in that car!” Mason yelled from the open front door.
“Quick, start the car!” Olivia yelled over Mason as she flung herself into the passenger side.
Shit, scrambling to keep a hold of my keys I jumped into the driver’s seat jamming my keys into the ignition. My hands were shaking so it took two tries; by the time the car turned over Mason was only a foot away.
“Drive! Drive!” Olivia shouted banging her hands against the dashboard.
I was not made for this kind of shit, I thought stomping my foot down on the gas.
Speeding away from a screaming Mason I threw Olivia a panicked look. “What the fuck was that?”
Taking her cell phone out of her pocket Olivia ignored my question. “Turn left up here,” Olivia said pointing out the window. “And speed up Mason is behind us.”
Looking into my rearview mirror I saw Mason’s SUV speeding after us. Looking back over at Olivia I narrowed my eyes at her. “What the hell are you doing?”
“When I hugged Shark I slipped a tracking device in his pocket.”
“And where did you get a tracking device?” I asked shocked.
“Mason’s room.” Olivia said proudly.
Oh goody now not only was Jonah, Shark and Denny going to kill me, Mason was going to as well.
Following Olivia’s directions I pulled up next to Shark’s truck twenty minutes later.
“That was easy!” Olivia said joyfully jumping out of the car.
“Easy my ass.” I snapped following her out of the car and across the road. “Where the hell are you going now?”
“We’re going after Shark.” Olivia said pointing ahead of us, “he’s this way.”
Coming to a stop between two gates Olivia studied the screen on her phone. Hoping it was the gate to the right, as it was shiny and sliver with a golden sign that read ‘Heaven’s Ranch’ and not the rusted gate on the left. Stepping towards the left gate, Olivia motioned for me to follow her. Shit. Wasn’t this the way every horror movie started?
Walking through knee deep grass, Olivia and I searched for Shark.
As we came to a dirt road the creep factor, of what had to be an abandoned ranch, went up. Over grown trees blocked out the sun, broken branches lay in the road and raven birds stared at us from the treetops.
As bad ideas went this had to be at the top.
Goose bumps broke out across my arms as a tree branch snapped behind us. Turning to grab Olivia a hand smacked down over my screaming lips and something sharp poked into my lower back. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be fucking dead right now.” Shark hissed into my ear.
Shaking violently I tried to turn my head but Shark had too tight of a hold on me. A painful yelp off to the side drew my eyes. Olivia looking shocked and scared stared down at a crouching Mason holding his nose.
“Jesus Olivia.” Mason snapped.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know it was you. I thought you were a killer or something.”
“Yes because someone trying to kill you normally just touches the middle of your back.”
What the hell Olivia got just a touch to her back and I got a hand over my mouth and a knife pointed at me.
Letting go slowly Shark stepped back. “Let’s hope this scares you out of doing something stupid like this again.”
“It didn’t help Olivia.” Mason mumbled.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” Shark snapped his furious eyes on Olivia.
“Would you believe me if I said we were just out on a walk?” Olivia asked sweetly batting her eyelashes.
Angrily pushing his hair out of his eyes, Shark shook his blonde head. “Goddamnit Olivia.”
“That’s it?” Mason hissed standing fully up, hand still covering his nose.
“What do you want me to do right now?” Shark hissed back.
“You’re in so much trouble when we get home Olivia.” Mason snapped turning to look at Shark. “What are you doing here?”
“Someone matching JD’s description was seen around here.”
“At an abandoned farm?” Mason questioned, skepticism clear on his face.
“JD?” Olivia asked
“Ryan.” Shark clarified.
“Is he here?” I blurted out.
“I don’t know. Before I got close enough to the house I had to double back because of you two.”
“If I had a dollar for every time you did something stupid I would be a bloody millionaire.” Jonah yelled from behind us, causing Olivia and I both to swing around to see a very pissed off Jonah and an even madder Denny holding a fussing Lucca.
Damn.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Shark yelled throwing his hands into the air. “Anyone else you guys know that might want to join in on this fun? You know just so we can give whoever is in that house a better fucking target.”
“There’s someone in that house?” I asked really not liking my baby being a part of this.
“I don’t fucking know.” Shark yelled a little loud for someone worried about a person being in the house up the dirt road.
A soft clicking noise followed by a male voice sounded from behind me. I saw everyone look my way. Jonah and Shark looked pissed, Mason and Olivia looked surprised and Denny looked worried. What the hell? Turning around I came face to face with the biggest horse I’d ever seen.
“Friends of yours Olivia?” Shark snapped as the horse breathed hot air into my face.
“Bite me.” Olivia said sweetly.
“Can I help you guys?” A blonde haired teen said from a top the big horse.
Stepping slowly back as a second horse joined the first, this smaller horse was ridden by a young woman with curly sun kissed blonde hair the same shade as the teen boy.
Turning around to see who was going to answer the boy as I didn’t know what to tell him, my eyes locked onto Mason who was staring at the young woman like he’d never seen a pretty girl before.
“My friends here were looking for some horse riding lessons.” Shark said pointing at Olivia.
The teen boy jerked his head and pointed behind him. “You’re on the wrong ranch. Heaven’s Ranch is the one you want.”
“Wonderful do you mind showing them the way?”
“Shark?” Olivia said giving him a ‘what t
he fuck are you doing’ look.
“You guys go sign up for those riding lessons, I’ll go get the car.”
“Can you give me just one minute so I can talk to my friend?” Olivia said throwing a dazzling smile at the teen boy.
Grabbing my arm Olivia pulled us both to Shark. “What the hell are you doing? She whispered.
“I’m not on official business China Doll. So be a good girl and go cover our asses.”
“I think that is an excellent idea.” Jonah said giving Olivia a big grin, “Mason, make sure the girls get to Heaven’s Ranch safely.”
Flipping her hair over her shoulder Olivia started to stomp away.
“Are we really going?” I asked hurrying to catch up.
“Olivia?” Jonah yelled pointing towards her feet, “what a shame you wore heels. Bet that’s going to hurt tonight. See you at home baby.” Chuckling loudly Jonah turned and walked away.
Laughing because it was kind of funny and the look Olivia was giving her feet was priceless.
“Tell me Rachel will you still be laughing when I smack your ass so hard you won’t sit down for a week?” Denny whispered into my ear, his deep voice and warm breath making me tremble. “I don’t care how mad at each other we are you do not get to put your life in danger. Tell me you understand Rachel?”
“Make me understand?” I said my voice barely above a whisper it was shaking so bad.
“Lucca can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.” He said even quieter.
Olivia said Denny only fought for things he cared about and now these words. Was there something still there between Denny and I?
God I hoped so.
I felt Denny move away from me and heard him talking nonsense to my baby boy as my heart swelled.
As we got closer to the ranch Olivia got happier and happier, her love for all animals shining bright despite her anger at Jonah and Shark. Mason followed after the young woman like a lovesick puppy, his eyes never straying from her. And I walked along obediently unable to keep the snare off my face. Dogs were good, horses were not. Why anyone would want to sit atop a huge powerful beast was beyond me. Wow dirty joke alert.
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