“You hungry?” I asked, looking at her from the rearview mirror. She was gazing out the window and I could see the damp streaks that were smeared on her face. Fuck. I’d made her cry. I never wanted to make her cry, she’d had enough tears to last her a lifetime already. I turned around to look at her directly. She was so fucking beautiful that it hurt to look at her—better than a rose, Oliva was breathtaking. I’d hoped this would be a joyful moment and it was anything but. I was a monster and she had become just another one of my victims, and Olivia was the last person on earth I wanted to hurt.
“Please don’t cry, Olivia. I really fucked up. All I wanted is for you to be safe. You weren’t safe with him.” She turned her gaze toward me, that sadness in her eyes was haunting and tragic. She nodded slowly.
“I know. I know, Silas. It’s just he wasn’t always like that you know? It was the drugs. The drugs took over and slowly my loving dad became a man who terrified me. There was a point in time where he loved me, where he did what he could to comfort and protect me.” Her words gutted me. I knew exactly how that felt. Someone who you thought was your protector ends up being your worst nightmare instead. I hated that she spent a single day of her life frightened, especially by someone who was supposed to love her.
“You’re safe here with me. I give you my word, no one here will make you do anything that puts you in harm’s way. Let’s go inside.”
Olivia
Silas’s house was nothing like what I expected. I guess movies had me thinking that all bounty hunters lived in penthouses sitting behind mahogany desks, smoking cigars and wearing aviators while contemplating their evil plans. I never expected him to live on an estate. The house was modern with high floor-to-ceiling windows. It looked more like a home out of a decorating magazine than one belonging to a man who turned in criminals for a living. It was shrouded in an abundance of greenery, lush trees, and shrubs were all my eyes could see for miles. In fact, looking around there was nothing but the house and nature.
“Oh thank God, Silas.” A sweet chubby woman with white hair and thick glasses came running out of the house, when she spotted his hands, her face went completely ashen.
“Silas, what happened?” she shrieked, grabbing his hands and looking at them.
“I’m fine, Annie. I just need to clean up. Can you get Olivia settled for me and make sure she gets some food?” He bent over and kissed the top of her head.
“Certainly, dear. Come on Olivia let’s get you all settled.” Annie took my arm and walked with me up the steps. She didn’t even ask who I was, or seem surprised by the fact that no explanation was offered. With that Silas ran into the house ahead of us and disappeared from my view. The moment he was gone I longed for him. I didn’t understand my emotions, I should have been frightened by him, relieved that I didn’t have to be in the same space as him, but instead I felt a sadness in his absence, a loss at him not being near. My mind and body were confused with whether or not Silas was my savior or my captor. Was he bad like Paul’s friends or was he one of the good guys?
“You must be starving. I made some lunch, I wasn’t sure what you liked so I fixed a little bit of everything. I hope that’s ok?” Her voice was soft and inviting, and she appeared kind and sincere. I smiled at her hoping to hide the uncertainty I felt.
“Anything is fine. Thank you so much for your kindness, I’m used to cooking for myself.” The truth was that as far back as I could remember, I’d fixed my own food and made sure Paul and his friends were fed too. I’d never had anyone wait on me, let alone prepare me a full meal. I hadn’t eaten since last night and my stomach was feeling the neglect I’d been showing it. She grabbed my hand in both of hers and gazed at me with sympathy and what appeared to be pity in her eyes. It made me wonder if she knew the circumstances I was here under. We walked into the house in silence and as the door slammed behind us, I felt that I’d traded one prison for another, except this prison had Silas—a man who both frightened me and gave me hope.
Silas
I stood there in the shower and let the hot water fall onto my body, allowing it to wash everything away as I watched the pink-tinted water swirl around the drain. Olivia’s sad, disappointed face was etched in my mind along with the words she spoke on replay. She’d held a metaphorical mirror up to my face and showed me that I really was a scary motherfucker. I knew I would pay for what I did today. I knew the task force wouldn’t look kindly on the fact that I beat Paul to a pulp, or that I brought his daughter to my home, but I didn’t care. If I knew someone else would have taken care of her, I wouldn’t have done what I did. It wasn’t like I could get fired. I worked for myself and answered to no one. Had Olivia had another choice, another way out, I would never have forced the issue. She needed to be protected and I didn’t care what price I would have to pay to ensure her safety. I’d have done anything for her, risked everything, killed anyone.