To make matters worse, Paul’s daughter Olivia had been left parentless when we put him behind bars. The schmuck had the wherewithal to ask me to keep an eye on his daughter. I did as I promised because I’m a man of my word. I checked in almost daily. Hired a security officer to camp out on the premises so that she wasn’t left alone—ever. Last thing I wanted was one of Paul’s piece of shit clients to show up and think Olivia owed them something on behalf of her father. I had groceries delivered and made sure her car was in working order so she could get to and from her classes. If it were up to me, I would have shut the whole shit operation down, gasoline, matches, problem solved. But the girl seemed to have an attachment to the place, or at least the routine. So I kept my distance, stuck to the shadows and took her in from afar. She was so fucking beautiful it broke my black heart. A girl like that would make any man beg on his knees. Delicate and precious and so very innocent. The girl flushed pink when she made eye contact and would lower her face. I’d stay silent in her presence, and the most she’d say to me was a whispered, “Thank you so much, Silas.”
I’d kill for a woman like that, an absolute slice of heaven on earth. Beauty and perfection all wrapped up in an angelic being—one hell of a girl. Quiet and contemplative. She knew the straight business side of the operation and balanced the books, pencil behind her ear.
If I blessed with someone as special as her, I’d do every single thing in my power to never let her go. That’s what made me irate when it came to Paul Sutton. He’d already lost a year with Olivia, and here he was, back at it, fucking up her chances of ever having the life she deserved. A woman like that deserved life handed to her on a silver platter, yet her piece of shit father had her constantly anxious, her face marred with worry lines and her eyes shadowed by dark circles.
“Silas, you’re too invested in this case. Bro, it’s like you’re taking it personally. You sure you want to do this?” My best friend and business partner asked as he looked at me. I could see the worry in his eyes. Kyle didn’t like the fact that I still got my hands dirty, but he didn’t understand. He’d never had to sleep on the frozen, hard pavement, bones shaking from the ruthless cold wind, so hungry that your stomach hurt too much to stand. I knew better. I had to go in myself and make him pay the price for his actions. Men like Paul Sutton were a stain on society. Worthless and completely selfish, they were the true monsters lurking in plain sight. No regard for anything or anyone other than his sorry self. My whole adult life I’d made it my mission to make sure that men like Paul knew there were people who would hold him accountable.
“You don’t need the money man. You don’t need to deal with any of this. Just let it go,” Kyle pleaded. He never liked seeing the monster come out. I think, deep down, the dark side of me made him nervous; he was never quite sure if I was animal or man. To be honest, some days I woke up unable to answer that question myself.
“I’ve come to take what’s mine. There’s no turning back.”
A few years ago, Paul had gotten in some trouble. He owed money to the wrong people, dangerous people who would have done anything necessary to get back what was owed them. Even if it meant hacking Paul and members of his family into pieces. That’s when I got way too involved. I wasn’t about to watch him put his daughter through the wringer again. His complete disregard for her well-being had me on the verge of slitting his throat already. So I made him a deal he couldn’t refuse, even if it meant I’d had to step back into the dark side for a spell. I lent the asshole the money he needed to bail himself out of his predicament. I told him upfront I was doing it for Olivia and I didn’t give a fuck about what happened to him.
I never intended to have any shady dealings with Paul. His property wasn’t worth a third of the money he wanted from me. After one of our early interactions, I’d gone back to the bar to tell him no, and that’s when I saw her. My whole world changed in that moment—she was it for me. One look and I was already ruined.