Maybe I’ll believe it.
“He touched you, Liv. He fucking put his hands on you… because of me.”
“You couldn’t have known he’d do this.”
Oakley ushers me into bed, pulling the covers up over me. “I’m going to get Dad and Fiona. He’ll fix this, Sis. He’ll make sure Starling pays.”
I nod, because what else is there to say?
I want him to pay, I do. I’m just not sure I want to know what my father and his connections will consider punishment enough.
Oakley leaves the room, and for a second there’s nothing but silence. The blood whooshing in my ears. My heart beating in my chest.
“Olivia?” Dad peeks inside. “How are you feeling?”
“I… I’m okay.”
It could have been worse.
I was lucky.
If they hadn’t showed up when they did…
I swallow the words.
“Good God, sweetheart. I’ve never been so scared as I was when Oakley said Dale Starling had taken you. I know this world can be… difficult. But never in a million years did I think…” He stares off at nothing, smoothing the edges of his fraught expression. When his gaze finds mine again, I choke on a sob.
“I don’t want you to worry about a thing, okay, sweetheart. I’ll take care of this.” He runs a hand through my hair and presses a kiss to my forehead. “But first, I’m going to need you to tell me exactly what happened. Do you think you can do that?”
I blink away the fresh wave of tears and nod. “I-I think so.”
“Good.” He smiles. “And Olivia, I need to know everything.”
* * *
After I recounted everything to Dad, Fiona came in to clean up my cuts and bruises. That was hours ago, and I’m supposed to be sleeping. But every time I close my eyes, I see his face and panic.
I could text Oakley, but I heard him and Dad arguing earlier. I’m hardly surprised. Oakley is Oak. He probably wants to deal with Dale himself.
I haven’t seen Reese, Elliot, or Theo since we got back to the house. But I know Reese is here, somewhere in the house. I’ve heard him.
I could text him too, but what would I possibly say? I saw him lay into Dale. The pure rage rippling off him, swirling around him like a storm. Reese was—
A quiet knock at my door makes my heart flutter.
“Oak?” I whisper, and the door creaks open.
“Hi.” Reese steps inside, his features barely visible in the sliver of moonlight leaking in through the curtains.
“Reese?”
“I won’t stay,” he says, moving closer. “I needed to see you. To make sure…” He’s close now, right by the edge of the bed. His lips press into a thin line as he runs his gaze over my face, the bruises there.
“Fuck,” he breathes.
“I’m okay.”
“Nothing about this is okay.” He scrubs his jaw. “This is all my fault.”