Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
“Douglas is dead,” she says, her voice flat.
“Well, I know that now. They told me that all of the Feral MC is gone now. I didn’t know that before though. Apparently, I didn’t know much of anything.”
“I’d like to ask you some questions. I really need you to answer them honestly,” she whispers, and I hate the way her hands are trembling.
“You can ask me anything. You always could. Can I ask you stuff?”
“Of course,” she answers.
“So, you’re saying we can play twenty questions, just like we used to when we first started talking.”
Her eyes dilate for a moment, surprise on her face. Olivia tries to temper it, but I see the spark of hope flare on her face. She can’t hide it.
“I get first question,” she announces.
“You always demanded I ask the first question in the past,” I respond with a frown. Olivia smiles a little and that small flame of hope flickers again.
“Today’s different,” she counters.
“Okay, hit me,” I reply.
“First question,” she says like she’s an attorney in court instead of the woman who owns my soul. It doesn’t sit right with me, but I don’t argue. “When we were locked up, what did we do every night when we were finally alone in that cage?”
“Well, I would hold you if I was physically able. You would you lay your head on my chest, listening to my heart beating. You said it helped you keep the panic away.”
She nods.
“My turn,” I reply.
“Okay.”
“Why didn’t you touch all the money I left for you?”
“I did some of it,” she says and again that spark gets stronger. Her hands tighten into fists, and I fight a smile. I’m going to get through to you Olivia. “I didn’t need a lot. It felt wrong to spend any of it without you. Now tell me, what did we talk about at night?” she asks.
“We’d lay in the dark and talked about our dreams. She frowns. I was vague on purpose to watch her response. The disappointment in her eyes is too much, so I continue. A ranch is a long way from an island and enjoying the sea breeze, Liv.”
“Oh, God,” she whispers tears gathering in her eyes.
“I have a question now, and I know this one may hurt you, but I really need to know.”
She swallows, her lips trembling so bad that she doesn’t answer. Instead, Olivia nods her head.
“Livy, where’s our baby?”
I don’t take my eyes from her. I hear the intakes of breath and cursing around us, but my eyes don’t leave Olivia’s. I know I’m a dick for asking in front of everyone, but that’s truly the one question I need the answer to the most. I see the exact moment when she loses control. Tears pour from her eyes like small streams, running down her face unchecked. I weigh on if I should go to her, but she solves that problem by running to me. I open my arms before she gets there and hold her so close that I’m worried I’m making it hard for her to breathe. “It’s you,” she says so softly I have to strain to hear it. Her voice is thick and muffled from her crying, but she’s never sounded sweeter. “It’s you”
I hold her hair in my hand, moving her head, so that I can claim her lips. I kiss the salty wetness, my tongue sliding into her mouth and kissing her with all the love that I’ve had bottled up inside of me. “Livy,” I mumble against her lips, kissing her face, trying to kiss away her tears. “What happened to our baby?”
“He took our baby, just like he tried to take you from me,” she admits, sobbing in my arms. I couldn’t protect our baby. I let you both down.”
I pull her head back so she can look at me. “Bull shit. You’re the only reason I held on. You’re why I survived. I’m here now. I came back. I’m not going anywhere. I love you one day when you’re ready you’ll tell me exactly how you lost the baby.”
“I don’t need to do that. I don’t want to give Douglas the power to ruin our future. Let the memories rot in hell with him,” she cries, burying her face into me, holding me tightly.
32
EVERY DREAM I’VE EVER HAD
OLIVIA
The room is quiet. After hearing about me being pregnant—something even Winnie didn’t know—everyone seemed to accept that somehow, Lake was Bear. It definitely sounds completely impossible, but I know in my heart that this man is Bear. It also explains how I was able to give myself to Lake despite my history. We’re lying like we normally did in that cage. Me, on top of him, my head on his chest, listening to his heart. Him, holding me, his fingers sifting through my hair.