Midnight Daffodil (Poisonous Petals #1)

Chapter 1Olivia

one

OLIVIA

O ne year later

I stood in my walk-in closet with my hands on my hips. “What to wear, what to wear?”

Shades of purple and pink twirled through the sky as evening banished the day. I ditched the closet and headed to the kitchen. A glass of wine would take the edge off.

The penthouse style home I shared with my boyfriend, Matt, was huge and fully equipped with every amenity money could buy. This apartment looked even nicer than the one from last year.

After what happened at the other highrise, Matt said this move would be better for us. Being one of the most sought-after lawyers in Seattle, he couldn’t afford for people to pry into our relationship.

“They’re all snakes in the grass, Livie baby. We have to protect ourselves,” he’d said.

An assortment of wines and liquors greeted me upon opening the fridge. I poked through our selection before settling on a sweet red that always improved my lonely nights. Matt was working late, which wasn’t unusual given the sensitive nature of the cases he took on.

He loved to win and always did. Since we met in college, he dedicated everything he had for his career, ensuring he excelled in every aspect.

Back then, I was a naive twenty-two year old; he was twenty-seven, just shy of finishing law school. I remembered his perfect green eyes and blonde hair. He always talked about the future—a future with me. I graduated shortly after he did with an English degree that I never used. After Matt was offered the partnership with Lex Jefferson, he insisted I stop working and paid off my student loans.

“I want to take care of everything,” he’d said.

And he did.

Living in Seattle made it easy for me to access public transportation and anything else I needed during the day while Matt occupied his luxury Mercedes.

We were sitting at the kitchen table; he turned those green eyes on me. “It's better for us that you don't have your own vehicle.”

I nodded. “You're right. It will save us money,” I’d said, even though I knew he had enough for us to survive for years.

Five years later, at twenty-seven and thirty-two, I was eager for the day I’d no longer be Olivia Ashmere. That’s what you did after spending five years with someone.

You solidified the union. Thoughts of tying myself to Matt through marriage sent my stomach curling in on itself.

In a good way, of course…it was normal to be nervous or afraid. Right?

Stepping back into the closet, I surveyed my options. Most were designer, but I loved anything that flattered my figure. Neither Matt nor myself came from wealthy families, so these luxuries felt special—especially since I could treat my childhood best friend, Vera.

After much convincing, Matt finally caved and let me go out with her for her birthday celebration. It’d been too long since I'd seen her. Vera and Matt didn’t get along, and they probably never would. They tolerated one another, just barely.

Turning back to my clothes, I blew out a breath.

I needed to choose an outfit for the chilly weather, which was expected to drop to the fifties. I decided on a black pleated skirt with heels and a crop top. To cover my bruised skin, I layered it with a mesh top.

Stepping into the ensuite bathroom, I turned the bright lights on, allowing my eyes to adjust to do my hair and makeup. I felt my best when I was all done up. Not at all like a girl who was hiding such a deadly secret written into her skin.

I stood in front of the mirror, putting on the final touches—a finishing swipe of lip gloss and shaking my hair loose from its clip completed the transformation. My waves fell perfectly around my shoulders and down my back. The fresh blonde highlights in my naturally dark hair complimented my tan skin and brown eyes.

I was ready.

Giddy from the wine, I left the penthouse and went to the elevator. From the thirty-seventh floor, we had the best view but the longest elevator ride.

23….22….19….15 .

Jumping at the ding of the elevator, I danced out into the lobby, greeting the security guard with a slight wave. He nodded back at me stiffly. My eyes searched for Vera.

My gaze landed on the red-haired bombshell with luscious curves as she stepped into the room. Her shoulder-length hair curled in ringlets, enhancing her milky complexion. The bodycon dress accentuated Vera’s figure, and her cat-eyes locked with mine.

“Omg!” she screeched. We both ran towards each other, meeting by the revolving doors. “You look hot, girl. Where’ve you been hiding this body?” She pulled me into a hug that smelled like fresh pear and rose.

“I’ve missed the hell out of you! It’s been too long,” I cried, hugging her back.

“I don’t like going months without seeing you; let me look at you,” she said, her green eyes rolling over me. “You look”—she chewed her lower lip—“you look better. Healthy.”

The night was young, and my eyes already stung with tears. The last time she saw me, my face was unrecognizable. The stress of Matt’s job sometimes left him with no outlet. Sometimes things got out of hand. Vera scolded me, calling me crazy for staying, but no one knew Matt like I did. He wasn’t all bad.

“We aren’t crying tonight. Tonight we’re getting wasted, bitch.” She practically levitated. “We especially don’t cry over pieces of shit like Matt.”

“I’m not.” I dabbed at my eyes. “I’m just happy to see you.’’

Linking arms, we made our way out, ready for our girls’ night. Vera raved about her job as an extremely successful Realtor. She dominated the Seattle market at Rain City Realty.

“Our first spot of the evening.” She stopped outside of a club with neon lights.

The sky morphed into beautiful shades of purple and orange. The thick bass of the music bled into the streets, growing louder as we stepped in. Dancing bodies shook the floor as we flashed our IDs and made our way to the bar.

Dancing was our favorite activity, but Matt made it clear he disapproved. He preferred that I stay home, avoiding the sweaty bodies around us. A wave of nausea crept up my throat as we ordered drinks and took seats in the back.

“So,” Vera turned to me. “How are things?”

The topic was inevitable. Once news of Sergeant Ryder's misconduct broke, I couldn’t escape it. It spread everywhere. He was everywhere. Luke Ryder’s face invaded my thoughts more than it should’ve, and his brooding good looks had my thighs tightening.

My mind spent too much energy hyperfixated on the attraction I’d felt, despite the grim situation. Those passionate, too blue eyes and his body.

God his body .

The way his muscles flexed with each hit he landed on Matt or the way his thighs hardened under those dark police pants when he bent down to look at me. The phantom of his touch still sent chills across my skin. He sparked feelings in me like nothing had before. I told myself it was because Matt’s the only man I’d ever been with, but intuition screamed it was something more.

Luke saved me that night.

I recalled asking Matt how his day was, which fueled the vicious beating. After passing out in the bathroom, Matt’s hand clawed at me, slapping me conscious, urging me to get up. His knee to the gut jostled me coherent as his venomous tongue whispered, “Get the fuck up. Someone called the cops. Tell them everything is fine, or these will be the last breaths you take, you understand?”

The rest felt like a fever dream, stumbling around to look normal and failing miserably.

By morning's wake, Matt’s face was barely recognizable. Court hearings were immediate, and I failed everyone again by refusing to press charges. I said it was a misunderstanding for Matt’s approval. He was happy, insisting that I spoil myself using his black AMEX card.

I didn’t.

I ordered Chinese, had a good cry in tepid bath water, donated a few thousand to my favorite local dog shelter, and booked a laser treatment for the scar under my eye. No one understood that it wasn’t easy to leave. It wasn’t like Lifetime movies.

Matt wouldn’t let me go without a fight.

“Vera,” I groaned. “Do we have to go there tonight?”

“Yes.” She stated matter of factly. “I need to know what’s going on in your mind. What happened? I worry about losing you.”

Her words were a sucker punch to the gut.

“Well, I do know what I’d do if I lost you.” She winked. “And let’s just say Matt wouldn’t make it out alive. And I'd look cute in orange.”

My drink turned to mush as I snorted.

“I’m okay.” Only kind of a lie. “That was one bad day. He’d taken things too far, but everything turned out fine.”

As if she could smell the bullshit, her eyes narrowed. It seemed like everyone knew about that time, but no one knew about the others.

A slew of surgeries followed. Matt replaced several teeth with endosteal implants. He worked with news outlets to cover all tracks, paying many of them thousands to ensure he was portrayed as the victim, and Luke Ryder, the aggressor.

“I have more than enough space for you at my place for when you leave that ass wipe. I’m glad that Officer oh my God beat the shit out of him,” she said. “And his partner?” She fanned herself, her eyes glazing over. “I’d love to get a piece.”

“Oh, is that so?” I welcomed the subject change. “Got yourself a man in uniform kink?” I teased as she finished her drink, plucking mine from my hand and downing the rest of it.

“Look, it’s the alcohol talking. But,” Vera dragged out the word. “A girl wouldn’t mind the first lay of her twenty-eighth year to be with Aidan Damsel. And I’m only saying that cuz I know we’ll never see them again.”