Midnight Daffodil (Poisonous Petals #1)

Chapter 5Luke

five

LUKE

U ncomfortable silence thickened in the empty police station.

My skin crawled. Seeing Matt again wasn’t on my bucket list, but I couldn’t wait to judge how the surgeries fared. I wasn’t even a little ashamed, and fuck, I’d do it again.

Every time Olivia flinched at a sudden noise—or me—or tried to hide the bruises on her arms, my chest tightened. When she scurried off to the bathroom, I followed, hearing her muffled sobs through the door.

Helplessness gnawed at me, tearing my heart to shreds.

She shuffled back and sat in the chair next to me silently.

No DV case had ever affected me the way hers did. The broken look in her eyes when she made that phone call stabbed through my core.

I stole another glance at her. Her hands were tightly clasped in her lap. Unfocused, her eyes seemed to stare into an unseen world. I didn’t know what all he’d said, but I would find out.

The line was recorded, and I’d be listening to that call the first chance I got.

I’d had enough. The words were rumbling through my windpipe at top speed.

“You don’t have to go back there.” I cleared my throat awkwardly. I was overstepping and getting personally involved. But I didn’t care. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” My hand rubbed the back of my neck. “But I could take you somewhere. Anywhere.”

These women couldn’t just leave. I should’ve gone through the motions, followed protocol, and sent her on her way with discreet information on a woman's shelter. Instead, I hated myself for the way I wanted her.

“I don’t have anywhere to go.” She didn’t look at me.

“You could come home with me.” The words came out before I could catch them. I thanked everything in the universe that we were without prying eyes and ears.

She turned those melting pools of chocolate on me, her eyes widening to the size of Saturn. Without a trace of makeup, her flawless skin glowed, and God, she took my fucking breath away. My heart lodged in my throat as I drank her in.

I admired her gorgeous looks, tiny button nose, and round, full lips. I loved the way her naturally tanned skin looked.

It would look even better between my black silk sheets; her wild blonde curls spread across the pillowcase…

Shit.

“I’m serious,” I found the ability to speak. Olivia’s brow scrunched as her pink tongue flicked across her bottom lip. The thought of sending her home to him made my stomach curdle. I’d figure out whatever I had to if it meant keeping her away from him.

I took her smaller hand in mine. “No one deserves what you’re going through.” My voice was hoarse. Her eyes fell to where our hands met, fitting perfectly together.

My thumb traced circles on the top of her hand, hoping to God she held onto the piece of paper I slid into her palm. The tiny scrap with my number on it.

Not the station or 911.

Mine.

“I shouldn’t.” Her intense gaze glistened with tears. “Regardless of where I go, he always finds me.”

My hand moved up to cup the side of her neck. My thumb absentmindedly traced the faint scar barely visible under her eye. “Olivia, do you remember what I did last time I saw what he’d done to you?”

I swiped a tear away that fell as she nodded.

“I’d do it a thousand more times.” I cradled her in my delicate embrace, feeling as natural as my own heartbeat.

She placed her hand on mine, her eyes closing as she leaned into my touch. Our breath mingled together as our faces drew towards one another. The silence was loud, nothing but the racing beat of my heart in my ears as I leaned into the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.

Ding.

Our bodies jumped apart. The force of the movement sent the chair she previously occupied toppling over. Her tiny fist balled up around the scrap paper.

Thank fuck.

“What the hell do we have here?” Matt sauntered in the way a virus infiltrated a crowd.

His business attire was in full swing, topped off with loafers that gave him an inch of height. His stare darted between us. He turned his viral glare onto me as his jaw ticked furiously.

“Is that you, Matt Duquesne? I almost didn’t recognize you with the new nose.”

“You caught me off guard.” He shrugged as if he didn’t get his ass handed to him last year. “You should be grateful you still have a job after what you did.”

I opted for silence.

He dragged Olivia to his side, smirking at me. “That’s more like it. Know your place when you speak to me, Officer. ”

I could hear Olivia’s teeth chatter with every tremor. She refused to look up, staring at her feet with her arms crossed tightly.

“Baby, you’re shaking.” He rubbed his hand up and down her arms. “I’m sorry I took so long. It must’ve been awful to sit here alone with that menace.” Is he fucking kidding? “Thank goodness there are cameras in here.” He glanced at the cameras, then at me with a smirk.

She stood frozen, not making a single move, as if waiting for something to happen.

“Why don’t you head out to the Mercedes? It’s warm there. I’ll be out in just a moment,” he demanded, a toothy smile spread across his ugly face. Stiffly, she turned on her heel, exiting.

Briefly, she turned back to me, her brown eyes full of fear—a cry for help drowning in the chocolate pools.

“Go, Livie, baby.”

Matt turned to me then.

“What the fuck did I see when I walked in here?”

“Nothing.”

“Bull shit. Are you pursuing a romantic interest in my fucking fiancé?” He attempted the facade of detachment. His dumb ass lawyer talk didn’t intimidate me the way he hoped.

Fiancé? That was new. I didn’t see a ring on her finger, but supercilious, compulsive liars often believed their own delusions.

“I didn’t see a ring.”

“Not yet, but she’s mine,” he said, standing inches away from me. “I don’t want to see your filthy fucking hands on her again.”

“Right. You’re the only one who’s allowed to put hands on her.” I cracked my knuckles in front of my chest.

The cords in his neck worked overtime while his dainty hands balled into fists.

“I don’t like what you’re implying.” His clenched teeth were the only thing keeping the spittle from flying.

“I’m not implying shit.”

“Let me make this clear to you,” he snarled, stabbing a finger into my chest. “Livie is better with me. Our relationship is none of your business. And if she ever were to leave me, which she wouldn’t , she’d never fucking look twice at you; a repulsive piece of shit.”

He spat the last word at me, landing on my bare skin in a wet smack. My arms twitched; every nerve in my body screamed at me to connect with his new nose.

I smiled then.

“Now let me make this clear to you,” I said, towering over him. “If I find out that you left one fucking mark on her skin. Touch even a single fucking hair on her head,” I emphasized every word, wishing it was with my fists. “You’ll think the last time I beat you to a fucking pulp was a picnic.”

The pulse point picked up in his throat as he fumbled backward. I closed the distance, looming over his small physique.

“I’ll break every God damn finger on both your hands and pulverize your face making it impossible for any plastic surgeon to fix you. I’ll make sure your mother feels sick looking at you.”

“You can’t,” His lower lip trembled. “You can’t threaten me. There are cameras! I’ll have you fucking fired, Luke. I’ll let your boss know how obsessed you are with my Livie. No other precinct will ever have you.” He spoke through fake, clenched teeth.

I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped.

He flicked his eyes to the cameras again. They captured no sound, but they caught him spitting on me. Add tonight’s phone call, and I'd bet I could start a file on Seattle’s deranged defense lawyer.

“I’m as serious as your fake fucking teeth. Don’t test me.”

Matt stepped up to me again, attempting to intimidate me, but his five-foot-nine frame made it hard to take him seriously.

“You’ll be ruined. You’ll fade into the background of this city like the lowlife you are. I’ll have Livie under me every night.” His lips twitched into a sneer. “I’ll enjoy her cries enough for the both of us.”

I swiped a hand down my face, begging for my self control to hold out; all I could see in my mind was me pounding his face until his skull was an airless sack. The fantasy alone set my muscles on fire.

“You think you’re tough shit under the protection of these cameras,” I snarled. “But I’d do things to you that would make your nightmares cry.”

I leaned in close to his ear, feeling his body tremor slightly. “Like I said, I’ll shatter every bone in your body with a smile on my face and dangle your wrecked body from the balcony of that pretty little penthouse.”

“You’re sick. My Livie wouldn’t let that happen. She loves me.” Matt stammered as he fumbled for the push on the door. He scuttled out on shaking legs.

I meant every fucking word. Olivia flashed through my mind.

Maybe I was obsessed.