Midnight Daffodil (Poisonous Petals #1)

Chapter 10Olivia

ten

OLIVIA

T he horrific sight of the woman in a sick heap scarred me. The twisted, broken form lay before me, and I knew that horrifying image would be etched in my memory forever.

I went outside to pick up my order of cookies from a late night bakery when the driver told me he didn’t have access to the building. I had no idea why until I stepped onto the gruesome scene.

Red and blue lights flashed, casting eerie glows on the bloody backdrop as officers cordoned off the area. My craving vanished from my mind, replaced by a surge of panic. Calling Matt impulsively turned out to be my first mistake.

I knew he was on a Zoom call with a client in another state, but I didn't know what else to do. The horrific scene in front of me curdled my evening with Vera.

“You’re always craving attention. It’s disgusting, Livie,” he spat as he ushered me around the now covered body.

The woody, rich hint of cedarwood wafted through my senses. The familiar aroma brought me to life, and my eyes pulled to where it stemmed from.

What is he doing here?

Luke’s eyes softened when they met mine. He was a force that I didn’t want to fight. Time surrounded us in slow motion when we gazed at each other. Everything else but him faded into nothing.

Matt’s grip on the back of my neck was the only thing that tethered me to my hideous reality. He led me back inside while flinging insults my way.

I’m so sick of this shit.

“Even a mutt listens better than you.” His ugly laugh bounced off the walls in the elevator, scratching my brain like nails on a chalkboard. “Of course, he belonged to that hillbilly trash you’re infatuated with.”

I could almost feel his fists about to make contact with me. Once we were upstairs, they would.

I’m running out of time. It’s now or never.

Floor 23 … 24… 25

“I bet you’d give him whatever he wanted. He wouldn’t have to force his cock in you,” he taunted, running his clammy hands up and down my arm. “You make me do these things, Livie.”

His gaze caught my flinch at his words. Anger spewed from him.

With a loud crash, Matt slammed me against the closed elevator doors; the force of the impact sent shockwaves through me. His lean, agile frame pressed against me, pinning me in place. His hand trembled as he grasped my throat, his fingers encircling my neck like a vice. My hand instinctively flew up, my shaking fingers wrapping around his wrist in a desperate bid to calm him, to make him see reason. My touch sparked a fleeting moment of uncertainty, but his grip remained unyielding.

“Once we get past that threshold,” he breathed the words out in my face. His minty breath burned my eyes. “I’m going to fuck your lackluster cunt until you forget who Luke Ryder is.”

Nausea churned in my stomach.

“No,” was all I said.

“You don’t get to tell me no. I warned you the other day that I’d take it if I had to.” A toothy smile spread across his face, not meeting his eyes. “And I plan to. You will have my child. I don’t care if I have to force fuck you every night for it to happen. You’ll never fucking be with him, Livie darling.”

Impulse took over me. One thing was for certain, I couldn’t have his baby. I drove my knee right into his groin. Try for babies now. His face reddened, eyes wide, he let out a wet grunt. Doubled over in pain, a string of curses escaped his lips.

“You stupid whore,” he choked out as I mashed the emergency stop with my finger. The instant the doors parted, I slid my body through the opening.

His hand grazed my sleeve as I bolted.

I looked both ways before locating the staircase. I didn’t know what floor I was on, but I knew I had to get the hell out of there. The labyrinth of stairs dizzied me as I rushed down them as fast as my legs would take me.

His footsteps stampeded above me. My lungs burned with the desire for air as my body careened forward, trembling uncontrollably. I pushed forward, chasing safety on adrenaline and wobbly limbs.

“When I get my hands on you, you’ll wish it was you painting the streets,” he snarled. His voice echoed down the stairwell. I saw the red exit sign just below.

You’re almost there, Olivia.

My footing slipped.

Gravity carried me down several steps before I hit the landing on my hip with brutal force. My hair was whipped up from behind, my footing compromised. I took a beat too long to get my bearings.

He had me in his grasp.

“I gotcha now!” His hand came around, slapping my face.

My fingers clawed at whatever they could. His face, his eyes, anywhere to leave evidence.

I have to get outside.

His grip suspended me in the air briefly before my body crashed down on the concrete with the ferocity of his anger. My back arched in agony, putting all my strength into driving my knee into his balls once more. I felt them squish on my kneecap as he rolled off me, choking in agony.

Pain roared through my body, but I forced myself to scramble out the door. I crashed through with such force that my hair whipped into my face, momentarily clouding my vision. My quads screamed with effort as I battled to stay on my feet, every step a fight against the burning pressure that encapsulated me. Cool air blew my hair out of my vision.

The slamming of the door echoed through the quiet streets.

I allowed myself a moment to catch my breath, my chest heaving with each desperate gulp of air. Turning back to the emergency exit, I saw no one, but the relief was stained with lingering fear and adrenaline, my body still twitching from the narrow escape.

To my left and right. Barren streets surrounded me.

No Matt in sight.

Tires squealed, reminding me I was standing in the road.

My heart pounded in my ears as I stood there in the middle of the road, dumbfounded.

A police cruiser barreled toward me, leaving me a deer caught in the headlights. My breath caught in my throat. The world around me spun, blinding me to everything but the Seattle stars above.