Midnight Daffodil (Poisonous Petals #1)

Chapter 48Olivia

forty-eight

OLIVIA

W here was he?

I glanced out at the street as the bass of the music blared through me. Vera left an hour ago with a boy toy that looked suspiciously like a certain Officer Damsel. She swore there was no correlation.

I looked down at my phone; it said he read my message, but it wasn’t like him to not respond. I checked his location–the same spot as last time and when I checked forty minutes ago.

What is he doing?

I tried calling again. The dial tone tested my patience and my nerves. A sinking feeling loomed over me like a storm cloud. I hung up on the voicemail, refusing to leave a fourth.

According to his location, Luke hadn’t budged.

What the hell was he doing?

Anxiety slithered through my veins.

Air. I needed air.

I chugged my soda and threw bills on the table. The staccato of my footsteps echoed as I made my way outside. I pulled up the Uber app to pick a cheap ride home. I nudged myself into the small space between the two neighboring buildings to avoid the drizzle that picked up. Ice cold drops pelted my skin, chilling my core. I finalized my ride and blew out a breath. My eyes flicked back to the screen; they were ten minutes away.

The empty streets kept me company. My eyes darted back and forth as rain clung to my lashes. Goosebumps rippled across my skin as the wind picked up. Exhaustion settled bone deep. The screeching sound of tires snatched my attention. A white car sped down the one way street in the opposite direction.

It couldn’t be.

Shadows shielded me as I watched the car pull over the curb, scraping the rims. The door opened slowly, a weak groan accompanied.

Matt stepped out limping. Both his eyes were starting to blacken, his nose was warped and bled profusely down his lips, coating his once white teeth a nasty pink color. The skin on his arm flapped as if it had been mauled. His Mercedes, which was always pristine and clean, now stained red and dented on the driver’s side.

What the fuck happened to him? And what the hell was he doing here?

He hadn’t yet seen me. My mind raced. I turned over my shoulder to find nothing but a dead end.

Shit. What are my options?

“Livie?” His voice was forced. “Come out; it’s time to go home.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Seven minutes until the Uber got here, I just had to wait him out.

The Mercedes worked overtime, holding Matt up. More of his body came into view. His ankle looked twisted at an impossible angle, swelling over his shoe. Whatever did that to him must have had a relentless grip.

He limped around, eyes surveying the area. I kept my breath steady, trying to calm my frantic heart. I shifted my footing, ready to run, but my heel scuffed the ground below me. The tiny sound went right to Matt’s ears.

“There you are, sweet girl. Get in the car,” he demanded, hobbling towards me.

“No,” I said firmly, stepping out of the shadows.

“Livie, don’t fucking do this. I’m not in the mood. Get the fuck in the car.” Blood flung from his lips.

I turned, whipping off my heels and simultaneously throwing them at him. I took off running barefoot. I could hear his pained footsteps echoing behind me.

I won’t get fucking caught by him.

I urged my body to move faster, for my lungs to get more air. With each stride, my muscles burned, screamed, and cried in agony. I ignored the pleas as my lungs worked overtime. I had to keep going; I had to escape him.

I could feel it in my bones. Something was wrong.

I had to get to Luke.

I turned back, seeing him moving faster. His lips curled in an angry snarl as he pulled a white cloth out of his suit jacket pocket, closing the distance between us.

My hair whipped me in the face, obscuring my vision as the wind and rain pushed me forward. My feet slid on the wet concrete as I pounded the pavement on the pads of my feet. Slipping on the soaked ground, I cursed as my feet flailed from under me. His hands ripped through my hair before I hit the ground.

“Let me go!” My shriek pierced the night.

“Shut the fuck up.” His fist connected with the side of my face as I swung my leg forward, landing a backward kick to his fucked up ankle.

He grunted, tearing more of my hair as I tried to run.

Why was this the longest ten minutes ever?

I reached back and clawed at his hands in my hair as he struggled to catch his footing. The agony in his voice as he moaned in pain filled my head. I reared my head back, connecting with his busted nose, feeling the soft tissue squish under my skull.

“I don’t want to kill you on the street like the worthless whore you are,” he growled in my ear as he pressed the cloth to my face mid-scream, “but I fucking will, Livie.”

Faint sweetness tainted my tongue. My limbs felt dense and languid as if I didn’t have enough muscle to move them.

Matt's grip entangled my entire body, rendering me immobile. My legs were giving out from beneath me.

What was happening?

A warm and tingly sensation spread throughout my body. The world spun around me like one of those dreams that makes your body think you're falling. My eyelids fought to stay open.

The last thing I remember was Matt’s Mercedes’ dim interior light and the door slamming.

“Sleep tight, Livie baby, we’re going home.”

To be continued 3