Authors: Samantha Grady
Those words and that wink had trouble written all over them. Actually Olivia had trouble written all over her.
Walking down the stairs and into the hall I heard Shark talking on his cell. “Is it a positive ID? No but a person matching JD’s description is the best we’ve got right now, so yeah I’m going to check it out. Yeah Nick she’s ok. The scars look bad but they’re healing fine.” Nick as in Nicky the guy Olivia asked about last night? The guy Shark said he hadn’t seen since she saw him last. “I know you do Nick just a little longer. Get back to Mika before you get yourself in trouble. Make sure you check in with Felix until I get back in town.”
Gasping, I slapped a hand over my mouth. Mika was the freaking Russian drug lord and this Nick guy was working for him. Holy shit! Nick was the name Denny used last night in the car. Was Shark talking to the same Nick?
“Morning Rachel.” Sharks deep voice said behind me.
Oh no.
Turning around I gave Shark what I hoped was a friendly smile. “Morning.” I whispered my voice shaking slightly as his sea blue eyes searched my face, his lips pressed tightly together.
“Olivia?” Shark called walking past me.
“Yeah?” Olivia said cheerfully bouncing out of the kitchen.
Placing his hand on Olivia’s shoulder, which had me seeing red with rage. He spoke softly to her, “I have to go out. You and Rachel stay close to Mason, yeah?”
“Yes.” Olivia said sweetly throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him.
Stepping away Olivia waved goodbye as she grabbed hold of my arm.
“Olivia you shouldn’t do that. Shark is not−”
“Not Jonah. Yes Rachel I know that. And yeah I guess it looks wrong but the only feelings I have for Shark are brotherly.” Looking a little lost Olivia lowered her voice, “he’s treats me like Nicky and Alex use too.”
“Who’s Nicky and Alex?” I asked looking down at Olivia’s suddenly sad face.
Taking a big breath Olivia looked me in the eyes. “They used to be my brothers.”
Used to, they were dead, which meant Shark wasn’t talking to the same person. That was good, kind of.
“Olivia, Rachel?” Mason called from the kitchen.
“Oh no!” Olivia screeched grabbing my hand, “do you have your car keys?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s go.” Olivia said urgently pulling open the front door and running towards my car like hellhounds were chasing us.
“Olivia Rees don’t you dare get in that car!” Mason yelled from the open front door.
“Quick, start the car!” Olivia yelled over Mason as she flung herself into the passenger side.
Shit, scrambling to keep a hold of my keys I jumped into the driver’s seat jamming my keys into the ignition. My hands were shaking so it took two tries; by the time the car turned over Mason was only a foot away.
“Drive! Drive!” Olivia shouted banging her hands against the dashboard.
I was not made for this kind of shit, I thought stomping my foot down on the gas.
Speeding away from a screaming Mason I threw Olivia a panicked look. “What the fuck was that?”
Taking her cell phone out of her pocket Olivia ignored my question. “Turn left up here,” Olivia said pointing out the window. “And speed up Mason is behind us.”
Looking into my rearview mirror I saw Mason’s SUV speeding after us. Looking back over at Olivia I narrowed my eyes at her. “What the hell are you doing?”
“When I hugged Shark I slipped a tracking device in his pocket.”
“And where did you get a tracking device?” I asked shocked.
“Mason’s room.” Olivia said proudly.
Oh goody now not only was Jonah, Shark and Denny going to kill me, Mason was going to as well.
Following Olivia’s directions I pulled up next to Shark’s truck twenty minutes later.
“That was easy!” Olivia said joyfully jumping out of the car.
“Easy my ass.” I snapped following her out of the car and across the road. “Where the hell are you going now?”
“We’re going after Shark.” Olivia said pointing ahead of us, “he’s this way.”
Coming to a stop between two gates Olivia studied the screen on her phone. Hoping it was the gate to the right, as it was shiny and sliver with a golden sign that read ‘Heaven’s Ranch’ and not the rusted gate on the left. Stepping towards the left gate, Olivia motioned for me to follow her. Shit. Wasn’t this the way every horror movie started?
Walking through knee deep grass, Olivia and I searched for Shark.
As we came to a dirt road the creep factor, of what had to be an abandoned ranch, went up. Over grown trees blocked out the sun, broken branches lay in the road and raven birds stared at us from the treetops.
As bad ideas went this had to be at the top.
Goose bumps broke out across my arms as a tree branch snapped behind us. Turning to grab Olivia a hand smacked down over my screaming lips and something sharp poked into my lower back. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be fucking dead right now.” Shark hissed into my ear.
Shaking violently I tried to turn my head but Shark had too tight of a hold on me. A painful yelp off to the side drew my eyes. Olivia looking shocked and scared stared down at a crouching Mason holding his nose.
“Jesus Olivia.” Mason snapped.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know it was you. I thought you were a killer or something.”
“Yes because someone trying to kill you normally just touches the middle of your back.”
What the hell Olivia got just a touch to her back and I got a hand over my mouth and a knife pointed at me.
Letting go slowly Shark stepped back. “Let’s hope this scares you out of doing something stupid like this again.”
“It didn’t help Olivia.” Mason mumbled.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” Shark snapped his furious eyes on Olivia.
“Would you believe me if I said we were just out on a walk?” Olivia asked sweetly batting her eyelashes.
Angrily pushing his hair out of his eyes, Shark shook his blonde head. “Goddamnit Olivia.”
“That’s it?” Mason hissed standing fully up, hand still covering his nose.
“What do you want me to do right now?” Shark hissed back.
“You’re in so much trouble when we get home Olivia.” Mason snapped turning to look at Shark. “What are you doing here?”
“Someone matching JD’s description was seen around here.”
“At an abandoned farm?” Mason questioned, skepticism clear on his face.
“JD?” Olivia asked
“Ryan.” Shark clarified.
“Is he here?” I blurted out.
“I don’t know. Before I got close enough to the house I had to double back because of you two.”
“If I had a dollar for every time you did something stupid I would be a bloody millionaire.” Jonah yelled from behind us, causing Olivia and I both to swing around to see a very pissed off Jonah and an even madder Denny holding a fussing Lucca.
Damn.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Shark yelled throwing his hands into the air. “Anyone else you guys know that might want to join in on this fun? You know just so we can give whoever is in that house a better fucking target.”
“There’s someone in that house?” I asked really not liking my baby being a part of this.
“I don’t fucking know.” Shark yelled a little loud for someone worried about a person being in the house up the dirt road.
A soft clicking noise followed by a male voice sounded from behind me. I saw everyone look my way. Jonah and Shark looked pissed, Mason and Olivia looked surprised and Denny looked worried. What the hell? Turning around I came face to face with the biggest horse I’d ever seen.
“Friends of yours Olivia?” Shark snapped as the horse breathed hot air into my face.
“Bite me.” Olivia said sweetly.
“Can I help you guys?” A blonde haired teen said from a top the big horse.
Stepping slowly back as a second horse joined the first, this smaller horse was ridden by a young woman with curly sun kissed blonde hair the same shade as the teen boy.
Turning around to see who was going to answer the boy as I didn’t know what to tell him, my eyes locked onto Mason who was staring at the young woman like he’d never seen a pretty girl before.
“My friends here were looking for some horse riding lessons.” Shark said pointing at Olivia.
The teen boy jerked his head and pointed behind him. “You’re on the wrong ranch. Heaven’s Ranch is the one you want.”
“Wonderful do you mind showing them the way?”
“Shark?” Olivia said giving him a ‘what the fuck are you doing’ look.
“You guys go sign up for those riding lessons, I’ll go get the car.”
“Can you give me just one minute so I can talk to my friend?” Olivia said throwing a dazzling smile at the teen boy.
Grabbing my arm Olivia pulled us both to Shark. “What the hell are you doing? She whispered.
“I’m not on official business China Doll. So be a good girl and go cover our asses.”
“I think that is an excellent idea.” Jonah said giving Olivia a big grin, “Mason, make sure the girls get to Heaven’s Ranch safely.”
Flipping her hair over her shoulder Olivia started to stomp away.
“Are we really going?” I asked hurrying to catch up.
“Olivia?” Jonah yelled pointing towards her feet, “what a shame you wore heels. Bet that’s going to hurt tonight. See you at home baby.” Chuckling loudly Jonah turned and walked away.
Laughing because it was kind of funny and the look Olivia was giving her feet was priceless.
“Tell me Rachel will you still be laughing when I smack your ass so hard you won’t sit down for a week?” Denny whispered into my ear, his deep voice and warm breath making me tremble. “I don’t care how mad at each other we are you do not get to put your life in danger. Tell me you understand Rachel?”
“Make me understand?” I said my voice barely above a whisper it was shaking so bad.
“Lucca can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.” He said even quieter.
Olivia said Denny only fought for things he cared about and now these words. Was there something still there between Denny and I?
God I hoped so.
I felt Denny move away from me and heard him talking nonsense to my baby boy as my heart swelled.
As we got closer to the ranch Olivia got happier and happier, her love for all animals shining bright despite her anger at Jonah and Shark. Mason followed after the young woman like a lovesick puppy, his eyes never straying from her. And I walked along obediently unable to keep the snare off my face. Dogs were good, horses were not. Why anyone would want to sit atop a huge powerful beast was beyond me. Wow dirty joke alert.
As we entered the back of the ranch the smell of farm animals assaulted my nostrils making this city girl want to throw up. Good God what a smell. I turned to my left to see if Olivia was gagging like me but she was sniffing the air like a freaking dog. Doubling over I burst out laughing, here was Olivia dressed in designer clothes, black leather pants, a white silk blouse and sky high heels, bouncing around and sniffing the air like she’d never been anywhere better. And I wasn’t the only one thinking Olivia was a funny sight, the girl on the horse was laughing silently, flashing a blinding smile that had Mason practically drooling.
The teen boy was staring at Olivia but for an entirely different reason than his sister and I. Holding the horse reins in one hand he swung his leg around the horse kicking Mason right in the middle of his forehead.
“Oh shit!” The boy yelled as Mason hit the ground with a thud.
Dropping to my knees beside Mason I felt my stomach turn in a bad way as blood pooled in a deep cut, little streams trickling into his brown hair. Head split open and blood running down his face, Mason was still staring at the woman.
“Heaven.” The boy said one hand holding a now blood soaked cloth to Mason’s forehead, the other hand touching his sisters shoulder. “Go get Dad.” He said very slowly, each word over pronounced.
I found this odd but with Mason’s hair now dripping blood I had bigger things to worry about.
Chapter 13
“What’s wrong with you?” Jonah snapped, slamming the car door shut. A door he shouldn’t be slamming period as it wasn’t his fucking car.
“What are you talking about?” I asked getting an unhappy looking Lucca out of his car seat to try and settle him.
“I heard what you said to Rachel dipshit. Last night you were cursing her name, today you’re whispering about spanking her.”
“One, it wasn’t going to be a nice spanking.” I said glaring at Jonah who was starting to sound like a teenage brat in a mood. “Two, why are you hating on Rachel?”
Throwing his arms in the air, Jonah stomped around the car stopping an inch from my face. “Why the fuck aren’t you?” He said so full of pain I felt the words cut my heart.
“Jonah−”
“She ruined you Denny. You drink too much; you sleep with chicks just to feel something, you think you’re turning into Vinnie, you almost killed a man last month because without Rachel and Lucca you didn’t care what the fuck happened to you.”
My anger with this conversation was already on thin ice, the mention of Vinnie broken the ice.
“All of that was me, not Rachel. The last was fucking Vinnie’s fault. Something that will never be said in the same sentence as Rachel and my son again.” I snapped. “You want to hate Rachel fine, hate her. But I can’t because I love her as much today as I did the day I met her.” I heard Jonah’s sharp intake of breath and my son took that moment to start crying but fuck me I was on a roll and I wasn’t done yet. “But while you’re hating Rachel you should know I left her for you.”
“What the fuck?” Jonah screamed looking like I’d just punched him in the face.
“Jonah−” I said, rocking Lucca trying to get him to stop crying, at the same time my phone rang.
Taking a deep breath so I didn’t snap at whoever was on the phone, I counted to ten then picked up the call.
“What?” I still ended up snapping.
The other end of the line was crackly and full of static. “Hurt… needed stitches… meet us at the hospital.” The line went dead.
Oh shit.
Turning back to the car I yelled over my shoulder at an unmoving Jonah. “I think that was Shark someone’s hurt, they’re on their way to a hospital.”