“It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you,” he answers immediately.
“Then why? Help me understand it.”
“The thought of hurting you is worse than anything I have ever felt in all fifty-two years, Olivia. I knew telling you about Ray would hurt you, but I also knew telling you and telling you I kept that from you would hurt you. It was an impossible situation that I had no chance of controlling. I really believed that I could handle it, and you wouldn’t have to feel any of that hurt.”
“Life isn’t much of a life without the hurt that makes you grow, Zeke. You should have told me. You should have told me and then you could have helped me through it.”
“Know that now, baby. I know that now, and I’ll never be able to say I’m sorry enough.”
“I don’t need you to, Zeke. I need to know that you’ll not keep things from me again. I know you’re sorry, so no more of that. Tell me now, will we be safe now? Is he gone?”
“He will be.”
I take a deep breath. “What does that mean?”
“That there’s a reason this plane is full of the men who had my back every day until they couldn’t. My team now is good, but these men are better. You’ll be safe because we’re going hunting.”
“Hunting doesn’t mean Bambi, does it?”
“Hunting means you and our girl will breathe easy for the rest of all of our lives.”
I don’t ask. Not because I don’t want to know, but because I don’t need to. What I needed to know he just laid at my feet. He didn’t hurt me intentionally. He’s done nothing but give me as much of him as he was able. He’s lived half a life dead to protect those he loves. It’s all he’s lived for the other part of his life. If it wasn’t for Riley, I would have lost my reason to live when I lost Emma. Even with her light, those days where the hardest I have ever lived through. This big strong man had to do that with no one.
“I can see how much this is hurting you. We have to find a way for you to forgive yourself. You didn’t hurt Riley, honey. And you’ll make sure that man never does either, aren’t you?” He nods his head once. “I love you, Zeke Cooper, but don’t you dare lie or keep things from me again.”
His whole body deflates when he lets out the tension he had been strung tight with.
“My God, I love you too, Liv.” He reaches out and pulls me into his lap, taking my face in his warm hands and presses our foreheads together to look into my eyes. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure I never am the reason for your pain.”
“Rest of my life, hmm?”
Despite the heaviness of moments before, I watch in fascination as his whole face changes. The stress falling off him as an expression I haven’t seen yet takes its place. He looks cocky in a way that is so attractive. He looks like the younger him I’ve seen in photos during our time in Georgia.
“My boy wasn’t wrong,” he oddly adds, giving me a wink before pulling me in for a deep kiss, then pulling back to speak again. “Had it for a while now.”
“Had what?” I rasp, lips tingling from our kiss.
He pulls back and looks down at my hands clenching his shirt. He takes my left one in his and just smiles. “Your ring.”
I wheeze and choke on the air.
Oh. My. God.
“You Were Meant For Me” by Jewel
“What’s the plan?” Beck asks, the first to speak after Olivia and I return from the back. If they noticed us looking disheveled, they didn’t let on. I got on this plane thinking I had lost my reason for living, only to be gifted with her forgiveness and her body before we had even landed.
“When we get back, Zac will take Olivia home and stay with her and Riley.”
“Okay … and the rest of us?”
“We’re meeting my team at my place. Evan is on his way with Ella—the friend—and Riley. They’ve laid the base of our work out for us. We’ve got a lock on his location. Hasn’t moved since last night. Saint got off one shot, and there’s no way he’s going to a hospital. Best case, he’s already dead. Second best, he will be soon.”
Olivia’s hand flexes in mine, and I look down at her. She swallows and gives me a small nod to continue. I would love nothing more than to spare her from this part, but after thinking I had lost her, I need her by my side until we get back, and I leave her in my home with my son to watch over her and Riley. It’s going to be hard as fuck to leave the two of them.
“Who is this guy?” Asher asks.
“Ray Graves. Piece of shit that makes deals with the devil for firearms. He’s had a few years running flesh, some running drugs, but he was real good at running his guns. That is until he got on the wrong side of some powerful men with the Italian mob. He already had the Mexican drug cartel after him for screwing them out of a lot of product. After he faked his death, he took all his money and ran to Europe. Been bouncing around there going through money and whores like they’re water.”
“Actually, it was all my sister’s money.” Olivia’s voice cuts through the silence, drawing the attention of all four men. “He killed her before draining her bank accounts.”
I take a moment to really look at her. There’s a hint of sadness, but with color high on her cheeks, I have a feeling she’s feeling the need to avenge her sister right this moment.
“Baby,” I softly say to her. “Next is gonna suck to hear, and I wish I could shield this from you, but no secrets, right?”
“Just say it. I’ll be okay.” She takes a few deep breaths.
“You will be,” Maddox speaks, getting all of our attention. “Won’t feel like it immediately, but you will be. Strong women don’t fall easily.”
“This woman doesn’t fall at all,” she tells him.
“Don’t imagine you will.” He looks at me briefly before back to her. “I see why my wife likes you.”
“Feeling is mutual.”
“So what’s the plan after we get the girls settled with Zac?”
“We’re going to head toward his location and make sure he doesn’t ever touch my girls again.”
“Whatever means necessary?” Beck asks.
“No civilian crossfire. Isolated hit, and then we call in the cleanup team. You don’t have to do more than watch my back. In and out.”
“Better shut your mouth with that in-and-out shit before you jinx us,” my brother grunts.
I lean forward and hold his gaze. “This piece of shit ambushed her friend and our girl at their place of business. You don’t have to do more than watch my back because no one else gets near him but me. Your hands are clean, and you’re in and out. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Yeah, not going to work like that,” his brother responds. Maddox and Beck nod in agreement. “We didn’t get you back to lose you again.”
“He’s mine,” I tell them.
“No doubt, but we won’t just be watching your back. If he poses a threat, whoever gets the shot takes it.”
I want to argue. I want to demand that I get justice for him hurting Riley and scaring Olivia. I want to say fuck it all and run off half-cocked, ready to bash that fuck’s head in. However, when I look down at Olivia and see her worried expression, I know they’re right.