Insolent (Crimson Elite 4)

“Why are you scared of the dark?”

She freezes, her body locks tight. “W-What…” she stammers.

“You heard me. Why are you afraid of the dark?”

She shakes her head. “I told you why.”

“No. No, you didn’t.”

She takes a step back, her hand falls to her heart. “Don’t make me talk about it, not here.” She checks around with her eyes, and I walk behind her and shut the door, blocking the view from her.

“Tell me, since you like people’s private lives so much. Tell me!”

“No, p-please…” she hiccups, “… I didn’t mean to. I stopped. Please, Darby.” Her eyes bounce around frantically.

“If I were to turn off the light right now, how would that make you feel?” My hand goes to the light switch. She jumps at me, her hand coming into contact with mine on the switch and knocking it off herself. She whimpers as if she’s in real pain and hands slap at the wall until the light finally switches back on. She has tears streaming down her face as she stands tall and looks me in the eye.

“I killed my baby in the dark, and you want me to relive it? What kind of man are you?” She pushes me out of the way until she has the door open and walks out.

The guys are standing there watching her go then spin to me.

“That was cruel, even for you. Fuck!” Falcon says shaking his head.

“We could hear how upset she was from the other side of the door,” Echo states shaking his blond hair as he walks away to his own office.

Creed doesn’t say a word just heads off to his office as well.

Falcon, on the other hand, crosses his arms over his chest and watches me. “You’ve royally fucked it now. And over what?”

The letter in my hand scrunches as I turn back around.27OlympiaI had to fix my face before I could go back, I had no idea he could be so mean. Who’s that mean? I should have gone home, but Johnny is back in a few days, then I plan to actually leave, and this time I won’t tell him about it. I’ll just become a distant memory for him.

Wiping my face, I try not to check the door each time I hear it open. Unfortunately, little tears have been slipping free all night. I don’t think I will ever stop crying for her, no matter how much time has passed me by. She was a part of me and having that rubbed in my face as an ugly reminder isn’t nice.

“Olympia…” Darby’s voice comes from the end of the bar. I don’t turn to him—it’s way too hard. I usually give in when his chocolate eyes lock onto mine, and I become putty in his hands, but not today and not after that.

I didn’t read his stinking letter, I read as much as I said I did because I found it on the floor and wondered who it belonged to. Once I’d read that much, I stopped, realizing it wasn’t for my eyes—but he didn’t even give me the chance to explain myself. What, does he think I stole it, too? Shaking away those thoughts, I reach for my bag as Creed steps into view.

“Olympia…”

I look at Creed but keep walking.

Thankfully he doesn’t stop me.

I contemplate ringing my brother to tell him I’ll take the job offer earlier, but I hold off knowing he’ll grill me, which will turn into a fight with him wanting me to come home. Which I know is something I don’t want to do, despite everything, right here is where I want to be. It has new reminders, not constant painful reminders, of what I’ve been through, and nothing in this life could be worse than what I went through.

A knock on my door makes me jump. My hand goes to my heart, and I contemplate not opening it. Only one person would come this late, and that person I absolutely do not want to talk to right now.

The knock comes again.

“Girl, I know you’re awake, let me in.” I smile at the sound of Johnny’s voice.

I open the door, and his arms circle around me, pulling me to him in a hug that I didn’t know I needed. When he pulls back, he checks me over. “I knew you would have just finished at the club… it’s late, I know.” He waves me off and looks around. He’s been here before. “I really do want to move in with you, but I feel this place may be too small,” he jokes. This place is anything but small. He sits at the bar and reaches for a bottle of tequila, pouring himself and me a shot. “So fill me in, what’s happening?”

I walk over downing the first shot. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”