Owning Olivia

“Need some help with that?” He sauntered over, one hand in his pocket. His eyes took in my body like they’d been invited to a feast.

“You need to leave before I call the police.”

He kept walking until he was right in my face, until I could smell the putrid sourness on his breath.

“Olivia, how come you always play so hard to get?”

Silas

“Christ, brother. Thought you’d be in bed?” Kyle walked in and hung his jacket in the hall closet. He eyes were bloodshot and I wondered if he’d had some drinks after work or if he were burning the candle at both ends.

“I can’t get ahold of Paul. Just got back from a job up in Tatum County that took me all day. Been calling him since closing and he’s not picking up.”

“So call Ralph,” Kyle shrugged.

“Ralph took a week. He deserves it. Took Shirley to Mexico. I hired a stand in, but that guy hasn’t picked up all night. Called the company and they’re closed. Just wanted to check with Paul to make sure they’re good for the night.”

“I’m sure they’ll be okay one night. What did they do before you started cleaning up after Paul?”

“I don’t like the idea of Olivia being alone.”

“So go check on them. Watch out for the drunks.”

I slapped Kyle on the back and pulled my jacket from the rack, smashed my feet into my black boots.

“Annie said there’s left over roast in the fridge, bread for sandwiches if you forgot to eat.”

“Thanks, dad.”

“Don’t wait up!” I yelled before the door slammed behind me.

“Wasn’t planning on it!” I heard Kyle yell, the chuckle evident in his voice.

Took me fifteen minutes to drive to Sutton Place in the jag. I was sweating bullets because it felt like something wasn’t right. If the temp didn’t show up, I’d hand him his balls in a paper sack. There are very few honorable people left in this world. If something happened to Olivia because of this guy’s negligence, I’d feed his ear to Paul and vice versa. I’d chop off their fingers, I thought, as mine gripped the wheel like they’d break it.

“I’m coming,” I hummed under my breath and stepped on the gas.

I didn’t bother parking the jag, just skid her across the gravel and threw open the door. Three cars in the parking lot and unless some patron’s wouldn’t start—that was one more than should’ve be there. I pounded my fist on the locked door, but heard nothing through its thick steel. It took me two seconds to grab my tire iron from my trunk and try to force open the bank vault they tagged on to the shithole.

“Olivia!” I hollered over the din of my banging. I hit the door with the iron leaving dents with my frustration. Olivia was mine even if the deal hadn’t yet expired. If any scumbag tried to defile her, their miserable life would be over. I stalked over to the big picture window at the front of the bar. The Sutton Place sign was out and the bar was pitch black, making it impossible to see inside. Back at the jag, I quickly turned on the headlights, then with two giant steps, I took a running leap through the fucking window.

The glass shattered with a pop and then the shards rained down around me, covering the floor in more broken glass than the place had ever seen from a bottle riot.

“Olivia!” I screamed as I scanned the floor. Blood ran down my arms and into my eyes, but my headlights illuminated the tiled floor in a brightness it didn’t need.

I heard her whimper and my blood came to an immediate boil. Homing in on his location, I found the swine cowering behind the bar. Olivia was back there too. My eyes saw red as I took in her hands zip tied behind her back, her smeared lipstick, torn shirt with pink bra halfway exposed.

My boot met his crotch and he squealed like the vermin he was. I grabbed his neck and twisted his head to the side.

“A quarter of an inch more and he’s dead,” I said to Olivia. Not him. “Did this man force himself on you? Where the fuck is Paul?”

I could feel his vertebrae seconds away from snapping. I’d take pleasure in his death if he touched her; it’s clear what his intent was.

“He just grabbed me and tied me,” Olivia got out after a few tries.

“Did he kiss you? Touch your body?”

“No, Silas, but I think he was going to. He just squeezed my cheeks hard and tied my hands.”

I twisted his head more and brought it within millimeters of snapping. I dragged him to standing and kicked him as hard as I could in the tailbone. I smiled at my steel-toed boots. He’d be lucky if he could walk again without limping.