Dark Devotions by Nichole Greene
28
OLIVIA
It’s beena few weeks since the ordeal at the gala. The women were taken into protective custody by the FBI, and Lake went out to help in California as well. He was gone for about a week as they went through all the intel he had gathered on Tripp and his associates and added it to what was previously known. The corruption that Tripp was part of in LA went to the state legislature. The fallout from the bust of his trafficking ring will be ongoing for years.
As for Tripp, he’s been held by Lake’s mercenaries since the night they found me. I don’t know what kind of things they’ve been doing to him, and I don’t care. They could peel his skin from his body, and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash.
“Are you sure you want to be here for this?” Sawyer asks before we go down into the interrogation room that they’ve been keeping Tripp inside for the past few weeks. “He says a lot of really vile shit.”
“I’m sure. There’s nothing he can say to hurt me now.” I look at all four of my guys, so they know I’m serious. “I want to be here for this.”
“Okay.” Lake opens the door and leads us down the two flights of metal stairs.
The air is damp and smells of mildew. Puddles of water from condensation form on the uneven floor. Lake pushes open a steel door, and we follow him into the large room.
Tripp has his wrists shackled together and suspended above him from a rafter. His toes just barely touch the ground as he sways. He’s still wearing the same clothes from the night of the gala, and he smells like blood and urine. His blonde beard has grown in, and there’s fleck of dried vomit stuck inside.
“Oh, my lovely wife has come to see me. Getting tired of being spit roasted by them yet?”
“Shut your filthy mouth.” Nolan punches him so hard a tooth flies from his mouth.
Tripp just smiles through the blood, hate radiating from his body as he looks at me. “What’s happened to you, Liv? You never liked watching fights with me in Vegas, but you’re okay with this loser punching your husband?”
“She’s not your wife,” Sawyer says from beside me. “I had the marriage annulled.”
“How?” Tripp tries to move closer but loses his footing.
“I have judges from the Supreme Court to municipal court on my payroll. All it took was a payoff to one and hefty donation to another’s charity.”
“You’re going to live with these criminals? I don’t think your parents would approve, Olivia.” Tripp tsks with a demented smile.
I step forward, right in his face and spit. “Don’t talk about my parents.”
His face contorts in fury, and he attempts to kick me, missing by a lot, but it’s enough to set all the guys off. Lake steps in front of me and punches him in the face. Nolan drops to his knees and slices both of Grant’s Achilles tendons. I step back between Sawyer and Grant as Tripp screams in pain, his blood forming a large puddle beneath him while he hangs from his wrists.
The humanity in me is begging me to end it. To have the guys shoot him and be done. But there’s a darker side to me now. A side that wants to see him pay in blood for what he’s done to me and to countless women. As I war with whether or not he’s suffered enough, he looks at me and seals his immediate fate.
“You know,” he grimaces, “the five of us are the only guys who have ever fucked that cunt. Have you guys stretched it out enough to stuff two ins-”
He never finishes his vile thought because Grant puts a bullet through his forehead. He lowers the gun and looks at me, “You didn’t need to hear the end of that sentence.”
I look over at Tripp’s dead body and realize I feel not one single ounce of regret that he’s gone. There is no mourning. There is no anger. There is no numbness. I feel nothing for the loss of his life.
“Come on.” Sawyer grabs my hand and starts to lead me out. “We have some stuff we want to discuss with you.”
“Who’s going to clean this up?” I ask.
“I have a professional cleaner,” Lake says.
“For dead bodies?”
“Yeah,” he looks at me sheepishly, “this isn’t a rare occurrence around here.”
I follow them up and out into the cold winter air. The sky above us is a brilliant blue, and the sun reflects off the snow like millions of crystals. I tilt my head back and smile, completely at peace for the first time in years. I know I’m not truly okay though; my nightmares have come back, and they are ten times worse now, even if I’m lying in bed surrounded by all four of my guys.
I’m the last one into the house and with all my winter gear off. By the time I make it to the living room, they’re all sitting in the same places they sat the night they told me the truth about my parents. I’m immediately on guard at the serious looks on their faces.
“What’s going on?” I ask hesitantly.
“We want to talk to you about getting something,” Sawyer says after clearing his throat. “We’ve looked into a ninety-day treatment facility for you. Your nightmares aren’t getting better, and your panic attacks are increasing.”
My skin feels like it’s on fire as I battle my rising defensiveness. I know, logically, that they are correct. I need help. I am not mentally and emotionally well after everything I’ve been through.
“Do you guys need a break from me already?” I joke, trying to lighten the mood because the air in this beautiful cabin is heavy.
“You know that’s not what this is about at all.” Lake looks at me sternly. “I went there for the same PTSD program. It’s good. They’re good.”
“We had them add a counselor to their staff specifically trained in domestic violence, so you’ll have that counseling too.”
Of course they did.
“When would I leave?”
“Tomorrow,” Sawyer answers.
I drag a surprised breath in through my teeth. “That doesn’t give me much time to prepare.”
“That’s the point,” Lake replies.
“We already have a bag packed and ready to go for you,” Nolan joins the conversation.
“You all think this is a good idea?” I ask as I look at each of them.
They all nod or say yes. I bite my lip and look down at my feet. “What about us?” I swallow nervously. “Will we be together when I get back? Are you going to date while I’m gone?”
“We will not date while you are gone,” Nolan answers quickly.
“And we can evaluate our relationship when you get back,” Sawyer says, shooting Grant and Nolan looks when they scoff.
“We don’t want you to worry about anything but getting better while you are down in treatment. It’s in New Mexico, you’ll have the desert and peace.” Lake leans forward to hold my eyes. “We want you to go and throw yourself into healing. Regardless of how you feel about relationships when you come out, we will be here for you. Our friendship is permanent, nothing will ever sever it again.”
“Okay,” I nod, “I’ll go.” I hate the thought of us not being together, but I think I understand their reasoning. I came back to them with such trauma and then added even more to it. I know they want me to choose them with a healthy mindset behind it, not fear or pressure.
We spend the night worshipping each other’s bodies. They each make sure I know exactly how they feel about me with every touch, with every kiss, and every thrust. I fall asleep with all four of them touching me in some way.
The next morning, we board their private jet and fly down to the treatment center. It caters exclusively to the ultra-wealthy, so there’s a landing strip on the property. From the brochures I read on the way down, they do addiction treatment, psychological disorder treatment, and PTSD. I’ll have my own suite of rooms but limited access to the outside world. There’s daily yoga classes and mediation. A full-scale gym and lap pool. It looks and reads almost like a resort, just with intensive therapy.
Nolan is the last to say goodbye. He holds me tight and whispers in my ear, “I love you, Livvy. I’ll be the one who picks you up.” He, unlike the other three, gives me a deep, slow, sensual kiss that makes my toes curl inside my shoes.
“I love you, too.”
“Ms. Greyson? Time to go get settled.” My counselor says from behind me.
I smile at the sound of my maiden name. We changed it back first thing after the annulment. I wanted no ties to Tripp. I give the guys one last look over my shoulder as I follow her into the lobby.