Sitting back, she placed her backpack on the bench beside her and closed her eyes for just a moment. A sound alerted her to another presence. Immediately, she opened her eyes again. A man stood there looking down at her.
"Sorry to wake you. Is this seat taken?"
His accent was an odd mixture of California and something foreign. Shaking her head, she scooted over. "Have a seat."
He dropped to the bench and stretched his legs out. He wore dark dress slacks and a blue pull over shirt. His skin was dark. Not quite as dark as hers but close. He wore his hair short looking more like scruff than actual hair. He had a strong wide nose, thick shaggy eyebrows, and high cheekbones. His jaw was strong and his lips thin. She couldn't see what color his eyes were on account of the dark shades perched on the bridge of his nose. Grinning at her, he held out a piece of gum. "Want some?"
"No, thanks," she murmured and drew her backpack closer to her body. There was something about this man that made her skin crawl.
"Jake," he said and held out his hand.
"Livy," she returned but didn't take his hand.
"You work at the coffee shop around the corner." It was a statement and not a question.
"How?"
He lifted his chin toward her. "Shirt. You like your job?"
"It's alright." She glanced up at the schedule again as if she could will the bus to get there faster.
"I hate public transportation," Jake mumbled. Standing up, he waved at a cab sitting down the street. Turning to Olivia, he said, "Who knows how long it will take the bus. Would you like to share a cab with me?"
She wrinkled her brow. "No, thank you. The bus will be here soon."
The cab pulled up to the curb. "Come on Livy. I'll drop you wherever you want to go."
She was about to decline again when the sound of an engine approaching made Olivia sag in relief. "There's the bus," she said as cheerfully as she could muster. She stood and draped the backpack across her shoulders. It was coming down the block like a vision straight from heaven. Jake frowned but got into his cab. The vehicle took off leaving her standing alone on the curb. The bus stopped in front of her as the cab disappeared around the corner. When the doors opened, Livy climbed on gratefully, used her pass and took a seat. Pulling out her phone, she noticed her bus was six minutes early. She thanked whatever guardian angel was watching out for her.
By the time she stepped off the bus in her neighborhood, she had dismissed the entire incident. Living in a city the size of San Diego, there were going to be a lot of strange people. The key here was to be vigilant. She shouldered her pack and hurried down the street toward Auntie's house. For the hundredth time, she considered getting herself a car. It would save the wear and tear on her feet. She sighed. On her very strict budget, she wouldn't be able to afford one. There were supplies to purchase not to mention fees her GI Bill wouldn't pick up. She had a good little nest egg saved from her time in the Army, but she didn't know what the future would bring. She had to be frugal with her money, and that meant the bus would have to do.
Crossing the road to the final block, Olivia heard a vehicle approaching from behind and slow down. Thoughts of the weirdo at the bus stop came to mind. Hurrying her steps just a little she curled her hands around her pack straps and prepared to run the last block if she had to.
"Livy!"
She whirled around at the male voice calling her name. Beside her, a vintage GTO hot-rod painted in metallic teal sat idling at the curb. Keeping her distance, she bent over and peered into the window.
"Hey, Livy. I'm Cowboy, Bruiser's teammate. You got a minute?"
She remembered the big man from her welcome home party. Like the rest of the men in their tight knit group, Cowboy was tall and ripped. He had his light brown hair clipped in a relaxed style that made him look as if he had just gotten out of bed. Laugh lines crinkled at the edge of his steel gray eyes and his full lips had a ready smile. Relaxing, she stuck her head in the window. "Hey, Cowboy." She frowned. "When did you get home? Bruiser didn't text me to let me know you guys were back."
He let out a breath. "We've been home five days." He threw his hand up. "Before you get upset with Bruiser, you need to know a few things." He unlocked the door. "Will you come with me?"
She hesitated a moment. Although she knew Bruiser, she had only met Cowboy one time. However, this was one of Bruiser's team, and from what he was implying, something was wrong with Bruiser. Making her mind up, she opened the door and slid in. Once she was safely buckled in, he put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb. Knowing Auntie would worry, she pulled out her cell and called home. Assuring Nat that she would be home soon, she checked the text messages one more time. Still nothing from Bruiser. Tucking the phone away, she tamped down the feeling of hurt that flared in her heart.
"What's going on? Is Bruiser okay?"
Cowboy's knuckles tightened as he gripped the steering wheel. "There were some problems on our last mission. I can't tell you what happened, but things went bad. Real bad. Hick got hurt. He's going to be alright but..." He frowned as he tried to pull the thoughts together. "Bruise is in trouble. He's under an official review because of what happened, and we're out of duty rotation. He won't ever come out and tell you himself, but he needs you. I've been trying to get him to call you but he won't so I took matters into my own hands."
A thought occurred to her. "Hey, how did you know where I was?"
He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I know a guy back east who's good with computers. Took him about two minutes to find you. I went to the coffee shop, but it had already closed. I was on my way to your house when I saw you walking."
"You guys are a little spooky; you know that, right?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so." He fell silent as they drove out of her neighborhood. When he started talking again, the tone of his voice took on a worried quality. "Olivia, Bruise is my best friend. We met at the induction center, went through boot and BUD/s together. He's saved my butt on more than one occasion, and I've done the same for him. My mother calls him her 'other son.' In the twelve years I've known him, I've never seen him like this. He's always taken responsibility for the team. The guys follow him naturally, and there's little we wouldn't do for him. This thing that happened... It messed with his head. We supported him then, and we continue to do so now. Bruiser did the right thing, the ethically, morally, right thing. Now he's getting raked over the coals for his actions. He also blames himself for Hick getting hurt although he had nothing to do with it. I see him slipping down a hole that I'm not sure he can come back from." They pulled up to a stop light, and Cowboy put his hand on her arm. "Bruiser needs you, Olivia. I think you may be the only one that can pull him back from the edge."
She swallowed. "Okay. I don't know what I can do, but I'll give it a try."
The light turned green. Cowboy turned left onto Bruiser's street and pulled up to the apartment complex. Putting his GTO into park, he looked at her again. "I don't think you realize how much influence you have with him. There's something between you. Something strong. Since meeting you, he's been a different guy. He's smiled more, been more at ease. We could tell every time he talked to you; there was something light about him. I know you can help him." He glanced through the windshield. "Have you been here before?"
She nodded. "Once. He's in 28C, right?"
"Yep. I'll wait until you get inside before leaving. He'll make sure you get home."
Getting out of the car, she glanced up at the building and took a deep breath. "Here goes," she muttered to herself. Settling her pack on her shoulder, she entered the door and waved at Cowboy. He returned the wave and left the parking lot. Turning to the staircase, she climbed to the second floor and down the hall. Stopping at 28C, she quickly knocked on the door.
The door opened, and there he was. His face, normally so relaxed and at ease held a tension Livy had not seen before. His eyes were hard, and the set of his mouth was unforgiving. Gulping loudly, she stammered, "Hey, handsom
e. Welcome home."
His face bloomed into shock, and he took a step back as if not believing she was there.
Fidgeting, she gave him a half smile. Pulling her lip into her teeth, she worried it a moment before asking, "So, are you going to let me in?"
"Olivia," he said with a pained groan. "What? How?"
Then she was in his arms.
Chapter 8
Bruiser was a mess, and he knew it. He had broken discipline and aborted the mission against the advice of Madison. Moreover, because of his distracting the team, Raulston was dead, and Hick was wounded. Now his entire team was grounded, and he was facing a review board. Bruiser had been kicking his own butt for the past five days, mulling over what he had done versus what he should have done. Until this moment he didn't believe anything could pull him from the deep funk he found himself. Olivia changed it all.
"Dear God! It's good to see you," he whispered into her hair.
Olivia's arms clutched his waist, and she buried her face against his chest. He closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into her soft brown hair. He inhaled and let out a weary breath. She smelled amazing - like the cocoa butter shampoo and soap she favored mixed with coffee and cinnamon. He reluctantly let her go but pulled her into his apartment. Closing and locking the door Bruiser looked down at her lovely features and saw a glimmer of something shiny in her eyes. His heart lurched when he realized those were tears and they were there because he had been too far in this craptastic situation to let her know he was home. Bruiser winced and immediately felt even worse than he had before but for a completely different reason. He'd hurt her. Unintentionally, but still, he had. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," he said as he brushed his thumb over the apple of her cheek. "I've been busy with work, but that's no reason to ignore you."
She balled her fist up and punched him in his arm. "You're damned right it's no reason!" She lurched from his embrace, dropped her backpack, and glared at him. "I've been going nuts waiting for you to let me know you were home. News flash, Bruiser - I was in the military too. I know what's at stake when you're on a mission. You can't always communicate when you're out in the field. You asked me to text, and I did. You didn't text back, and that's okay. You were busy. I get that. But, now you're home and have been home for days. Days! I get that you don't have family waiting for you, but you do have my family and me. We care about you. Jayden and Auntie have been worried about you. You can't do this again. No matter what happens with you, we care about you the person, and it's wrong of you to leave us hanging in the wind." The anger in her eyes made them sparkle. "When you are in a relationship, you can't be selfish. Everything you do affects the other person. It wasn't just me, Bruiser. What about Auntie? What about Jayden? He doesn't take big changes well. He doesn't understand when people go missing out of his life. It throws him into a spin and makes him scared. Not only that, but he could see I was preoccupied, and that made him even more afraid."
Bruiser attempted to grab her arm, but she pulled it out of his grasp. "I... the mission..." he sighed and dropped his hands. "Things went wrong."
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Yeah, Cowboy told me. That's another thing; Cowboy had to be the one to tell me you were in trouble?"
He stiffened. "He did what?"
"He told me things went bad on the mission, and for some stupid reason, you blame yourself. He said Hick was injured, but he would be alright. Cowboy told me the team is shelved for the time being and you were going through a review." She shoved her fists onto her hips and scowled at him. "He told me to cut you some slack because you were going through a lot. That's crap. You are a freaking SEAL, so act like it. Man up, buttercup."
He snorted. Livy looked so damn adorable standing there with her chin lifted and her eyes shooting fire. Call him crazy, but a part of him liked the dressing down she gave him. It told him she did care. "I'm sorry I worried you, honey. You're right. I was being selfish and not thinking about you. I wasn't thinking about anything but the situation and what it meant to the team and myself. It was inexcusable, although I have a good reason. My career is at stake." He motioned toward the sofa. "Sit?"
Bruiser's apology seemed to mollify Livy. The rigid stance slowly melted away, and she let her arms drop. With a huff, she threw up her hands in surrender and dropped into the recliner. "What happened? I know you can't disclose everything because most of it is OpSec, so tell me what you can."
He sat on the sofa and leaned forward with his forearms on his knees. Clasping his fingers together, he ran one thumb over the top of the other and stared at them. He gathered his thoughts before he began to speak. "I can't say much because it's all classified. The short of it is I lost control over something someone was doing. Because of me, the team got distracted and attacked. As a result, Hick is out on medical, and two people died." He balled his hands into fists and slammed them on his knees. "I could have gotten the whole team killed! You have no idea how it feels to be responsible for others getting hurt."
"Yes, I do."
He raised his head and stared at her. "You do what?"
She chewed on her bottom lip before answering. "I know how it feels to be responsible for others getting hurt." She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The fire in her eyes dimmed until sorrow replaced it. "I know exactly how it feels. I know because I'm responsible for my mother's death." She straightened her spine and stared at him. "Go on. What happened?"
He ignored her attempt to side track him. "What do you mean you are responsible?"
"Let it go, Bruiser."
He shook his head. "No. I'm not going to let it go. Tell me what happened. You need to let it out."
She laughed mirthlessly. "I've let it out. Years of therapy. Trust me; it's out."
The lost, haunted expression on Olivia's face was a kick to his gut. Forgetting his problems for the moment, Bruiser focused on her. He pulled her up to her feet and gently nudged her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he muttered. "I'm here. Go ahead."
"I'm supposed to be here helping you, not the other way around."
The half laugh she gave didn't reach her eyes. Bruiser shook his head. He could tell; Olivia knew pain. She tried so hard to be strong and fierce, but deep down, she was still vulnerable. The contradictions in her personality made him want her that much more. Bruiser thought for a moment then changed tactics. "Then do it for me. I want to know everything about you. That includes the good, bad and even the ugly. Come on, sweetheart, I promise I'm not going to run away. You've got me. You've got all of me. There's nothing you can say that will change that; I don't care what you've done in your past. It's there - in the past, and it will only hurt you if you allow it to."
She chewed on her lip a moment then gave a short nod. "Okay." Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out. "What do you know about our history? Mine and Jayden's, I mean."
Bruiser shook his head. "Not much. I know you both went to live with Auntie Nat a few years ago."
"Okay." She took a few breaths. "This isn't easy for me so please bear with me."
Something in her voice made him pause. He was forcing her to do something that hurt her. Bruiser cringed and put a hand up to stop her. "I changed my mind. Honey, you don't have to do this," Bruiser argued.
"Yes, I think I do. You should know what kind of a train wreck being with me will be."
He glared at her. "Everyone has ghosts, Olivia. We all have things in our past that defines who we are. If you want to tell me because you need to get it out, then do it. If you think you need to tell me in some warped attempt to run me off, then know it's not going to work." He brushed his knuckles over her jaw and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I swear to you; there is nothing you can say that will scare me off. Sorry, sweetheart, but you are stuck with me."
She searched his eyes, looking for the truth that validated his words. She must have seen what she needed because the tension in her shoulders melted and she relaxed against him. "Alright then. Don't say I didn'
t warn you." She thought for a few moments before she began. "According to Auntie Nat, Momma was a wild child her whole life. Even as a kid, she was hard to control. She gave my grandmother fits from an early age. When Momma was fourteen, Grandma died of a stroke. Auntie Nat was the only relative she had, so Momma moved in with her. Auntie said they butted heads from the first step in her house. They argued about everything from what to eat to what she wore. You see, Momma liked boys, a lot, and would often sneak out at night to go hang out with them. Auntie tried to do right by her, but Momma was just too wild. She ran away right after her fifteenth birthday. A few months later, Auntie got a call that Momma was in jail for prostitution and possession of a controlled substance. Momma went into rehab for the first time when she was released. That's when Auntie found out Momma was pregnant with me. Momma often told me I was a broken condom baby. Apparently, she used cheap prophylactics, so she didn't know which time it took. Sometimes she would take my chin and look at me and say things like, 'Maybe it was...' and add some random guy's name. Then she would laugh. I think she enjoyed the pain she inflicted. It seemed since she was hurt, she wanted me to share in her misery."
Bruiser's hiss of anger pulled her attention. She gave him a wan smile. "It's okay. I'm over it. She used to say a lot of things to hurt me. I had to grow a thick skin." She took another deep breath then squeezed Bruiser's hand. He tightened his grasp and remained silent, giving Olivia the space she needed.
"Anyway, Momma ran away from Auntie several times over the next few years. Sometimes she would leave me there and other times she wouldn't." She shrugged. "Auntie started proceedings to take me away from her, and I guess that finally woke Momma up. She got off the drugs and found a regular job in a factory. After a few months, she got her own place. By then, she was twenty years old with a five-year-old child and seemed to be getting her life together. I don't remember a lot of that time except there was a man she let move in with us. His name was Jay, and I liked him. A lot. He was tall, so tall he could touch the ceiling without even trying. He used to draw these amazing pictures and tell me stories about knights and princesses. I do remember being happy; both Momma and I were happy when he was there. We lived in a rundown apartment, but it was clean. Momma smiled a lot."
Saving Olivia (Team Cereberus Book 1) Page 7
