HER || 18+ (Monsters #2) || Sequel to THEM

77- Wise

. . .

Ashton Creed

I never stopped running.

Those words refused to leave my mind. The thought of her being that...helpless made me furious. I could never understand how anyone could be cruel to her.

I needed to get all the names out of her, of everyone who had been a bitch to her during highschool, and send Miss Summers after them. She'd do it for free. She usually charged a lot.

Olivia was curled beside me, her back against my front, and her eyes closed as she slept. I couldn't sleep.

I tugged her closer to me till she was lying on top of me. I set her head against my neck.

I never stopped running.

My arms tighetened around her.

"Ashton?" She mumbled. 

"Little one."

She lifted her head, looking down at me. "What aren't you sleeping?" Her hair formed a curtain around us.

"I'm not tired."

"Liar."

I tugged strands of her hair behind her ear, watching the butterfly earrings dangle. Beautiful. "I'm just thinking about our talk in the backyard."

"What about it?"

"I get why you reacted the way you did when you saw the videos of us with those women," I said, cupping her face. She snuggled into it. "I get why it was the last push."

"You do?"

I nodded.

She let out a sigh which seemed to be filled with relief. "I'm so happy you do. And, it doesn't matter now. I mean, I feel nauseous every time I think of it. But, it's not your fault."

I flipped us over, setting her on the bed. "I'm sorry for not realising it earlier," I said. "I feel fucking stupid."

"You're not stupid," she said, wrapping her arms around me. "It's okay. I am not mad at you anymore."

"I just don't want to live without you anymore," I said. "It doesn't fucking suit."

"Suit?" She giggled.

"Yes," I said, completely serious. "It doesn't make sense. I don't want to ever do that again."

"You won't," she said softly.

. . .

"I am considering one of these five," Xerxes said, setting down three files on my desk. I closed my book, setting it aside. "They have all been working with us for at least a decade."

Initially, I had not planned to let Ivan go, and him switching shifts with someone else were never going to happen, either. But Olivia had worn us down. We could not say no to that face again and again.

The door opened. Olivia poked her head in. "Hey."

"Hey, baby," Xerxes said, lowering himself onto a chair. "Come in."

She walked in, barefoot and dressed in a simple dress that had kind of a deep neck, shwoing a hint of her breasts. My eyes lingered. Fucking hell.

I patted my thigh. "Come here."

She did. I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her cheek. "Good morning, baby."

"Good morning," she said. "What are you doing?"

"Choosing your new bodyguard," Xerxes said. "Do you want to help?"