"I've polished this anger and now it's a knife."

- Cathy Linh Che

. . .

Xerxes Creed

I opened the door for her, and she stepped out of the car, her legs still trembling. She stumbled. With one hand, I secured her against me, and then shut the door.

She dug her face into my chest, arms wrapping around me. I stilled, for a moment, some of my anger melting.

I threw the keys at a guard so that he could park it in the garage, and picked her up in my arms, knowing she wasn't going to be able to walk.

She twisted her head and examined the mansion as I ascended up the giant steps which led up to it. Guards were stationed everywhere. Every inch of this place was under surveillance.

After the videos, I was more concerned about her safety than anything else. We could figure our shit out after she was safe.

The doors opened as we approached, after scanning my face. Only some people had access.

She gasped as she took everything in. The mansion was exceptionally beautiful, and homey. The couple we bought it from were both artists. We could have bought anything, but I knew as soon as I looked at this place that she'd love it.

Every bit of it was covered with art. Sculptures of wolves were placed at the end of the marble staircase which split up into four directions, leading to the different wings of the mansion. The ceilings had paintings glued on them and the walls were all painted eggshell with tiny canvases stuck in golden frames hung with uniform distance between them.

I let Olivia down, steadying her when she stumbled again.

"Can you walk?"

She nodded, eyes fixed on the ceiling and then slowly coming down.

"Don't tell me you bought this for me."

"We did." Zavier walked down the staircase which led to the west wing, dressed in a suit which meant he was done with the meeting with Williams.

His eyes ran over her, noticing the slight tear in her tights which was visible because her skirt wasn't covering all of it. She tugged the hem of her dress down.

"You..." She shook her head. "You can't just...buy-" she shook her head again. "This must have cost millions!"

"I can't care about that, Kitten," he said easily. "Let me see your phone." He extended her hand towards her.

She frowned. "There aren't any more videos."

He didn't lower his hand.

She gave him her phone.

"Password?"

She mumbled something under her breath.

"I know for a fact you can speak louder than that, kitten."

"Your birthday."

He froze, eyes softening, and then walked away with her phone.

"I need that back!"

"Later."

She looked at me.

"He'll give it back," I said. "Do you want to explore?"

"How much was this worth?"

"You don't have to worry about it."

"I hate that sentence. You know me, you know I'll worry."

I looked at her hands. They were balled in fists. At Least she wasn't nervous anymore.

"It was worth a million."

"That's a lie. You think I don't notice the art? If the other rooms are like this, only the art must be worth a million. What was the price, Xerxes?"

"Aren't you getting demanding?"

She took a deep breath. "I will live in the apartment."

"That's not safe enough."

"I don't like this place."

"You had heart in your eyes when you looked at it. Don't lie to me."

"I suppose only you have the right to do that." Her eyes widened.

I watched her. "You can't forgive me and then say shit like that."

She looked away.

"You're ignoring me?" I asked. "Like you did the past week?"

"You ignored me for a month - for reasons I do not know."

"We got shot, Ashton and I. We were healing and trying to weed out Igor's MC."

She turned. "See how simple that was?" She asked softly. "You can just tell me things without ma- did you just say you and Ashton got shot?"

I watched as Ashton, who had been coming down the staircase which led to the east wing, turned and climbed it.

Her eyes spotted him. "Ashton!"

"I am not explaining."

"You are!"

He turned his head and raised his eyebrows. "Am I?"

"Well-"

I grabbed her waist and pulled her back to my front. "Just tiny wounds," I said into her ear. "Didn't hurt."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Didn't want you to worry."

She frowned, looking down at the carpet covered floor. "So you thought I'd never find out?"

"We knew you would." Ashton walked closer. "We're telling you now, aren't we?"

She took in a deep breath and pulled away from me. "I need to go to the library and work on an assignment. Take me back, please."

"No," Ashton said. "Not till we talk."

Zavier came back and handed her her phone.

Her jaw clenched and she looked away, angry tears coming into her eyes. "You would...you would lose it if I got hurt and didn't tell you."

"We just didn't want you to worry," Ashton said, softening his voice.

"It's...it's always that," she said. "You didn't tell me you were in the mafia so that I wouldn't worry. You didn't tell me you got hurt so that I wouldn't worry. You keep every important thing from me so that I don't worry. I end up worrying anyway."

She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I know...nothing about your world. I don't even know...you. Not fully, not like you know me. I understand there are things you won't ever be able to share, but it just....hurts when you don't tell me the things I should know."

"You didn't tell us about the videos," Zavier said easily.

She looked at him. "You..." She shook her head. "Why do you think I didn't? Because I didn't want to worry you or because I was completely horrified?"

"I thought you'd be okay after a week of us staying away," Zavier said. "Do you need more time, Kitten? To understand the fact that you love getting fucked by mosnters, hm?"

More tears dripped down her cheeks. "You're..." She wiped them off. "Yes. I need time."

"How much?" Ashton asked.

"I don't know," she said. "I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"And we're supposed to wait around for that?" Zavier demanded. "You said you loved us."

She took a deep breath. "Don't wait around," she said. "Do whatever you want. You know how to ignore me, do that for another month."

This was heading in a bad direction.

"This is bullshit." He walked away. Her eyes followed him, angry and sad. "Call me when you come into you fucking senses, Olivia."

She wiped her tears off again and then looked at Ashton and I. "I want to go back."

"You're staying here," Ashton said.

She gulped. "I don't want to."

"It's for your safety," I said.

She spun and walked away, into the direction of the sunroom.

I walked out of the mansion with Ashton.

"Do you think she truly needs a month?" Ashton asked.

"I think she needs more."

. . .