Chapter 26

With a sharp intake of breath, Fitz's eyes snap open as another nightmare threatens to engulf him. His grip on Olivia tightens as he presses soft, reassuring kisses along the back of her neck. He refuses to let the darkness take over, clinging to her warmth and scent as a lifeline. Slowly, his breathing steadies and he gazes at the wall, illuminated by the gentle glow of starlight peeking in through the windows. His fingers trail along Olivia's arm, tracing soothing patterns until she stirs and turns towards him, draping her leg over his naked body. He responds by gently lifting her leg higher, stroking her cheek with tender devotion until their eyes meet in an intense gaze. A shiver runs down Olivia's spine from the raw emotion in his deep blue orbs, and she knows he needs to escape from the torment in his mind. "I need you," he whispers, his voice thick with pain.

With a groan, he slides down her body and positions himself between her legs, savoring every inch of her as he explores her with his lips and tongue. As she arches off the bed in ecstasy, he continues to lick and suck at her clit, drawing out another earth-shattering orgasm before plunging two fingers inside her. Deep, deliberate strokes send her body into a frenzy and she can't help but buck against him as yet another orgasm washes over her. Hovering over her trembling form, he claims her lips in a passionate kiss before finally entering her slowly and deeply. In perfect harmony, they move together in a slow dance of love and intimacy. As he nears his own release, his movements become more powerful and intense, causing his body to tremble with pleasure while hers responds in kind. Fitz manages to ease off of her slightly, walking to the bathroom for a warm washcloth. He tenderly wipes up and down her leg, as his seed mixed with her essence seeps from her pussy. Once he's done, he pulls her close and basks in the afterglow. "I never knew I could fall in love like this," he murmurs, his voice filled with wonder and gratitude. Olivia snuggles closer to him, whispering back, "I love you too."

X

As they lay in bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, Olivia's mind races. She can't seem to shut her eyes, the thought of Fitz having another nightmare and needing sex to escape from his torment is still fresh in her mind. She tries to wiggle out of his strong embrace, but he pulls her closer to his muscular body. "What's wrong?" he mumbles sleepily.

"Thirsty," she replies.

He loosens his grip, allowing her to slip out from under the covers. Fitz sits up, watching as Olivia disappears into the closet before returning to the bedroom dressed in a robe. She kisses his forehead as he slides his hand up her robe, cupping her sex, caressing her intimately. "Don't take too long," he whispers huskily.

Olivia smiles and turns to leave the bedroom.

Making her way down the stairs, she fumbles for a light switch at the bottom. When she finally finds it and flicks it on, she heads into the kitchen in search of water. After rummaging through several cabinets, she finally finds a glass and fills it with water from the refrigerator. Taking a deep gulp, she walks over to the large windows in the living room and gazes out into the darkness. The line where the sky meets the ocean is indistinguishable in the blackness. She takes another sip before turning around at the sound of a kitchen cabinet closing behind her.

"Can't sleep?" a voice asks.

"Thirsty," Olivia responds, holding up her glass. "And you?"

"I'm a light sleeper," Mary says, turning on the burner to heat up a tea kettle. "I heard a noise and came to see what happened."

"I'm sorry I woke you."

The kettle begins to whistle and Mary pours hot water into two mugs. She gestures for Olivia to join her on the couch and Olivia tucks her legs under herself, blowing over the steaming mug.

"It's nice to have visitors," Mary comments.

"Doesn't Fitz visit?" Olivia asks.

"Only once a year on his birthday," Mary replies with a chuckle. "He's not much of a host."

"Oh," Olivia says, taking in her surroundings. "It's beautiful here. It's going to be hard to leave when it's time."

Mary smiles knowingly. "Maybe he'll start visiting more now that you're in his life." She playfully nudges Olivia on the shoulder. "I'm glad he finally met someone."

Olivia smiles and finishes her tea. Mary takes the mug from her and puts it in the sink. Olivia thanks her for the tea and makes her way back up to their bedroom suite.

As she steps across the threshold, she hears faint mumbling coming from the bed. Hurrying over, she sees that Fitz is having a nightmare. His body is rigid and covered in sweat, his eyes squeezed shut. She tries to make out the words he's muttering, but they sound like gibberish to her. As his breathing becomes more rapid, she shakes him and shouts his name. He jolts awake, his face contorted in fear and frustration.

"Shit!" he swears, running a hand through his damp hair.

Olivia rushes into the bathroom and grabs a towel, gently wiping away the beads of sweat on his forehead. "Tell me about your nightmares, please," she pleads softly.

Fitz blinks rapidly, looking at her with uncertainty before finally deciding to open up to her. Deep down, he knows he can trust Olivia with the information he's about to share. With a deep sigh, he recalls the haunting events of his past that still plague him in his sleep...

Mellie's heels click with a sense of purpose on the pavement as they follow Huck through a dark and foreboding alley. Her grip tightens on Fitz's hand, her nails digging into his skin, as they approach a dilapidated building.

"Where are we going?" Mellie asks, turning to face Fitz with determination in her eyes.

Fitz shrugs, his jaw clenched and his hands trembling slightly as he stuffs them inside his pockets.

Huck leads them through a rusted steel door, down a long and narrow stairway that seems to descend endlessly.

"Huck, what is this place?" Fitz asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You wanted revenge. I'm giving it to you," Huck responds, his voice deep and eerie in the dimly lit basement.

Mellie's heart races as she follows Huck, her mind racing with thoughts of what they might find at the end of this journey. Huck pushes open another door and pulls on a string, illuminating the room with a single flickering light bulb. In the center of the room sits a man on a steel chair, his head cocked to the side and his eyes covered by a blindfold.

Huck moves around the basement with familiarity, opening a red toolbox and laying out an array of knives on a nearby table. He then unlocks a cabinet attached to the wall, revealing an arsenal of guns. Mellie's hand shakes as she reaches for one of the weapons, feeling its cold weight in her palm.

With precision and calmness that sends shivers down Mellie's spine, Huck takes out a small white ammonia tablet and rubs it under Axel Doyle's nose. "Wakey wakey," he says with an unsettling grin.

Axel stirs in his chair, opening his eyes and immediately locking gazes with Fitz. "What the fuck is this?" he demands.

"A life for a life," Huck responds, turning to Fitz and Mellie. "It's up to you how his life will end."

Axel chuckles, his arrogance still present even in the face of danger. "Pretty boy Grant doesn't have it in him."

"I wouldn't push him," Huck interjects with a warning tone. "Every person has a breaking point."

Fitz looks over at Mellie, seeing the anger and pain etched on her face. She picks up one of the knives from the table and presses it against the side of Axel's neck. "Why did you kill my father?" she asks, her voice trembling with rage.

"Aww, princess Mellie acting tough," Axel taunts, his eyes never leaving Fitz. Mellie scrapes the knife across his skin, drawing droplets of blood that slide down his neck. "Do you remember when we were in high school and you rejected me? I never forgot about it."

Fitz moves to stand next to Mellie, placing a hand on hers and lowering the knife. "No, don't do it. You'll never forgive yourself."

Axel laughs again, relishing in their hesitation. "I knew you didn't have the guts, Grant."

"Don't fucking test me, Axel," Fitz growls, his own anger rising to the surface. "I know your father had something to do with keeping you out of jail."

"My father has always been better than yours, Fitzgerald," Axel sneers, spitting on Fitz's shoe. "I tried to bring a good business deal to your old man and what did he do...he denied me. Claimed I didn't have what it took to be a businessman. He went on and on about you and how I should learn from you." Axel's eyes gleam with malice as he continues, "I would never let you teach me anything."

Huck's voice cuts through the tension-filled air. "Enough talking."

"Yeah, playboy, what's it going to be?" Axel taunts once more, his arrogance still intact despite his precarious situation. "Do you have the guts to avenge your father's death or are you the punk I always knew you were?"

Axel's laughter echoes through the room, but it is abruptly cut off as Fitz raises the gun and points it directly at him. "Shut your fucking mouth," he snarls in a deep and menacing voice.

Mellie's fingers tighten around Fitz's hand, her gaze never leaving Axel's face. "We do it together," she says firmly. "He took something from us, now we take something from him."

Axel's glare intensifies as Mellie pulls the trigger slightly back, and then...

Bang!

The sound of the gunshot reverberates through the room as blood splatters in all directions.

The clatter of the gun hitting the floor echoes through the room, punctuating the silence that follows. Mellie's gaze snaps to Huck, who stands with a steely look in his eye and a gun in his hand. She can feel her heart racing as she realizes what they've done.

"Did we...did we kill him?" Her voice trembles as she turns to Fitz, panic rising in her chest.

"We were only supposed to scare him, Mellie." Fitz's tone is hollow as he looks from Huck to her. "Our gun wasn't loaded…right?"

Huck doesn't answer.

Axel lies motionless on the ground, two bloody holes marking where their bullets had found their mark. Mellie turns away, barely able to stomach the sight.

"What are we going to do?" She starts pacing, wringing her hands in distress.

"Pretend none of this happened." Fitz's words hit her like a punch to the gut. How could he suggest such a thing?

"But...Fitz, I shot...we shot..." Her voice trails off as she sees the cold determination in his eyes.

"Pretending is what's real, Mellie." He takes her hand and leads her towards the door, his grip tight and urgent.

Huck moves around them swiftly, cleaning up any evidence of their crime. But there's no erasing the memory of what they've done or the fact that he asked Huck to capture Axel Doyle and make him pay for his father's death. He didn't think he would be involved.

As they make their way out into the night, Fitz's thoughts swirl with guilt and fear. No one will ever know that they killed Hollis Doyle's son. Huck will make sure of it. The weight of that secret threatens to consume him entirely.

"I'm not a good person, Olivia," he whispers, his voice choked with emotion. "I killed a man. And my nightmares will never let me forget it." Tears prick at his eyes as he gazes at her tear-stained cheeks. He reaches out a trembling hand and gently wipes them away with his thumb.

Olivia gracefully straddles Fitz, her body settling comfortably on top of his as she leans in, pressing her forehead to his. Tears stream down her face as she tenderly cups his cheeks and presses her lips to his, the taste of salt mingling with their kiss. "You are not a bad man, Fitz. If I had the chance to seek revenge on the person who took Callie from me...I would do it in a heartbeat." Her voice is filled with both love and sorrow.

"I don't deserve you," he whispers, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pulling her close against his chest. "Promise me you'll never leave. I wouldn't survive it."

She sniffles, pulling back slightly from his embrace. "I'm not going anywhere." Resting her head against his strong chest, she listens to the steady beat of his heart as he traces gentle circles on her back, whispering words of love and adoration.

"Livvie," he murmurs.

"Hm?" Olivia responds softly.

"Nobody can know about my nightmares." His voice is pained and vulnerable, causing Olivia's heart to ache for him.

She swallows hard, silently berating herself for telling her aunt about them when she was distraught over Fitz leaving. She decides not to bring it up, knowing that she needs to maintain his trust. "Will my uncle be a problem for you? Can you still be with me knowing that he allowed Hollis' son to walk free?"

He gently kisses her forehead before answering. "I can forgive your uncle for what he did because I know Hollis threatened him. It wasn't that he was out to purposely get me. And I will take care of Hollis for your uncle." Olivia's body stiffens at his response.

"It won't be by my hands," he says firmly.

"Huck?" Olivia questions, wondering if Fitz plans to use his head of security to carry out revenge.

"Don't ask questions I can't answer, sweetheart. Huck will respond based on my orders."

"Would you do it again...kill someone?" Olivia's voice trembles as she asks the difficult question.

"If they tried to harm you...yes," Fitz responds without hesitation, his love for her evident in his words.