Master of Lust

Chapter - 132

Rick stood his ground in front of Greg, undeterred by his venomous glare. Greg on the other hand, looked like his eyeballs were about to pop out by how intensely he was focusing his wrath on Rick.

"Are you deaf or something?" Greg spat, the venom in his voice enough to make a cobra jealous, "What the fuck are you doing in my house?"

"Oh no, no—" Rick, cool as a cucumber, just shrugged, leaning against the door frame of the kitchen and crossing his arms, "—my hearing is quite good, thank you. I was just wondering…"

He deliberately didn't finish the sentence and chuckled inwardly at how Greg leaned forward in his seat. Curiosity mixing in with his irritation and anger.

"Wondering what?" Greg grumbled, his impatience practically oozing out.

"Just wondering if this is your signature welcome or if you reserve this royal treatment for special occasions," Rick quipped, pretending to inspect his nails.

"You ain't my damn—"

"And seriously, bro, not even a drink offer?" Rick interrupted, giving Greg the side-eye. "How could you be such a miser even after leaching off your wife? Man, you have got to be a loose pussy to actually take such a pounding from me and not able to retort. Poor you."

Olivia clamped her hand over her mouth, and Rick was pretty damn sure he caught a chuckle sneaking through.

"You…" Greg puffed up his chest, aiming to flex some muscle from his throne on the couch, "Olivia, what the hell is this bastard doing in my house?"

Olivia, caught in the crossfire, was all wide-eyed and fish-mouthed, searching for words that seemed to be playing hide-and-seek. Her gaze sneakily turned towards Rick as she suddenly felt her words stuck in her throat, not sure what to say. How to explain? And Rick couldn't help but think it was oddly cute.

"Rick," Olivia quickly looked away from Rick's face as she harshly looked at Greg but still tried to defuse the situation, "Mind your words."

"What!" Greg frowned, "Are you requesting him?"

Rick rolled his eyes. "Are you seriously this pig-brained? She is in fact asking you to zip it up."

"You have some nerve coming to my house and talking to me like this, boy." Greg spat out the word boy as though it were vermin for just existing in his vocabulary. Not that he had such a stellar vocabulary to start with.

Rick straightened up. "And you have some nerve threatening your wife in that way. Do it again, and we'll see where you end up."

Greg's breath turned laborious the more he glared daggers at Rick. "Mind your own fucking business.

"And you," he said, addressing Olivia, "Ungrateful woman. You still want to defend him? Are you even listening to what he is saying to me?" He still clutched his head with one hand, and Rick had a hard time taking anything he said seriously.

"God, you really are hare-brained," Rick sneered. "She's not defending me, you dim-witted fuck face. She is just tired of defending you."

"What did you call me?" Greg roared and tried to stand up, but Olivia was quick to scream a Sit your ass back down loud enough, and Greg complied.

"No, Rick," she said. "He's right. I am defending you." When she glanced at Rick, the gratitude in her eyes was visible. "You and your father have done more for me in these past few days than what this pig has done in our entire marriage."

"Pig? How dare—"

"Get out," she said calmly. "Get out, and don't make me repeat it."

Rick stared in fascination at the scene in front of him. He was quite sure Olivia was about to kick him out instead of Greg, what with all the teasing and flirting he was up to in the morning. He wasn't about to complain now about this change of events.

"This is my house as much as yours," Greg argued.

"Oh, please. I have been paying the rent for the past year and a half. The lease is in my name. Now," she clasped her hands in front of her. "You know where the door is."

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you cr—"

"Don not make me call the cops, Greg." She raised a brow. "I know what kind of shit you've got here at home, and I also know where you've stored all of it."

He scoffed. "You are bluffing."

"Only one way to find out." Olivia grabbed the landline receiver and brought it to her ear.

This time, Greg's knees worked, and he stood up, "Alright, alright, I will leave."

She held the receiver to her ear and tipped her chin to the door.

"Fine. But don't think this is over, you bitch." He stomped out the door and slammed it, the door frame rattling in his wake, "And you boy. I will take of you and that father of yours soon."

"Well," Rick clapped his together and rubbed them, wiggling his eyebrows in Olivia's directions, "Let's continue where we left off, shall—"

Olivia cut him off hastily. "I'm going to get ready. You can take a shower if you want. The water takes a little while to heat up, though. We can leave for the hospital after that." Without waiting for a response, she pushed past him and jogged up the stairs. She shut the door for good measure and leaned against it, blowing out air through her mouth.

The confrontation with Greg had given her a slight adrenaline boost, numbing all her emotional turmoil, but now that it all ended, everything came flooding back to her. She sagged against the door, holding her head in her hands. Just a few moments of reprieve, was that too much to ask?

She was able to get Greg to leave. Sure. But he'd be back. This wasn't the first time she was kicking him out. She knew the drill. He'd go missing for a couple of days, and then he'd be back looking worse than before.

He would steal money from her purse, they'd have another fight, and then again he'd go missing. It was a never ending cycle.

And that adrenaline boost managed to sober her up and get her head straight. Make her resolve strong enough for her to push back Rick's advances. And this break would help her to get her emotions in check.

But that was a battle for another day. Right now, she needed to think about Emily, and her well being. Right now, Emily needed her. Physically, mentally and emotionally. And Olivia would rather be damned than not give her baby girl everything she needed.

Now the only obstacle was surviving a five hour drive. With Rick. Alone

~~~~~

The car hummed along the road, the only sounds the soft purr of the engine and the distant rush of passing traffic. The afternoon sun beat down on the lazy cars passing on the highway. An awkward silence settled between Rick and Olivia, like an unspoken acknowledgment that neither would start a conversation unless absolutely necessary.

After what felt like an eternity, Rick finally broke the silence. He had just cleared his throat, and Olivia flinched at the sudden sound of his voice, her nerves still on edge from the confrontation with Greg. Rick, however, seemed oblivious to her discomfort, offering a reassuring smile.

"Relax, Olivia," he said, his tone gentle.

Olivia nodded, attempting a small, appreciative smile in return. The tension in the car didn't dissipate, not one bit but she did appreciate Rick's attempt to soothe her nerves.

As they continued driving, Rick's gaze shifted briefly from the road to Olivia. He seemed to hesitate before bringing up a seemingly unrelated topic.

"Hey, do we have a tenant at my house?" Rick asked, his tone nonchalant.

Olivia furrowed her brows in confusion. "What tenant?"

Rick explained, "Yesterday, when I drove past, I noticed the lights were on. I thought maybe Dad rented it out or something."

Olivia's surprise was evident in her wide-eyed expression. "You don't know?" she asked.

Rick shook his head, waiting for her to enlighten him.

A conflicted expression crossed Olivia's face. She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, her words hanging in the air. Finally, she shook her head slightly. "Never mind. Your father will tell you."

Rick furrowed his brows, his curiosity piqued. "Tell me what? What's going on?"

Olivia sighed, glancing out the window. "It's not my place to say. Let your father explain."

Rick's persistence kicked in. "Come on, Olivia. Don't leave me hanging. What don't I know?"

A brief silence ensued, Olivia contemplating whether to disclose the information or not. Eventually, she shook her head, her lips forming a firm line. "I think it would be better if you heard it from your father. Otherwise there might be complications."

Rick, sensing Olivia's reluctance, decided not to press further. He turned his attention back to the road, a thoughtful expression on his face. Olivia, on the other hand, fidgeted in her seat. She managed to keep it from Rick, but she couldn't help but wonder how Rick would react when the father and son eventually had a talk about it.

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