Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
OLIVER
“Do we have to go to work today?”
Shea lifts her head from my shoulder and makes a face at the phone buzzing on the bedside table, the alarm currently on its third snooze of the morning. Her nose scrunches up as she asks in a wheedling tone, “We could call in sick, couldn’t we? Even the police get sick days, don’t they?”
“We do.” Reaching over, I smack at the phone until it goes quiet again. “But it’s probably a better idea to wait until I’m actually sick. Since we’re a small department, it’s harder to get coverage.”
Shea sighs dramatically. “Fine.” Then she sits up, allowing the sheet to puddle around her waist. “Being responsible isn’t much fun.”
My gaze jumps from her face to her bared breasts. They’re perfect, just the right size to fit in my hand, with the prettiest pink nipples and satiny soft skin.
“Oll.”
I jerk my head up to meet her amused gaze. “What?”
She giggles. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Of course.” I give her an affronted look. “I always listen to everything you say. You said being responsible isn’t fun. And I agree. I would much rather stay home with you.”
Sensing an opening, Shea says, “Well. You know… I have plenty of sick days. Up until recently, I never took time off. And I bet you never do either. We could stay home, play naked mini-golf, eat more grilled cheese…”
I know Shea is only half-serious, because she’s just as conscientious about work as me. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. After last night, the last thing I want to do is be away from Shea for eight hours. Not after the incredible date she planned, and definitely not after she told me she loves me.
It’s not the first time she’s said it, not even close. During the two and a half years we were together, we both said it countless times. But it felt different when she said it last night. Because now we know how it is to be apart from each other, not temporarily while I was away for work, but for real.
It sucked. A lot. And it makes me more determined to do whatever it takes to make things work this time.
Which means not prioritizing work over Shea. It means reminding her that it’s okay to tell me whatever’s bothering her. And it means supporting her through any setbacks she might have over the months and years, so she never has to deal with them on her own again.
Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe I should take a sick day. Shea’s right, I haven’t taken any sick time since I started working for the department. And aside from the day after she was attacked at her house, the only other day I took off was when Clara was born.
“Oll.” Shea taps my arm. “You know I’m kidding. Mostly.” Her lips curve up. “I love how much you care about your work. We can do mini-golf tonight. Or Sunday, when you’re off. And I’ll make more grilled cheese for dinner. Considering how much cheese we have left, we might be having grilled cheese for the rest of the week.”
“I know.” Tugging her into my lap, I cover her lips with mine. “But I don’t want to prioritize work over you like I did before. So maybe a sick day isn’t a bad idea.”
“You didn’t,” she replies quickly. “I never thought that. You had an important job, one that required you to travel a lot. It wasn’t your fault that?—”
“But I wasn’t there for you.” Guilt presses down on my chest. “If I hadn’t been so insistent on working my way up, trying to get promotions, I would have been home. I could have helped.”
“No.” It’s firm but gentle. “Lots of people travel for work. Lots of people try to get promotions. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I know this is a topic we’re never going to agree on. So rather than press the issue, I back off. “Well. Now I work in town. And there’s no travel, except for the occasional weekend conference up in Albany. So I’ll be here all the time.” Smiling, I add, “You’ll probably get sick of me.”
“Never.” Shea loops her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek. “Now. I know you need to get to work. I suppose I should too. But do you think we have time for some sexy time in the shower?”
“Hmm.” My other, lower brain gives its full approval, jumping to attention. “I think we could. If we’re both showering together, that saves time, after all.”
“Okay!” Shea hops out of bed, her naked body on full display. With the sunlight filtering through the curtains—a welcome replacement for the white blinds—she looks absolutely stunning. The glow of the sun catches the hints of copper and bronze in her hair, and when she turns to me, her face is lit up with happiness.
Just as I’m getting out of bed to follow her, my phone starts buzzing again.
Nearly to the bathroom door, Shea stops. “I thought you turned off the alarm?”
“I did.” A heavy sense of foreboding fills my stomach. It’s six-thirty in the morning, which is not the normal time for people I know to be calling. I know it’s not my sister, because I have a special ring tone for her. But what if it’s Cole, calling because something’s wrong with Maya or Clara? What if somehow, this threat wormed its way past Blade and Arrow’s defenses?
“Someone’s calling,” I add as I reach for the phone. “I hope it’s not an emergency.”
Shea walks towards me, concern etched across her features.
But when I see the name calling, my heart leaps to my throat. Cole .
Relax. It could be an update on the case. It might not be bad news.
Forcing my voice to stay steady, I answer the phone. “Cole. Is Maya okay? Clara?”
There’s a pause, and my heart stops.
“Maya’s fine. So is Clara.” Cole pauses. “Sorry, I didn’t think. Next time I’ll text first.”
“No, it’s okay.” Sagging onto the mattress, I put my arm around Shea as she sits beside me. “What’s up?”
“Leo found something. I know you and Shea have work, but do you think you can make time to come in this morning?”
I answer without thinking. “Of course. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“Did Cole mention what they found?”
As we walk towards the Blade and Arrow building, Kane glances over at me as he adds with a frown, “Hopefully something more than what the department has come up with.”
“He didn’t say,” I reply. “Just that he wanted us to come in as soon as possible.”
Which is more than a little frustrating, if I’m honest. Not that I don’t understand why Cole would want to discuss this in person, but I would much rather have been able to share the news with Shea at home, where I can comfort her in privacy if the information isn’t as promising as we hope.
Instead, we rushed through a decidedly un-fun shower and a hurried breakfast that Shea barely touched while I watched her get progressively more stressed and worried. By the time we got into the car, she was a bundle of nerves, her foot tapping in an uneven rhythm and her face pale and drawn.
I would prefer for her not to sit in on the meeting at all, but of course, Shea insisted. When I suggested that she could visit with Maya and Clara while I meet with Cole, she immediately rejected it, saying, “It’s about me , Oll. I need to be there. If the positions were reversed, there’s no way you wouldn’t be there.”
Which is true. And I understand why she wants to go. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
As soon as I heard from Cole, I called Kane and asked him to come along. Normally I’m the liaison whenever the department works with Blade and Arrow—since it’s in an unofficial capacity, the consensus is the fewer people involved, the better. But in this situation, with Shea’s safety on the line, I want my partner there, too.
“Maybe it’s good news,” Shea quietly suggests, a note of cautious hope in her voice. “Maybe they found the guys from the van. Or the man who came to my house.”
I give her hand a little squeeze. “Hopefully.”
Just as I press the intercom button at the back door, she adds more gloomily, “Or something else happened. Something bad.” Her worried gaze moves to mine. “You don’t think any of the women here were hurt, do you? Or someone local? Another attempted abduction?”
As she continues, her voice pitches up. “What if someone was taken? Attacked? What if they went after another woman because they couldn’t get to me?”
Hugging Shea to my side, I press a quick kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sure that’s not the case. Cole said Maya’s fine. And if any of the other women were hurt, I’m sure he would have mentioned that on the phone.”
At least, I’m pretty sure he would have.
She leans against me, giving me most of her weight. In a small voice, she says, “I hope you’re right.”
My heart squeezes. Twists.
I hate that she’s going through this. Not just afraid for her own safety, but taking on the misplaced idea that somehow she’s responsible for everyone else’s, as well.
Kane looks at Shea. His tone is kind but firm. “If those assholes did something, which I am not saying they did, it’s not your fault. At all. You know that, right?”
She meets his gaze. Sighs. “I know. It’s just… I’m so worried.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I reassure her. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. Think about how many people we have working on this. Me. Kane. Cole and his team. The entire police department.”
After a pause, she says, “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m freaking out like this. Or why I’m automatically assuming the worst. It could be good news.”
“Right.” I give her a little smile. “And just think, since we ended up having to take the morning off, after this, we can go home and…”
Her lips lift. “Another shower? And mini-golf?”
Kane groans. “Guys. I’m right here.”
“What?” I ask innocently. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“Right.” He shakes his head. “Like you’re just?—”
But he cuts himself off as the back door opens.
“Hey, guys.” Cole gives us a tight smile as he greets us. “Come on in.”
Shit. That’s the first sign that this isn’t good news.
As we walk inside, Shea blurts, “Is everyone okay? No one’s hurt, are they?”
Cole slows, glancing over his shoulder at Shea as he replies, “Everyone’s fine, Shea.” Regret flickers across his face as he adds apologetically, “I’m sorry you were worried.”
Her shoulders sag with relief. “No, it’s okay. I just… I started imagining the worst.”
“Understandable,” he replies. “It’s a stressful situation. I know I’ve jumped to worse-case scenarios myself in the past. But it’s not bad. I promise.”
I notice he doesn’t say it’s good news, though.
By the time we get to the conference room, my patience is hanging by a thread. Normally, I don’t have a problem waiting for information—if I did, I would have gone crazy back when I was working for the CIA—but this time is different.
As we file into the large room, I spot Leo at the long wooden table, his laptop in front of him. He looks up, his expression solemn as he sees us, and he gives me and Kane quick chin lifts in greeting. Then he turns his attention to Shea, his features softening into a warm smile. “Hey, guys. Thanks for coming in so quickly.”
We all take seats around the table, Shea to the left of me, and Kane on her other side. Cole sinks into the leather chair at the head of the table and picks up the tablet in front of him, flipping the cover open and scanning the screen. A few moments later, once we’re all situated, he says, “Okay, I know you’re eager to hear what Leo found. And I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more info over the phone, but I think you’ll understand once you see it.”
He glances at Leo, and they exchange a quick look. Then Leo says, “Right. I’ll get right to it. You know I’ve been searching through security footage, trying to get a hit on any of the men involved. I’ve looked at the exterior security cameras around the Hop-less Horseman, doorbell cameras for the houses surrounding Shea’s, and traffic light cameras in both areas.”
Cole jumps in. “There are hundreds of cameras, and many of them required some… creative methods of access. But Leo’s been working at it every day.”
“Of course,” I agree quickly, glancing from Cole to Leo. “We know. And we really appreciate it.”
“I really appreciate it,” Shea echoes.
“Of course,” Leo replies. “This involves everyone here. Not just because Elle and Jade were also involved at the Hop-less Horseman, but because you’re family, Shea. So we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe.”
Shea stares at him for a second. Her chin wobbles. Her fingers tighten around mine. In a low voice, she says, “Thanks, Leo. Cole. It really means a lot.”
Leo’s cheeks go pink. Then his gaze dips to his laptop, and he taps a few keys. “Cole. Can you turn on the screen? So I can show everyone?”
Cole reaches for the remote on the table. A moment later, the screen on the wall turns on, displaying Leo’s desktop on it. Another click, and a video appears, paused to show a vantage point from one of the traffic lights near Shea’s house in White Plains.The time stamp shows it’s from the day Shea was attacked, just about ten minutes past when she called me.
“Okay,” Leo continues. “So if you watch—” He unpauses the video. “You’ll see the truck coming up to the light…”
And just as he says, a delivery truck comes rushing up to the traffic light, obviously traveling much faster than the speed limit. Then Leo pauses it again, catching a freeze-frame of the van’s windshield and a man behind it. The lower part of the driver’s face is still masked by an obviously-fake chin and mustache, but his nose and eyes are fully exposed.
“Ideally, I’d have more of his face to go on,” Leo adds. “But this was the only shot I could get. So I ran the partial through my facial recognition software, hoping to get a hit.”
“And?” Leaning forward, I pin him with my gaze. “I’m assuming you found something?”
“It took longer than I would have liked.” He frowns as he looks at the screen. “I couldn’t get anything for days, which made me think he might be from another country.” He opens another window on his laptop screen and resizes them so the two are side by side. In one window is the partially disguised attacker, in the other, a man I’ve never seen before.
“Last night, I finally got a match,” Leo says. “This man. His name is Sergey Antonov. Last known location is Moscow. He’s a low-level criminal there, mostly hires himself out as muscle, intimidation, plus some occasional drug running.” He looks at me. “Do you recognize him?”
My stomach turns to lead.
“No.” My jaw clenches, pain slithering down my neck and through my teeth. “I contacted my colleagues at the CIA. After what happened at the Hop-less Horseman. I wanted to make sure… But there wasn’t anything. No red flags. No compromised assets. Nothing to indicate that this could be associated with my work…”
Cole looks at me, his expression grim. “You were in Russia for a while, weren’t you?”
The guilt is suffocating.
“Yes. On and off before I requested the transfer back to Langley. But it’s been nearly three years…” Trailing off, I realize how stupid that sounds. Working for the CIA, there’s never a guarantee. It’s always a risk that the danger could follow me back to the States. That it could come after the people I love.
“But we hadn’t seen each other in four years,” Shea looks over at me. “Why would they come after me?”
It feels like the air is being squeezed from my lungs. “Because there hasn’t been anyone else. Not before you, or after. Anyone who looked into my background would know you’re important to me.”
“With Maya living at Blade and Arrow,” Cole adds, “she had protection you didn’t. Though—” He stops, his jaw clenching, and I just know he’s thinking about how Maya could have been outside on the patio, could potentially have been a target alongside Shea.
Fuck.
Because of my damn job, I put Maya and Shea in danger. I failed them again.
“It’s not your fault,” Kane starts.
Spinning to face him, I snap, “Then whose fault is it? Because it’s not Shea’s. Or Maya’s. They targeted Shea because of me. Hurt her. Shit?—”
Leo interrupts me, his voice enviably calm. “It may be unrelated. I’m still researching this guy. It’s possible he has a connection to one of Blade and Arrow’s old cases. Or something prior to that. A mission we may have been on.”
Flatly, I ask, “In Russia? I don’t know the details of your missions, but I know you worked in the Middle East. It’s highly unlikely this is related to one of your ops.”
Cole frowns. “It’s unlikely, but we won’t know until we get more information. For now, that’s what we need to focus on. Investigating this guy. And of course, keeping up protection on Shea and the rest of the women.”
Pausing, he adds, “Oliver. I know you can’t share what you did back then. But if there’s anything?—”
“I’ll call my colleagues again. Look into old assets. Contacts. See if there’s anything.” Glancing at Shea, I add, “And I think Shea should stay here from now on. It’ll be safer.”
“No.” Shea’s response is immediate. Forceful. “No way. I’m not leaving you.”
Turning to face her, I school my expression, not wanting her to see the fear rushing through me. The guilt. The regret. “It’s safer, Shea. At my place, it’s just me protecting you. Here, you have the team.”
“No,” she repeats. Her brows pull into a V. Tiny lines etch across her forehead. “We thought it was safe for me to stay at your place before. Nothing’s changed.”
“Of course it’s changed. Now we know there are potentially—” My mouth clamps shut. The last thing I want is to scare her more. For her to know just how dangerous these people could be.
Cole jumps in. “Shea, it wouldn’t be?—”
“No.” With a set jaw, she looks at me with a fierce expression. “I will not. We’re a team, Oll. That means we stick together.” Casting her gaze at Cole and Leo, she asks, “Didn’t you say we’re a family? To me, that means no one is left on their own. I won’t have Oliver staying by himself at his house. It’s not okay.”
She pauses. Her voice wobbles. “I want to stay with you . If I’m staying here, so are you.”
“Shea.” My throat is tight.
“The client apartment is available,” Cole says. “It might not be a bad idea, Oliver. If you’re here, we won’t have to split up protection.” To Shea, he adds, “No one is leaving Oliver out to dry. If he insists on going back to his place, we’ll have someone there as backup.”
Shea’s cheeks go pink. “I’m sorry, Cole.”
He makes a dismissive gesture. “It’s fine.” A small smile tugs at his lips. “If it were me in Oliver’s place, I know Maya would say the same thing.”
I love that Shea is so concerned about me, but the guilt-ridden part of me isn’t sure I deserve it.
Kane glances around the table before his gaze lands on me. “So. What’s the plan for catching this guy? Keep trying to track him? Or…” His eyebrows raise expectantly.
“A trap,” I finish. “It’s the best way. My guess is they want Shea to use as leverage. But if I make myself accessible, vulnerable, even…”
Leo nods, his eyes lighting in understanding. “Set up a trap at your place, possibly. At night. Make sure it’s obvious you’re home alone.”
“That wouldn’t be enough,” Cole says. His forehead creases in thought. “Oliver’s trained. And with all the security… What if we send you on a trip? Or we could?—”
Shea jumps to her feet. “No way. NO.” Tears well up in her eyes. “Oll. You can’t. Just let them take you? Let them hurt you? No.”
“Honey.” I pitch my voice so it’s low and soothing. “You know the kind of skills I have. I can handle this. And I would have backup. I’d wear a tracker, like you have.” As Shea touches one of the earrings Blade and Arrow gave to her—each with a built-in tracker and alert system—I add, “It wouldn’t be that dangerous.”
Well. Maybe a little dangerous. But if it ends this, it’s more than worth it.
“Oliver…” She sags back into her chair. “I don’t doubt you, but what if there are a bunch of them? You’re only one person. What if they do something before backup arrives?”
“We’ll plan for all of it. And I’ll be armed.”
Shea stares at me, her face twisting as she tries to hold back her tears. “I can’t lose you. I can’t. ”
Oh.
My heart.
“You won’t .” I take her hands in mine as I hold her gaze. “I promise.”