Page 31 of Being Bold (Tactical Operations & Protection (TOP) Security #1)

Selene

The scream she’d been about to let loose lodged in Selene’s throat when her eyes traveled up the arm of the person who’d grabbed her.

Bo.

Relief turned her legs to gelatin, and she wobbled, leaning into his chest. He wore a janitor’s uniform, making her wonder where he’d gotten it.

“What are you doing?” she asked, shaken.

How did he even get in?

For a moment, his eyes were so warm with relief that her breath caught. Then she blinked, and he pulled her away from Yumi’s office. “Time to go.”

“But what about Yumi?” She glanced over her shoulder and froze. Bo dragged her a couple feet before she yelped, “Felix is here!”

“Shit. That meathead left a package for Selene on my desk. Does someone have her?” Yumi’s question pierced Selene’s ear, but she was too busy trying to breathe to answer her.

“She’s with me.” Bo sounded as calm as she was frantic.

She glanced over her shoulder again. “He’s following us!” she hissed to Bo under her breath, even though Felix was too far away to hear.

“Going to need a little help here, guys.” Bo kept steering her, but she wasn’t paying attention to where they headed. He pushed open a door she’d never been through and started up a set of stairs.

Wait, why are we heading up?

Before she could ask, the door they’d entered through slammed open, and the dark-suited behemoth barged into the stairwell.

“Selene, run!”

She took off up the steps and prayed Bo was right behind her. Judging by the sound of stomping feet, he was, but so was Felix. She gripped the metal railing and used it to help pull herself up.

I’m so out of shape.

She panted even though she’d barely made it up one flight. Her gaze shot out, peeking past the overhang of steps. This building only had five levels, right? Were they going to the top? What if she couldn’t make it?

Her breaths were wheezing out of her abused lungs by the second flight. Still, she didn’t stop. Not until she heard a grunt of pain. Then, she spun around.

Bo and Felix grappled on the landing below her position. She couldn’t tell who had the upper hand, and all she could think about was Bo getting tossed down the stairs. He threw a punch, hitting Mr. Dao’s henchman under the chin and knocking the bigger man’s head back.

Glancing in her direction, Bo yelled, “Keep going! To the roof.”

Felix recovered, charging at Bo, and she screamed. He managed to dodge at the last minute. She didn’t want to leave Bo to deal with Felix alone, but he shouted, “Go, Selene. I’m right behind you. Go!”

He briefly met her gaze, and the look in his eyes—the calm calculation—told her he knew exactly what he was doing, and she didn’t want to stick around for what was about to happen.

Maybe that should’ve shocked her, but it gave her comfort instead.

When Bo palmed the knife she’d found under his mattress, she turned and ran, breath sobbing as she pushed herself on the next flight.

He would be fine, and Felix wouldn’t be a threat anymore.

When she topped the last set of stairs, the huge “R” painted by the door made her groan, “Thank God!”

If she was going to be on the run, she seriously needed to think about doing regular cardio. Hot yoga three times a week did not prepare her for this. Pulling in huge gulps of air, she pushed the lever and stepped out onto the building’s roof.

Now what?

As if in answer, a massive helicopter flew over her head.

She stumbled in surprise as Duke landed on top of the building.

When the skids set down, she gaped. The thing looked longer than a tractor-trailer.

Its blades kept turning, throwing icy wind at her.

She gritted her teeth and turned away to watch the door, waiting for Bo to exit the building.

Where is he?

When she’d started to worry that the fight with Felix had gone south, Bo burst onto the roof. “Let’s go!” he shouted over the roaring rotor blades.

Her legs were wobbly with relief as he pulled her toward the helicopter.

She’d never ridden in one before and didn’t know what to expect.

Bo helped her up, then hopped in after her.

She plopped down on a forward-facing seat in what seemed like the cargo area, the muscles in her legs thanking her.

She’d undoubtedly be sore tomorrow after the calf workout she just got from climbing the stairs.

When Bo shut the door, the machine’s noise changed from a deafening whop to a loud hum.

The vibrations intensified as they lifted off the ground.

Letting out an involuntary gasp, she gripped Bo’s hand.

He caught her eyes, and the warmth she’d glimpsed earlier was back.

It was dangerous, making her hope for things he likely wouldn’t give.

When he shifted, letting out a pained grunt, she trailed her eyes over his body, looking for injuries, but didn’t see any.

Thank God.

Settling beside her, he squeezed her hand and spoke into a headset she hadn’t seen him put on.

Romeo and Herc sat in the two seats in front of their row.

They swiveled to Bo at something he said, nodded, then turned around.

She noted Victor’s buzzed head in the copilot seat and realized the whole team was there.

Except Yumi.

Tugging Bo’s hand to get his attention, Selene asked over the din when he met her gaze, “What about Yumi?”

He tapped the comms in his ear, then frowned. Hoping her friend could still hear her, Selene spoke, “Yumi? Are you okay? What was the package?”

But she got no response.

Bo must’ve seen the worry in her eyes, because he said, “She’ll be okay, ocean-eyes. She knows the plan.”

With a nod, Selene blew out a breath and tried to get more comfortable on the stiff seat. She had to trust that Yumi would be fine. She’d keep searching for the servers like they’d planned. Selene hadn’t given up hope Yumi would find them before the meeting with Mr. Dao.

Bo’s arm came around Selene’s shoulders, pulling her into his side. When she leaned against him, she thought she felt his lips brush over her hair before he said, “This is almost over.”

Was it? And what happened when it was? She ducked her head as her eyes welled with tears. She didn’t want to say goodbye to Bo, but something told her he had no intention of sticking around when his job was finished.

The pain wrenching her heart made her desperate enough to hope it never would be.

The thought terrified her. Did love make you stupid?

Because that was the dumbest thing she could possibly want.

To remain on the run for her life. Where had her control gone?

Her organized and well-thought-out lists?

She knew which side was heavier here, and yet .

. . she was willing to ignore all the cons to be with Bo.

Would he ever feel the same way? Or acknowledge it if he did?

Her head supplied an answer she didn’t want to hear. Staring at their joined hands, she ignored the single tear that tracked down her cheek. Even though her brain said pull away, her heart wouldn’t let her. When the time came, she wouldn’t allow him to leave without a fight.

◆◆◆

Bo

The flight from Saber Tech to the airport near their rented cabin was too short.

Bo could’ve spent another hour with Selene tucked against him, and it still wouldn’t have been enough, not after being on the sidelines while she’d been thrust into danger.

Hugging her closer as the aircraft landed, he squeezed his eyes shut at the fear that had coursed through him.

He’d known Dao would use any chance he had to get rid of Selene. It was why Bo had snagged the security badge of someone on a smoke break and snuck into the building.

The man who shot her showing up proved he’d been right. Dao had never planned to play nice. But the fucker who came after Selene wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

Bo’s right hand gripped the handle of the SRK strapped to his thigh as the remembered rage pulsed through him. That lowlife deserved worse than he got. Still, Bo made sure he’d drawn his last breath.

After dispatching Felix, he’d spoken to Yumi, telling her about the body and the need for a cleanup.

She’d handed him the package the man left for Selene.

It was a phone. He figured it was Dao’s way of saying he’d be in touch.

The sociopath would likely use it to contact Selene with the final details of their meetup.

None of them trusted the phone not to have some sort of tracking device, though. Yumi scanned it and said it was clean, but her reassurance didn’t make him any less worried about carrying it on his person.

When the rotor blades slowed, Bo opened his eyes. The team, apart from Duke, had already exited the helicopter. Had Selene fallen asleep, or was she just as reluctant as he was to let go?

He didn’t know how he would cope with just standing by while she was put in danger again. The mere thought of anyone trying to hurt her sent his pulse through the roof as his vision hazed in blood.

Sighing in frustration at what he couldn’t control, he released her, then took off the aircraft’s headset. She sat up slowly and stared out the windscreen. “Is Felix . . .?”

She wanted to know if he’d killed the man, and Bo wouldn’t lie to her. In a gruff voice, he said, “Yeah.”

She turned to look at him. “Good.”

Her face was both hard and sad. He cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb across the pinched line beside her mouth. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

She nodded at his murmured assurance. “Thank you.”

When her words didn’t fill him with the usual guilt, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“It’s my job to protect you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.

Especially not Dao.” He couldn’t help the growl that leapt into his voice.

He wanted to kill that fucker something fierce.

For Nugg. For Selene. And the multitude of people Dao would harm if he were allowed to keep breathing.