Page 10 of Deadly Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #2)

The conference room Axel led her to overlooked the airfield.

Through the wall of windows, she could see the full scope of Knight Tactical’s operation—gear cages, weapons vaults, and what looked like a command center visible through interior glass.

Every detail reinforced her original opinion of the operation: built on excellence and appealing to the wealthy and powerful.

Axel pulled out a chair for her, then took the one beside her. His presence was oddly steadying as the team gathered around the conference table, their collective focus both reassuring and slightly overwhelming.

Deke spread surveillance photos across the polished conference table while Ronan outlined their initial strategy.

Olivia found herself struggling to focus, overwhelmed by both the scale of the operation and the lethal competence that radiated from every member of the team.

These people handled international security crises, protected dignitaries, ran high-risk operations—and now they were all focused on her case with unnerving intensity.

“About your clients ...” Ronan began carefully .

Axel spread surveillance photos across the polished conference table while Ronan outlined their approach. “We’ll start by analyzing local surveillance feeds, cross-referencing known threats in the area. Our facial recognition software can?—”

“And your client files,” Zara interjected quietly. “We need to know if anyone stands out.”

Olivia stiffened. “Those files are protected by both legal and ethical obligations. I can’t?—”

“We don’t need names,” Griff spoke up from where he’d settled against the wall. “Just patterns. Demographics. Risk factors.”

“Military backgrounds,” Deke added. “History of violence.”

“Signs of instability,” Kenji added.

Axel leaned forward slightly. “We understand the confidentiality issues, Dr. Kane. But whoever that guy was, he left without what he came for. He’ll be back.” His voice softened. “Help us narrow the field.”

Olivia tugged at the edge of her sleeve. These people handled international security at a level she could barely comprehend. Yet here they were, their considerable resources focused on her case. “I could provide redacted summaries. Pattern analysis only.”

“That’s all we need,” Ronan assured her.

“There’s something else.” Axel exchanged a look with his friend. “The level of violence with this break-in ... investigating isn’t enough. Until we catch this guy, you need protection.”

“No.” The word came out sharp and fast. “Absolutely not. I can’t see patients with a bodyguard hovering?—”

“It wouldn’t be obvious,” Axel insisted. “We know how to be discreet.”

She turned to him, suddenly aware of how close he was sitting. “I can’t. My patients need to feel secure. Private. Having security personnel around, even discreet ones ...” She shook her head. “And the professional boundaries?—”

“Dr. Kane.” Ronan’s voice was gentle but firm. “Someone broke into your office and tried to strangle you. This isn’t about appearances.”

She looked around the table, saw the same concern reflected in every face. The weight of their collective experience pressed in on her. These people knew how situations like this could end.

A small voice in her head whispered that they were right, that she was being stubborn rather than practical. But accepting protection meant accepting that her life needed protecting. That the violence wasn’t a one-time thing. That she was truly in danger.

She wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

“Let me think about it,” she managed. “For now, let’s focus on the investigation. I’ll get you those redacted files.”

She felt Axel shift beside her, knew without looking that he wanted to push the issue. But he remained silent, respecting her choice while making it clear the conversation wasn’t over.

Through the windows, another jet screamed into the sky, its shadow racing across the conference table like a warning.

“At least let me drive you home,” Axel said as the others gathered their things. “Check your security system.”

“I can drive myself.” The words came out sharper than she’d intended. “And I already have a security system. I’m not ungrateful,” she snapped, pushing back from the table and rising. “But I can’t disrupt my entire practice. My clients depend on me. They need stability, consistency?—”

“They need you alive,” Axel cut in, his own tension finally showing. “What happens to their stability if …” He stopped himself, jaw working .

The flash of genuine fear in his eyes made her pause. Heat crept up her neck. She was acting exactly like some of her own patients when they were too scared to face reality—defensive, prickly, pushing away help.

“Okay, folks.” Izzy’s voice cut through the tension as she stood, somehow making the movement look casual. “Why don’t we give these two some space to work out the protection details?” She caught Zara’s eye, and the other woman nodded.

“We’ll start running those surveillance checks,” Ronan added smoothly, gathering the photos. “Dr. Kane, just think about what we discussed.”

The team filed out with practiced efficiency, leaving her alone with Axel. The conference room suddenly felt much smaller. He hadn’t moved, but she could feel his presence like a physical thing—steady, solid, refusing to be pushed away by her fear.

Her heart kicked against her ribs. Being alone with him was simultaneously the last thing she wanted and exactly what she needed. The attraction she’d been fighting sparked between them, complicated by gratitude and fear and a dozen other emotions she wasn’t ready to name.

“Olivia.” Just her name, soft and low.

She kept her eyes on the airfield, where the sun painted long shadows across the tarmac. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“Do you?” She could hear him shift in his chair, feel him watching her. “Because I’m pretty sure you’ve been arguing with some version of me in your head that isn’t actually me.”

That made her turn, meeting his steady gaze.

Something in his expression made her pulse quicken.

Not just attraction, though that was certainly there, crackling between them like static electricity.

No, it was the way he looked at her—like he saw past her professional armor, past the careful walls she’d built, straight to the woman who’d lain awake last night jumping at every sound.

She should leave. Thank him politely, drive home, and handle this herself. That would be the sensible thing. The professional thing.

Instead, she found herself sinking back into her chair, watching the way his shoulders relaxed infinitesimally at her decision to stay.

“Alright then,” she said softly, surprising them both. “Talk to me.”

Through the windows, the sun caught the mountains in amber light. But in here, the air between them felt charged with possibilities—and the promise that whatever came next might change everything.