Page 11 of Deadly Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #2)

Axel shut the door behind him, quietly sealing out the muted bustle of Knight Tactical’s command hub.

The overhead lights shot down white cones of light, landing starkly on the scattered paperwork atop a polished wooden table.

Olivia sat with one hand braced on the table’s edge, her green eyes flicking toward him before lowering again.

He took a calm breath, forcibly relaxing his shoulders.

The faintest bruise peeked from under the collar of her shirt, a reminder of the hand that had clamped around her throat yesterday. Even now her posture was rigid, like she was bracing for a fight. Axel recognized it—the same tension he’d seen in rookies after their first firefight.

“Listen,” he began quietly, “I know you’re not thrilled about having extra security, but I’ve given your special circumstances a lot of thought. Let me walk through my plan.” He set a few printed pages in front of her to show he had a framework prepared. “We’ve got options.”

She folded her arms. “I’m willing to hear you out, but I’m not consenting to a Knight Tactical guard looming in my waiting room. My clients can’t handle that. ”

Axel nodded, though part of him wanted to argue. “Understood. We want to protect you—not spook your clients, or sabotage your practice.”

A loaded silence crackled between them. The tension had layers: her rightful fear, her fierce independence, and the current that passed whenever they locked eyes. Last night, he’d glimpsed her from his truck, tension carving lines into her slender frame. That same worry lingered on her face now.

He cleared his throat. “Okay. First off, gear. We can set you up with a compact earpiece that you wear under your hair. You tap it to go live with me or anyone on call. No tap, no audio, so no possibility of us eavesdropping on your sessions.”

She lifted her gaze, interest flickering. “No automatic feed?”

“Nope. It’s silent until you activate it.” Axel slid a slim black device across the table. “This model’s small. Easy to hide. And if something goes wrong, all you have to do is double-tap this button.” He demonstrated on the earbud’s side.

Olivia picked it up, turning it over between her fingers. “So you wouldn’t hear anything unless I give you the signal.”

“Copy that,” Axel confirmed. “We take client confidentiality seriously. You need privacy. I get that. But if something goes sideways again, you’ll have immediate backup.”

She exhaled, shoulders easing a fraction. “All right. That’s … less invasive than I expected.”

He took that as progress and moved on. “Next: presence in your office. Ideally, we’d have someone in or near the waiting area so they can see if the intruder shows up. But your clients?—”

“Would panic,” she finished, her tone clipped. “Most of them are ex-military with PTSD. If they see what looks like another operative or a security guard, they’ll feel threatened. They’ll stop coming altogether.”

Axel wrestled with the urge to remind her that was exactly why she needed better protection.

Still, he’d promised to respect her boundaries.

“What if we station an operative outside? In a vehicle on the street or in a space you’re not using?

We won’t watch who comes and goes—only monitor the exterior for trouble. ”

She crossed her arms more tightly. “No visible guard. No one parked in my clients’ field of vision. Most of them arrive anxious enough as it is.”

He blew out a slow breath through his nose.

This was pushing it. He hated the risk. But he caught a glimpse of the tension in her jaw and realized just how important this was to her.

“Deal,” he said, voice low. “We’ll set up out of sight.

If you can give us a spot behind the building or across the street where people won’t notice the truck, we’ll do that. ”

She wavered, then nodded. “I suppose we can figure something out. As long as no one sees a Knight Tactical presence or vehicle.”

“Understood. It won’t be marked.” Axel braced his palms on the table, leaning forward slightly. “And you’ll wear the earpiece.”

She inclined her head, gaze skittering from his face to the earbud in her hand. “Okay.”

Some of the apprehension in his chest loosened. She had her boundaries, and he would do his best to meet them, no matter how difficult it made his job. “Then we’re good so far.”

“Far from good,” Olivia corrected, but her voice softened. “But … less disastrous than it could be.”

He almost smiled. “I’ll take it.”

She touched the scarf at her neck, wincing slightly. The bruise there was still raw, faint purple across her skin .

A flare of protectiveness stung him right between the ribs. “How’re you holding up?”

She arched an auburn brow. “Fine.” The single clipped word told him otherwise. But he wouldn’t press; it wasn’t his place—at least not yet.

Shaking off the thought, he shut the folder and reached for his phone. “Before we wrap, I want to check something.” As soon as he turned the screen on, a notification popped up from one of Knight Tactical’s intel apps. A frown tugged at his mouth when he recognized the address.

“What is it?” Olivia asked, instantly on alert.

“There’s a mention of an unknown male hanging around near your office building early this morning.” He skimmed the message. “Description’s a possible match with your intruder.”

Her eyes widened. Her grip on the earbud tightened. “Did he do anything?”

Axel shook his head. “Apparently just loitering, then took off when approached. Could be a coincidence … or it could be our suspect waiting for another chance.”

Fear flashed across her features, and she swallowed. “So, this isn’t over.”

“Right.” He shoved the phone into his back pocket as he stood, heart thudding with fresh urgency. “This is why we can’t wait until tomorrow. We need to get security in place now.”

She paled slightly. “Now? But we haven’t even discussed payment?—”

“Forget the cost,” he said bluntly, more forceful than he intended. “You help vets. We help you. That’s how it works. We live for missions like this. Consider it on the house.”

Surprise flared in her eyes. “On the house? I can’t accept total?—”

He talked over her, voice edged with frustration. “We’re not charging you, Olivia. Knight Tactical was built to protect the people who serve and support our troops. If someone’s threatening you or your work with veterans, we’ll step in. I’ll take care of the details with the big bosses.”

She pressed her lips together, searching his eyes for any sign he might relent. “I don’t want you signing me up for something that’ll put you in hot water.”

A flicker of doubt passed through Axel, but he ignored it. He didn’t know Jack Reese or Admiral Knight, the owner, well enough to judge. They might freak, but right now, it didn’t matter. His problem. Not hers.

Time to move on. “We’ll rotate coverage so someone’s watching your house at night, and someone else tracks you during the day—at a discreet distance. You have the earpiece for inside the office. That’s still minimal coverage compared to what we usually do.”

She half-laughed, tension crackling in her voice. “Minimal? I’d call that intense. I can’t have you guys lurking at home and work.”

He leveled his gaze. “You won’t even know we’re there unless there’s trouble. I promise.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, glancing down at the earbud in her palm. “I hate feeling like a prisoner in my own life.”

“I know.” The quiet words felt too personal, but he pressed on. “It’s only until we figure out who’s targeting you. Then we’ll back off.”

For a moment, she simply looked at him, a thousand emotions in her eyes. Finally, she gave a slow, reluctant nod. “One week. Then we reassess.”

Axel studied her, torn between relief and concern. “Deal.”

He took a step closer. “May I?” He gestured to the earpiece .

She nodded as she stood from her seat and tilted her head slightly. The gesture exposed the curve of her neck, and his jaw clenched at the sight of those purple-black bruises. The surge of anger was far from professional.

With careful fingers, he brushed her thick, red hair back, trying not to think about how silky it felt against his skin. She smelled amazing—something subtle and warm that made him want to lean closer. Instead, he kept his movements clinical as he positioned the device.

“The sensor needs to rest here.” His fingertips ghosted over the sensitive spot behind her ear. He felt her slight inhale, saw the flutter of her pulse at her throat.

He adjusted the earpiece until it was snug. “Perfect.”

He should step back. But for just a moment, he let himself feel the gravity of what he was doing—protecting a woman who, for all her protests, triggered something deeply primal inside him. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time. If ever.

“Double-tap if you need me,” he said softly. “Anytime—no matter how small the worry.”

She hesitated, gaze locked on his. “I still hate this. But … thank you, Axel.”

He let out a slow breath, stepping away and clearing his throat.

“We’ll start today. Let’s grab some breakfast, then we’ll head over to your office and make sure we’re all on the same page.

Someone will be watching your place tonight from a distance you won’t notice.

I’ll get you a schedule by the end of the day. ”

She nodded curtly, a new weight in her eyes. It wasn’t relief—more like uneasy resignation. “All right, then.”

They stood in silence for a beat, the swirl of tension still thick in the room. Finally, Olivia turned and crossed to the door. Axel’s heart thudded as he watched her go, determined to keep that promise—even if it meant colliding head-on with her stubborn independence.

He knew with absolute certainty that he was knee-deep in trouble. Not just with Knight Tactical’s leadership …

But with her.