Page 12 of Deadly Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #2)

Olivia couldn’t help but smile as they made their way out of the airport terminal’s main corridor toward her office around the corner.

The breakfast stop at Tailwinds Café had been Izzy’s idea.

Watching the petite security expert juggle their coffee order while maintaining surveillance had almost made this feel like a normal morning.

“Clear on your six,” Izzy murmured through an answering smile, her casual tone belying the way her eyes swept the space around them. She handed out the coffees.

“You know,” Ronan teased the woman as they passed the terminal’s security checkpoint, “most people don’t speed-eat their breakfast while planning entry points and exit strategies.”

“Most people aren’t us,” Axel replied, falling into step beside Olivia.

His shoulder brushed hers as he adjusted his pace to match her shorter stride, and she tried to ignore the little flutter that contact triggered.

“Though I have to admit, watching Izzy try to surveil while balancing three coffee cups was pretty entertaining. ”

“Hey, I didn’t spill a drop,” Izzy protested. “And I caught that suspicious-looking guy with the newspaper.”

“You mean the elderly man doing his crossword puzzle?” Ronan’s voice was dry.

“Better safe than sorry,” Izzy sang out, but her playful tone shifted to professional focus as they approached Olivia’s building.

Olivia felt the change in energy immediately. The team’s loose formation tightened, their banter falling away as they climbed the stairs to her suite. The space would be empty, with her office mates out of town and Marisol not due to come in today with Olivia’s schedule cleared.

She hated cancelling clients, but until she could be sure her friends and patients were safe she couldn’t risk them showing up.

The door keys bit into her palm as she gripped them, every shadow in the familiar hallway suddenly deeper, every distant sound magnified.

The lock caught the morning light streaming through the corridor windows, its brass surface winking in the light. She tried not to think about the violated sanctuary that lay beyond. As she fitted the key into place, Axel stepped closer, his presence solid and steady at her shoulder.

“Me first,” Axel said softly, and she felt a rush of both gratitude and frustration at needing this level of caution in her own office.

He moved past her with fluid grace, and she watched as he signaled to Ronan and Izzy with nothing more than a slight tilt of his head and a quick gesture.

They split off smoothly, checking corners and shadows while somehow making it look like they were just casually walking through the space.

The morning sun streamed through the waiting room windows, painting familiar patterns on the carpet.

Deke’s team had put everything in order as best they could, considering the mess.

If she hadn’t known she and Deke had fought off an intruder the signs would be hard to spot.

But the silence felt wrong. Usually by this time, Marisol would be humming quietly at her desk, updating patient files.

Stuart would be frowning over billing reports, and Janelle would be making her signature terrible coffee in the break room.

Olivia forced herself to step fully inside, trying to shake off the lingering unease.

She should be relieved to have a quiet day to regroup, to not have to paste on a reassuring smile for her friends or maintain a calm facade for clients.

Instead, a deep sadness settled in her chest. This place had been her sanctuary, her mission, her proudest achievement.

Now, with threats looming, it was none of those things.

“You okay?” Axel appeared at her elbow. His expression was neutral, but she caught the concern in his eyes.

“I will be,” she answered, wishing she felt as confident as she tried to sound.

He moved through the reception area with practiced efficiency, his casual demeanor from earlier replaced by focused intensity.

His fingers skimmed the window frames, testing latches, while Izzy disappeared down the hallway toward the therapy rooms. Through the glass door, Olivia could see Ronan’s broad shoulders as he positioned himself with a clear view of both the parking lot and the building’s entrance.

The sudden jingle of keys made them all freeze. Olivia’s heart slammed against her ribs as she spun toward the door, Axel already moving to intercept. But then a familiar figure stepped through, and the tension dissolved into surprise.

“Marisol?”

Her receptionist jumped slightly, eyes widening as she took in the security team.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle everyone.

” She clutched her purse closer, glancing between them.

“I just ... I knew you were coming in today, and I thought maybe there’d be some filing I could catch up on.

” She pulled a face. “Nah. I’m joking. I wasn’t about to miss seeing the famous Knight Tactical in action.

The stories about you guys have been all over the airport gossip chain.

” She winked at Olivia. “Though no one mentioned how photogenic your security detail would be, amiga .”

Axel coughed slightly, the ghost of his earlier humor returning even as he maintained his position. “We prefer to think people are talking about our professional capabilities, ma’am.”

“Oh, I’m sure those are very impressive too,” Marisol said airily, setting her overstuffed purse down with a flourish. “But you can’t blame a girl for appreciating the ... comprehensive view.” She glanced Axel over from head to toe.

Izzy emerged from the hallway.

Olivia couldn’t help but laugh at her raised eyebrow and Axel’s carefully maintained poker face. Trust Marisol to cut through the tension with her particular brand of sass. Her friend had always been able to find light in the darkest situations—it was one of the reasons Olivia had hired her.

“I brought pan dulce.” Marisol paused, glancing at the security team with a sly smile. “I mean if your guardians approve of carbs.”

Olivia had to hide her smile as the supposedly steely Knight Tactical team gravitated toward the pastries like moths to a flame.

“?Ay! Conchas . Homemade?” Izzy asked, reaching for a pastry and taking a huge bite, closing her eyes in apparent bliss. “ Delicioso .”

Marisol beamed, then sobered slightly as she watched Axel examining the front door lock. “Any leads?”

“We’re following several angles,” Axel replied, accepting a pastry from Izzy with a nod of thanks. “But what’s most important right now is making sure everyone here stays safe. We’re setting up additional security measures, and we’d like you to have direct access to our team.”

Ronan pulled out his phone. “I’m creating a secure group chat—you, Olivia, your other partners, and our core team. Any concerns, anything that feels off, even if it seems minor?—”

“Like suspicious crossword enthusiasts?” Izzy interjected around a mouthful of pan dulce.

“Even those,” Ronan continued with admirable patience. “Text or call immediately. We’d rather check out a hundred false alarms than miss something important.”

Marisol nodded, suddenly serious. “What about Stuart and Janelle? Should I warn them?”

“We don’t think you or they are targets,” Axel said carefully, “but everyone should stay alert. If you could keep them updated without causing panic, that would be helpful.”

“Please,” Olivia added softly. “They deserve to know, but I don’t want them cutting their conference short.”

The conversation paused as Axel and Izzy began their systematic sweep of Olivia’s office. She watched them open every drawer, check every corner, their movements precise and respectful. But when Axel approached her filing cabinet, she felt her chest tighten.

Axel paused at the cabinet, his hand resting on the metal surface. “Olivia, we need to talk about your files.”

“I already moved all my active cases home last night,” she said, gesturing at the cabinet. “These are just archived records from former clients.”

“Smart move,” he acknowledged. “But we still need to consider the possibility that your attacker is connected to a patient, current or former.”

“They weren’t touched,” she insisted. “I checked everything?— ”

“Look, Zara’s got this program that could help us spot any suspicious patterns, and before you say no again”—he held up a hand as she opened her mouth to argue—“her program doesn’t store anything.

No names, no details. Her program simply looks for patterns.

She’s got a scanner with an automatic feed.

No one will get eyes on your notes. I mean that. ”

“What about the digital files?”

“Once Zara feeds your notes into the program, all identifying information will be deleted. Then Zara will delete the scanned files themselves. Sound good?”

Olivia wrapped her arms around herself, feeling sick. These weren’t just files. They were people’s lives. Their darkest moments. Their hard-won victories. That’s why she’d always resisted digitizing her notes. The thought of someone violating that trust made her want to scream.

“Don’t stress,” Izzy chimed in, catching Olivia’s expression. “Zara’s hardcore about privacy. She’s got banks and hospitals using her systems. The woman’s like a digital fortress with attitude.”

Olivia moved to the filing cabinet, running her fingers along the drawer handles. Each folder inside represented someone who’d trusted her enough to share their pain, their hopes, their healing journey. The idea that someone might use that trust as a weapon ...

She looked up at Axel, seeing the concern beneath his professional demeanor. “I need some time to think about it,” she said quietly. “And I want to talk to Zara myself before anything happens.”

Axel’s systematic sweep brought him to her desk, where his gaze caught on the framed photo.

Two figures stood triumphant atop a granite monolith, arms raised in victory against a vast sky.

Even in the small image, their shared features were unmistakable—the same determined set of the jaw, the same unruly red curls.

The same bright eyes. Even five years apart, she and James had never been able to hide the fact that they were brother and sister.

Marisol’s voice carried from the reception area, discussing filing systems with Izzy.

The normalcy of it hit Olivia like a physical blow—Marisol, who came in on her day off just to help.

Stuart and Janelle, who’d trusted her with their practice space.

Her clients, who deserved better than to walk into potential danger.

“I can’t keep seeing clients here,” she said suddenly, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “If something happened to any of them, or to Marisol?—”

“I was hoping you’d say that. We’ll figure something out,” Axel said. “There are options.”

Izzy poked her head in. “Are we relocating? Because if we are, that’s Axel’s department. I just handle the fun stuff like weapons and surveillance gear.”

Axel thought for a minute. “We could blame it on necessary renovations, or?—”

“Fumigation,” Marisol called out. “Everyone believes fumigation. Nobody asks questions about bugs.”

Despite everything, Olivia felt a laugh bubble up.

She looked around her space—the carefully chosen artwork, the comfortable chairs, the soft lighting she’d selected to create a sanctuary for healing.

Now it all felt ... tainted. But as she watched her impromptu team brainstorming solutions, she felt something else too: a fierce determination not to let fear win.

“Okay,” she said, straightening her shoulders. “Let’s talk relocation options. But nothing too far from the coffee shop on Third—their chai lattes are therapeutic necessity.”

“There’s my practical girl,” Marisol grinned. “Always keeping the priorities straight.”

After finalizing some immediate security measures, Axel’s team stepped out to check the building’s perimeter, leaving Olivia and Marisol alone in the inner office.

“ Bueno ,” Marisol fanned herself dramatically. “Your new friends are something else.”

“They’re not my friends,” Olivia corrected quickly. “They’re security consultants.”

“Whatever you say,” Marisol’s eyes twinkled. “They’re like pan dulce– sweet, warm, and impossible to resist.”

Olivia busied herself straightening papers, trying to ignore how accurate that description was—unfortunately.

“If I wasn’t blissfully married,” Marisol continued, “I wouldn’t mind either one of those tall drinks of water. But you ...” She studied Olivia’s face with knowing eyes. “You’ve already picked your favorite, haven’t you?”

“I haven’t given it any thought,” Olivia protested, but she could feel her cheeks warming.

“? Mentirosa !” Marisol laughed. “It’s Axel.” She held a hand up before Olivia could respond. “Don’t even. I saw how you look at him when you think no one’s watching.”

Olivia opened her mouth to argue, but Axel chose that moment to return with Izzy and Ronan in tow.

She ran her hand along her desk’s smooth surface, remembering all the breakthroughs that had happened in this room. All the moments when her clients had found their own strength to face their fears.

Maybe it was time to practice what she preached.

She looked up straight into Axel’s steel-blue eyes. “You know what? My clients don’t come here because of the room. They come because they’re ready to do the work, face their demons.” She straightened, chin lifting. “And if they can be that brave, so can I.”

“Even without the therapeutic chai lattes?” Marisol teased.

“Well,” Olivia smiled, and there was steel beneath the humor, “let’s not get crazy. Some comforts are non-negotiable. But the rest?” She grabbed her jacket, ready to scout new locations. “The rest we’ll figure out. One step at a time.”

Just like she always told her clients. One brave step at a time.