Page 11 of Oliver (The Golden Team #7)

Emery

I couldn’t stop shaking.

The moment we left the gym, the air around me changed. Like something I couldn’t see had followed us out—clinging to my skin, whispering threats in a language I couldn’t hear but could feel .

Oliver hadn’t said much during the ride back. Just kept his hand near mine. Watching every car. Every shadow. Every breath.

Back at the safe house, I sat on the bed, staring at my reflection in the mirror. Same face. Same freckles. The same swimmer’s shoulders and tight jawline I saw before every race.

But nothing felt the same.

Someone close to me knew. Someone close to me wanted me kidnapped or dead. It had to be the coach at the training center. It had to be him. He must be in on everything. I will ruin him and that fake training camp.

I’m sure my teammates weren’t involved. Plus, there were only two other swimmers there. But they weren’t… killers. None of them knew where I was.

Or did they?

Most of their coaches would stab you in the back. Just to get you out of the race. It was shocking how much back stabbing went on in all of these kinds of things.

But none of them knew I was there.

I squeezed my eyes shut and thought back to that day.

The burner phone. The blinking light. The way the locker room door had creaked open half a second after I backed out of the office. The cold wash of certainty that I wasn’t alone.

They were already watching.

My new phone Oliver gave me buzzed beside me.

I jumped.

Just a message from Oliver.

I’m in the kitchen if you need anything.

If you need anything.

He always said that like it was so simple. Like what I needed wasn’t to scream, or run, or crawl into my old life and pretend none of this ever happened. I needed my mother, but she’s dead. My father will be here soon. I know he will come as soon as he finds out where I am.

But I didn’t want to be alone. Not now.

I walked barefoot down the hall and found Oliver sitting at the table, typing something on his laptop. A map of Southern California glowed on the screen—pins dropped in locations I didn’t recognize.

“Trouble?” I asked.

“Possibly.” He closed the laptop. “We ran the facility’s security logs. Someone deleted footage from the day you disappeared.”

My stomach dropped.

“Which means someone with access?” I asked.

“Exactly. Admin-level. Could be an employee. It could be someone who hacked in. But whoever it was, they covered their tracks well.”

I sank into the seat across from him. “So what now?”

“We find out what was on the phone. Or at least trace it. The Golden Team is running down some leads.” He hesitated. “River’s got a contact in Homeland Security. If that video you saw was what I think it was…”

“What?” I pushed.

“It could be tied to an arms deal that went sideways months ago. Covert. Quiet. Disappeared from the news cycle fast.”

“And they think I saw evidence?”

“Maybe. Or maybe you saw something that points to someone involved—someone with a lot to lose.”

I rubbed my temples. “So I’m a target until we figure it out.”

“You’re not alone,” he said, reaching across the table and wrapping his fingers around mine. “Not for one second.”

I looked at him—really looked.

The quiet strength in his voice. The storm behind his calm. Those beautiful eyes that I could get lost in.

“You keep saying that,” I whispered.

“Because I mean it.”

I swallowed hard. “Tell me about your son. About Olly.”

That surprised him. His face softened. “He’s a wild little thing. Obsessed with dinosaurs and baseball. Smart. Sweet. Gets in trouble for talking too much in class.”

I smiled. “He sounds amazing.”

“He is.” His voice dipped lower. “He’s why I don’t stay away for more than a couple of weeks. I couldn’t keep going overseas and miss him growing up.”

“And Dana, tell me about his mommy?”

“She was already sick when she brought him to me. She didn’t want him to see her die.

She knew I’d protect him.” He paused. “I brought her to my house so she had someone with her when she died. Not because we were still in love, but because no one should have to die alone. Plus, she was able to have Olly with her for a couple more months.”

My throat tightened. “You really are a protector, aren’t you?”

He held my gaze. “Only for the ones who matter.”

The words settled in my chest like something solid. Something dangerous. Something I wanted in my life.

I had to be careful; if I wasn’t careful, I could fall for this man and his beautiful eyes. His kind heart, even though he could kill someone at the blink of an eye. But only if he had to.

I could fall hard for this man, who was my protector.