Page 22 of Oliver (The Golden Team #7)

Oliver

I watched Emery pace back and forth, trying to reason with the man on the phone.

“Why can’t I train here? I’m not ready to leave yet,” she said, her voice tight with frustration.

Pause.

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. Yes, I know the man is locked up. I’ll meet you at the airport.”

She ended the call and turned toward me, her expression weary.

“My vacation’s over. I start training again on Monday. The committee is letting me back in because of everything that happened.” Her voice softened. “I’m going to train hard the next few months. I don’t want to go… but so many people are counting on me.”

“I don’t want you to go either,” I said, pulling her into my arms. “We should both retire. Then we could spend all day together.”

She gave a half-laugh. “I’d go bonkers if I weren’t busy. I have to be doing something. Maybe I’ll start my own clothing line when I retire from competitive swimming. That would be fun. I could open a boutique downtown.”

Her face lit up as the idea grew.

“I’ve thought about it for years,” she added. “I just never had a reason to retire before. Now I do.”

“That’s an excellent idea.” I cupped her face. “Emery, I love you. I don’t want you to leave. Open the shop now.”

Her eyes widened. “I’ve already signed a contract to compete… Did you say you loved me?”

“I did.”

“I love you, too.” She smiled softly. “I promise I’ll come back. You can visit me.”

“Where are you going?”

“Colorado. For the next six months. I’ll have my own cabin. If you can get away, you’re always welcome.”

“I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you, too.”

“When do you leave?”

“In the morning.”

“Then let’s make tonight count.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “We have tonight.”

Just as she said it, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen.

“What’s up, River?” I answered.

“We need to leave in five minutes,” he said without preamble.

“Where are we going?”

“The Grand Canyon. Three boys are missing. They’ve had so many people show up to help search that they had to shut it down. I’ll be right there. Farron will stay with Olly—he’s still not cleared for active duty.”

“That’s perfect. Emery heads back to training in the morning.”

“Oh yeah? Is she okay with that?”

“It’s been two months. Nothing’s happened. She says she’s fine with it.” I sighed. “I’ll see you when you get here.”

I walked over and kissed Emery goodbye, then jogged upstairs and knelt beside Olly’s bed.

“When are you coming home?” he asked, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

“We’re going to find some missing boys. Once we do, I’ll be back. I love you. Emery leaves in the morning, but Faron will be here with you.”

“I like it when Faron comes over. He tells all those Indian stories his grandfather told him.” Olly blinked. “I’m going to miss you, Dad. I’m going to miss Emery, too.”

“I love you, buddy. I’m going to miss you, too. I’ll try to find the boys fast so I can come home.”

I scooped him into a hug, holding him close.

When I turned around, Emery stood at the doorway.

“He’s here,” she said quietly. “I’ll read Olly another story.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, kissing her one more time before heading out.

Unknown Man – Elsewhere

“He left. Do you want me to get her?”

“No,” the voice on the other end snapped. “I want you to watch her. I’ll tell you when to bring her to me.”

“Okay. You’re the boss.”

“Damn right, I am. And don’t you forget it.”

There was a pause.

“Victor’s the one we need to worry about. If he spills his guts, we’re all screwed. I want you to pose as his lawyer—and get rid of him.”

The man froze. “How am I supposed to do that? The cameras are always on. They’ll see me kill him.”

“I don’t care. He screwed up, first, by leaving his phone where she could see it. Then by failing to do a simple job—all he had to do was kill the girl. You let him know we don’t tolerate failure.”

“They’ll either arrest me… or I’ll end up dead.”

“That’s your problem. Now do it.”

Silence lingered for a moment before the man turned and walked out. He headed for the airport, his mind racing. With a pocketful of aliases and enough fake passports to disappear for years, he could vanish without a trace.

Let them search.

I’d rather vanish than die for Victor’s mistakes.