Page 31 of Too Guarded to Love (Project VIPER #3)

O livia smoothed the skirt of her sundress as she sat in the back of a sleek SUV she was pretty sure could take on a tank and win. Tessa, Hudson, and Linc followed in a similar vehicle.

The tricked-out rides carrying them through DC rush hour traffic were fitting considering the battle she and the girls had won last night.

The bright sun filtering through the tinted windows didn’t fit the mood in the SUV at all.

The boys were not happy, especially Nic and Kane, when she’d argued about meeting Jonathan in person.

Nor were they pleased with the idea of Tessa and her pickpocketing skills being part of the plan.

It had taken over an hour, with Scarlett convincing them she and Ryan could secure the coffee shop, for everyone to agree on a strategy.

Less than five minutes later, Edgar made a call and the “mission” was approved.

When she commented on how quickly he’d made things happen, he’d said, “That’s because I’m Edgar. ”

She was going to miss him when all of this was over. Maybe she could convince him to move to Atlanta and run the hospital. They could use strong leadership.

A rock the size of the concrete barriers in front of the federal buildings dropped into the pit of her stomach. Did she even want to go back to Atlanta?

Back to a director who didn’t believe in her.

Back to a place she’d escaped to that had never felt like home.

She had to. Harlee needed her. Everything else, including the furious super soldier in the passenger seat, was secondary.

But what if he wasn’t? What if Gran was awake when they got back to headquarters and told her Nic was her soulmate?

God, that would complicate things.

Since they’d left Level Black’s hidden entrance with cloaking technology scrambling their whereabouts in case anyone tracked them, neither Nic nor Kane had spoken a word to her.

Tugging on the lapels of her denim jacket, she leaned forward and tapped Nic on the shoulder. “Stop being such sore losers. You two know meeting with Jonathan and getting Tessa involved is a good plan. You’re just mad Scarlett and Edgar sided with me and my besties.”

Kane cursed at a cab cutting in front of him. “Your safety isn’t a game, Livvie.”

Nic turned in the front seat and pointed a steel finger at her. “This is absolutely not a game. Don’t forget that.”

She stared at the sleek digit he’d used to make her orgasm so hard yesterday, she shivered thinking about it.

Talk about a superpower. Tamping down disappointment that he hadn’t come to their room last night for an encore, she leaned between the seats.

“I know safety is important, but you two need to stop being so pissy.”

“I don’t like you anywhere near a known criminal.”

“He’s just a doctor.” She needed to keep telling herself that to stay calm.

“Consorting with one of the most lethal drug cartels in the world makes him dirty. We should cover you from inside the shop.”

“You know that’s a bad idea. If Jonathan sees either of you, he’ll act like an idiot fanboy and won’t say a word about Harlee.”

A slow smile spread across Nic’s lips as he raised an eyebrow. She felt the wicked reminder of how she’d fangirled all over him , on her knees, to her core.

“I swear, Olivia. If Jonathan so much as looks at you in a way I don’t like, I’ll gut him.”

Those words sank even deeper than Nic’s devilish grin as she offered him her own mischievous smile. “Oh, thank you, my noble protector.”

Kane rolled to a stop in front of the coffee shop. “Stop being a brat back there.”

Nic unclicked his safety harness and pushed between the seats as Kane hopped out. “Listen to your brother. Or not. I’ll just add it to the list of things we need to discuss later about your choices.”

“There is no choice when your heart tells you something is right.”

He gripped Olivia’s chin. “My heart is telling me to make sure you don’t get shot again. If anything makes you uncomfortable, if anything is off, say you need more caffeine, and we’ll come in. Check your comms.”

She touched the tiny earpiece hidden under the bulky mass of curls Beth had blown out this morning. “Got it, Captain Romero.”

Nic gave her chin a squeeze. “You’d better get me.”

“You know, I like my Captain, and by that, I mean my horse, better than I do you right now.”

“I’m fine with being second to your horse, as long as you’re safe.” Scanning the area, he exited the vehicle and opened her door. “Let’s get this over with. ”

Olivia drank in the sun’s warmth as she slipped out of the SUV. Only two days underground and she already felt like a vampire. She probably looked like one too, from the lack of sunlight and stress overload. At least she had on her beloved boots and wasn’t dirty like a hobbit.

With a backward glance, she watched the SUV pull away from the curb. She had no idea where the vehicle carrying Tessa, Hudson, and Linc was. The instructions had been not to even look for Tessa, let alone look at her, while in the coffee shop.

“Don’t worry, we’ll have eyes on you the whole time.”

She jumped at Nic’s voice in her ear. “I’m not worried,” she muttered as she opened the door to the shop. It only took a second to spot Jonathan at a table next to the window.

He stood as she approached and handed her a large cup. “You’re favorite. Dark roast with a hint of sugar and cream.”

She inhaled. The coffee in Level Black wasn’t bad, but this smelled divine. “Thank you.”

As he pulled out her chair, she made a show of taking the lid off the coffee and sticking her finger in the whipped cream so she could study him. He looked the same in a button-down blue shirt and pressed khakis, but his eyes that she once found bright now appeared dim.

Jonathan leaned across the table and reached for her fingers. “You look beautiful, Olivia. Did you do something different with your hair?”

She pulled her hand back and placed it in her lap. “Thank you, and yes. I’m in a big-hair phase now.”

Jonathan curled his fingers into a fist. “I wish you would start a new phase of your life with me here in DC. Since you got my message through the Department of Defense, I assume you’re staying with your brother while you take time to come to your senses. ”

Olivia squeezed her cup so hard the cardboard creased. “Where I’m staying is none of your business, and I came to my senses back in Atlanta.”

“I get it, darling. You just need more time. You’ve been through a lot.” He pinned his gaze on her shoulder. “I came to the hospital after your accident. Did anyone tell you?”

“Yes, and I don’t appreciate you saying I was your fiancée.

How did you know I was in an accident and where to find me?

” And how did he know she’d injured her shoulder?

She wasn’t wearing her sling, and thanks to whatever Patience shot her up with this morning, she could move her arm with minimal pain.

“When I couldn’t get in touch with you, I feared you’d gotten into a car crash because of the storm and checked the hospitals. I was so worried.”

Sure you were. She didn’t bother to ask why he hadn’t fought harder to see her. His quick desertion didn’t sting any longer. “Do you have information about Harlee?”

“Yes. I spoke with her.”

Relief flowed through Olivia along with the caffeine. She worried about Harlee spiraling into depression again. Losing her husband had decimated her, but she’d been working hard to rebuild her mental strength, body, and career, one day at a time. “How is she?”

“She’s good, but worried you won’t be able to perform this last surgery. I told her you were taking a new position at the downtown hospital here in DC.”

Olivia fought to keep her cool. Is that what Harlee needed to share? That Jonathan was spreading rumors about her career? “I most certainly am not taking a new job.”

“Don’t discount until you hear what I have to say. Harlee said she’d be willing to move here so you could be her surgeon. Isn’t that great?”

“What?” Although Harlee was close with her family on the East Coast, she would never leave her husband’s family in Atlanta.

“Think about it. You’d be near your brother, and you could follow through with your promise to get Harlee back to competitive racing. And you told me you never really liked Atlanta anyway.”

“True. There is a lot of drug use in the city. I read the other day that Atlanta is a distribution hub for the Mexican cartels.” Holding her breath, she studied his expression. He didn’t so much as blink at the mention of his alleged associates. “Then again, DC probably isn’t much better.”

“I had no idea you were so concerned. Maybe your brother’s fiancée can get you a position on an advocacy board.” He leaned closer. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know your family.”

Olivia bit the inside of her cheek. Telling Jonathan that wouldn’t happen was like running in a circle.

“Do you know where Harlee is? I need to talk to her.” She wouldn’t risk telling Jonathan they’d already been in contact.

She wouldn’t put it past him to report the violation to her director, but her concern mounted with each hour Harlee didn’t call back.

“Harlee is afraid of getting you in trouble, but I told her I could set up a secure call from my apartment. Come.” He held out his hand. “I’ll take you there.”

“Can’t we do a call right here?”

“It needs to be secure so the hospital can’t trace it if they take their investigation into your case to the next level. You know that.”

“What about the phone for your special patients? That’s secure, right?”

He reached behind him and patted his pocket. “It is, but that’s not a good option.”

“Why not?”

His lips twisted into a thin line as his eyes narrowed. “Because I said so. Now come with me so I can help you.”

“Thanks, but I have an appointment right now.” Olivia handed him a card with a number on it that Ryan had given her. “Please have Harlee call me here.” She grabbed the coffee cup. No way was she leaving that slice of heaven behind. “It was good to see you, Jonathan, and thanks for the information.”

She scooted her chair back and stood. He gripped her hand and tugged her down. “Olivia, wait.”

Pain shot up her arm to her injured shoulder and she winced. She dropped her cup and gripped her bicep. Hot coffee spilled on her bare legs as Jonathan rushed to her side.

Nic tensed behind the hot dog vendor he’d taken cover behind, a few doors down from the coffee shop. Pigeons flocked around his feet as Olivia’s startled cry came through his earpiece. “ Permission to shoot this Jonathan asshole?”

“Permission granted,” Edgar said.

With the outward calm of a tourist taking in the sights, Nic scanned the area. A second later, he zeroed in on Jonathan and thought the command to stream a low-level V-Strike into the asshole’s hip.

Fire.

He smiled as the fucker gripped his side and stumbled into a customer behind him.

“Nice shot.”

Edgar’s praise echoed through Nic’s mind as he watched Olivia pick up Jonathan’s coffee and toss the contents at his chest . “Thanks, but I should have shot him in the dick.”

“You’re lucky I let you shoot a civilian at all. ”

Kane slid next to him. “Did you see the way he looked at her shoulder? He knew she’d been injured there.”

“And he’d grabbed her by that arm when it would have been more natural to grab the other one.”

Nic fought the urge to go inside and rip his arm off. “Question is, does he think her injury is from the car crash or the bullet?”

“Don’t know, but hopefully Tessa got the phone and…”

“She did.” Hudson whistled over the mind comms he’d been linked into with an earpiece. “ Tessa bumped into Jonathan and lifted his phone without him being the wiser. My girl is headed back to me safe and sound. Nic, you should be glad yours is safe too.”

“She’s not my girl.”

“She’d better fucking not be ,” Kane muttered as he met Olivia at the sidewalk and guided her to the SUV.

Nic followed. A flash of blue hair froze him to the concrete.

“Wow.” Natalie stopped on the sidewalk and narrowed her eyes. “You again.”

He ignored her and kept walking.

“Come on, Nic. Let the past go. We both paid the consequences for your actions. It’s time to be friends.”

“Never,” he spat as he opened the passenger door and climbed in next to Olivia.