Page 32 of Protecting Olivia

“Anytime, Panther.” Matthew walked up to me. And by that, I mean right up to my face and lowered himself to look me in the eye. “Hash, I already told this to Panther, but I want you to hear this, too. You have my protection and that of my team. The commander has been notified, and we are on standby. Listen to everything Panther tells you, to the letter. He’ll keep you safe, and Tex will track your every move.”

Matthew stood and took a step back. I couldn’t stop the tears from forming. Maybe it was relief that all these big strong men would protect me. Or perhaps it was the menacing look on Matthew’s face that made the reality of my situation crash in on me. I could no longer deny how much danger I was in.

“Thanks.” I sucked in a breath trying to stop the tears.

Caroline and Matthew walked us to the door, hugs were exchanged, and she did give me her number. With my promise to call her, we were back in the truck following Abe.

“Did you know about what happened to Caroline?” I asked Leo.

“Yes. The nickname Ice fits her in more ways than one.”

“Why’s that?”

“That woman is calm, cool, and collected under pressure. A lot like you actually. She didn’t freak out when that plane was hijacked. She was like ice and did what she had to do to save Matthew’s life when he was in trouble. Did she tell you she was stabbed in the process?” he asked, never taking his eyes off the road.

“No.” I was shocked that anyone would want to harm the sweet woman I had met.

“Of course she didn’t. She jumped on a hijacker’s back to give Matthew time to get in the cockpit. She actually fought the man. The hijacker stabbed her in the side in the process. I told you, the woman is like ice. She didn’t even tell the guys she was injured. She sucked it up and went on her way.” Jealousy hit me hard hearing the admiration in Leo’s voice. I knew it was nothing more than appreciation for her being tough, but it stung nonetheless.

We sat in silence the rest of the way to the cabin, I was lost in thought about Caroline and everything she went through. I wouldn’t have been calm. I would’ve hidden in the bathroom until everything was over. I wasn’t strong like her, nor was I tough and brave. I wondered if the girl waiting for Leo in Maryland was like Caroline. Did she have a cool nickname, too? Hash. Mine was juvenile and lame. Given to me because I spent way too much time on social media.

The interstate gave way to side roads that turned into a windy small dirt road. We pulled to a stop in front of a small log cabin. I looked out the truck window but couldn’t see any other houses through the thick evergreens surrounding the property.

“Wait…”

I cut Leo off before he could finish, “…for you to come around to my side and let me out. I know.”

I hated that he felt like I was stupid and had to repeat everything.

Without a word, we followed Abe into the cabin.

Zane, Garrett, and two other men I couldn’t remember the names of stood in the living room, making the already small space look infinitely smaller with their large frames taking up most of the space.

Leo and his team jumped into action leaving me standing by the door like a forgotten, broken old toy. There were maps on the table, laptops opened, and tablets scattered on every available surface. How in the world were we all going to stay in this little space?

Abe walked over to me and took in all the men that had taken over his cabin. “Hash?” When I didn’t answer right away, he tried again, “Olivia?”

“Sorry. Yes?” I turned away from the guys and gave him my full attention.

“I know this has to be a lot for you to take in. I want you to know that you’re gonna be safe here.”

“Everyone keeps saying that. I guess I’m having a hard time believing it. The more precautions that are taken and the more people get involved to protect me, the harder it hits me that I’m in more danger than I know,” I admitted.

“We have a saying, you don’t have a plan if you don’t have a backup plan. The good news for you is there is not only a rock-solid plan, but there is a backup plan to their backup plan. All contingencies have been accounted for. All you need to know is you’re surrounded by men who have been in tighter situations than this. Yet, there they stand.”

When Abe finished his explanation, I felt marginally better. Not a lot, and not enough to calm my nerves, but a little. There was something about Abe that inspired confidence and trustworthiness. Like this man would be the person to tell me if I was going to die because he couldn’t bear to lie to me. He might try and soften the blow, but he’d tell me the truth.

“Thank you for that. And thank you for letting us stay here. I hope we’re not inconveniencing you,” I replied.

“Don’t mention it. One more thing you have to know. I want to be upfront with you. There are no secrets when planning a mission, and there is no information held back between the team. We’ve all read your file. That means we know about what happened to you in Maryland, your medical records, and your personal file including your family history. I’ll admit there were names redacted, so I don’t know all the details.” I felt my face flush, and the tightness in my chest started. How embarrassing that all these people knew everything about me. “Hash, I need you to take a breath and calm down, before Panther’s big ass thinks I’ve hurt you in some way.” He stopped and waited for me to get myself under control. “I’m telling you this for two reasons. One, I hate lies. I mean, I despise them and do not tolerate them at all. I needed to be honest with you. The second reason is, I understand what you’re going through with your mom. I was lied to about my father as well. I just wanted you to know that when all of this is over, if you ever need an ear, Alabama and I would be happy to listen.”

I didn’t trust my voice enough to speak. I needed to hurry and find a place to be alone before I cried like a weak little baby in a room full of big strong men. I had never been shown this type of kindness. Abe was a complete stranger yet he was offering to listen to my family drama. Same with Caroline and Wolf. They didn’t know me, but Caroline was okay with her husband putting his life in danger to help protect me. All these people around me that were willing to sacrifice for one another only proved how alone I was. I had no friends that were out searching for me when I went missing. No one noticed that I still hadn’t been home. I wondered if Mr. Anderson had told Erin how sorry I was and if she was willing to forgive me. I missed her and my mom.

Chapter Thirteen

Leo

I hadn’t heard a word Z had said in the last five minutes. All of my attention was across the room on Abe and Olivia. I had to admit that jealousy was a new feeling for me. I willed myself to stay in place when something that Abe said had upset Olivia. Her face paled, and she was struggling to catch her breath. I was about to go over there when Abe said something to her that calmed her. I didn’t like that one fucking bit. I wanted to be the man that comforted her. Me, and only me. I didn’t give a shit if it was irrational. I had spent the last three days trying to keep her at a distance. The harder I fought it, the stronger the pull became.