Page 26 of Too Guarded to Love

Edgar looked at Nic. “Share what you told me in the debrief.”

“I went for a jog by the beach after Stella’s funeral.” He detailed when he left and when and where he’d come upon Olivia and her flat tire. “I saw the whole incident go down. I’m sure the sedan deliberately swerved into her lane.”

Chris rubbed the ink on his back. “Maybe a first and failed attempt to harm her?”

“No. Neither of them was going fast enough to do much damage. She had quick reflexes and hit a parking meter.”

Kane tapped a finger on his own chest. “That’s cause I taught her to drive. I thought I’d also taught her to stay away from players like you. Apparently, I failed.”

Nic didn’t bother telling Kane his sister had been the player. She would likely never own up to her role in the disastrous night. No other woman had ever taken responsibility for wreaking havoc with his world. Why should Olivia?

Edgar pointed to President Bradley. “We’d like to finish up our pool game sometime tonight, so stick to the topic.”

President Bradley clasped Nic’s shoulder as he passed him on his way to the en suite restroom. “Take your time, son. Edgar can wait to lose for a little while longer.”

Nic nodded his thanks as a Secret Service agent checked the restroom ahead of the president. As the door closed behind the commander in chief, Nic detailed Joe’s appearance and their plan to call a tow truck. “And then I met Olivia in the bungalow and we, uh…”

Kane shot from his chair. “You’d better not finish that sentence if you want to be able to walk out of here.”

Nic held up his hands, surrendering to a crime he hadn’t committed.

“You indicated in your report that you pushed Olivia out of the way when you saw the red dot sight on the screen door.”

Pushed her off my cock. He didn’t dare glance at Kane and bless Edgar for not making him reiterate those details. “Yes. I saw the threat and reacted.”

Kane stepped within inches of Nic. “So I’m supposed to thank you for taking advantage of my sister?”

A feminine huff sounded from the doorway. “He wasn’t taking advantage of me.”

Olivia glared at her brother from the threshold of the conference room. It took all her strength not to lean on Patience, or better yet, one of the stoic guys in the black suits guarding the room like sentries.

Kane stormed around the longest conference table she’d ever seen. A harsh glare from the recessed lights above the gleaming tabletop hurt her eyes. The bank of computers at the far end could likely land a mission on Mars.

“What the hell are you doing out of bed?” Kane turned his wrath on Patience. “And why did you bring her here?”

Patience shrugged. “She wants answers about what happened, and she deserves them. I’ll leave you boys to give them to her.”

“Take her back to bed. She’s just been shot for fuck’s sake.”

“I’m the doctor in this family, remember?” Olivia cradled her injured arm against her chest, her anger at her brother outweighing her discomfort. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. I know what it feels like to be shot. And I felt that weird twin thing that I hate, where we feel each other’s pain. It hurt like a motherfucker, and I wasn’t the one hit.” He rubbed his shoulder. “Don’t tell me you’re fine.”

No, she wasn’t, and she couldn’t bullshit her brother. “You’re right, I’m not fine. This has been the strangest, scariest night of my life, but I need to know what’s going on. Patience told me Gran was poisoned and is in a coma.”

Tears welled in her eyes. She willed them not to fall as a hand gently gripped her elbow. She knew without looking who it belonged to. The scent of sea and strength, and forbidden pleasure that felt right, called to her like a song she couldn’t get out of her head.

Nic guided her to a chair just inside the door. “Sit.”

She followed his command. As she settled herself into the soft black leather, she caught his gaze, still as dark and sexy as the night. Lightning flashed through her veins and reflected in his eyes. Yup, the connection was still there.

Damn did that complicate an already twisted situation. Worse, the only person who might be able to help make sense of what was happening between her and Nic was unconscious for the foreseeable future.

Kane stepped in front of her. “Get back to bed so you’re safe.”

“I am safe, thanks to Nic.” She eyed her savior as he sat on the edge of the table. “From the little Patience told me, it sounds like he saved my life.”

Kane speared his fingers into his hair and squeezed the roots. “Are you kidding me? Someone apparently has a vendetta against him, and he got you caught up in it.”