Page 62 of Too Guarded to Love

Olivia 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.”