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Oliver
OnceFinnleaves,Elliotdisappears into his office. My guess is he’s looking into this Owen Harris person. Whoever he is, he has Sparrow’s trust, and he’s also managed to gain at least some of Ludo’s. Well, at least he did before Ludo figured out who his rat was.
The thing is, I’m not convinced Owen is the man Ludo is looking for, and my guess is that Elliot isn’t, either. Sparrow would never endanger Aubrey. So why would her informant give away Aubrey’s location to someone who would want to harm her? Maybe Owen has his own motives that Sparrow is unaware of?
Regardless, I have more important things to focus on right now. Mainly, Elliot. I didn’t realize just how much extra stress I’ve put on his shoulders, which is pretty damn stupid. Of course I should’ve known. If our roles were switched, I’d probably have Elliot tied down somewhere to make sure he wasn’t risking his life when he didn’t need to.
I knock on his office door. “Ell?”
“Come in.”
My heart beats rapidly as I step into Elliot’s office. He’s sitting at his desk and frowning at his computer, which is a position I’ve found him in far too often these days.
After a second too long of silence, he looks up. “You okay?”
“I . . .” The words catch in my throat, and as I stare at Elliot, guilt crashes into me. He looks horrible. I was trying to help, but all I’ve done is add more weight for him to carry.
Standing, Elliot moves around his desk. With a few quick, long strides, he’s right in front of me and cupping my cheek. “What’s wrong?”
Fuck.Even now, when I’ve made his anxiety so much worse, he’s the one checking up on me. There’s no world in which I could possibly deserve him.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “Ell, I’m so sorry. I should’ve thought about you guys before going off on my own.”
He releases a heavy sigh. “I should’ve predicted it, honestly.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re always the first one to throw yourself into the line of danger if you think it means saving one of us. This is no different. You’re trying to protect us.”
“But it backfired. I didn’t want to cause you more stress.”
“It didn’t backfire. Not entirely, anyway. You possibly saved a man’s life.”
“I don’t care!” It’s not true, but right now, my only thoughts are of Elliot. “I don’t know how to handle seeing you this worried, and I hate that I’m making it worse.”
“I’ll be fine, Ol. Don’t worry about me.” He leans in to kiss me, but I grab his face.
“I won’t do it again. I won’t do anything without discussing it with you guys first. No more impulsiveness on my part. I promise.”
His brows draw together. “You mean it?”
“With everything in me,” I whisper. “It’s the least I can do. I’m so sorry, Elliot.”
“Apology accepted.”
When Elliot tries to kiss me this time, I let him, savoring the feeling of his lips against mine. This close, the bright scent of oranges fills my nostrils, followed by the warmth of sandalwood. As long as I live, I’ll never get enough of the way he smells.
“It seems like Wren is doing well,” I say, hoping to keep Elliot thinking of positive things. “I think she’ll be able to pull this off pretty easily.”
“You think so?” Elliot’s eyes brighten. “She seems nervous yet confident at the same time.”
“Maybe she’s just tired.”
“A possibility.” He rubs his chin. “Is her surprise ready? I finished my last detail about an hour ago.”
“Oh?” It’s the one thing even Rhett and I don’t know about this project. Elliot refused to tell us. “What is it?”
He smirks. “You’ll see. It’s ready?”
