Page 20 of Too Guarded to Love

His head felt like it might explode as he backtracked to the two deaths before Stella’s murder he no longer thought were accidents.

Olivia’s eyelids fluttered open. “Nic?”

His breath caught at the sea of emotions in her gaze.

“That’s me, but you knew that already, didn’t you?” He brushed a steel finger over her knuckles as he subdued the urge to press her for information. Gunshot wounds, even ones where the bullet didn’t hit anything vital, were no joke. This wasn’t the time for interrogation.

“My brother knows, doesn’t he?”

Nic rubbed the imprint of Kane’s fist on his jaw. “He knows enough.”

“I’m sorry.”

He wanted to ask for which part—withholding pertinent information or him getting punched because of her omission? Instead, he held her gaze. “We’ll talk about that later.”

She scrunched her nose but didn’t press him further. “Where’s Kane?”

“He got called away for an emergency.” She didn’t need to know about Gran yet. A gunshot wound was enough to worry about.

Her eyelids drooped. “I’m so sleepy, but I have so many questions.”

“You were given a sedative to help relax you for the flight.”

“Flight?” Her eyelids shot to her forehead. “Why? Where?”

“We’re taking you someplace safe.”

“What’s going on?” She grabbed his wrist. “Did the police find who shot me?”

He caressed his steel knuckles over the back of her hand. “Cierra los ojos.” He murmured, “Close your eyes” again, this time in English, and stroked her forehead as he assured her she was safe. A few murmured protests and a minute later her breathing evened out.

Brittany slid back into the room. “She’s cleared for transport.”

“Good.” The quicker they got to the safety of VIPER headquarters, the better. The chip in the back of his neck vibrated. He rubbed it. Just yesterday, he’d been on foreign soil rescuing hostages from a terrorist stronghold and hadn’t felt this uneasy. But he hadn’t personally known the women being kept as concubines for leaders of the terrorist cell. He’d done his job, focused and calculated, in perfect unison with his team. But tonight, he didn’t just know the subject of this job. She was his best friend’s sister.

He liked her.

Nearly fucked her.

A few minutes ago, he’d wanted to wring her neck. Now he wanted to offer comfort. Once things settled down, he and Olivia would have the talk he’d promised. Then he’d never think of her again.

He pulled his hand from his pocket and rubbed his temple.

Brittany zeroed in on his steel. “Oh my God. Is that a bionic hand?”

He shoved it back into hiding where it had spent most of the night. “Yes, and don’t ask me more. It’s classified.” He winked. “I wouldn’t want to have to kill a pretty senorita like you.”

“Wow. What can you do with it?”

He forced a smile at the question he’d heard from women more times than he could count. “I can get this bed to the elevator faster than a speeding bullet. You game?”

She giggled and released the brake with her foot. Nic ignored her chattering and scanned the surroundings as they wheeled Olivia into the hall. As they turned the corner, Olivia’s eyes popped open. She wheezed as she clutched her injured shoulder.

Nic jerked the bed to a stop. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” Sweat dotted her forehead. “Pain hit me so hard I couldn’t breathe.”

Brittany reengaged the break on the bed. “Can you describe the pain?”

Olivia’s chest heaved with staccato pants as she rubbed her collarbone. “It felt like…”

Nic’s heart raced as the color drained from Olivia’s cheeks. “Breathe.”

“I am.” She pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That was weird. It felt like a bee with a supercharged stinger drilled into my collarbone. It doesn’t hurt anymore, just burns, but it made me nauseous.”

Brittany looked back to Olivia’s room. “Why don’t we go back and check this out? Your X-ray didn’t show anything concerning, but…”

Olivia shook her head. “I’m fine now. I broke my collarbone a few months ago. The injury might have been aggravated when Nic tackled me to the floor.”

Brittany furrowed her brow as she ping-ponged her gaze between them.

“She’ll get an X-ray when she gets where she’s going.” Nic pulled out his most charming smile. “Promise.”

She touched Olivia’s arm. “Do you feel secure with this plan?”

“Yes.”

Nic didn’t. Secure was the last thing he felt with Kane’s sister under his protection.