Page 64 of Too Guarded to Love

“Why not?”

His lips twisted into a thin line as his eyes narrowed. “Because I said so. Now come with me so I can help you.”

“Thanks, but I have an appointment right now.” Olivia handed him a card with a number on it that Ryan had given her. “Please have Harlee call me here.” She grabbed the coffee cup. No way was she leaving that slice of heaven behind. “It was good to see you, Jonathan, and thanks for the information.”

She scooted her chair back and stood. He gripped her hand and tugged her down. “Olivia, wait.”

Pain shot up her arm to her injured shoulder and she winced. She dropped her cup and gripped her bicep. Hot coffee spilled on her bare legs as Jonathan rushed to her side.

Nic tensed behind the hot dog vendor he’d taken cover behind, a few doors down from the coffee shop. Pigeons flocked around his feet as Olivia’s startled cry came through his earpiece. “Permission to shoot this Jonathan asshole?”

“Permission granted,” Edgar said.

With the outward calm of a tourist taking in the sights, Nic scanned the area. A second later, he zeroed in on Jonathan and thought the command to stream a low-level V-Strike into the asshole’s hip.

Fire.

He smiled as the fucker gripped his side and stumbled into a customer behind him.

“Nice shot.”

Edgar’s praise echoed through Nic’s mind as he watched Olivia pick up Jonathan’s coffee and toss the contents at his chest. “Thanks, but I should have shot him in the dick.”

“You’re lucky I let you shoot a civilian at all.”

Kane slid next to him. “Did you see the way he looked at her shoulder? He knew she’d been injured there.”

“And he’d grabbed her by that arm when it would have been more natural to grab the other one.”

Nic fought the urge to go inside and rip his arm off. “Question is, does he think her injury is from the car crash or the bullet?”

“Don’t know, but hopefully Tessa got the phone and…”

“She did.” Hudson whistled over the mind comms he’d been linked into with an earpiece. “Tessa bumped into Jonathan and lifted his phone without him being the wiser. My girl is headed back to me safe and sound. Nic, you should be glad yours is safe too.”

“She’s not my girl.”

“She’d better fucking not be,” Kane muttered as he met Olivia at the sidewalk and guided her to the SUV.

Nic followed. A flash of blue hair froze him to the concrete.

“Wow.” Natalie stopped on the sidewalk and narrowed her eyes. “You again.”

He ignored her and kept walking.

“Come on, Nic. Let the past go. We both paid the consequences for your actions. It’s time to be friends.”

“Never,” he spat as he opened the passenger door and climbed in next to Olivia.