“Shit,” Olivia heard the man behind her say. “Don’t move, kid.”
Her eyes shifted to Ben, and she knew there was no stopping him. He turned and sprinted away.
“Hey!” The two thugs yelled and pulled out very large guns.
Olivia twisted until the hand slipped from her mouth.
“Ben!” she screamed. He turned to look at the door just before disappearing around the corner.
The sound of gunfire pierced through the night.
The arms around her loosened just when she thought she needed them most.
“Don’t move,” he said and moved to the door.
The large man pulled out his own gun and started firing. He yelled out to Kevin and Cindy, who were also firing. The two large men had ducked behind a trashcan. Neil and her brother ran in opposite directions. She sent a silent prayer that she would see him at the apartment later. Dirty dishes and all.
Chapter Two
Olivia flattened herself against the wall when the man and woman jumped through the door, just narrowly escaping gunfire.
“I need to lock this,” the large man said to her. “Do you have a key?”
She yanked out the keys from her pocket. The banging against the door from the men outside made her shake. She held up the key.
The man snatched it from her and slammed it into the lock. When he had bolted the door, he snapped the key off. He stood directly in front of her, placed the keys gently in her hand and grasped her wrist.
As he pulled, she found herself following without much thought. It was either try and deal with the two men who had just fired on her brother or follow the group that seemed to have protected him.
“What the hell is going on?” she whispered.
The three ignored her question, trudging through the rows of shelves.
Next to the main door from the library to the back, the large man opened the breaker box, and flipped all the switches. The library fell into darkness. The sound of breaking glass came from the front. Olivia’s heart was nearly lodged in the back of her throat.
“We need a way out of here, fast,” the man said to her. He squeezed her hand in reassurance.
Olivia thought. There was really only one way left.
“Beside the side door, there’s the cellar. They won’t know it’s there, and it goes to the back shed.” She tried to keep her voice as even and quiet as she could.
The man nodded. “Take us there.”
They crept across the room to the door on the floor. The sounds of the men out front were closing. She only hoped the door would open with ease.
She pried open the door as quietly as she could. The jingle from the hinge seemed to bounce off the walls. The shouting from the men got closer, and she knew they had been alerted.
Kevin jumped through the hole without a sound. Cindy followed. Olivia cringed at the idea. There was no way she would land as well, even if she had two good feet to land on.
“I’m going to lower you down,” the man said in her ear. His hot breath tickled the hairs there and sent a shiver down her spine. “He will catch you below.”
Without another word he lifted her up by the armpits and lowered her through the hole as if she were a rag doll. Hands gripped her waist, and just like that, she was through. Seconds later the man was down the stairs, door closed firmly behind.
Kevin was just setting her down when the thugs moved loudly above them. The man came to stand next to her and gently drew her toward the walls of the cellar. They might have made it through the hole in time, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t still be found.
Time moved slowly as the thugs stomped around. For what felt like hours, the four stood perfectly still. The weight of her body was proving to be too much for her injured foot. Just when Olivia felt it start to shake, an arm snaked around her waist. Exhausted and in pain, she leaned into the man.
Reed stood silently and thought. He had no idea what he was doing with this woman. For all he knew, she was the enemy. She did know Ben after all, but she sure didn’t feel like the enemy. She felt like, well, like a damn librarian. Scared, hurt and helpless.
He cursed in his head. That was no way to be thinking. It was that sort of thinking that got him shot, broken and left for dead. It left his family open for danger and promised nothing but misery.
Reed inhaled deeply. The vanilla scent coming off the woman was driving him crazy. He wondered if it was something she washed with or a lotion she rubbed on. He could feel his pants getting tight at the thought and thanked God that no one could see him right now. He’d never live it down with Cage and Meg. He moved away from the wall, startling the woman beside him.
“I think we should be safe to move now,” he said quietly.
They moved silently through the tunnel. Boxes of old odds and ends littered the passage. He wondered why the library would want all this stuff but put the thought out of his head as they reached the tunnel door. Unlike the last, this opened like a normal door.
Reed drew his gun and heard Cage and Meg do the same. He pushed the woman behind him as he opened the door and peered around. The shed was silent.
One by one, they filtered through and when the shed door had been cleared, they moved to the dark back alley.
“Reed, what’s the plan?”
He shot his brother a dark look. Number one rule in his business was no real first names. They turned to look at the woman only to catch her hobbling down the path.
Reed walked over and slipped his hand around her waist, bringing her to a halt.
“And where do you think you’re going?”
He felt her lean into him once again and fought with himself on how right it felt.
“Home,” she said quietly. “I live only a couple blocks away.”
“Do you live with anyone there?” Reed flicked a glance to Cage. This could be a set up. It seemed a bit on the elaborate side of things, but he’d seen worse.
“My brother Ben has been staying with me.” She lifted her gaze to his. He could see the tears shimmering in the moonlight. “But after tonight…”
She trailed off. Uncertainty clouded her voice.
Reed sighed. This was such a bad idea.
“Why don’t we all go back there and figure out a plan?”
Cage shot him a look that he knew all too well. This was risky and might get them all killed. For whatever reason, this tiny woman sparked something in him, and he couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her because she got wrapped up in all of this.
Meg took the lead with the woman as he and Cage fell back. Both as lookouts and to talk.
“You know this is a bad idea,” Cage said quietly.
Reed’s hand flexed on the handle of his gun. “I know, but she just seems so helpless and in shock.”
They diligently scanned the open spaces between the fences as they walked the alley.
Cage turned to look at him. “This might be a trap.”
The woman froze at the sidewalk and turned quickly.
“You know, I’ve put up with a lot of shit tonight, and I’m not about to let you talk about me like I’m a common criminal,” she said, pointing a shaking finger at Cage. “But you remember, I’ve got all of your names and plan on reporting you to the police as soon as I get home, Kevin, Cindy and Reed.”
Reed cursed and glared at his brother, who actually had the nerve to laugh. He pushed past the other two and caught up with the woman.
“Please wait,” he said.
“Why?” she said, stamping her foot and them grimacing. “Not finished talking bad about me, or are you going to take me out or ice me or whatever you kind of people say?”
Meg snorted behind him. Reed scowled at the woman.
“Why the hell would I take you out?”
“Don’t I know too much?” Her brow knitted together in confusion.
“Listen.” He looked around the street. “It’s not safe for us here.” He could hear the pleading in his voice but did lit
tle to hide it. Maybe if she had some control she’d feel better.
“Olivia,” she said quietly.
“What?” he leaned closer, catching a breeze of that sweet vanilla.
“My name is Olivia.”
Without another word, she started walking.
***
Olivia’s heart raced as they slowly made their way to her apartment. Climbing the stairs had been hard the first time, but after such a long night, she found it nearly impossible. Strong hands once again made their way around her waist, quietly urging her along.
A few times the unsteady ankle shook from the weight, but Reed was right there to offer support. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, there was something about this man that made her want to trust him. His warmth radiated through her and caused little tremors of excitement to roll through her.
They reached her door without a word. Olivia slipped her hand in her pocket and groaned.
“What’s wrong?” Reed’s fingers flexed on her hips as he turned her to face him.
“My purse is still at the library,” she groaned again. It was amazing how bad this day could get. She watched them out of the corner of her eye as they exchanged looks. It wouldn’t take too much to assume that the bad guys might find it and come to her apartment.
Olivia gently pried his strong hands from her and reached up to pull the key from the door ledge. She wobbled slightly as the pressure proved to be too much. When Reed moved behind her, she felt his body press into hers as he reached over her head to grab the key. She closed her eyes and took in the feel of him.
Either the pain from her ankle was getting to her, or she really needed to consider going on more dates. Here she was, in front of anyone who happened to look in the hall, with a man who may or may not be a bad guy. Olivia frowned. Actually, they could have all been bad guys. Considering that most of them had guns, it wasn’t that farfetched.
Reed’s arm snaked around her to open the door with her not so well-hidden key. When the door swung open, Reed gently pushed her to the side. Once again, gun drawn, he moved inside with her close behind.
She watched as they cleared the four small rooms in fascination. Like clockwork, they moved with precision. Olivia wondered how often they had performed this task. It was obvious they were trained well and took no risks.
It took more time than she would have thought to hobble over to the couch. When she proper her foot on the table, she could see her flats barely contained her swollen foot. The bruising was already a nasty black and blue. She sighed and rested her head on the couch. The thought of getting up to get some ice was painful.
“So, Cindy,” Olivia said, turning to look at the woman perched by her window. “How do you know my brother, Ben?”
The exchange of looks between the three was not lost on her.
“Listen, I don’t know what kind of trouble Ben is in, but I’ve only got a few hundred.” She turned to look at Reed. It was obvious who was in charge here. “If it will get him out, it’s yours.”
Reed’s face darkened at her comment.
“Are you trying to pay me off?”
Anger flared through her. Who did he think he was being mad at her? She hadn’t caused this. It wasn’t her firing weapons or chasing people.
“I’m just…” She took a breath to try and control her emotions. When she looked at Reed, something in her broke. “I’m just trying to keep my brother alive.”
Tears silently slipped down her face, faster than she could wipe them away. It wasn’t until they slowed that she realized Reed had left the room.
“Don’t mind Reed. He can be a real dick sometimes,” the other woman said. The man in the corner snorted loudly at the woman’s language. “I’m Meg by the way.”
Meg plopped herself on the couch and smiled warmly at Olivia.
“But I thought you were Cindy.” Olivia looked between the two of them in confusion.
The man moved to sit on the window ledge.
“That’s just a cover,” he said. “Name’s Cage.”
He turned from the window and smiled lopsided at her. It was obvious that Cage was used to the attention he was getting. The man was walking sin and knew it. Something Olivia was sure wasn’t such a great combination for most women. Or maybe it was.
Olivia jumped when something cold touched her throbbing foot. Reed had returned with a package of frozen peas. Their eyes met as he adjusted her foot for a better position. Reed reached out beside her, and she could feel the flow of attraction running between them. The connection broke when lifted her leg to place a pillow on the table. His rough, calloused hands skimmed the back of her calf as he helped adjust her. The roughness, combined with the gentle way he moved her, caused her nipples to tighten almost painfully. She quickly crossed her arms across her chest but not before catching a smirk from Cage.
When Reed’s tender caresses moved to her abused foot, she couldn’t help the low groan that came out. His hands froze on her foot and when she looked across at him, she was surprised by the anger reflected in his eyes. So maybe the groan had been a bit much, but she couldn’t express how much pain she was in.
It might not have been so bad if he hadn’t let go. Her foot dropped back to the pillow, and she tried to catch her breath. This was not going at all like she expected.
She glared at Reed and turned back to Meg. It had gone strangely quiet during their exchange, and it was no surprise. Meg and Cage stared openly at them.
“So why the cover? You cops or something?” Olivia turned to Cage but watched Reed from the corner of her eye as he moved toward the front door. It was almost impossible not to watch him. His large body took up so much room.
Cage laughed, drawing her attention back to him. “Not cops. We offer security in a variety of ways.”
“Kevin,” Reed growled from the door.
“Cat’s already out,” Meg said.
“This is why there are rules,” Reed bellowed. Olivia could almost see the anger radiating off of him as he marched into the room. “Now she’s going to tell her brother, and the whole thing will be blown.”
That was it. She’d had enough of this hellish day. First the car. Then her ankle. Gun fights. Hiding in the dark. Out of control hormones. And now she was being treated like a criminal in her own home.
Olivia pulled the peas off her foot and stood silently.
“First of all, I have no idea where my brother even is.” She hurried on when he started to talk again. “And even if I did, I have no idea what I’d tell him. Listen,” she said, moving slowly to the front door, “at this point, all I want to do is call a cab and get down to the police station.” She smiled politely at the group as she opened the front door. “So if you don’t mind.” She waved to the open hall.
Reed crossed the room before she could finish waving them out. He slammed the door and turned the lock.
“No,” he said.
His large hand spanned her back as he guided her back to the couch. Olivia sat down, anger etched on her face.
She watched in silence as Reed paced the floor. He stopped in front of her, his large frame casting a shadow over her.
“We leave here, and they will come after you,” Reed ran a hand roughly across his stubbled face. “You can be sure they have your purse. It’s only a matter of time before they come.”
When Meg touched her arm, she nearly jumped from the tension. “My brother might be a dick,” she glared at Reed, “but he’s right. Your brother has gotten mixed up with the wrong sorts of people.”
Olivia looked between the three. Of course, now that she knew, the resemblance between them was unmistakable. Same brown hair and lopsided smiles. It was hard to tell if it was the same for Reed. The lack of smile hadn’t escaped her notice. Everything about him was unnerving. Despite that, the looks were still there.
Olivia picked at her skirt in irritation. She wasn’t a knock-out, but with her conservative look, she’d never catch the eye of someone like him.
�
��Someone just pulled up,” Cage said from the window.
Everyone in the room froze.
Reed walked to the door without hesitation.
“Liam and Ryder are dropping us off at my car and taking the two of you back to the office.” He turned to Olivia while the other two stood to get ready. “You and I will go to the library and meet the police there.”
Olivia nodded. It didn’t seem like Reed was a man who got told no often and to be honest, at this moment, it was the last thing she wanted to do.
Chapter Three
Reed swore under his breath as his arm brushed her soft, warm skin for the millionth time. Why he had decided to sit in the back was beyond him. He glared at Cage sitting comfortably in the front. Dirty bastard had nearly skipped to the car when he realized he would have to be scrunched up in the back with Olivia. The wink and wolfish grin were enough to send Reed over the edge.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t really thought this out. He knew what torture was. This was pretty damn close. She turned her head to look out the window. Again, the sweet scent of vanilla settled around him.
“Are we going in circles?” Olivia fixed her big blue eyes on him. His heart raced at the nearness of her face. Her delicate features made her seem so fragile. Walking into a gun battle made her anything but fragile.
“We need to make sure the area is secure.” Cage turned in his seat to look at Reed and then Olivia. The smirk on his face was not lost on Reed.
“But aren’t the police on their way?”
“They are,” Reed said. “But knowing Kace, he’ll keep this as low-key as he can.”
“You have friends at the police station?”
Reed nodded. “Although I think he’d rather not have the connection at times.”
He watched as confusion set in. Tiny lines furrowed between her brows in irritation.
Meg reached from the back and smacked him on the arm. Reed turned around to glare at her and then Liam. Liam shrugged and stared back out the window.
“Kace is our brother,” Meg said to Olivia.
Reed (Allen Securities) Page 2