“Listen, he’s a nice guy. I think he’s more good than bad. It’s worth a shot.”
There it was. Anything to help her brother should be worth a shot.
“And if you’re worried,” Olivia could heard the grin in her voice, “bring the hunky orgasm master.”
“Jess!”
“Hey, don’t say it unless you want me to use it. Besides, it couldn’t hurt to have a little muscle.” Olivia laughed loudly at her friend.
“All right. I’ll have to see what I can do.” Olivia looked at the clock on the wall. It was just pushing two. “I might need to call in reinforcements for this.”
“Do what you have to,” Jess said. “Just call if you can’t make it, and Liv…” The line went quiet. “Be careful.”
“I will,” Olivia said. Love for her friends washed through her. They had been so amazing through the years and always looked out for her. It was nice to have people she could count on.
Olivia glanced at her phone. There was really only one person she could think of that might be able to help her out. It was going to piss off Reed, but he wouldn’t like it any which way she spun it.
She pressed send on her phone before she could take it back.
“Hey, Meg.” Olivia swallowed the lump in her throat. “I have a favor to ask.”
***
Reed slammed the door to the car and walked toward the house. Pissed didn’t even begin to touch how mad he was. When Ryder had called to say he was at the house, and Olivia was nowhere around, he nearly broke the door trying to assemble the team. The call from Meg hadn’t really helped.
He just couldn’t figure out what the hell she was thinking going to a club at a time like this. Let alone meeting some shady man she knew nothing about. There was no way in hell he was about to let this happen. He slammed the front door open and strolled in.
Ryder sat on the couch looking just as pissed. He pointed to the back room, and Reed nodded. From the master bedroom, the voices of the two women talking reached him, which only irked him more.
His heart stopped as he burst through the door. Olivia held a gun.
“What the hell is going on?” he shouted.
Olivia lowered the small gun she was holding.
“Meg was giving me lessons,” she said, head held high and voice level.
Reed glared at Meg who shrugged in return.
“For what? How to get yourself killed?” Sarcasm dripped like venom.
Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. “Is that why you carry one?”
“I’ve been trained.” He pointedly looked to his sister again.
“Meg was just doing that.”
Reed sighed. “Just,” he walked over and placed his hand on the gun, “let me be the one to do the shooting. You want to learn, I’ll teach you, but I can’t let you put yourself at risk like that.”
She let go and looked up to him. Fear reflected back, and he wished he could relieve some of that. All the anger from before faded to the back burner. If he hadn’t been so shocked to see her sporting a gun, he might have noticed right off the bat how stunning she looked. Her black dress was sleeveless and swooped low in the back, showing off her flawless skin and supple slopes.
His eyes widened as he realized she was braless in this brazen number. It seemed so unlike her. Reed glanced over to his sister. No, this dress seemed more like his sister’s taste. Not to be outdone, Meg also wore a black dress but with little straps that helped to expose her ample chest. Reed rolled his eyes when she grinned at him. Yes, Meg had picked Olivia’s dress for his benefit.
He turned back to Olivia. “You know going to the club is a really bad idea,” he said.
“Do you know how to help my brother?” Olivia said.
Reed sighed. He didn’t. All day long he had been waiting for Liam to check in, but that never happened. The Russians were up to something sketchy, and the senator wasn’t any help. The best he could hope was that Ben would turn over the documents, but even then, that didn’t mean much. He doubted the Russians would settle for a payoff. There was something he wasn’t being told, and he’d bet the senator was just covering his own ass.
“Fine,” he said reluctantly.
The two women exchanged looks of disbelief.
“But,” he continued, “you don’t leave my side, and Ryder comes along.”
“I’ll call Kace and have him do a few times around the block,” Ryder said from the door.
Reed nodded. Things weren’t perfect between the two of them, but there had been improvement. If that was from Olivia, he wasn’t sure, but something was better than nothing. Regardless, Ryder was the kind of man you wanted watching your back.
He glanced at his watch.
“There’s about an hour before we need to leave to meet your brother.”
“Good,” Meg spoke at last. “Get out so we can finish getting ready.”
Reed turned back to Olivia and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged and gave him a slow smile. One that made him ache from not holding her. This going slow business was really starting to suck.
He turned and walked from the room. He wanted to throw her on the bed. There were plenty of other things he should be doing. Too bad he couldn’t think what they might be.
Chapter Eleven
Olivia tugged on her the dress for the millionth time since they had left the house. This amount of skin wasn’t something she tended to show. Not unless you counted dancing naked in front of the mirror, which she didn’t. It didn’t help that Reed kept shooting her scowls, adding to the already mounting worry for the night.
The evening could take any turn, and she just wanted to be ready. It helped that they’d be talking to Ben before meeting with Jess’s boss. Above all they needed to find out just what those documents were all about.
Olivia nearly jumped out of her skin when Reed caressed the exposed skin on her back. The warmth washed over her and leached out some of the anxiety she was feeling.
Reed leaned over to whisper in her ear.
“It will be fine,” he said and stroked the skin near the base of her spine with his thumb. “I’ll be right there with you.”
She knew this. He had been adamant that she never leave his side. It all seemed a little overboard considering the club would be full of people and she seriously doubted Neil would do anything in such an open area, but still it was nice that he wanted to keep her safe, although a bit overbearing at times.
“We’re here,” Ryder said from the driver’s seat just as the car came to a stop.
Olivia watched as he hopped out and surveyed the pier. A dense fog had drifted in the bay, laying a blanket so thick that only the tiny glimmer of light could be seen.
“Stay here for a sec,” Reed said and got out to stand with Ryder.
“He’s worried you know,” Meg said from the front. She had taken Ryder’s position at the wheel.
“I know, but this will be fine,” she said. “It’s my brother we’re talking about.”
Meg scowled. “Yeah, the same brother who got you into this mess.”
Olivia sighed. Meg was right, but he really did have good intentions, even if he did seedy things because of them.
“He’s my brother,” Olivia said quietly.
She watched silently as the two men circled to the other side of the car.
“On the plus side,” Meg said, turning to grin at her, “we got to know you.”
Olivia laughed. “I’m not so certain, given the circumstances, Reed would agree.”
Meg gave a sly smile. “Oh I wouldn’t be too sure about that. He hasn’t taken his eyes off you since we got into the car.”
“But he’s done nothing but frown at me.” Worry crept in. Maybe the outfit didn’t look good on her. She certainly wasn’t used to wearing something like this.
Meg barked a laugh from the front.
“Honey, if I know my brother, he’s mad because other men are going to get to see you looking so yummy.” Saying it aloud only seemed to make h
er laugh harder. “Oh tonight is going to be so much fun.”
“Is Liam going to come?” Olivia asked. She had seen the way Meg and Liam looked at one another the first night. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was more than something there.
Meg went quiet at the question, and Olivia silently regretted ruining the fun moment they were having.
“I doubt it, not that it would make much a difference,” she mumbled.
A pained look shadowed her pretty pixie face, and Olivia knew the answer to her unspoken question.
The door to her side swung open before she could offer any help to Meg. Reed reached a hand in for her.
“Let me help you out,” he said. His rich baritone voice soothed her wound nerves.
She turned back to look at Meg who shook her head.
“I’m the lookout,” she said. “Ryder will wait outside the boat while you talk.”
Boat, she thought. In all the time they had spent together, Ben had never once mentioned a boat, but it seemed there was a lot he never mentioned. Olivia nodded. This whole new world of lookouts and guns was almost too much to take in at times. Putting her hand in his, she decided to trust Reed. He would keep her safe.
***
The boat was different than she expected. There was a deck with a nice overhang. She guessed that it would be handy on days when the sun was beating down. The captain’s chair was further on the deck near a small door leading down stair. Despite being what she assumed to be a good thirty to forty years old, the boat felt solid. Something she had wondered as they walked up.
She turned back to look at the dock. Watchful as ever, Ryder stood quietly scanning through the fog.
“Liv?” Ben’s head popped out of the cabin hole to stare at her.
Without thinking she launched herself at him and buried her face into his neck. He smelled like the ocean. Salty, fishy and just a little bit past due for a shower. But he looked good. The sun had tanned him and lightened his hair.
She squeezed him hard and then leaned back to get a second look at him. Everything seemed in order. He had even developed a grizzled look to him.
Olivia watched as he scanned the dock.
“Let’s get inside,” he said to them, leading the way through the small opening.
It both amazed and baffled her by how much was able to fit into such a small space. Right as they came down the stair, a toilet/shower became visible. On the same side was also a small cubby area for the kitchen. She noticed a sink and stove were available. Opposite the kitchen was a fifty’s style booth. Toward the back was a bedroom equipped with two twin bunks.
She circled the area, taking in his new home.
Olivia turned to stare at her brother.
“How did you…”
“I won it,” Ben said, gesturing for them all to have a seat in the booth. “I’ve been learning how to use it for the past six months.”
“I’m assuming you never bothered to have the title transferred over to you,” Reed chimed in finally.
Ben shook his head. “I’ve got the title, but, well, it’s my get-away card. It’s about the only way I could think to trump those guys.” He smiled widely at how well his plan had work.
“Six months?” Her head began to spin. “Why didn’t you just come here to live instead of with me?”
“Didn’t want all my shit to come down on you while I wasn’t around.”
“Funny how it did anyway,” Reed bit out.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like that.” Ben leaned forward. “I started to think he might know something when Neil wanted to meet near the library. Kept acting cagey and dodging all my questions.”
He looked into her eyes, pleading for her understanding, then shifted his attention to Reed.
“He sure as hell knew you were behind that man and woman,” Ben said.
Reed sat back, surprise written on his face.
“Right after your people first made contact, Neil called to have a meeting.” Ben slammed his fist on the table. “Had me steal the shit, didn’t bother to pay and then wants a favor? So I show because what else am I gonna do? We meet with your people.” Ben played absently with a loose napkin on the table. “They’re tossing out some numbers, and I’m thinking they sound good, but Neil says he wants to wait.”
Reed nodded. All of this was old news to him, but for Olivia, it was a whole new world.
“When they leave, he starts going off about a debt being owed. Listen, I don’t care what happened between you two, but at that point, I’m just looking to get paid and tell him as much.”
Ben chuckled grimly.
“Oh he loved that. Demanded I turn over the file. So I tell him I’ve got it tucked away, and I want a piece of the profit.” Ben looked to Olivia and smiled. “Boy you’ve never seen someone go pale like that.”
“Oh Ben,” she said quietly. Slowly his smile disappeared as he watched her face fall.
“I should have known something was wrong when he dropped everything and agreed to fifty percent, but I think I just wanted to believe.”
He looked over to Reed. “You have to believe me. It was never supposed to go down like that.” Ben signed and ran a hand through his hair.
“So how did the Russians get involved?” Reed leaned in. His intense movement shifted Olivia closer to him.
“Maybe all along but for sure just before the library.” Ben put his laptop on the table facing Reed and Olivia. “I don’t know what Carson told you all, but it seems his dealings with Neil are just the tip of the iceberg. After the big shootout, I decided to have a look and see what was worth all this trouble.”
She leaned forward to flip through the files and was surprised to find shipping receipts. Some inbound and others outbound. Each signed off by Carson. On a spreadsheet was a dollar value corresponding to the dates. She stared, puzzled as to why this would be important.
“So what were the shipments?” She questioned her brother.
Ben shook his head. “I wasn’t in the loop on this, but just look at where some of these are being shipped.”
“Looks like it’s centered in the Middle East and parts of Asia.” Olivia looked up from the computer to Ben and Reed.
“Well, that would explain the Russians,” Reed said quietly.
“That’s what I thought.” Ben looked down at the table.
“I don’t understand,” Olivia turned to Reed expectantly.
“Human trafficking. Likely some drug and gun running in there as well.” Reed stared at her like she might fall apart at any moment. “Kace has been talking about this for a while. Said there had been an influx of missing kids and the drug scene has been escalating to being just about out of control.”
Her stomach flipped as she took in his words.
“And Carson knew?” She focused on the task at hand and not the sinking feeling she was getting. The situation went from being a mess to being atomic level.
Ben shrugged. “Maybe. Regardless, he signed the paper and didn’t even question.”
“A man like Carson doesn’t get into bed with the Russians and not have a good idea what might be going on,” Reed said. He gripped the table hard enough for the wood to creek. “That son of a bitch just took the money and didn’t even care to find out.”
“You can see why it might be hard to offer this information to just anyone.” Ben looked them both in the eye. “I might have my moments of being on the wrong side of the law, but this goes against every ounce of morals I have.”
Olivia sent up a silent prayer that he had done the right thing. This wasn’t just wrong but evil. As evil as a person could get.
“So what do we do now?” She looked at the two men.
Ben shrugged his shoulders. “I was hoping your boyfriend could help.”
Olivia opened her mouth to correct him.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Reed said firmly. “I think it might be best if you take a trip out of the bay for a few days. This isn’t going to die down, and I’ve got some peo
ple to contact.”
Reed stared out the side window into the dark, his face a hard line as he thought things through.
“There’s no good solution is there?” Olivia asked quietly after some time of sitting in silence.
Ben and Reed turned to look at her. She was sure it was shocking for them to hear from her, but there really was no good way out. Either they turned this over, and Ben went into hiding for the rest of his life, constantly looking over his shoulder, or they handed over the information and let the Russians continue doing business with Carson.
Reed leaned over and patted her leg. Warmth zipped through her.
“We’ll figure it out,” he said quietly.
Olivia smiled at him through the tears that threatened to spill. This was all too much.
Reed turned back to Ben. “I think you should go out on the bay for the weekend. Staying here you run the risk of someone finding out.” He glanced over to Olivia. “Or someone giving something away.”
“I wouldn’t,” she stuttered.
“I believe you, Liv,” Ben reached across and took her hand. “Maybe you should come out with me. Might be fun.”
Her heart melted at his child like grin. She couldn’t help but smile back.
She was brought back to the present when Reed tensed next to her. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she could see the muscle in his jaw ticking.
“Thanks, but I think I’m a better help staying here.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and pulled back. Feeling bold, she placed her hand on Reed’s thigh. Ben followed her action and raised an eyebrow at the action. She could feel the blush spreading across her body but didn’t remove the hand.
“I see,” Ben said quietly and looked between them.
“If you can meet back here Sunday night, I should have a better solution.” Reed spoke with authority. His assurance helped ease her worry.
Ben nodded his understanding. “I best be on my way then.”
Olivia slid out of the seat and excused herself to the small bathroom.
Once the door was closed and locked, she looked in the mirror over the sink. Her normally pale skin was about three shades of pink. Surprisingly, she liked the look. Being flushed looked good on her. Even her strange blue and yellow eyes seemed brighter. She leaned forward and tried to contain the tremble that threatened to overtake her.
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