Page 13 of The Wrecked One

I peeked back at our bike. “Sure we should just leave our helmets here? What if they get stolen again?”

Oliver shrugged. “Then someone needs them more than we do.”

And I love that about you. Of course, I then went and killjoyed the moment by pointing out the “obstacle” we may soon face, reminding him, “Hugo only requested to meet with me this morning.”

Oliver rubbed his stubbled jawline. “Yeah, well, if he doesn’t let me join you, then you’re not joining him. Got it?” A dark brow prominently lifted as he motioned for me to get a move on, but how could I budge after that declaration?

“I don’t have a choice, but I’ll do my best to push him to include you. I’ll say I assumed the invite was for the two of us since we always work together. If I make it seem like it’s the normally expected course of things, maybe he won’t push it.” I finally stepped forward, convinced we could make this work, but Oliver reached for my arm and stopped me. “I already went over this plan with you, remember?”

He gently whirled me around to face him, and the eye roll of the year went to him. Although it was only the last day in February, surely he’d outdo himself again at some point in 2025. “Yeah, you shared that plan, then ignored me when I said no to it. Real shocker, but . . .” He released me, grimacing when he realized we were touching again, and in public, no less. “Of course, you were also busy typing on your laptop while we had that conversation. I know you tend to be in another world when writing, and maybe you didn’t hear my protests, so please hear them now. You are not going anywhere with that man without me. Taking these assholes down means nothing if you’re dead.”

I went to snatch my phone from him, but he held it up out of my reach, like we were in kindergarten and he was the playground bully. “Why in the world would he kill me?” I locked my arms across my chest.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe instead of risking you saying no to changing or killing your story for him, he chooses a quicker, more efficient way to get the story blocked.”

Well, shit, when you put it like that.

He finally lowered his arm and his gaze flew over my white silk blouse tucked into my jeans, then he leaned in and brought his mouth to my ear. “Still waiting for confirmation you understand there’s not a chance in hell you go anywhere with that man without me.” His gritty warning somehow managed to slip right under my shirt, making my nipples harden. Probably not the effect he’d intended to have on me, but it’d happened nevertheless.

I swallowed and waited for him to step away, to give me space to breathe without inhaling the cologne Margiela’s Replica he always wore because he knew I loved it.

When he finally granted me a few inches of space, it was only to make eye contact.

Damn that sexy, determined look to win a fight.

“Mya, dammit, you’re going to give me an ulcer.” His voice was rough and mildly anguished. “I need to hear you promise me you will not, under any circumstances, go anywhere with that man if he does not let me stay with you.”

His tone was as fierce as his expression. Jaw locked tight, eyes narrowed on me, and probably every muscle in his body rigid and ready to throw down with Hugo Soren if he dared take me away from him.

I checked his Apple watch. “We’re being tracked. You’ll know where I am at all times. Even if I do get in a car, boat, or plane with this man.”

Glaring at me, he snapped out, “I was worried you were going to do this to me. So, so stubborn.”

“And you love that about me. Come on, you know it.”

“Can’t love you if you’re dead,” he bit out and turned away toward the river.

I had to curb the impulse to rub his back to try and calm him down. He technically held the power of our next moves in his hand, given he had the location of the meeting on my phone. “I trust you, and I know you won’t let anything happen to me.”

“Which is why I’m not letting you join a meeting with a man possibly in bed with The Collective without me,” he said while shooting a distressed look at me over his shoulder.

“Oliver.” The tone of my voice held a warning, reminding him not to use “their” name in public. Hell, we didn’t even use it on a secure line. Then I cursed under my breath at the fact I’d just used his real name out loud. Oh shit.

“No one is near us.” He grunted and tossed his free hand in the air. “But yeah, you’re right.”

I waited for him to fully face me, prepared to remind him of what should’ve been obvious. We were running on fumes, saying way more in the open than we should have. “These last three months will have been for nothing if I don’t do this. I promise I can be convincing. I’ll make sure he lets you join, too. Okay?”

He brought the phone between us but kept his hand locked around it. “Promise if he says no, you’ll leave with me. I need to hear you say those words, or we’re going back to the hotel.”

Shit. I wasn’t a liar. If I gave him my word, I’d have to mean it.

Before I could open my mouth, my phone dinged with a message and he unfurled his fingers so we could both look.

I read the text from Hugo Soren’s assistant and mumbled in disappointment, “I can’t believe he’s canceling on me. He didn’t even say why or if we’re rescheduling.”

At that news, Oliver pushed the phone into my hand, grumbling, “That works for me,” as I reread the message.

“No, this is bad. In the last three months, the team has had better luck at dismantling this asshole group than we have. And yet, we’re the ones on the ground, embedded deep, and still coming up empty.”

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