Page 43 of Misdirection

“Why would you want to come with me?”

“I’d feel better if I did, especially in light of what happened to Beau.”

She wanted to argue. But she knew if she did she’d be risking her cover. Normal people in a situation like this would like more security.

“Fine,” Olive finally said. “If you insist.”

But she wasn’t going to enjoy being with him.

This just might prove to be her hardest assignment yet.

CHAPTER 17

Jason had insisted on driving, and for some reason, Olive agreed. It seemed simpler than arguing with him about who should be behind the wheel. Besides, it didn’t really matter.

However, she couldn’t deny the awkward silence between them as they headed down the road.

His vehicle, however, was nice. Really nice.

He drove a gunmetal-gray Range Rover, fully loaded with leather seats. This vehicle was not cheap. Did Conglomerate pay him this well?

She doubted it.

Rush hour traffic was fully upon them, and the GPS stated Ryan’s house was still twenty minutes away. The average commute here in Chicago just happened to be thirty-three minutes, so Ryan lived a little closer than the average person.

That felt like entirely too much time to be alone with Jason. Olive might be tempted to give in to small talk, which was the last thing she wanted. She hated small talk—but she could be a master at it when she needed to.

Silence stretched between them, and she waited, interested to see if he would say anything.

Finally, Jason spoke up. “How are your mom and sisters?”

Talk about the worst question ever.

Olive didn’t even know how to answer. She didn’t want to tell him the truth about what really happened. Then he might ask too many questions. He might dig too deep.

But did she really want to lie to him?

Her silent question seemed ridiculous because lying was what Olive did for a living. Sure, she always lied under the guise of an investigation. But no one really knew who she was or the details of her past. So why did she feel bad not telling Jason the truth either?

Emotional distance, she reminded herself. That was what she needed. If she kept going down this route, she was going to blow her cover.

“I haven’t talked to them in a while.” Her throat burned at the words. But her statement was the easiest way to get out of answering his question.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jason said. “I know you guys used to be close.”

“We were very close,” was all that Olive offered. Then she realized it would be much safer if she asked him questions rather than letting him take the lead. “So, how long have you been at Conglomerate?”

“Three years. As I mentioned earlier, I dropped out of college and joined the military. Stayed in for five years. Even became a Ranger. But I blew out my shoulder in one particularly tough battle, and that ended my military career.”

“How’s your shoulder now?”

“Four surgeries later, it’s better. But then I went into private security, and I was eventually hired here in Chicago.”

Olive was just about to ask him about Adriana—how they met, what she did for a living, where she lived.

But they pulled into Ryan’s neighborhood before she could. It was probably better that way.

She glanced up and down the street. The homes around her were nice—two stories, brick, and probably twenty-five hundred square feet. If she had to guess, they cost around seven hundred thousand.

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