Page 66 of Oliver

He froze.

I didn’t.

I tackled him to the ground, fists flying. “You threatened my wife.”

A hit to his jaw.

“You tried to erase her.”

A knee to his ribs.

“You kidnapped my wife.”

Another punch—this time breaking something.

He spat blood. “You don’t get it. Taking me down won’t stop this. I’m not the only one. There are others. She wasn’t your wife when we kidnapped her.”

“I know,” I said, cuffing him. “But tonight?You’re our first take down.”

Emery

I was sitting on the porch when the SUV screeched to a halt, and Oliver stepped out—blood on his shirt, eyes wild.

He came straight to me, still breathing hard.

“It’s done,” he said.

I looked past him at the others, then back to my husband.

I threw my arms around him. “I knew you’d come back.”

His hands fisted in my hair. “I’ll always come back. But next time…”

He pulled back and smiled.

I kissed him hard.

The Next Morning – Newsfeeds Everywhere

Langston’s face was plastered across every headline.

"CIA Deputy Director Arrested in Global Arms Trafficking Cover-Up"

"Olympian-Turned-Whistleblower Exposes Black Ops Network"

"Emery Blake: The Woman Who Brought Down a Giant"

I turned off the TV, laid my head on Oliver’s chest, and smiled.

“Think the quiet life is finally here?”

He kissed my forehead. “Let’s enjoy it. Until the next bastard makes the mistake of messing with what’s mine.”

49

Oliver

I’d forgotten what quiet sounded like.

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