Page 76 of Obscurity
“I handled it,” Olive interrupted. “I’ve been handling things like that for years.”
“That’s not the point.” Jason pushed his plate away, his food barely touched. “The point is that we’re supposed to be partners, and partners don’t keep secrets that could affect their safety or the mission.”
The irony of his words hit Olive like a physical blow.
Here he was, lecturing her about keeping secrets when she’d been wrestling with the biggest secret of all—the connection between his father’s business and her family’s house, the questions about whether Jason himself might somehow be connected to her parents’ murder.
“Or is it because you don’t trust me?” Jason continued, his voice growing quieter but more pointed. “Because that’s what this feels like, Olive. Like you still don’t trust me enough to be honest about what’s happening.”
Olive stared at her untouched dinner, her mind racing. How did she respond?
The hurt in Jason’s voice was genuine, and Olive knew he had every right to feel betrayed by her omission.
But how could she explain that trust wasn’t the issue—that it was love that made her keep secrets? That she was so terrifiedof losing him again that she’d rather suffer in silence than risk discovering he was connected to the worst tragedy of her life?
“What aren’t you telling me?” Jason asked, his voice soft. “Because I know there’s something. I’ve known since the day I started at Aegis. You’ve been keeping me at arm’s length, and I can’t figure out why.”
Olive’s hands trembled slightly as she gripped her soda can. This was the moment—the conversation she’d been dreading and avoiding in equal measure.
She could tell him about the house, about the investigation into his father’s business dealings, about her suspicions and fears. She could finally be honest about why she’d been so careful to maintain professional distance between them.
But sitting behind an abandoned building in the middle of a music festival scam run by people willing to silence anyone who was a threat, surrounded by enemies and uncertain allies, seemed like the worst possible time to have a conversation that might destroy whatever trust they’d managed to rebuild.
“Jason . . .” she began, then stopped, unsure how to continue.
“It’s about my father, isn’t it?” Jason’s voice was resigned rather than angry. “Something you found during your background investigation of me.”
Olive’s breath caught. “How did you?—”
“Because I know you, Olive. And I know you’d never trust anyone blindly, especially not someone from your past who suddenly reappeared in your life.” Jason’s smile was sad rather than bitter. “I figured you’d run a full background check on me and everyone in my family. The question is what you found that made you decide I might be dangerous.”
CHAPTER 54
Before Olive could formulate a response, Tevin slipped behind the building, heading toward them. His expression was grim as he assessed their faces.
“Sorry to interrupt.” His tone, however, suggested he wasn’t entirely sorry to break up what looked like an intense conversation. “But I needed to check in with you both. The security situation is escalating.”
A mixture of relief and frustration twisted inside Olive at the interruption. The conversation with Jason would have to wait—again.
“What kind of escalation?” Jason shifted into professional mode despite the personal tension still hanging between them.
“More search teams are being deployed. They’re looking for someone who was in an unauthorized area this afternoon.” Tevin’s gaze moved to Olive. “Someone who might have accessed sensitive information.”
Olive’s heart thumped harder. Her. They were looking for her.
Her only hope was that no one could identify her. She’d kept her eyes open for security cameras, but she hadn’t seen any.
“How much trouble are we in?” Olive asked.
Tevin leveled his gaze with her. “Depends on what you found and whether they can prove you were there.”
Olive briefed Tevin on her discoveries in Brad’s house.
Tevin’s expression grew darker with each detail. “This is so much worse than we thought.”
“Can you find out more about who’s funding this?” Olive asked. “The government connections?”
“I’ll see what I can dig up, but it’s going to take time. And given the security situation . . .” Tevin shook his head. “What’s our next move?”
