Page 17 of Deadly Hope
She wavered, then nodded. “I suppose we can figure something out. As long as no one sees a Knight Tactical presence or vehicle.”
“Understood. It won’t be marked.” Axel braced his palms on the table, leaning forward slightly. “And you’ll wear the earpiece.”
She inclined her head, gaze skittering from his face to the earbud in her hand. “Okay.”
Some of the apprehension in his chest loosened. She had her boundaries, and he would do his best to meet them, no matter how difficult it made his job. “Then we’re good so far.”
“Far from good,” Olivia corrected, but her voice softened. “But … less disastrous than it could be.”
He almost smiled. “I’ll take it.”
She touched the scarf at her neck, wincing slightly. The bruise there was still raw, faint purple across her skin.
A flare of protectiveness stung him right between the ribs. “How’re you holding up?”
She arched an auburn brow. “Fine.” The single clipped word told him otherwise. But he wouldn’t press; it wasn’t his place—at least not yet.
Shaking off the thought, he shut the folder and reached for his phone. “Before we wrap, I want to check something.” As soon as he turned the screen on, a notification popped up from one of Knight Tactical’s intel apps. A frown tugged at his mouth when he recognized the address.
“What is it?” Olivia asked, instantly on alert.
“There’s a mention of an unknown male hanging around near your office building early this morning.” He skimmed the message. “Description’s a possible match with your intruder.”
Her eyes widened. Her grip on the earbud tightened. “Did he do anything?”
Axel shook his head. “Apparently just loitering, then took off when approached. Could be a coincidence … or it could be our suspect waiting for another chance.”
Fear flashed across her features, and she swallowed. “So, this isn’t over.”
“Right.” He shoved the phone into his back pocket as he stood, heart thudding with fresh urgency. “This is why we can’t wait until tomorrow. We need to get security in place now.”
She paled slightly. “Now? But we haven’t even discussed payment?—”
“Forget the cost,” he said bluntly, more forceful than he intended. “You help vets. We help you. That’s how it works. We live for missions like this. Consider it on the house.”
Surprise flared in her eyes. “On the house? I can’t accept total?—”
He talked over her, voice edged with frustration. “We’renot charging you, Olivia. Knight Tactical was built to protect the people who serve and support our troops. If someone’s threatening you or your work with veterans, we’ll step in. I’ll take care of the details with the big bosses.”
She pressed her lips together, searching his eyes for any sign he might relent. “I don’t want you signing me up for something that’ll put you in hot water.”
A flicker of doubt passed through Axel, but he ignored it. He didn’t know Jack Reese or Admiral Knight, the owner, well enough to judge. They might freak, but right now, it didn’t matter. His problem. Not hers.
Time to move on. “We’ll rotate coverage so someone’s watching your house at night, and someone else tracks you during the day—at a discreet distance. You have the earpiece for inside the office. That’s still minimal coverage compared to what we usually do.”
She half-laughed, tension crackling in her voice. “Minimal? I’d call that intense. I can’t have you guys lurking at home and work.”
He leveled his gaze. “You won’t even know we’re there unless there’s trouble. I promise.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, glancing down at the earbud in her palm. “I hate feeling like a prisoner in my own life.”
“I know.” The quiet words felt too personal, but he pressed on. “It’s only until we figure out who’s targeting you. Then we’ll back off.”
For a moment, she simply looked at him, a thousand emotions in her eyes. Finally, she gave a slow, reluctant nod. “One week. Then we reassess.”
Axel studied her, torn between relief and concern. “Deal.”
He took a step closer. “May I?” He gestured to the earpiece.
