Page 17 of Undeniable

I let out a deep sigh,debating how much to tell her. I sure as shit wasn’t going to mention the drama with my father. And as much as I liked that she didn’t know about my injury, I hadn’t really opened up to anyone about it. I was so focused on trying to maintain this front that I was strong—mentally and physically. That I was more than fit to return to work, but even I’d begun to have my doubts.

It wasn’t just Clay’s comments or the fact that everyone at Hudson Security was up my ass about the last assignment. It wasn’t even the ache in my knee, which my doctor was confident would continue to recede with time. It was the weariness in my soul.

I’d been so focused on getting back into the field, but what if I wasn’t up to it?

I’d let my personal issues cloud my judgment. I’dneverallowed that to happen before. And yet, I’d crossed so many lines, I was lucky I hadn’t been fired.

I’d been convinced that George was abusing his wife and daughter. I still was, even if no one else believed me. I knew what I’d seen. The way they curled in on themselves as if to protect themselves. Their skittish movements and the terror in their eyes.

And yet, none of us were any better off, thanks to me. Hudson had lost a client. As far as I knew, George’s wife and daughter were still trapped. And I’d been suspended.

What if I wasn’t so fortunate the next time? What if I lost control and fucked up again, and something even worse than a sprained wrist happened to one of my teammates because of it?

Olivia,

It’s a long story, but basically, I was injured while on assignment.

I typedit out then deleted it. Typed it out again, then deleted it again. Did she really want to know, or was she just asking to be polite? Considering her earlier candor, I assumed she genuinely cared. She wouldn’t have joined this program if she didn’t, right?

Unless her boss was forcing her to participate like mine. I sighed, slumping against the headboard. The reasons didn’t really matter, and I figured I owed her some sort of explanation.

I busted my knee, and the whole situation is fucking with my head.

How do you have so much time to read? Are you a librarian? A retired nurse?

I am very adventurous when it comes to trying new things. I’ll let you infer from that what you will.

Connor

Was I…flirting?And why was I flirting? I’d never met Olivia. Someone who could’ve been an octogenarian for all I knew, though I had a feeling she was closer to my age. I’d hoped my comment about the retired nurse would garner a response, but I had no idea what to expect. No idea who this mysterious Olivia really was.

Despite all the resources at my fingertips at Hudson Security, I had almost nothing to go on. And sure, I could’ve had one of my buddies in the tech department trace her IP and dig up some info, but that felt wrong. Like a violation of her trust.

Besides, I was quickly coming to find that the mystery was part of the allure. Not that I was looking for a relationship. I had enough crap to deal with at the moment.

Olivia’s response came so fast, it was almost as if we were instant messaging. It was fun. Easy. I didn’t have to worry about what Olivia would think of me. I didn’t care what she thought of me. She was just as anonymous to me as I was to her. And, best of all, there was no pressure. No expectations beyond reading and talking.

I kicked myself for being so resistant to the pen pal program I’d mocked. Because now that we’d started talking, I craved more.

Connor,

I’m sorry about your knee. Injuries are no fun, and the mental aspects of recovery can be challenging. I hope it gets better soon!

I work in the publishing industry.

What should we read next? More adventure fiction? A thriller? Romantic suspense? Science fiction?

Olivia

Hmm.She worked for a publishing company—it made sense, considering her love of reading and books. As did her offense to my initial email insulting reading.

I stared at the screen, trying to read between the lines. Her responses only left me with more questions than answers. Was she purposely evading my questions? I’d hoped that my subtle way of asking would also give me insight into her. Most women loved talking about themselves, but Olivia seemed to be the exception. Which only made me even more determined to get to know her.

I fired off my response and tucked my arm beneath my head, waiting for her email until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. It was the first time in weeks I’d fallen asleep thinking about something other than my knee or the fucked-up assignment.

CHAPTERFIVE

Iyawned and turned over, blinking at my phone. There was a new email.Severalnew emails. I smiled at the sight of Connor’s email address and burrowed farther beneath the covers. In the span of a week, we’d gone from being strangers to talking every day.

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