Page 154 of See You Maybe

“Should I wish you luck, or is that insulting?” Olivia asked sleepily from their rumpled bed, as Declan slipped into his suit jacket.

“Go back to sleep, Petal.”

“I’m up now.” Olivia pulled herself up higher on the pillows, the sheet covering her breasts slipping enough to give him the glimpse of one pink nipple. His feet brought him back to the side of the bed, his hand tracing over her soft skin.

“Me too.” He chuckled, mentally calculating how long he could delay his flight. His mouth sealed over hers and Olivia moaned, arching into his hand. His phone buzzed, and he bit back a growl. He nipped her bottom lip as he pulled back. “When this is over, we are going away. Just us, no phones, no computers, no family.”

“Sounds like heaven.”

Declan glanced at the phone screen and rumpled Oscar’s ears. “That’s Rhodes. He and another of Brady’s men have arrived. There will be a car out front the entire time I’m gone, and they will drive you wherever you need to go until you pick out a new car.”

When she didn’t respond, Declan looked up from the puppy to see Olivia’s lower lip trembling. Concern clutched in his chest. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I feel…”

Declan’s heart twisted. “Are you worried about Kyle… or Chris? I promise they can’t get near you.”

Olivia shook her head, her eyes suddenly glistening. “I have this terrible feeling… You keep talking about keeping me safe, but what about you?”

Declan sat back, stunned. “Chris is too much of a coward to come at me like that.”

“You aren’t invincible,” Olivia burst out. “You act like nothing can touch you and that it doesn’t even matter if it does. I know you want to keep me safe. Why can’t you understand that I’m worried about you, too?” Her breath hitched. “I just got you back, and I’m terrified you are going to be taken away from me.”

“Hey,” Declan cupped her face. “I’ll be back in two days.”

“Promise.” Her hands clutched his wrists, gaze fierce. “Promise I won’t lose you again. That you won’t disappear. You’ll stay with me.”

Declan pressed his forehead against hers. “Always.”

He hated walking away from her when she was upset, but by the end of the day, it would almost all be over. After he regained control of the company, all that would be left was retribution.

In the early morning light, Declan climbed into his car and began backing up Olivia’s steep driveway. Motion out of the corner of his eye had him glancing back through the windshield. “Damn it,” he muttered, as Oscar galloped around the frost-covered yard, the front door cracked open behind him. “This is exactly why he belongs in a crate.”

But Declan was more angry that the open door meant more than he hadn’t pulled it shut. It meant that distracted by his thoughts, he’d forgotten to reset the alarm and that was unacceptable.

Putting his car in park, Declan swung the car door open and climbed out, whistling for the puppy. White vapor poured from the exhaust as he tried to grab Oscar’s collar. But each time he got close, the dog raced the other way.

“Oscar.” His voice was sharp, all too aware that the security detail was watching him chase a puppy around the front yard. “I’m going to murder this dog.”

Declan walked to the front door, squatted down, and patted his leg. “Oscar,” he called louder, over his car’s idling engine. “Do you want a treat? Come on. It’s fecking freezing out here, you eejit,” he sing-songed.

The puppy’s ears flopped as he cocked his head, considering his options. Declan rose and took a step into the house, holding the door open. “Come on. Treats!”

With what Declan swore was a doggy grin, Oscar raced toward him, ducking between his feet, before spinning around to face Declan, eyes bright and tail wagging.

“If you think I’m giving you a treat, no?—”

The force of the explosion threw Declan forward onto the floor, shattered window glass raining down all around him.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Atlanta—Present Day

Olivia pulled on the T-shirt Declan had discarded and snuggled back into the warm blankets. She heard Declan’s sports car start, but the low throaty sound of the engine continued instead of pulling away.

What was he waiting for? The thought had barely registered when the house shook, and the world flashed bright around her, the glass of her bedroom windows shattered inward.

Adrenaline raced through her as Olivia bolted from the bed, a scream locked in her throat. Declan! She didn’t register the sharp pain in her feet as she raced to what remained of her window casing. Through the thick acrid smoke, she heard shouting and could make out the charred outline of his car, flames licking high into the dawn light.

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