Page 1 of Shadow

Prologue

Three years ago

“Anotherroundforeveryone?”

Olivia Harrigan glanced down at her drink as the server picked up empty glasses from the table. It was still half full. How was she supposed to forget Cannon Ripley if she’d only consumed half a drink? With determination, she picked up the whiskey and drained it in three gulps, then handed it to the waiting server.

“Every seven minutes until someone passes out,” she ordered. It was not her usual style for a night out, but tonight called for drastic measures.

The server looked appropriately concerned when she glanced at the tall Black man sitting next to her. Samuel? Was that his name? She hadn’t exactly been planning to spend the evening with anyone of the male persuasion. This night had started as a girls’ night with Darci, Elise, and Carrie, but somehow, they’d wound up at a table full of desirable men.

Samuel nodded at the server. “I’ll keep her safe.”

She turned with the tray of empty glasses and headed for the bar.

“Who are you trying to forget, Miss Olivia?” Samuel asked.

“Who says I’m trying to forget? What if I’m trying to loosen up so I can flirt with you?”

He laughed and shook his head. “I’m good at recognizing these sorts of things.”

Elise clapped her hands and leaned over to talk to Samuel. “You want to take us dancing?”

Olivia perked up. “Oh yes. Dancing. That sounds fun. Will you dance with me, Samuel?”

Elise jumped up, clapping again. “Let’s do it!”

And that’s how Olivia found herself in the back of a limo heading to a night club on a Monday night. So much for a drink every seven minutes.

Samuel shoved her in and sat next to her before Darci sat on the other side of him. He wrapped his arm around the pretty redhead.

Across from her, Bradley Givens looked like he was ready to murder someone. As if to goad him, Samuel stretched his body in front of Darci’s, making sure his arm brushed her body, while he reached for one of the water bottles in the door. Bradley and Darci were having some kind of fight, but Olivia didn’t know the details. Just that Darci didn’t think that highly of Bradley Givens. Bradley clearly thought a lot of Darci, though.

Samuel shoved the bottle of water he’d retrieved in front of her. At first, she turned up her nose. It was too early in the evening for water.

“Listen. You might be drinking to forget, but I will not be the reason you get alcohol poisoning. Drink.”

Olivia didn’t break eye contact with him as she cracked the seal on the cold water. “Bossy. I like it,” she said, tipping the bottle to her lips.

He opened his mouth to say something when Darci spoke instead. “What is it you do, Samuel?”

Olivia was sure Bradley clenched his fists, and it made her chuckle.

Samuel flashed his sexy smile at Darci. “I work for my father’s investment firm.”

That surprised Olivia. He gave off military vibes. Of course, that could just be projecting on her part since Ripley was military. But Darci agreed with Olivia’s initial assessment, and she lifted one eyebrow and said, “Really? You strike me as a soldier.”

“Told you,” Garrett Oliver—another of the desirable men on this outing—said with a smug smirk. “I told you nobody would ever buy that you’re part of an investment firm.”

“You were in my office yesterday, Oliver. Shut it. And let me hook up the music to this thing.”

Garrett did something, and soon music filled the car. When Elise started singing at the top of her lungs, Olivia couldn’t help but join in, and the rest of the ride flew by in a blur of loud karaoke. When they arrived at the nightclub, they were whisked to a VIP booth in Samuel Carter’s name. That guy had some pull.

She drank the whiskey he poured and enjoyed the warm feeling that snaked through her. Tonight, she didn’t even mind the swimming that her head was doing. Owning a bar herself, she usually avoided drinking too much. But not tonight. Tonight, she just wanted to shut her brain up.

Cannon Ripley had convinced her he might come home soon. Then he got called out of town again and she didn’t know when he might come back. So, she’d told him not to call her again unless he was coming home for good.

Which meant she was probably never going to hear from him again. Ripley was addicted to danger. He wouldn’t leave his job unless he was forced to.

---