Page 72 of Shadow

Carrie frowned. “I never throw anything away, but that was close to five years ago now. I’ll have to dig deep in the archives for those. Give me a couple of days, and I’ll get it for you.”

He put a hand on her back. “Thanks, sweetie. I appreciate it. Let me know if I can do anything for you.”

“Order a Red Bull for yourself and slip it my way?”

Ripley scowled. “Are you trying to get me to help you break a rule, little girl?”

She shrugged. “Come on. I have to stay up late tonight and work, but Peter is back on his kick that I drink too much caffeine. I’ll only drink half of it, I promise.”

He glanced around, looking for Peter then waved the bartender over.

“Can I get a Red Bull and two glasses?”

The bartender looked at Carrie and back at Ripley then shook his head and shrugged. He was clearly aware of Peter’s rules about caffeine.

Ripley chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it handled, man.”

When the bartender came back with the drink and glasses, he poured half of the can into one and slid it Carrie’s way.

She beamed at him and drank the glass. Ripley poured the other half in the second glass but didn’t touch it. He hated the things.

When she was done with the drink, he tucked a hand under her chin and said, “Now you’re going to go find Peter and tell on yourself and tell him you’re ready to go home. You have a deadline, after all.”

She huffed. “I should have known better than to ask a Dom to help me.”

He laughed and ruffled her hair. “We all know you like getting in trouble. Now go. Or do I need to come with you to make sure you obey?”

She slipped off the high stool and grumbled. “No, Sir. I’m going, I’m going.”

“Good girl. I’ll talk to you in a day or two unless you find what I’m looking for sooner.”

She stuck her tongue out at him but made a beeline for Peter when he stepped into the bar.

Peter glared at Ripley when Carrie said whatever she said. Then Ripley held up the glass with the other half of the drink in it and winked.

Peter rolled his eyes and took Carrie by the hand.

She turned around and shouted goodnight to everyone, and Ripley took that as his cue to pull Olivia away from the conversation and take her home, too.

Taking Olivia home was high on his list of favorite things to do. He was looking forward to a lifetime of doing it.

Chapter 20

“RIPLEY,pleaseletmego on my own. I mean, with security, of course, but I don’t need you at my side every second.” It was Thursday afternoon, and nearly seventy-two hours in the safehouse without leaving was already driving her crazy.

Spending so much time with Ripley was amazing, but she also needed a break. So, she was trying to talk him into letting her go with just a security detail from Peter’s firm to check on something at the bar. Fiona was back from vacation finally, and she and Niki seemed to be having issues getting along.

Olivia tugged on her boots and headed for her purse.

“You’re only going to the bar?” he asked, his tone still uncertain.

She nodded. “The bar, and that’s it. I won’t even ask them to stop for food on the way home.”

He sighed. “I don’t like you going there when we know whoever this is has already targeted you and knows where your places of business are. But I understand your need to work.”

“And I’m sure that despite what you tell me, you’ve got spy shit you could do to put an end to this. So why don’t you do that for the two hours I’m going to be gone?”

“Two hours, Liv. Not a second more or I’m coming after you, and if I have to do that, your ass is in trouble.”

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