She stormed off, leaving Dane standing there with his jaw set. Cole was at the bar as she approached, taking the empty bottles from her as she set them on the counter. The noise of the music playing over the speakers was loud enough to make her temples throb.
“Get them another round,” she ordered through gritted teeth. “I need a moment.”
Olivia left him and made her way to the breakroom, opening her locker with quick, jerky movements. Inside her bag was some pain reliever, and that was what she was digging for when the door behind her opened. She looked over her shoulder and sighed, “I have a headache from hell.”
Cole approached her quietly, reaching out and placing his hand over hers to stop her from digging through her bag. “I agreed to do this.”
“I don’t like it,” she sighed, dropping her head.
“Look at me, Liv,” he whispered. She turned around and leaned against the open locker. Cole’s eyes were dark with a mixture of fear and desire. She should’ve looked away, but she didn’t. Olivia wanted nothing more than to take the pain away from him, but she knew she had no way of helping. She was nothing more than a waitress at a local bar. She had no powers or strength like the shifters possessed.
“The pride and the sheriff will find him,” he said, taking her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I need you to trust us. I have to stay in plain sight so we can flush these assholes out and catch them. It’s the only way I’m going to find Landon.”
“It’s dangerous,” she huffed, trying to ignore the way her body heated from his touch.
“It is,” he replied, his voice only above a whisper. She tightened her legs together when his eyes roamed her lips. God, she wanted him to kiss her and promise her he’d not get hurt while looking for his brother.
“Cole,” she breathed, pausing when he ducked his head. The brush of his lips brought tears to her eyes. There was a promise behind the softness, and she returned the sentiment when he began to pull away.
“I want you to be safe,” he said as he released her.
“I want you to not be in danger,” she retorted.
“Let’s get the beers for Dane.” He paused to press his lips to hers again. “They’ll be looking for us if we don’t come out.”
She nodded and found her way back to the bar. Cole quickly pulled three beers from the cooler and cracked the lids. Dane hadn’t moved from his spot and the two others were still playing pool. “He’s such an asshole.”
“Don’t blame Dane for this,” Cole growled. Her eyes widened from the sound and she turned her head to glare at him. The rumble from his chest was so much like Dane’s it made her pause.
“You two are so much alike, you’re starting to sound like each other,” she huffed and took the beer bottles between her fingers. She didn’t even bother with a tray and made her way back through the crowd to deposit them on the table Dane and his brothers were using.
Olivia was off tomorrow, and she was going to the pride’s land to help them search. It didn’t matter what Dane or Talon said, she wanted to do something…anything to help Cole find Landon. Cole was going to wake up early and be there anyway. She might as well come along.
“We need to talk,” Dane stated after she arrived at the table. She wanted to smooth the tension in his jaw, but refrained. Cole had just kissed her, and she was thinking about touching Dane. What the fuck was wrong with her? She’d never felt this way about one, let alone two men.
This whole “no touching” policy they had was dumb, if you asked her. She wanted nothing more than to console Dane the same way she’d done to Cole, and that was majorly fucked up. She wasn’t unfaithful. In fact, the thought of stringing them both along made her feel like a monster.
“Sure,” she sighed. “I go on break now anyway.”
“I’ll meet you in the breakroom.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his icy blue eyes.
Dane was usually the jokester, but since Cole’s brother had been abducted, he’d been in protector mode. She hadn’t seen that since the raids. It was obvious Dane cared for everyone in the bar and his fellow Guardians. It broke her heart he wasn’t himself.
She stopped by one of her tables to gather the empty bottles and pocket her tip. Cole told her to take her break, and took over wiping down the table. Dane stopped by and said a few words to the bartender as he followed her to the back. When she reached the hallway leading toward the breakroom, she looked over her shoulder and saw Cole watching her. He gave her a little nod and headed back behind the bar.
“I don’t know what you have planned in that pretty little head of yours,” Dane bellowed as he entered the breakroom, closing the door behind him, “but I damn well know it’s not good.”
“So, you think I’m pretty?” she chuckled, hoping to get him back to his old self.
“I think you are more than that,” he flirted, leaning his back against the door. He wore a pair of black combat boots with dark denim jeans. He had the cuffs rolled up only once, and his black cotton shirt stretched across the expanse of his wide chest, leaving nothing to the imagination when it came to his muscular body.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” she asked, moving the question away from her last one. She needed to stop looking at Dane and Cole the way she’d been over the past few months. Nothing good would come of flirting with both men.
“What are you planning?” he returned with a question.
“I’m going to your pride tomorrow morning to help look for Landon,” she stated. Ha! Let him turn her away from the search effort. No one would do that if she just showed up, right?
“That’s very kind of you.” He sighed loudly, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. His forearm seemed to ripple, not from the flexing of his muscles, but from something else. She wondered if it was his beast; the panther that lived inside him. She’d learned a lot over the time she had worked at the bar. They were two entities taking up one host. It was a constant battle between the two. When he dropped his arm, she had her answer by the color of his eyes. They were glowing amber. “I can’t have you involved, though.”
“Why not?” she whined. “I want to do something to help.”
“Whoever helps us search for Landon could be in danger,” he began. “If the cartel sees a woman with our team of Guardians, they could make you their next target. I won’t let that happen.”
“Oh,” she gasped, realizing why he and his alpha were so adamant about her staying out of the search. “I get it.”
“Do you?” he pressed.
“I do,” she admitted. “I feel helpless, and I want to be there for Cole…and you.”
“You are always welcome at the pride house, Olivia,” he offered as a compromise. “The females take pride in caring for the Guardians. They work so hard to keep us fed, and especially since we started taking rotations in finding Landon. They’ve been providing us with food and water at all hours of the day and night.”
“Do you think they would like some help in the kitchen?” she asked, feeling a little ray of hope that she could do something to aide in Landon’s return.
“I think they would love that,” Dane agreed.
“I’ll have Cole pick me up in the morning,” she said, leaning against the wall. Her eyes flickered to her locker and she shook the vision of Cole kissing her from her mind.
She inhaled when she smelled a spicy aroma in the air. Dane approached her as his nostrils flared, “What?”
“Nothing,” she squeaked.
“You’re aroused,” he smirked, placing his hand on the wall above her head. He leaned in close, but didn’t touch her. She knew better than to reach out for him, but damn if she didn’t want to.
“How can you know that?” she blushed, knowing damn well she was wet just thinking about that kiss, and it was made even worse when Dane was close.
“Your scent is like ambrosia,” he purred.
“Oh, my god,” she gasped. “No, you can’t!”
“Oh, yes I can,” he s
mirked and pushed away from the wall.
She slid down the wall and planted her ass on the ground as he left the breakroom. How embarrassing was that? Jesus, she had to learn to control herself when she was around those shifters.
The next morning, Cole Bryant climbed into his old Chevy truck and made his way to a small farm about six miles from the bar. Olivia was living at her mother’s in a small apartment over a separate garage. She’d once told him that her parents were getting older and wanted her close when she’d moved back to Olive Branch after her father had fallen ill. He passed away a month before she started working at the bar, but her mother was still very independent even with her advanced age. It was only fitting she kept the spot and worked in town.
“Hey,” she called out as she opened the passenger door to his truck. It was barely after eight, and Cole had stopped at the gas station for two large coffees, remembering she liked hers with three sugars and some of that god-awful vanilla creamer.
“I got you some coffee,” he offered.
“Mmmm,” she hummed. “You remember how I liked it?”
“I’m observant,” he stated.
“Dane doesn’t want me involved with the search today,” she announced after a few minutes. “I’m going to help the pride while the Guardians are out searching.”
Cole quieted, his mood souring. He didn’t want Olivia anywhere near the cartel. It was imperative she stay away, but he couldn’t deny her offer of help. Landon was his life. He was ten years younger than him. At twenty-six, he was only beginning his life, and if the cartel took that from him, he’d rain hell upon them all.
“Cole?” Olivia spoke as his hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Do you need me to drive?”
“No.” He shook his head, trying to calm his anger.
“Talk to me, please,” she whispered.
“The cartel will kill him and anyone associated with me and the men who helped bring them down. I don’t want you added to that list.”
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She stared out the window as they passed several corn fields. It was the height of summer and their town was in full swing with school being on break and the farmers waiting for their crops to grow for the fall harvest. He wondered what his life would’ve been like if he’d stayed and never joined the military. Would he have followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and worked the land? Or would he have moved to the big city and become a corporate mogul like his father?
“I’m not careless or stupid, Cole,” she finally said after a heavy sigh. “I will not do anything to put myself in danger. If you and Dane want me to lay low, then that’s what I will do.”
“Thank you,” he said, reaching over to touch her hand. She smiled softly when she looked up. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her knuckles and relished in the feel of her skin. Every time he’d touched her since they’d first starting working together, he felt a pulse of energy that made him crave her even more.
He’d kissed her at the bar as if it was an everyday occurrence. She didn’t protest, nor did she run away screaming. That had to be a good thing, right? If he wasn’t searching for his brother, Cole would ask her out on a date, maybe even buy her some flowers. A woman like Liv should be bathed in attention and treated like a queen. As much as he ached to start a relationship with her, he knew it was best to keep her at arm’s length.
“You’re very welcome,” she added.
“I appreciate your help,” he stated, releasing her as he pulled up to the gate at the pride’s land. Ranger waved him through as he opened the gate.
“Have you ever been here before?” Olivia asked as she leaned closer to the windshield to get a better look. Her hair fell over one shoulder, and Cole wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through it to see if it felt as soft as it looked.
“Once,” he told her when the tree-covered lane opened up to reveal a large home. “That’s Liberty and Talon’s home. The others live in cottages on the land.”
“Wow.”
“It’s like a small community,” he said, parking next to a black SUV.
Their conversation was halted when Nova, Liberty, and Mary Grace came out of the main house. Olivia slid out of her seat and greeted them with warm hugs. Olivia stopped to place her hand on Liberty’s swollen belly. “How much longer?”
“One more month,” she scowled. “It needs to be now. I’m not having any more after this one.”
“We will have twelve cubs,” Talon, the pride’s leader, teased as he took the steps down from the front porch of his elegant home.
“Not by me you won’t,” Liberty growled, but tucked herself in his side when he held out his arm. She pinched his arm, eliciting a soft grunt.
“Hello, Olivia,” Talon greeted, tightening his hold on Liberty. “Thank you for helping my pride today.”
“I didn’t want to be anywhere else,” she said, looking over her shoulder. Dane was approaching, his eyes trained on Olivia before flickering over toward Cole.
Cole watched as Olivia stared at Dane. There was a sense of need coming from her that spoke of fear and worry. He didn’t fault her for focusing on the shifter. Dane could protect her better than Cole ever could.
“Come inside,” Nova offered, holding out her hand to Olivia. “The females are arriving to start meals.”
“Okay,” she mumbled. The connection to Dane was broken, and she shook off the longing to be close to him. He hung his head forward, letting the loose curls of his dark-blond hair fall over his damaged ear.
Dane had never told her what had happened to him, and she didn’t want to pry. She’d noticed he sometimes had a hard time hearing out of that ear, but it never stopped him from fulfilling his duties to the pride.
Her worry turned to Cole. He felt responsible for his brother’s disappearance. She wished she could help in more ways, but he was right. She’d heard of the drug cartel and their methods of dealing with the enemy. There was no way she needed to get involved with that anyway. It was safer to be there emotionally if he needed it.
Olivia prayed Landon was unharmed, but the more time that elapsed since his disappearance, the more likely he was being tortured. No one had to say it, but from the dropped features of everyone in the pride, they knew it was a real possibility.
“Liv?” Cole said from the doorway of the kitchen. She didn’t even hear him approach as she stood at the window, looking out into the backyard. Several small children played by a fire pit that looked as though it’d been used recently. Black scorch marks marred the ground inside the stone circle.
“Um, yeah?” she replied, clearing her throat. When she turned, Dane was standing behind Cole. Both men were too large to fit in the width of the doorway leading from the kitchen to the living room.
“Come,” Cole ordered softly, holding out his hand. She went to him and let him lead her out to the back porch. The feel of his warm palm against hers felt right…well, almost right. As she looked at Dane waiting for them outside, she wanted him to hold her other hand as they walked.
What the hell is wrong with you? This isn’t right.
“What’s going on?” she asked as they stepped out onto the back porch. Cole directed her over to a rocking chair and urged her to sit down.
“I think you should stay here at the pride for a few days,” Cole said as he knelt in front of her. He placed his hand on her knee and sighed, closing his eyes for a few seconds.
“Why? Are you afraid these men will come after me?”
“It’s a precaution,” Dane said as he leaned against the porch railing.
“I…I don’t mind,” she stammered. “Will the pride be okay with me staying?”
“We prefer you to be here,” Dane stated, looking over his shoulder at a building off in the distance. “You can stay in my room over in the dorm.”
The dorm was an old barn that looked like it’d been updated. There was a gravel parking area behind it and an attached building that was only one story and looked like it
had been added during the renovation.
“If you’re sure,” she frowned, glancing at Cole. He didn’t look the least bit worried with her sleeping in another man’s bed. God, she was going crazy wondering if that kiss at the bar had even happened. “I don’t want to take your bed.”
“We’d prefer you stay close to the pride,” Cole said, standing up from his perch at her feet. “Staying with Dane is the safest place for us all.”
“You’re staying here too?” she asked, a glimmer of hope blooming in her chest. They’d both be here with her, and she released a soft sigh of relief when Cole nodded in response.
Booth and Storm approached from the side of the house and climbed the stairs. A few handshakes were exchanged before Storm ran his hand through his short, blond hair. “We are ready when you are.”
“We’ll be right there,” Dane said, waiting for them to enter the house before turning back to them. “We have to go.”
“Be safe,” she whispered.
“I’ll come find you when we get back,” Cole promised, leaning down to kiss her softly on the cheek. A current of awareness rushed through her blood when Dane’s eyes heated.
I wish he would touch me, too.
The men waited for her to enter the house before meeting with the Guardians who’d gathered in the large living room. Several women were preparing food in the kitchen when she entered. Talon leaned in the doorway and told everyone they were leaving. Liberty and Nova arrived a few seconds after the front door had closed.
The kitchen was in full force. The women of the pride fell into their roles, setting up a production line for the food to be assembled. Pots and pans clanged as an older woman with gray hair dug through the cabinets. Nova walked into a pantry and removed a ten-pound bag of potatoes, setting it down on the kitchen table with a heavy thump.
“Olivia, you can help me peel,” she stated as the older woman handed her two knives.
“I can do that,” she replied, taking a seat at the table. Nova pulled over a trash can and they got down to work. Liberty came over and took the bowl of potatoes to wash as they filled it. One of the younger girls from the pride, Calla, was in charge of making loaves of bread. She used the end of the long table as her work surface, flouring a cloth until she was satisfied it was perfect before forming the dough.
Dane (Rise of the Pride, Book 8) Page 3
