Olivia, Striking Back (Iron Ladies Book 4)

by Danielle Norman

  Olivia blinked. Rhys was definitely not hot and bothered during that moment. If anyone was, it was her.

  “I bet he’ll ask you out.” Melanie grinned.

  “And I bet I’ll say no,” Olivia replied smoothly. “I don’t want to compromise the case.”

  “Oh, come on, Liv!” Adeline groaned, sinking down in her chair dramatically. “Going on one date with a hot guy, who happens to be our target’s twin brother, is not going to compromise the case. They aren’t even close. From the way they spoke to each other at the party, it was like that was their first time crossing paths in weeks.”

  Melanie bit her lip, eyes twinkling with amusement. “I bet Lila agrees. Why else would she randomly ask you to come to the party specifically as Rhys’s date?”

  “Um, because I am the lead on her case and Rhys is the only other person in her life who is aware of the case and therefore the most logical person for me to show up at the party with?” Olivia snapped.

  “Olivia, I’m literally begging you to suspend your overly logical brain for five seconds and just join us over here in the world of hopeless romantics,” whined Adeline. “You and Rhys would be cute together. If he asks you out, please promise you’ll say yes.”

  “I’m not going to promise that.”

  “I’ll offer to take the lead on the next case,” Adeline countered.

  Olivia pouted. It was a good offer.

  In the end, she figured there was no harm in accepting Adeline’s offer. She was confident that Rhys was definitely not going to ask her out and that he was just being friendly to the woman who was helping his sister-in-law.

  “Whatever.” Olivia sighed. “Deal.”

  Olivia

  When Olivia woke the next morning, she had a headache. Brunch with the girls turned into afternoon drinks at a local pub, and then led to even more drinks at a downtown bar that Adeline recommended.

  Olivia sat up in bed, missing the days when she could drink all day and not suffer the consequences. She picked up her phone from the bedside table and gasped aloud when she saw there was a text from Rhys waiting for her. They exchanged numbers before the dinner party, but she never expected him to reach out to her.

  She was embarrassed at how eager she was to read his message.

  Rhys: You up yet?

  Olivia: Yeah, just laying in bed.

  Rhys: I wanted to thank you.

  Olivia: For what?

  Rhys: Everything you’ve done for Lila.

  Olivia: Just doing my job.

  Rhys: No, it is more than that. She seemed different, like happier. I mean it, you are doing more than you realize.

  Olivia: Well, we aren’t finished yet.

  Rhys: I know, but I just wanted to tell you how amazing you are and what you’re doing is.

  Olivia: Thanks

  Olivia’s cheeks warmed, she couldn’t believe that he was messaging her, he probably had ten other women hanging on to his every word that he could have texted. Plus, his compliment. Yes, she loved her job and believed they were doing a good thing, but it was nice to hear it from others as well.

  Rhys: One more question.

  Olivia: Okay, shoot.

  Rhys: How do you feel about motorcycles?

  Olivia paused, not really having an opinion on the topic. She didn’t like or dislike motorcycles, but she did like how Rhys looked straddling one. She could practically hear the girls screaming at her to answer him. Admittedly, she was tired of constantly going back and forth about her feelings for him. Yes, he was Lila’s brother-in-law and Drake’s twin, but that didn’t mean it would do any harm to have a casual conversation with him over text.

  Olivia: Morning, Rhys. I love motorcycles, why?

  Immediately, three dots appeared at the bottom of the screen, as if he’d stayed up all night waiting for her to wake just so he could ask her this question.

  Rhys: Do you have any afternoons off this week?

  Olivia grinned, but then caught herself. God, she was acting like a giddy fool. Was Rhys asking her to hang out? Was he asking her on a date? Did this count?

  Olivia: Are you asking me out on a date?

  Rhys: Are you saying yes?

  Olivia: Was there a question for me to say yes to?

  Rhys: If there were, would you?

  “Damn it.” Olivia laughed.

  Olivia: If there were a question, then I would say yes to it.

  Rhys: Then yes, that was me asking you out on a date.

  Adeline won the bet, and Olivia couldn’t even be that upset about it. Worst case scenario, Rhys would take her on a motorcycle ride and realize that Olivia wasn’t his type and move on. Then Olivia could focus on Lila’s case and stop getting all lightheaded and pleasantly nervous whenever Rhys was mentioned.

  Best case scenario, Olivia got to ride on the back of a hot guy’s motorcycle.

  It wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever subjected herself to.

  Rhys

  Rhys paced back and forth in his office. God, his job was boring. He really should have gone into something more exciting than mechanical engineering. To his credit, he really thought that it would be more fun that it was, but he spent more of his day doing paperwork and attending meetings than anything else. If he could go back and do it all over again, he would’ve pursued something like becoming a motorcycle mechanic. His parents would’ve been horrified, and his brother would’ve judged him even more harshly, but at least he would’ve been happy.

  The rapid buzzing of his phone on his desk drew attention away from thoughts of missed opportunities.

  It was Lila. It was unusual for her to call him—usually, she texted.

  “Hey, Lila,” he answered.

  “Hey! How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Oh, you know, can’t complain. How about you? What’s up?”

  Rhys shut down his computer before striding across his office to grab his motorcycle jacket from the coat rack.

  “About the same.” Lila sighed. “I’m antsy, though. I’m so anxious to be free but waiting to get to that point is killing me. I hate that these things take time. I just wish I could snap my fingers and it would all be over.”

  “I get that,” Rhys replied. “I think that’s a normal feeling to have when you’re in a state of limbo. I think the most important thing we can do right now is to be patient and calm. The worst thing that could possibly happen would be Drake catching on to us, so we need to play it cool. Of course, I never talk to him, so it’s easier for me.”

  “Yeah,” she agreed. “That’s why I’m just sitting at home like a good wife and watching reruns of Grey’s Anatomy.”

  “Is that what good wives do?” Rhys chuckled as he left his office and locked the door behind him.

  “Oh, who the hell knows anymore? Every time I try to do something to make him happy, it backfires. Now I just kind of try to lie low and not piss him off,” Lila said.

  Rhys nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. “Yeah, I understand that, for sure. I don’t know how you’ve put up with it for this long.”

  “Me neither.” She sighed. “I mean, there’s the fear, but I also think that every woman hopes that one day she’s going to wake up and her husband will realize what he’s doing. You know, that he’s throwing away a good thing. I’ve only ever wanted to be good to him. Don’t ever make a woman think she’s not worthy of you, Rhys.”

  “Of course not.” Rhys frowned. “Do you really think I would do that?”

  “No, I don’t.” Lila assured him.

  He smirked. His sister-in-law was very intuitive. “You know about Olivia?”

  “Duh,” she said, a smile evident in her tone. “There’s so much chemistry between you two, it’d be crazy to deny it.”

  “Crazy, huh?” Rhys snorted.

  “There were definitely sparks flying between you at that meeting we went to at her office,” Lila replied. “Why do you think I convinced you two to come to that dinner party together?”

  Rhys gasped
in mock surprise. “You tricked me!”

  Lila laughed. “Well, just because my marriage is going up in flames, it doesn’t mean that I can’t play cupid.”

  “Lila…” Rhys sighed, stepping out of the elevator and heading across the lobby of the building.

  “Oh, come on. You’re practically a big brother to me. I couldn’t help myself. Let me live vicariously through you. At least tell me you’re going to ask her out properly.”

  “I’m way ahead of you on that one.”

  Lila squealed, “Oh, my God. Tell me!”

  Rhys could imagine her bouncing on the sofa. She was easily excitable when Drake wasn’t around to bring her down.

  “I like her,” he admitted as he exited the office building and a wave of heat and humidity hit him.

  “Well, duh,” she said. “I knew you liked her. That’s not news. That does nothing to satisfy my curiosity. Come on, damn it!”

  He snorted. “Okay, okay. I can’t stop thinking about her.”

  “Aww,” she gushed. “Rhys, I love this for you, so much. You deserve to find someone and if she is it then all the better.”

  “I didn’t say she was the one, I said that I can’t stop thinking about her.”

  “To-ma-to, to-mah-to.”

  Rhys rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop himself from smiling slightly as he made his way to where his motorcycle was parked. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he was lovesick, but Olivia had definitely sparked his interest. She was tough and smart, and she didn’t give in easily to his flirtations.

  “Olivia’s just different from the women that I’m usually drawn to,” he said.

  “Yeah, she is pretty quiet,” Lila said. “But I like that about her. She’s kind of intimidating, but not in a bad way. When is the date?”

  “Tomorrow actually.”

  “Tomorrow?” she exclaimed excitedly. “Are you serious?”

  Olivia

  The sound of Rhys’s motorcycle echoed down the street. Olivia felt her chest squeeze with anxious excitement as she gave herself a final glance in the mirror.

  Uncharacteristically, she fretted over her outfit because she wanted to feel like herself, but she also wanted to look like the kind of woman who belonged on the back of a motorcycle. Not because she wanted to impress Rhys but because she thought it would be fun. That was all.

  She dug out an old pair of Doc Martens from her college days, knowing that it was best wear somewhat practical shoes when riding. She wore snug black jeans, a lace camisole that she borrowed from Melanie, and a fashionable leather jacket borrowed from Adeline. Deciding that she liked what she saw in the mirror, she opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch.

  Rhys was just pulling to a stop in front of her house, and he pulled off his helmet to watch her as she approached him.

  “Wow, Olivia,” he said, raising his eyebrows as a slow grin spread across his face. “You look absolutely amazing. Cool boots.”

  “Thank you,” she told him. “I took a page from your book and followed the leather theme.”

  Rhys chuckled. “I like it. So, you’re ready for your first motorcycle ride?”

  “Yes, absolutely,” Olivia said, taking a deep breath. She watched Rhys’s gaze slowly rake down the length of her body and then back up to her face. When they locked eyes again, he didn’t bother to feign embarrassment at being caught checking her out. He merely smirked in appreciation.

  “Well, climb aboard, ma’am.” He grinned. “Your chariot awaits.”

  She wasn’t quite sure how to climb onto a motorcycle—at least, not while looking dignified. So, she did her best, careful not to touch him as she placed a steadying hand on the seat, swung her leg over the motorcycle, and settled in behind him. Her body tensed as her inner thighs press against his hips. Somehow, it didn’t occur to her that she and Rhys would be this close.

  “You’ll want to hold on.” He laughed, handing her a helmet. “And wear this.”

  Frowning at the prospect of helmet hair, she lowered the helmet over her head and sat upright with her hands on top of her thighs. Rhys’s laugh was still vibrating through his body to hers where they connected when he grabbed her hands and pulled them forward, wrapping them around his waist.

  Olivia felt a thrill in the pit of her stomach.

  The motorcycle roared to life beneath them, mirroring the way she felt inside.

  As they rode, the city flashed by in a whirl of dazzling lights. She felt breathless and impossibly free. The bundle of nerves she’d been dealing with since Rhys asked her out slowly drifted away with each passing mile.

  By the time they slowed down, and Rhys flicked on the turn signal, she was totally at ease. Rhys pulled to a stop underneath an old bridge. It was an empty expanse of concrete covered in countless layers of graffiti. In fact, the whole place looked abandoned.

  “All right, we’re here,” he said. Olivia felt a flicker of disappointment at having to let go of him, but she allowed him to help her off the bike.

  “Interesting place to take a girl on a first date,” she mused as she unbuckled the helmet and handed it to him.

  “Well, I considered dinner and a movie, but I thought that would be too boring for a woman like you,” Rhys explained. “I’m sure you have guys pulling that with you all the time.”

  She didn’t, but she wasn’t going to tell him that.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked her as he pulled out a bottle of wine and sandwiches from the saddlebags.

  “Starving,” Olivia said.

  “Excellent,” he replied. He tucked the sandwiches into the crook of his elbow and then took her hand. She stared down the point of contact, liking the feel of his skin against hers.

  “I hope you’re not vegetarian,” he said as he led her out from under the bridge. “The sandwiches are turkey clubs. I probably should’ve asked beforehand.”

  “No, it’s okay,” she replied. “That sounds great.”

  They rounded the corner of the vast support beams of the bridge, and Olivia found herself looking out at an open field. It was a hidden meadow, the kind of place that was probably a public park once upon a time. It was lovely.

  They sat in the grass, and Rhys opened the bottle of wine.

  “How did you find this place?” Olivia asked, looking at the bridge above them. In the distance, the glittering skyline of the city blurred under the summer haze.

  “I was just out exploring one day,” he replied. “Riding around for fun, burning off steam. I turned down a random road and found this bridge. I like to come here just to think. There aren’t many people out here. It’s quiet.”

  He gestured around them at the tall grass waving in the breeze.

  “It is beautiful,” Olivia agreed. “So, what are the kinds of things you burn off steam for?”

  “Work mostly,” he said as he took a bite of sandwich.

  “Is it pretty stressful?” she asked.

  “It can be, but mostly just monotonous.” He shrugged. “Day in and day out, just numbers, numbers, and more numbers. It’s not really where I pictured myself at thirty.”

  Olivia nodded. She understood what he meant. A guy like him, somewhat wild in spirit, didn’t seem to fit into the mold of a traditional office worker. “So, if you go through that every day, does that mean you come up here every night?”

  “No, just once or twice a week. It helps me unwind.” He smiled, and she looked away, biting into her own sandwich. “What about you?”

  “My job?” she asked. “I mean, I love my job. It’s fun and rewarding, and I’m working with my best friends.”

  “And what about blowing off steam?” he pressed.

  “I go to the shooting range,” Olivia answered without hesitation.

  “Ah, right. I remember one of the girls mentioning you keep a Glock in your purse. You didn’t bring it tonight, did you?”

  Olivia threw her head back and laughed. “No, don’t worry. You’re safe.”

  Rhys grinned. “I like your
laugh.”

  “Oh…thanks.”

  “So, what do you burn off steam about at the shooting range if you aren’t angry about work?” he asked.

  “Oh, I see,” Rhys said. He reached out and rested his hand on top of hers in the grass, stroking her knuckles with the pad of his thumb. It was like he could sense her anxiety and wanted to do something to make her feel better. “What brought you to the Iron Ladies? Or…well, I guess you don’t have to tell me if it’s personal.”

  “It’s fine,” Olivia shrugged. “My dad was a lot like Drake.”

  “Go on,” he encouraged her.

  “He controlled my mother like a tyrant,” Olivia continued. “Like, I remember one time when I was a kid, my mom decided to go to the gym because she wanted to build up her self-esteem. Mostly because my dad had a way of just tearing people down and leaving nothing left.”

  Olivia paused, watching a bird swoop down and dive to the grass. Her heart ached as she remembered how many times as a kid she wished she were a bird so she could fly away.

  “It’s okay, Olivia,” Rhys said, squeezing her hand.

  “Well, when he walked in on her getting ready for the gym, she had on tight workout clothes and her hair was braided nicely. You know, perfectly normal stuff that women do to get ready for the gym,” Olivia explained, swallowing hard. “He got so angry when he saw her, though. He accused her of cheating on him, like asking who she was trying to impress. There was this huge fight, and he grabbed her and pushed her backward. She hit her head on the bathroom mirror.”

  “Holy shit,” he breathed.

  “She was okay,” Olivia told him. “I mean, other than a few stitches and another scoop of trauma.”

  “Where were you when that happened?”

  “I was there, watching. I grabbed him and tried to pull him away from her, but…”