Holding the sheet up to her chest, Olivia made her way into a sitting position. “Who were you talking to?”
Jake wanted to run to her, rip the fucking thing off, and claim her again. Instead, he sat the two cups down onto the table, shoved his hands into his pockets, and planted his feet where they were.
“Derek,” he answered, adding belatedly, “The blond one.”
She smiled. “I remember.” With one hand still clutching the gathered sheet at her breasts, Olivia used the other to brush away some hair that had fallen into her eyes.
Holy shit, she’s beautiful first thing in the morning.
“What did he say? Are we going home soon?”
Still keeping a safe distance—if there was such a thing, when it came to her—Jake walked over to the other bed and sat down across from her.
“We’re leaving here in an hour. We’ll drive to a small airstrip, where a plane will be waiting to take us back to Texas.”
Her relief was palpable. “Then, what?”
This was the part she wouldn’t like, but he had to be straight with her.
“Then, we’ll be separated. You’ll go with a government official, most likely Jason Ryker, the handler I told you about. He’s going to ask you a lot of questions. Some more than once. You’ll have to tell him everything you can remember.”
He could see the trepidation in her eyes and wished he could do something to ease her concern. Resting his elbows on his knees, he let his hands hang loosely between them.
“I’m sorry, Liv. I know you don’t want to talk about it with anyone, let alone some guy you don’t even know. But it has to be done.”
Her grip on the sheets tightened, inadvertently pressing her breasts together even more. Jake started to wonder if he’d be left with a permanent indention of his zipper.
“Can’t,” she licked her lips nervously. “Can’t you at least be in the room when they question me?”
Seeing the fear come back into her eyes instantly took care of the issue with his zipper. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. They have to separate us to make sure our stories add up.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and her voice rose an octave. “Our stories?”
Just like that, Olivia’s fear was replaced with good, old-fashioned anger. She stood from the bed, keeping the sheet around her.
“There isn’t a story, Jake. There’s only the truth. Those assholes killed innocent people. They took me hostage and were going to sell me like I was nothing more than a...a piece of meat! What those men did was unforgivable, yet I’m the one who’s going to be interrogated like a criminal? What the hell?”
He stood and approached her cautiously. Raising his hands slowly, Jake brought them to a rest on her bare shoulders. He inhaled deeply, ignoring the way her skin burned beneath his touch.
“I’d do anything to keep you from having to do this, but the fact is you’re a United States citizen who was held captive by a well-sought-after, foreign cartel leader. You’re also the only survivor of a mass murder he orchestrated. They need information, Liv. If for no other reason, than to help prevent something like this from happening to anyone else.”
As expected, his choice of words resonated within her. Olivia slowly gained control over her emotions, the change visible. Her chin came up and she straightened her shoulders.
“Okay, fine. I get it. I still don’t like it, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Did she even realize how strong she was?
“Coop and Mac have already been questioned about their part in it. Today, it’s our turn.”
As if it just occurred to her, Olivia’s eyes filled with concern. “Jake, are you in trouble?” Her voice was a whisper, as if she couldn’t bear to say the words too loudly, for fear they’d be true. “Is your team going to be in trouble for helping me?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “That’s always a possibility, but not likely. Cetro is one mean son of a bitch. I’m sure Ryker will rip us all a new one for keeping him out of the loop, but other than that, we’ll be fine.”
She sat back down on the bed, still clutching that damn sheet. He could tell she was still worried for him and his team. God, he loved this woman.
Jake sat beside her and took her free hand in his. “My team will be fine, Liv. Don’t worry about us.”
Olivia sighed loudly. “I just want everything to go back to the way it was before.” She glanced over at him. With a little smirk, she nudged his shoulder with hers. “Well, not everything,”
Jake put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. He kissed the top of her head. “It’s going to be fine, sweetheart. I won’t lie, today’s gonna suck, but when it’s done, you’ll have your life again. And I’ll be right by your side to help you put it back together.”
Chapter 19
“What the fuck?” Jake stormed into the observation room adjacent to the one in which Olivia was currently being held.
Unaffected by the outburst, Homeland Security Agent Jason Ryker took his gaze from the large, two-way mirror and faced him.
“You’re still here.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Of course, I’m still here,” Jake growled, his arm flying out and pointing toward the glass. “She’s here. So, I’ll ask again. What. The. Fuck?”
Ryker’s focus went to Olivia, again. “You know how this works, McQueen.”
Jake stood with his hands on his hips, feet shoulder-width apart. This guy may throw a lot of business his way, but right now, it was taking Jake everything he had not to beat the ever-loving shit out of him.
“What I know is that she’s been kept here for hours. She’s answered your questions. We all have. It doesn’t matter how many
