Oliver (Project Arma Book 7)

The knock on Tori’s door had a smile pulling at her lips. She knew it was Samantha. Her friend had messaged to say she was five minutes away. That had been about fifteen minutes ago.

“It’s unlocked.”

Even if it wasn’t, Samantha had a key. The woman was probably just trying to get Tori off the couch. A place she’d found herself way too often lately.

The door burst open and Samantha entered. She was like a ray of sunlight with her bright blond curls and beaming smile. It was one of the things Tori loved about her.

Samantha dropped onto the couch beside Tori. “Care to share why my three texts went unanswered today.”

Tori scoffed. “Three? Try ten.”

“Uh-huh! You did see them.”

Of course she had. Every one of them.

Reaching beside her, Tori lifted her tea. Her now cold tea. “Yes. I did. I didn’t think pictures of cats wearing shark costumes required responses.”

Samantha sighed. “You disappoint me, my friend. Those hilarious images that I scoured the Internet for and individually selected for your entertainment definitely deserved a response.”

The pictures had made Tori smile. Something she hadn’t been doing a whole lot of during her empty days. She wouldn’t be telling Samantha that though. The woman would send another twenty tomorrow.

“I’m more of a dog person.” Tori reached over and patted Charlie. He was always close by. Just the way she liked it.

“Well, at least you didn’t try to tell me you’ve been busy. We all know watching Friends reruns does not qualify as busy.” Samantha took the tea from her fingers, taking a sip before Tori could warn her. Samantha spluttering half of it back out. “What the heck? This is stone-cold.”

Tori tried to hide her chuckle. “I wouldn’t say stone-cold. Definitely not hot though.”

It was also the third cup of tea she’d let go cold that day. Another fun fact she wouldn’t be sharing with her friend.

Samantha placed the cup on the coffee table. “That’s it. This needs to stop right now.”

“What needs to stop?” Her daytime TV watching or drinking cold tea?

“All of it,” Samantha said, basically reading Tori’s mind. “Lucky for your unemployed butt, my boss needs someone to complete a job for him. He mentioned it to me, and I suggested you.”

That had Tori’s lethargic brain shooting to alert. “Your boss has a job that you suggested me for?”

“Yep.”

Tori straightened, not sure she was hearing her friend properly. “Samantha, you’re a biomedical engineer. You work for some government department doing military research. Your current project is so secret, you can’t even tell me what you’re doing.”

“That’s correct.”

“What could your boss possibly want with an unemployed Army dropout.”

A small frown marred Samantha’s brow. “You’re not an Army dropout. You served your two terms, now you’re having a break.”

Yeah. But at what point did a “break” just become “unemployed”?

“What’s the job?”

“He mentioned he needs someone—a woman—to bring in a target. Some guy who’s a threat to the military.”

“Sammy, I’m not a cop.”

“He knows who you are. The department did crazy-thorough checks on everyone in my life when I got the job.”

Yeah, Samantha had mentioned that a few times, and Tori still didn’t love it. Still, this request was completely different from anything she’d done in the military. “Why did you suggest me?”

“Because you’re a woman. You know how to defend yourself. And you need a new direction. This could be it.”

She nibbled her lip. “Wouldn’t someone in his position have the ability to choose the best in the business for something like this?”

Samantha lifted a shoulder. “Maybe after I told him you could do it, he stopped looking. He wants someone skilled in subterfuge. Someone who knows how to tell the truth without giving away any actual information, especially personal.”

Giving away nothing personal would be easy. What would she say? That she was bored? Grieving? Had absolutely no desire to live the life that she used to live?

“And he knows I’m all these things because he’s done a background check on me too?”

“Tori, this project I’m working on is massive. It will change everything. They have to do their due diligence and make sure me and the people around me are trustworthy.”

Didn’t change her opinion on the matter of privacy.

“Just come talk to Hylar. This job is right up your alley. You love taking down bad guys. It’s why you joined the Army.” She covered Tori’s hand with her own. “Plus, I’m worried about you.”

Oh god. Tori had been waiting for this. She knew it was only a matter of time before she got “the chat” from her friend.

“It’s been six months since your mom passed away.”

Tori tried unsuccessfully not to flinch at Samantha’s words. She would never get used to the reality of her mom being gone.

She swallowed. “I know how long it’s been, Sammy. Just like I know it’s been almost two years since yours passed away.”

Samantha didn’t flinch at all. She’d always been stronger than Tori.

“I’ve had more time to come to terms with it than you.”

Was it possible to come to terms with the death of a parent? Both Tori and Samantha were born into single-parent households. Neither had a father around to soften the blow.

“When we met in the oncology ward at the hospital, I knew we’d become best friends. You’re the badass to my geek. So I’m entitled to be worried about you.”

And Tori had been unbelievably grateful to have met Samantha ever since. The one good thing to come out of that place. “I’m okay, Samantha. It’s been hard,” unbelievably hard, “but I’m surviving.”

“I know. And I want to help you in any way I can.”

“And getting me a job taking down some big bad criminal is you helping me?”

Some of Samantha’s spunk came back. “Hell yes, it is. I want to see your badass side come out again.”

Tori frowned. “What’s wrong with my sitting-on-the-couch-drinking-cold-tea side?”

Samantha wrinkled her nose. “Let’s not go into that right now.” She reached for the remote. “I’m glad we’ve decided you’re taking the job. Maybe this will turn into something long term for you.” Samantha flicked to the Netflix main page.

“Hey! I was watching that.”

“And now you’re not.” Her friend popped her feet onto the coffee table, the half sun tattoo on her right ankle poking out from below her pant leg.

Tori shook her head. “Fine. But no science documentaries, okay?”

“Boo, you’re no fun.”

Tori’s eyes popped open. For a moment, she just lay there. Taking in the dream. The memory. Her mind working overtime to analyze everything she’d just learned.

Samantha worked for Hylar. That’s how Tori had become entangled in all this. Had her friend realized who she was working for?

Tori shook her head. No. Over the last few days, memories had slipped into her consciousness. Memories of Samantha. Of their friendship. Tori may not remember everything about her friend, but she knew enough.

Samantha wouldn’t have put Tori in danger. Not intentionally.

Climbing out of bed, Tori walked over to the window. She pushed back the curtain and looked up at the moon and stars.

Where are you, Samantha? Are you searching for me? Are you worried? Or are you as lost as I am?

God, she hoped her friend was safe. But she worked for Hylar—the man Oliver called his enemy. Chances were slim.

As she watched the stars, she let the other part of her dream wash over her.

Her mother was dead.

Tori’s heart seized in pain. She couldn’t remember her mom. She couldn’t even tell someone what color the woman’s eyes were. But Tori still felt the weight of the loss.

A tear slipped down her cheek. If there was a time she needed a best friend or a mother, it was now.

A feeling of complete loneliness hit her like a ton of bricks. For the last week, Oliver had been friendly but distant. She was living in his house but not sleeping in his bed. She felt like an unwelcome guest. Like someone he was keeping a close eye on, rather than someone he was trying to help and protect.

She’d considered leaving more than once. But it was impossible. The man was always there. Watching. Listening. He hadn’t said she had to stay, but she felt it all the same. He needed to know her truth as much as she did.

There was also the small part of her that didn’t want to leave. That was choosing the company of a man who saw her as a threat over the loneliness of being out in the world on her own.

Another tear fell.

Oliver had probably woken at the sound of her climbing out of bed, but he wouldn’t come in. She’d gotten up to watch the stars almost every night. The man never checked on her.

At least now she knew. She’d almost drugged Oliver because they’d told her he was a threat. She’d thought she was completing a job for a government agency.

Oliver wasn’t a threat. And they weren’t the government.

Would he want her again if she told him about her latest memory? Would she earn back some of his trust?

No. Oliver had made it clear this last week that he didn’t want her any longer. That their one night together had been a momentary lapse in judgment.

More tears fell. Tears for the loss of her mother. Tears for the loss of her best friend. And tears for the fact that she’d fallen for a man who didn’t feel the same way.