Oliver (Project Arma Book 7)

Oliver took a sip of his coffee. He was running today’s women’s self-defense class with Bodie, and he had fifteen minutes before it was due to start.

Christ, he was glad Marble Protection had a commercial-grade coffee machine. He didn’t want to think about how much he’d slept over the last week. It wasn’t nearly enough.

Fortunately, his body didn’t need much, but so many consecutive shit nights were starting to catch up with him.

The door to the kitchen opened and Kye walked in. “You look like hell.”

Guess he looked how he felt then. “Thanks.”

Kye folded his arms, leaning his hip on the kitchen counter. “Okay, give it to me straight. What’s going on? Ever since Tori told you about the wine incident, you’ve been walking around this place like someone stabbed you in the thigh then ran over your cat.”

A stab wound to his thigh would probably have been less painful. “I’m fine. I’ve called a briefing with the team after my class to go over Tori’s most recent memory.”

Tori had told him about her dream that morning. About her being in the Army. Thinking she was working for a government organization.

She wasn’t an enemy. She’d been duped.

“Good. I look forward to hearing about it. Now tell me about you.”

Clearly, “fine” had not cut it. But he didn’t feel like talking about himself, dammit.

Oliver studied his friend. Noting his set features and unyielding stance. The guy wasn’t going to let this go. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m angry.”

“At yourself?”

“Yes. I almost allowed a woman I’d just met to drug me. A woman connected to Hylar. Imagine for a second that she had. That she’d given me that drink with whatever the hell it contained. I would have either been killed or taken.”

The muscles in Kye’s arms visibly tensed. “Would have been hell for everyone. I don’t think Hylar would have killed you though. I think he would have taken you. And we would have found you.”

So much damn confidence in his friend’s voice. “There’s no guarantee that you would have found me. And who knows what you would have had to do to get me back.”

“Whatever was necessary.”

Exactly. His team would have put themselves in the line of danger for him. After he’d been stupid enough to put himself in a compromised position to begin with.

Kye took a step forward. “You weren’t taken though. Tori didn’t give you the drug. You’re here. She’s here. And she’s trying to help in whatever way she can.”

He knew all that. Didn’t ease his frustration.

“What’s going on between you and Tori?”

“Nothing.”

He wasn’t even lying. He’d barely spoken to the woman all week. Because he knew that if he did, he’d want her again.

Then this morning’s revelation. Suddenly, she wasn’t the bad guy. He could have her. And he wanted her, dammit. But something was stopping him.

One of Kye’s brows lifted. “Because you’re pushing her away?”

“I can’t get over the fact that I made myself so vulnerable.”

That wasn’t Tori’s fault. It was entirely his.

Kye placed his hands on Oliver’s shoulders. “Forgive yourself.”

Easier said than done.

Kye sighed. “This new memory, the reason for today’s meeting…is it bad?”

“She was in the Army, so I’m going to get Wyatt to try and find her record.” He paused before adding the next part. “Also, her best friend, Samantha, was a biomedical engineer. She worked for Hylar, thinking she was working for a government department.”

Kye’s body went unnaturally still. “Biomedical engineer?”

Yeah, Kye was thinking the same thing Oliver was. That anything combining engineering principles with medicine and science should not be connected to Hylar. It was a recipe for disaster.

“That’s how Tori got pulled into this,” Oliver continued. “I was a job that Hylar asked her to complete.”

Kye stood silent. A crease between his brows.

Oliver set his coffee on the counter. “I slept with someone connected to our enemy without realizing it. Gave her access to my home. Let her get close enough to hurt me. It just makes me think that maybe Hylar’s been right all along. Maybe letting people in, creating relationships and connections, is a weakness.”

“Is he still avoiding you?” Maya asked.

Tori bent over and touched her toes, feeling the stretch run through her calf muscles. “He’s barely spoken two words to me. The man has calm and distant down pat.”

He could be the king of the damn club.

Maya pulled her right arm across her body, stretching her shoulder muscles. “He probably just needs time.”

Tori had told Maya about each new memory she’d regained. Maya’s friendship had become something she relied on. Especially now, since she was the only person Tori could talk to.

“Maybe.” Or maybe Oliver’s just waiting for her to regain her full memory so he could have all the information before sending her away.

Tori straightened as Oliver and Bodie entered the space and went to stand in front of the class.

At least now she knew where she’d learned to fight. It wasn’t some underground fighting ring or through some sort of gang activity. She’d been in the Army. One small comfort.

The women in the room quieted as Bodie began explaining today’s lesson—striking the attacker with the palm. Bodie grabbed one of the rubber mannequins from the side of the room and placed it in front of Oliver.

Oliver demonstrated the correct striking technique. Even though he looked like he put very little behind the hit, the mannequin’s head flew backward, evidence of the strength Oliver possessed.

Tori hadn’t seen Oliver fight before, but he looked like he’d be deadly. The man was all power.

When the demonstration was complete, one woman from each pair grabbed a mannequin.

Maya went first. Her strikes were light and a tad uncoordinated. Bodie walked over, positioned himself behind her and guided her hits. They’d already explained that it wasn’t just the strike itself that was important. It was the footwork and body positioning too. That’s where the power came from.

When it was Tori’s turn, she positioned herself in front of the mannequin, shuffled her feet and hit it with her palm—hard. Just like with every other self-defense activity, this one felt familiar. Her body remembered what to do.

She positioned herself again. Foot shuffle, palm strike. She repeated the sequence a few times.

When she saw Oliver heading her way, she tried to ignore the quick acceleration of her heart rate. A week ago, and her heart would have been pounding in excitement at the sight of him coming toward her. Today, she felt more dread than anything else.

Just like Bodie had to Maya, Oliver stood behind her, turning her body. “You need to be more side on.”

Tori sucked in a deep breath at the feel of his gentle but firm hands on her waist. It was the first time he’d touched her in a week. She felt it everywhere.

Oliver dropped his hands and stepped away.

Foot shuffle, palm strike.

Then his hands were back on her. Twisted her body farther to the side.

Tori attempted the sequence three more times. After each one, Oliver found something to correct.

Finally, she blew out a frustrated breath, dropping her hands. “I don’t need your corrections. I know what I’m doing.” She knew because her movements came to her instinctively.

Oliver’s gaze narrowed. “Okay.” He held his hands up in front of him. “Go.”

She frowned. “You want me to strike your hands?” The man wasn’t even wearing protection.

“Yes. And I want you to put a hell of a lot more power into it than what you were just using.”

Irritation washed over Tori. A muscle ticked in her jaw. If he was trying to annoy her, he was succeeding. She positioned herself in front of him.

Foot shuffle, palm strike.

She paused, expecting to see him in some sort of pain. She hadn’t hit him lightly.

He was completely fine. “Again.”

Tori repeated the sequence. Then again. On each hit, Oliver let his hand stretch back a fraction, easing the pressure on her wrist.

He nodded. “Now harder.”

She did as he asked. Striking harder. Throwing more force into it.

It was ten more hits before he nodded, dropping his hands. “Good. Let’s add a left hook punch at the end.”

He wanted her to punch his hand? Still with no protection?

When he held his hands up, Tori quieted the questions in her head. If that was what he wanted, then that’s what he’d get.

Shuffle, palm strike, punch.

Again, his hands gave way slightly on each contact, easing the impact.

Her breathing started to become labored, but Tori didn’t stop.

“Harder, Tori. If you need to hit someone to survive, this isn’t gonna cut it.”

She repeated the sequence again, harder. Ignoring her aching shoulders. “You mean if I need to survive someone like you.” The words were spoken quietly enough that they only reached his ears.

“Yes. Someone like me. But not me.”

Shuffle, palm strike, punch.

“You never know. I might need to protect myself against you.” Her breathing was so labored, she only just got the words out.

The frustration and anger of the last week—hell, the last month—welled in her chest.

“Why would you need to protect yourself against me?”

She almost wanted to laugh at his question. Either that or cry. “For the same reason you’ve been keeping me at a distance.” Shuffle, palm strike, punch. “I might pose a threat to you and your friends. You might need to eliminate me.”

She’d told him about her last memory, hoping he would finally trust her again. He’d given her no sign that anything had changed.

When Oliver didn’t reply, Tori snuck a look in between hits. His brows were drawn together. “Do you think you pose a threat to me or my friends?”

“Does it matter what I think? If you think I’m a threat, maybe I am.”

She didn’t think she was a threat. And her dream last night had confirmed it. She was just tired, and a week of being ignored was starting to wear on her.

“I don’t think you’re a threat, Tori.” Could have fooled her. “Is there anything you haven’t told me?”

Shuffle, palm strike, punch. “Yes.” She was breathing heavily now. “My mother died seven months ago. Cancer. And I feel like I’ve lost her all over again.”

Oliver’s hands dropped. Tori didn’t realize in time, throwing the last punch and hitting him in the shoulder. His shoulder didn’t give way like his hands had. It was like hitting a brick wall.

Tori squeaked at the sudden sharp pang to her wrist. Grabbing her wrist, she bent over. Breathing through the pain.

“Dammit.” She felt the heat of Oliver as he moved to her side. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, tears prickling her eyes.

One of Oliver’s arms slid around her waist and the other wrapped behind her legs. Then he swept her off her feet and headed toward the hall. He continued to curse to himself, his body stiff with tension around her.

When they reached the office, he placed her gently on the couch and crouched in front of her. He pulled out his phone. “Sage, are you free? Tori hurt her wrist and may need an x-ray.”

Tori shook her head. “I don’t need an x-ray. I’m fine.”

“Yes, we can be at the hospital in ten minutes.”

Was the man ignoring her? “You may be there in ten minutes. I won’t.”

“Sage, hang on.” He lowered the phone from his ear. “Tori, you need an x-ray.”

“I don’t. It doesn’t hurt enough to be a fracture or break.”

His eyes narrowed. “It’s safer to get it checked.”

“No.”

Oliver looked about ready to blow up. “Sage, are you able to come here and look at it first? Not sure if you can tell us if an x-ray is needed by doing a physical exam…?” There was a brief pause. “See you soon.” Hanging up, he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

“I can wait here for Sage while you finish the class.” The lesson wasn’t even halfway done.

Oliver shook his head. “Kye and Eden are around somewhere. Bodie will grab one of them.” Oliver looked like he was going to say something else, then seemed to change his mind. “I’m gonna grab some ice.”

Once he stepped out of the room, Tori studied her wrist. It was slightly swollen and only hurt when she moved it.

Oliver didn’t take long. When he returned, he crouched to his haunches in front of her again and pressed an ice pack wrapped in a towel around her wrist.

She expected him to drop her arm. He didn’t. He continued to hold it. The heat of his body radiating off him into her.

“Sage said it will likely need an x-ray but she’s willing to look at it first.”

Tori nodded. If a doctor told her she needed one, there really wasn’t much she could do.

“Tell me about your mom.”

Tori stiffened, his soft words catching her off guard. One of his hands shifted to her leg, closing around her thigh just above the knee.

“There’s not much to tell. Samantha and I met in the hospital when both our mothers had cancer. Her mother passed away a couple of years ago and my mom died seven months ago.” Tori swallowed the lump in her throat. “Today, I’ve been remembering bits and pieces about her. Her smile. Her voice. It sounds crazy to be grieving her loss when I barely remember her.”

Oliver’s hand tightened a fraction. “You don’t need to remember everything, to remember that you loved and lost.”

She swallowed again. “I remember how important she was to me. The hole in my life once she was gone.” She cast her eyes down, wanting to hide the pain she knew was all over her face.

She felt Oliver’s forehead touch hers. “I’m sorry.” His words were whispered, but they could have been shouted, she heard them so clearly.

Tori blinked back her tears. “Thank you.”

Oliver touched his finger to her chin, tilting her head up. When she met his gaze, she saw both empathy and regret. “I wish you’d come to me last night. I know why you didn’t…but I wish you had.”

She nodded, then looked away. She wished she had too.