Oliver (Project Arma Book 7)

Tori snuggled into the warm chest below her cheek. She didn’t need to see to know who it belonged to. His familiar masculine scent gave him away.

Oliver.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Oliver was shirtless, cradling her in his arms. When she looked down at her own body, she realized she was wearing his shirt.

When she tried to sit up, the ache in her abdomen stole her breath. From the belt and the high-voltage electricity that had coursed through not just her, but Oliver too.

At the memory, her hands went straight to his chest. Searching for injuries. There wasn’t so much as a spot of redness. “Are you okay?”

How did he look so perfect?

“I’m fine, honey. I heal fast,” Oliver murmured quietly, pushing some hair from her face. “Are you okay?”

Okay? No. She wouldn’t say she was okay. But she was better than when she’d fallen asleep. The terror of what she’d been through, of what she’d watched Oliver go through, combined with him not waking, had been pure hell.

“I’m glad you’re awake.”

His arms tightened around her, but only slightly. She noticed that he was careful to avoid applying too much pressure to her side.

She looked toward the window to see rain falling. There wasn’t much light. Whether that was because clouds were covering the sun or it was late afternoon, she wasn’t sure.

Then she took in the rest of the room, immediately spotting Samantha.

Her friend shifted her gaze to Tori. She still looked sad. And tired. Still had ghosts in her eyes.

Tori tried to smile, but she couldn’t. Her lips wouldn’t work that way. Not when there was so little to smile about.

Her friend was so strong, withstanding torture, refusing to build the microchip for as long as she had…yet five minutes with Tori and she was going against everything she believed in. Because Tori asked her to.

She hoped she was right. That Oliver’s team would find and save them. She had to be right.

The fact that they hadn’t come yet, that Samantha was still in exactly the same spot as when Tori had fallen asleep, didn’t fill her with hope.

“I’m sorry.” Tori said the words quietly, but she was sure Samantha heard.

Samantha lifted a shoulder. “It was always going to end this way. They were going to make sure of it.”

God, she hated them.

What did they plan to do to Samantha once she was finished? Kill her? Use Tori against her to create more? Would they force them both to watch Oliver become a robot?

Tori pressed herself tighter against Oliver’s body. She was scared for him. For her friend. So damn scared.

When Samantha turned her attention back to her work, Tori looked up at Oliver. He didn’t seem worried. But she knew the man was good at masking his emotions. Preventing her from seeing anything that would upset her.

“I don’t want them to change you.”

Some of the mask fell. “They won’t. They can’t.”

Usually, trusting Oliver was easy. Right now, it was the hardest thing ever. Samantha was a genius. If anyone could create something that could make a person do things they wouldn’t normally do, it was her.

Tori lifted a hand and touched his cheek. “Whatever happens, I want you to know—”

“Don’t.”

Tori frowned. There were things she needed him to hear.

He lowered his head, bringing his face closer to hers. “Anything you have to say, you can tell me once we’re back home. Where evil isn’t listening. We’ll light candles, play your favorite music…we won’t be sitting on a cold floor with electrified bars surrounding us.”

The mention of electricity had a small shudder running up her spine.

Oliver’s mouth thinned, his hand stroking her back. He placed his lips to her ear. “I’m sorry. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they don’t hurt you again. We’re going to get out of here.”

She wanted to believe him. She really did. But the futility of the situation weighed on her. And what if she never got to say those words to him? “But if we don’t—”

“We will.”

He wasn’t going to let her say it. But he knew.

If something happened, if one of them didn’t make it out of this alive, he knew.

She pressed a kiss to his chest, right above his heart. A kiss that said I love you. A kiss she felt deep in her own heart. She lingered for a long time, feeling the beating of his heart against her lips.

It was only the sound of a door opening that had her glancing up. Hylar stepped into the room, followed by Carter. She stiffened her spine to keep from flinching. Daniel still stood in the corner.

Hylar walked straight toward Samantha, and Tori suddenly wanted to move across the room. Stand between her friend and danger and protect her.

Samantha, always so brave, didn’t move or flinch.

He stopped beside her. “Is it ready?”

“Almost.”

Tori felt the slight tightening of Oliver’s arms around her. She didn’t understand what he was trying to convey…until Carter chuckled.

“That was a lie.”

Hylar grabbed Samantha by the neck and Tori shot to her feet. She’d only made it a single step before Oliver grabbed her and tugged her behind him.

“Take your hand off her,” Oliver snarled, each word laced with hate.

Hylar didn’t pay Oliver an ounce of attention. “Don’t lie to me. It won’t end well for you. Is it finished?”

He released her neck. Red marks in the form of fingerprints remaining on her flesh. Samantha’s chest rose and fell a few times before she answered. “Yes.”

No. Tori grabbed Oliver’s arm. That meant they’d take him. She couldn’t lose him!

“Good.” Hylar stepped back and turned his gaze to Daniel. “Call the surgeon.”

Daniel nodded before leaving the room.

Oliver scoffed. “You have a surgeon?”

Hylar smiled. “Most people can either be bought or threatened into doing what you want.”

Tori wondered which category the surgeon fell into. Probably the latter.

Hylar didn’t take his eyes off Carter as he spoke. “Get the tranquilizer.”

Tori’s chest tightened. This was it. The moment they’d be separated. Oliver would be taken and probably return as someone else. A stranger.

Less than a minute passed before Carter stepped back into the room.

Just as a distant bang sounded.

Carter stopped moving.

Hylar’s brows pulled together. “What was that?”

Tori looked up at Oliver. His expression hadn’t changed.

Adrien ran into the room, closely followed by Daniel and Kip. Adrien had a phone in his hand, which he held out to Hylar. “They found us. They’re downstairs. Pete and Anthony are trying to hold them off.”

Hylar’s features twisted. “No.” He grabbed the phone from Adrien, disbelief distorting his features as he studied the screen. He shoved it back into the guy’s hand before turning to Samantha.

He backhanded her, sending her to the floor.

Tori cried out. She tried to run forward, but Oliver stopped her once again.

Hylar towered over Samantha. “You stupid bitch! You did this, didn’t you?”

Samantha pushed herself onto her elbows, blood running from her lip. Yet still, she smiled. “Yes.”

Hylar’s chest was heaving. He appeared to be caught between wanting to kill Samantha and running.

Run, asshole. See how far you get.

“My brothers are here,” Oliver said quietly, everyone’s attention shifting to him. “And they’re going to make sure you breathe your last breath today, Hylar.”

Now Tori saw real fear in the commander’s eyes.

Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness, the only light coming from what little remained outside. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

Before she could anticipate his next move. Oliver shot forward, grabbing the cage bars and yanking them apart. The metal groaned as it separated.

“Shoot him!” Hylar shouted.

Tori screamed as Carter lifted a gun. She expected to see Oliver drop to the floor.

He didn’t. He remained standing, the small tranquilizer dart in hand.

Tori’s mouth dropped open. He’d caught it.

Carter was raising the gun again when Oliver shot forward. Before he could reach him, Adrien hit Oliver from the side, the two powerful soldiers colliding and falling to the floor.

Violence erupted between them.

Carter seemed to be about to shoot again, while Kip and Daniel moved to help Adrien, but Hylar’s words stopped all three of them.

“Daniel, Kip, go downstairs, help Anthony and Pete. Don’t let them up. Text me when an exit is open.” The two ran out of the room. Hylar turned to Carter. “Don’t let anything happen to Samantha or the finished microchip.”

Tori made eye contact with her friend. She lunged toward Samantha but Hylar intercepted her. Hands latching onto her upper arms, he yanked her back toward him.

Tori threw an elbow, nailing him in the gut. She spun, her fist flying forward, but he caught it. Hylar threw his own punch. The hit caught her right in the temple.

Her brain fogged as Hylar threw her over his shoulder and started moving. He stopped once he reached a stairwell and grabbed something from his pocket. His phone. There was a short pause before he cursed.

Her head pounded, but she was pretty sure she knew what had just happened. Hylar realized his exits were cut off. His men were failing him. He had nowhere to run.

When he started up the stairs, Tori kicked and punched in an attempt to get free. Eventually nailing him hard enough that he cried out, dropping her to the steps.

Tori pushed up, preparing to run—when a sharp pain cut through her stomach.

She looked down to see a knife lodged in her gut.

Hylar pulled it out and blood began to spread across Oliver’s shirt.

She tried to cover the wound but Hylar grabbed her, dragging her stumbling behind him.

She didn’t fight. She could barely breathe through the haze of pain.

When they stepped onto the roof, she almost fell to the ground, dizziness intensifying. She barely noticed the rain soaking into her shirt or the cold air whipping across her face.

Hylar dragged her across the roof. If she hadn’t been using every ounce of energy to remain conscious, to stay upright, she might have balked at the height. They had to be ten floors up. And they were standing right on the edge