Oliver (Project Arma Book 7)

Oliver caught the dart in his right hand.

When Carter lifted the gun again, Oliver was already running. There was no guarantee he’d catch the dart a second time.

Adrien’s body collided with Oliver’s before he could reach Carter, sending them both to the ground.

Even as his back hit the floor, he punched Adrien in the jaw. Then he threw another.

Oliver got three punches in before he heard a soft whimper from Tori.

Flinging his head up, he saw Hylar grab her, Tori struggling against him.

Oliver was on his feet in seconds.

Before he’d taken a step, something hard hit him in the head, throwing him to his knees. He looked around in time to see Adrien’s fist coming at him again.

Oliver dodged the hit before tackling the man around the middle. He tried to end him quickly, but every hit was either blocked or followed up by a hit from Adrien of equal intensity.

At a hard blow to his face, Oliver fell to the floor, his vision blurring for a second. As his sight cleared, he caught Adrien reaching for something on his ankle. He didn’t need twenty-twenty vision to know it was a weapon.

Oliver leapt forward, grabbing the hand that held the gun just as Adrien pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the room, piercing the window.

Adrien kneed Oliver in the midsection, sending him backward. The asshole raised the gun again and Oliver heard gunfire.

Then saw blood dripping from a hole in Adrien’s forehead.

His eyes went blank and his body dropped to the floor.

Oliver turned to see Asher lowering his gun. The rest of the team rushed in behind him. Luca held out a hand to help Oliver up. “Everyone’s dead except Hylar and Carter.”

Oliver swung his gaze around the room. “If the exits are blocked, Carter must still be here. Samantha, too. Hylar took Tori.”

Kye stepped forward. “He must have taken her to the roof, because he didn’t pass us on the way up. All floors below are clear of heartbeats.”

“Red and I will search this floor for Carter and Samantha,” Eden said, already moving. “The rest of you go up.”

Oliver took off toward the stairs. Kye shoved a gun into his hand on the way.

They moved quickly. When Oliver reached the roof, his feet came to an abrupt stop.

There was no sign of Carter or Samantha—but Hylar held Tori against his body as a shield. A gun was pressed to her head as they stood on the ledge of the building.

He scanned her body, immediately spotting the blood soaking through her shirt. Everything in him went cold. Blood roared in his ears.

The asshole had stabbed her. Oliver would tear the guy’s heart out for that.

His teammates stood beside him. “It’s over, Hylar. Let her go.”

Water beat down, soaking them. Cold air whipping their skin.

Hylar shook his head. “It can’t be over.”

There was panic in the guy’s eyes. So much more than Oliver had ever seen before.

For the first time, Hylar realized he wasn’t going to win. He was going to die and never get his revenge.

Oliver felt just as panicked as Hylar looked. All it would take was one step backward…one slip. “Let. Her. Go.”

Hylar visibly tightened his grip on Tori’s throat. “You boys could have held the world in the palm of your hands. You threw it away! Now you’ll live out your worthless lives as nothing!”

Footsteps sounded from the stairs seconds before Eden and Bodie joined their brothers.

Oliver’s gaze remained on Tori’s. It will be okay, baby.

“You wanted to create killing machines,” Mason shouted over the rain. “You did. We’re exactly what you designed us to be. We just never had the same agenda as you.”

“You’re weak!” Hylar spat. “I should have identified that weakness and destroyed you. A stupid mistake.”

“No.” Asher spoke almost quietly. “Your mistake was underestimating what we’d do to keep each other safe. The lengths we’d go to protect the people we love.”

“Those feelings and relationships,” Eden added, “they’re the reason we’re here, and you’re there.”

Wyatt inched forward. “The second you declared war on us, you signed your own death certificate.”

A maniacal-sounding laugh released from Hylar. “You think I’m scared of death? Most of me died back in South Sudan. I welcome it!” When the corners of his mouth lifted, dread uncoiled in Oliver’s gut. He readied his body to leap forward. “But you? You all fear it. Fear one of your own dying. So this is only fair, isn’t it? You destroyed my chance at revenge. So I destroy your brotherhood.”

The gun swung toward Oliver.

He was already dodging the bullet when Tori’s arm swung, pushing up the hand that held the gun.

Hylar’s body jerked…feet slipping on the wet surface…

Sending them both backward, over the side of the ten-story building.

Every inch of Tori’s body was shaking. From the cold. The blood loss. The muzzle of the gun pushing into her skull.

There was no scenario where she saw herself surviving this. Either Hylar was shot or shoved off the building, pulling her down with him, or Hylar shot her.

Either way, she dies.

The men spoke around her, but she paid no attention to what was being said. Her entire focus was on Oliver. When his gaze finally shifted from the gun to her eyes, his face softened. She knew what he was trying to do. Comfort her with a look. Let her know that he’d save her.

God, she wished she could talk to him. Speak those words she hadn’t been allowed earlier.

At least he would survive this. He wouldn’t be turned into a monster. He wouldn’t be used to murder innocent people.

They had Hylar. And he would die.

When the hand around her throat tightened, a soft whimper escaped. It was swallowed by the storm that raged around her.

Mason said something. He sounded fierce. He looked fierce. They all did. Like an army.

Thunder boomed to the right. It didn’t pull a single person’s attention. Mother Nature was violent but insignificant right now.

Wyatt inched forward. “The second you declared war on us, you signed your own death certificate.”

She felt the tensing of Hylar’s muscles.

“You think I’m scared of death? Most of me died back in South Sudan. I welcome it!” He paused. The pressure of the gun against her head lessened. “But you? You all fear it. Fear one of your own dying. So this is only fair, isn’t it? You destroyed my chance at revenge. So I destroy your brotherhood.”

The words had barely left his mouth before Tori knew—one of the men in front of her was going to die.

If it was Oliver, it would destroy her. If it was one of his brothers, it would destroy him.

She couldn’t let that happen.

The moment the gun left her head, Tori’s arm swung, pushing the hand holding the weapon into the air.

Then they were falling backward. Air rushing past her face.

Everything happened so quickly.

His hand releasing her.

Hylar grabbing the building.

Tori grabbing his ankle.

She dug her fingers in, frantic to hang on. His other leg shot out to kick her off. It almost worked. Almost. Tori’s fingers were too tenacious. Her desperation to live too great.

Ignoring the screaming pain from her stomach wound, Tori dug her nails into his flesh.

She didn’t look down. She couldn’t. She used all her focus to hold on to the man who literally held their lives in his hand.

Thunder rumbled through the air. She looked up to see that Hylar’s hold on the edge of the roof slipping.

Tori sucked in a breath—just as a hand from above latched onto Hylar.

Oliver.

His head popped over the edge. He pulled Hylar onto the roof easily, throwing him to the side. Then he grabbed Tori, crushing her to his chest.

Relief. Shock. Utter exhaustion. It all hit Tori like a freight train. Her entire body trembled as she lay in the arms of the man she loved.

Suddenly, a gunshot sounded.

Oliver’s body jolted. He let out a grunt.

Before she had a chance to look up, there was a second gunshot.

Tori spotted Kye, gun in hand. Her gaze went to Hylar next. He lay on the ground with a bullet wound to his head. His eyes open and blank. The small gun he must have pulled from a hidden holster laying by his side.

She didn’t have time to be shocked at the man’s death—because Oliver was falling. His body crumbling to the roof.

Oh god. He’d been shot!

Blood spread from beneath him, confirming he’d been hit in the back.

Tori screamed, hands going to his chest. His cheek. “Oliver! Oh Jesus…Oliver! Open your eyes. Please open your eyes!”

Strong hands grabbed her arms, pulling her away. She cried out. Fighting the person who was separating her from Oliver.

He lay there so still. The normally powerful man now limp.

She struggled against Kye’s unyielding hold as the rest of the team went to Oliver. They applied pressure to the wound before lifting him.

Kye lowered his mouth to her ear. “Stop fighting me, Tori. We need to get Oliver out of here. He needs medical attention.”

Tori’s body immediately wilted. He was right. There was nothing she could do.

She sobbed silently as Kye negotiated his way down the stairs. She swore he asked her some questions. Maybe about her injuries. She barely heard him. Just like how she barely felt the pain of her wounds. Her body was numb. Oliver could be dying right now…he could be dead.

A sob escaped her throat and tears slipped down her cheeks.

If he died, it was her fault. He’d died saving her. His death would be something she would never recover from.