Protecting Olivia Read online

  Panther chuckled and asked, “Really, how so?”

  “That was my first thought when I saw your eyes, that you looked like a black panther,” I admitted.

  “Here I thought it was because you thought I was as deadly and quick as the cat.” He winked.

  Holy shit, this man was lethal, and it had nothing to do with the many weapons he had strapped to his body. The sound of metal hitting the floor drew my attention to my wrist. It looked worse today. The open sores were encircling my entire wrist now, instead of just on the inside.

  “I don’t want my mom to see me like this.” The gravity of the situation hit me all at once.

  It’s funny how when you are in the midst of a crisis, certain parts of your brain turn off and all you are worried about is surviving. But as soon as you begin to feel even the slightest bit safe, all the emotions you were suppressing flood you all at once.

  The sob I had been holding back finally broke loose, and I could taste the dirt my tears washed down my cheeks. Panther started to lift me from the floor and embarrassment set in.

  “I can walk,” I told him.

  “No, tesorino, you can’t. I will carry you,” he replied.

  “But, I…I stink. I have throw up in my hair. I am okay to walk, I promise.”

  I didn’t think I was really okay to walk. I hadn’t had enough room to even stand being cuffed to a wall. But the thought of this big man holding me close to him while I smelled like puke was mortifying. It was the last thing I should’ve cared about, but I felt like a dirty animal.

  “Come on, up you go. Hold that bad wrist close to your body. When we leave this room, I want you to keep your eyes closed. It’s not pretty out there,” Panther instructed, ignoring my comment.

  Before Panther could lift me in his arms, a string of curse words was yelled from the other side of the room. Panther quickly moved me completely behind him.

  Protecting me.

  “Motherfucker!” was yelled again from one of the other two guys.

  I peeked around Panther to see one of the men was near the red spot on the wall. He was examining something on his black-gloved fingers.

  “Did you see what was put in this wall?” one of the men asked.

  Was he talking to me? Put in the wall? What did that even mean?

  “Olivia?”

  “Oh. Sorry. I don’t understand what you're asking. No one has done anything to this room since I’ve been here. The first day I thought I could smell wallpaper glue, if that helps,” I answered.

  “We need ten minutes. Hold the bird for extraction,” the man spoke into his shoulder. “Copy that.”

  The two men made fast work peeling a large piece of wallpaper off the drywall. One of the men kicked the bottom of the wall, leaving a hole. The sound made me flinch. They ripped chunks of drywall, making the opening larger.

  “What the fuck?” One of them cursed.

  “Jesus Christ.” Came from the other.

  They continued to pull back drywall, revealing what looked to be a clear plastic drop cloth. I leaned around Panther trying to get a better view, but he stopped me.

  “You don’t want to look,” he said.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  He shook his head in reply and maneuvered himself to block my view.

  “Panther, you might wanna take her in the other room. Leave her with Viper.”

  “No! Please don’t leave me,” I cried.

  Chapter Five

  Leo

  The room reeked of piss and body decomposition.

  Olivia was a shaking mess – the sooner I got her out of here, the better. Her grip on my arm unrelenting. The girl was a wreck; her blonde hair was matted with throw up, and her wrist was definitely infected. Her pretty face lacked color and had taken on a grayish hue making the dark red circles around her eyes stand out. There was no doubt she was pretty, but right now, she was a far cry from the done-up party girl I had seen in pictures.

  “Please,” she begged.

  “Tesorino, I am not going anywhere,” I assured her. “She’s good, Blue.”

  “Panther…” Blue warned.

  I ignored Blue and concentrated on Olivia. “Do me a favor, yeah? I want you to lie down and close your eyes. I’ll stay right here with you.”

  Olivia nodded her head and did what I asked.

  Now that the wall was broken open, the smell of rotting flesh was overwhelming. I was surprised that Olivia hadn’t commented or complained about it yet. I suppose she had gotten used to the odor over the weeks she’d been locked in this room.

  “We need to go,” I called out when I heard the blades of the helicopter approach.

  Breeze had the rest of the drywall pulled away exposing the plastic-wrapped body. Blue cut through the duct tape that was holding the body upright in between the two-by-four studs. We had not planned on cutting bodies out of walls. This was supposed to be a quick in and out mission. We needed to hurry the hell up and get the fuck gone.

  “The package ready?” My comms came to life, and Viper’s voice crackled in my ear.

  “Roger,” I replied. “Time to move, our ride is here.”

  Blue already had the body over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold and was out the door. Breeze stayed behind as my cover.

  “Time to move, Olivia.” I waited for her to open her eyes. “I am gonna pick you up and carry you out of here. Remember to keep your eyes closed until I tell you.”

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  I lifted her in my arms and turned toward Breeze. With a nod of his head, he pulled his weapon up and started for the hallway.

  “Package is on the move. I repeat the package is on the move,” Breeze called in.

  Fresh air hit my face, and I took in a deep breath. “You’re doing great. We’re almost to our ride.”

  No sooner had I reassured Olivia, we were airborne. The blast from behind us was so powerful it took us off our feet. The heat at my back made me wince, and I tried to roll in midair so I would take the brunt of the fall. We hit the ground and rolled. Olivia’s head crushing my hand into the gravel as I tried to protect her head. We came to a sliding stop with her on top of me. I quickly rolled her under me trying to offer as much protection as I could.

  “Get her to the helicopter,” Viper yelled.

  I had never been more grateful for my ear pro. Some guys don’t wear hearing protection, I always did. There was a dull roar in my ears from the explosion, but nothing like what it would’ve been without it. I looked up at what was left of the burning house. Debris scattered over the yard, burning pieces of wood lay nearby.

  “Now, now, now,” Viper yelled again, jolting me into action.

  Wordlessly, I scooped Olivia up. Viper, Blue, and Breeze all gave us cover as I ran to the helicopter.

  The pilot was already throttling up the engine and had engaged the rotors preparing for lift off. Breeze was in behind us, Blue not far behind still carrying the body we had found in the wall. Viper, who was always the first in and the last to leave, jumped in behind Blue.

  “Go,” Viper yelled over the blades.

  Viper angrily ripped his black balaclava from his head. It was a toss-up if he was vibrating from irritation or if the vibration was from the helo. He was fucking pissed. Not that I wasn’t – that was a clusterfuck.

  “What in the fuck was that?” Viper roared.

  I think that was probably a rhetorical question, but Blue still answered. “That was fucked is what that was!”

  “You think? Jesus Christ,” Viper returned.

  Olivia hadn’t moved, hadn’t said a word. She was so slight in my arms I had almost forgotten she was there. I didn’t bother trying to speak to her between the loud cabin and the explosion – she wouldn’t have been able to hear me anyway. When I looked down at her, I was surprised to see she was staring up at me. Deep brown eyes that were so dark I couldn’t make out her pupils.

  I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Comforting a woman w
as not something I was used to. Yet, as foreign as it was to me, I wanted to comfort this woman. I knew I should’ve passed Olivia off to Blue, he was the one that all the frog hogs called sweet. Women basically threw themselves at him the moment he opened his mouth. The man had rap, no doubt. But as much as I knew I should pass her off, I couldn’t. There was something about her, something in the way she looked at me that tied me to her.

  Maybe I had misjudged the girl, maybe she wasn’t the spoiled party girl I thought she was. Or maybe she was just in shock and what I saw in her captivating chocolate eyes was nothing more than hero worship, because I was the one that was point. If it had been any of the other guys, she would be on their lap looking at them the same way.

  The barn was only about a hundred kilometers north of our location; we’d have Olivia on the ground, cleaned up, and back with her ma within the hour.

  I caught Viper’s attention and pointed to a bottle of water at his feet. He passed me the water. I cracked the top and carefully nudged Olivia to sit up.

  “Drink,” I mouthed.

  She started to gulp the water down, but I shook my head and pulled the water away. “Slowly.”

  I put the bottle back to her lips, and she took small sips. When she was done she pushed the bottle away and closed her eyes. Poor girl had to be exhausted. Not only had she been held against her will, but the adrenaline dump was coming.

  “Prepare. Wheels down in two…one…touchdown,” the pilot's voice came over my earpiece.

  “Roger. Good ride,” Viper returned.

  Viper rushed to jump out of the helicopter, Blue and Breeze quickly followed. It took me a moment longer, careful not to jostle Olivia more than necessary.

  The moment we entered the basement of the barn, there was a fury of commotion. The team started to divest themselves of weapons and gear. Doc was already waiting with a gurney bed set-up. IV poles were pushed off to the side with hanging bags of fluid at the ready.

  “Set her down,” Doc instructed.

  “Don’t leave me,” Olivia whispered, with pleading eyes.

  “The doctor is gonna check you out. I’m gonna give him some room,” I answered.

  “Don’t leave me,” Olivia shouted.

  I glanced at the doctor then my team, shocked at the vehemence in her tone. Viper gestured for me to stay with her, and the doctor’s lips flattened to two thin lines. I wasn’t sure if he was annoyed I’d be in his way or sympathetic to how frightened Olivia was. Either way, I didn’t give the first fuck if he was mad; there was no way I was leaving Olivia now.

  “I’m staying right here, tesorino.”

  I was not good at this; gentle, slow movements were not in my nature. In the field when I needed to deposit a man on a bed, I didn’t take painstaking care not to cause him anymore discomfort. I dropped and dashed. There was no time to worry if I hurt his boo-boo; I had shit to do and scumbags to kill. Sounded harsh, but that’s the nature of the beast. Combat and black ops is not a place for weakness or feelings.

  I didn’t know how to do this, I wasn’t even this gentle with my ma. She was an Italian after all. The woman was tough as nails after raising two hellions for sons and a devil for a daughter. I didn’t think that woman had a touchy-feely bone left in her body. My ma was the strongest woman I knew.

  As soon as Olivia was softly laid out on the bed, the doc went to work.

  “Hi Olivia, I’m Dr. Westinghouse. I am the President’s personal physician. He asked me to take a look at you. Before we begin, I have to ask you if you want me to clear the room. I’m going to ask you some very personal questions.”

  Was he nuts? Not one minute before, I promised Olivia I wouldn’t leave her side. There wasn’t a snowball's chance in hell I was leaving.

  Olivia’s eyes came to mine, panic clearly written all over her face. “I’m not leaving her, Doc,” I told him.

  “I want him to stay,” she answered.

  I wondered if Olivia even remembered my name with all the trauma she’d been through. It was doubtful. She just didn’t want to be alone. But the way she turned to me before she answered the doctor hit me straight in the gut.

  “Alright. Let’s begin. My apologies in advance for being so obtrusive. Did anyone touch you in a sexual manner?” Westinghouse asked.

  Before Olivia could answer, I felt my heart rate spike, and for some reason that I couldn’t place, an overwhelming sense of protectiveness roared to the surface. A feeling so strong it shocked the shit out of me. I had never, not even with my sister or ma felt this strongly before.

  “No one touched me like that,” she answered.

  “Good. That’s good. Now why don’t you tell me where you hurt, and we’ll go from there.” Dr. Westinghouse smiled at Olivia.

  Even though Olivia had told the doctor she had not been sexually violated, the feeling didn’t go away. I wished we had not taken out the crew that was holding Olivia so quickly; they deserved a slow and painful death for what they did to her.

  Chapter Six

  Olivia

  It was hard to concentrate on all the questions the doctor was asking when Panther’s green eyes were laser focused on me. He looked like some sort of avenging warrior with the angry look on his face and his black military gear still on. I should’ve been scared, but I wasn’t. Having him next to me made me feel safe like no one would dare touch me. They’d have to get through my own personal protector before they could take me again.

  “Well, Olivia, I’d say all in all you’re very lucky. You’ll need a round of IV antibiotics for the infection on your wrist and a few bags of fluids for dehydration. But nothing is broken. It will take a few weeks for the bruises to go away. You’ll need to start with very small, easy to digest foods every two hours for a few days until your stomach adjusts. You’re a tough cookie, young lady. You’ll be fine. Now, I know your mother wants to come down and see you. I was told that you wanted to clean up before she saw you. Normally I would say no, you’re too weak for a shower. But if you let Leo take you to the restroom and help wash your hair, that would be fine. When you come back, I’ll start your IVs and Pamela can visit you.”

  “What? No, who is Leo?” I asked. I didn’t know who this Leo person was, but there was no way Panther was leaving me.

  “I’m Leo, tesorino,” Panther explained.

  “Oh.” I felt my cheeks heat. How embarrassing.

  “It’s okay. It’s hard to keep all of our names straight.” He smiled. “Come on, I’ll help you clean up. Your ma brought you some clean clothes.

  Wow, he had a great smile. Straight white teeth and full lips. Of course, he would. He reminded me of a superhero. Aren’t all superheroes in the movies good looking?

  Before I could tell him I could walk, he swept me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing. I should’ve protested, but I didn’t. Instead, I burrowed in and enjoyed the feeling.

  I was safe.

  The door closed behind us, and Leo set me down on the lid of the toilet. The sound of the door clicking shut had my body locking tight. My fists clenched and an unexplainable fear ripped through my body. The safety I’d felt in Leo’s arms moments before vanished and I was transported back to being locked in a filthy room. I hated the metallic sound of the door latching, closing me in, holding me prisoner.

  I couldn’t breathe, and the harder I tried, the less air actually made it to my lungs.

  “Slow down, tesorino. Slow breaths,” Leo instructed.

  I couldn’t. The panic wouldn’t subside.

  “Olivia! Slow your breathing.” Leo grabbed my good hand and pressed it against his chest, his tactical vest hard under my hand. “Breathe with me.”

  I could feel him take a deep breath and blow it out. I tried to inhale with his next breath.

  “Good. Now do it again. In and out, slowly, tesorino. There is nothing to be scared of. It’s just me and you in here. No one can hurt you.” Leo continued to press my hand to his vest and breathed with me until the lightheadedness subsided.r />
  “Thank you.” I sighed. After a few more slow breaths I felt better. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand what happened.”

  “There is nothing to apologize for. You had a panic attack, and it is normal. It’ll happen again, you need to be prepared for it, and remember when it starts to slow your breathing or you’ll pass out.”

  How embarrassing – a panic attack. I had never in my life had one before.

  “I’m the one who should be sorry. I know better than to shut a victim in a room with a stranger,” he continued.

  Victim.

  That’s what he thought of me as. I was the hostage, he was the rescuer brought in to save the victim. How stupid was I to think that he was some personal superhero? Like he had any connection to me at all. I was a job, and that was it. I’m sure my mom asked Mrs. Anderson to pull some strings to find me.

  I needed my mom.

  I wanted her to hold me, she would wrap me in her arms and make me safe. She was the only person in the world who loved me and took care of me. I had never met my dad – he died before I was born. We left Paris when I was a baby to be closer to my grandparents because she had no one. My mom never remarried. She never even dated. It was bittersweet; she said she loved my dad so much no man could ever fill the hole in her heart he left. To this day she says she is still very much in love with him. I hoped I would find that one day, a love so strong that even in death it is still alive.

  “I’m fine now. I can clean up by myself.” That might’ve come out a little harsher than I wanted, but this man was not my knight in shining armor, and I couldn’t think of him as such. I was being ridiculous and wouldn’t allow myself to get attached to him.

  “Where did you just go, tesorino?” he asked.

  Those green eyes were studying me again. Somehow, I didn’t think he’d be as easy to lie to as the college boys I was used to. With them, it was easy to play dumb; they weren’t as observant and easy to outsmart. This man was all man – sharp and watchful.

  “Why do you keep calling me tesorino? What does it mean?” I asked, needing to change the subject. I knew it was Italian, but it had been a long time since my language lessons, and I was pretty rusty.