I shift my weight, trying to shake the feeling creeping into my chest. Now isn’t the time to dwell on this. We have a job to do. People to deal with. The Starr brothers, the Italians—everything else is more important than my wounded pride.
But as Oliver continues forming the plan, my eyes keep finding Olivia, drawn to the way her jaw tightens, her fingers twitching at her side like she’s barely holding herself back. She’s still furious, still walking that razor-thin line between control and chaos.
And I should be worried about what happens when she finally snaps.
But all I can think about is whether she’ll ever reach for me again.
And God, I don’t know what will destroy me first… Her rage, or her silence.
Chapter ten
Olivia
Idon’tknowwhatI hate more—the situation, the men inside that casino, or the fact that a part of me still wants to trust Alex even after everything that happened to me.
But trust got me into this situation in the first place, so trust is not very easy for me right now.
Oliver starts to speak, his voice commanding as he lays out the next part of the plan. He’s always been the one to take control of the situations we have been in. To think instead of acting on impulse. Right now, I wish I had that ability. Instead, my pulse pounds with rage, my fingers twitching at my sides, aching to do something, anything, to feel like I have control again.
And then Alex steps toward me, hand outstretched.
My eyes stare at his hand, and my breath catches. For a split second, my body betrays me, and muscle memory draws me toward his familiarity, the way his fingers used to anchor me, the way he once made the world feel a little less dangerous. My fingers almost move toward his.
Almost.
But then the moment shatters, my mind going back to the auction, and I take a hesitant step back.
His face doesn’t change much, but I see it— the flicker of hurt in his eyes and the slight tensing of his jaw. The ghosts of all the unspoken words linger between us. I should feel victorious for keeping him at a distance, for proving to myself that I don’t need him, but all I feel is something hollow and aching in my chest, the missing piece of my heart. Why can’t my mind make up what it wants to do? Why is this situation so difficult? Oliver was right when he said that Alex is not his grandfather, but why can’t I get past it? Why is there still an ache in my chest?
Then, I notice movement next to Alex, and Rachel steps forward, offering her hand to me. I grab it. No hesitation. No uncertainty. I take it without even thinking twice.
As soon as I have her hand in mine, I feel secure. She’s steady. Familiar. Safe. She’s been with me through the worst of it, and right now, I need something solid to hold on to. Something that won’t slip through my fingers like everything else has these past few months. Every good thing that has happened seems to be falling apart, and she is holding my jagged pieces for me.
When my fingers close around hers, I feel Alex break behind me. It’s not just something I imagine. I hear his breath falter, feel the shift in the air, the weight of his presence retreating.
A part of me screams to turn around, to see if he’s still standing there, to see if I’ve finally cut the last tether between us.
But I don’t.
If I do, I might lose the last shred of resolve I have left.
I can’t let him back in. I can’t risk it.
Not when I still don’t know if he’s the one I need to escape from.
Not when I still don’t know if I’d even want to.
Oliver’s words repeat in my mind, but the what-ifs won’t let me go.
Chapter eleven
Rachel
Olivia’shandinminemakes my heart feel like it’s finally back where it belongs. The chaos around us fades for just a moment, and all that matters is that she’s here, safe by my side. I didn’t realize how much I missed her and needed her presence until now, when I felt her grounding me in all this. She’s always been the missing piece I didn’t know I needed.
Unfortunately, the calm doesn’t last long.
Oliver’s voice cuts through the thick, heavy air. Sharp and focused. He’s laying out the plan, his tone steady, controlled. It’s what he does best: taking charge and strategizing .
