I feel Olivia tense beside me with every word he says, her fingers tightening around mine like I am her lifeline.
“I will go in, check out the place, and act like a customer. I’ll have an earpiece in so everyone can hear what I’m saying. I’ll give a play-by-play of what I see as well.”
I feel her pulse pounding against my palm. I know her mind is already racing ahead, trying to anticipate every worst-case scenario. She’s not just anxious; she’sterrified. That’s her twin walking into a bad situation.
“I’ll go with you!” The words burst from Olivia’s mouth like she couldn’t hold them in any longer. Her voice is sharp, desperate, vibrating with the kind of urgency that makes the entire group fall silent. Every head turns to her. The fire in her eyes burns hot, daring anyone to challenge her.
And, of course, Alex does.
“Like hell, you will!” His voice slices through the quiet like a blade. His demand is loud and confident. I don’t even have to look at him to know that anger, frustration, and, most of all, fear are written all over his face. He thinks he hides his emotions well, but I can read him like a book.
“We just got you back,” he says, his voice edged with something raw. “I’m not going to lose you again.”
The air around us suddenly feels suffocating under the weight of his words. I know he means well; he’s trying to protect her, but if he pushes her too hard… I don’t want it to come to that.
Olivia’s head snapped in Alex’s direction. “Well, I didn’t know you had any say in what I fucking do, Alex.” Her voice cracked like a whip, leaving no room for argument.
I feel her let go of my hand, and the absence of her touch is a sudden, jarring cold that seeps into my bones. She crosses her arms, her chin lifting in defiance, staring Alex down like he’s just another obstacle she’s prepared to bulldoze through.
A fiery redhead with a spine made of steel. A girl who never backs down from a fight, especially when it comes to her damn freedom that she just got back.
Alex doesn’t move. His jaw clenches so tightly that I swear I can hear his teeth grinding, but hiseyesbetray him; there is a flicker of vulnerability beneath the fury. The fear of losing her again is visible to the world, just for a second, before you see him bury it.
His voice softens, but the tension remains razor-sharp. “I didn’t mean it like that, Olivia.” There’s a hesitation now, a slight crack in his armor. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I just don’t want to lose you again. If anything happens…”
His voice trails off. Watching this is breaking my heart for both of them.
And Olivia, she doesn’t miss a beat.
She steps closer, and her following words hit harder than any scream ever could.
“But you want me to let my fucking twin go into the unknown by himself? Risk his life for all of us, by himself?”
Silence.
Thick. Heavy. Suffocating. Silence…
Alex has no answer, and Olivia knows it. Her words hang between them, slicing through whatever argument he might have had. She’s not asking for permission. She’s not asking for protection. She’s demanding equality. If Oliver can take the risk, so can she.
The weight of it all presses down on me. Onus. The room holds its breath, waiting for someone to break the tension.
Alex swallows, but he doesn't reply. Olivia doesn’t need one; she will do this regardless of who says no.
While they are both at a standstill, I’m just standing in the middle of the storm, watching the collision of two people who are too stubborn, broken, andafraidto meet each other halfway. And somehow, I know this fight isn’t even close to being over.
Olivia turns around and walks away from the group, ending the conversation where it stood.
Chapter twelve
Alex
Ican’tletherwalk away again. I can’t lose her again. I may have pissed her off, but she is mine, no matter what. Regardless of the chaos that is going on, I refuse to let this woman go.
Before I can stop myself, I grab her arm and pull her into me. Wrapping my arms around her waist, desperate to fuse her to me, to make sure she knows exactly where she belongs. With me. With us.
She sucks in a sharp breath, her body tense against mine. I reach up, tilting her chin so she has no choice but to look at me. Her beautiful blue-green eyes blaze with a challenge—a silent dare.
I do the only thing I can think of and bend down to kiss her. Not just a soft and gentle kiss but a hard, demanding, and owning kiss. I pour everything into that kiss: every ounce of frustration, devotion, and love. Claiming her the only way I know how. Silently begging her to understand that I had nothing to do with her capture and to trust me.
