Liam stared at the middle-aged man in the holopic, taking in the rugged features and shorn-close brown hair that gave him an unfriendly look. He was the kind of bloke Liam would hate to find himself alone with in an alleyway without a weapon. Tegan Murphy’s history with the law was a long one, but the only takeaway that mattered was he had no qualms about killing.
“What’s the plan, sir?” Liam asked.
“You go hunting.”
Liam caught Samaira’s eye, the resoluteness in her gaze familiar after all the years they’d spent seated across from each other at the very same table.
“Time to get to work,” she said.
5
Learned to Lose You
“Agent Archer, a moment, if you will.”
Oliver cast his gaze toward the ceiling, silently wishing he’d been able to make his escape via lift and not have to deal with the annoyance of a man he couldn’t completely rid his life of.
“What do you need, Colonel Wessex?” Oliver said as he turned away from the open doors of the lift and their fleeting offer of freedom.
Liam flashed him that cocky smile, which hadn’t changed much since they were teenagers attending Eton together. His dark blond hair had been trimmed for the wedding, and while Liam must have shaved for it as well, a hint of beard had started to shadow his face. The service uniform Liam wore did little to hide the fact he wasn’t one of those working royals who would never know what hard work truly meant.
It was a shame, really. Hating Liam was easy, but sometimes Oliver’s prick overrode his brain. Oliver would have had an easier time holding on to his anger if Liam wasn’t so bloody hot and if the world could stop throwing him back into Oliver’s life.
“Let’s go to my office, shall we?” Liam said.
“I need to report back to my superiors at MI6.”
“It can wait until we’ve discussed the parameters of your secondment to my team.”
The blithe arrogance of Liam’s expectation that Oliver would obey him as if he were under his command rankled. “We’ve discussed everything we needed to today in the three-hour briefing we just had.”
“As much as I put my faith in the UMG, I put more in my team. I know we’ve worked together before, but those situations were different. You were never on the field with the Royal Legion.”
“I, and the other agents working for me, did just fine cleaning up your mess back in December and the handful of times since.”
Liam arched an eyebrow, staring Oliver in the eyes as he said, “Lift to Level Thirty-Five.”
“I honestly don’t have time for this.”
“Then make time.” Liam gestured at the reopening lift doors. “After you.”
Oliver bit back a scowl as Liam waved him into the lift. He thought about trying to override the request to the AI, but his security clearance here wasn’t high enough to ever outrank Liam’s. Oliver entered the lift, putting as much distance as he could between them. Unfortunately, Liam ignored the silent social cues Oliver put off and came to stand right beside him.
Oliver opted to stare straight ahead rather than look up at the other man. The height difference wasn’t much between them, but Liam was broader than he was, and his presence was impossible to ignore, especially in so small of a space.
He watched the numbers count down to a lower level and had half a thought about staying on the lift when it finally came to a stop and Liam exited. But Oliver was a professional, and it wasn’t as if he hadn’t worked with Liam before. So he followed Liam to the office Oliver had only been in once before, the first day he’d been assigned his liaison position with the UMG and he’d come face-to-face with Liam in a professional capacity.
Their reunion of sorts had been strained, for more than one reason. Most of the people that ran in their social circle weren’t serving their country the way Liam and Oliver were. It had come as a bit of a surprise for Liam to find out Oliver’s status as an MI6 agent at the time, but they were both professionals, or at least, Oliver had thought they were. Clearly, Liam didn’t feel the same way if he wanted to have a private chat.
“If you don’t trust me, you should’ve said as much during the briefing,” Oliver said once they were inside Liam’s office.
“I’m not one to sandbag anyone in front of a commanding officer unless they absolutely deserve it.”
Oliver didn’t bother taking a seat in the small office, choosing instead to remain standing. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to feel as if he’d been put on the defensive from the first word spoken between them. It was difficult not to, simply because Liam was always a sore spot for Oliver, whether he liked it or not.
“You can take a seat,” Liam said as he sat in his own chair behind the desk.
Oliver looked away from the commendations hanging on the wall to meet Liam’s gaze. “I won’t be staying long. Say what you need to say, and I’ll be off.”
