“I need a favor. It’s for Olivia.”
“How is our girl?” D’s southern drawl was more prominent now that he was relaxed.
“Ourgirl?”
“You nearly died trying to protect her. Coop caught a bullet for her, and we’ve all spent the last two months away from home so we could get the bastard who tried to buy her. Not to mention, I now have two assholes thanks to the new one Ryker ripped into us for going to bum-fuck Venezuela in the first place. So, hell yeah, she’s our girl.”
Though his words were in true Derek form, Jake found himself brushing off an unexpected wave of emotion that they had caused.
“Duly noted.”
“Good. Now, are you gonna tell me why you called me at the ass-crack of dawn, on my day off, or are you waitin’ for me to guess?”
“What’s the matter? Did I interrupt play time? Let me guess...it’s the blonde. No, wait. The redhead.”
Jake could hear the man’s smile through the phone. “What can I say? Unlike you, the rest of us haven’t been lucky enough to findthe one. And you know me. I like to collect as much data as I can before making a final decision. Especially somethin’ that important. Consider this research.”
To that, Jake had no response. He loved Olivia, and there would never be another woman for him. She was, without a doubt, the one for him. But, how did Liv feel?
These past few days had been nothing short of amazing, but what would happen when she learned the truth about her brother? And she would...soon.
As terrified as he was, Jake wouldn’t take the next step without telling her everything. Olivia deserved to have all of the facts. He just needed to find the right time to tell her.
So far, that time had failed to present itself. Of course, Jake hadn’t spent much timelookingfor that perfect moment, either.
He’d been too busy staring at her perfect ass...and those breasts...and the way she looked when she called out his name—
“Boss? You still there?”
Shit. Focus, McQueen.Jake cleared his throat. “Yeah. Sorry. Listen, I need you to put together some equipment and meet me at Olivia’s place to install it. And I want it done ASAP.”
“ASAP, as in...” Derek let his voice trail off.
“An hour. I have a meeting in three, and it’s one I can’t be late for.”
There was a pause, and then, “What all are you thinkin’?”
“Security equipment. Cameras, lights, the works. I want them set up around the perimeter of her house. Definite focus on the driveway, front, and back door, but also some to show the surrounding land. She has a decent alarm system already in place, but it’s not enough.”
Derek’s voice tightened, all traces of humor gone, “Did something else happen?”
Jake appreciated D’s concern. During the short time they’d been around her, his team members all seemed to accept her as one of their own.
The guys had talked about her on several occasions while they’d been cooped up together the last couple months.
Derek and Trevor...hell, even Grant, on one occasion, had all made comments about what a sweet, strong woman she was. They’d mentioned how impressed they were with the way she’d handled herself with the whole Cetro mess.
Even Mac and Coop had agreed because they’d witnessed her bravery when she’d made a run for it at Cetro’s camp before Coop got shot and they had to fly home. They’d all accepted her as his, which meant they wanted to keep her safe as well.
“Just taking precautions.”
That first night at Olivia’s—after the amazing sex and heated-up dinner—Jake had waited until she’d fallen asleep to call Derek.
He’d filled the genius in on what had been going on with Olivia while they’d been away, including the information she’d given him about Norman Rogers. Speaking of which—
“Did you find out anything more on Rogers?”
“Not that I could find. He’s still a resident at the institution Olivia told you about. After looking more closely at his medical records, I don’t see him being released any time soon.”
