She pushed that thought aside and tucked the hair tickling the side of her face behind her ear. “Sorry. My cooking skills are limited to the microwave, and I’m not even good at that. Zane cooked.”
Ryder’s surprised gaze shot to Zane, then landed on Marley. “He is trying to butter me up.”
Marley lifted her brows. “I warned him ahead of time.” She glanced Zane’s way. “Three double Crowns on the plane helped. But food was a good idea.”
“I get no respect.” Ryder took the bottle of wine from Eve’s hands. “Why don’t I open this? I think we all need more alcohol.”
Zane moved into the kitchen, opened the cupboard door, and reached for a stack of plates. “Rice should be done in a few minutes. Then we can eat.”
Marley stepped toward the dining room table. “Shouldn’t we wait for Miller?”
Eve’s heart skipped a beat, and she froze, for a moment unable to think. “Miller’s coming?”
Marley looked Ryder’s way. “You didn’t tell them.”
He poured wine into four glasses and flashed Marley an annoyed look. “I wasn’t sure we should share that just yet.”
The sound of an engine cutting off echoed from out front. Heart in her throat, Eve bolted for the entry.
“Eve,” Zane said. “Wait—”
Her bare feet skidded to a stop, but Zane’s hand against the door prevented her from opening it. “Move,” she said.
“Hold on.” His hand landed on her shoulder, warm, solid, supporting her. Everything she always felt when he was close. “He might be alone. You need to be prepared for that. But if she is with him, don’t crowd her. Give her room. After what she’s been through, she might not be able to handle it just yet.”
“She’s my sister.”
“I know, but . . . she’s been missing for several days. I just . . . If she’s there—and I don’t know that she is—I want you to be prepared for the fact she might not . . . be her normal self.”
Sickness rolled through Eve’s belly, and images of what Olivia could have been through pinged rapid-fire through her brain. But more than that, she was blindingly aware that even now Zane was worried about her. About how she would react and feel when she saw her sister. Not about himself or the situation or even what she was doing to his future. His only concern was for her.
If she hadn’t believed his declaration of love earlier, she believed it now, and it sent a host of butterflies fluttering all through her already queasy stomach.
Nodding slowly, she closed her hand around the door handle. “I-I’ll remember that.”
He pressed his lips to her temple. “I’m right here with you. Don’t forget that either.”
How could she? Her pulse raced, and her heart felt like it grew every time he touched her.
Steeling herself for what she’d find, she pulled the door open and stared through the light drizzle toward the black sedan parked in the driveway. A man sat in the driver’s seat, but more than that, there was a passenger next to him. Someone small. A woman.
Eve stepped out onto the porch, and her heart lurched into her throat. “Olivia.”
Landon cut off the ignition and looked up at the lodge-style house. He’d been here only a few weeks ago with Kendrick. He had not planned to be back anytime soon.
He glanced toward Olivia in the passenger seat. She was eyeing the house like it might just jump out and bite her. “You ready for this?”
“Eve’s in there?”
She’d slept during the drive up here, and he’d thought about calling Archer to let him know they were on their way, but he hadn’t wanted to wake her. The swelling had gone down a little on her face, but dark circles had taken up refuge under her eyes, and he guessed she hadn’t slept in days. “Yeah. Along with some other people I work with. You don’t have to worry. You’re totally safe here.”
Her gaze slid his way, and when those rich green eyes landed on his, he felt that punch to the gut all over again. “Eve will freak out when she sees me. I-I didn’t think about that until right now. I-I don’t want to have to explain things, you know?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t want to have to talk about it.”
He laid his hand on hers, resting on her lap, and squeezed. To his surprise, she didn’t flinch, only opened her fingers and squeezed his hand back. “I’ll run interference, how about that?”
She exhaled a long breath and swiped her free hand over her face. “I’m such a mess. I’m sorry. It’s not your job to babysit me. I’ll be fine. I just”—she tried to pull her hand away—“I’ll be fine in a minute.”
“Olivia.” He gripped her fingers tighter. “Look at me.” Tears swirled in her eyes when she looked his way, and something in his chest knotted. Something he’d thought had died a long time ago. “I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there. You’re not a mess. You’re a hell of a lot stronger than any woman I’ve ever met. Remember that.”
She blinked several times. Movement on the front porch drew his attention. She looked in that direction just as the front door opened and Eve stepped out on the porch, followed by Archer.
For a heartbeat, he held her hand and wished they could go on being alone. But that was impossible—and totally fucking unrealistic. Olivia Wolfe was not the kind of woman who’d be interested in a man like him, especially not if she knew about his past. And as much as her pretty eyes might get to him, he knew it was lack of sleep and adrenaline that had him feeling crazy things for her. She wasn’t his type. He didn’t do relationships. And by tomorrow, he knew he’d no longer care.
“Time to face the fire,” Olivia whispered.
She let go of his hand, and cool air washed over his palm, dousing his spirits. But before he could think of a reason to stop her, she popped the door and stepped out into the rain.
Moving away from him for good. Which was exactly where he needed her to go, for both their sakes.
“Oh my God.”
Zane didn’t stop Eve from rushing down the porch steps and into the rain. Didn’t even think to try. As soon as the slim woman climbed out of the car, relief flooded every cell in his body.
His biggest fear was that Miller was going to show up alone. Eve had already survived that bombing, the deaths of her CSIS contact and Carter. Even though she put on a tough face, he didn’t think she could make it through one more major blow. And losing her sister would have been that.
The two women hugged. Eve cooed over her sister, checking every inch of her. He couldn’t tell what they said, but he knew from Eve’s body language that her sister wasn’t in the best of shape. But she was alive, and right now that was all that mattered.
Miller climbed out of the car, stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, and jogged up the front steps of the house. Shaking the rain from his hair, he looked back toward the car. “That woman should be in a damn hospital. She’s weak as shit, but she refused to stay there. She’s got a hell of a lot of fight in her. Like her sister.”
If she was anything like Eve, Zane could only imagine. He turned toward Miller and held out his hand. “I owe you, man.”
Miller returned the handshake with a frown. “Yeah, you do. Don’t fucking forget it.”
Zane waited while Eve wrapped an arm around her sister and ushered her up the steps and into the house. She was a whole head taller than Olivia, but the slope of their noses was the same, the shape of their eyes. He could definitely see the family resemblance. Closing the door at their backs, he watched while Eve took the light jacket from her sister and threw it over a bench in the entryway.