Chapter Six

The team gathered at Damien’s Malibu house, a huge structure that not only boasted plenty of space, but was also already well-equipped to run an operation as massive as a kidnapping. Mostly, because it had already done that before. First, when sweet little Anne had been kidnapped along with Bree, their nanny. Then later when Nikki had been snatched.

Kidnapping.

He still couldn’t believe it. But Horowitz, Ryan, and Damien had tracked him down at Trevor’s condo because Courtney had been kidnapped, and the ransom note had been addressed to Ollie’s attention.

Normally, they’d be set up at that the local FBI field office, but Damien had stepped in, and Ollie was still grateful. “He’s going to want to work 24/7,” Damien had said to Horowitz as they’d stood in Trevor’s living room. “We all know that. Let’s let him do that someplace more comfortable than a field office or the SSA.”

“I’d like that,” Ollie had said, and once Damien had pointed out that the house was already rigged for all the equipment they could possibly need, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Andrew Horowitz had agreed.

Ryan Hunter, the man responsible for the day-to-day operations of the SSA—not to mention Jamie’s husband—had also agreed. But he’d insisted that the operation be a joint mission between the FBI and the SSA. And that Trevor run the op.

“He worked Hostage & Rescue before coming over to Stark International, and he’s worked more kidnappings than anyone at the SSA. Plus, Courtney’s one of ours.”

Horowitz had turned to Ollie. “Your call, Agent McKee.”

“The SSA knows what they’re doing,” Ollie had said without hesitation. “And Trevor’s the right man to lead the op.”

“Then you have no argument from me,” Horowitz responded, an Oklahoma twang coloring his voice. “Your group has a solid reputation in the community. And since I’m good friends with Anderson Seagrave,” he added, referring to the colonel who headed up the covert Sensitive Operations Command for the Pentagon, “I can also attest to your reputation underground. We’ll provide whatever support you need.” He’d grinned. “Reserving the right to step in if we deem it necessary.”

“Understood,” Ryan had said.

Ironically, the only hitch had come from Ollie himself. “But we don’t set up at the house until we’re sure that Bree’s okay with it,” he’d said, referring to the Starks’ nanny. She’d been kidnapped along with Anne on that horrible day. “Those days were a nightmare for her, and not just because she’d been taken, too,” he added, looking pointedly at Damien. “I don’t want our set-up forcing her to relive it all again. She hesitates even slightly, we move operations back to the SSA.”

Damien had held his eyes, then nodded. “You’re absolutely right. Why don’t you call her? I’m her employer. I don’t want her to feel like she has to agree with me.”

“Thanks.” Ollie had relaxed a bit, then. He’d been expecting a battle. At least some back and forth. But Damien kept surprising him. Still not Numero Uno on Ollie’s favorite person list, but he wasn’t a total shit. And he was definitely good for Nikki, even though it had taken Ollie far too long to realize that.

Bree had agreed without question, and now the whole team had gathered at the house, including tech geniuses Mario and Denny, who were working with the FBI’s electronics team to set up all the equipment in the first-floor open area.

“Basing the operation here was a good call,” Ryan said, standing by the third-floor railing and looking down at the hustle and bustle two floors below. He turned to face Damien. “We’ve got two other matters in active status back at the office. Better to have a solo space where we can focus.”

“Agreed,” Damien said, then turned to Ollie, his eyes full of compassion. “How are you holding up?” he asked as Trevor joined the group.

Ollie forced himself not to reach for Trevor’s hand. He’d just returned from the first floor and was now standing close enough that Ollie could smell his cologne. He wanted to lean in. He wanted Trevor to put his arm around his waist and tug him close, sharing his strength and offering support. Instead, there was nothing but air between them.

He swallowed, then shrugged, not able to find the words. “I’m worried. For that matter, I’m terrified. But we’ve got good people working this. Don’t worry,” he said, speaking to both Damien and Ryan. “I’m not going to be a liability. I know how to do my job, too.”

“No one’s worried about that, Ollie,” Damien said, his voice as gentle as when he spoke to his kids. “And you’re allowed to be scared. I learned that one the hard way.”

Yeah , he had . “Sorry,” Ollie said. “I wasn’t thinking. You’ve had someone you love kidnapped, too. Hell of a fraternity.”

“Isn’t it just?”

Damien put a supportive hand on Ollie’s shoulder, then tilted his head. “I’m going to go see if there’s anything the folks downstairs need before the briefing. Nikki’s out with Bree and the kids. They’re hurrying back. I’m sure she’ll find you as soon as she gets here.”

“Actually, I’ll walk with you. There’s something I want to ask you.” He gave Trevor a quick smile—wishing it could be a quick kiss—then fell in step with Damien.

“What’s on your mind?” Damien asked, pausing in the third-floor kitchen area. Nikki had told him that Damien had originally intended it to be a workspace for caterers, with the real kitchen down on the first floor. Instead, it had become the hub for their family.

Ollie pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hate to ask, but I want all bases covered, and in the end we may have no choice but to pay the ransom. If things go south, we might not get it back again.” He drew in a breath. “It’s a big ask—three million—but it’s Courtney.”

The kidnapper had left a note in the front seat of Courtney’s Toyota, along with her cell phone. Three million to be delivered by Ollie himself or else she died. The drop point, it said, would come later.

Ollie hesitated, catching a glimpse of Trevor walking by. Then he forced his mind back on task, wondering if there would ever come a time when he wasn’t distracted by the man. “Anyway,” he continued. “Will you put it up? I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay you, but—”

“Ollie,” Stark said gently. “I know it hasn’t always been smooth sailing between us, but at the very least, I thought you were smarter than that.”

Ollie blinked, not sure if he’d just been insulted. “I’m only—”

“It will be here within the hour. Two bags. Unmarked bills. And you’re a fool if you think I’d ever expect you to pay me back.”

“But—”

“What I do with my money is my call. And as I’m rather fond of fucking my wife, I’d like to stay on her good side and not leave one of her best friends hanging.”

He grinned as Ollie rolled his eyes. “Nice, Stark. Real nice.”

“Nothing that was news to you,” he retorted, and actually made Ollie laugh. That, of course, had been his intent.

“You’re okay, Stark. I may deny I said that a year from now, but right now, you’re definitely not the shit I used to think you were.”

“And from you, my friend, that is high praise, indeed.”

* * * *

He found Trevor in the thick of it, moving among his people with a confident demeanor that added the right energy to the room. It certainly helped Ollie’s mood. This was a man who got things done.

He’d known that already, of course. Not only had he enjoyed a view from the sidelines once or twice when Trevor worked—or ran—various SSA operations, but after they became friends, Trevor would talk to him about assignments, and Ollie would do the same, at least as much as protocol allowed.

They’d bonded over their stories and, oddly, over a talent for charades. They’d attended a party together, had paired up, then kicked every other team’s ass.

That might have been the night he’d fallen in love.

Love.

Holy shit, it truly was. And how fucking terrifying was that?

Except lately, it was becoming less terrifying. On the contrary, it had become downright appealing.

And, of course, he’d seen Trevor’s skill in both managing and working a case when they’d gone in together for the Mercury money laundering operation. Ollie might have already fallen hard for Trevor by that time—not that he’d told a soul—but that was the operation where he realized it wasn’t just mental.

He’d wanted Trevor. To touch. To kiss. And, yeah, to fuck.

He’d sat in the audience, pretending to be a drunk patron as he watched Trevor strip down to nothing but a g-string, and he’d gotten hard.

It had been mortifying. No, it had been terrifying.

It had been electrifying.

But after a few days, those emotions had been replaced by something else. Not lust, but need. His mind already knew he needed Trevor in his life as a friend. Now, his body and his heart wanted so much more.

The knowing helped. That certainty of what and who he wanted.

Even now, though, there was an unease. It wasn’t because Trevor was a guy. Ollie could give a flying fuck who anyone slept with so long as they were of-age and consenting. No, what still sort of bothered Ollie wasn’t that he wanted Trevor—and god how he wanted him—but that he was meeting an Ollie he’d never known before. And how had he made it all the way into his thirties without having any idea that he was attracted to men?

He didn’t have a clue about that, but he told himself it didn’t matter. Why should it? The only important thing was Trevor. And as he looked at Trevor standing at the front of the room, confident and in charge, he couldn’t remember ever being with anyone who gave him quite the same gut punch. He’d fallen hard, but it hadn’t been fast. And he’d left Trevor hanging for far too long.

Earlier, he’d shown him how he felt.

Tonight, he needed to tell him.

He saw the instant that Trevor noticed him in the room. He’d paused in his conversation with Denny, a lithe blonde who was one of the sharpest agents at the SSA and pretty much a savant with anything tech. Now, he looked up, met Ollie’s eyes, and flashed a quick grin.

That was all it took for Ollie to feel his cock tighten. God, he was a goner.

Was he really ready for this? Ready for what he wanted?

He was.

They’d been dancing around this for ages, hadn’t they? Friends? They were way more than friends. But the heart of their relationship had always been buried under the surface. Today, they’d finally pulled it to the top. And that was exactly where it needed to be. Especially now, when Ollie knew that he’d need all his strength to get through this ordeal—and Trevor’s strength, too.

Courtney might not be the love of his life, but she was special to him. And he intended to do whatever it took to make sure she came home safe.

“Hey, McKee. How are you holding up?”

Ollie jumped, realizing that he’d gotten lost in his own thoughts, because the man standing in front of him was entirely out of context.

“Brax? What on earth are you doing here?” He’d become friends with Braxton Reed at the Academy, and then they’d both gone their separate ways.

“Transferred to LA last week,” Brax said, dragging his fingers through his thick, blond hair, the kind that any surfer would be proud of. Except that Brax didn’t surf. Born and bred in Denver, Brax would probably be hard-pressed to even identify an ocean.

“LA? You? The man who used to rave about his time on the slopes. You do know that LA is pretty much sea level, right?”

Brax shrugged. “What can I say? They made an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I came running. Besides, there’s Big Bear. Mt. Baldy. Mammoth. California’s not totally lacking for skiing.”

“Not totally,” Ollie repeated. “But say again? An offer you couldn’t refuse?”

“Today’s my first day at Stark Security,” his friend announced. “I’m sorry about the circumstances, man. But I’m glad to be helping. I like Courtney. She doesn’t deserve this shit.”

“No,” Ollie agreed. “She doesn’t.” He shook his head, still slightly bewildered. “Damn, though, it’s good to see you.”

“You, too. Despite the circumstances.”

Trevor joined them and for a moment, Ollie caught a hint of something both harsh and vulnerable in his expression. But then he was beside Ollie, and he flashed that ridiculously handsome smile at Brax.

“You two getting acquainted?”

“Re-acquainted,” Brax corrected. “We were at the Academy together.”

“Roommates?” Trevor asked, and Ollie thought he heard an odd sort of tension in Trevor’s voice.

“Just friends. You roomed with Dustin, right? Where’d he land?”

“Not sure,” Ollie said. “We lost track after he got married. I heard he quit the FBI. Apparently the job made his husband too nervous.” He shook his head, scattering the memories. “Seriously, it’s great that you’re here. The SSA’s a stellar operation. You’ll enjoy working in the private sector.”

“So far, so good. I’ll keep you posted.” He turned to Trevor. “Assignment?”

“Check in with Liam.” Trevor pointed to Liam Foster, a tall Black man with military bearing.

“On it,” he said, then turned his attention back to Ollie. “We’ll catch up more later.”

Trevor stepped closer as Brax headed away, then tilted his head, indicating that Ollie should walk with him.

“Update?” Ollie asked.

“Nothing yet. But everyone has their assignments. I have you set up at station seven.”

“Got it,” Ollie said, starting to turn back toward the work stations. First order of business was to get into her electronics and see if she’d had a stalker, someone she was seeing, anything suspicious. And, of course, getting into her condo and seeing if there was anything telling there.

Trevor’s hand on his shoulder stopped him, then steered him into the back hallway. “So, Brax?” His voice was low. “Just a friend?”

“Probably my closest friend at the Academy. We went through a lot of shit together.”

“Anything else? A crush?”

Ollie narrowed his eyes. “No. And that’s not the issue right now.”

“No,” Trevor said. “It’s not.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Sorry. This whole thing—us—has spun me a little. You, I imagine a lot. We didn’t have time to, um, debrief.”

“Pity,” Ollie said. “I think I’d enjoy debriefing you.”

Trevor grinned. “Very glad to hear that. Seriously, though. You okay? Not with the Courtney situation, but with—”

“Yeah,” Ollie said, forcing himself not to reach out and brush Trevor’s arm. “I’d say that on that side of things, I’m doing just fine.” He took a step closer. “And yeah, maybe there was a crush. But I didn’t know it at the time.” He looked up to meet Trevor’s eyes. “And I’m very, very over it.”

Trevor nodded, that adorable smile tugging at his mouth. “Glad to hear it, Agent McKee. Now you should probably get back to work. We both should.”

“Yeah,” Ollie said, wishing he had the balls to step even closer and kiss him. “I guess we should.”