A Thin Disguise - Catherine Bybee Page 0,31

what she’d been told, Pam was the only newcomer. But you wouldn’t know by watching her interactions with the others. The bacon debate continued, the easy banter telling Olivia that this group had a long history.

She’d been told they were a private organization that helped the feds and local police from time to time. And since they were invested in Leo, and she’d been with him when she was shot, Neil’s team had taken on the task of keeping her safe.

If she was a burden, she didn’t see it. They all appeared to like each other’s company and acted as if relocating to remote areas with complete strangers was a weekly occurrence.

Olivia ate in silence and soaked in their individual mannerisms.

Neil said very little but did smile on occasion. He spent most of his time watching her and pretending he wasn’t.

AJ passed the plate full of toast to his left, the way he moved suggesting he had a gun strapped to his side. Not that she could see it with the light jacket he wore. The knowledge and absolute certainty of that fact caught her unexpectedly. Once she realized that, she started to look for signs of who else in the room was armed.

Neil . . . his weapon was behind his back.

Pam? No. She didn’t have a firearm on her.

Isaac had his sleeves rolled up, his shirt tucked in. No.

Lars wore utility pants, and she counted one gun and two knives on him.

Pistols . . . So where were the rifles?

Olivia’s eyes shifted around the living room, scanned the open kitchen.

Pantry.

Behind the dining room hutch.

Why did they hide them? Did they think the sight of a gun would cause some kind of PTSD?

Considering the circumstances, that was likely.

“You’re not hungry?” AJ asked, causing Olivia to turn her attention away from the weapons and back to her plate of food.

She picked up her fork and filled it with eggs. “Distracted,” she said.

That’s when she realized that everyone at the table had their forks in their right hands.

Her thoughts returned to the conversation the previous evening with Leo.

“A preference . . .”

As if just thinking his name somehow summoned the man, Olivia heard Leo’s footsteps descending the stairs before he came into view. “I thought I smelled food.”

“Last one to the table does the dishes,” Isaac teased.

Leo stopped at the coffee pot before finding an empty seat across from her. “Morning,” he said with a smile.

“Finally found yourself facedown in that bed?” she asked. He looked rested, a fresh shave . . . his hair slightly damp. His weapon was in the same position as Neil’s.

Why did her mind pick that up?

“A late-night conversation seemed to do the trick.”

“Glad I could help.”

Isaac used a piece of bacon as a pointing stick. “What did you think of the meatloaf?”

“Surprisingly good.”

Isaac puffed out his chest.

Lars rolled his eyes.

“But if I find the box of potatoes, I’m likely to burn it.” She politely smiled and chewed her eggs.

“They’re easy,” Isaac insisted.

“They were hideous.”

“Do you cook?” he asked.

“No.” Her denial was instant and felt right. “It’s a potato, how hard can it be?”

“I vote you make the mashed potatoes,” Isaac decided.

She set her utensil down. “Challenge accepted.”

“Keep an eye on her,” Neil told Leo. They stood in the driveway, the driver’s side door of the SUV open.

“We will,” Leo said for the others.

“You. You’re the only one in this group she doesn’t know. And Pam, but I didn’t hire her to protect her. The more time Olivia spends with the rest of us, the more likely she’ll remember things.”

Spending time with the woman was not a hardship.

“I won’t let her get shot twice,” Leo assured him.

Neil extended his hand to shake. “I have Claire and the others working on Navi . . . see if we can find a link.”

“You and I both know it’s there.”

“Then we’ll find it.”

Neil climbed into the car and drove away.

Leo walked around the perimeter of the house before taking a back stairway up to the main floor. The wraparound porch was a nice touch. The house sat up on a small knoll and looked out to a valley with a mountain range in the distance. He had a feeling he’d be spending a lot of time outside watching sunsets and stars.

Which didn’t suck.

“Are you from this area?”

He heard Olivia’s voice before he walked around the front of the house to find her sitting in a deck chair, her legs kicked out in front of her . . . Pam

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