Page 83 of Sheltered

“Yeah,” she agreed, looking as dazed as I felt. “You, too.”

“Olive and I were just discussing it, and I hope you’ll be up for it sometime. Can you and I go on a double date with her and Ben?”

Blaze tipped his head to the side, something I couldn’t quite read moving through his expression, and said, “If that’s what you want, Harlow, you know I’m not going to decline.”

I turned my attention to Olive and grinned at her. “See? I told you.”

She shook her head, a smile on her face, as she stood from the chair. “I didn’t doubt you for one second. But on that note, I should get going.”

“Oh, you don’t have to rush out of here,” I insisted.

Olive dug into her purse, moved toward my desk, and put more money on the counter than was necessary, even though I always told her I only ever wanted her to cover the cost of the dye. “It’s okay. I’ve got to get to Ben’s place anyway, since we’re having a quiet night in. Plus, he’s making dinner for us tonight.”

“Ooh, that sounds nice,” I said. Blaze still had his arm wrapped around me, holding me close. I looked at him and suggested, “Doesn’t a quiet night in with you cooking for me sound nice?”

Blaze let out a laugh. “Nothing could be better or make me happier.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What are your cooking skills like?”

“I can do a few things,” he assured me.

“Don’t feel bad about that,” Olive chimed in. “It’s the same with Ben. He has a handful of meals he can make, and they are so good. Or, I think they are. That might only be because I didn’t have to cook.”

“Well, I hope you enjoy your night with him. And we’ll figure out a night for a double date soon. Call me sometime this weekend,” I told her.

“I will.” She slid her eyes to Blaze. “It was nice meeting you.”

“Likewise.”

Returning her attention to me, Olive winked and said, “Talk to you later, Harlow.”

I smiled back. “Bye, babe.”

The second she walked outside, leaving me alone with Blaze, I turned fully in his arms. “This is unexpected. Nice, but unexpected.”

His arms tightened around my waist, and something changed in his expression. I couldn’t work out what it was, but I knew it wasn’t good. “What’s wrong?”

He hesitated a beat. “I called you.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sorry about that. I was trying to finish up with Olive,” I explained. “I figured I’d just call you back once she left.”

He clenched his jaw, his eyes roaming over my face.

“Boss, you’re scaring me. Is something wrong?”

Blaze shook his head. “We had a bit of a situation late this afternoon, and I was worried about you.”

“A situation? What happened?”

He inhaled deeply before letting out a massive sigh. “You know about the case I’m working on, right?”

“Of course.”

“Well, Ellery, who is involved with one of my coworkers, Kane, went out to run an errand this afternoon. When she returned to their home, she was approached by a guy who had most of his face covered, making him even more unrecognizable to her. Fortunately, she wasn’t harmed, but she was shaken up.”

A wave of horror washed over me. “What did the guy want?”

“To send a message,” he revealed. “There was a verbal message, which was that they wanted us to know they haven’t stopped and are planning their next move.”