Oliver (Project Arma Book 7)
Oliver: Chapter 1

Tori’s heart drummed in her chest as she gazed up at the dark-tinted windows. The old brick facade, combined with the total lack of any signage, almost made the building look unoccupied.

Tori hadn’t expected a big, glitzy “Marble Protection” sign, but she had expected something. Having to ask locals where the business was seemed…odd. Almost like they didn’t want people to replace them.

Nibbling her bottom lip, Tori watched as two women entered the building. She should go in. She knew she should. But nerves were keeping her feet rooted to the spot.

She’d arrived in Marble Falls two days ago. Today was Monday. Monday seemed a good day to start her search for answers. Wasn’t Monday the day most people started stuff?

Tori looked down at the tattered piece of paper in her hand. It was all the information she had. God, it was probably the most precious thing in her possession. How sad was that.

Tori,

Last night was great. If you want to hang out again, you have my cell number, or call me at Marble Protection.

O xox.

O…

She’d read and re-read the note a hundred times, each time hoping for the same thing. Recognition. A memory. Something.

What did the O stand for? Owen…Oscar…Ollie…

What did he look like? Who was he to her?

Shaking her head, Tori gently folded the paper, returning it to her pocket.

The fact that she even had the note was a damn miracle. The waterproof lining of the jacket she’d been wearing saved it. It hadn’t saved her from almost developing hypothermia, but it had saved the note.

Had she subconsciously known she might end up in the river? Known this note would be the only clue to who she was?

All right, O. I’m here. I hope you have some answers for me.

If he didn’t…

God, she couldn’t even think about that.

Exhaling, Tori headed across the road and pushed inside the self-defense and security business, stepping up to the front desk. Empty.

Okay, so the place wasn’t top tier for customer service. Maybe their receptionist was on break?

Tori scanned the matted area to her left. At least a dozen women stood scattered around the large space, all wearing active wear and chatting quietly with one another.

Tapping her nails on the counter, Tori searched for a bell. Nope. No bell. Should she ask one of the women?

She was about to do just that when a tall man and a small brunette woman stepped out from the hall. If their hand-holding hadn’t given away the fact that they were a couple, the way he tugged her body into his and pressed a kiss to her lips definitely did.

Cute.

A small smile stretched her lips at the way the woman’s cheeks flushed. At the way the man’s eyes softened before walking across the room.

Before Tori could divert her gaze, the woman looked her way.

Crap. She’d been caught staring. Was it too late to pretend she hadn’t been eyeballing them?

The woman headed Tori’s way, stopping in front of her. “Hi, are you here for the lady’s self-defense class?” The woman’s voice was warm and welcoming. Two things Tori was in dire need of right now.

“No. I’m here…” to replace someone called O? To see if anyone knows who the heck I am?

Good lord, she should have considered what she was going to say earlier.

The woman gave her a patient smile. “The class is free. The guys who run this place are actually doing an entire series of free self-defense classes for women. It’s their way of giving back to the community.”

Wow. That was nice of them.

She peered around the woman. The man was now standing with another guy. Both were equally huge and good-looking. Could one of them be O?

“You’re welcome to join,” the lady continued, drawing Tori’s attention back to her. “If you’re concerned about having no experience, you don’t need to be. I’m as inexperienced as they come.”

Tori had no idea whether she’d done any self-defense classes before. It was just another question she could add to the long list.

She was actually dressed in active wear today. Maybe if she stayed for the class, she might learn who this O was. Maybe O would recognize her?

Tori touched her head lightly. The wound had healed well over the last month. As long as she didn’t get any head knocks…

“Okay.”

The word was out of her mouth before she could overthink it. She’d just have to be careful.

“Great! I’m Maya, by the way.”

Tori followed Maya to the mat area. “I’m Tori.”

It was about three weeks since she’d woken from the accident, but still the sound of her name on her lips sounded strange. Almost unfamiliar.

“This is my first session,” Maya said as they moved to stand with the group. “I’m dating Bodie, the cute guy up front with the dimples. He wanted me to take the class. Actually, he wanted to give me private sessions, but I asked to join a group.” Maya leaned closer. “This way, if I’m bad, I might be able to fade into the background.”

The way the guy kept looking at Maya, Tori doubted that would happen. “I’ll probably be worse and take the attention off you anyway.”

Bodie and the guy beside him turned to the group. Their biceps strained the material of their shirts. Holy heck, they looked like they could bench press three of her.

“Good morning, ladies. My name is Bodie, and this is Asher. We make up two of the eight men who run Marble Protection. We’ll be alternating who runs the classes over the next few weeks. Today’s session will be mostly introductory stuff. Not so physical, more boring. But don’t worry, the fun stuff will come later.”

Bodie winked at Maya before Asher spoke.

“Because we’ll be spending the next few weeks together, we might go around and introduce ourselves and mention why we’re here.”

That was the only warning Tori got before Asher’s eyes landed on her. Then she felt everyone else’s attention swing her way.

Oh, jeez.

Tori cleared her throat, scrambling for words that didn’t include amnesia and O. “My name is Tori. I’m here…” because of a piece of paper in my pocket? “To learn.”

Okay, definitely not the most deep or intellectual answer, but it wasn’t a lie.

Bodie’s brows pulled together and his eyes remained fixed on her for a moment. Almost like he was trying to figure her out.

She wanted to laugh. She couldn’t even figure herself out. He didn’t stand a chance.

Asher nodded. “Great, thanks, Tori.” His gaze shifted over to Maya.

One by one, the women introduced themselves. Some spent quite a bit of time talking. Far more than Tori. Not that it was hard to exceed her two seconds.

Once the group was done, Bodie and Asher spent the next twenty minutes discussing why an understanding of self-defense was important, when it should be used, and the value of assessing your surroundings.

Tori tried to focus on what they were saying, but her mind was all over the place. Had been all over the place since she’d woken up in that hospital bed.

She absently touched her hand to her head again. She was lucky that her hair covered the injury. It had taken a bit of practice, but she’d finally figured out how to pull it up in just the right way to hide the graze.

Her gaze flicked around the large room, searching for anything she may recognize. Anyone she may recognize.

Had she been here before?

“By paying attention to your surroundings, you may be able to avoid a situation that could lead to a physical altercation.”

Tori frowned at Asher’s words. Had she been paying attention to her surroundings before the bullet grazed her head and she’d fallen into the river? Could her situation have been avoided?

God, she was like an ever-flowing fountain of questions.

“Today, we’re just going to focus on how to escape a wrist grab.”

Tori turned back to the front as Bodie faced Asher. They demonstrated the action of twisting the wrist around before shoving the attacker backward.

That didn’t look too hard.

“Partner?”

Tori turned to Maya and smiled. “Sure.”

“I apologize in advance if being my partner brings you unwanted attention from the guys.”

Tori lifted a shoulder. “I could probably use the extra help.”

Tori went first. Implementing the same actions Bodie had just demonstrated. The move felt easy to her. Almost like she’d performed it before.

When it came to be Maya’s turn, the other woman took a bit longer to master the sequence. In fact, the moment they were told to speed the actions up to real time, Maya was in struggle town. Tori almost felt sorry for her when her cheeks flamed red at Bodie coming over to help for the fifth time.

After twenty minutes of practice, Tori wasn’t sure Maya had completely mastered it, but the guys still called to everyone to stop.

Bodie was talking at the front when Tori felt eyes on her. It almost felt like a laser pinging her from the side.

Shifting her attention to the counter, she saw a man standing there. His entire focus was on her. He wasn’t even trying to hide it.

Her heart gave a little jolt at the sight of him. He had sandy-blond hair that was cropped short, and deep green eyes. His strong jawline and day-old facial hair gave him a roughened, sexy aura.

He looked…powerful. And intense. And so damn sexy. There was a shadow of a smile on his lips.

Tori shifted her gaze back to the front and pretended she was listening to whatever Bodie was saying. She wasn’t. She didn’t hear a damn thing. All she wanted to do was look back at the green-eyed man.

One…two…three… She counted in her head to stop from looking back at him. When she got to ten, she slowly shifted her eyes back toward him.

Yep. Still looking at her. The man hadn’t moved a muscle. He may as well be a glorious statue.

This time, she didn’t look away. She couldn’t. She almost felt imprisoned by the way he stared at her.

The air moved around her as people began to leave. It wasn’t until she felt a light touch on her arm that she finally looked away from him.

“It was really nice to meet you, Tori.” Maya smiled, dropping her hand from her arm. “The next class is on Thursday. I’ll see you then?”

Would she? Probably. Tori had nowhere else to be. “It was nice to meet you, too. I’ll see you Thursday.”

Maya’s smile widened before she moved away.

When Tori turned back to the man, she almost jumped out of her skin. He was no longer standing by the counter. He was less than a foot away. Touching distance. And Lord Almighty, did he smell good.

“I see you couldn’t stay away, Tori.”

The devastatingly good-looking man knew her. That was good. It also made her skin tingle. “I guess not.”

Even if she wasn’t here for a purpose, she could see how this man would draw her back.

He nodded toward the class that had just finished. “You took the class I told you about.”

What would he do if she told him she had absolutely no recollection of that conversation?

Freak out? Think she was nuts? It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t be telling him. Not yet, anyway. Not when someone had just tried to kill her. She needed to get a better understanding of who this guy was first.

“You made it sound so appealing.”

A small frown marred his brows, as if he didn’t quite buy what she’d just said. “Are you passing through town for work again?”

No. She was passing through for answers. “I’d like to talk to you, actually.”

Even if this guy wasn’t O, he knew her. That was more than she’d had for the last few weeks.

He tilted his head to the side like he was trying to figure her out.

Asher walked past, giving the guy a nod. “Ax.”

Ax? So this wasn’t O? She couldn’t help the bolt of disappointment.

“You came here to take the class and talk? With no call or prior warning?”

Yeah, that didn’t sound normal.

He tilted his head to the side. “How long are you here?”

“I’m not sure, Ax.”

The frown between his brows deepened.

Crap. Had she said something wrong? A nervous flutter swirled in her stomach.

“Ax?”