Then he hit the next possible pile of shit.

“You sleep okay?”

She lifted her head and looked at him through the dark before dawn.

“Yes,” she lied.

He slid a hand up her back.

“Baby,” he started gently, “every night I’ve had you, you been restless.”

“I’m not a good sleeper.”

“Shit in your head?” he asked.

“I…” She stopped whatever she was going to say and answered simply, “Yes.”

“Can I help with that?”

She laid still on him for a beat before she dropped her forehead to his.

He slid his hand all the way up her back to tangle it in her hair.

“Livvie?” he called.

“I think you just did,” she said, sliding her head down so she had her nose pressed against the hinge of his jaw.

“Sorry?”

“Helped with that. I think you just did, Nicky,” she told him, words in her soft voice he felt hit him hard in the gut.

So his “Good,” was gruff.

They fell silent and held on.

Unfortunately, he had to roll her to the side and pull out of her.

“Shower time, Liv,” he muttered.

“Okay, sweetheart,” she muttered back.

He pulled them out of bed.

Having waded through that shit, he took them to the second best part of the morning.

Their shower.

* * * * *

5:22 – That Evening

Nick’s phone ringing, he took the call and put it to his ear.

“Sebring.”

“She’s got a tail on her,” Jed, the man he set on Liv that day, said. “Dude followed her from office to home. He’s hangin’ around, watchin’ her house.”

“He make you?” Nick asked.

“No,” he answered. “But he doesn’t look like he’s leaving.”

“Fuck,” Nick muttered, that itch creeping up his neck again, his mind hoping that this was what Liv told him it was, standard procedure. His bugs being pulled, his gut was telling him something else. Then to Jed, louder, “Thanks, man. Stick around, yeah?”

“You got it.”

Nick hung up then reengaged, calling Olivia.

“Hey, honey,” she answered.

“You had a tail. He’s watching your house.”

She didn’t reply for several moments before he heard a low, “Damn,” and he knew she’d gone to a window and tagged her watcher.

“I’m comin’ to you,” he said.

Her tone was sharp when she started, “Sebring—”

“He won’t see me,” he assured.

“Are you positive you can pull that off?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered.

Again, she didn’t reply for another several moments before, “I’ll unlock the doors to the pool. Do you think they know I’m not around and that’s why I have someone on me?”

“No clue, babe. But we’ll keep better track of shit from here on out.”

And they sure as fuck would.

“Right,” she replied.