They were both going to be stubborn in this. Oliver wanted to form a plan of action, see what was on that USB drive, and make sure that they weren’t just walking into a<i>viper’s den</i>and wind up like Nathan: dead with an unknown killer. Oliver definitely wasn’t going to risk Gen either by just running out to deliver some strange locket that was in his best friends’ dog’s collar just because a letter said so. It had trap written all over it. With his ears ringing, her voice was nothing but an echo in his ears when she stalked after him into his house. He luxuriated in the front hall under the blast of the AC for a moment before he spun around to confront the woman. His chest heaved a breath to keep himself calm and not let his frustrations show on his face. She was already riled up enough for the both of them.<br/><br/>Hazel eyes met her wild brown ones as she looked up into his face. One hand he lifted to place over hers that gripped his arm, his fingers lacing underneath hers to peel it off him. He didn’t release her hand right away, however, but kept a firm grasp on it as his other hand reached out to cup the side of her face tenderly. His calloused thumb stroked her cheek as he leaned forward so that his face hovered close to hers. His breath was a warm tickle on her cheek when he spoke, eyes fluttering shut as he forced his voice to stay calm and steady.<br/><br/>“Gen, hear me out,” he started, eyes flicking open again once he pulled his head back up to look her in the eye. His other hand left her hand to join his second to cup her face and turn it up to his. “The people who wrote that letter are dangerous people; they’re criminals. We’re not talking street thugs looking for some kind of gang bang. The information that Nathan left behind leads me to think the local cops would be way over their heads with this. This is FBI territory, Gen. This is the kind of shit that you’ve seen in old mobster movies, with crime bosses, drug smuggling, and a lot of connections to keep things quiet.<b>This </b>is the kind of shit that turns cops dirty because they’ll turn the other cheek for a bribe – or worse. From the information that I have from Nathan, there’s more than one cop on the force that have been working for this organization. He listed a few names but thinks there might be more. And whoever this<i>Viper </i>is – they’re international – and not someone we want to fuck around with. Do you understand?”<br/><br/>His hands on her face tightened, the look in his eye intent and almost desperate as he peered beseechingly at the terrified woman. And as much as he was trying to act like the calm, brave one, his tight expression told a different story. There was more here than just returning an USB to someone. His voice was dead pan when he spoke again, his mouth hard around the words that he struggled to make her hear. “If we go on another little road trip to get this USB back to these assholes, they’re not just going to let us<i>walk away</i>, Gen. They’re going to shoot us in the back on the retreat, and your parents will end up dead anyway. We have to be<b>careful.</b>Have a plan. And you are<i>not </i>going to get any more involved than you already are. OK?”<br/><br/>He released her after that, but not before he rocked forward to press his lips to her brow and slide his hands up into her disheveled curls. Despite the fact that it was the farthest thing from the right time and place, Oliver also wanted to dip his lips lower on her face and kiss her. He had to restrain himself from doing just that one he stepped back away from her, hard physique tensed and the muscles outlining themselves against his t-shirt. “We’re going to figure this out. I’m going to make sure that nothing happens to your parents...”<br/><br/>It was an empty promise; he couldn’t guarantee it as much as he wanted to. The conflict on his face showed as much. Palming the USB, he turned back away from her to head into his office in the back of his house where the first USB still sat on his desk. He wasted no time in plopping down in his computer chair and plugging the unknown device into his machine to find out just what these assholes wanted so badly.