by Jenn Burke
When Nassim emerged from his office close to noon, Aidan got out a notepad to take down his lunch order as he’d done every other day this week. The scowl on Nassim’s face almost made him fumble the pen.
“Aidan, Marguerite said she emailed you forty-five minutes ago, but you haven’t responded. What’s the holdup?” Nassim barked.
“I’ve been trying to prioritize all the requests. It’s not easy because—”
“Do better.”
I will not lose my temper. I will not lose my temper.
“Also I need you to call Kasai Engineering to set up a meeting for next week.”
Aidan jotted the company name on the paper. “Sure. How many people would we be expecting?”
“They’re in Japan.”
Aidan paused, his hackles rising at Nassim’s tone. Rough morning. He’s stressed. “A teleconference, then.”
“Of course.”
Of course. “Anything else?”
“Find us a new courier company.”
He could have guessed that was coming. “Anything special there?”
“I don’t know. Not what you did last time.”
Aidan put down his pen carefully. Yeah, he’d take the blame for the courier fuckup. Why not? “I don’t remember last time, Nassim.”
“Just get it done.” With that, Nassim returned to his office and slammed the door behind him.
“Sure, I’ll work through lunch,” Aidan muttered. “Since you asked so nicely.”
His phone rang, and for an instant he wondered if it would be Nassim calling to apologize for his attitude—and was disappointed when the caller ID read Main Desk.
Aidan picked it up with a sigh. “Hey, Jasper, I can’t do lunch—”
“You have a guest at the front desk,” Jasper said, his voice strained.
“I—what? Who?”
“He says his name is Kenneth Morgan.” Jasper’s voice dropped to almost a whisper. “He’s a cop.”
“Oh. Yeah. He was one of the cops working on my disappearance.” Aidan frowned. “He’s here? They said they’d closed my case.”
“I don’t know, man. What do you want to do?”
Aidan glanced at Nassim’s closed door. He had work to do—a shitload of work—but what if Morgan had found out something important? “Tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
MORGAN looked much as Aidan remembered, crisp and intent. Today he wore a pinstripe suit in navy blue, with a pale orange shirt and patterned darker orange tie. With his fashion sense, he’d fit right in at Tuninas.
Aidan opened the door to one of the building’s small boardrooms. It had a table slightly smaller than Nassim’s dining room table, with five chairs set around it, but it had none of the amenities in the other boardrooms other than a telephone.
“What can I do for you, detective?” he asked as he settled into one of the chairs.
Morgan chose the seat at the head of the table. “Sorry to bother you at work, Mr. Bishop, but I had a few additional questions.”
“I thought you closed my case.”
Morgan smiled crookedly. “Officially it is. But I have a problem letting go of cases with unanswered questions.”
Aidan returned his smile and relaxed a little. “I can understand that. I appreciate you continuing to look into it. How can I help you?”
“Have you remembered anything else?”
Aidan’s smile faltered. “No.”
“That sucks.”
The blunt statement startled a laugh out of Aidan. “To put it mildly.”
“Then I don’t suppose you know why your employment history might have some discrepancies?”
“What in my what?”
“Discrepancies. In your employment history.” Morgan flipped to a spot in his notepad and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, which he smoothed open and placed on the table. Aidan couldn’t read it from where he was sitting, but it looked like a résumé.
His résumé.
All of the tension he’d let go raced back into his shoulders. “Where did you get that?”
The crooked smile widened. “I’m a cop.”
But had his résumé been a part of the materials for the investigation into Aidan’s disappearance?
“So see here? It says you worked for the law firm Bartholomew and Beaudoin last year. Except according to public record, they moved the firm out west to Winnipeg the year before.”
Morgan could have been speaking a different language for all the sense that sentence made to Aidan. “I don’t understand.”
Morgan picked up Aidan’s résumé and frowned at it. “Maybe the date was written down wrong.”
“That has to be it. Why would I lie about my employment history?”
Morgan shrugged and folded the paper again. “To get this job.”
His body wanted to shake, but Aidan wouldn’t let himself show that kind of reaction. He felt as though he were stepping into the cave for the first time again, his stomach all jumbled with uncertainty and a healthy dose of fear. He didn’t believe Morgan. The job was great, sure, but it was a job. Other than the fact that Aidan worked for a dragon—and today that was not a plus—there was nothing special about Tuninas. When Jasper gave him the tour and the rundown on the company, he said the perks Tuninas offered were good, exceptional even, but still in line with other successful tech firms in Ottawa.
And Aidan couldn’t see how a discrepancy like that had escaped the notice of Tuninas HR or Nassim himself. Everyone in this company, up to and including Nassim, seemed eminently capable. Not verifying employment dates would never happen.
Then there was Aidan’s gut-level rejection of Morgan’s hypothesis. Everything in him said no, he wouldn’t bend his integrity like that.
“I wouldn’t lie to get a job.” Aidan felt the truth of his words as he said them. “It has to be a mistake.”
“Fair enough,” Morgan said reasonably. “I just wanted to check. Thanks for your time, Mr. Bishop.”
Morgan shook his hand and left the room.
Aidan sank back into his chair and took a deep breath. A few minutes later, Jasper stuck his head in the door. “You okay?”
Aidan waved him inside. “Yeah.”
Jasper closed the door behind him and sat in the chair next to Aidan. “You sure? You’re pale.”
“How can you tell?”
“Your freckles stand out more.”
Aidan chuckled. “What’s the HR process here like?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is it rigorous?”
Jasper wagged his head back and forth. “I don’t know if it’s any more rigorous than other companies, but yeah. Typically there’s a pre-evaluation process, then a test, then an interview with HR, and then another interview with Nassim.”
“Nassim interviews everyone who works here?”
“Well… yeah. He’s a dragon. He needs to make sure candidates will fit, and more importantly, that they won’t shit themselves if they see him in the hall one day.”
“Good point.”
“Why are you asking?”
Aidan looked at the door for a moment, tapping his index finger against the table. “Detective Morgan pointed out an error on my résumé, about my last job. He wanted me to explain it.”
Jasper squinted. “He knows you’ve got amnesia, right?”
“Yeah. I mean, he was nice enough about it, but….” Aidan couldn’t subdue the shiver that ran through him.
“What?”
“I think maybe I just got a really friendly warning.”
“About?”
“God knows. I sure don’t.”
AT 6:00 p.m., Aidan eyed Nassim’s closed door. Through the partially frosted glass wall, he could see his boss scowling at his laptop, his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder as he typed something. It didn’t look as though things would be wrapping up anytime soon. Which meant Aidan was doing overtime too. On a Friday.
Great.
Not that he had any mom
entous plans, but he thought he and Nassim could pretend today hadn’t happened, get takeout of some sort, and watch one of the movies from his apartment—Star Wars, maybe, since he’d been looking at quotes all week thanks to his desk calendar.
There was always the chance Rye had finally gotten back to him too. Aidan wasn’t sure what he would do if that happened. Meet the guy? Just chat with him? He had no idea what their relationship was or if they even truly had one.
Aidan sighed and turned back to his computer, only to jump at the sight of a man standing in front of him.
“Je—” He bit off the curse that sprang to his lips and swallowed. “Sorry. Can I…?” His voice trailed off as he took in the man’s appearance.
Wow.
If Nassim was handsome, the man standing in front of him was gorgeous on the level of a male model. Black hair fell in gentle waves to flirt with his shoulders, and his ebony eyes glittered like obsidian, intense and sharp. His eyebrows should have been too bushy for his face, but somehow they balanced out the prettiness and gave him a rugged air. A pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses sat atop his head, and he wore dark jeans, a deep crimson button-down, untucked, and a well-worn leather jacket.
Aidan swallowed again, this time for a totally different reason. “Can I help you?”
The man arched a brow. “So it’s true.”
Aidan groaned. “Let me guess—I should know you.”
The corner of the man’s mouth quirked upward.
And that was familiar, but only because he’d seen the same expression countless times from Nassim. “Nassim’s brother?” The man’s smile widened, and he started to puff up, but Aidan put a stop to whatever misconceptions he was operating under. “You look like him.”
“Ah.” The dragon held out his hand. “Fazl Kader.”
Standing up, Aidan shook it. “Nice to meet you. Er, again, I guess. Do you come here often?”
Fazl laughed. “That’s quite the line.”
Aidan’s cheeks heated. “I meant—”
“Yes, I visit Nassim frequently, much to his dismay.” He glanced at the door. “So… it’s six o’clock on a Friday night. Why am I not shocked to find Nassim still at work?”
Aidan followed Fazl’s gaze. The phone was no longer at Nassim’s ear, but he wasn’t scowling any less intently at his monitor. “Is this normal for him?”
“Long hours?”
“Yeah.”
“It used to be, but—” Fazl shrugged. “Things change. Or they stay the same, as the case may be.”
“Everyone needs to have more in their life than work.”
“You’re telling me. Okay if I interrupt him?”
“Uh….” Aidan looked again at Nassim, who was oblivious to the conversation happening outside his office. They hadn’t discussed this sort of thing—if his brother could walk in—but it didn’t seem to matter, since Fazl was doing just that.
“You’re in deep shit, Nassim.”
With a soft chuckle, Aidan sat back down at his desk and told himself he shouldn’t listen to the conversation happening between the brothers, but the door was open and the office was really quiet….
“I told Inas I wasn’t coming tonight,” Nassim rumbled.
“And you thought she’d be okay with that, why?”
“Faz, I can’t.”
“I get it,” Fazl said, his voice low. “But your family obligations don’t disappear just because—”
“She understands.”
“Our sister has a huge heart. Of course she understands. That doesn’t mean she isn’t disappointed you won’t be there for her eard al’usra.”
“I’m not comfortable leaving him alone.”
Aidan frowned at the image of Mace Windu on his desk calendar, not really seeing it. Had Nassim picked up on how he needed someone nearby all the time? They rarely saw each other after dinner most nights—Nassim went upstairs to his office to do whatever, and Aidan amused himself with his laptop or books—but he was always aware that Nassim was only a dozen or so steps away. Aidan knew he’d have to get over this fear eventually.
Maybe—maybe he should make an effort tonight.
“So bring him along.”
Aidan’s eyes widened.
“Fazl.” Nassim’s voice was intense and full of warning. “No. He’s not ready to—”
“Merry gods. It’s a family party, Nassim. Not—”
“Don’t take that tone with me. You know we’re overwhelming on the best of days, and he’s not… he’s not ready.”
“He’s not? Or you’re not?”
Why would that even be a question? Why would Nassim not be ready for Aidan to meet his family? Maybe he didn’t want to blur the lines between his personal and professional lives any more than they already were. The situation was weird. How many employees lived with their CEO boss temporarily because they had nowhere else to go? But the wording Fazl used… that was even weirder.
Two things were clear, though—Nassim had to attend this family event, and he didn’t want Aidan there. So time to suck it up and be a big boy.
Biting his lower lip, he stepped up to the open door and rapped softly on the frame. “I don’t mind being alone. You can drop me off and go.”
Nassim’s gaze shuttered. “No.”
“It sounds like this is an important family thing. I’m not going to do anything but stay in the apartment and—”
“No.”
Fazl reached across the desk and smacked Nassim on the back of the head. “Enough.”
“Asshole. Just because you’re older, you—”
“Wait,” Aidan said. “He’s older?”
“By about fifteen years,” Fazl confirmed happily.
“But… you’re….”
“Younger-looking?” Fazl flicked the silver at Nassim’s temples, and Nassim arched back, away from his fingers. “Poor baby bro went gray early.”
“Because I’ve had to deal with you all my life.”
Fazl laughed.
A smile flickered across Nassim’s lips and then disappeared as he regarded Aidan. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“Moron,” Fazl said under his breath. Then, louder, “Aidan, since my brother is being a stubborn ass, I have a question for you.”
Nassim’s eyes flashed. “Faz—”
“Would you come to our family event tonight?”
“Uh….” Aidan’s gaze traveled between the brothers. “If I wouldn’t be intruding, I—”
“You would be more than welcome,” Fazl assured him. He turned to Nassim. “There. See? Easy.”
Nassim ignored him and moved around the desk to come closer to Aidan. “We don’t have to go. Seriously.”
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t go? Will it be a problem for a human to be present?”
Nassim pressed his lips together. “No.”
“Then I—” He glanced between Fazl’s wide, welcoming grin and Nassim’s gentle frown and solidified his decision. “I’d love to go.”
“Excellent,” Fazl said with a clap of his hands.
“Do you need a ride?” Nassim asked grudgingly as his brother slipped through the doorway past Aidan.
“You and your cars. No, I’m good.”
Rolling his eyes, Nassim said, “For the gods’ sakes, don’t scare the humans.”
“No promises.” Fazl waggled his brows as he headed out the door.
Aidan watched him leave, his brain working overtime. “Is he—”
“Going to transform and fly? Over a heavily populated area with humans who aren’t used to seeing dragons in the sky? Yes. Yes, he is.” Nassim sighed. “We’d best get going if we’re to get there on time.”
“There meaning…?”
“My family’s estate and caves. It’s a couple of hours to the west.”
“Caves?” Aidan murmured. But Nassim was already busy packing his laptop into his messenger bag, leaving Aidan to contemplate what the hell he just agreed to.
Chapter Seven
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br /> IF Aidan thought Nassim would be more forthcoming when they got to the car, that quickly proved to not be the case. Nassim remained silent, and Aidan discovered he had an imagination that would fill in the blanks when confronted with the unknown.
Something to add to his list of Aidan-isms.
He wondered if the gathering was a secret thing. Would he have to sign an agreement not to share what he saw? Or maybe it wouldn’t be quite so formal. Maybe just a verbal warning—a threat. He wasn’t sure where he got the idea Nassim’s family would be growly and threatening, since Fazl had assured Aidan of his welcome, but it was one he couldn’t shake.
Finally, about forty minutes west of Kanata, Aidan couldn’t take it anymore.
“Are you going to tell me anything about this, or am I supposed to guess?”
“Hmm?” Nassim glanced at Aidan and did a double take, clearly taking in the lines Aidan could feel etched around his mouth and across his forehead. Nassim seemed to deflate. “Merry gods, I’m sorry.”
Well, that was a start. “For keeping me in the dark, or for the whole day?”
Nassim opened his mouth, closed it, and gave Aidan an assessing look. “I do owe you an apology for earlier, don’t I?”
“Today was not a pleasant day,” Aidan agreed. “I know shit hit the fan this morning, but—”
“But I should have handled it better.” He rested his hand on Aidan’s knee, and Aidan barely had time to register how hot Nassim’s skin was, how much he liked the touch, and how weird it was before Nassim jerked his hand away. “Sorry. I, uh….” He cleared his throat. “If it’s any consolation, we don’t have days like that often.”
Aidan resisted the urge to tug Nassim’s hand back to rest on his leg and instead concentrated on the view outside the windshield. “How about never again?”
“I’ll do my best.”
It would have to do. “So what’s this thing we’re going to?”
