In the Shadows (Metahuman Files Book 3)

by Hailey Turner

  “Yjob,” Alexei spat out under his breath.

  He grabbed Sean’s wrist, too aware of what had almost happened last time they’d been together in Nikolaas Jansen’s presence to let him go. Sean’s only reaction was to tug his wrist free and tangle their fingers together. Sean’s hand was warm and dry, his grip firm as he led Alexei toward the group of people who were their targets.

  Chloe brightened at the sight of them, smiling as she lifted a hand in greeting. The silver, formfitting cocktail dress she wore sparkled in the light. “I do believe our guests of honor have arrived!”

  “Thank you for having us,” Sean politely replied.

  “If it isn’t two of my favorite people,” Jansen said with his own slick smile as he turned to face them. “Lovely to see you both again.”

  The Dutchman was dressed similarly to Alexei and Sean, except the pattern he’d chosen for his shirt made Alexei’s eyes water. Jansen’s over-the-top style hadn’t changed in the wake of London it seemed, and neither had Alexei’s desire to punch him.

  Still sounding more British than Dutch due to his years attending boarding school in London for much of his childhood and teenage years, Jansen’s tall, lanky figure was backlit by a floating light. He’d grown out his curly blond hair a little, the casual styling bereft of any product. Alexei met Jansen’s hazel eyes with his own gray ones, thankful that Katie had erected mental shields in their minds just that morning. Alexei hoped they would be strong enough to stand up against Jansen’s empathy without Katie’s presence to back them up.

  “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Sean said as they came to a stop in the little cluster of people. “What brings you all the way out West, Niko?”

  “Business, of course. Adrian here had some questions about Ekaterina’s company. I was hoping she’d be here tonight.”

  “She’s on a business trip.”

  “I’d ask about Jamie, but I just saw him on the news the other day, stumping with his father. How is that going?”

  “Well enough, if you look at the polls. They haven’t changed much lately.”

  Jansen’s gaze flickered down to their clasped hands as he took a sip of his drink. “Mm. I see some other things haven’t changed as well.”

  Alexei bared his teeth at the other man in something that might have resembled a smile in a cage fight somewhere. “Nyet. We haven’t.”

  “It’s no wonder you survived the mess that was the gala.” Jansen half-turned, nodding at the man standing between him and Adrian. “I had a business lunch with them back in January before the gala. They had an unfortunate altercation with an ex-client of mine.”

  Alexei snorted. “Unfortunate for them.”

  Declan Wolcott’s attention moved from Jansen to Alexei, his brown eyes narrowing just a little. At thirty-nine, Declan was solidly built, more so than his older brother, with the straight-backed stance Alexei recognized immediately. As a former Army Ranger, some PT habits were hard to break, and Declan didn’t look like he’d broken any of them yet. The fabric of his navy-blue suit jacket stretched tightly over his broad shoulders as he raised his drink to his mouth for a sip.

  “Is that so?” Declan asked sounding bored.

  “Alexei dislikes people encroaching on his territory,” Jansen explained, making his point by eyeing Sean rather blatantly.

  Sean very deliberately squeezed Alexei’s hand, silently reminding him to not do anything stupid.

  “That’s unsurprising to hear, considering what happened last week,” Adrian mused.

  “People should keep hands off,” Alexei said with a shrug, not letting go of Sean.

  Sean rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how you became chief operating officer with an attitude like that.”

  Alexei smirked. “Is because charming personality.”

  Chloe laughed. “You two certainly are something. But let’s get you both a drink before we start the introductions, shall we? This party is for you, after all.”

  Just the thought of needing to smile his way through business contacts that he’d never remember was enough to give Alexei a headache. He knew better than to show his true feelings though, so he lied through a smile.

  “Thank you,” Sean replied politely for them both. “As much as we appreciate your hospitality, I’m not sure talking about our stay in New Miami is really a good idea.”

  “Nonsense, Riley,” Adrian said with a shake of his head. “Everyone we’ve invited tonight are close friends or business associates. Their values align with ours.”

  “Which is why we’re all here,” Jansen added pointedly.

  Sean nodded acknowledgment, the calm expression on his face impossible to read. “Of course.”

  Chloe patted her husband on the arm, smiling winningly up at him. “I’m going to go check on some of the other guests. I’ll send a server around with drinks for all of you.”

  She gave him a kiss on the mouth, her lipstick staying firmly on her own lips, before wandering off to play hostess. Before anyone could even start up the conversation again, a server came by with a floating tray of drinks containing beer and wine. Alexei let go of Sean’s hand to grab two short glasses of a dark beer and passed one over to Sean.

  “So you’re in the business of security?” Declan asked, cutting right to the chase.

  “Cybersecurity,” Sean corrected. “But yes. We do our best to keep our customers happy.”

  “And we’re very pleased with the results of their programs,” Jansen said.

  Declan glanced at Alexei. “You don’t strike me as a computer type of guy.”

  “I wrangle people. Is Ekaterina’s job to hack,” Alexei said. “Riley does numbers.”

  Declan’s gaze tracked quickly up and down Alexei’s body, taking his measure. “That I would believe.”

  “Hear you also in security. How is business?”

  Not that Alexei cared, but it was something to help get the spotlight off of them. Declan looked about as willing to talk about his business as Alexei, which was to say, not at all.

  “We do all right,” Declan replied.

  “Except for last week,” Adrian said with a cold smirk.

  His tone was a weird mix of joking-not-joking that Alexei always had a difficult time feeling out, and he didn’t have Kyle here to steer him in the right direction.

  Declan shrugged off his brother’s words. “They’ve been dealt with and you made it back in one piece.”

  “Thanks to Alexei.”

  “Antonovich asshole. Deserved worse,” Alexei said.

  “That we can agree on.”

  “Alexei here does have a way of dealing with people who get on his bad side. He’s ex-military, like you,” Jansen said, nodding at Declan.

  “So I read,” Declan replied, proving that he’d done his own background check on them. “Marines, right?”

  Alexei didn’t look away when Declan’s gaze met his. “Yes.”

  Jansen didn’t show any hint he was able to read their emotions and call them on the lie. Not having Katie at their back to ensure the solidity of their mental shields in the face of Jansen’s power was frustrating, and to some degree, frightening. Alexei was well aware how damaging the mental powers could be. They knew Jansen deployed his empathy in a subtle, terrorizing sort of way that didn’t show up until later.

  Full scan when we get home, Alexei thought to himself.

  “Not the kind of Marine I’d want to work with if you’re anything like Callahan,” Declan finally said.

  “What that supposed to mean?”

  “Sounds like Callahan is in it for the glory, not the Corps. The press conference back in January just proved it. I wouldn’t trust a man like that to watch my six.”

  “You think Marines talk about Jamie at press conference on their own?” Alexei asked derisively. “Father is running for presidency. Think he not have connections to keep name clean for election? Think he not reach out to help his son?”

  “Callahan shouldn’t be proud about being singl
ed out by the Marines. That’s not how it’s done if you truly believe in your country.”

  “Not in Marines for years. Worked better to hide fact we cleaned up problem for Niko’s employer that way. Not crime to have connection to government still.”

  “Being obvious about your connections isn’t the best way to do business.”

  “We did fine.”

  “Considering what you all apparently walked away with, I’m not surprised you still pull strings through Jamie’s father. They have some tech you might be interested in for your own company, Declan,” Jansen interjected before the argument got too heated. He tapped the side of his head with a finger. “Neuro nets.”

  Declan snorted derisively. “Those don’t work.”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  Alexei didn’t care for the undercurrent running through their side conversation. Sean must have felt the same way, because he deftly drew Adrian into a conversation about who they could expect to meet tonight. Apparently quite a few casino owners and other rich friends of the Wolcotts who Alexei could’ve done without as he listened in. His stomach sank at the thought of so much small talk.

  “They’re interested in what Root Source, Inc. can provide for them,” Adrian explained as he caught someone’s eye and waved them over.

  That started a nonstop cycle of people slipping in and out of their presence. They alternated between potential clients coming to them, with Adrian’s presence to entice them, to wandering slowly through the well-maintained backyard to introduce themselves to other groups.

  Alexei followed Sean through the growing dinner party crowd as Sean chatted his way through new introductions. Alexei’s idea of a small party definitely didn’t match the Wolcotts’ definition. He was glad Sean was here to take the lead on being personable. Still, the cocktail hour was almost finished, and then they had a long dinner ahead of them. He wasn’t sure when they’d find the time to slip away from the crowd to plant the surveillance bugs.

  Sean seemed to have the same thought, because he excused them from their current group of guests interested in the cybersecurity company in favor of finding the bathroom. Alexei followed Sean back inside the large home, impressed with the easy way Sean slipped free of people hoping to catch their attention.

  Alexei’s sharp eyes caught sight of security personnel posted at the outskirts of the milling dinner party guests. For all that this party seemed to be for friends, Adrian, or possibly Declan, didn’t seem to trust easily. He wondered if last week had anything to do with the number of guards on watch duty.

  Alexei wrapped an arm around Sean’s waist as they walked, easily steering him toward the hallway that would take them back to the front of the house and the main staircase. The handful of bathrooms near the party area were in use and provided the perfect excuse to bypass them and look for another one.

  “Follow me,” Sean said under his breath.

  Alexei let him pull away from his touch, but didn’t get very far before he grabbed Alexei by the hand and tossed a sultry smirk over his shoulder. Alexei stared, knowing that the heat in Sean’s gaze wasn’t real, that it was only for their cover, but that didn’t stop his cock from twitching hard in his pants. It didn’t stop the fleeting burn of want from coursing through his veins. Alexei admired the way Sean’s dress pants clung to his perfect ass, unwilling to look away. It wasn’t out of character to look, so he let himself. He’d feel guilty about it later.

  Or not.

  They slipped away from the crowd, even if they couldn’t hide from the security cameras Alexei knew watched their every move. They climbed the front stairs quickly, arriving on the quiet second floor. Sean went inside the first bathroom they found, closing the door behind him. Alexei leaned against the wall between two ugly framed pieces of art consisting of colored blocks. A few minutes he heard the toilet flush and the sink faucet run, hiding the fact that Sean had most likely freed the surveillance bugs from their casing in his shoes.

  When Sean stepped out into the hallway, Alexei did his best to put on a show for whoever was watching. “Go back?” he asked.

  “Or we could explore?” Sean asked with a flirtatious smile.

  I could explore you, Alexei thought. “Like that idea better.”

  From the blueprints they’d studied earlier, they knew where Adrian’s office was most likely located and that it was probably biolocked. Trying to break in wasn’t worth the risk. The surveillance bugs would crawl to their pre-programmed destination no matter where they planted them. It would be easier, though, if they could get as close as possible to the targeted room for the drop-off.

  Pretending to make out in the hallway outside Adrian’s office was too risky. The room Sean chose instead turned out to be a guest room with a balcony overlooking the backyard. Music and the buzz of conversation could barely be heard through the plas-glass doors. The furniture looked like it was made of actual wood as opposed to synthwood, and while the bed looked comfortable, it wasn’t conducive to their needs for the mission, even if would work very well for Alexei’s needs.

  The second the door slid shut, Sean turned to face him, gaze half-lidded but hot with a desire Alexei knew wasn’t real. That didn’t stop him from grabbing Sean by the hips and walking him backward to the closest piece of furniture, which happened to be the sturdy, low-level dresser. He pressed Sean against it, sliding his left leg between Sean’s without thinking twice about it. Alexei was acutely aware of the warm hands tucked against the small of his back beneath his suit jackets, moving against the fabric of his shirt.

  Alexei dipped his head, Sean’s features blurring in his sight as he met him halfway with no hesitation. Like at the pool, Sean’s mouth parted easily beneath his, drawing Alexei in. Unlike at the pool, however, it felt almost mechanical, as if Sean was going through the motions. The thought that maybe he was curled uncomfortably through Alexei’s mind. He didn’t know what Sean had done in service to their country, but Alexei had worked around enough CIA officers in the past to know that falling into bed with the enemy was an acceptable tactic.

  Except he wasn’t the enemy, and Alexei would be damned if he was treated like one.

  Sliding his hands lower, he flexed his fingers against Sean’s firm ass before dragging the shorter man up his thigh. Alexei bent his knee a little and rocked upward, grinding his thigh without apology against Sean’s groin.

  Sean broke their kiss with a sharp gasp, turning his face away. Alexei took the opportunity to lick his way down Sean’s throat, annoyed at the dress shirt collar in the way. He deftly loosened the necktie with one hand, sucking hard at the warm skin that was soon exposed. The shudder he felt run through Sean’s body when he pressed his teeth against the pulse beat in that long throat made Alexei groan appreciatively.

  Sean tilted his head back, giving Alexei more room to mark him up, even as he let go of Alexei in favor of bracing his hands against the dresser. He arched against Alexei as he did so, a quiet moan falling from his mouth before it was choked off. Alexei could feel Sean’s cock throb through the thin barrier of their clothes, the heat there impossible for him to ignore.

  So he didn’t.

  Alexei widened his stance a little, pushing Sean’s legs farther apart at the same time. He worked one hand between them to palm Sean’s cock, thumb dragging hard down the growing shape of it. The strangled sound that Sean cut off made Alexei growl wordlessly.

  “Want to hear, kotyonok,” he muttered as he undid Sean’s belt and carefully worked the zipper down.

  In response, Sean hooked one hand over the back of Alexei’s neck and drew him down into a messy, desperate kiss that lacked finesse and the studied movements of their earlier one. It felt more real, or maybe that was Alexei’s own wishful thinking. But the way Sean jerked hard against him when he finally worked one hand into those stupidly tight pants to cup Sean’s cock through his underwear made Alexei think it wasn’t quite an act.

  He rubbed his hand against the growing hardness there, ignoring the a
che between his own legs as he kissed Sean dirty and deep. He half wondered if he could get away with moving them to the bed when he heard the unmistakable sound of the door sliding open behind them.

  Sean froze, holding his breath. Alexei broke their kiss with a guttural curse, lifting his head to take in wide brown eyes with dilated pupils and a warm blush that started at Sean’s cheeks and ran down his throat to disappear beneath his shirt. Alexei very much wanted to see how far down that blush went.

  “Busy,” he growled, not taking his eyes off Sean.

  “I can see that,” Jansen said with an amused chuckle that made Alexei shift his entire body to try to hide Sean from view. “But dinner is almost ready and we’re missing the guests of honor.”

  He leaned back a little and reluctantly pulled his hand out of Sean’s pants. He didn’t care what Jansen saw of him, but the thought of Jansen getting even a glimpse of Sean like this made Alexei itch for a gun.

  Alexei looked over his shoulder at where Jansen and Declan stood in the doorway, both men in no hurry to leave. Sean let go of Alexei and he immediately missed the other man’s touch. Alexei heard the telltale sound of a zipper being done up and felt irrationally annoyed at his progress being undone.

  “Five minutes,” Alexei snapped.

  Jansen smirked at him. “We’ll wait outside.”

  Alexei scowled, knowing that what he and Sean had started could no longer continue.

  At least, not here.

  Sean had never gotten so hard so quickly in his life.

  He lifted his head after the door slid shut behind on their audience, wishing he could hide, but he couldn’t hide from Alexei’s gaze. Those gray eyes had darkened to a darker shade Sean had never seen before. The heat in them made Sean swallow nervously, and he looked away, trying to get himself under control. Trapped between the dresser and Alexei’s solid, warm body, Sean had a difficult time focusing on anything but his throbbing cock as he struggled to do up his belt.