by Tena Stetler
“Bruce is sending the jet for Hannah, Birch, and Freesia at first light tomorrow.” She shrugged. “Apparently, Hannah’s boss let her leave early, but I don’t have all the details.”
He yawned wide. “In that case, I’m out of here.” Getting to his feet, he’d taken only a couple of steps.
“Not even going to report in?” A deep voice boomed from the stairway.
Tristian rolled his eyes and dropped back in the chair. Shit. “Unless things have changed, I have twenty-four hours to report. A week to file a written report unless the urgency of the matter requires differently. And it doesn’t.” Tristian grumped. “I let you know the assignment was done. That should be sufficient until tomorrow.”
“Not worried about the assignment. We need to talk.”
Shoving to his feet, he took several steps toward the stairs. “Believe me, the last thing I want to do right now is talk to you about a change in job duties and responsibilities. Your damn angel left one warrior to guard the portal, who by the way nearly lost his eternal life if we’d not arrived when we did. One warrior. That’s plain irresponsible.”
“Things go bad in battle. You of all people are aware of that,” Bruce said good-naturedly while wrapping an arm around Angie’s waist. “What I have to say will only take a few minutes then you can sleep on it.”
Resigned, Tristian returned to the sofa and plopped down. “Let’s get this over with. I don’t want your job, even temporarily. I like being out in the field. I hate paperwork. You need to find someone else to cover when you want to disappear to dally with my sister.”
Angie glared at Tristian, but she said nothing.
Bruce frowned, his normally dark amber eyes whirled with a tinge of orange. Voice deadly calm he said, “First and foremost, I’m your boss. Second, there is no one else I trust to handle things while I am gone. Owen will be here to help you, but he doesn’t have your expertise, and he has The Wycked Hair on his plate. I’ve watched you negotiate several tricky situations. You have the tools to do the job.”
Tristian narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to protest, but Bruce held up a hand and continued.
“Killing is not your only talent, regardless of what you want others to believe. Finally, what your sister and I do and when is none of your concern.” His features smoothed, eyes returned to normal and voice took on a more conversational tone. “The phone conversation I just finished with Nathanial, confirms my decision. To hear him tell it, you walk on water, and that’s saying something from a legion commander of warrior angels.” Bruce raised a brow. “Nathanial owes us one?”
Tristian snorted shifting from one foot to the other waiting for Bruce to step out of his path to the stairway. “Yeah, well his carelessness nearly cost the life of one of his warriors and put my team in a precarious situation coming out of the portal. I figured that was the least he owed us. The demon was neutralized, but…”
Firmly planted in front of the stairs leading to the main floor, Bruce continued, “We can go over your new job description in my office now before Hannah arrives mid-morning tomorrow. Or do it after she arrives. Your choice. Either way—” Bruce raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “The outcome is the same, only you’ll have less time with her. I’m told the bridal party has a spa afternoon planned for tomorrow. The next day, you, Hannah, Birch, and Freesia will accompany Angie and me to Tahiti. From that point on—discussions will be of the wedding, nothing else.”
“Fine. Let’s get this over with. I’m beat.” Tristian’s shoulders slumped, and he blew out a breath..
Bruce’s brow quirked up as he leveled his gaze at his employee. “Always this tired after an assignment?”
“Of course not. But when healing powers are required and then magic to clean up the battle scene, it’s a different story. Not normally the duties of an enforcer.”
“Angie is the healer,” Bruce said.
“She is, but I have the latent power as well. Don’t use it often. But didn’t want an angel expiring on my watch. Bad for the reputation.”
Bruce looked thoughtful then pinned his gaze on Tristian again. “Your father didn’t have the healing power?”
“No, it comes from Mom’s side,” Tristian confirmed. “Now how about we stop with the twenty questions, and take care of business so I can get some shut eye.”
With a quick kiss for Angie, Bruce released her, turned on his heel, and took the stairs two at the time to the first floor. He strode across the Salon floor giving a quick nod of acknowledgment to Owen, at the counter, and bounded up the stairs to the mezzanine. He waited at the entrance of his office for Tristian to enter and closed the door behind them. “Have a seat.” Bruce motioned to one of two sleek leather chairs arranged in front of his desk.
The office looked different from the last time Tristian remembered. The glass top desk and white leather chair with chrome accents were the same, but the matching white and maroon leather chairs arranged on the other side of the desk were new, as was the art on the walls and an Irish crystal lamp hanging over the desk. Angie’s touches, he smiled and settled on one of the new chairs. It made a new leather sound as he sat.
Rather than sit in his desk chair, Bruce eased in the one next to his enforcer and picked up a file from the desk, handed it to Tristian. “What I have in mind is for us to work as a team. You take over policing the problems as they arise. Assign a team to handle the problem and the leader will report directly to you. As you have to me all these years. I’m going to step out of the way and let you handle it once we agree on the parameters you will operate under.”
Tristian surveyed his boss warily. “That leaves you to…”
Bruce leaned back in his chair, tented his fingers and eyed Tristian for a beat. “To be more active with the other Overlords and Council heads. Not that it’s any of your business. We’ll be keeping an eye on trouble spots and try to step in before chaos reigns, innocent lives are lost, or mortals take notice of us. It’s going to be a cooperative effort. The angel legions will be involved as well.”
Tristian flipped through the file pausing at an incident report.
“This is a plan we’ve been bouncing around for a while. The recent situation you encountered brought to light the necessity of communication and cooperation. I’m not saying there won’t be times you’ll need to get physically involved, but your team leaders are competent to handle most situations on their own. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, or they wouldn’t be working for me,” he said flatly. “Do I need to be here? Or is it possible to work from Maine?” Maybe this won’t be so bad after all. He relaxed in the chair. There was no denying that Hannah in his life had made a difference in his thinking and approach to assignments. Not that Angie hadn’t, but it was different.
“While Angie and I are gone after the wedding, you’ll need to handle things from here and anytime you are covering for me. After that, if I’m here, you can work from Maine. We can meet up once a month and compare notes. Sound good?”
“Yeah, worth a try.” Tristian conceded, letting out a jaw-popping yawn, shifting in his seat trying to keep from falling asleep.
“Great. I’d like to review the duties you’ll perform while I’m gone. But I’d rather do it when you are more alert. Say early tomorrow morning? You can surprise Hannah when she arrives.”
“I’ll probably call her before I go to sleep,” he mumbled..
“Make sure the line you talk to her on is…”
“I’m well aware of security procedures,” he snapped shoving up from the chair, tossing the file back on the desk. “Tomorrow then.”
Bruce stood and walked Tristian to the door. “The car is waiting to take you to the hotel.”
“I can wa… Thanks.” He considered walking, it wasn’t that far, but he was so damn tired.
Arriving at the hotel, he kicked off his shoes, pulled his shirt over his head, and took the cell phone out of his pocket, glancing at the screen. “Call home.” The phone rang several times then
rolled into voice mail. She must be at her cottage packing. He considered calling her cell, but after the welcome in Scotland and the upcoming wedding, it was safer to wait and see her tomorrow.
****
The next morning standing in front of Bruce’s desk, Tristian stared darkly at the two-inch thick file folder Bruce shoved across the desk.
“This has all my contacts, the calendared meetings, my passwords for the computer, Salon, and disk for entrance into my apartment. You’ll be staying there in my absence. It’s more secure, and everything you’ll need is at your fingertips. The computer in the apartment is networked with this one.” He gestured toward the screen sitting on his desk connected to the main computer.
“Great,” Tristian said with less enthusiasm than being handed a dead fish.
Tugging open a drawer, Bruce pulled out a thin laptop computer, set it on the desk, and reached to the floor producing a sleek black computer bag. “All of my business will be handled on this computer. I realize you have your own, but this one is set up on my secure network giving you access to all my business contacts and info you will need operating from other locations.”
Mouth set in a thin line, Tristian picked up the file, flipped through it, then took the laptop and slid it into the computer bag. “Is that all?”
“I want you to review that file this afternoon. Sign onto your new computer, and we’ll run tests to ensure everything works as designed before we leave. My network team assures me everything is good to go, but…”
“Understood. But I’d like to talk this whole thing over with Hannah, before—”
The corners of Bruce’s mouth turned up in a knowing smile.
“Oh, wipe that smug look off your face.”
Bruce raised his arms up in a gesture of surrender, lips twitching.
“Hannah loves her job. Maintaining a long-distance relationship is problematic at best—if not impossible.” His forehead creased as a look of displeasure spread over his features.
A light knock on the door and Angie poked her head in. A wide Cheshire cat smile spread across her face as an “I told you so” look flew between her and Bruce that irritated the hell out of Tristian.
She crossed the room, brushed her lips across her mate’s lips, and whispered something, then turned her attention to her brother. “The limo picked up Hannah, Birch, and Freesia at the airport. They should be here with thirty minutes. Thought you’d like to know—brother before we whisk her off for manicures, pedicures, and general girl stuff.”
“Thanks, sis.” He’d disguised his magic signature upon arrival this morning to keep his presence a secret in order to surprise Hannah.
“Of course.” Angie winked and flounced toward the door. She paused at the entrance and turned. “Bruce, Owen needs to talk to you when you get a chance.”
Bruce nodded and got to his feet. “I better see what Owen needs. Make yourself comfortable, review the file.” He strode through the door and sprinted down the stairs in his usual fashion. A habit Tristian previous considered unprofessional for the Territory Overlord of the Western Hemisphere. But what did he know, probably made people feel at ease around him, which was a point Tristian hadn’t considered until recently.
He grabbed the file with a grunt and strode over to the couch, plopped down. He sifted through the papers, committing to memory the people and numbers he might need. Then he separated them into piles according to importance and returned the documents to the file. When he waved his hand over the folder, it reduced to a size he could conceal inside his jacket pocket.
Hannah’s magic aura swirled around him, a feeling that pleased and excited him. Grinning wide, he glanced through the glass walls of the office to the Salon below. Hannah and Freesia breezed through the door talking and laughing, followed by an animated Birch obviously entertained by their conversation. Angie greeted them with a hug. She led the group to the lounge where the coffee bar and fresh pastries were available for staff and customers.
Fresh coffee and a pastry is just the ticket. He bounded off the couch and yanked open the office door. Silently descending the stairs, he took a sharp right at the bottom and wound up a few feet from the arched entrance to the lounge. Hannah was blowing on her cup of tea. Birch poured coffee into Freesia’s cup then his own. Angie gave him a sidelong glance then turned back to the group.
Tristian sauntered in, pausing in the doorway, and sniffed. “Hey, leave any of that Hawaiian fresh brewed coffee for me?”
Hannah whirled around, dropped her cup. It shattered on the floor, and tea flew everywhere. Oblivious to the mess, she ran to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and claimed his lips in a tantalizing kiss.
He crushed her against him reveling in the feel of her body curved into his, returned her kiss hungrily, then trailed his lips along her jawline, buried his nose in her neck inhaling her vanilla and raspberry scent, not giving a damn what anyone thought. He’d missed her.
When someone cleared their throat, he raised his head to look at her and grinned. Grasping her around the waist, he swung her easily to his side. “Well, is there?” He ambled into the room.
Angie glanced around then swept her hand in the air, the broken cup and hot liquid disappeared. Birch poured coffee into a large mug and handed it to Tristian while Freesia, grabbed a cup, tossed in a raspberry vanilla tea bag and poured hot water. Hannah took the steaming cup and mouthed “I’m sorry” to Angie.
She made a dismissive hand gesture and smiled.
Leaning over, he whispered against her ear. “Let’s take a walk.” Then moved toward the door.
Hannah nodded. “We’ll be back in a bit.”
“You have her back here at one o’clock sharp, you understand—big brother,” Angie instructed. “Willow and Caleb will be here by then and the guys are taking Bruce out for a—”
Birch caught her gaze and gave a slight shake of his head. She shrugged. “Well—I’m not sure what, but you are included, and I am taking possession of Hannah for the afternoon.”
“We’re doing what?” Bruce eyed Owen who’d just walked into the room and abruptly did an about face after sending Birch a conspiratorial grin.
Chimes sounded as the front door of the Salon opened. “Nothing boss. Gotta go, customers.” He scooted out the door ahead of Hannah and Tristian.
“Remember you two be back here in three hours, or heads will roll—yours,” Owen said over his shoulder.
Tristian pushed the heavy glass door open, looked up and down the sidewalk filled with people rushing to their next destination. The last thing he wanted to do was share her with the world. What he wanted…
She slipped outside under his arm, drew in a breath, and blew it out slowly. “Awww, fresh air.”
He quirked an eyebrow, let the door close with a whoosh, slung an arm around her shoulder. “D.C. air is not exactly what I’d describe as fresh.”
“Depends on what you are comparing it to.” She wrinkled her nose. “The Salon has a chemical smell to it today. Did you notice?”
“Yeah, when I entered the main floor from Bruce’s office. Wasn’t like that earlier. Probably because they’re busy doing several hair colorings and nail sets. Owen needs to turn up the filtration.”
Hannah slid her arm around his waist, tucked her hand in his back pocket as they walked down the sidewalk in front of The Krystal Unicorn.
He shot her a devilish grin; she in turn gave his butt a little squeeze. At the end of the building, he tugged her into an alcove, trapping her against his hard body and the brick wall. He covered her mouth with his. Her lips parted in surprise, and his tongue slipped inside teasing, tasting until she shoved at his chest with both hands. He raised his head to see fire in those beautiful blue eyes.
“What are you? A horny teenager? Pulling me into a niche in broad daylight for a make out session?”
He shrugged. “Works for me.” The corner of his mouth turned up in a sly grin.
She huffed out a breath. “It doesn’t work for me.”
Her lips twitched in an attempt to keep a snicker at bay. He saw right through her.
“Okay, let’s go back to my hotel. Don’t tell me you don’t want me, after your sneaky attempt to feel my ass.”
Red patches bloomed on her cheeks. “You’re absolutely incorrigible. Besides, we don’t have time for a romp in the sack.”
“Oh, we could.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “A little magic, a little whirl of time, and we have all the time in the world.” He nibbled at her neck.
Her eyes rounded, and she stared at him for a beat. “What do you mean? Can you manipulate time?”
“Forget it, killjoy. How about a walk in the park? I’d like to discuss a few things with you.” He grasped her hand, returned to the sidewalk, and pulled her toward the curb.
She dug in her heels and refused to move. “I want an answer.”
A man dressed in a business suit nearly running down the sidewalk frowned at them and swerved as he hurried past them. “Watch where you’re going.”
Ignoring the man, Tristian tugged at her again. “People in hell want ice water too. Not going to happen. Are you coming or not?” She jerked her hand free and followed reluctantly.
Most of the park benches were full. Parents watched their children play on the playground. Couples sat close to each other talking softly. Hannah spied an unoccupied bench at the far end of the park and made a beeline for it. Tristian sprinted along behind her. She stopped in front of the bench, then took a few steps to the side to smell the roses in bloom in one of the many flowerbeds that skirted the perimeter of the park.
“You’ll love this park when the cherry trees are in bloom,” he said, settling onto the bench. “Bruce wants me to cover for him while he and Angie take a mini honeymoon after the wedding.”
She lifted her head and peered at him. “You will be staying here then?”
“Yep, guess so. I tried to reason with him. Bruce has this idea in his head that I should manage the assignments rather than execute them.” Tristian shook his head. “I’d rather…” He paused as a couple strolled by in front of them hand in hand.
