With the amount of unrestrained energy pumping through Seth, he was ready. He could probably lift the building right now. “Let’s go.”
“He’s interesting.” Alec glanced at Rick. “Not your usual type.”
“Okay.” Rick stepped up. “That’s enough.”
Seth wasn’t anywhere near done. He looked at Alec, daring him to make a move. “Rick had a gun pointed at his head tonight.”
The news didn’t cause any reaction. “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
This guy went past cool. He was pure ice. On another night in another situation, Seth might have been intrigued. He was too busy being pissed off and wild with the need to crush something to get there. “Really? The way I see it you lured us to the warehouse. You set him up with your talk of a contact.”
Alec’s hand smoothed over his tie. The bright blue stuck out in the dark night. “I lost a man tonight.”
And that was a big fucking deal, but still. “I almost lost Rick.”
The words echoed around them. They were huge and they had meaning and no one standing there commented on them, but Seth knew no one missed their importance.
Rick blew out a long haggard breath. “Tell me what happened tonight.”
Alec’s expression didn’t change. “It looks as if my man was ambushed.”
Three men dead. That was not a normal night. Not for Rick. Seth got that and wondered what thoughts were running through his head right now. Even if he’d done this before, he’d have guilt and doubts. That was the type of man he was.
“By whom?” Seth asked.
“I was going to ask you.” Alec turned back to Rick. “I assume you have a leak.”
Interesting how this guy kept pushing away responsibility. “Or you do.”
Alec actually smiled. “Not possible.”
He sounded so sure. The arrogance might play well with other people. Tonight, after the fighting and the guns and the death, it lit a match to Seth’s already combustible temper. Had him ready to claw his way out of his skin. “Because your people are so damn perfect.”
The amusement disappeared from Alec’s eyes and mouth. “My people are my people. They’re loyal.”
Seth hated everything about this guy from the way he held himself to the way he spoke. He may be hot in a could-climb-him kind of way. Okay, really hot, but that didn’t make up for the emptiness. Pure coldness radiated off this guy…except when he looked at Rick.
“We didn’t talk to anyone, Alec.” Rick shook his head. “This circle was tight and closed.”
At Rick’s comment Alec glanced at Seth. “Are you sure?”
A new wave of anger surged through Seth. It wiped out most of his common sense. Had him thinking he could take Alec and his two goons. “You’re dead.”
Alec’s men stepped forward again only to retreat at the slight shake of Alec’s head. The man sure had his people trained.
Now Alec stood there by his car and hesitated. He studied Rick’s face. Studied him with a gaze that wandered up and down and all over him.
Seth was about to make another threat when Alec nodded. “I’ll look into it.”
Seth scoffed. “What does that mean?”
“Thanks,” Rick said at the same time.
Ex-lover or not, there were smart ways to handle this and not-so-smart ways. Seth feared Rick was steering them in the wrong direction. “We need to lock this down.”
“We will.” Without sparing Seth a glance, Rick reached out and shook Alec’s hand. “Get back to us asap.”
What the hell was happening? Seth asked the question to the empty air as Alec turned and climbed into his sedan. He looked back at Rick. “We’re letting him go?”
“He didn’t set us up.”
That sounded ridiculous. It wasn’t even an explanation. More like a statement and one Seth didn’t understand because it didn’t appear to be grounded in reality or facts.
“You know that because you’ve had sex with him?” Yeah, it was a shitty comment but Seth felt shitty right now. His arm hurt and the memory of Rick with a gun pointed at his head might never leave him.
“I know because I know.”
Rick being so sure started a new round of kicking in Seth’s gut. “That’s not good enough.”
There in the empty parking lot Rick stepped up. He put a hand on the side of Seth’s waist. “Look, I know you don’t trust him but you need to trust me.”
There it was. A challenge of sorts. The one comment sure to win the argument.
Seth made a grumbling sound. “Something happened tonight.”
“I know.”
Seth wasn’t convinced they were talking about the same thing. He wasn’t even sure what he was referencing when he made the comment. But he did see the determination in Rick’s eyes. It battled with the wariness.
The whole trust thing did not come easy for Seth. He hadn’t found many people in his life who deserved it. He wanted to knock people down and bluster his way through this. But he deferred. Rick wanted to handle this a certain way. Seth didn’t get it, but he did trust Rick.
“Okay.” It almost killed him to say the word. All he wanted to do was chase after Alec’s car and force the guy to talk.
Rick’s eyebrows rose. “That’s it?”
“I’m good with you.”
“Then let’s go home so you can show me how happy you are that I saved your life.”
The tension tightening in Seth’s stomach disappeared in a flash. Something about the sound of Rick’s voice had that effect on Seth. But that wasn’t the part that stuck in his brain right now.
Home.
He fell back on his smartass ways. “You mean that I saved you.”
“You can describe it however you want so long as we get into bed soon.”
This Seth got. This he could deal with. The rest would come later, or so he hoped. “I like the way you think.”
Chapter 20
Ben ruined the plans for bed. He stood just inside the front door of the consulate when they returned, concern etched on his face. He practically paced back and forth. The jumpiness, the jerky moves, they were all out of character for smooth-talking Ben. Even one of the marine guards stared at him.
Rick had taken about all he could stand for one night. The sun would be up in an hour and he hadn’t even changed his clothes from the day before. Now he had a layer of dirt and blood spatter all over his shirt.
He walked in with Seth by his side. Before Rick could say anything, Seth slipped in front of him, put his body between him and Ben. “What is it?”
Ben nodded to Seth then looked around him at Rick. “Owen was looking for you.”
That didn’t explain Ben being up or the strange look on his face. It wasn’t as if he worked at Owen’s side.
Rick tugged his jacket closed and hoped his dark suit covered the worst of it. “Why?”
“I’m not sure. He contacted me and I went looking for you.” Ben’s gaze flipped to Seth then back to Rick. “I couldn’t find either of you.”
“We had to step out.” It was a stupid response but Rick didn’t have the strength to come up with anything else right then.
Ben’s gaze traveled this time. It hesitated on Seth. “Okay.”
Enough weird bullshit. “Where is Owen now?”
“Your office.”
Seth stared, almost fixated, on Ben. “Interesting.”
Yeah, Rick didn’t need Seth adding to the surreal feel of the moment or picking another fight. He’d tried to tweak Alec, which was foolish enough.
Rick turned to Ben. “Go get some rest.”
That’s what they all needed. A shower, food and bed. His body craved sleep but he wanted something else. Something only the man standing next to him could provide.
Chalk it up to the adrenaline rush or the horrors of the night. Rick knew he needed to be with Seth right now. Just him. They could wipe the stain clean and relax, if only for a few minutes before they launched into the cycle of confusi
on and analysis again tomorrow.
Ben glanced at his watch “I may as well stay—”
“I don’t want to see you before ten.” Rick hoped not to move from the bed until then.
Rather than wait for an answer, Rick started walking. He heard the steady thud of Seth’s footsteps next to him. Savored the reassuring sensation of having him right by his side.
Tonight he’d almost lost that. Two different times Seth had been in the line of fire and came out okay. Looking at him now, sneaking a peek from the side, Rick didn’t see any aftereffect. Seth walked tall and wore his usual sure expression. The wrestling, the attacks, none of it seemed to faze him.
Rick wanted to be that steady. Life had dealt him a different hand. He learned a hard lesson from his father. Not knowing what would happen next meant not being able to be prepared. Not being able to save his mom.
He’d struggled his whole life with the fear of not knowing. He sought out a career that allowed him to gather information and be in control. Imperfect, yes, but he had the power to act and react. He didn’t have to rely on what people said and figure out if it would be different from what they did. He was the one who developed the strategy.
He religiously practiced at the gun range because he always wanted to be ready. And tonight when it came time to act, he did. His insides still shook from the force of it. Seeing the blood rush out of another person, watching him fall, had him wanting to double over and heave.
Seth finally spoke up when Rick’s hand hit the keypad to his office. “We’re going to make this quick.”
The words didn’t make sense to Rick. “What?”
“We have work to do today, I get that. But first I do you.” Seth’s intense stare didn’t waver. “We go in there, deal with Owen, then go to your room. End of discussion.”
With that Rick’s brain turned to mush. Before he could respond, the door opened in front of him. Nate stood there, acting as if he belonged there.
Movement in the office caught Rick’s attention. He saw Owen looming behind Nate. Apparently everyone felt at home using his office. A guy couldn’t step out for an hour without a takeover happening.
He passed by Nathan and kept going until he reached his desk. If he were a drinker this would be the time he’d grab the bottle. But when his father taught him the harsh lesson about violence, he also provided side instruction in liquor. Rick stayed away on purpose. If that’s what it took not to be his old man then that was fine with Rick.
He stopped behind his chair and rested his hand on the back. He skipped sitting down because he didn’t want anyone to get comfortable. He also worried he wouldn’t get up again. It had been a hell of a night.
He looked at Nathan, hoping for a quick and straight answer. “What are you doing here?”
“We have an issue.”
That wasn’t helpful. “Can we describe it?”
Seth came up behind Nathan and stopped beside him. “More than one issue.”
“I heard.” Nathan seemed to talk only to Seth now.
“You were going—”
Nathan nodded. “Handled.”
The shorthand conversation gave Rick a headache. Nathan and Seth talked in half-sentences and with a familiarity that came from years of working together. Rick appreciated their bond but right now he wished someone would talk using more than verbs.
Hoping to bring some closure, he focused on the security head who stood next to the window, watching something outside. “Owen, talk.”
“Tim left the property.”
Figured he’d make a move when Seth was away. Rick doubted that was a coincidence. “And?”
“He and Lisa had a fight about his late-night excursions.”
Gossip in small offices always fascinated Rick. Not right now, but usually. His bigger concern tonight as he stood there one second from swaying was Tim. The breakup or fight or whatever it was could have been an excuse to get out to his contacts. Who the hell knew?
Seth laughed. “Go, Lisa.”
“Who is she?” Nathan asked.
Rick didn’t have time for a rundown of the various love connections in the building. “A smart woman who deserves a better boyfriend.”
Owen didn’t get sidetracked. He stepped away from the window and closer to the desk. “He went to a bar and then we lost him.”
Another coincidence? Rick was too tired to tell. “How? We have trained private security and diplomatic guards. These people are the best at what they do, but they lost some lovesick guy on the streets of Munich?”
“I’m conducting the investigation under the radar, as you requested.”
“He’s got you there,” Seth said with more than a little amusement in his voice.
“I can’t exactly use the marines for this without raising some flags, which again, you said you didn’t want to do.” Owen cleared his throat. “You said something about not wanting to destroy Tim’s career unless necessary.”
Man, he’d had all sorts of thoughts on this subject. They made sense at the time but now Rick found it all annoying. He conceded anyway. “Fine.”
“He ducked out the back room. My man thought he was in the bathroom.”
Nathan whistled. “Interesting behavior.”
That was one word for it. Rick could think of a few more. “So, he’s gone.”
Owen shook his head. “No, he’s back at his place. The person I have waiting there said he came in a few minutes ago.”
This time Nathan skipped the whistling. “Interesting timing, too.”
A yawn rumbled in Rick’s throat but he forced it back. “Okay, Owen. Thanks.”
“Sir, I apologize for losing him. I know you’re concerned about his activities.”
Since that wasn’t exactly the message Rick wanted Owen or anyone else at the consulate to have, he tried to explain. If rumors swirled, he needed the staff to think this was about something other than missing vaccines and weapons that shouldn’t be moving through Munich. “People have secrets. If they’re personal, fine. Unfortunately Tim made his private life our business when he broke protocol. Until we’re sure this is about his bad love-life choices, we stick with him.”
Owen nodded. “Do you want me to question him again?”
“No.” Seth practically pounced with that answer.
Rick agreed. “We’ll assume he blew off some steam, went out, then got bored and went to bed.”
Owen was not the right person for this because he didn’t really understand what was going on behind the scenes. And if Tim was getting cocky and complacent and sneaking out again, that might be their best chance to catch him in the act with limited bloodshed.
Owen didn’t look convinced. “If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
Without another word, Owen left the room. For a second Rick thought about the computer in Owen’s office. Evidence pointed to Owen being in on the scheme and Nathan had already started tracking computer usage and was watching Owen while he watched everyone else. His reactions tonight didn’t really give away anything, except a frustration at having Tim get the hump on him.
They could be partners. He could be setting Tim up. So many possibilities and so little sleep with which to assess them.
Seth waited until the door closed. “Are we sure?”
“Nothing in Tim’s background is setting off alarm bells. Daddy got him out of a drunk-driving thing when he was a teen, but that’s it,” Nathan said.
“No early signs of espionage activities?” Sarcasm dripped from Seth’s voice. “How strange.”
Nathan smiled. “I see you’re feeling better after your fight.”
“We got lured into a trap, so no.” Seth exhaled as if he was going to say something controversial. “Any ID on the men tonight?”
Nathan shook his head. “I checked with our people and nothing on facial recognition, and the fingerprints haven’t popped.”
“Someone knows them.” Rick’s brain started clicking into action. “I could check—”
“You have enough to worry about,” Seth said.
“I’m guessing we’ll track this and find out they were mercenary types.” Nathan made a groaning sound. “There’s a never-ending line of those. They’re in it for the money, not the politics, which makes them expendable to their bosses.”
Rick knew that was the answer. So many times he’d tracked lower-level players only to have the lead go cold. The people who ran these types of multimillion-dollar schemes didn’t let many get close, and those who did were not the ones out shooting and protecting.
“So, a dead end. I hate that, but you’re probably right. That tends to be how these things spin out.” They find criminal pasts or possibly military discharges. Skills but violence. That’s how this game was played.
“Be ready for it. But there’s one person we can track without trouble.” Seth looked at Nathan. “When you’re done with those two we need background on Alec—”
“Nope.” Nathan stood there shaking his head.
Rick liked that Nathan was taking the hit on this one. His answer would have been the same. Alec was off-limits and Seth would find that and a whole host of problems if he went digging for information on the Drummond family and their businesses.
Nathan made that annoying tsk-tsking sound he seemed to enjoy. “Word already came down from Helena and Max. Alec is not to be touched. Not to be screened. Not to be searched. She said you’re not supposed to piss him off because even she wouldn’t be able to protect you.”
“Who the fuck is this guy?” Seth’s gaze shot to Rick. “Is this your doing? Are you protecting him?”
“The jealousy thing is getting old…or is this because he threatened to kill you tonight?” Rick figured neither would sit well with Seth.
Nathan barked out a laugh. “Sounds like I missed a good time.”
Rick ignored Nathan and aimed at trying to ease the fury he saw bubbling up inside Seth. “Alec is connected. That’s all. He’s on our side.”
A few seconds of silence ticked by. The hum of the overhead lights provided the only sound in the room. Finally Seth lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Fine. I won’t engage with the guy.”
Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love #2) Page 17
