by Julia Talbot
Then, if he found out something he didn’t like, well, he could have even more fun. No one messed with his family.
No one.
JAXON REEDIS moved around the office, setting up everything where he wanted it. The phone had to move. It sat right where he would whang it with his sidearm if he had to pull it out of his desk and make a quick shot. The printer needed to be on a stand, not on the desk. Who did that?
How on earth had Ron Zeller’s people worked in this mess?
Obviously not very fucking well if the man had been attacked in the office.
He rolled his eyes. Okay, file folder thingy there, and the gun could go under here….
Sebastian came thundering into the office, eyebags black as night, a day’s worth of beard on him. He headed straight for the coffee maker and started fumbling with it.
“Boss.” Jaxon said it gently. “Go sit. I’ll get the coffee. How do you take it?”
“Cream. Lots. Tiny bit of sweet. Please.”
“You got it.” Jaxon moved, slipping around the desk to steer Sebastian into the inner office and let him sit. “Be right back.”
The coffee maker was a Keurig thing, thank goodness. Coffee in seconds. He brewed a double cup, then added generous cream and one sugar.
“Late night?” he asked, tiptoeing back into the office.
“Yeah. Hunting. My head….”
“You can hunt in Dallas? How cool! What do they stock and where?” He played the fool, but the reminder was necessary. Sebastian needed to be careful who he told what.
“Wild game. Alan and I make a decent hunting pair, had a couple of hard chases last night.”
“Nice. I like to hunt voles.” He grinned, trying for goofy dork, not baring his teeth at the thought of hunting. Uhn. He did miss that.
“Voles. I’ve been known to try for them. I’m not that quick, though.” Sebastian drank deep, the long column of throat working. Jaxon had to admit, that was kinder than he expected. He’d been sure the wolf would mock, but no.
Interesting.
He was starting to like Sebastian already, which made his job tougher, really. Someone he didn’t like, he could be totally objective about.
“I’ll let you get some coffee in you. Should I see what the ladies downstairs brought in by the way of pastry? Then we can meet about your schedule.”
“Yeah. Yeah, that would be very cool. If not, there’s a place that makes egg and bagel sandwiches. They deliver.”
“I’ll find it!” He sent Sebastian a smile before trotting off to find Nancy, a forty-something she-wolf who’d been with the Dallas office nearly ten years.
She offered him a warm smile. “Your boss looks like hammered shit. Does he want egg sandwiches?”
“He does. Where do I get those?” He liked Nancy a lot. She had a calm way about her, and he had to grin back at her no matter what.
“Here’s the menu. The one he likes is marked and there’s an account. Mr. Sebastian loves them, and they make him a better wolf.”
“He had a late night, so I’m all over that. I think his schedule might shock him some.” He chuckled. Yeah, everyone wanted a piece of Sebastian Zeller. Jaxon only hoped he found out who wanted the biggest, bloodiest chunk before his new boss did.
“He’s trying, though. I’ll give him that. This is not in his wheelhouse, and he’s giving it his all.”
“He really is. I hope I can help. I’m really good at organizing to take some of the load off.” And if Sebastian made some of his meetings, people would stop screaming and give him some time off.
“I’m tickled to have the help. I’m not suited to personal assistant, to be honest. I have a bit of a temper.”
“Yeah? Do you get snappy?” He loved that she was so wolf.
“Honey, menopause is a stone-cold bitch.”
“Ouch. I want to hug you.” When she opened her arms, he did just that. “Thanks for the menu.”
“It’s always right here, filed under emergencies.”
“Nice. I’ll run a copy and do the same thing.” He waved it happily before heading back to his desk. He would order a variety, because frankly, he was starving too. His new digs didn’t have a lot going on in the cabinets.
That would change. All creatures needed snacks. And good coffee. Maybe his new boss would spring for an espresso machine.
Yum.
Meanwhile, the Keurig would—“Hey! Can I get three morning bagels with bacon and cheese and the eggs fried hard, and three with sausage and cheese with scrambled? Oh, and a cinnamon bagel with honey cream cheese.” Nancy would love that. He just knew it. Possibly because it was circled twice on the menu.
Just like that, food was ordered. He liked this. Dallas was… hot but full of friendly people. More pit bulls and cattlemen than he’d ever seen in one place, but friendly.
He hummed, going to the coffeepot to make himself a latte. Latte in a K-Cup. Woo.
About the time the food showed up, Sebastian came out of his office with an empty mug.
“Here, let me.” Jaxon took the mug. “Food is here. I got a mix.” The bagel place had told him what the regular order was in addition to the stuff he’d gotten. He would pass out the others in a bit.
“Oh. Oh, I love those. Thank you. Seriously. That’s cool of you.”
“No problem at all.” He led Sebastian to the wee conference table on the other side of the room from his desk. “Sit with me, huh?”
Sebastian sat with coffee and food, one bleary eye fastened on him.
He put on a cheerful smile, then unwrapped two sandwiches. “Eat. I’m starving.”
“Me too.” There was a bruise on the bottom of Sebastian’s jaw. Knuckles. Dammit. What the hell was he doing out there? Breaking kneecaps?
“Mmm.” Okay, the bagel place was a win. Bacon to the rescue!
Sebastian wolfed down the first sandwich, pun totally intended, then slowed down halfway through number two. He got it. He was hungry too. Jaxon ate one in a few quick nips, then savored the second, the latte a perfect accompaniment.
“Thanks for the food. We having a meeting or something?”
“Not today, no.” Jaxon rose, making for his bullet journal. “You do have two tomorrow, and you have some reading to do for one of them. I’ve sent a PDF to your Dropbox.”
“Yay. This is what? The mill?”
“Yes. The other meeting is with a fiber supplier. Ron lined it up months ago, but they’re promising.”
That sparked a little bit of interest, he thought. Not much, but a touch. Maybe designers factored in the fabric when they made a design. Jaxon had no idea.
He handed over another bagel. “Alan wants to play paintball next weekend. Should I schedule it?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I like that. Shooting Alan in the ass is one of my favorite pastimes.”
Jaxon blinked. Uh, did he mean that in a sex way, or just in a fun kinda way? He swallowed wrong, choking on a piece of bagel.
“Whoa. Whoa, you okay?” Sebastian moved like the wind, immediately coming to help.
“Yeah. Sorry. Got something stuck.” God, everything sounded like fucking today. Everything.
“I hate that. You need a bottle of water?” Sebastian was already moving toward the fridge.
Every time he thought he had a handle on Sebastian, the man changed. He watched Sebastian move, admiring the line of back and ass.
He could tap that. He could totally tap that.
Bad fox. He looked away when Sebastian turned back to him, rubbing his throat to get the sympathy vote.
“Here. The water will help.” Sebastian opened the top for him.
“Thanks so much.” He grabbed the bottle so he could take a careful sip. Bagels were scratchy, dammit. Still, he learned something new about Sebastian every time they spoke.
“Sure. Sure, so two meetings tomorrow. Yay. I’ll read the paper.”
“Cool. I’ll check in with you at lunch. You have a great design setup in there.” He pushed his chin toward the inn
er office.
“It’s okay.” Sebastian looked out the window, gaze far away.
“What’s your setup like at home?” He was supposed to be encouraging homesickness. Sebastian was wanted at home as much as he was here in Dallas.
“I live in Estes Park, up in Colorado. I have a studio there, a house. It’s beautiful, quiet.”
The words were so… melancholy. Jaxon felt bad for the guy. “Well, your schedule is pretty clear by next week.”
“I have a few things to deal with, but I hope to be home before the snows come. What about you, man? Where’s home?”
“Originally? Northern California. Up by Chico.” He had a cabin out closer to the Nevada border, not far from Tahoe. A tiny bolt-hole home.
“I love the coast. I love the mountains more, but….”
“Oh, I like it too, but I’m inland, you know? Bears and foxes and eagles….”
“Yes. Like in my neck of the… well, mountains.”
“Yep.” He grinned. “I can’t wait to see.”
He got a confused little look, then a smile.
Jaxon didn’t falter. He was going wherever Sebastian went, and Sebastian was going home soon if it killed him. “I’ll call the paintball place.”
“Good deal. I’m sure Alan will stop by at some point today. He’s sleeping in.”
“So when did Alan get back in from Boulder?” He could tell he would have to be very careful about Alan.
“Couple days ago. I need him to split his time a little. He’d rather be here anyway.”
“Are you two…?” He was pushing it, and he knew it, but he had to ask.
“Lovers?” One eyebrow lifted into Sebastian’s hairline. “Not that it would be a thing if we were, but no. We’re not compatible. We’re packmates. We grew up together. He’s… he’s my heartbrother.”
“Ah.” That made him a little sad. Foxes lived in families, but his had been gone for a long time. Jaxon was a lone fox, so to speak.
“Yeah. We’ve been together since before I can remember.”
“That’s cool.” He felt a little deflated now, just thinking how he missed his folks. “Well, I need to get back to it.” He stood, knowing Sebastian would get the hint.
“Good deal. Don’t work too hard.” Sebastian disappeared into his office like smoke, the door closing behind him with a click.
Jaxon sighed. Okay, so he needed to stop getting all deep and personal. He’d fucked up a nice moment of intimacy and information sharing. What the hell was wrong with him?
He never got weird. That was his strength. Focus and speed.
Jax shook his head. Back to work. Now. He rolled his chair back in front of his computer. First, paintball. Then he would research Alan.
Chapter Three
“I NEED Alan in Boulder, Seb.” Uncle Ron was already growling, and he hadn’t been awake a whole ten minutes. Christ.
“What are you doing up this early? Aren’t you trying to recover, for chrissake?”
“I am recovering, and I would do better if Alan didn’t keep running off to fuck off with you in Dallas!”
He growled deep in his chest, his fist burying itself in the pillow. “We’re working. I am trying to get your shit done and protect the pack. You know that. I don’t need your interference!”
“My interference?” Ron’s voice deepened. “You aren’t Alpha yet, boy. Don’t you give me shit.”
God, like he ever wanted that. Just the thought made him want to get in a car and drive until no one could ever find him. Ever.
“I’m doing my job. Alan is helping me. What is your major malfunction? Don’t you trust me?” Because if Ron didn’t, the son of a bitch could fucking fire him.
“I do.” Ron sighed. “I just worry. You two can get in some trouble together.”
“We’re just two guys having a little fun.” And trying desperately to figure out why someone would hurt their Alpha, kill two of the pack lieutenants.
“Uh-huh. Well, I really do need him, Seb. The offices up here are switching out all the computers for new.”
“All right. I’m having lunch with him today. I’ll tell him.”
“Thanks.” Ron coughed, the sound full of wet grossness.
“Are you doing your breathing treatments? You need to be. Twice a day.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You and that nurse of mine. I’m doing them. I just got all worked up.” Ron was as bad at following the rules as he was.
“Yeah, yeah. You get to call and bitch, I get to bitch back.”
“I hear you.” Ron sighed, the sound less horrifying. “When you coming home?”
“As soon as I can. I want this shit done before the first snows.” He ached to be in the mountains, to winter in his den.
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard in ages. I miss you, kid.”
“I miss you, Uncle.” He loved the man with all his heart. That was why he was trying so hard to be… everything.
“You’re a good one, Sebastian. Come home soon.”
“From your lips to the Goddess’s ears.”
“You got it. Love you.” Ron hung up before he could say anything in return. Cagey old man.
Asshole wolf.
He sighed and plopped back down on the bed. Damn, he needed another half hour. Maybe an hour. When was that meeting again?
Maybe he’d just skip it.
He closed his eyes and his phone beeped, Jaxon’s face showing up.
Okay. He could sleep fifteen minutes and have half an hour to get ready.
Maybe he only needed fifteen minutes to get dressed….
He hit the alarm and pulled the covers over his head. Screw it.
He was fucking tired.
JAXON BEBOPPED around his tiny kitchenette, wiggling his ass to the music in his headphones. He did love the Violent Femmes, yes he did. He also liked macaroni and cheese, and that he could make on his little two-burner stove.
He’d finally gotten Sebastian wired for sound, so he didn’t have to follow the man physically as much.
He had cameras in the office, outside all the doors and windows, in Sebastian’s cars. Creepy? Sure. But Sebastian wasn’t cooperating. Oh, he’d met with the fiber supplier, but the mill owner Jax had to take on, pleading illness for the boss. So Jaxon had made it easier on himself.
The man was wearing down, so it wasn’t all a lie. There were only so many all-nighters Sebastian could pull.
He glanced at his monitor setup to see a red light flashing. Shit. Sebastian was on the move, probably with Alan.
Dammit.
He turned off his music and went to the monitor, watching the two men stalking out, wearing black, hell-bent for leather.
Crap. Okay, he had to get a move on. This wasn’t watch-on-TV stuff.
Sebastian’s driver—a huge, dark man—stepped out of the shadows, and both wolves growled, stepping into his business.
The big guy spread his hands, a smile on his face. He was talking fast, but Jax couldn’t hear him.
Fascinating. This wasn’t… this wasn’t an employee talking to a boss. Alan was tugging on Sebastian’s sleeve, but Sebastian was staring, frowning, at the driver.
The big man touched Sebastian’s arm, leaned close.
To his ever-loving astonishment, Sebastian nodded. Alan flailed, but they headed back inside. They appeared in Sebastian’s apartment not long after, and now he could hear them. Crisis averted. He went to drain his pasta.
Jesus, what had the driver said?
He needed to investigate this guy. He’d turned the sound on his surveillance, and it was in his headphones now.
“What the fuck, Seb?”
“He’s right. I’m tired, Alan. I need a nap. I need a shower. I need a real meal.”
“We need to deal with this so we can go home.”
“You’re getting to go home!” Sebastian’s roar was pained, and the fury in it made Jaxon jerk.
“I woul
dn’t leave you here if Ron would let me stay, but he keeps sending planes.”
“I know. I know, I just… Goddess, Alan. Why can’t we figure this out? Why won’t they bite?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. It seems like they will, and then they disappear.” Alan sighed. “Maybe it’s just a nutball. Like a serial killer.”
“And what? He’s moved on? Goddess, that would be… crazy-making.”
“Yeah. I dunno, though. The attack. All the crime shows say that kind of rage is personal.”
Jaxon rolled his eyes. God save him from wolves who watched 48 Hours.
“Uncle is a good guy.” Sebastian’s words had Alan howling.
“He’s the Alpha of the most powerful pack on the front range, Seb.”
“So? Does that automatically make him a dick?” Sebastian was so damn defensive.
“No, it automatically gets him enemies, right? I mean, the money?”
“And the power.” Sebastian grunted. “Dammit. I just feel like we’re spinning our wheels. And Ty is all over us.”
“Yeah, pushy asshole. Why didn’t you bite him?”
“Because I’ve known him almost as long as I’ve known you.” Sebastian chuckled, a warm sound that made Jaxon smile. “And he’s bringing beer and snacks. How could I say no?”
Ah, good. This Ty fellow was giving them no reason to go out to a bar. Good man. Jaxon poured his mac and cheese in a bowl and headed to the monitors.
“You’re a bad undercover assassin, Seb.”
“No shit. I just want to go paint and make beautiful things. Lazy as I am.”
“You’re the least lazy person I know.” Alan waved a hand, the movement a little fuzzy on the nanny cam.
Sebastian sighed. “I want to go home, brother. I hate it here. It’s so humid, so flat.”
“It is.” Alan got up and moved to put an arm around Sebastian.
A flare of jealousy surged through him, and Jaxon sat back, surprise replacing the spurt of rage. Whoa.
Sebastian leaned in, all long legs and arms, the shock of black hair tied back in a long queue. He was so beautiful, and Jaxon luxuriated in being able to stare, in not being caught looking. Alan was pretty too, but there was something about Sebastian that called to him, the pull impossible to ignore.
