For the longest time Rick believed that shit. No matter what people told him or those high-priced therapists said, he believed the whispers. He’d long gotten past that, but the scars would always be there.
As he watched Seth walk around his office now, conducting his usual surveillance, he waited for the standard response. Half pity. Half wariness. But it never came.
Rick woke to a hand trailing down his chest and the best blow job he’d ever had. Seth had mad skills. And it looked like he didn’t spook easily, which made sense but it was nice to know it applied to his private life as well as to his job.
Rick’s gaze shifted around the room. Even Nathan looked calm today. He sat typing nonstop on a tablet. Rick had no idea what he was writing. It didn’t matter because if he guessed right he was about to drop a bombshell that would result in a lot of yelling.
“We need to move to the residence.” It made sense. It was the logical next step and the best way to end this without further bloodshed, or at least with limited bloodshed.
Rick wanted to lure the danger away from the consulate. If someone wanted to come for him, he’d make it easy to be found. That was the only way to limit the collateral damage.
Seth just shook his head. “Fuck no.”
“What?” Nathan asked at the same time.
Not exactly the reaction Rick expected. He wasn’t even sure Nathan had heard him. “Me being in Munich is making people antsy.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Seth looks pretty calm today. I caught him whistling earlier and smiling, so I guess everything worked out last night.”
“Shut up.” Seth glared at Rick. “Him, not you. Speak.”
Such a welcoming opening to a conversation. Rick could hardly wait to dive in. “We need to draw out—”
“Nope.” Seth looked away and went back to pacing the floor.
Nathan leaned back in his chair. “Now, wait a minute.”
“He’s going to suggest making himself a target. The answer is no.” Seth yanked out the chair by the small desk under the window. He grabbed a stack of papers off the pile Nathan had put there a half hour ago.
“Are you speaking as his bodyguard or something else right now?” Nathan asked.
“I said no.”
As if that ended the discussion. Rick wasn’t put off that easily. “You were the one who wanted me in the residence at first.”
Nathan hissed. “Oops.”
“Because I didn’t know we were dealing with a murdered diplomat—”
“Allegedly,” Nathan slipped in between Seth’s breaths.
“—a weapons ring and people who thought it made sense to try to kill you in a moving car or an abandoned building.” Seth narrowed his gaze on Rick. “Last I checked you can’t outrun a bullet.”
Rick touched the back of his head. “Apparently not.”
If possible, Seth’s eyes darkened. Rage pounded off him. “That is not helping your case.”
Okay, Rick got it. This was dangerous. But the entire assignment was dangerous. The point was containment. Putting SAD agents in the line of fire was bad enough. Stacking consulate staff in front of them was unforgivable.
“I’ve been here a week and been shot at, in a car accident, threatened and killed someone. We need to wrap this up before Munich catches on fire.” Before Seth sacrificed himself. Because that was the nightmare scenario. Seth rushing in and never coming out again.
Rick had seen it before. Hell, he relived that old mission in his mind over and over again. Being near Seth hadn’t provided any relief. Now the memory battled with the very real need to come clean. To tell Seth about the role he played in that operation gone wrong. How the nerd behind the desk almost cost Seth everything.
Nathan put his feet up on the edge of Rick’s desk. “What’s your suggestion?”
“Down.” Rick pointed at the shoes and kept doing it until Nathan sat up again. “We don’t have a leak unless it’s one of us or Helena, and we all know that’s not it.”
“Agreed,” Nathan said.
“That means we have someone who’s panicked and is making bad choices. A new shipment of vaccines is scheduled for next week. The attempts on my life suggest the people in charge of this scheme want me out before the weapons exchange.” Rick hesitated to add this part because he didn’t want Seth to take on the blame. “The thing with Tim and the door, the questioning. They’re suspicious.”
“Okay, but none of that points toward relocating you,” Seth said in a deceptively quiet voice.
Nathan snorted. “Really?”
No question Seth planned to fight this until the very end. Even Nathan seemed to get that. That left Rick with one option—pulling rank. Before he got there, he tried reason one more time. “Going to and from this building every day will make me vulnerable. The residence will make it easier for someone to get to me.”
“Hey, man.” Nathan shook his head. “I’m not sure you’re selling this.”
“We put a target on me and draw this person out.” The strategy made sense. It was the one Rick would design if he were in charge of making a plan. The only difference was that he sat on both sides of the desk on this mission.
“Very nice.” Seth lowered the papers in his hand and stood up again. He made it the whole way to the front of Rick’s desk before speaking again. “Are you done? Because while it’s impressive you’re willing to die to solve this mystery, it’s not happening.”
Rick bit back a groan. “I’m not going to die.”
“Damn straight.”
“You don’t get to decide where we go from here.”
Seth put his hands on the edge of the desk. “Excuse me?”
He could whip out the intimidation and lower that voice. Rick wasn’t letting any of it deter him. Because there was one simple fact Seth kept missing that changed everything. “I’m in charge.”
“Look, super nerd. You can shoot and I’ll give you credit for that. You took out the one attacker.” Seth leaned in and his voice dipped lower. “I’ll reward you for all of it in private, but when it comes to keeping that fine ass safe, I decide.”
Nathan whistled. “Wow.”
Seth didn’t even spare him a glance. “You could leave and give us some privacy.”
If anything, Nathan moved his chair in closer. “Not happening.”
It didn’t matter where anyone sat or what arguments they made. This was not a debate and Rick had no plans on taking a vote. He’d been in Munich for a few days and already knew the players. He had Seth, Nathan and whatever people Helena trusted to handle this. They’d been running photos of the attackers and checking backgrounds of the consulate employees and anyone in the area who was connected with them.
That amounted to a big investment of expertise and resources just on Rick’s word. A lot of people working to resolve this before the next batch of vaccines arrived. He had no intention of more medicine being exchanged for weapons just so someone could buy a fancy house on an island somewhere. Not on his assignment.
That led to one conclusion. “We’re moving into the residence and that’s final.”
Seth’s mouth dropped open but the knock at the door stopped whatever he planned to say. He yelled instead. “Not now.”
Rick glared at him. “Come in.”
“You’re going to argue with me about everything, aren’t you?” Seth’s voice skated the line between rational and not. It vibrated with seething anger.
Rick leaned in closer. “Yes.”
When he stood up again he saw Ben walk in. He carried a notebook and wore a smile. Or he did until he saw Nathan and Seth standing there. “Mr. Drummond’s office called. His assistant said Mr. Drummond will see you tomorrow about a business issue.”
“Jackass.” Seth rolled his eyes as he mumbled under his breath.
“Did we already have an appointment?” Rick guessed not but he needed to know if this was a check-in or an emergency. Alec didn’t just stop by for fun. That was not his style at all.
&nb
sp; “He didn’t really ask for one. It sounded like a demand.” Ben hesitated for a few seconds. “I figured you made private arrangements, but I can call back and cancel.”
Seth started to say something, which made Rick answer even faster. “No, that’s fine.”
Ben nodded and backed away toward the door. Then he stopped. He wore a half wince as he started to talk. “Since he’s a business contact and I deal with his office on visas and other issues, would it help if I came with you? This might be an area where I can assist. I’ve never met Mr. Drummond personally, but I am familiar with his business.”
Rick doubted that. “I’ll be fine.”
“Right.” Ben held up a hand and bolted for the door. “Sorry to bother you.”
“Ben?” Rick knew this was a risk, but he took it anyway. “Did you ever use that prohibited exit that Tim used?”
“I…” Ben’s gaze traveled around the room before landing on Rick again. “Look, the former consul general used it for a while. All the rules and protocol got to him. A few times I walked out with him, but he stopped that a few weeks before—” Ben’s voice cut off.
The color had drained from his face but Rick refused to be sidetracked. This could all be an elaborate act. “He died.”
“I told Tim about it, but I didn’t know he used it. I didn’t know he could or that anyone could because I thought Ed fixed it.”
The explanation made sense except for Ed’s role in all of it. Clearly he’d acted suspiciously, but Rick had no trouble imagining Ben trailing along, writing down notes, while Ed left the building. “That will be all.”
The door clicked shut. Nathan was the first to break the silence. “He seemed half pathetic but believable.”
“I think he views me as a micromanager who won’t let him do his job.” Rick was pretty clear that the staff suffered from a mix of depression over Ed and confusion over dealing with an unexpected new guy. “We have anything usable on Ben yet?”
Nathan shook his head. “Nothing new.”
“Other than what you just uncovered in two questions,” Seth mumbled under his breath.
Nathan kept talking. “And an unwavering allegiance to Ed, which was the sort of thing the other folks around here joked about.”
“And on Owen?”
Nathan tapped on his keyboard. “I tried to engage him on some technical questions and he turned into a babbling fool. It might be an act, but I’m not convinced he doctored anything on the computer. He has the access but doesn’t appear to have the skills, which is a fact confirmed by some of the people who worked with him over the years.”
That was a whole lot of nothing. “So, we’re no closer to finding an answer.”
“Alec is demanding meetings now?”
Rick was impressed Seth waited a full two minutes to comment on that. “He probably plans to have something for us to review.”
“That’s fine then. We should give Alec whatever he wants. Apparently the entire world economy would fall without him.” Seth headed for the door.
Rick watched him, trying to figure out where the guy got the energy on so little sleep. “Where are you going?”
Seth stopped with his hand on the door handle. “To talk to Owen about the stupid fucking move you’re insisting we do. These things don’t just happen, you know?”
“You actually sound like a bodyguard.” Nathan made a face. “I mean, it’s hard to tell over the whining, but sort of.”
Seth’s face went blank as he stared at Rick. “We do this my way.”
“Of course.” Rick felt his gut untwist. The relocation was happening with or without Seth’s approval, but this sure made life easier.
“Don’t pretend to agree with me because you plan to pull rank later.” Seth’s words shot through the room. He might be agreeing but nothing in his stiff demeanor or the clip of his voice suggested he’d lost anything. “We’re going to talk about all of this when we’re alone.”
Rick still found the rough-and-grumpy-tough-guy routine hot. “I’ll make dinner.”
Some of the tension left Seth’s face. “If you make eggs again I’ll shoot them.”
That was the Seth Rick expected. “Totally reasonable.”
Chapter 23
Three hours later Seth sat in on another meeting, this time around the conference room. Put him in the field. Let him follow people and gather intel. Listening to people drone on made his brain cells scramble.
He never understood the whole hear-people-out thing. Give the order and be done.
At least Owen seemed to be taking his side on the relocation. He kept frowning and repeating comments. Seth couldn’t help but smile at that.
Yeah, Rick’s new relocation strategy made sense. Seth could admit that. But he couldn’t just agree to race Rick headfirst into danger.
“You want to move right now?” Owen repeated the question for the second time as he looked across the table at Rick.
“I had the same reaction.” Seth stood right behind Owen, glaring at Rick. He’d stand for as long as needed to talk some sense into him.
“We have the graduate school event and a business symposium coming up.” Owen ticked off the list on his fingers.
That sounded like a valid point to Seth. “In other words, we should wait.”
Owen shook his head. “No, it’s just…”
Damn. Owen was a great ally until right there. Seth wasn’t sure what went sideways but something did. “Spit it out, Owen.”
“Quickly, if possible.”
They’d logged in a lot of hours in the field and almost none in conference rooms. Special ops briefings but not this. Seth didn’t know what this was. But he did know he wasn’t allowed to shoot shit in here, which sucked.
Owen looked less and less comfortable as he shifted around in his chair. “May I be frank, sir?”
“For the record, that is a scary way to start a conversation.” Rick smiled as he said the words but his voice sounded tight. “But go ahead.”
He seemed to be the only one paying attention. Sitting up straight and being a grown-up. Seth knew he should feel bad for not showing solidarity and all that but he didn’t.
Ever since Rick mentioned acting like a human shield Seth had to fight to keep his brain moving. Every instinct told him to grab Rick, throw him on a plane and only call Helena after they were over water.
“There are some concerns.” Owen dropped that comment then stopped talking. He rocked in his seat but didn’t speak up.
Nathan looked at Seth. “He’s talking about you.”
He couldn’t exactly argue with that. “Probably.”
It took a few more seconds before Owen wound up again. He folded his hands on the table then pulled them off. His fingers went to the armrests then disappeared on his lap.
Seth didn’t know what to expect next.
“First, you had one bodyguard.” Owen’s gaze lingered on Seth, then Nathan. “Now two.”
“And your point?” Rick asked.
“I know you’re gay, sir.”
Seth shook his head but the whooshing sound in his ears wouldn’t go away. “I did not see that coming.”
Nathan being Nathan, he took the comment one step further. “Was there a memo about this? Because I missed it.”
Owen kept talking to Rick. “Helena mentioned that you had a partner with you at your last duty station.”
Rick looked like he’d been hit with a bat. “My sexuality isn’t a secret, but how is it relevant to this discussion?”
“I’m just saying that if Seth here is…”
Seth snapped back to attention. “If I’m what?”
“Let me help you.” Nathan groaned as he sat down next to Owen. He pointed from Seth to Rick. “They’re together.”
Holy shit. “Nathan.”
“Look, he figured it out.” Nathan turned back to Owen. “Right?”
He nodded. “That was the assumption and there’s been some worry that we’re supposed to pretend they aren’t a co
uple.”
“Yes, Seth is really a bodyguard.” Nathan moved to the front of his seat, clearly enjoying this conversation far too much. “Yes, these two are a couple. The bodyguard part is not a front. It’s what Seth and I do for a living. Helena thought it would ease the transition for Seth to come along. Also, there were additional concerns due to Ed’s death.”
The conversation ran away and Seth couldn’t figure out how to catch it. He tried anyway. “Stop talking.”
“I just wanted to be clear that this isn’t an issue,” Owen said. “The staff knows, so if you were worried how people would react…well, it’s not a problem. In fact, the secrecy is testing morale.”
Rick opened his mouth twice before any words came out. “How exactly does everyone know about Seth?”
“You share a bedroom.”
Nathan shook his head. It looked like he was trying hard not to smile. “Good investigative work.”
“You aren’t the only gay diplomat. You aren’t even the only LGBT person in the building.” Owen’s gaze traveled around the room and touched on each of them.
Seth’s brain still refused to wake up. “This conversation is…let’s just say a surprise.”
Rick shifted and slammed his knee against the table. His jaw clenched a second later. “Thank you, Owen. I know that wasn’t an easy conversation to have. Seth and I appreciate both your candor and desire to make our time here as pleasant as possible for us.”
“It was just plain weird.” Seth couldn’t remember ever having experienced anything like it.
Rick stood up but didn’t back away from the table. “I’ll plan to discuss this with everyone after the move.”
“Fine, sir. Thank you.” With a nod, Owen got up and headed for the door.
No one said another word until Owen stepped into the hall, locking Nathan, Rick and Seth inside.
Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love #2) Page 19