That made Ben a murderer several times over. “You killed him.”
Tim’s head came up. He stopped rocking back and forth. “What?”
Ben ignored the interruption. “Suicide.”
“One that you helped along.” Rick could see it all now. Ben had connections and could make things happen. But he was a bit too cocky to understand that he wasn’t the only one.
He spewed out information about their plans. Wasted time talking. He might have partners lurking out there. Possible. But Rick guessed it was more likely he liked to brag about his brilliance. It was amazing how often people tripped themselves up with that kind of bullshit.
“Getting engaged changed him.” Ben snorted. “Because of her he saw our side business as a bad thing. He kept talking about her making him more decent and that he owed her. Some women are like that, I guess.”
The woman with him laughed. “Some.”
Seth shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.”
The mood shifted. A new tension took over. Smoke still clogged the air and the fire raged on, but there was a change. Slight, but there.
Rick concentrated and it came to him. Every time Seth talked he shifted. The moves came in fractions of inches. The changes were barely noticeable. Rick only picked up on them because he stood plastered to Seth’s back.
He did the only thing he could—tried to direct Ben’s attention and give Seth some cover. “So, this is about money?”
“Isn’t everything?” Ben shot them a don’t-be-stupid look. “I started tracking Ed on his little excursions. It was either turn him in or get a piece of the action. Luckily, Gretchen and I made a deal, so Ed really wasn’t needed anymore.”
She nodded. “A very lucrative one.”
Seth’s gaze bounced to Tim then back to Ben. His voice stayed deadly cold. As lethal as he was. “Aren’t you enterprising.”
“Did you think I was going to be a civil servant forever? I have bigger plans.” Ben sighed. “Call it international business.”
More like illegal gun running. “What’s the plan here, Ben?” Rick asked but he was pretty sure he understood the basics. “You kill us and someone will check into Ed’s death. Add in Tim and Owen and that’s a lot of bodies, with you being the logical choice for a suspect.”
“No.” The scratchy plea came from Tim but that’s all he got. His body swayed and the blood ran freely down his arm.
“No one was supposed to die. This is all on Ed.”
Seth made an odd sound. “Interesting logic. Pure sociopath.”
Tim shook his head. With one last burst of energy he looked up at Ben. “What is wrong with you?”
Fearing Ben might go after Tim, Rick started talking. “I owe you an apology, Tim. I thought this was you. I’ll explain that to everyone when we arrest Ben’s sorry ass.”
“No one is going to do anything. See, the government doesn’t like to admit when its people siphon off weapons shipments and mix them in with vaccines. It means the people in charge failed. It means there is likely someone on the inside, which points to security failures.” Ben shook his head. “No, someone in charge will argue that this news can’t get out. For national security and all that. This will get buried and I’ll be gone.”
Rick was just about done with Ben and his theories and the gun. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll bury you somewhere.”
“Actually, you’re going to take the blame.”
Seth made a scene of exhaling. The noise lifted above the crashing and creaking of the house. “Damn, Ben. You sure do like to talk.”
Ben’s gun moved again. This time aimed at Seth. Right in the middle of his chest.
Panic swamped Rick. His mouth went dry and he was pretty sure his stomach dropped to the ground.
Before he could calm Ben down, Seth started talking. “You were at the consulate late after the car accident. There again when Nathan showed up. You skulk around, always wanting to help.” He shook his head. “Always there. And I bet you’re good with computers.”
“He briefed Helena on Ed’s suicide.” Rick had picked that up from one of Nathan’s files.
“Enough talk.” Gretchen pushed away from the car. “You have one minute.”
“You heard the lady.” Ben took a step back. “And I am the one with the guns.”
Seth smiled then. “Good to know.”
The night broke into chaos before Seth finished the sentence. He plowed into Ben’s legs, doubling him over and shoving him back. The hit sent them both flying into the grass. One of the weapons dropped and Seth grabbed it. Turned and shot, nailing Gretchen in the chest and sending her flying back against the car.
Then Seth and Ben landed with a hard thud. Rick heard the gun hit the ground. Heard it but couldn’t see it. He dropped to his knees to search. His palms patted the ground. The sight of Tim sitting there, frozen, as Seth and Ben wrestled beside him had Rick diving. He covered Tim’s body with his. Tried to fold Tim as small as possible and strained to get to Owen.
Seth landed a punch to Ben’s jaw. The cracking sound rang out as they rolled. Rick waited for the inevitable gunshot but the ground rumbled instead. The explosion boomed through the night. Instead of going off by the fire vehicles, the fireball sparked and rose into the sky right behind the burning house. Smoke ballooned up and the yelling voices grew louder.
He had to get up. The mantra played in Rick’s head. He scrambled to his knees as a blur passed in front of him. A body. Nathan running toward Seth and shouting something. Then Seth was on his knees. Ben’s gun lay on the grass and Rick dove for it. He’d kill again for Seth. He could do this.
Right as his fingers touched the metal, Seth lunged. He scooped up the weapon as his body flew through the air. He twisted as he fell to his back. Fired as he bounced.
By the time Rick looked up Ben was on his knees with a red stain spreading across his shirt. His eyes widened as he fell face-first to the ground.
Seth’s head whipped around. “Rick?”
The fire. The explosion. So much death. It all whipped around Rick. It blended and pummeled him, but he heard the worry in Seth’s voice and rushed to assure him. “I’m fine but Tim. Owen is here somewhere.”
“We need help.” Nathan shouted the words.
Seth crawled over on his hands and knees. Law enforcement and ambulance crews poured into the area now. Men dragged heavy hoses along the side of the building. The activity spun around him but all Rick could see was Seth’s face swimming in front of him. He tried to lift his arm but it was trapped under Tim.
Seth ran his hands all over Rick. “Are you hit?”
Relief almost knocked Rick over. He shook his head and looked at the carnage around him, grateful that Seth wasn’t one of the injured. Then his gaze traveled to the unconscious man in his arms and Rick sobered again. “Help Tim.”
—
It took hours to untangle the mess. Seth watched Rick shake his head as the ambulance crew talked with him. He had an oxygen mask on and a bandage around his thigh and another binding his ribs. Seth had no idea how bad the injuries really were but Nathan insisted Rick would be fine. This was as close as Seth could get for now.
He’d been pushed to the side and treated. He accepted the oxygen mask and all the concern until he realized he hadn’t been hurt except for a few cuts and bruises. At least from where he stood now he could oversee Rick and everything happening around him.
Smoke still swirled around him and the fire crackled with renewed life not that far away. Tim and Owen had been rushed to hospitals. No word yet on their status, but Tim had been crying as they loaded him onto the gurney.
Ben wasn’t so lucky. He died at the scene along with Gretchen. Seth could not call up one ounce of sympathy for either of them. Not when he watched Rick get wrapped in bandage after bandage.
Suddenly the crowd parted and Alec walked through the throngs of people. They moved out of his way as if they knew they were supposed to.
He stopped next to Seth and surveyed the dam
age. “Rough night?”
Seth hated this guy. “You stop by to gloat?”
For a second Alec’s eyes narrowed. “I came because I told Rick I’d see him today.”
Seth lifted his hand to glance at his watch but it wasn’t there. He settled for grumbling at the man he was pretty sure could put him in a box and get away with it. “What are you talking about?”
“My people put the word out that Rick was asking questions about shipments. I told Rick, through the now dead man, that I’d see him, and here I am.”
Somehow Alec actually made that explanation sound reasonable. Maybe it was the suit, which he still wore in the middle of the might.
Seth was too tired to weigh his words. Screw protocol and Helena’s warnings. This guy set Seth up. Worse than the house or anything else. He unleashed a killer and delivered only a cryptic warning.
“What the fuck? You could have gotten us killed.”
Alec shrugged. “I was standing by.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“That’s not news.” Alec smoothed a hand over his tie as he watched Rick lie back on a gurney.
Jealousy morphed into sympathy. If this guy did care about Rick, and he might, seeing him injured had to be a shock. Seth still couldn’t look over there without losing the ability to breathe. “Why come here now?”
“The street is on fire.” Alec shrugged. “Whose people do you think disposed of the bomb when Nathan found it?”
Seth had no idea what that meant. “What?”
“You didn’t think you were the only busy one tonight, did you? And now you can concentrate on Rick.”
Seth felt someone looking at him and his gaze tracked to Rick. He looked ready to sit up and storm over. No way could that happen. Neither could Alec’s interference.
Tempting. Far too tempting. “I’m supposed to believe that you’re, what, matchmaking?”
“Consider it a favor.”
No fucking way. “I don’t do those.” And Seth was way too smart to owe this guy anything.
“You do now.” Alec stepped away from Seth before turning around again. “Kiss Rick for me. I’d do it but you might still have your gun.”
“Fuck you.”
Alec smiled but there was no warmth in it. “See you soon.”
Chapter 26
They’d stayed behind in Munich for another six days. It took that long for Tim to get out of the hospital and Owen to be cleared to return to work. Both wounds brought a lot of blood but looked worse than they were.
Helena and Max flew in. Nathan hung around and brought in the rest of their team. They’d traced Gretchen’s movements and found information about the weapons scheme at her apartment. Times and names. Seth and his team had been busy rounding up all the players.
All in all a good bit of work.
The only problem was Seth. At night, in bed at the consulate, he turned wild. He couldn’t touch and taste fast enough to satisfy himself. By the time each morning rolled around, Rick was exhausted and ready for a nap.
But the days dragged on. Hours passed like an eternity. Rick had to actually play the role of consul general and that included calming the staff and answering questions. Helena covered up the details about the weapons. All anyone at the consulate and in the public knew was that Ben and his girlfriend, Gretchen, had gotten involved in a burglary ring. That Rick found out and in the rush to keep him quiet, they went too far.
Helena’s PR machine should win an award for all their work this week.
That handled the cover stories and the stolen shipments. They’d even stopped the weapons operation. Seth should have been happy but he barely spoke.
Rick had been trying to coax him out of his mood for days. Their time in Munich was winding down, which could mean anything in terms of where they went next, so Rick took one more shot.
He rested his hands on the breakfast bar in the suite’s kitchenette. “Now what?”
It was open-ended. Seth could take that line anywhere. Rick just hoped he answered.
Seth flipped through the pages on the tablet resting on his lap. He sat on the couch with all his focus on that pad. “I vote we eat something other than eggs. No one should try to poison you now.”
Not the direction Rick had hoped the conversation would go, but okay. “You love my eggs.”
“I despise eggs but I liked the sex, so I made the sacrifice.”
That almost sounded like the old Seth. God, Rick hoped that guy would come back soon. He missed that guy. He’d fallen for that guy. The grumbling and the roughness, the sarcasm and the underlying goodness. The protector with the bone-deep sense of right and wrong. All of it.
“That’s romantic.”
Seth snorted but didn’t look up. “No one ever accused me of that.”
This was going well.
Maybe less physical distance would help. Rick was willing to try anything to break down the unexpected wall Seth had thrown up between them.
He slid onto the table in front of Seth. When he didn’t look up, Rick put his hand over the screen and pushed the tablet down.
Seth’s eyebrow lifted. “Yes?”
“What’s going on in your head?” Rick knew he could hear anything in response.
“Thoughts about dinner.”
Desperation ran through Rick. Seth sat right there but was hiding and quietly pulling away. “You changed.”
Seth shook his head. “Don’t do this.”
He hadn’t pretended not to get it. That meant he knew. On some level he was aware of the divide.
Rick ignored the shot of pain that spun through him. “What, talk to you?”
“Now isn’t the right time.” Seth shifted his legs, almost shoved Rick’s to the side and got up. He walked away from the couch but didn’t leave the room.
All of the energy ran out of Rick then. He could feel his hope drain away. “You’re going to leave soon. I get that.”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “That was always going to happen.”
The words sliced through Rick. Tore right through skin and bone and flayed him open. He grabbed under the edge of the table and dug the wood into his palm. Anything to keep Seth from seeing how what he said carved out a piece of him.
He settled for anger. He could call that up without trouble right now. “Are you fucking kidding?”
Seth walked back and forth in the small space right next to Rick. “This was always temporary.”
He’d backtracked the whole way to the beginning. Wrote off every feeling and every minute of time together. Rick could see Seth erasing him. Taking him right out of his memories.
Seth visibly swallowed. “We should just enjoy the time we have.”
“Bullshit.”
Seth’s head shot up and he stared Rick down. “Excuse me.”
“You’re a fucking coward.”
Seth opened his mouth but then closed it again. It took another second for him to say anything. “You’re not going to be able to bait me.”
“Because you don’t feel anything?”
“Because this can’t happen.” Seth spun around as he yelled the words.
The harsh sound sat there for a few seconds. Rick didn’t understand the anger. He didn’t play games or screw with people just because he could. The idea that Seth operated under different terms ripped Rick apart. Made him doubt everything.
“Why not?” Rick heard the pleading in his voice but couldn’t call it back. “Tell me. You at least owe me that much.”
“Because you are perfect.”
The words just sat there. Rick almost laughed because the idea was so absurd. “Again with this shit?”
“You don’t take a wrong step. You’re scared and still you wade in. You slip back from that into your normal life. You adjust and move on. You don’t have another side. This—right now—is you. No games.” Seth moved in closer now. “I don’t really know anyone like you. I didn’t know perfect existed.”
“I’ve told you before. I am far f
rom perfect. Don’t saddle me with that because no one could live up to it.” Rick couldn’t even process the sentiment. He was so far from perfect. He’d messed up so badly with this man.
He tried to snap his mind back to the present. They had gotten way off track. All that talking and they somehow spoke past each other. There was no other explanation for this.
“Come on. You walk in here and handle this assignment. You fit in even though you haven’t been trained to be an actual consul general. You assess and put on those glasses and get to work.”
The damn glasses again. “What does any of that matter?”
“I’m half wild.” Seth reached out as if he were going to touch Rick but then pulled his hand back. “I spent my life trampling all over the line. Fighting authority. Moving on when things got too emotional.”
“You’ve got this wrong.” So very wrong.
A new wave of panic hit Rick. That secret, buried so deep, pushed up to find air. He’d tamped it down and ignored it. Pretended it existed in a different world from the one he and Seth moved in. But it kept spinning back to life.
Now it might be the only way to break through to Seth.
“I need you, but don’t you get it? You don’t need me. You’re…perfect.” Seth swore under his breath. “There isn’t another word. You should pack your bag and your notepad and run like hell from me.”
The truth bubbled up. His feelings. His guilt. Rick latched onto one of those. The one that scared him minutes ago now seemed safer. “I don’t want to be away from you.”
“God, why?” Seth lifted his shirt. “These scars? They aren’t just physical.” He let the bottom drop again. “Maybe Nathan’s right about the sarcasm. It’s a shield. With that I don’t have to deal with disappointment, and that’s what will happen. I will fucking destroy you.”
Something deep inside Rick broke open. The truth ripped out and kicked to the surface. He tried to block it and find other words. Think of another argument.
He could not say this one thing. It might heal but it was more likely to shred every good memory between them.
Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love #2) Page 22