Chapter 8
Brett
After Felix’s surprise departure, Brett arranged to collect the gift he’d bought for Christian and Oscar. Once he had it in his possession, he quickly went to their suite and knocked. Most people wouldn’t want to interrupt newlyweds, but Christian had told him it was okay to take it over.
The door opened to Christian’s smiling face. “Come on in.”
Brett carried the heavy box and barely stopped himself from dropping it when Oreo came bounding over and sniffed at it.
Oscar chuckled. “Well, whatever it is, Oreo likes it.”
Brett cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable with his gift now that it was time to pass it over. It might have been the wrong thing to get them, but he had been sure it was right. Maybe he was wrong. He wavered, but Christian took the option of retreat from him.
“Let’s have it then.”
Brett put it on the floor and gestured to it. “I hope you like it.”
“Do you want to do the honours?” Christian asked Oscar, and his husband bounded over and dropped down beside the box. “I take it that’s a yes.” Christian shook his head while smiling.
Oscar lifted the lid a little and peeked in, then gasped. He looked at Brett, a smile spreading across his face, and lifted the lid completely free. A small black head poked its head up, and Oscar whimpered.
“Oh, my! It’s so cute.”
Christian looked at the puppy and then at Brett, who, for once in his life, grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “It will keep Oreo company when you’re busy.”
“Daddy, look!” Oscar said.
Oreo had settled beside the box and sniffed at the new addition before nudging its head with its nose. The puppy put its paws on the edge of the box, trying to get to Oreo.
“Did you see what Felix gave us?” Christian asked, holding out a slate tile. The design was in gold and had a shield divide into four sections, and each section held a picture: a dog, a crown, a dinosaur and two crossed guns.
“That’s amazing. I wonder where he got it from.”
“No idea, but we love it. Never seen anything like it.”
“Me either.” He handed it back. “Right. I’ll leave you to get acquainted,” Brett said, stepping back.
“Thank you, Brett,” Oscar said, his eyes never leaving the dogs.
“You’re welcome.” A tendril of warmth curled in his chest.
He left and headed back to Sec HQ, pretending he wasn’t as soft as he truly was on the inside. No one saw that side of him. No one. Well…mostly no one.
Once he was at his desk, he contacted the hospital to get an update on Matt and Van.
Everything looked good, and he relaxed marginally.
What he didn’t relax about was Venus’s parting words about Malcolm and the list of new recruits he needed to choose from.
It wasn’t any easier that time around. They all lacked something, but he had to deal with what he had.
Hopefully, he would be able to train them well enough to be ready for the royal guards.
As for Malcolm, he’d have to deal with that when it came around.
Maddox was by far the worst guard he had, but he was better than some of the recruits he planned to employ.
What he wanted to know was why Malcolm needed him to stay as a guard.
Were they going to try something and have Maddox on the inside for them?
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to plan for the recruits with Malcolm hanging over his head, he left Sec HQ again and aimed for the king’s quarters.
Colt sat outside, reading a book, but straightened when Brett approached.
“Everything okay?” Colt asked.
Brett nodded. “Yeah, everything’s good. Matt and Van are doing well. They’re just keeping them in for a few hours to see if there is anything they’ve missed. I need to speak with the king, though.”
“He’s in there. Said they were going to watch a movie after the adventure of today.”
“Don’t blame them,” Brett said. He inhaled. “I hate to interrupt, but I need to.” He knocked and waited.
“You know they won’t mind.”
Andrew opened the door. “Brett, everything okay?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’m sorry to ask, but do you have a few minutes?” Part of Brett hoped he declined, but of course, he didn’t.
“Sure. Come on in.”
Brett hesitated. Did Kean and Kendal know about his situation? Andrew nodded gently and beckoned him in. When the door closed, Andrew whispered, “I’ve told them a bit about your situation because they needed to know. Someone needs to know if anything happens to me.”
Brett understood, but he hoped they wouldn’t judge him based on who his family was.
“Brett! Lovely to see you again,” Kendal said. “Would you like a drink?” They rose.
Brett waved them off. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
“Take a seat,” Andrew said, seating himself next to Kean with Kendal on Kean’s other side. “What do you need?”
Brett settled into an armchair to the side of them. “My family…”
Andrew nodded. “I saw Lieutenant Colonel Cage. I wondered what had happened.”
Brett caught them up with the goings-on, including Neil’s second-in-command taking it upon himself to bring in the Army. Then he paused and rubbed his forehead. “We have a potential issue, and I’m not sure what to do about it right now.”
Andrew leant forward. “What is it?”
He reiterated his conversation with his sister and her warning about having to pay a price.
“Who?”
“Malcolm’s son is Maddox. The problem I have is that I was planning on firing him after his stunt today.” He enlightened them about him not searching well enough for Matt and Van.
The king rubbed his chin, his eyes on the coffee table. Brett hated waiting, but Andrew was as good—if not better—at figuring people out than he was.
“Malcolm is breaking the rules that were initially created with your father,” Andrew finally said.
“It’s understandable given that there has been a change in leadership, but ideally it should’ve been discussed rather than on a whim.
But while this is inconvenient to us, keeping an eye on Maddox is something that might be worthwhile.
And with him being close to us, it would work in our favour. ”
“But how can I trust him to do the work I need him to do when I can’t trust him?”
“Give him busywork. Malcolm didn’t state that Maddox had to be guarding someone. He only said he had to be a guard,” Kean said.
Brett stared at Kean as the weight lifted from his shoulders. “Shit, yes.” He blinked. “Sorry, Your Highnesses.”
Andrew chuckled. “It’s nice to see you lose that composure sometimes. Maybe one day you’ll slip up and call me Andrew.” The hope in his tone made Brett smile.
“Maybe.” He stood. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I will keep him busy and keep an eye on him. Now I just have the joy of training some replacement guards from the dismal display I had to choose from.”
Andrew threw his head back, laughter spilling from him. “I don’t envy you that job. Go home and get some rest.”
“Don’t laugh too much, Your Majesty. You get final approval, remember?” With that, Brett left, breathing easier than he had been when he entered the room. “See you later, Colt.”
Colt nodded and returned to his book.
As he sat at his desk once more, it was with a renewed sense that things were going to be fine. Obviously, they had a threat hanging over their heads, but while that was something to worry about, they couldn’t do much about it right then. But he could get these damn plans done.
Four hours later, he had whittled the second list down to three and sent them over to Robyn to add to the four he had already requested. Next week would be hell on earth interviewing seven potential guards, but it had to be done.
Then, he did something he didn’t often do… He went home.
Every time he parked in the driveway and looked at the building that was his house, he felt a constriction around his chest. Anyone else would see a well-kept brick bungalow with a large front garden surrounded by a fence and a garage to the side.
Brett saw his mother’s perfect home. This was the home she had always dreamt of living in, as she had told Brett so many times before she died.
She’d hated the ten-bedroom mansion his father had chosen for them to live in, but she kept her peace.
He had made it his mission to buy the house she wanted, but despite his mother having never stepped inside the place, it echoed with her presence, making Brett feel the loss every time he walked through the door.
He checked the security log as he entered, ensuring there had been no undesirable visitors in his absence.
And while Rosie had curled up on his porch earlier that day, nothing else had been there.
Rosie was a cat that had deemed Brett’s porch her own territory.
She didn’t have a collar or a microchip, so he had no idea if she had an owner, but he had no problems with her seeking refuge on his property.
He reset the alarm to show he was in the building and then trudged up the stairs to have a shower.
Dropping his clothes in the hamper outside the door, he strode naked into the wet room.
The water immediately started and steam quickly enveloped the room.
He closed his eyes as he went under the spray and just stood there, letting the water flow over him, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth.
For the first time in a long time, he let everything go and just concentrated on the sensation of the water sliding over his skin.
His mind wandered, recalling the event of earlier.
Felix’s body wrapped around his, his tight hole clenching repeatedly around Brett’s cock.
He turned his back to the spray and opened his eyes, staring at the one item that remained in the room at all times.
A silicone, suction-based shaft resting on a stool.
His own dick was already hard and waiting, just the reminder of what he’d experienced with Felix, and he reached for the poor stand-in, needing to get rid of this heat building inside him.