21. Xander
Xander
To say Andrie was more patient than I was would have been a total understatement. After a brief nap, she acted as if nothing had happened, attempting to take advantage of the “downtime” and clean her house. She had me cleaning out gutters, wiping windows, and washing ceiling fans.
My reward for helping her with the domestic work included a pot of chili, two peach pies, and another night in her bed.
Sleep was hard coming for both of us and not just because the sex was just as addicting as it had been in our previous lives.
Even after, cuddled in each other’s arms and breathing heavily, we seemed to fight letting go.
I was afraid of what my nightmares might consist of, and I had a feeling Andrie’s thoughts mirrored mine.
The next day, armed with a car accident story, we went car shopping.
I knew Andrie well enough to know she wouldn’t buy anything that large as a spur of the moment purchase, but with the help of a salesman and my input, she narrowed her options down to a larger—and only slightly—more modern version of her sedan and a sporty SUV.
While she spent more time talking with the salesman about the sedan, I hoped, based on the longing looks and price comparison searches she’d done on her phone, she’d take the plunge with the SUV.
We ate at a nearby restaurant and then met Vik at Andrie’s old office.
He and I made quick work of the cleanup, relegating Andrie to overseeing the packing of the lighter knick-knacks.
The only piece of furniture she wanted to keep was the bookshelf.
I had to admit, after seeing the hidden compartment inside what appeared to be a solid shelf, it was pretty neat.
It was also a bitch to move. The entire solid piece, which was easily four feet tall and ten feet wide, with individual sections of shelves and solid wood dividers, was heavy and ungainly to move.
We had to rent a moving truck in order to get it across town and to the A.T. building.
Thankfully, Boone, who was coming down as we were struggling to get it up the stairway, helped us get it to the proper floor and into the room.
Kassie, the office manager for the executives, had come down to see if Andrie needed anything in way of supplies and to give her the packet IT had put together so she had the access for their computer system, which would include a secured internet connection and inter-office messaging system.
While I knew I had absolutely no say in Andrie’s job choices, I loved that she’d moved into the building.
Not only was it safer—the building was more secure than most embassies—but the comradery she was already being shown told me she’d no longer be alone while at the office during the day.
Here, she’d have coworkers and possibly even more friends to break up the day instead of being alone and likely lonely, as she’d been in her previous location.
She’d admitted, when questioned more about the old office, that she hadn’t chosen it.
Hardy had, and other than knowing that other people in the building were connected to government or military work, she didn’t know any of them and could barely identify the people who worked in the building.
I had to say, if I had a background that wouldn’t send a host of red flags up the HR ladder, I would’ve asked about applying myself.
Not in the offices—I’d never be domesticated enough to turn into a suit—but chatting with Boone and what he and others did at their training location had me wishing I had the security clearance to look into available positions at the training grounds.
The idea of taking my knowledge and using it to protect others directly instead of just stealing information and passing it on from time to time, as I'd done in the past, was appealing.
I knew that as much as I enjoyed using my skills for the Iron Wraiths, I didn’t want my life filled with that much darkness in my day-to-day.
Still, I made a mental note to narrow my job searches to something that would help others.
Grimm and I had talked a few times about what I wanted my life to consist of, assuming Andrie was a part of it—and she would be a large part of it.
I’d toyed with becoming an operative, but the thought of being away from her for large stretches while I was on assignments didn’t sit right with me, and I knew she wouldn’t want me to take that kind of a risk, not when she’d already lost me once.
Though I’d committed to aiding the Wraiths in dismantling trafficking rings—something that was too important not to do.
Still, at least with them, I’d have brothers with me to ensure my ass returned to Andrie in one piece.
I knew I wanted to find something similar to Charge.
He supported the MC without question but wasn’t an operative.
Still, everyone knew without a doubt he would step up and do what was needed, no questions asked.
And while he wasn’t as far into the shady shit the MC was up to the way I wanted to be—as Vik and I had said before, everyone needed a hobby—there was something to staying below radar, the way I’d been most of my life.
Rising from where I’d been securing the bookcase to the wall, I saw Boone watching me while Kassie and Andrie talked.
Vik, seeing my pointed expression, looked at Boone and then offered to take the women down to the storage room to see if anything else would be suitable for the office.
Boone smoothly offered to help me finish up some paperwork that would give me access to see Andrie in the building as her “boyfriend”—something Vik and I had insisted Andrie allow, given the current situation.
I could tell Andrie knew something was up, but she let Vik lead her from the room, talking with Kassie about how far their decorating frenzy should go and Kassie’s current dilemma about “refreshing” Boone’s house.
Boone waited until the voices faded before closing the door.
Not sure of my best move, I stood in the middle of the room, deciding to let Boone lead.
On one hand, Kassie was my sister, even if she wasn’t aware of it, and I had no designs on anything.
I was only amazed that she, along with myself, Andrie, and Vik, had all made it to the other side of the world, safe and in one piece.
However, I understood I was a strange man who couldn’t help focusing on Boone’s woman anytime we were in the same room.
If I were him, I’d want to set me straight, too.
“I can’t help but notice you watching my girlfriend,” Boone said, coming around to sit in Andrie’s desk chair. What surprised me was his motion for me to sit in one of the chairs across from the desk as if we were having a casual chat.
I stayed silent, still not sure what to say, as I leaned back into the surprisingly comfortable chair.
“What I can’t figure out is why,” Boone continued mildly. “I know you’re very obviously involved with Andrie, and I don’t get the straying-eye vibe from you. So, I have to ask myself, why else would Kassie draw your notice?”
It wasn’t a question directed at me, but he let the silence hang. On a regular civilian, the silence might have worked, making them talk in an effort to fill it. But I wasn’t a regular civilian. I let the moment stretch, not about to give in.
Boone matched me, but instead of anger or even interest, amusement sparkled in his eyes, along with a hint of respect.
“I asked Lessia about you, you know.” he said finally.
Unable to help myself, I blinked, not anticipating that turn of events. “What did she have to say?” I grudgingly asked.
“That you were a protector of sorts. In another job, another life. Not one in public, but someone in the shadows. And that you kept Kassie safe, even if she had little idea she had a guardian angel.”
Well, that was more poetic than I would have given Lessia credit for.
But she hadn’t lied, even if the details were decidedly vague.
Mainly, I’d protected Kassie by staying away from her, even though I wished I hadn’t had to.
If any of my connections had thought I had a soft spot for the half-sister my father barely acknowledged, she would have had a neon target on her back.
Still, the words warmed me enough to give him what I could.
“It’s just nice to see her happy. That’s all.
It’s all I’ve ever wanted for her.” His eyes flickered, and I feared I’d given away too much, but he hid his thoughts before I could read them clearly.
“Then I’m glad you could be here to see that what you sacrificed on her behalf was worth it.” His quiet words cut me to the core.
Deciding to trade him truth for truth, I replied, “I’m happy she has you.”
“Well, then.” Looking as uncomfortable as I felt now that we were discussing feelings, he rose. The door opened, and the women, leading a packed-down Vik, came back into the room.
“Honey, I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Xander and Andrie over to help us paint this weekend.” He told his girlfriend, not missing a beat.
Andrie’s attention went to me, but I only winked at her. “Boone said something about going room by room,” I announced, playing a hunch on my sister going overboard. Just because I’d stayed in the shadows, as Boone had put it, didn’t mean I didn’t know her. She just didn’t know me.
Kassie flushed guiltily. “I’m afraid once I got started I couldn’t stop redecorating. I keep telling Boone to rein me in, but—“
Boone cut her off, pulling her in for a quick kiss. “I told you, I want you to make the house yours. It’s just paint and decorations, honey. I’ll let you know if you’re going too crazy. The house already feels more like a home, half-done and a mess, than it ever did when I lived there by myself.”
As much as I loved that my sister had found a man strong enough to protect her and one who loved her enough to worship the ground she walked on, I didn’t necessarily need a front row seat to him making doe-eyes at her.
My phone buzzed, and grateful for the intrusion, I quickly answered it, only to find myself listening to dead air as I was hung up on almost immediately.
Apparently, Juniper was a woman of few words.
“We’re needed at HQ,” I told Vik and Andrie. “Unless you want to spend some more time putting everything together?” I offered hastily.
Andrie shook her head. “Kassie gave me some great ideas on what I can buy to make this feel more … comfortable. I don’t suppose we can go out after your meeting?”
I heard Vik snicker behind me. Perhaps Boone wasn’t the only one in the room willing to do anything for his woman.
Vik knew I hated any sort of shopping with a passion, but I heard myself agreeing to go as soon as we wrapped things up, even offering to take her out to dinner if we were out that late.
I wasn’t sure if Andrie actually wanted to go shopping or if she was just giving us an exit strategy, but I knew if she showed any interest in going out today, I’d be holding her purse and pushing the cart without a hint of impatience.
Within twenty minutes, we were back at the Iron Wraith’s headquarters. Juniper vibrating with excitement as we walked through the door. “I found them.” Her words were pure satisfaction.
“The buyer or the person who orchestrated the attempt?” I asked, grasping Andrie’s hand in mine the second I felt her reach for me.
“Both. At least, I’m pretty sure about the buyer. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of people who would have wanted their hands on it. But first …”
She brought up a photo of a man I didn’t recognize, but Andrie gasped. “That’s Hardy. He’s my government contact.”
“Which branch?” I asked.
“I-I don’t know. He’s been my handler from the beginning.”
“What do you mean, your handler?” Grimm tilted his head in question.
“Having a point of contact for each military and government branch I work with would get too complicated. Instead, I was assigned one person to reach out to. He’s the one who approved my office location, handled setting up my phone line—or so he thinks, considering he’s unaware Matteo had it upgraded after he left—and is the one I’m supposed to call if I have any issues with security. ”
“How often do you see him?” Matteo asked.
“Umm … not often. A few times. He came here recently before the break-in. He wasn’t happy about me moving offices, but he didn’t have a leg to stand on afterward since he’s the one who picked the location.”
“Why would he have an issue with moving offices?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t get it. To be honest, I thought it was big-man syndrome.
You know, he was mad it wasn’t his idea.
Lessia knows him. She called him Hardly, as in hardly does anything.
He spends more time bossing people around and throwing his weight around than he does anything else.
But if he were biding his time, having me accumulate more and more names, it could be he knew he wouldn’t have access if I moved to Accardi Tactical. ”
“Ding, ding, ding,” Juniper said. Even though she wasn’t currently typing, her fingers—all of them—were tapping on the table, as if she were typing the words she was speaking.
“At least, that’s what we’ve been able to figure out from reading between the lines.
He isn’t rising in ranks any longer. His father was some sort of a bigwig four-star general, but he died last year.
Hardy isn’t liked by anyone, does a shitty job at whatever it is he’s supposed to do, and likes the high life.
Unfortunately for him, his funds are running out faster than chickens after discovering a fox in their henhouse. ”
“And the connection between him and Gary?” Andrie wanted to know.
“Second cousins. But their mothers were close, and they took family vacations together when the men were children.” Josie rolled her eyes.
“The two exchanged infrequent phone calls until a few months ago, right around the time Gary was discharged. It seems like Hardy allowed him into the plan at that point, and after almost constant contact, they had one phone call just before Gary came down here. I pulled camera footage from the airport, and Hardy actually dropped our little imposter off and handed him a packet right before they parted ways.”
“And the buyer?” Vik crossed his arms across his chest.
“Irina Petrov.”
“Demi’s mother?”