29. Xander
Xander
It felt good to let off some steam. Guns had always been a part of my life, but always as a necessary tool, the way one thought of a pen or calculator.
But today, with Brody, just enjoying the sunny day, the warm air holding a hint of salt from the breeze coming off the Gulf, I wasn’t thinking about anything other than having fun.
“Great shot,” Brody called once we both lowered our weapons. “You’re better than most of my students.”
I snorted. “You teach beginners, don’t you? I’ve been shooting a handgun since I was five.”
“Beginner firearms instructor doesn’t mean I teach someone who’s never held a gun before,” Brody shot back, not looking the least bit offended.
“It’s just the entry-level class for anyone coming here.
Considering everyone has a background in police or military—among others—I’d wager the class would be considered more than advanced at a normal gun range. ”
Acknowledging his point with a grunt, I loaded another clip and repositioned my ear plugs.
Having spent almost all my life in cities, I found the training grounds to be a foreign world.
Everything was green and rural. Unless it was mud.
The training courses were put to use by men and women in tactical gear, and their loud encouragement was as polar opposite to my raising as the Texas heat was to Russia’s long winters.
“Is this what you do all day?” I asked once we’d both emptied our weapons again.
“Pretty much.” His Texas drawl was slow and deep as we walked down the grassy expanse to get our targets. “I help Boone out some when he needs an extra set of hands. And, of course, Lessia keeps me busy.” His happiness from even mentioning her name was evident.
“You’ll have to tell me about that one. How did you two end up together?
” I’d first seen Brody accompanying Lessia at an event in Europe.
I’d crashed the party, knowing she’d be there and needing to warn her of an impending kidnapping attempt by a wealthy German with a god complex and a firm disdain for women.
“I was hired by her brothers to keep her safe from a stalker.”
I laughed, thinking of Alessia Accardi needing help protecting herself, then stopped when I realized he wasn’t joking. “Really?”
He grinned. “She ended up scaring the kid—some British trust fund brat—so badly he refused to move from where he was cowering in her yard until the police came. Then she went back to making dinner.”
I chuckled, having no issue picturing it. Even before I knew what Lessia’s real profession consisted of, everything about Alessia Accardi spoke to her absolute confidence in herself and ability to handle anything and anyone that came her way.
“Let’s just say they now know the error in their thinking.
” The words were innocent enough, but the weight behind them had me wondering if he meant they knew the entire story or if Lessia had just set her brothers straight.
Not that it was any of my business, but I couldn’t help being curious about the woman who managed to perform miracles when it came to saving victims and killing those who were thought to be untouchable.
Vik had filled me in on some of her exploits, and they made for better fiction than fact.
We were packing it in when Boone joined us, looking all too happy for a man drenched in sweat in almost one-hundred-degree heat. “Hey, y’all. I was just about to stop in to see Gretchen. Do you want to check out the K-9 training grounds?”
“Stop in?” I asked suspiciously. I knew Gretchen was Matteo’s woman, but I hadn’t yet met her. Still, any woman who worked for Accardi Tactical and was former military likely didn’t need a babysitter at work.
Boone must have seen the doubt on my face.
“Kassie asked me to check in on her. Apparently, they got a surgery date for her daughter today, and it’s sooner than G and Matteo expected.
Which is a good thing,” he explained in a rush.
“But Kassie’s still worried it might have thrown Gretchen off and wants me to get a read on her.
” He shrugged as if he didn’t have a clue what he was supposed to notice but was too enamored with his girlfriend to defy a request from her.
Brody smirked. “Kassie asked you to snoop, and you want us to join you so we all get in trouble if Gretchen catches on.”
Boone shrugged, not looking ashamed in the least. “I’m not just a pretty face.
And I shouldn’t be surprised you caught onto me.
It’s not like you don’t strategize when it comes to my sister.
” He shot me a pointed look, and I blinked, realizing our little shooting match was likely Lessia’s idea for me to decompress while Andrie was safe with her at the A.T. office.
“Touché.” He raised his hands in defeat. “Lead on.”
The kennels weren’t far from the training course, and I was surprised at how quiet the building was.
I’d expected the dogs to be barking, the entire place loud and smelly.
But the dogs were relaxed in their kennels, and it only smelled faintly of dog, cleaner, and fresh air.
We passed a few as we walked down the main hall, and I peeked in to see a solid black dog fast asleep, all four legs up in the air and a bone clutched in his jaws.
He never even opened his eyes as we passed him.
Eager to see more dogs, I looked into a few more rooms as I followed the other two men, but the rest were either sleeping or just stared at us as we passed.
I recognized a few Malinois or German shepherds, along with some Labs and a wrinkly Bloodhound.
It wasn’t until we reached the back of the building that we found a woman sitting on the ground of the kennel, eating a sandwich while a dog sat next to her, licking its lips.
The Doberman Pinscher was a beautiful black and tan, her coat sleek and shiny.
Judging by the swollen stomach, she was also heavily pregnant.
The dog scanned us quickly, her tail wagging once, before her entire focus went back to the food barely a foot from her face.
Gretchen looked over, jumping slightly when she saw three men outside the solid door, But then she smiled and reached over to open the kennel door. “Hey, guys.”
“New friend?” Brody asked, putting a hand out to allow the dog to sniff before scratching behind her floppy ears.
“Meet Luna. She’s a total sweetheart.” Gretchen beamed.
“She’s not a military dog, is she?” Boone asked as he got his own pets in. “I mean,” he waved to her belly. “Please don’t tell me we need to add an amendment to the list of requirements needed for a handler to bring their dog.”
She laughed. “No, Boone. Luna isn’t here as part of our K-9 program. Actually, she isn’t officially here at all.”
I inched into the room as the other two drifted farther inside. Boone sat on the ground next to Gretchen, who offered him a bag of chips.
“Gretchen, this is Xander. I’m not sure if y’all have met yet. He’s new to the area but is friends with Grimm and Tristan,” Boone explained as he opened the bag.
Gretchen smiled up at me, offering her hand, which I took. “Matteo mentioned you, I think. You’re Vik’s brother, right?”
Luna, who up until then had focused on the food, turned to me.
I wasn’t afraid of dogs—had actually wanted one as a child—but I’d never had cause to be around them much.
I’d known better than to ask for one or even acknowledge any strays on the streets.
My mother would have sooner killed one than allowed it to cross her path.
Crouching, I offered a hand the way the other men had. Luna sniffed, but instead of going back to Gretchen, she pushed into me, hard enough to send me onto my ass. Gretchen scolded the dog, but Luna ignored her, climbing into my lap before I’d even had a chance to fully steady myself.
“I’m so sorry,” Gretchen apologized, calling for the dog, but I waved her off.
“It’s no bother.” I rubbed the dog in long, slow strokes.
“You said she’s not part of the training program?
” Mentally, I wondered how Andrie would feel about getting a dog or two.
Alex had routinely set out her leftover food for the strays behind our condo—something I continued after she was gone—and I had a feeling Andrie’s soft spot for them hadn’t changed.
“She isn’t a dog here for boarding, is she?
” Boone asked with a frown. “I know Gideon told you to stop allowing employees to use this facility when they go out of town. There are kennels around the city that actually cater to that sort of thing, and even with the recent expansion, you don’t have the room or additional resources. ”
Gretchen waved him off. “In this case, you’ll have to take it up with Luna’s owner. I wasn’t about to tell them no.”
Brody groaned. “Don’t tell me Lessia—”
She waved a hand in dismissal. “You’re off the hook this time. This girl here actually belongs to Boone’s uncle.”
Boone’s eyes widened. “Harrison got a dog? A pregnant dog?”
Gretchen shot a quick look at me before turning to the two men. “He asked me to watch over her while he was in DC. Luna came from Europe a few weeks ago, and I’ve been tapped to keep up with her training, as well as the litter, once they’re born.”
“He’s having you train the entire litter? For what, and whom?” Brody asked.
She bit her lip, glancing between the three of us, and I realized she wasn’t sure what information I was privy to.
Brody must have realized it too, because he quickly added, “Xander hasn’t met Harrison in person yet, but that’s due to lack of time.
Xander’s been settling in with Tristan and his friends, and he’s dating Andrie.
And Harrison’s had his hands full with work. ”
Gretchen read between the lines and nodded. Boone stayed silent, and I wondered how much Lessia’s siblings were a part of this shadow world that had developed around them.