Operation 9 Blurred Protocol
Cassidy
One-fifty.
One-sixty-seven
One-seventy-five.
The Mustang tore through the sleeping city like a black bullet.
Cassidy had one hand gripping the wheel as he dialed on his business phone with the other, and Xander’s terrified breathing filling the Bluetooth in his ear.
“Please…please…”
Xander’s whispers were so broken and soft, Cassidy strained to hear him over the supercharged V8 Predator engine.
The fear in Xander’s voice was palpable—raw and stabbing.
Every one of his frightened breaths tightened something in Cassidy’s chest. But, despite the spiking adrenaline, he kept his voice level.
“Xander. I don’t want you to speak. Just press a button if you found a place to hide.”
Silence.
Then a beep sounded through the line.
Cassidy let out a soft exhale.
“Good,” he said in a hushed voice. “Stay hidden. I’m on my way and so are the police.”
He clenched his jaw at Xander’s shuddering breaths, and the faint sounds of him trying not to panic.
“Quiet, Xander,” he ordered. “Don’t make a sound. I’m almost there. I swear I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”
Damnit, he hoped he could keep that promise as he pressed his boot all the way down on the accelerator until it was touching the floorboard.
He muted Xander’s call and switched back to the other line.
When he’d first called God, he’d expected the lieutenant himself. Instead, his computer genius, Free, answered.
And thank Christ he did.
The hacker moved like lightning, as if critical tactical response was ingrained in him.
Within seconds Free had dispatched local law enforcement, LAPD SWAT, the city’s crises negotiation team, and mobilized God’s enforcers.
Before he could speak, Free started in as if he already knew what he was about to ask.
“LAPD ETA four minutes. Enforcers ETA two.”
“Not good enough,” Cassidy growled.
Free continued without missing a beat. “Grid routing’s been adjusted. I’ve cleared your path through the last five intersections. Keep pushing southbound.”
Over Xander’s struggling breaths, he heard heavy footsteps and objects breaking.
His stomach dropped through his seat.
“We’re out of minutes,” he snarled at Free, before he unmuted Xander.
“Xander, listen to me,” he whispered harshly. “If they find you…you fight them. Fight ’em with everything you got.”
Before he could say another word, a screeching alarm blared in the background.
It wasn’t Xander’s house alarm, but it was very close. Close enough to echo.
Xander’s breath hitched.
“I’ve triggered the neighbor’s security system.” Free said. “Let’s see if I can scare this motherfucker off.”
Cassidy tightened his grip on the wheel.
“I’m almost there, Xander.”
Sirens wailed in the distance, making him sag with relief.
“Stay hidden until the police are inside,” he ordered.
The answering silence damn near killed him, because he had no idea what state Xander was in now.
Was he still hidden, or even conscious?
Silence.
“I think the police are here,” Xander said shakily.
“Okay. Wait until they call for you.”
A pause.
“Where are you?” Xander whispered.
Cassidy was shocked at the emotion sitting like a boulder on his chest.
“I’m coming up your driveway.”
Red and blue lights were painting the modest property in violent flashes by the time he swung into the circular drive.
A black SUV also sat near the entrance.
The Enforcers.
Cassidy threw the Mustang into park without caring about killing the engine and bolted toward the house.
The front door stood partially open.
Officers were moving through the lower level with weapons drawn.
“Clear!”
“Kitchen clear!”
“Moving upstairs!”
Cassidy ignored them as he took the staircase three steps at a time, pulse slamming against his ribs.
Multiple doors stretched down the upper hallway, but instinct had him racing through a pair of double doors, Bluetooth still pressed tight into his ear.
“Xander. I’m in your bedroom, where are—”
A side door flew open, and Xander barreled into him so hard it nearly knocked the breath from him.
Xander wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face against his throat.
Without hesitation he embraced him back. He cupped the back of Xander’s head with one hand, locking the other around his back.
Cassidy closed his eyes, realizing for the first time in a long time he’d been afraid.
Not professionally concerned or alarmed, but terrified.
Xander was shaking against him, falling apart.
“Why is this happening?” Xander choked out. “What did I do that was so wrong?”
“Shhh.” He stroked his hand through Xander’s damp hair. “You’re okay now, I’ve got you.”
Xander pressed closer.
“I’m so tired of being scared.”
Cassidy eased his palm over bare, warm, supple skin, now realizing Xander was damn near naked in his arms. The towel wrapped low around his hips was just holding on, leaving so much of him exposed beneath his hands.
The more he caressed and the tighter Xander squeezed him, the more his trembling eased.
The lights surged back on, making him blink until his eyes adjusted.
He cupped Xander’s cheek and edged him back far enough to look at him.
Fuck me.
Those usually sparkling eyes were red-rimmed and full of tears. His wet lashes clumped together in dark spikes, fear still lingering on his beautiful face.
But something else was there too.
Something tender, open, desperate…wanting.
It’d been so long since anyone had gazed at him in that way, all Cassidy could do was stare.
He couldn’t be seeing what he thought was in Xander’s gaze.
This young, talented, gorgeous fucking superstar couldn’t possibly want his old, gruff ass.
No.
Xander was just scared, emotional, and clinging to the first safe thing he saw.
That had to be it.
Until he saw those soft, pale blue eyes drop briefly to his mouth.
Cassidy noticed it, and God help him…he almost leaned down, until a sharp knock interrupted them.
Two officers stepped into the room.
Instead of pulling away, Xander buried his face back into Cassidy’s throat and stayed wrapped around him as if he trusted Cassidy more than the actual police.
“The house and exterior are clear,” one officer reported. “No signs of theft or major vandalism. Just a broken rear window and a few things knocked over downstairs.”
The other officer frowned at the doorknob that’d been blown apart.
“Dispatch said there was security personnel on-site, but we didn’t locate any.”
Cassidy’s jaw clenched until pain shot through it.
“They were supposed to be,” he said flatly. “Apparently they received texts saying they were relieved.”
I’m gonna kill those dumb motherfuckers with my bare fuckin’ hands.
The officers exchanged confused glances, but he waved them off
“I’ll handle it.”
Ruxs, Green, and Steele stood at the entrance of the double doors.
“The main breaker was shut off,” Green said.
Steele nodded. “We swept the perimeter but there was nothing.”
“Free tapped into the neighbor’s security cams and caught a man running across the property,” Green added. “Male, about six feet. Dark clothes. Hood up and head down. Smart enough not to give cameras a clean angle.”
Xander exhaled shakily against his neck.
Steele continued. “Free noted the security detail left the property at zero-one-forty-five. Power was cut at zero-two-ten. So they didn’t hesitate long after the guards abandoned post.”
Cassidy’s blood boiled.
“Free and Tech are coming here tomorrow to do a full security system overhaul of Xander’s system,” Steele said. “Cameras, sensors, network reinforcement, internal failovers, perimeter redesign, you name it.”
Green folded his arms. “In the meantime, God says principal needs to be relocated.”
Xander shook his head fast.
“Cassie, please don’t just send me somewhere.”
Cassidy nearly stopped breathing.
Cassie.
Nobody called him that. Not his coworkers, parents—even his little sister called him by his full name.
Somehow hearing Xander’s nickname for him in his shaky voice did something foreign in his damn chest.
His hand stayed closed around the back of Xander’s neck while he brushed his thumb across his cheekbone.
Ruxs, Green, and Steele had to notice the intimate way he was holding the superstar, but none of them blinked.
Green turned slightly as if he was speaking to someone beside him.
“Free, secure a location for principal until his detail is stabilized. Morrison will be staying with him for the duration.” He paused, listening to something Cassidy couldn’t hear.
“And do something on media suppression. The emergency response must’ve lit up the scanner bands because paparazzi flooded the entrance of his house. ”
Ruxs cursed under his breath. “Vultures.”
Green narrowed his eyes toward the windows. “We’ll contain them long enough to move him. Free jam whatever you got to, loop the street cameras, and kill the easiest angles. Ruxs and I will clear a path out the back gate.”
He appreciated the hell out of Green making these decisions for him. Because he wasn’t leaving Xander’s side again…period.
“Let me know when it’s arranged and we’ll move.”
Cassidy frowned.
Green had no phone, visible earpiece, two-way radio…nothing. Yet somehow he was talking to Free.
He filed that mystery away for later.
Steele motioned toward the hallway. “God said to escort you guys in. With your permission, Xander, Ruxs and Green are gonna stay back and image the residence so Tech and Free can begin designing your system.”
Xander nodded without lifting his face.
“Best go put a bag or two together,” Steele said in his rough tenor. “We’ll notify the other responders the scene is secured.”
The three of them left and the room suddenly felt softer—or was it the feel of Xander’s smooth skin under his palms?
He pulled Xander back so he could look at him.
He gently wiped away the dampness beneath his eyes with both thumbs.
“Go pack your stuff,” he whispered. “You’re coming with me.”
“Thank you,” Xander sighed. “I know that’s not your job but—"
“Don’t.” He put one finger against Xander’s lips. “I’m fully aware of what my job is.”
Cassidy’s gaze dropped to where his finger touched those full lips.
Xander parted his mouth a fraction, his breath hot and shallow.
This time he knew for certain he wasn’t imagining it.
He traced a slow path down to Xander’s chin, then caught it gently between his thumb and index finger.
The air shifted and for one reckless second Cassidy almost cast caution to the wind.
Almost.
What the fuck?
He stepped back before he did something stupid.
“I’ll be right outside your door waiting for you,” he murmured.
Xander looked confused, or was that disappointment? But Cassidy had to walk away before he forgot every professional line he’d spent his life respecting.