Drake hung back and leaned against one of the palm trees festooned with little white lights. Chief ambled over with his drink of choice, some fancy cognac that he'd learned to love while he was undercover as David Xavier. He cupped the snifter lovingly in his hand. Drake shook his head and chuckled. "You treat that shit like it was spun from gold."

"I believe it was. You have no idea how expensive it is. I get one bottle every three months from Gabriel. Having it here is an unexpected treat." Chief swirled the amber liquid under his nose before he took a sip.

"Damn, don't have an orgasm." Drake took a drink of his bourbon. Plain ole Maker's Mark. He didn't need the pomp and circumstance. But then again, he'd never figured Chief as needing it either. People change. He glanced around the reception. Damn, how people change.

"Where's Dixon?" Chief swept the crowd looking for Drake’s twin.

"Jason wanted to talk with him. Alone." Drake shrugged off the sense of unease the statement brought with it.

Chief cut him a quick glance asking a very clear, but silent question. Drake shook his head. "I have no idea."

Chief took a larger sip of his drink. His eyes gazed across the pool at his wife. He and Taty had married in front of a judge almost six months ago. They didn't tell anyone about it. Just went out and did it. It was typical of them. They were both intensely private.

"We are leaving from here and heading to Russia," Chief said as his eyes followed his woman. "Jewell believes she may have a lead in finding Taty’s sister."

"And if it turns out to be nothing?" Drake wasn't stupid, in fact, he was a certified genius. Chief was checking out of the complex for however long it took to track down the lead on his sister-in-law. Dixon was meeting with Jason. Alone. Fuck. Him. Standing.

"Then we say we did our best, and we are able to live with ourselves." Chief turned, giving him his full attention.

Reality slapped Drake in the face with a motherfucker of a left hook. He knew. Dixon was being pulled for an assignment. What, he could only guess. He slugged the remainder of his bourbon. Hell, he'd have to guess because nobody was telling him a damn thing and that pissed him off. He set his glass down on the tray of a waiter who was passing by and crossed his arms over his chest. His mind clicked off the moves that were happening and what counter moves he could employ before Chief was able to take a drink of his cognac.

"I won't let her go alone. We need someone at the Complex in charge of everything. The Shadows need you there to complete their portion. I don't know what mission Jason has for Dixon, but I can only assume it requires his skill set."

"The same exact fucking skillset I have." Drake gritted the response through his clenched teeth.

"No. There is a difference." Chief turned and looked at him. The deadly serious glint in the man's eyes told him he knew. Fuck, if Chief knew, Guardian knew.

Drake stared down his friend. "He doesn't deserve this."

"And yet, you and I both know that what happened haunts him. Let him try to find his solace. He should be allowed to have his peace. No matter how close you are, he is his own man. Jason will give him the option, but this path is for Dixon to walk—alone.”

Drake hung his head and clenched his eyes closed. It had happened so fucking long ago. Since then they'd lived to protect others. They'd sacrificed to make amends, but Drake knew how much the past weighed on his brother. He knew Chief was right, but that didn't mean he liked it.

"Your paths will diverge. You will both grow while you are apart. Jason will give him the option, but this is his decision, and if his pain is great enough, this path will be for Dixon to walk alone. A man must make his own journey to his destiny."

Drake hated every word out of Chief's mouth. Every word. He glanced up, knowing with some sixth sense when his twin stepped into the area. His brother met his eyes, and the pain and the resolve were easy to see. Drake shook his head in a silent denial of what he knew without being told. Dixon had accepted the assignment Jason had offered him. All because of misplaced guilt and years of regret. There was nothing Dixon could have done, but they'd had this argument too many times to count. Drake held his brother’s eyes as long as he could before he turned and walked off the manufactured floor onto the beach. He gazed out over the water and was immediately surrounded by people. Yet… he felt hollow and alone...and it was just the beginning.