Chapter 12

The club sat tucked into a side street near Stachus, the square in the center of the city, also known as Karlsplatz. The lack of a sign outside and the nondescript green door made it easy to miss. It also guaranteed anonymity. Alec appreciated both.

It was the one place Alec could go, outside of his house, and relax. He’d never taken anyone there, not even his brothers. Never used the restaurant for a date or even a business dinner. It was his solace. His escape. The place he stopped for a quick bite and then, if the mood hit him, for a longer time downstairs.

Tonight he blurred the lines. He let Gaige into his private world. Literally threw open the door this time and Gaige walked through.

Gaige didn’t disappoint. He was charming and interesting. He shared some background information, but he also demanded answers. Information about private issues. Alec had no intention of answering but he did. Maybe not fully but far more than usual.

There was something about Gaige that called to him. Pushed and shoved him and made him question his personal rules.

Alec fucking hated that.

They walked to the car in silence. The path he picked showed off a view of Karlstor, one of the remaining gothic gates that stood at what used to be the wall of the medieval city. The architecture had been reimagined and remodeled with a more modern look. It now served as a gateway from the square to the pedestrian zone. Even now, people milled around, talking, some signing, as they visited the numerous bars and restaurants in the popular area.

Alec skipped the history and architecture lesson and went on to his plans for the rest of the night. “You’ve been fed, so I should have your full concentration.”

“Happy to hear you were listening about my food needs.” Gaige reached out and touched the smooth wall at his side. Squinted as he glanced at a historical plaque written in German.

Watching him settled something inside Alec. The idea of a return to where they left off after that blow job had excitement sparking to life inside him again. “I heard every noise you made when I wrapped my hand around your dick.”

“I bet you did.” Gaige winked at Alec then nodded toward the pedestrian walkway in front of them. “Where are we?”

“The car is up there.” Alec gestured in the general area of where they’d parked. “Do you need anything before we go?”

Gaige stopped. “I don’t even understand the question. Like what?”

“There’s a shopping area beneath us.”

Gaige looked down at his feet. “Really?”

The reaction eased the disquieting sense Alec had of being played. Gaige didn’t pretend to know things he didn’t. He didn’t hide behind his impressive brain or flaunt all the things he could do with a computer that most people couldn’t. He seemed genuine and comfortable with who he was. Alec wished he had that freedom.

“The city was building public transportation for the 1972 Olympics and found a tunnel which is believed to have been used to escape behind enemy lines.” Being a bit of a history buff, Alec had studied the photos and read books about the city through the decades.

“I take it you love living here.”

No one ever noticed that before. Alec had lived his life as if he could be uprooted at any time. His father kicking him out numerous times over the years and locking him out of the office had taught him an unwelcome lesson, and he vowed never to be caught off guard again. Nothing was permanent and love, even the fatherly type, always came tied up with conditions.

Despite the money and the house, he didn’t form a connection to things, but he did appreciate the city. “Art, business, high standard of living. What’s not to like?”

Gaige’s eyebrows rose. “You’re into art?”

Maybe he should do something other than work now and then. Sounded like his reputation for being tied to a desk had gotten a little out of control. “I’m a complex man.”

“I’m starting to see that.”

They turned a corner and stepped onto a regular street. Cars whizzed by as they kept to the sidewalk. “We’re across the street, up on the right.”

Alec saw the light at the intersection turn red and stepped off the curb. He heard his name right after the rev of an engine.

“What the fuck?”

At the sound of Gaige’s voice, Alec stopped. He hadn’t ventured far into the lane. When he glanced up, headlights blinded him. The cool night enveloped him as a sense of unease washed through him.

He stepped back again and his ankle hit the curb. Horns honked and two guys across the street frantically waved their hands. Despite the red light, the car barreled through. Tires squealed as the sedan crossed the center line and headed straight for him.

“Alec, move!”

Gaige grabbed Alec as he shouted. Pulled then shoved, throwing him up and into the brick wall of the building next to them. They both slammed against the concrete with Gaige shouldering most of the hit. He held on as a scraping sound ripped right by Alec.

The smell of gasoline and rubber filled the air. The heat of the car radiated against him. Alec waited for the ram of steel into his legs but the hit never came. The sound of booming crashes and whir of alarms filled the air as the car barreled its way down the street and out of sight.

The taillights burned a trail in the air as reality snapped back on Alec. People yelled and car doors slammed.

“Geht’s dir gut?” An older man kept asking the question.

Alec appreciated the concern but he had no idea if he was okay. His mind couldn’t focus.

“Alec?”

Gaige’s voice was so close. Their mouths right next to each other. Alec realized then that his body was leaning against Gaige’s.

Alec tried to rewind what happened and pick the pieces apart. The car. The near hit. Gaige grabbing him. Even now, Gaige’s arms surrounded him, enclosed him. Protected him. He was pinned to the wall with Gaige shielding him.

No one did that sort of shit for him. Alec was the one who stepped in. The switch in roles had him reeling. Words spun in his head but he couldn’t get them out.

“Alec, answer me. Are you okay?”

The ambulance siren wailed in the distance. There would be police and questions. Alec didn’t want any of that but people milled around and running would only make things worse. Even he couldn’t miss the concern and shock on their faces.

He understood why. Someone had tried to run them down. Only Gaige’s fast thinking stopped what could have been a catastrophe.

“Yeah.” Alec still couldn’t process the events or put them in order, but one thought kept shouting in his head—Gaige had dragged him to safety. Alec stood up straight but didn’t let go of Gaige’s forearms. “Are you hurt?”

He shifted and winced. “Knocked my side, but it’s fine.”

“Gaige…” Alec had no idea what to say next. People talked to the two of them in German. One guy said something about being a doctor. Alec only cared about the man who held on to him with an iron grip.

“What the hell was that? A drunk, maybe?” Gaige looked at his shaking hands. “Damn, that’s annoying.”

Alec wanted to believe that. Tried and failed. Sure, freak accidents happened. People lost control. This felt much more targeted. “He headed straight for us.”

The crowd dispersed when the police car arrived. Some went over to talk with the officers. Others stood around in groups, talking and taking photos.

“You think the car will come back?” Gaige asked in a low whisper.

Alec waved off the last offers of help from the concerned witnesses. It was his one shot to have Gaige alone for a few seconds and establish their story. “Unless his job was just to shake us up he could easily be back to finish the job.”

Gaige made a groaning sound. “Shit.”

“Exactly.” Alec saw the police headed for him. He dreaded this type of attention, but he had no choice now. “Let’s get this over with.”

Three hours later Gaige sat on a stool at Alec’s breakfast bar. They had talked to police and taken a quick run to a medical clinic to check his side. The bruise was already turning a deep shade of purple but it wasn’t serious. Painful, yes.

Gaige had meds for that, but he had no intention of taking them. If people were going to try to run down him or Alec, Gaige planned to stay wide awake and aware.

He ignored the cup of coffee in front of him and the ache in his side. Watching Alec pace back and forth in front of the sink captured most of his focus. For a man usually so in control, he looked wide-eyed and on edge. A strange energy radiated off him.

Almost dying did that to a guy.

Seth had shown up twenty minutes ago and demanded a full explanation. They’d told him the story twice and he still shook his head as he poured himself a cup of the coffee he’d made. “Where’s Finn?”

“Handling the press,” Tony said as he hung up his cell. “He has the situation under control. Pam is taking the lead on calls back at the office. Pam being Pam, she also called in extra security in case anyone tries to make a run on the office.”

This was how they worked in a crisis. With a team and complete calm. Never mind that Gaige had to beat back the yell that crept up his throat. “What is there to handle? Someone tried to mow us down.”

Seth eyed Gaige over the top of his mug. “Maybe you’re exaggerating?”

A thud sounded as Alec stopped. He looked up and glared at Seth. “I should shoot you.”

Tony raised his hand. “I’ll volunteer to do it.”

“Tony, no.” Seth put a hand against his chest in what looked like fake concern. “I thought we were friends.”

“We messed up his date night.” Alec exhaled as he rested his hands against the edge of the counter across from Gaige. “Please apologize to Caroline from all of us.”

“Girlfriend?” Seth asked in a low voice.

Tony rolled his eyes. “As if you don’t know and haven’t had her checked out.”

The guy was a pain in the ass. Gaige didn’t understand why they ever helped him or his team. “That’s not true, is it?”

Seth shrugged. “Job hazard.”

“Nosy bastard,” Gaige said under his breath but just loud enough for Seth to hear.

Alec glared at Seth. “He’s not wrong.”

“Should we take a few minutes and talk about your dating life?” Seth’s gaze flicked from Gaige to Alec as he asked the question.

“Get the fuck out of my house.” Alec shoved away from the counter and stepped over to the refrigerator. He opened the door, then closed it again without taking anything out.

Seth put his mug down. Gone was the amusement and the smartass vibe. His expression, closed off and unsmiling, telegraphed his concern. “In all seriousness, this attack could have nothing to do with me. It might be connected to you and your business. You have enemies, Alec.”

As far as Gaige could tell he was the only one in the room without a gun or a reason to shoot it. He got Seth, a special ops guy with an attitude. Understandable in light of the danger he likely faced on a regular basis, but still annoying.

Tony and Alec were businessmen who sometimes strayed into undercover work. That still didn’t totally make sense to Gaige. On the sly, he’d been digging through office information. There were brochures that pointed out the breadth of what Drummond did every day. This wasn’t a small company dealing in minor contracts. Drummond had been tagged as “the world’s supermarket,” which explained some of Alec’s unending seriousness.

Still, they were talking about food, not weapons, which had Gaige confused about exactly what Alec sometimes did for Seth and his team. “Can someone tell me why producing food leads to such danger for Alec?”

Tony laughed. “Well, he’s a billionaire.”

The word bounced around in Gaige’s head. He put that fact away to deal with it later and glanced at Alec. “With all that cash you’d think you’d be able to afford a wall in here then.”

For a second Alec’s stern demeanor slipped. “I’ll let the architect know you’re not impressed.” Alec opened the refrigerator door again and took out a bottle of water for himself and handed one to Gaige. “But as to your original question, Drummond supplies food and food hybrids across the world. We’re involved in alternative fuel sources and some other side projects that Seth and his people care about.”

Seth dropped his empty coffee mug in the sink. “Which are top secret, so wrap up your explanation without any more information.”

“All of that food, those seeds, that information and intel, moves across the world,” Tony explained. “There are people who would prefer if their opponents—rebel factions, demonstrators, groups they don’t like—didn’t have food.”

“The concept of starving people out.” Now that sounded like power to Gaige. Scary fucking power.

“Right.” Seth nodded. “And now we have this issue with the Doomsday Vault.”

The term sucked up most of Gaige’s days right now. “I really think that place needs a different name.”

“But that’s what it is.” Alec held up his hand when Gaige started to ask a question. “Don’t look skeptical.”

“Explain it to me then.” Because Gaige really wanted to know. If he was going to get sucked into this mess and run down in the street, he should have the specifics.

“For example, Syria has been working on drought- and heat-resistant wheat but all of that blew up when the civil war broke out and Aleppo came under siege. Scientific work stopped and the vault there was partially destroyed, so Syria turned to Svalbard. It was the first seed withdrawal since Svalbard opened.”

The way Alec explained it got through. Gaige could see the scenarios. The desperation. Famine and drought on a global level sounded apocalyptic. “So, you’re saying the vault is…?”

Alec played with the lid to his water bottle. “Literally humanity’s backup plan if the unthinkable happens.”

“Which is why we spread the word that you’re working on an audit of the seed deliveries,” Seth said. When Tony rolled his eyes at the answer, Seth talked even faster. “Cover is important. If we accuse someone of playing with seed vault deliveries and nothing is wrong, we could start an international incident. If something is wrong and an American is behind it, we have an even bigger problem.” Seth gestured at Gaige. “You will help us figure it out.”

And that’s the part Gaige did not want to talk about. He stood up, moving away from the counter. “I’m not in the mood for the you-are-a-target lecture again.”

“Me either.” Alec put the bottle on the table and stared at Seth. “It’s time for you all to go.”

Seth looked around and whistled. “I like the place. Impressive since you got it for a steal.”

Of course Seth would know the particulars. Gaige didn’t even know why facts like that surprised him anymore.

“Lose the address.” Alec didn’t do anything to hide the fury vibrating in his voice. “Seriously, if I ever see you in my house again, I’ll shoot you.”

“In your dreams,” Seth said.

“Okay, we’re done here.” Tony put a hand on Seth’s shoulder and pushed him toward the door but not before waving over his shoulder. “Have a good night.”

When the door shut behind Seth and Tony, Gaige and Alec were locked inside together. Gaige could think only one thing—the time for talk was done. He wanted Alec naked. Fucking now.