Chapter 28

For once Alec appreciated seeing Seth’s face. He’d shown up at Svalbard ten minutes after the shoot-out. Late for the action but in time for the cleanup. And he excelled at that sort of thing. He made unpleasant facts disappear.

Getting out of that frozen meatlocker of a building sounded good to Alec. After all he’d heard and seen, his mind was jumbled. The accusations. The way Caroline betrayed Tony. The gun battle.

Through it all Alec had worried about Gaige and his safety. Not really necessary since Gaige jumped in and fought like he’d trained for this sort of thing all his life.

Alec was ready to fly back home but he had to get through this first. He stood in the main chamber but could see through the door to the vault where blood stained the floor. The mental image of Tony being fitted with an oxygen mask and carted out of there still lingered in Alec’s mind.

There were loose ends and wading through the lies. Figuring out how to tell Pam and help Tony. The information they all needed to bury.

And Gaige.

Caroline had been so convincing in her accusations. Her voice, so deep and clear, had almost hypnotized him. She’d rattled off Gaige’s sins like she knew them. Being in the CIA, she probably did, but Alec hadn’t known that then.

For a split second while she talked Alec had believed her. His brain had shut down and all he could think about was how much he’d told Gaige and how fucking stupid he’d been.

His mind shot to the initial office break-in, then to the day he’d found Gaige in the conference room. To all the lies and secrecy. How he’d hid that phone Seth gave him. That night he’d found Gaige sneaking around his bedroom.

The pieces lined up, each one more damning than the one before. The weight of it almost broke Alec until he realized it all fit too neatly. That he was falling back into old patterns. Putting up defenses and not trust. Making logic jumps when Gaige had reasonable explanations for it all.

Seth had sent him in and given him the phone. Seth had threatened him about the secrecy. Yeah, Gaige snuck around, but he’d been ordered to do so.

As quickly as he’d doubted, the clouds had cleared. The confusion and frustration had been right there on Gaige’s face as Caroline spoke. How his face went pale and his body slumped when he must have thought Alec believed her. He’d recovered quickly, which was good because he made sure Astrid survived and shielded Tony. But those few seconds of doubt sat heavy between them even now.

Seth broke away from the two men he was talking with, likely his men or men he could order around. He walked over. Started talking to Alec as soon as they were standing next to each other. “We’re going to have a long discussion on sharing intel and not running off in private planes without permission.”

“Uh-huh. Keep using the word permission and see how that goes for you.”

“I can find another word.”

Alec didn’t care what Seth wanted. Not when Gaige sat across the room, nodding as he answered questions from the medical personnel circling the room.

“You keep staring,” Seth said.

Alec glanced over at the hazmat team as they walked in and out of a clean area they’d set up on the far end of the vault. “It’s hard not to since that’s a deadly poison.”

Seth exhaled and slid in an eye roll. “I meant at Gaige, but I think you knew that.”

At the mention of Gaige’s name, Alec’s gaze shot to him again. It was so easy to pick him out in the room. It was almost as if Alec could sense him. Right now Gaige was backing away from the man trying to take his blood pressure.

But that’s not what mattered to Gaige and Alec knew it. “She implicated him.”

“Now that this is no longer a rogue operation where only my boss and I know what’s happening, I have access to more information, to backgrounds and files.”

Alec almost hated to ask. “Meaning?”

“No one is talking, but looks like Caroline had her clearance yanked and was walked out of the CIA because she thought she knew better when it came to strategy. She saw some awful shit during her time overseas and it changed her. Made her uncontrollable and unacceptably dangerous.”

Alec thought that description could fit Seth. “That sounds like something the CIA would give her a promotion for.”

“Not when she was willing to lie to and kill anyone—including her boss and the team members she didn’t think were committed enough to her cause. And if that had the added bonus of fucking over the CIA and her sister, so be it.” Anger swept through Seth’s voice. He continued to stand with his hands on his hips, surveying the area and running the room even though he was in someone else’s country.

For all his faults, Seth was dedicated. No one could doubt he was a patriot. He’d put country before everything so many times that many were surprised he’d fallen in love.

But Caroline, not Seth, was the issue now. “What exactly was her big personal crusade?” Alec asked.

“End the fighting in Syria, which is a worthy goal but not the way she wants to do it. By burning it all down, regardless of the casualty count.”

“Jesus.”

Seth shrugged. “She lost perspective. I think this was really about being in control. Having the power to make the decisions, even if it meant shitting on Tony and her sister.”

The connections came together in Alec’s head. “Syria made one request from the seed bank. Nobody would have blinked at a second.”

“Right.” Seth nodded. “Load up the trucks, fake the documents and the weapon would have made its way right into the conflict.”

Alec pulled his gaze away from Gaige. Seeing him sitting there, alone now, staring at his hands and not saying a word, made Alec want to rush over.

They needed to talk. He had to explain what seemed unexplainable at the moment. How exactly did you tell someone Yeah, we’re sleeping together and telling each other personal things but I believed you were basically a terrorist? Only for a second, but still. There was no way to call that back.

“It’s sick,” Alec said, referring to Syria, the situation with Gaige—all of it.

“When you believe you’re doing the right thing, you think you can do anything to meet that goal.”

The comment grabbed Alec’s attention. He stared at Seth again. “Like threatening Gaige with espionage charges.”

“That’s not—”

“Stop.” Alec turned to Seth, making sure he understood how serious this topic was. Alec poured every ounce of intensity and will into stating his point. “Make his record disappear.”

Seth shook his head and took on his don’t-fuck-with-me stance. “You’re not in a position to issue demands.”

But he really was. Alec knew he could do this. It wasn’t an apology but he could at least try to get Gaige back some part of his normal life. Gaige didn’t need a protector but Alec wanted to be one.

Alec leaned in, letting Seth know he had no intention of backing down. “Do you want the international community I deal with every day to know CIA officers were using the Doomsday Vault as their personal science lab?”

“No one would believe you.” But Seth’s voice wasn’t as strong now. Some of his asshole bravado faded.

“Every conspiracy nut in the world would.” Alec would rain bullshit down on Seth’s head until he begged for mercy. “And it’s cute you think Gaige didn’t keep an extra copy of the evidence.”

The tension snapped and Seth smiled. “Speaking of Gaige…”

Sweet hell no. “Don’t.”

“What?” Seth’s voice sounded falsely sweet.

This was not a conversation Alec wanted to have today or ever. “Get out of my business.”

People walked around them, giving them a wide berth. No one bothered them even though they talked to each other and shouted questions. The vents hummed and the hazmat team had dragged in a machine that made a loud clunking sound.

None of that stopped Seth from rocking back on his heels and smirking. “So, you’re going to let the doubts fester, convince yourself you’re better off with a series of nameless hookups and send him away? You dumbass.”

As he talked, Seth nodded in Gaige’s direction. Gaige must have sensed someone was looking because he glanced up. His expression stayed passive, almost blank as he returned Seth’s nod.

“Fuck you.” Alec talked to Seth but he watched Gaige, although he couldn’t get eye contact.

Gaige’s gaze skipped around the room, hesitating on the bloodstains and the place where Tony was injured. He glanced in Alec’s direction then immediately looked away again.

Seth swore under his breath. “Wake up, Alec.”

The area under Alec’s ribs ached. When he tried to inhale, sharp pain spiked through him. He’d been checked and declared fine by the medical team, so he had no idea what was going on.

He handled stress. He’d had someone aim a gun at him before. None of this was new…except for seeing Gaige in danger. Alec never wanted to experience that again. Hell, even now his pulse raced with unspent adrenaline.

He glared at Seth. “Just say what you have to say.”

“Even I can tell you’re happier.”

That made no fucking sense. “I was just attacked.”

“And still this is the most pleasant I’ve ever seen you.” Seth shook his head. “Don’t fuck it up.”

Right as Seth left, Gaige stood up. For a second Alec thought he might turn and walk out. Hitch a ride back to the States with Seth or insist he be flown anywhere else but here.

Alec didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until Gaige headed straight for him. He gave a stretch before he started walking, but the direction wasn’t a question.

He stopped right in front of Alec and glanced over at Seth’s back as he talked to the team working forensics on the floor. “I hate that guy.”

That made Alec feel better. They might be on separate pages but they shared a mutual distrust of Seth. “That’s the right answer.”

“Alec, I…” Gaige didn’t say anything else. He bit down on his lower lip and stood there with his arms dangling at his sides.

For the first time, the guy who seemed to have a comeback for every remark stayed quiet. Pain seemed to linger in his eyes and he looked lost.

Alec thought he knew why. This was about Caroline and the bullshit she’d spouted. “You’re not saying any words.”

“I don’t have anything to do with Caroline.” Gaige wiped a hand through his hair and shook his head. The haze that seemed to wrap around him didn’t clear. “I know Seth will likely dissect my life all over again and question me for years, but she was lying. You have to believe that.”

The words rushed out of Gaige. His voice rose and color flooded back into his cheeks.

“Of course.” As soon as the words were out Alec knew they were true. The sensation that he might have been played vanished. As soon as he looked Gaige in the eye, after watching him struggle to just get through the last twenty minutes, Alec knew the truth.

Gaige’s mouth opened then closed again. His eyes narrowed before he spoke. “What?”

“She lied to Tony. She used Pam, probably accessed Drummond’s system and started this mess by using information stolen from Pam. Hell, Caroline fooled me. She shot at Astrid.” It seemed obvious now. “You think I’m buying that the only thing she was telling the truth about was you being involved in this?”

Gaige kept staring. “You believe me?”

“Yes.” And that trust got stronger with each passing minute.

A tech brushed by Gaige then turned to apologize. If he said anything Alec didn’t hear it. All of his attention centered on Gaige.

“Why?” he asked. “You don’t trust anyone.”

“I want to trust you. I’m starting to.” That was as truthful an answer as he’d ever given.

“Damn.”

“And people think I’m the difficult Drummond brother.” He probably was but he’d learned some things over the last week, and one was priorities.

“You are.”

“Oh, really?” Alec asked, enjoying the flirty game.

Gaige shot Alec one of those sexy crooked smiles. “I like difficult.”

“Would you also like to go back home?” Alec would have them both on a plane in record time if he said yes.

Gaige’s smile fell. “To D.C.?”

He wasn’t getting it. Alec wasn’t sure how to be more clear. “To my home.”

“You don’t like people in your house.”

Gaige seemed to be testing now. It was as if he wanted the actual invitation spelled out. Alec could give him more than that. Ignoring the workers and every horrible minute of what had happened, Alec stepped closer. Put his hands on the sides of Gaige’s arms. “I want you there.”

“For how long?”

A few people stared and Alec didn’t care. Anyone who didn’t know they were together would know now. He was half tempted to take an ad out broadcasting his good luck. “We can negotiate that.”

Gaige’s hands slipped up Alec’s stomach and lingered there. “That’s pretty sexy.”

“What is?” Alec stared at Gaige’s mouth and thought about how much he wanted to kiss him. Soon. He’d get him alone and that would be the end of their clothes and any distance.

“Being trusted again.”

Relief washed through Alec. Gaige finally understood. “Get used to it.”