Chapter Forty

‘Damn, he’s sexy,’ Dev thought as she sat in her hospital bed watching the trio of warriors sitting in the corner of her room. Seth had barely lifted her into his arms, when his boss arrived. Darn Alex Stewart. Why’d he have to be so… so… punctual?

All three men, Cord, Seth, and Alex, an impressively younger man than Dev had expected, were seated on molded hospital chairs by the single floor to ceiling window. All leaned forward into each other, their elbows on their knees, and all intent on their muted discussion.

Too tired to eavesdrop on their acronym-filled mumblings, she’d already been served and eaten the blandest food ever. These guys had to be hungry. It was past dinnertime.

Dressed in his customary get-up—black everything—Cord was as handsome as ever. Alex Stewart, on the other hand, had a definite alpha wolf thing going for him. An athletically muscled man in his mid to late thirties, he wore faded jeans and a gray t-shirt under a navy blue casual jacket, its zipper undone. Tall, handsome, and dark-haired with the barest hint of silver at his sideburns, he gave off the powerful vibes of one badassed warrior who was comfortable commanding others.

Yet the man had the bluest eyes. When Seth had introduced him, she could’ve sworn he’d seen right through her, but she’d glimpsed something, too. Alex could’ve stayed in far-off Virginia, but he’d chosen to be here with his men, and that told Dev a lot. This guy didn’t mind getting his hands dirty. He was one of those ‘follow-me-boys’ leaders, the kind that led the charge, instead of the glory seeker who stayed safe in the rear.

Alex reminded Dev of a WWII battleship parting the stormy Pacific like a hot blade slicing through butter. He carried himself proudly and confidently, as if he dared Mother Nature, or anyone for that matter, to stand in his way. Both Seth and Cord were intelligent alphas in their own right, but Alex was another animal altogether. He was that solitary predator at the top of the food chain, and it showed in the ease with which he handled the professionals sitting with him.

But Seth? A smile came automatically to her lips. Seth—well, he glowed. That was the only word for him. His persona seemed to shine above the others. He’d changed clothes since he’d rescued her that morning, but as usual, he’d chosen jeans and a plain white t-shirt that stretched tightly across his impressive chest. Damn, he was one drool-worthy male. But humble. Not once had he lifted his voice like Cord was prone to do, and when Alex spoke, he listened instead of arguing, another Cord trait.

She could’ve lain there all day studying Seth. The sharp angle of his jaw when he spoke. The way he licked his lower lip. The rapt attention he paid his boss. The way he canted his head when he listened, as if he strived to understand what the others said instead of just waiting for them to finish so he could talk. The straight line of his spine and the width of those tanned, hard as rock shoulders. Very simply, Seth had Cord and Alex beat by miles and miles.

But best of all? The twinkle in those sexy brown eyes, when he sent a wink her way if the other guys weren’t looking. Man, they needed to pack it up and leave, so she could get her hands on him again.

She found it interesting that all three men were still geared up and armed, though, even in this gun free hospital zone. Alex sported a double holster underneath his jacket, the slight bulges beneath his arms an easy tell for a woman with a former Marine brother.

Both Cord and Seth wore their pistols on their hips, though Seth also carried another one tucked in the back waistband of his jeans as well. She had no doubt all three also carried knives. These guys knew the way of the real world, and they weren’t afraid to face it alone and whip its ass. They must have some special kind of permit or license that allowed them to carry, but what did Dev know? Only that she was surrounded by a company of snipers and had never felt safer.

Alex’s head came up, his blues eyes like shards of ice stabbing Cord. “I’m tired of waiting. I need an answer.”

Cord leaned into the chair, his arms folded across his chest. “Don’t have one. I’m still waiting to hear from one of my guys.”

“Not good enough, Shepherd.” Man, Alex was like an attack-trained pit bull. He’d gone straight for Cord’s jugular. “There are plenty of other men out there who are doing the same—”

“Yes,” Cord bit out, the tendon in his muscular neck twitching like it did when he found himself backed into a corner. “I’ll take the job, in fact…”

Dev had seen that pissed off glare before, when she’d gotten the best of her big brother. He didn’t like to be wrong, but he especially didn’t like answering to others.

“In fact, I’m damned thankful you have that kind of faith in me, sir,” he finished.

A shadow that Dev could only describe as a thundercloud before one helluva storm shifted over Alex’s countenance. “Now that you’re going to work for me, Junior Agent Shepherd…” he growled, “stop with the sir bullshit. I work for a living.”

Dev knew precisely what that meant. Alex Stewart had never been an officer and he was proud of it. Apparently Cord knew as well. It was comical how he blinked at Alex and said, “Yes, sssssss… I mean—”

“Boss,” Seth supplied, nodding pointedly at Cord. “I’m sure you mean, ‘yes, Boss,’ don’t you?”

Dev nearly laughed. She’d never seen Cord backpedal so fast, nor look as dumbfounded as he did then.

“Boss,” he finally mumbled like he was trying the word on for size. “Yes, Boss.”

Alex slapped both palms to his knees. “Good. I’ll be by first thing in the morning with the paperwork and your initial check. Where will you be?”

“Home,” Dev spoke up. “He’ll be home with me and Scottie, won’t you?” she asked her amazingly versatile brother. He’d gone from man in charge to an employee in the blink of an eye.

“You know it,” he replied, his brows clenched over his extra dark, extra serious eyes. That had to have been a hard adjustment acknowledging that he just might need another man’s help.

Seth cocked his head, measuring her with a heated glance. ‘And you are so going home with me,’ she sent to him in her mind, wishing there were such a thing as telepathy. But oh, the naughty conversation they’d be having if it were.

When Alex lifted to his feet, Seth and Cord rose alongside him like two bouncers the guy absolutely didn’t need. Seth and Cord must have sensed it, too. Neither had argued with him, though when they’d offered input, he’d listened intently, those icy blue lasers focused on them as if he respected their opinions. Usually Cord just barked orders at his men, and they bucked up and obeyed. But Alex was a different kind of predator. He seemed able to lead his men where they wanted to go. Like Seth had done with Cord.

“Anyone up for breakfast?” Alex asked, looking at her.

Ha! Like she was going anywhere.

“Molly’s Marina and Pub serves breakfast until closing,” Dev said, holding back her disappointment. Seth would be leaving to eat with his boss. Not what she wanted.

“What can I bring back for you?” he asked as one hand latched onto her wrist.

‘Just you,’ she would’ve said, but she settled for, “Molly makes the best blueberry pancakes. A to-go cup of her caramel coffee would be nice, too. Three sugars. Extra cream. Don’t forget the blueberry syrup and butter.”

Leaning into her cheek, he whispered, “Just you wait.”

Delicious shivers raced up her spine. “I’ve already been waiting,” she murmured, sure all eyes were on them. “But go. I understand. I’ll be here when you return.”

Ever so gently, he cupped her poor battered jaw and placed one melt-in-your-mouth, but too chaste kiss on her lips.

“Hurry,” she told him, then added, “I’m hungry,” for his boss’s and Cord’s benefit.

“Damn, Devereaux, don’t go telling the world.”

“For breakfast,” she clarified, the heat from her sexually charged comment creeping up her neck like a small blaze, but yes. She was hungry for every inch of Seth, and he knew it.

Alex cleared his throat like the gentleman he was.

Cord faced the door like he couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

But Seth pressed one last kiss to her mouth, sliding his tongue over the seam of her lips like a promise, when he whispered, “Be right back.”