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“What time did you get home?” Colby inquired nonchalantly as he took a seat across from Rex. Rex slowly looked up at him from where he was hunched over his breakfast plate. He looked tired and a little irritated.
"I got in around three." He shook his head. "The Sin was a total bust. It looked like a couples night. Everyone was hooked up before they walked through the door, and then those assholes had to show up."
“What assholes?” Colby was becoming interested.
"A couple wolves decided it was a good idea to crash the place and start antagonizing the patrons." Rex finished his breakfast and pushed the plate away. He then grabbed his coffee and took a long swig. "Normally, I would have ignored their bullshit, but they had to try to insinuate their way into the presence of the only single man in the place that I happen to be chatting up."
Colby laughed. "So, who won?"
"None of us, unfortunately," Rex responded disgustedly. "The wolf took a poke at me, slamming me in the face. Then I knocked him backward on his ass, and then the entire room erupted. It was fun, I'll admit, but still, it put a damper on finding companionship for the night." He shrugged.
“Why were you so late if you didn’t manage to hook up?” Colby was enjoying the excitement vicariously.
"We seriously messed the place up, and those assholes weren't going to stay and help clean, so I stayed, and it took hours to clean that place up." He shook his head again. "I should have just stayed home."
"Drink some more coffee and get your head straight because we have an important assignment today," Colby stated, capturing Rex's attention. "Sloan has us on bodyguard duty. We're to accompany his adored downtown to visit a friend." Colby explained the situation to his brother. He told him that the friend, Dorian Haskel, believes that Sloan's adored, Paul, is being taken advantage of. "He thinks that Paul might be with Sloan under duress or manipulation."
“Paul plans to try and explain himself without really telling him anything.” Rex surmised. “I would probably be suspect too if a friend suddenly and so completely ran off with someone. It just shows he is a genuine friend.” Rex respected his concern.
“Yes, it’s completely understandable, but it’s still complicated and needs to be handled carefully. Dorian Haskel is a lawyer with Steinhaus. Do you know him?" Rex shook his head. "He's a rising star at the firm from what I've heard, but he hasn't been there very long. He's a stickler for detail and a beast when it comes to research." Colby laughed.
"So, just what is our assignment?" Rex asked for clarification.
“Keep Paul safe and monitor the interactions. If things go badly, we are to intervene, wipe his memory, and plant new ones." Colby didn't like taking anyone's memories, but he understood the necessity.
"If it comes to that, you do the memory wipe. I'm a little clumsy, and I'd hate to take more than is necessary or plant something absurd." Rex did not have the light touch necessary for tampering with memory.
Colby gave a quick nod. "I'll handle it. Hopefully, Paul will take care of this without needing assistance from us."
“Hopefully.” Rex raised his coffee cup as if in a toast and then drank the remainder. “I’m still groggy, I need another cup and maybe some aspirin.”
“I’ll get it for you.”
It was nearing ten o’clock, so Dorian left his office and went out to reception to wait for Paul’s arrival. Paul called earlier and told him that he would be bringing a couple of security people with him which, according to him, was standard procedure. It did not sound standard to Dorian it sounded like Sloan Dobre wanted to make sure his boyfriend was returned to him.
Dorian considered himself a good judge of people and he was an excellent judge when it came to Paul. He knew his friend and knew all of his quirks and insecurities so if he were uncomfortable or under any kind of pressure, Dorian would see it.
Instead of his office, Dorian decided to meet with Paul in the conference room. It was more quickly accessible if building security needed to be called or if Paul needed to be separated from his babysitters. The room had a back door, which led to a secure office space.
He walked toward the main door, and when he saw Paul approaching, the first thing he noticed was that he looked happy and confident. He also looked better than he'd looked in a long time. The constant worry that clouded his expression was gone, and confidence had taken its place. He walked straight, and with his head up, the subtle cowering and the need to hide himself had vanished over the weekend.
Dorian continued to watch wondering if this was an act for his benefit or if it was truly a transformation. He then saw the two men walking behind him on either side they were typical Agincourt muscle from what he could see. They were tall, dark, well built and focused on their charge. The minute Paul cleared the doorway and saw Dorian he rushed to him.
"Dorian, you're not going to believe what happened to me this week. It's amazing, and my life is suddenly a dream." He rattled on while giving Dorian a quick hug and a pat on the shoulder. Dorian nodded and spared a quick glance to the men behind him but was careful not to establish eye contact.
These men were giving off a preternatural aura of power and control. He could feel it in the air and taste the charge it exuded. This feeling of electricity was always present with those of Agincourt. This was something he often encountered back home among the purported movers and shakers of the city. But mostly beneath the surface they were nothing but takers and users. They used their powers of manipulation and illusion to get whatever they wanted and cared not about the pain or loss they may inflict.
"Don't look so serious, Dorian." Paul pressed. "I'm fine, and Sloan is the best thing that has ever happened to me." Dorian shot a pointed glare first at one of his guards and then at the other, and it seemed to surprise them.
"Come, let's talk." He said, and he directed him toward the conference room with a hand on his arm. "Do your guards need to be present?" He said when he saw that they were following closely.
"I'm sorry, but I promised Sloan I'd stay close to them. He's worried about the current climate in the business world and the fact that our union is well known. He doesn't want me to get hurt or hassled." Paul made a lame excuse.
“And you find this existence happy and comfortable as opposed to your previous freedoms and autonomy?” Dorian assessed softly but sharply.
"I have all my freedoms, Dorian. It's just that I have to be careful because there are some crazies out there."
"Yeah, and there's a few in here, too, I believe." He again glanced back at the guards, who were looking increasingly concerned, although one was bold enough to smile and wink at him. Dorian raised an eyebrow but did not respond otherwise.
