“Already on it, babe,” Cam said, typing out a message. “I’ll have Margaret look intoit.”
“Okay, good,” Cort said. He frowned at Bas’s phone. “He says if he doesn’t hear back from you today to discuss the details, he’ll be ‘forced to take actions you would notenjoy.’”
“What the hell does that mean?” Drewdemanded.
“It means he’s a lunatic who wants a job,” Bas insisted. “If I got agitated every time someone asked me for a handout, I’d already be dead of a heart attack. What’s he gonna do,really?”
Cort shook his head. “You might be right. It might be nothing. But it’s worth looking into. I think we need to play along with him and find out what the hell he wants before we dismiss him.” Cort handed the phone back to Bas. “Reply and ask him for moreinformation.”
Bas flushed. “I, uh… I already sent him areply.”
“Oh, lord.” Drew covered his face with his hand. Of course Bas had already replied, no doubt with his usualtact.
“I told him to fuck off and stop contacting me,” Basadmitted.
Worse than Drew had thought.Jesus.
Bas’s phone chimed again. “It’s from him.” He swiped his finger across the screen and looked at Cort, eyes worried, then read aloud. “Mr. Seaver, you remind me of your father. He, too, was an intelligent man who died for his arrogance. Thus far, I have attempted to be friendly and helpful. But in the end, you will come to me, offer to work with me, offer me anything I want. Indeed, you’ll be begging for my help. And please know, I’ll be waiting to hear from you.” He swallowed hard. “It’s signed Michael Paterkin, but… Jesus, Cort, is thatAlexei?”
Cort ran a hand through his mop of hair. “I don’t know.” His voice, usually so open and joking, had morphed into the cold, tightly-controlled voice of a trained operator, and that change more than the chilling words of the email, sent a chill up Drew’s spine. “I’m going to call Sean and have him run this guy’s name.” Cort stood up and walked into the living room, sliding his cell phone from hispocket.
Drew looked at Cain, Damon, and Cam in turn, and saw the same anxious resolve in their gazes that he imagined they’d see on his. Their peaceful interlude, thanks to Senator Shaw’s intervention, wasover.
It was time to end this standoff for good, one way oranother.
Taking a deep breath, Drew turned to look at the man on his left, who had hardly moved since he finished reading the email. Every muscle in Bas’s body was locked, from his jaw down to his torso. His phone was still clutched in his hand, and though the screen had turned black, he continued to stare at it with wary absorption, as though Alexei might appear on it at any moment. Drew was nearly afraid to touch him in case he shattered like glass, but he knew from experience that beneath the surface, that genius brain was whirling a mile aminute.
“Hey,” Drew whispered, sliding the phone from Bas’s hand and setting it on the table. He leaned closer, not quite whispering. “This is…”Going to be okay, he was about to say. But then, no one knew better than the men sitting around this table that there was no guarantee of that whatsoever. Too many lives had been lost and ruined thanks to Alexei Stornovich for Drew to spout platitudes. “This is exactly what we knew would happen. We are going to do everything we can to handle this. Together. Understand? You’re not alone. None of usare.”
For a moment, Drew thought Bas wouldn’t react, but eventually his gaze slid right, and those fiery blue eyes locked on Drew’s. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Bas nodded slowly and took a deep breath as Cort came back into theroom.
“Cooksy’s running the name as we speak,” he said, coming to stand behind Cam’s chair so he could rest his hands on his boyfriend’s shoulders. “But he’s fairly confident, and so am I, that this is a threat from Alexei or someone who works forhim.”
Drew inhaled sharply, lifting his chin to the ceiling at this confirmation. “So what do wedo?”
“Well, the first step is that I’m meeting with him this afternoon to discuss the possibility of pursuing a lower-level investigation on Alexei. I know what you’re going to say,” he interrupted himself, holding up a palm toward Sebastian. “It’s not good enough. I know. But from everything Gary told you and Drew, Alexei’s grudges are his own. There’s every reason to believe that if we can take Alexei out, our dealings with SILA will be over and done with.” He glanced up and down the table. “I know just how much that asshole has cost every single person in this room. I know how badly you want to get justice for the people you loved.” He squeezed Cam’s shoulders. “And to get your fucking life back.” He nodded at Damon, who wrapped a shoulder around Cain and pulled the man practically into his lap. “But we need to consider thefuture.”
“Whose future?” Basdemanded.
“All of ours,” Cam said hotly, glaring at Bas. “What will it take to get justice for Mom and Dad and Amy? Is it worth sacrificing your life? Mine?Drew’s?”
Bas’s gaze shifted to Drew. He glanced away. “Fine.”
“Okay, good. Everyone needs to be extra cautious from now on,” Cort continued. “I’m doing updated background checks on all Seaver Tech personnel, and I’ll have a core group of guys I trust handle security for the building round the clock. But I’m more worried about personal safety.” He looked at Damon, Cain, Bas and Drew. “Those security systems we installed in everyone’s home are top-of-the-line, but it goes without saying that they only work when you use them.” He ran a hand over Cam’s hair. “Even when it’s the middle of the day, and the door is locked, and you’re wideawake.”
Cam blushed and glanced up. “It was one time,Kendrick.”
Cort stroked Cam’s cheek with a tenderness he didn’t often display in public. “One time too many,babe.”
Cam shut his eyes tightly andnodded.
“I don’t think any of us need to curtail activities right now - we can go to work, go to the grocery store, and continue our normal routines as much as possible. As long as Alexei thinks Bas is treating his email like a crackpot threat, he’ll think he has us at a disadvantage.” He looked around the table. “But we’ll need to be hyper aware. Better to pair off as much as possible, and not take any unnecessaryrisks.”
“That makes sense. Drew can stay at my place,” Bassaid.
