“Well, you kinda went and said the thing we’re not supposed to say until we’ve had a chance to chat with our new recruit here.”
I roll my eyes, tilting my head toward Omar, who is quietly brooding. I can’t tell if he’s flexing his muscles for us or if they’re always camera-ready. “What does it matter? This is a man who wants to make the world less of a shitshow. He’s efficient, he’s quiet, and he’s skilled.”
Jesus, can’t a guy stalk another guy in peace?
“Everett?” Anders drawls. “Somethin’ got your panties in a twist?”
Omar and I both look over at Anders like he’s the world’s most distasteful asshole. Unable to help himself, Anders continues, his East Texas accent low and teasing. “Would it have anything to do with the hot little snack I saw making his way across the street a few minutes ago?”
“You saw Rafi? Was he talking to anybody?”
Omar’s eyebrows hit his hairline, and for the first time he steps into the circle with the rest of the guys. “Wait, Rafi is here?” he asks, sounding alarmed. “He’s supposed to tell me where he is at all times.”
That catches my attention. “Why? Have you heard anything?”
He rubs the back of his neck and shakes his head, but not in a way I find convincing. “I can’t shake the sense that he’s being followed.”
I throw my hand out, gesturing at the madness going on across the street. “I just let him walk over to Boys’ Night at the Cadillac Bar! Are you saying there may be people over there who want to hurt him?”
Omar shoots me a pitying look and shakes his head. “Why is he at a bar and not here with you?”
My throat dries up at his comment. “What do you mean?”
He looks around the circle and hesitates. I make a rolling gesture, and he lets out a frustrated sigh. “I—I thought you guys had finally gotten your heads out of your asses, what with Rafi getting Parker to help him dress sexy for you and all.”
Wait, what? Rafi got help to dress up for me? I think about my reaction to him, and now I feel like a world-class asshole.
Anders lets out a snort, and I elbow him in the ribs while irritation returns to Omar’s face. The idea that Rafi was trying to look good for me…never mind. I have to stay focused. Still… “And you’d just be okay with him dating a murderer?”
The four of them look at each other and then look at me, some version of incredulous on their faces.
“What?” I ask, suddenly self-conscious. “What are you looking at?”
Anders pipes up. “An idiot.”
“How am I an idiot?”
Anders pulls back at my biting tone, this time with nothing to say.
“No, seriously, Anders. Tell me exactly how I’m in idiot. Tell me how I’m great boyfriend material, even though I essentially live off of Dexter’s rules of engagement.”
Thane shakes his head. “Dexteris a TV show, and that character is a psychopath. You’re just an alpha male with an overdeveloped hero complex. Surely you deserve love, considering the fact youtake out the trashand keep the world a safer place.”
It’s weird to hear Thane talk about love. It all sounds well and good, but… “Right, because that’s worked out so well for all of you. In case you haven’t noticed, nobody on this team has any sort of romantic love in their life, and half of us are disconnected from any family at all. So maybe trying to protect the one precious thing in my life isn’t as stupid as you’re making it seem.”
Omar clenches his jaw and spears Anders with a look before addressing me. “It’s not stupid to concern yourself with Rafi’s safety. Frankly, I appreciate it. But the first six months after Asadi’s death werehorrible. There were mornings I’d wake up wondering if I’d find Rafi dead at his own hands. But in these last six months, he’s found his smile again. You’re all he talks about, and it’s clear from the amount of time he’s spending in the shower these days that his libido has been miraculously resurrected. I’m guessing because of you.”
I hold up my hands. “I haven’t done anything with his libido. I want to protect him; he’s my friend. And yes, I have feelings for him, but…it means more to me that he is safe.”
Omar’s irritation transfers from Anders to me. “Okay, maybe youarea little stupid. Do you know what Rafi did for the Air Force?”
“He doesn’t talk much about it, but I know he was an interpreter or something. Language analyst? And he’s still pretty good with a gun.”
Not that it’s my place, but I’m actually proud of that and hope to take him to the gun range again sometime soon.
Omar shakes his head, brushing an invisible speck of dust from his sleeve. “He’s amenacewith a gun, and I mean that in the best way possible. But he didn’t just interpret documents in some office somewhere. He was a covert operator and was stationed in-country the whole time he was interpreting for Asadi. Depending on their equipment options, he was often within a few yards of the action and had to take cover multiple times. The reason they knew something was going on with him and Asadi is that they had to leave Rafiq in place overnight when the situation changed, and they couldn’t extract him. Rafi was okay with that decision and knew the score, but my brother lost his mind.”
Anders looks at me pointedly, asking, “So Rafi has field experience?”
