“That means I can’t have privacy?”
“Stop being ridiculous.That means that we haven’t had this situation come up, and it’s an adjustment for all of us.”
“Maybe you need to run it through a program.”
The air between them stilled, heavy with unspoken regrets and the past hanging like a shroud waiting to descend.
“Next time you bring Josie around, I will apologize for making her uncomfortable.”
“That’ll make it worse.I don’t think she’s interested.She hasn’t talked to me in a week.”
“You’ve been sitting around moping.What happened to making your intentions clear?”
“I did.She got freaked out by the people I live with.”
Xander glared at him.“Are you sure it has anything to do with us?What happened before we got there?Could she have been freaked out by that?You don’t know because you refuse to go talk to her.”
“Forget it.I’m not talking to you about this.”
“You know I’m right.”Xander pointed a finger at him, then tapped a button on his phone.“Send in Drustan please, Jillian.”
“You’re so much worse when Harper isn’t here,” Ares mumbled.
“And you’re unbearable because you haven’t been laid in forever.”
Ares wasn’t going to give in to his annoyance, wasn’t going to show Xander that he was bothered by his comments because his brother was relentless in fishing out the truth.But he had to consciously will himself to act unbothered by taking a seat.
“Hey boys!Did you see the numbers?Was I right or was I right?I knew this would work!Fucking knew it!”Drustan raised his fists above his head.
“You were right, and we were right to bring you on,” Xander said.“The data is incredibly impressive.”
“Incredibly impressive?Look, I told you I would have the best people on this and I do.Do I get to meet the team now?I want to meet Ida.”
“You’ll get to meet a member of the team, the one responsible for implementing the technology.”
“Yes!I Knew you had her.Now what’s the next step?When do we take this to the government?”Drustan spread his arms wide, making a swimming motion with his hands.
“That’s a great early start,” Xander said.“But we need more testing and we have to run it through our legal team.At least six months out.”
“Six months?No, I want to start talks today.”
“Drustan, I don’t want people to put this on their desk and forget about it.If we take it out in the new year, I think our return will be better,” Ares had read all the reports and had run it through the analytics.He didn’t need to know it, but had already been sent to their government contacts.
“How did you guys even get Ida into the country?”
“We can’t answer that, even if it was true.”Xander stood, pressing a button on his keypad as he did.
“Xander, I don’t think you understand what I want.My intention is to take it to the government and offer it as a trade for protection to Ida.I’ve followed her for a long time.She’s an impressive woman,” Drustan tone turned all soft, without the usual bluster
Ares could count on one hand the number of times Xander was truly taken by surprise, but Drustan lusting after the scientist threw his brother.He paused in what he was doing, turning to Drustan.
“I didn’t realize you felt so deeply.”
“I told you guys!You’re good at protecting people and that’s why I wanted in!”
Jillian knocked on the closed office door.“Mr.Montague, here is Wayne O’Shea to see you.”
Drustan’s face paled, and he sat in the chair next to Ares.“You’re a legend!You worked on this team too?”
