“Someone needs to mother all of you. I swear, it’s like all of you think you’reinvincible.”
Sean, having listened to his mother rant and rave about her own patients while growing up, wisely didn’t sayaword.
“Will make sure he get home after meeting,”Alexeisaid.
“I can drive myself home,” Sean replied. Gracie raised an eyebrow at him and Sean winced. “I can let someone else drivemehome?”
“Good answer,” she told him dryly. “I’m putting you on vehicular restriction for twenty-four hours until we clear your post-concussion symptoms completely. I’ll send a reminder to the director in case he thinks you’re up for going anywhere after the meeting other than yourapartment.”
Sean wisely didn’t argue with her. Gracie was notorious within the MDF for barging into the director’s office and giving him a piece of her mind if she thought one of her patients was being deployed prematurely. No one was brave enough to get in her way when she was on the warpath, including the director. Gracie had come from the civilian sector, but she would’ve made a fantastic officer if she’d ever joined themilitary.
“I promise I’llbegood.”
“I want to see you back here tomorrow afternoon for a checkup. I’m putting that into your file and sending the director a note in case he thinks he can send you out againbeforethen.”
Gracie swept out of the room, already focused on her next patient, leaving them alone. Sean headed for the door but came to a stop when Alexei didn’t immediately move out oftheway.
“You said we had a meeting with the director,” Sean saidpointedly.
“Da. Not started yet. Jamie still five minutes out,”Alexeisaid.
“Isn’t he supposed to be with hisfather?”
Alexei shrugged. “Is Jamie. He not like when team deployed without him. Like mother hen.Biggestmotherhen.”
“We should head up anyway. I don’t likebeinglate.”
“Won’t be late.” Alexei lifted his hand to Sean’s face, but Sean leaned away from the touch. Alexei frowned a little, hand hovering close to where his head wound used to be. “Isokay?”
“I’m fine. Nanites did theirthing.”
Alexei made a face, letting his arm fall back down to his side. “Hate nanites. Sometimes wish I had Kilyusha’spower.”
“That would be nice. Terrible for undercover work though. It’d be a little obvious if you got beat up and the bruises disappeared withinminutes.”
“Should duck,” Alexei said as he turned to palm openthedoor.
“You keep saying that. I know howtoduck.”
“Face sayotherwise.”
“My faceisfine.”
Alexei glanced over at Sean, gray eyes narrowed in perusal as the taller man openly studied him. “Yes.Isfine.”
Sean rolled his eyes before stepping into the hallway, ignoring the weight of Alexei’s gaze. His time around Alexei back in January hadn’t exactly been comfortable, though it had become easier over the past several months whenever they saw each other on base. Alexei’s bristling demeanor had faded into something almost friendly, which had surprised Sean at first before he got usedtoit.
Sean knew Alexei had a negative opinion of spies and spy work in general, something Sean couldn’t even fault him for. But Sean was an MDF agent, not a CIA officer, and his loyalty wouldalwaysbe to his country first. As a former Strike Force operative, he hoped Alexei would be able to accept that fully someday, not just for the sake of a mission. Sean had a feeling this mission with Adrian Wolcott wasn’t finished, and they’d be spending a lot more timetogether.
They didn’t talk during the time it took to leave Medical through the corridor connecting it to the main building. Sean had learned during the meals they shared that sometimes Alexei preferred silence over conversation; this seemed like one of those times. Alexei called the elevator and they took it up to Level 36. It wasn’t the level Sean normally worked out of since the majority of the space was dedicated to the field teams. Alexei led him to a conference room where Alpha Team waited, along with the director. Sean nodded respectfully at Nazari while Alexei snapped off asalute.
“Sir,”Seansaid.
“Glad to see you’re doing better, Agent Delaney. Both of you take a seat,”Nazarisaid.
MDF Director Amir Nazari was a three-star Army general used to giving out orders and expecting obedience. Alexei prodded Sean down the table to a pair of empty seats, leaving the last remaining seat at Nazari’s right-hand side open. Since Jamie wasn’t present, Sean assumed he would take it when he finallyarrived.
Sitting down between Annabelle and Alexei, Sean activated his terminal and skimmed through the information there. He had yet to writeup his after-action report since Gracie had banned him from using a tablet while in Medical. His post-concussion symptoms had mostly subsided, thanks in part to the regen regime, but squinting at the data made his eyes burn alittle.
