“Uppermanagement,then.”
“The bane of all existence,” Madison said with a smile in Sean’s direction. “You know we’re here for you if you need a bitch andmoanfest.”
“After the mission. No drinking while on the clock,”Trevorsaid.
“That’s what Imeant!”
Alexei rolled his eyes before taking Sean by the hand and pulling him away from the rest of the team. “Meet you inreadyroom.”
The others waved them off, and Alexei led Sean down a different hallway, finding and claiming an empty conference room past the war room in the center of the floor. Sean went willingly enough, but Alexei could tell he was holding in a lot of emotions. Someone who didn’t know him well wouldn’t be able to tell, but Alexei liked to believe he was learning. The tightness of Sean’s mouth, the stiffness in his shoulders, all pointed to an anger they couldn’t afford while in thefield.
Alexei put his hands on Sean’s shoulders, ducking his head to catch the shorter man’s eyes. “All right formission?”
Sean lifted his chin at a stubborn angle, jaw working. The anger in his brown eyes was tempered with a sort of hurt that Alexei knew cut deep. He remembered feeling that way in Geneva, and even now, the hot burn of anger could color his thoughts in an instant. For all his anger, and the work he’d put in over the years in dealing with the underlying issues and emotions that drove it, Alexei knew when it was useful and when it wasn’t. Letting Sean go into the field like this was liable to getsomeonehurt.
“I’ll be fine,” Seangritout.
Alexei lifted a hand to cup his face, not looking away. “Okay to be angry and hurt. But need all of you here formission,da?”
Sean inhaled deeply before letting all the air out of his lungs, shoulders slumping. “Yeah. I know, Lyosha. I won’t let this get to me on thefield.”
Alexei kissed him gently, smiling a little at the way Sean unconsciously chased after his mouth when they broke apart. Patting his shoulder, Alexei turned to open the door, pausing when Sean spoke upbehindhim.
“I need to say goodbye to my family. They’re being released from the MDF’s care today and beingsenthome.”
“Want me to go with?” Alexeiasked.
Sean chewed on his bottom lip as he followed Alexei out of the room. “Not sure I want you to see thefireworks.”
“Could wait out in hall. Let you say goodbyealone.”
Alexei wanted Sean to know he had support, even if it didn’t come from his family. Sean gave him a weak smile. “I wouldn’t mind thecompany.”
“Thenwego.”
They made their way to the level Sean’s family had been restricted to since coming to the MDF. The spare suites were available for MDF agents and personnel who weren’t stationed out of Washington, D.C. but needed a place to stay while in town. They doubled as housing for emergencysituations.
Sean led him to one of the larger suites, beckoning Alexei inside when he would have remained in the hall. Glancing around the drably furnished sitting room that connected to a pair of bedrooms, Alexei studied Sean’s parents and brothers curiously. He’d been too out of it on the flight back from New Seattle to pay much attention to them in the jet. All their panic was gone, replaced with a weary frustration that eased a little at Sean’sappearance.
“What are you wearing?” Sean’s father asked as he got up to greethisson.
Sean seemed surprised at the hug he received from both his father and his mother, though Alexei noted his brothers still hung back. “We have a mission, but I wanted to see you beforeIgo.”
“A mission?” his mom asked sharply. “I thought you said you weren’t on afieldteam?”
“I’m not, but that doesn’t preclude me fromfighting.”
His mother stared at him worriedly, mouth pressed into a thin white line, before she shook her head. “Is itdangerous?”
“He’s in a freaking combat uniform, Mom. Of course it’s probably dangerous,” one of Sean’sbrotherssaid.
“I didn’t come here to argue,” Sean began, sounding more than a little exasperated. “I just wanted to say goodbye before you guys headbackhome.”
“And before you run off to play hero,” his other brother said, getting to his feet. “I bet you can’t talk about what you’re doing, but can you at least call us after youfinish?”
“Yes,” his mother said, nodding in agreement. “Zach is right. I want you to call us after your missionisover.”
“When I can get to a secured hardline, I will,” Sean promised after a briefhesitation.
