“Where is Staff Sergeant Dvorkin?” he asked Ceres, the MDF’s smart-building AI as he entered the elevator.
“Level 5. Waiting room G,” Ceres told him.
Sean grimaced, his stomach churning. Alexei’s incoherent response over the uplink hadn’t been a good indicator of the situation in the least. He knew what had happened in the courtroom; they’d all been mentally present at the end thanks to Katie. But knowing what had happened and dealing with the aftermath required a strength Sean wasn’t sure he had after a long night of fighting.
But for Alexei, he would do and be anything.
Sean found Alexei sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, knees bent and arms curled around his head, quietly crying. Sean’s throat got tight, and swallowing became difficult as he approached.
Alexei didn’t seem to know he was there, not right away. He violently shrugged Sean’s hand off when he settled it on Alexei’s shoulder. Kneeling down, Sean reached for him again.
“Lyosha,” Sean said, his voice breaking on the name.
Alexei’s head jerked up, gray eyes reddened and swollen from tears, his lip bitten through, as if he’d tried to keep himself from screaming. “Senya, I…”
No words either in Russian or English came out of his mouth. Sean moved closer, nudging Alexei into straightening out his legs so Sean could sit on his lap. Strong arms wrapped around his torso with a punishing grip, holding on tight as Alexei buried his face against Sean’s chest.
“I’m sorry,” Sean whispered hoarsely, pressing his cheek to the top of Alexei’s head as the white walls around them blurred from his tears. “I’m so sorry, Lyosha.”
Sean held Alexei as he cried, wishing he could do more, could take away the hurt ripping apart his lover’s life. All he could do was be there for Alexei, even though he knew it wasn’t enough. As he held Alexei, Sean was almost shamefully grateful that Alexei was alive and in his arms.
He knew Jamie wouldn’t get that opportunity with Kyle today.
19
A Final Salute
Three days.
That’s how long since the world had dulled around him.
Alexei turned off the engine in the car he’d borrowed from the MDF motor pool, staring blankly out the windshield at the tree-lined street Jamie’s parents lived on. Alexei had gone through the last few days in a grief-stricken haze that wasn’t getting any better, even within the arms of his family. How he was expected to be of any help here, he didn’t know.
“Come on,” Sean said quietly. “Katie is expecting us.”
Alexei nodded woodenly before stuffing the code-keys into his pocket and getting out of the car. The street was blocked off and guarded on either side by Metropolitan police who were fanatical in keeping the curious masses at bay.
Ever since Jamie’s identity as a metahuman had been revealed to the public on national and international news, it was all anyone could talk about. Alpha Team’s solidarity with their captain had resulted in all of them revealing their identities alongside Jamie. Security for their families had been put in place immediately, but Alexei wasn’t worried about his. They’d been flown from Boston to Washington, D.C., on a military flight to bring them to MDF headquarters the day after the attack.
Alexei’s engagement announcement was bittersweet news for them now. Alexei rubbed at the warm gold of his ring as he walked slowly around the car. Sean waited for him on the sidewalk, tired brown eyes looking nowhere else but at him. Alexei reached for him, taking Sean’s hand in his, needing his lover’s touch to ground him.
Alpha Team was out of commission. With their captain incapacitated and all of them emotionally compromised, the director couldn’t, in good conscience, put them in the field. So while other teams were being shuffled around and reassigned missions to cover the hole Alpha Team left behind, their orders were to stand down. To heal.
To grieve.
All the bruising and fractured bones Alexei had come away with from the fight in the capital had disappeared, courtesy of a full regen regime. He honestly would’ve preferred the lingering pain in his body than the pain in his heart.
They walked silently up the drive to the front door of the mansion, not bothering to knock before letting themselves in. The team had been taking shifts watching over Jamie. While his parents and sister were sticking close, it was his team who knew him best these days.
Katie met them in the foyer, looking worn out and tired, a bottle of vodka in her hand and two glasses in the other.
“He’s awake,” she said, handing the items to Alexei, forcing him to take them. “Go talk to him. Please.”
Alexei gave her a bewildered look before glancing down at the alcohol in his hands. “Want me get him drunk? Need more than this.”
“Liquid courage.”
If it were anyone else giving him this order, Alexei would punch them. But this was Katie, their second-in-command, the person who’d held his mind together in the field for as long as possible in order to keep him focused and alive. That she’d nearly hit burnout by doing what should have been impossible—merging psionic powers to boost strength and gain reach—was a testament to her strength. Katie would out-stubborn him if necessary, and Alexei was honestly too fucking tired to argue.
