“MDF agents are positioned around the building and a field team is on their way up to guard you. Your parents and brothers are the only ones who know where you are right now. They know to keep that information to themselves. Your work knows you are safe but not your location. I’ll be back in a day or two. Make yourself at home, okay? The AI has been programmed for your commands.”
Brendan wasn’t prepared for Trevor to kiss him in front of his family but he willingly accepted the goodbye, aware of all the eyes on them. His lips tingled when they parted and he fought the urge to touch them.
Trevor left with Jamie and Kyle. Brendan finally looked away from the door and met his family’s blatantly disbelieving expressions.
“What?” he asked.
Colton shook his head. “Sit down and start talking, little brother.”
“But leave out the sex details. I don’t need to hear those,” Ryan added, making an exaggerated disgusted face.
Brendan socked Ryan in the shoulder, careful not to spill his synthcaf. “Shut up.”
“You’re wearing his shirt, Brendan. That’s a pretty obvious clue.”
“I hope you fail your detective exam.”
“Boys,” their mother chastised.
Shaking his head, Brendan sat on the couch and prepared to be lovingly interrogated.
11
Boonsboro, Maryland
USA
“Trevor!”Madison Chan said with a cheerful laugh as she threw herself at him for a hard hug. “I hear you got yourself a boy. How come I’m the last to know?”
Trevor rolled his eyes but hugged her back just as hard. Madison looked more tanned than when he’d last seen her some months back. Los Angeles, with its fierce sunshine, had been good for her. “Probably because it’s not official yet and I’ve barely known him a week.”
“And half that time Trevor has been playing white knight,” Katie teased from her seat across the conference room table.
“It’s a good look on you,” Jamie said with a straight face. Beside him, Kyle didn’t even bother to hide his smirk.
Trevor raised both middle fingers at his captain but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his mouth. He took the teasing in stride because he knew his friends meant well. That still didn’t mean he was willing to share Brendan with all of them just yet.
Madison put him at arm’s length, squinting up at him. “Yeah, I have to agree with Jamie. Getting laid is a good look on you.”
Trevor rolled his eyes as everyone laughed, messing up Madison’s hair because he could. “I thought we came here for a mission briefing, not to discuss my sex life?”
“I mean, we can do both, but I don’t think the director would appreciate that being on the record.”
“Iwon’t appreciate it being on the record.”
Madison waved off his concern and pulled out the chair between him and Annabelle Brown. The team’s pilot was a little more interested in reviewing data on the terrain they were heading into later than his sex life. That didn’t stop her from teasing him either.
“If he’s cute it might be worth it,” Annabelle said.
“He’s worth it.”
She flashed him a smile, hazel eyes bright with mirth. “But not enough to go into the official mission records?”
Trevor shrugged, knowing when to give in. “Fuck it. Yes, okay?”
The door slid open and Alexei Dvorkin stepped into the room, gray eyes locking on Trevor like a heat-seeking missile. “Hear you have boyfriend, Trevor.”
“Not you, too,” Trevor groaned.
