“Of course, sir.”
Liam left the hub and the UMG, taking his worry over the situation with him.
* * *
Liam followedthe winding road to the car park located behind the walls surrounding Kensington Palace. He parked in his designated spot and sighed tiredly as he got out. The cottage on the grounds that was his home now was a small two-bedroom abode nestled out of range of prying eyes. The cottage had undergone a renovation before he moved in, which enabled Liam to decorate it more to his tastes than the previous resident’s.
While the framework of the cottage was old, the door had been upgraded for security. Liam pressed his hand against the sensor pad, his biometrics unlocking the door. It slid open, and the emptiness of the cottage was the first thing Liam always noticed. He dropped the code-keys on the side table as he passed it, his footsteps echoing on the hardwood floor.
It would be nice to come home to someone.
Unbidden, Oliver’s face flashed across his mind, and he shook his head. A wishful thought and nothing would come of it.
“Lights on,” Liam told the attending computer.
The lights in the cottage slowly rose to a brightness level that complemented the late afternoon sunlight pouring through the windows. He had maybe an hour before Jamie and Kyle arrived, which gave him plenty of time to sort out supper. He got to it, turning on a music stream so the cottage wasn’t so silent.
By the time the arrival chime echoed through the cottage, Liam had two roast chickens in the oven, a salad prepared and in the refrigerator, and water ready to boil for the pasta once it got closer to mealtime. Liam left the kitchen for the hallway, but the door slid open before he got there.
“Look who I found loitering about like ruffians,” Jasper said with an easy smile from where he stood next to Jamie and Kyle.
Liam laughed, some of his lingering tension from the past twenty-four hours fading away. “Jamie doesn’t loiter. It’s beneath him.”
“But not me,” Kyle said with a grin.
Liam stepped forward to pull his older brother into a hard hug. Jasper was half a centimeter taller than him, but that height difference was negligible, especially when they hugged. When he pulled back to put Jasper at arm’s length, Liam gave him a quick once-over. Jasper was five years older than him and a skilled pilot with the RAF. He wasn’t in uniform, just casual clothing, which told Liam he’d been on leave for at least a day.
“I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow, Jasper,” Liam said.
Jasper stepped past him into the cottage. “I moved up my arrival date after everything that happened yesterday. I thought about ringing you but figured you would be too busy to answer. I thought I’d come by tonight to see if you were available. If not, I was going to have dinner with mum and dad. I ran into Jamie and Kyle at the security gate and brought them up.”
Liam turned his attention to Jamie and Kyle, gesturing for them to come into the cottage. “I’m glad you could make it. I’d say you look tanned but no one gets tan in space. I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon.”
“You could say that,” Jamie said with a smirk.
Liam laughed, locking the door behind them. “Well, I’m sorry you’ve arrived with this bollocks going on.”
“I’m not going to complain about the honeymoon, but I do miss a good fight,” Kyle said.
“You’re in luck. Chapman wants to chat with you both tomorrow regarding the mission.”
“I’ve always loved debriefing while on vacation,” Jamie said dryly as he lifted a bag containing two bottles of wine and a bottle of whiskey. “We brought these from the wine storage in the Kensington house. I don’t think my mother will miss them.”
“She’ll just buy more,” Kyle said.
“Supper is in the oven. We’re having roast chicken and vegetables. Let’s save the wine for the meal. There’s beer we can have before we eat,” Liam said.
“Did you make enough to feed all of you metahumans? Will there be enough for me?” Jasper asked.
Liam turned around and headed back down the hallway for the kitchen. “I wouldn’t let you starve. If there’s none leftover for your plate, you can ring the chef on duty in Kensington.”
“I see how it is. I’m deployed on duty for months and this is how you show me love.”
“Jamie brought wine. You only brought yourself.”
Jasper laughed, not in the least put out by Liam’s teasing. Some of their aunts, uncles, and cousins lived in the smaller flats in Kensington Palace. The largest set was currently taken up by the Princess Royal and her husband. Staff was on hand to assist the royal family with their home needs, and many indulged in that perk. Liam rarely employed the use of the chef, but it was always nice to know he could send his brother to get fed if he had to.
“How are things on the field?” Jamie asked.
