Fixing Justice (30 page)

Pushing through the massive wood barn door that opened into Drae’s wood shop, Alex immediately pinpointed his friend with his back to the door across the wide room. With AC/DC cranking at full volume on the sound system and the noise generated by the serious looking table saw, there was no way to announce himself without shouting so he waited for the song to end before making his presence known. Removing his sunglasses, Alex cleared his throat and keeping his voice calm said, “Yo. Dude.”

Clearly surprised by his visitor, Drae whipped around with a dark scowl, ready to bite the head off of whoever had been foolish enough to invade his sanctuary. Alex pinned him to the spot with one raised eyebrow and his very best smirk. “You’re a royal pain in my ass, St. John,” he drawled.

Drae switched off the noisy saw and removed the heavy work gloves he’d been wearing, tossing them carelessly on the workbench. Alex noted every movement along with the shuttered expression and prepared himself for the face-off he knew was coming. When his friend reached for a remote control and lowered the music, he felt the antagonism level back off, but only slightly.

“Takes one to know one,” Drae snarled. “What are you doing here, Alex?”

Alex wandered lazily around the workshop, picking up scraps of wood and then tossing them aside. “You’re fucking kidding, right? Going off radar for a couple of days and not answering your phone is what got my ass down here.”

“I’m busy, and you’re interrupting me,” Drae grunted, wiping sweat from his forehead with the bottom of his grimy t-shirt. He was uncomfortable with the knowing way Alex was watching him. Actually, it kind of freaked him out. The man had a way of seeing shit and knowing things that the most observant people often missed. The last thing he needed was the third-degree, but he knew his odd behavior had brought about this confrontation so he had little choice but to deal with it.

“Well, I see that pleasant conversation won’t be on the agenda today so let’s just cut to the chase.” The tone of Alex’s voice suggested he was two clicks removed from ripping Drae’s fucking head off. “You forced this on yourself dude, so fuck you and the shitty attitude. I’m not stupid. Something has your shorts in a knot. And why you’d think for even a second that I wouldn’t notice something was up is a joke. It’s been three goddamn days since you got back from Las Vegas and as far as I can tell, you haven’t left this shop in all that time.”

“You want a soda?” Drae asked, going to the refrigerator in the corner of the shop, grabbing two cold ones and tossing one Alex’s way before he answered. Motioning with his head to a spot where they could sit, he flopped onto a wood crate and tore open the tab on the soda.

Alex was one of those guys who could drive a man insane with the deliberate, cool-headed way he approached everything. Drae knew him so well. Alex was always taking mental notes. Essentially, he was waiting him out, and he had to admit it was a smart strategic move on his part.

“Spit it out, would you? C’mon Drae. This isn’t like you at all.”

The notion of spilling his guts to someone he could trust was tempting but something held him back. Maybe it was because the knot in his shorts, as Alex put it, involved someone else and even after three days he still hadn’t come to terms with what that meant.
Whatever
, he tipped his head back and drained the soda, crushing the can in one hand and flinging it into a recycling barrel nearby.

Alex watched him, sighed and then let it rip. “Y’know, we spent a lifetime watching each other’s back in the war. Your reluctance to let me in doesn’t make sense, dude. If we were women, I’d let you have it for hurting my feelings with your stubbornness, but as it is, I’ll settle for reminding you that whatever messes with you, messes with me.”

Drae winced at his choice of words. He was right, of course. “Fuck, Alex. You’re making me feel like shit here. Ease off, okay?”

“No, I will not. And stop being a whinny bitch. This,” he said while waving a hand at Drae, “whatever
this
is, involves my assistant, doesn’t it?”

“No. Yes!
Fuck
.” He got up and started pacing as nervous energy shot along his nerve endings.

“Okay. What the fuck did you do?” Alex growled.

“Why the hell do you automatically assume that I did something?”
Fucker.

“I know you St. John and I’ve never seen you so much as look over your shoulder as an endless parade of fuck buddies made the walk of shame from your bed. You’re an asshole and you know it. Everyone knows it. Thinking you did something incredibly crass or mean-spirited to Tori isn’t exactly a stretch of the imagination.”

“Why? Has she said something?” Drae asked a bit wildly as his stomach dropped at the mention of Victoria.

Alex smirked. “Wow, that didn’t take much.”

Drae shifted back and forth on his feet, annoyed that he gave so much away with one question. Borrowing one of Alex’s signature moves, he raked his hand across his scalp and grimaced. This whole thing was making him mental. He didn’t know himself anymore, that was how far out of his comfort zone he was.

Alex watched him through narrowed eyes, slowly sipping the soda while nodding his head. “You’re a fucking mess, brother. You look like death warmed over. Smell like it too. Have you even left this room because,
seriously dude
, you need a shower. And some clothes that don’t look like they came from the ragbag. This is so not you, Drae.”

Motherfucker
. Some part of him wanted to blurt out the worst of it but he knew doing so would unleash an avalanche of questions he wasn’t ready to answer.

“Alright, look - this is getting us nowhere. While I don’t understand why you can’t tell me what’s wrong, I’m going to respect your privacy since you obviously have strong reasons for clamming up. But I will say this. Do
not
fucking mess with Tori Bennett. This is not the first time I’ve warned you, but it will be the last thing you remember before I knock the piss out of you if I find out you’ve been a dick. She’s good people and you - well, seriously. You’re my brother in every way that counts and I would lay down my life for you so understand that I fully recognize I have no business commenting on your personal life, but I have to say this. You’re making a huge mistake involving Tori in your relationship-phobic life. If that’s what’s going on, I mean.”

While Alex rattled off the terse lecture, Drae glared at him, his face a tense mask of churning emotions. The man was probably right, but he didn’t want to hear it. “Understood.”

“That said,” Alex rose and walked toward him, tossing the soda can as he did. Swatting him on the back he continued, “The fact that you’re such a butt ugly mess suggests this isn’t your normal, run of the mill dalliance.” He snorted, laughing sarcastically at his own words. “Jesus. I just used
dalliance
in a sentence. I better get outta here before we start doing our nails!”

“Alex,” Drae mumbled. “Thanks.”

The man shrugged while making a pained grin. “Whatever this is, you have to fix it. I’m here for you. Don’t forget it. Okay?”

Bile rose in Drae’s throat hearing Alex tell him to fix it. This was what his life had come to.
Fuck.

“So, what do you think of this, Tori?” Alex asked, tossing a big brown envelope of reading materials on her desk. “I’m off next month to Washington for a think-tank symposium. Range of topics – nothing that tickles my taint…oh, right. Sorry.” He shrugged. “Sometimes I forget to watch my language around the ladies. Anyway, I’m interested in the holographic data seminar and was wondering what you think. Read that shit over and get back to me.”

Pushing her chair back, Tori grabbed the envelope and shuffled to the coffee maker for a java jolt. God. She’d been sitting way too long this morning and her butt actually hurt. With her personal life in chaos, she’d been burning the midnight oil staying busy with work stuff so she didn’t have to think about Draegyn. Or the mess they were in. Or the way her nose stung each time she thought of him as she fought back tears. As a result she hadn’t been eating properly and had more or less been hunched over a keyboard or staring at a digital display for way too many hours each day.

Speaking over her shoulder to Alex as he moved around her workspace, she ignored the flat sound to her voice and concentrated on the new task he’d literally thrown at her. “No problem, boss. Are you presenting or just sitting in?”

He groaned at her question. “Fuck no! Not presenting this time. Sometimes these things are undercover attempts by the military guys to pick everyone’s brains,” he snorted. “Semper Fi and all but these days, I’m not inclined to share.”

Tori considered that little nugget of inside information as she juggled the heavy envelope; shoving it under her arm while carrying a monster mug of black sludge with both hands back to her desk. The coffee was blazing hot and downright awful. Bitter didn’t do it justice. Alex, for all his high-tech ways, eschewed having a modern coffee system in the office, opting for an ancient drip brewer that you just keep filling and using over and over.

Sipping, careful not to scorch her mouth on the disgusting beverage, she angled her arm just so, letting the envelope fall on her desk before settling back in a comfy swivel chair. Spinning to look at her boss, she expected him to be puttering so she was slightly unnerved to find that he was studying her like a bug under a microscope. The serious expression on his face made her completely forget what she’d been about to say.

Raising an eyebrow she asked, “Did I grow a set of horns or something, Alex?” She thought he looked a bit uncomfortable around her. Oh great. Just what she needed. Even though they’d only been working together for a few months, Tori had come to really like the man who signed her paycheck. He was incredibly smart and had an easy manner that didn’t push any of her buttons. A born leader, Alex rarely wielded an imperious hand, preferring to get things done through teamwork and encouraging everyone around him to challenge themselves and seek solutions rather than more problems. Unlike his arrogant, conceited partner.
Squash that thought
, she reminded herself. All reminders of Draegyn St. John were off limits.

The way he was studying her though made a chill race up Tori’s spine. Had she done something wrong or stepped over a line? It wasn’t like him to be so obvious. A heavy knot formed in her stomach when she remembered that she had indeed stepped over the line by sleeping with Draegyn. Not that she thought Alex knew though. Embarrassment and anxiety intersected in her conscience at the notion that Draegyn might have told his friend what had gone down in Vegas. Oh Lord. She silently prayed that was not the case.

Alex glanced away and made busy with a pile of junk before he answered her. “No horns. Just lost in thought.”

Mmmm hmmm
, she mused. Nice try. Dammit. Something was definitely up. Swiveling around in her chair, Tori chose the low road and let the moment slide without further comment, but she could still feel his eyes on her.

Some time later, she wasn’t sure how long because watching the clock was counter-productive, she sensed a shift in the air. When the hair on the back of her neck prickled she closed her eyes and tried to ignore the pulse of awareness intruding on her attempts at avoidance.
Shit and fuck.
The flicker of recognition that had her body sitting up and taking notice could be none other than the man she was trying to block out.

She didn’t have to turn around to know he was in the room. How the hell had that happened? It was almost as if he was inside her, and while that thought started in wonder at how deeply imbedded he was in her thoughts, it quickly transformed into a Technicolor memory of how it felt to take him inside her body. Tori sucked back the earthy groan threatening to undermine her composure.

Okay
. She could do this. She could slap a bland, indifferent expression on her face and keep things business as usual. There really wasn’t any other choice. Not with Alex in the room. Gathering some courage, she peeked sideways without moving to see if she could ascertain what was happening behind her back. She saw shadows in the smoked glass windows of the two men standing side-by-side and heard the faint murmurs of conversation.

Relief coursed through Tori. He was here to see Alex. She’d been on pins and needles the last four days, waiting for him to make an appearance and confront her about their stupid predicament. Surely he would have heard from his lawyer by now. Maybe she should have attempted to get legal advice instead of letting him take the lead, she considered with regret, but the realization that she might have taken more responsibility for finding a solution came too late. He was already in the driver’s seat. The thought didn’t bring her much comfort.

Her nerves exploded as Tori silently chanted,
oh please don’t come over here, please don’t come over here,
but she doubted he would get caught ignoring her in front of Alex. The silent pep talk turned to assuring herself that she could handle him, although she knew that was bullshit.

She’d been so damn angry with him when they parted, stomping off in a fit of pique as he’d called after her. Not much had changed over the last few days except the uncomfortable acknowledgment that try as she might to compartmentalize what had happened between them and maintain that it had all just been raging hormones, alcohol, and normal everyday desire, it was a whole lot more.