He finished the drink slowly, dragging out the going back to work—going back to what he’d left. In the end, though, he had a job to do. Waving at Oscar and Hilary, he headed back across the road, entering through the guards’ gates, and strode through the hallways as if nothing was amiss. He took a deep breath and entered the room, aiming for Brett, who was at his desk as usual, and placed the drink beside him before heading to his computer. James Bond had been paused, and as he sat, he remembered why he’d been worked up to begin with.
“Fucking hell,” he muttered, biting his nails, though he barely had any left.
“Felix, Nick and Maddox are free to help you with the camera issue if you need them to,” Brett said, his voice neutral.
Felix gritted his teeth against the urge to scream at him and nodded. “Thanks. I think I will need them.”
Silence descended, but then he heard footsteps. They stopped beside him at the same time a shadow fell over him.
“Are we okay?” Brett asked, his voice low.
Felix gave himself a second. “Peachy.”
“Felix…”
“Don’t say my name like that if you’re not going to do anything about it,” he growled. He kept his voice low, too, not wanting to cause a scene. “Becausethishappens.” He spun his chair to the side slightly and showed the tent in his trousers. He turned back to the monitor. “I need to get this done.” He ignored the way his ass clenched around the plug he had started wearing for a few hours a day to keep himself prepared in case of miracles.
Brett’s footsteps did all the talking when he walked away. Felix could withstand a lot of things, but Brett might just be the one to break him.
****
By the time Christian and Oscar’s wedding arrived, all the guards were on tenterhooks. Nothing was amiss anywhere, but that didn’t stop them from expecting issues. The camera problem had been resolved, and as far as Felix could tell, everything was in place. He’d checked a couple of dozen times, so he should know.
Christian had asked Brett and Felix to be there as guests, but they had declined, wanting to be able to protect them on their special day. Christian had argued, and in the end, they had agreed to wear wedding suits as a compromise. It made them stand out a little, but it was still a nice gesture. Felix was trying hard not to show how much he appreciated the dark grey colour on Brett.
They still had three hours before the wedding and were going through the motions one more time. They’d do it again just before people started arriving, about an hour before the ceremony started, but they wanted to be sure, especially with the message that had been left. That had been another reason why Brett hadn’t wanted to be a guest. He hadn’t wanted the targetson his and Felix’s backs to be aimed at the guests, and Felix understood wholeheartedly.
He walked the length of the grounds from the prince’s exit to the front of the chapel and climbed the steps. He couldn’t imagine such a lavish wedding for himself. He’d much prefer something small, maybe on the beach or beside a lake, something like that. He didn’t need much.
As he neared the back of the chapel, he heard his name. Brett walked towards him, and his breath caught, as it always did.
“Yes?”
“Everything looks good. I have Colt and Owen on the monitors. Maddox, Rae, Nina and Landon will be situated around this room. We will be front and to the side. The rest will be spread out in other areas around the chapel and the immediate grounds. Anything I’ve missed?”
“As if.”
Brett frowned at him. “I’m being serious.”
“I know you are, but when have you missed anything?”
“I’ve missed plenty.”
Felix rolled his eyes and knew his mistake the minute he did it. He froze as a hand came down on his nape and pushed him towards the hallway at the back of the chapel. No words were spoken, but he let himself be led to wherever Brett was taking him.
“Owen, Felix and I are going radio silent to check something out. No contact unless an emergency, in which case call me,” Brett said when they entered a room and the door closed behind them.
“Got it, boss.”
Brett removed his earpiece and held out his hand towards Felix. Felix removed his earpiece, too, placing it in his palm. His boss switched both to silent and put them on a nearby table, all the while having hold of Felix’s neck.
Once they were safe, Brett pushed Felix face-first against a wall. Not hard, not punishing, but with intent. A warmth covered his back, and Felix inhaled shakily.
“Did you roll your eyes at me, Felix?” Brett said, his voice several shades darker than usual.
Unsure how to answer, he stayed quiet.
“Felix…?” was growled in his ear.