Whispered Words

Chapter Eleven

Nathan stopped and turned with Avery to watch Chloe, their hard-assed boss, giggling as her new boyfriends, lovers, hell, fiancés, dragged her out of the gym.

“They’re going home. To have sex.” Avery said it like it was an unknown phenomenon.

“Yes, Avery,” Nathan said slowly, as if to a dimwitted child. “That’s when a man puts tab A into a woman’s slot B. Get it?”

Avery turned and punched him in the gut, hard. His blue eyes gleamed with amusement. Not ice-cold like Jack’s, Avery’s eyes reminded Nathan of sapphires, priceless and shining with a wealth of feeling.

“You keep pushing me, dimples, and one day I’m gonna give you what you’ve been asking for.”

If only. Avery was so straight he could barely color outside the lines.

“Whatever, Romeo. And quit calling me dimples,” Nathan snapped. The guy annoyed him like nobody’s business.

But he couldn’t make himself turn away from that fine ass as Avery strutted from the room like a proud peacock.

Avery said over his shoulder, “By the way, you have cleanup.” The bastard had the nerve to whistle as he left the training area.

Nathan grimaced. He’d have to wipe everything down and straighten the equipment, to include setting the weights back in their slots. And he’d already done that once tonight upstairs. Fuck, he hated cleanup. He turned to the heavy bag and started hitting. “Asshole. Always has to have the last word.”

Minutes later, after he’d worked up a good sweat, a hand on his shoulder had him turning in a heartbeat. He took his attacker to the mat and leaned into him. A little more pressure would crush his windpipe.

But Avery didn’t struggle. He had that look in his eyes, the one that signaled a prediction. The air of psychic stillness enveloped him, giving him a sweet scent Nathan could always recognize as Avery’s.

Nathan hurriedly released him and checked him over to make sure he hadn’t caused any undue damage. Screwing around or training was one thing, but he’d never take advantage of the guy like this. “Avery, man, I’m sorry. I thought you were—”

“I’m so sorry, Nathan.” Avery blinked at him, his blue eyes dark with grief.

“I’m so sorry.”

“What’s wrong?”

As he helped a shaky Avery to his feet, Jack suddenly appeared by the entrance.

“Nathan, I need to talk to you.” The boss met Avery’s eyes but said nothing.

To Nathan’s surprise, Avery didn’t leave him with Jack. He walked with him into Jack’s office and remained while Jack sat behind his desk and Nathan took a seat across from him.

“What’s up, boss? You’re making me nervous.”

Jack just stared at him. “There’s no easy way to say this.” He gave a short pause. “Your mother’s dead.”

Everyone sat in silence while the news registered.

Then Nathan laughed. “Seriously, what’s up?”

“Nathan, your mother is dead,” Jack said again, his eyes narrowed on Nathan the way a wolf watched flighty prey.

“Jack, you have my file. My mother died twenty years ago.” When he’d gone to live with his uncle. And what a nightmare that had turned out to be. If not for his aunt, he’d have gone insane.

Avery put his hand on Nathan’s shoulder, startling him. The heat from the contact sent Nathan’s pulse skyrocketing, the way it always did. He had to focus to will his erection away.

Avery explained in a soft voice, “No, Nathan. Not the woman who claimed she was your mother. Her sister, your aunt Danielle.” Nathan froze. “I just talked to her two nights ago. She’s fine.” My mother?

What the fuck?

“No. She’s not. She’s dead.” Jack paused.

Avery didn’t say anything more, and Nathan glanced up to see him exchange an odd look with Jack.

“What? Why are you two closing me out? Fucking tell me what else I need to know,” Nathan growled, tired of pulling answers from these two. Aunt Danielle isn’t dead. She’s not. I’d know it if she were.

“Nathan, the man who found her…” Avery started.

“He’s coming after you,” Jack said. “And he’s in possession of something stolen from our client that makes him very, very powerful. And more dangerous than you can believe.”

Nathan clenched his jaw. He heard the truth, though he didn’t want to believe it. He couldn’t think about his aunt right now. Not if he… Whoever had killed her would regret his actions for the rest of his short-lived, miserable life.

“You say he’s coming after me. What do my aunt and I have to do with this?

What’s our connection to the client?” He still couldn’t think of her as his mother.

“It’s not your connection to the client. It’s to your past.” Jack nodded at Avery.

Avery explained, “He’s not dead, Nathan. Malcolm Dixon is very much alive.”

Memories swamped him. Fear made Nathan’s palms sweaty, but he refused to back down. He’d killed the bastard once, or at least he thought he had. He could do it again.

Before he could speak, Avery surprised him. In a calm voice, he asked Jack,

“When do we leave?”

Jack answered without hesitation. “I’ll have your transportation and all the information you need arranged for you in two days. Pack your bags. You’re going to have one hell of a New Year.”