Page 49 of Protecting the Nerd

Another perfect choice. “Hoth Ski Resort,” I said with a chuckle. “Love it.”

And when I thought they were done with the gifts, Tomás pointed at the table. “That’s from Fir and me. We hope you like it,” he said, uncharacteristically insecure.

I tore the wrapping paper off the heavy present, and a simple brown box appeared. When I opened it, it took me a few seconds to figure out what I was looking at. “Oh my god,” I whispered. “Tomás, this is amazing…”

I pulled out two beautifully carved chess pieces and set them down carefully. One by one, I retrieved the pawns, horses, rooks, bishops, kings, and queens until I had a complete set. The last piece was the board, which was heavy and thick.

“They’re hand-carved and painted,” Tomás said. “There’s this older guy in this village in Brazil where my parents have a second home, and he makes these from Brazilian oak. Félipe is an amazing artist.”

Wait, he’d gotten this for me in Brazil? When he’d been there for his mom’s surgery? But that had been weeks ago. “It’s the most beautiful set I’ve ever seen. Thank you.”

It was the single best birthday I had celebrated in my entire life. We talked and laughed, drank the exclusive port the twins had brought, and ate all the delicious food Intan had made for us. The dining table was laden with a colorful array of dishes, each one bursting with tantalizing food and exotic spices. Steaming bowls of fragrant meat stews, golden fried rice with slivers of ham and fried egg, a mound of aromatic fried noodles topped with crispy vegetables and tender chunks of meat in a rich, dark sauce, and tender satay skewers dripping with peanut sauce.

My friends accepted Quillon as easily as if he’d always been part of the group, and no more remarks about our relationship were made. Most surprisingly, I wasn’t bored for a second. Usually, being around people wore me out, but these men gave me an energy that almost felt like being high. I drank it all in between pinching myself to stay grounded in the present. This was really happening, and I never wanted the day to end.

They didn’t leave until ten, and when Quillon closed the door behind the last one, the house was strangely silent. Quillon and I said little as we tidied up together—he did allow me to help—and washed the Crock-Pots. We put all the leftovers in containers. We’d be eating like kings for the next few days, and I was not complaining.

When we were done, I turned to Quillon. “Thank you. For everything.”

“It was my pleasure.”

My eyes grew moist, and to hide it, I hugged him again. “I’ll never forget this. Ever.”

I held on too long, then let him go abruptly and hurried out before he could see my tears.

16

QUILLON

Aweek after his birthday party, York was still thanking me. I didn’t want his thanks. I had tried a few times to express that and had been ignored, so I’d given up. Apparently, it was something he wanted or maybe even needed to say. And I understood that. I was only grateful it had been such a resounding success. I’d asked for extra FBI agents for that day, and Coulson had granted my request without a word of protest. During the celebration, they’d kept watch so I could relax, and it had been a superb afternoon.

But how sad was it that this simple birthday party was the best celebration York had ever had? The man had turned forty-three, for fuck’s sake. His friends seemed to have understood that as well, even without me having to point it out, and that they’d all shown up with such wonderful, perfect gifts spoke volumes about their characters and friendship. Karma was finally repaying York for years of neglect, and he deserved every bit of attention.

But alas, after the party, normal life had returned and, with it, the constant alertness. “What can you tell me?” I asked Coulson, who checked in every other day. He had provided me with a secure phone for these calls, even though I was confident my phone was hard to crack. I wasn’t gonna argue with the government when it came to York’s safety.

“It’s a Russia-based group,” Coulson said, and I sat up straighter. That was the first time he’d given me any details. “They want this chameleon technology for their own country.”

“How big is the group?”

“We don’t know, but we have identified and confirmed eight members at least. Four of them are in the country. The two men who tried to break into York’s apartment, plus two more who arrived in LA yesterday.”

“Fuck. And you can’t arrest them?”

“We could, but the case would be weak, and they’d most likely walk away.”

“This is where York will function as the bait.”

“He already has. They haven’t been in the US in over a decade. They’re here for him, and trust me, we’re watching them.”

“But not too closely because you don’t want them to know you’re on to them.” I couldn’t keep the concern out of my voice.

“The waiting is hard, Quillon, but we have to let it play out for now.”

I understood that, but I worried all the same. “Can you send extra agents?”

“Not without drawing attention. We’re already pushing it with how long Miller and LaFontaine have been in town. It’s taken longer for this group to take the bait than we expected.”

I sighed. “Okay. Keep me posted.”

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