Page 79 of Protecting the Nerd

“They’re coming for me.”

“That’s a real concern, yes.”

“Okay. Where are they taking us?”

My heart softened at his use of the word us. “Well, it remains to be seen if it’s gonna be you and me both, nerdy. I wasn’t on the original guest list.”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

Had I called that or what? “Which is what I told Coulson, but I understand why they’d balk. I’m not in danger. You are. I’m just?—”

“I don’t care. I need you, and I’m not leaving without you. That’s final. They’ll have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming, and I doubt they can do that.”

“They’re the FBI, nerdy. That’s fully within their powers.” But could they take him against his will? I wasn’t sure, actually. Not that I was planning on finding out. His safety was still my primary concern.

He folded his arms. “I’d like to see them try.”

How could I not love him? “Coulson said he’d see what he can do, but either way, we need to pack. They’re planning on moving you tonight.”

“Tonight?” he squealed. “That’s not good, right?”

“It’s a sign they take your safety very seriously.”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

“It’s the way I prefer. Let’s try to stay constructive, or we’ll drown in worry over what might happen. We need to pack.”

We both sprang into action, our movements synchronized like a well-rehearsed dance. I grabbed my duffel bag from the guest room, where it had been all that time, and packed toiletries and clean clothes. Thank god I’d done laundry that morning. Meanwhile, York raided his bedroom, throwing clothes into a suitcase with a carelessness that violated his normally meticulous standards. When he was done, I double-checked, wanting to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything important, while he packed his laptop bag with work-related stuff.

“I’ve remote-wiped my laptop,” he said. “Everything is safe on the EDS server, but I didn’t think it smart to leave it locally stored.”

“Good thinking.”

“Do we need to tell Auden we’re leaving? Or Tomás?”

Did we? The fewer people who knew we were on the move, the better, but someone had to know. Auden would be the best choice. “I’ll let Auden know. But, nerdy, you can’t tell Fir. Not in this case.”

He sighed, his shoulders hunched. “I know. I just hope this won’t last for long.”

“You and me both.”

As I ended the call with Auden, a text from Coulson came in that we were getting picked up in an hour. That left us just enough time to pack the last stuff and make sure we left the house in order. We had no idea when we’d be returning.

And then we waited. I stood by the window, peeking through the curtains with a vigilance that had been honed in far more hostile environments than this quiet suburban street. Unease crawled under my skin, a sense of premonition, of impending jeopardy. Was it a Marine’s instinct, the result of years of picking apart the shadows for threats? I wasn’t sure, but everything inside me screamed we were heading into danger…and there was nothing I could do about it.

“Quillon?” York’s voice was threaded with concern, and it took effort to tear my gaze away from the empty road.

“Remember, stay close to me.” I slipped into the familiar role of protector, the one that fit as snugly as the Kevlar vests we weren’t wearing. At least, not yet.

“Always.” His eyes held mine, a steel-blue resolve shining within them.

A low rumble of engines broke the stillness. I peered out again. Two black vehicles sandwiching a suburban rolled to a stop in front of our building. Their arrival felt like the click of a safety being released—sudden, sharp, and signaling the start of action. Showtime.

I didn’t open the door until I was certain these were FBI agents, and even then, I had my hand on my gun. “Mr. Minch, Mr. York,” a stern-faced agent said. “Please put these on.”

He handed us Kevlar vests, and York paled. I swallowed my fear and helped him, pulling the fasteners snug, then put my own on.

This time, I carried the bags because I wasn’t here as York’s bodyguard but as his boyfriend. I scanned our surroundings as we exited the house. “Middle car,” the agent said.

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