Page 11 of Black Site

She's become something like a mother to all of the guys though. Hell, even Remy's stopped flirting with her so much and started treating her like she needs to go up on a pedestal. Not me. When I look at her I don't see mother anywhere in the title I want attached to her unless she wants to get kinky with me and then I wouldn't be opposed to calling her momma.

Hell, if she can take Jack's shit and not bat an eyelash she has to be the one. She gives him the most shit of any of the other guys, well besides me. The day she came through our temporary offices and saw all eight of us sitting on the stairs hanging out she's been throwing boy band references at us, which drives Jack mad.

She came through and had to step over me to get inside. "What is this? Nsync? The Backstreet Boys? A comeback tour?" I didn't get the reference but Remy burst out laughing.

"Boy Bands. That's a good one." He still laughs when he hears her call Jack a boy band member.

It did make my week to see her hand over a mission to the six-foot-four dark scary son of a bitch telling him as she gives it to him, "Relax, Boy Band, I got this." Yeah, she’s not taking shit from any of us and that's what makes her special.

She's even sat down with me and an architect who runs in the same circles as me and my men to help design the fucking compound we're building as we speak. She's such an integral part of our team now that hearing her sad because of something doesn't feel right. It feels like we should go kill whatever it is so she can be happy again. That's one of the things that made me start listening.

"No, no, I understand, Hon. You go have fun and don't work too hard okay. Take some time to enjoy being eighteen please." I know exactly who is on the phone with her and that means killing someone isn't going to be an option. Lexi. She missed coming home for Thanksgiving because she told her sister that she got a small retail job close to the college. When I checked to make sure she wasn't just blowing her sister off she was, in fact, working. All through Thanksgiving so she could pick up an extra class in spring.

But now she's not coming back for Christmas and I can tell that hurts Libby. Not that she would ever say anything to Lexi about it. No Libby would cut her own hand off before she mentioned how much she misses Lexi or how lonely she is without her.

Alexandria knows that Libby has a new job and that she does translation and office work. She's also aware that next semester is all paid for but I can tell Libby had a huge effect on the kid because she works just as hard as her sister and is twice as determined to succeed. She needs to slow down though. I got her back on this and she doesn't have to work quite as hard as before. Hell, her sister doesn't have to work as hard anymore but she does.

"Love you," what now? Oh yeah, that was meant for her sister and not my old cranky ass. "Bye."

I quietly step away from the doorway but don't miss the huge, sad sigh she lets slip out. Fuck this! I can't stand to hear how sad she is. I don't want to question why it matters so much to me but it does and in my profession, you take action when your gut is telling you to act.

"Liberty," God what a name. I love calling her that even though everyone else calls her Libby. The added fun is it pisses her off. At the sound of my voice saying her name, she turns around to look at me, focusing those big blue eyes on me. "Are you free to work this week?"

She gives me a look like she's suspicious I might have been listening, which means she’s good because I was. "Yes, my sister is staying with a friend of hers until the campus opens back up for winter classes. She has to work most of the break."

"What's the name and birthday?"

Her eyes grow round and she just barely keeps her mouth from falling open, "Jesus, Jim, she's just staying on this kid's couch for a couple of days, you don't have to dig up all the dirt you can find on the girl."

"So it is a girl she's staying with? What if this girl has a pervert for a brother? One who happens to be home for Christmas?"

She wheels back around and grabs for a piece of paper. "Beth Martin, and I don't know her birthday but I can ask Lex."

"Don't worry about it, I'll have my guys hack into the school records and find her there."

"Okay but this is the last time." That's a fucking lie. We both know it won't even be close to the last time I go looking for the background and criminal history of everyone around Lex. I've got so many eyes on the kid that if Libby knew about all of them I would probably be in trouble but my new mission is to take care of Libby and the people she loves. And she loves no one more than Lex.

She waits patiently for me to put a call in and run some stuff down. When I step out of the office again it's almost time for her to start packing up. It's just me and her in the office because most of our men have families they want to go home and see. Jack might be lurking around somewhere but I wouldn't know until I call for him. Me and Jack are a lot alike.

Both of us are silent and brooding. Both of us have seen too damned much to be fully human anymore and both of us are loners who work better with no one else around. Or at least I was like that - before Libby.

"Why did you need to know about this week and my availability? Do you need me this week?"

"Actually, I need you to go somewhere with me."

I have asked her to go with me several times now so she doesn't hesitate to tell me yes.

"Good, oh, by the way, we'll be in Russia."

Her smile slips off her face and she goes a little pale. "I...I can't go to Russia."

"Why not?"

"I've never been outside the United States before. Don't I have to have a passport or travel papers or anything?"

"Not where we're going. Don't worry about any of that stuff; it will all be taken care of by the time we are wheels up."

7

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