Page 22 of Boss Level

Her mouth twisted in amusement. “It can be pretty scary out there for a woman on her own. I wouldn’t complain about the help of two big, strong guardians.” She traced a finger down my chest, then spun away. “Keep up.”

“Given the view, what choice do we have?” Xander focused on her ass as she took a few steps forward.

The view would’ve been even better if it weren’t for the flannel shirt, but I did like the sway in her hips and the confidence in her step as she walked away.

All three of us headed outside, and the icy blast of reality slammed into us. This time it tasted more like magic and less like rush hour traffic. A lot of the cars were gone, and the holiday lights twinkled from trees and lamp posts.

The hotel was across the street from the convention center, so we crossed at the light with a block of people, and let the crowd provide the pace. When we moved into the Howard, the pack split apart.

Judith stopped, a look of horror splashed across her face. “What if Claire sees us?” Her expression faded into a giggle.

I pulled her closer. “I’m having a quiet, sexy night with my wife-to-be.”

“Nope.” Xander gave a single shake of his head. “Not before you’re married, you’re not. Naughty boy.”

“Hmm…” Judith grabbed both our hands and tugged us toward the elevator. “I guess we have to make sure we’re not being followed.”

I made a show of looking around us as we packed into a waiting elevator car. “I think we’re safe.” My whisper was exaggerated.

“Are you su—Fuck.” Judith scowled, left the elevator right before doors closed, and reached into her pocket in a single fluid motion.

Xander and I hurried to follow.

“Yeah.” She was already answering the call as she moved toward a quieter corner of the lobby. Her brow furrowed deeper. “Fuck. Keep me posted. I’ll be on my laptop in a few minutes.”

She disconnected with a heavy growl, and looked at us.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Game crashed. We’re offline.”

Such a simple statement that could mean so much disaster. “Fuck.”

9

xander

When I was sixteen, I had one of those teachers who cared. The ones they make movies about, who try to make a difference in kids’ lives. She decided I had untapped potential, and wanted to see it tapped.

Unlike the movies, I wasn’t an underprivileged kid, I was a rich kid with the same last name as the town we lived in. And the only thing I wanted to tap was the cutie redhead my teacher assigned me to work with on a team project.

And then I got to know Judith. Smart. Driven. Commanding. She walked into the library, and she was in control of our presentation about female serial killers.

Fucking annoying. I wasn’t going to have anything to do with that, especially since she was one of those goody-two-shoes who didn’t put out.

The first night I saw the cracks in her armor, the first time she broke up with a boyfriend, and I found her trying like hell to keep from losing her shit, I realized my heart was in trouble.

And the first time she sobbed all over my shirt until she was cried out, cleaned herself up, and pronounced without any prompting that he wasn’t worth it and she was moving on…

That was the night I swore no one would hurt her on my watch. Ever. Including me.

Yeah, idealism was a bitch, and I was an idiot for thinking I had that kind of control over the world, but I’d done my best anyway. For twenty-five years.

As I watched her talk through the game crash with Elliot, on one of the worst nights imaginable for things to be offline, I felt an old, familiar twinge ofI failed to keep her safe,despite this being something I couldn’t have prevented.

“Okay. Keep me in the loop.” Judith hung up the phone and set it on the dresser next to the TV. She stood there, palms pressed to the polished wood and eyes closed, breathing through her nose.

The tension was too much. “How bad is it?” I asked.

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