Xavier (Vigilance 4)

Would the hacker who’d exposed Emilio offer his services to anyone trying to be Swain’s successor? I had to assume so.

I trusted Emilio. I’d insinuated he might reveal my identity to someone, but I didn’t actually think he would unless he was being tortured. He could do amazing, magical things behind a computer screen, but he hadn’t been taught how to survive torture like the Vigilance team had. Leo had all the training a man could get, but I still knew he’d have scars from his experience as Swain’s captive that went deeper than the ones people could see.

I would never let that happen to Emilio. “I’m sure Leo is fine, but let’s go check on him.”

“Okay. I, um… I’d like that. I just want to know he’s all right.”

“Come on. He’s in a guest room down the hall.”

Emilio followed me, and we didn’t say anything else. When we got to Leo’s room, the doctor was gone and so was Ezra. Only Giorgio remained.

I frowned at him. “You should be resting.”

“I had to promise Ezra I wouldn’t leave Leo alone. That was the only way he’d agree to let Niall take him home so he could check on Leo’s shop and get some rest.”

I smiled. Ezra really was as tough as Giorgio had assured me he was. I hoped he would consider working for me once Leo was recovered and the two of them settled things between them.

“Emilio and I are here now. We’ll keep watch over him for a while.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. I won’t be able to sleep for hours. You know how I am.” I rarely slept the night after a mission concluded. It was impossible to settle my mind. I replayed every moment, wondering if we could have done anything differently. I went through the same procedure whether we were successful or not.

“All right. Gemma made up the room next door for me, so come get me if you need me.”

“I won’t. Go rest.”

When Giorgio was gone, I gestured to the loveseat that faced Leo’s bed. When Emilio didn’t move, I realized he wasn’t paying attention to me. He was staring at Leo, his face ghostly white.

“Come on and sit down. Leo’s going to be fine. None of his wounds are serious.” Just to reassure myself, I watched for a moment as his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.

Leo, Niall, Giorgio, and I had been through a hell of a lot together. They were all like family to me.

Once Emilio was seated, I asked if he needed water or something else.

“No, I… Well, maybe something cold would be good. I feel a little…”

He looked like he might pass out at any second. “Lie down.” I helped him recline with his knees up. “I’ll be right back.”

I returned moments later with water, a chocolate bar, and a cold gel pack. He already had more color, but I still knelt by the couch and laid the cold pack on his forehead for a moment, then slipped it under his head to cool the back of his neck. It felt so natural to care for him. Of course, I would help anyone else the same way. I’d administered first aid to my Vigilance teammates as well as my fellow soldiers, but somehow this felt different, more intimate.

“Feel better?”

“Yes. Much better.” Emilio turned and looked at me. His eyes were so dark, so gorgeous.

Eyes had always been one of the things that first attracted me to women. Apparently that was true with men too. Emilio’s eyes were exceptional.

“Drink some of this.” I offered him a glass of water.

He took a few sips, then started to sit up.

“Don’t move too quickly. You can lie down as long as you need to.”

“I’ll be fine. Really.” He pushed up onto his elbows. I helped him come to a sitting position before joining him on the couch and putting an arm around him.

He tensed at first, and I held still until he slowly relaxed and let his head drop into my shoulder.

“Have you always been bothered by blood?”

“Yes. Kind of anyway. It got worse in my teens. I’m trying to get over it, but it just makes me nauseous and dizzy, sometimes worse than others. At least my job means it’s a rare sight for me, unlike for you.”

I barely resisted the urge to brush his hair off his face. He looked so damn young and vulnerable. What was I doing fantasizing about someone close to my son’s age?

“I know it’s stupid, but—”

“No, it’s not. We all have things that bother us.”

“But you and your team seem so…”

“Do you think we’re not afraid of things or disturbed by them?”

“Um… yeah. I thought you were basically a superhero.”

“I can’t do everything, even if I like people to think I can. I need your skills and others to be able to keep coming out on top. I excel at pulling together the best possible assets. I’m not invincible.”