Page 8 of Watcher
Tracker must have heard something in Foster’s voice. He immediately stood. “Let’s go where it’s quiet.” He kissed Zeus. “We’ll be right back.”
Their fingers linked and didn’t part until Tracker moved too far away to keep holding on.
“God, I never thought these words would pass my lips. You two are too sweet together.” Foster rolled his eyes as he spoke his mind, hoping he didn’t look as dumb as he felt.
Tracker chuckled under his breath. “You’ve always done what you’ve wanted with no fear. Things haven’t been that way for me. There’s a lot Zeus does for me that I’ve never experienced before him. You can’t know how much I love him for that.”
Maybe not, but Foster could imagine. He was the guy who hung back, but he was in the background of everyone’s life with a purpose. Foster was exactly that. He was their aide. Their final backup and rescue plan. He was who he had been trained to be. Foster supposed that would never change.
At his silence, Tracker’s chatter became more serious. “Then again, maybe you do get it.”
“You don’t have to mollify me.” Foster realized he had come off as insulting by ignoring Tracker’s confessions. He was too used to not having a voice or the words. “It’s not you. I know you deserve everything he does for you and more. I’m just not good at conversation.”
Tracker led Foster inside his security room in a hidden section of the building. He shut the door behind them before pulling out a chair and offering it to Foster. Foster sat while Tracker claimed a seat for himself.
“Now. We can speak freely and without fear of interruption. What’s up?”
Foster tapped his fingers on his thigh. He forced himself to stop, only for his knee to start bobbing. His gaze wouldn’t meet Tracker’s, so he tried to look interested in the room as he spoke.“I know you have a file on everyone in our lives. Could I see Atticus’?”
Thankfully, Tracker didn’t miss a beat and make him feel put on the spot. “I don’t have one on him.”
Well, fuck. Foster stared at a spot over Tracker’s shoulder. He had humiliated himself for nothing.
“But I probably know anything you want to ask.” Foster’s gaze fully focused on Tracker. “He’s my friend, but you’re my brother.” He truly was. Tracker was his true brother by blood. That wasn’t supposed to mean anything in their family. It didn’t to Foster, but he wasn’t sure that was true with Tracker.
“I love you. I won’t ask you to betray his trust by telling anything he confided in you.”
A smile that could make the world sigh touched Tracker’s lips. He had such a trustworthy face. “Atticus would never confide anything to anyone. His ego is too big. Anything I know he would likely tell anyone who cared about him enough to listen.”
“Three men broke in last night and tried to kill him.”
Tracker’s shoulders slumped. “Two attempts on his life in one day? He must be exhausted with this bullshit.”
“Apparently, it was three. What bullshit is he involved in?” Foster had to know. It wasn’t every day people had multiplebrushes with death or had the skills to immediately put an end to the situation.
“Atticus’ father is Rush Cavern.”
“Holy shit.” Butch and Rush Cavern were brothers. While Rush had been the one to marry into extraordinary wealth, together they tripled what Rush had by taking over Texas ports, sky, and roads as the exclusive drug traffickers. Foster already knew that last part about Rush for one reason and one reason only. Their team had been hired to kill Rush. A job executed with perfection. “Holy shit,” Foster repeated. He had so many questions. A piece of the puzzle of Atticus clicked into place. He hadn’t ended up in their lives by chance. Not with Atticus’ ability to find out anything he wanted.
Tracker made a dismissive gesture. “I know what you’re thinking. Zeus was on top of that fire before any of us knew he existed. Atticus had triggered several of Zeus’ online alarms when he started looking for us. He used his looks and Atticus’ vanity to draw Atticus here. Once Zeus secured Atticus’ membership, he had access to every aspect of Atticus’ life. He had been monitoring the situation, waiting for Atticus to reveal his intentions.”
“Then Atticus beat the brakes off of him for hurting you.”
Tracker nodded. “Mystery not exactly solved, but he genuinely cares about me, and he knows I love him. He got me through a lot of hard times. I don’t think he means us harm, and we don’t kill people for no reason. That’s not us.”
Foster nodded along. He wouldn’t show how relieved he was, but yeah. Foster wasn’t sure he could stay away even if he learned Atticus fully intended to slit his throat in his sleep to avenge his father. He still wasn’t fully satisfied. “What does his dad have to do with everyone trying to kill him? As far as I’ve seen, he runs a legitimate corporation.” He internally begged for Tracker not to say Atticus had taken over his dad’s business. They weren’t in Texas, but that was the kind of dirty money that could be managed from anywhere.
“Everything, because everything was left to Atticus. He doesn’t need the bottomless pit of money, but he also refuses to let his uncle have it. Obviously, Butch thinks that money rightfully belongs to him. Rush had wanted that money kept out of Butch’s hands for a reason. Atticus is honoring his father’s wishes. It’ll literally be the death of him one of these days.”
Not if Foster had anything to say about it. He knew what he needed to know now. Foster could have his back. That was exactly what he planned to do.
Chapter Five
IttookAtticusmuchlonger than necessary to recognize the feeling gnawing at his gut. He was nervous. Atticus never got anxious. That would require shame and/or fear. Atticus possessed neither. Still, he sat and then stood. Atticus moved spots, trying to find the most casual pose as he waited for Foster. He felt like a dumbass, especially since he was somewhere different each time Kirkland passed. By the time the tracker he had an employee place on Foster’s car showed him in the driveway, Atticus was a mess. He headed for the door, uncaring he paid Kirkland for that. At least answering the door was better than trying to look unaffected in a carefully placed chair. He didn’t know how to be normal.
It felt like it took forever for the doorbell to ring. He waited to the count of five, and then, through Kirkland shooting him a dirty look for taking his job, before he answered.
Foster stood on the other side, holding the tracker. He tossed it. Atticus automatically caught the tag.
