Maximus (Guardian Security Shadow World #15)

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

M ax knew when she fell asleep, but he didn’t move. He wanted to hold her as much as she seemed to want to keep the connection with him. He was so far out of his depth with her. That lack of any anchor and the sensation of floating aimlessly fascinated him. Normally, research would put his world right. Questions had answers. Thoughts had logical progressions. Progressions made way for new thoughts, new processes, and new ideas. Only when it came to Elena, none of his practiced scripts would answer the questions that floated through his mind. What was love? Could a person fall in love so quickly? Were his feelings a product of the dopamine and his body’s chemical reaction? And if it were a specific chemical reaction, why hadn’t he felt the same when he’d had sex before? What were the variables that were different? Only his attachment to Elena. His connection.

He heard his cell phone vibrate and carefully extracted himself from Elena’s hold. She woke and asked, “Where are you going?”

“My boss is calling me,” he said as he got up and pulled on his boxer briefs.

“How do you know?”

“He’s the only one who has the number besides you.” He bent down and kissed her. “Go to sleep. I’ll be back soon.”

She burrowed into the pillow he was using and hummed. He grabbed his phone from his suit jacket, where it laid on a small chair. Shutting the door behind him, he glanced at the face of the phone and called back Archangel.

The CEO of Guardian growled, “Maximum.”

“Force,” Maximus countered.

“The painting you discovered today, do you believe it’s an original?”

“I do, but what’s more, Elena believes it, too. Have you read the provenance on the piece?”

“I have.” There was a sigh. “Our primary focus is Molchalin, but if we can acquire those canvases and return them to the rightful owners …”

“A good deed,” Max said and sat down on the couch, looking out the window at the Black Sea. It was a beautiful area.

“More than that. Closure,” Archangel said. “What do you need to get them out?”

“According to Elena, a crate that can control the humidity they’re exposed to and someone who knows how to handle them on the receiving end.”

Archangel was silent for a moment. “You trust her?”

“I do. She’s not part of Molchalin’s inner circle. He protects her because she’s damn good at what she does.”

“Jewell and Ethan found out how he was shielding the residences from us.”

“I would expect a persona that has been stolen. Perhaps a victim of a mass tragedy such as flooding or earthquakes in a third world country.”

Archangel chuckled. “Your brain is faster than any computer.”

“No, not really, but I had time to consider how I’d do it while watching Elena work today.”

“You care for her.”

“I do. More than care for her. We have a connection.” He would admit it to his boss because Jason King understood what that meant to him.

“I assumed.” Jason cleared his throat. “I’ll send Merlin in with the container. I’ll need to know the dimensions of the largest canvas. He’ll contact you when he’s in country.”

“Understood.”

“Max?”

“Yes, sir?”

“If you have a connection with this woman, you’ll want her to come home with you, right?”

“Yes, sir.” There was no doubt about that.

“Someone will have to be in charge of finding the owners of these paintings and overseeing their care until that happens. I don’t have a curator on the payroll, but I’d be willing to have one for this purpose. Of course, she’ll have to have someone to sponsor her until the immigration paperwork is done. And she can never know you’re a Shadow.”

“With your permission, I will sponsor her, and this will be my last case. I find I prefer eliminating threats from behind my keyboards.”

“Thank God. Yes, you have my permission and my gratitude for coming to your senses.” Archangel chuckled.

“She knows I work with computers, and when this is done, I will tell her my name as I want her to live with me.”

“Jewell is running a deep background on her.”

“I already have.” Max rolled his eyes. As if he wouldn’t have made sure he knew everything about the woman before approaching her.

“And you’re a bit prejudiced, so let Jewell do it again,” Archangel chided him.

“Duplication of effort, but whatever lets you sleep at night.”

“Well, thank you for your permission. Now, about the other request you made.”

“I want to bring that CCS operator under my wing. He has talent that hasn’t been tapped based on several items I’ve seen. Unless he’s challenged, he won’t recognize what he can do.”

“You’d be anonymous like you were with Jewell.” That was an order, not a request.

“Yes.” He didn’t want the responsibility of trying to form a connection with the man. The odds of that happening were astronomical, which was why his connection with Elena was so unique.

“Then you have my approval to reach out to him. As far as we know, he’s content where he is, but if you need him to relocate, we can do that, too.”

“No, as long as you can provide the assets he’ll need to upgrade his systems, where he’s currently located will work. I know the limitations and can design safeguards to ensure he’s never located.”

“When you’re ready to reach out, let me know. I’ll call him and let him know the contact is authorized and classified. Nothing will be said to the other node operators.”

“That works.”

“And Molchalin?”

“We’re on a two-week timeline. The only wildcard is Sokolov. If the man approaches Elena again, I will take him out.”

“Sokolov is yours when Molchalin is eliminated. The Council included him in the violet code's personnel list.” Archangel continued, “But until Molchalin is gone, he’s to be monitored and not eliminated.”

Max didn’t reply to that comment. He’d never violated a direct order, but he was damn sure going to violate that one if the bastard put a hand on Elena again.

“Did you hear me, Maximus?”

“I did.”

“I’ll take that as an acknowledgment of my directions.” Archangel sighed. “Don’t do anything that will jeopardize this assignment.”

“I will kill Molchalin, then Sokolov.” Max looked down the hallway at the bedroom door. “Is there anything else?”

“No. Send me the largest canvases' dimensions and pictures of how they’re rolled. I’ll get the case made. Merlin will contact you by the end of the week. Archangel is clear.”

Max put the phone on the couch and dropped his head back. Molchalin was a cagey bastard, but he’d never expect Elena would betray him. The showing was their best chance to take the monster out. Val would keep Elena safe. Until then, he’d ask Reaper and Malice to keep an eye on Sokolov. He would be the only thing that could derail that train.