He and his roommate had extensively questioned Harrison Adams about how the hell Luca was now someone they would protect. Harrison served as his, and the other Warrior Scholars’ handler. Tate liked to refer to him as Bosley, or lead henchman, depending on the mood.
The Warrior Scholars were an elite group of former military men turned academics. They served the Grand Master’s Boston-based bodyguards and security team. All eight men lived together in a big house turned grad-student housing, and they were all currently enrolled in graduate programs at one of Boston’s many Ivy League schools.
Harrison had filled Tate and Andre in on Luca’s background, explaining that the guy had been recruited as a kid by a religious cult in Europe and trained to build bombs. Luca had been working under duress, in order to protect his younger sister, Joli. When he’d met Luca the second time, he’d seen in the other man a willingness to do anything to protect the people he loved. Tate had nothing but respect for that.
Luca walked over to Tate and shook his hand, smiling widely, as if he’d just run into a long-lost friend.
“Tate. It is very good to see you again,” Luca said. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“Where are the letters?” Oscar asked, cutting straight to the chase.
Tate had been hoping for more time to get the lay of the land, to study their surroundings, and map out an escape plan if this went as badly as he feared it might.
“Letters?” Selene asked.
Tate reached into his pocket and withdrew a single, cream-colored envelope, embossed with the symbol of the Trinity Masters, a triquetra. He handed it to Luca, whose eyes widened. “Is this…” He looked over at Selene and Oscar.
Unlike Oscar, Luca’s expression wasn’t one of relief as much as resignation.
At least until Roman produced the letter he was carrying and gave it to Selene.
Luca brightened immediately. “We’ve been, ah…” He stopped, probably to think of the term. “Called to the altar?”
Tate knew from their planning meetings that Luca was now not only an ally but a new member of the Trinity Masters. So was Oscar, but Luca was obviously still feeling his way around how things worked. Members were called to the altar by the Grand Master in order to meet their trinity during a binding ceremony. The fact that Selene and Luca were receiving their letters at the same time was a solid bet they would be placed in a marriage together.
Of course, they could have just opened the letters…
In the time he’d spent guarding Oscar, Luca, and Selene, he’d seen the genuine bond—no, love—the three felt for each other.
Tate was feeling pretty damn guilty about what was about to happen next. Kant would not approve. Punishment should be clearly identified as such in order to meet the humanity of the wrongdoer. Oscar was going to figure out real damn fast this was punishment, but he wasn’t going to know for sure that his lack of envelope was direct punishment for defying orders.
Selene shook her head. “No. It’s too soon for Luca and Oscar to be called to the altar. Neither of them has been a member for six months yet. We could be summoned to Boston for something else.” Selene was clearly trying for calm and reasonable, but her expression was lit with excitement. “I mean, maybe they need a super villain—”
“I hope not. It’s a miracle we didn’t fucking die the last time,” Oscar grumped, but he was smiling.
Selene looked first at Oscar, then Luca, and started to open her letter. However, she stopped when she realized Oscar was standing next to her, empty-handed.
Tate saw the excitement drain from Selene’s face, to be replaced by an expression somewhere between grim and wary.
She gazed up at her cousin, Roman, who had at least six inches on her. Her voice was low when she said, “Roman, give Oscar his letter.”
“I’m here to deliver your letter,” Roman said.
Selene turned to him, a panicky anger twisting her features. “Tate. Give Oscar his letter.”
Tate now knew why the Grand Master had sent a former Marine.
Tate cleared his throat. “Those are the only letters we have.”
Selene sucked in air. “It’s not a call to the altar then. It’s a rule, you have to be a member for six months…” There was worry in her voice, and Oscar’s jaw was clenched so hard, Tate could see the muscle.
Gun. He really should have a gun.
Selene finished ripping open her envelope. She read her letter, then turned to Luca, who opened his own, with less violence than she’d used. Luca and Selene looked at one another and then turned to Oscar.
Slowly, Luca held out his letter to Oscar. Oscar scanned it, and Tate knew what he was reading. Those letters were a call to the altar. And only Selene and Luca had received them.
Emotions flashed across Oscar’s face—shock, sadness, resignation, disappointment, and finally, rage. Tate muttered a soft curse when rage was the one that stuck, and he reconsidered taking his chances behind the Tesla Coil.
“Roman, why are you hand-delivering my letter?” Selene demanded, her attention still on Oscar, though she spoke to her cousin. “Why didn’t these come by courier?”
“I delivered it because the Grand Master asked me to,” Roman said simply.
Luca reached out to put his hand on Oscar’s shoulder. “You both have family who are members. I don’t.” Luca looked briefly at Tate. “Perhaps Langston is bringing your letter and he’s running late.”
“Yeah,” Oscar said, the word sounding far too emotionless and wooden to match the fury blazing in his eyes.
“Oscar,” Selene said gently, as if she was trying to calm a rabid dog.
“Gimme a minute.”
Before any of them could say another word, Oscar disappeared down the hallway.
Tate was tempted to play along with the Langston supposition, mutter something about “oh sure maybe.” His Spidey senses were tingling, telling him that this whole mission was about to be FUBAR. Tate reached for the back of Roman’s pants, wanting a handle so he could haul the other man out of there if needed.
He managed to grope Roman’s ass in the process. Roman turned to face him, arching a brow and giving him a look that was considering rather than offended.
Okay then.
Maybe if this mission didn’t go south, he and Roman could fool around. Tate had spent a solid hour last night fantasizing about Scarlet, but he was adaptable.
Selene spun to face them. “Is Langston coming with his letter?”
Tate put on his blank soldier face. “I’m sorry, Ms. Tanaka, I don’t have that information.”
Selene grabbed her cousin by the shoulders, and Tate tightened his hold on the back of Roman’s pants. “Is Oscar getting a letter?”
“Selene, I was sent to give you your letter. That is all.”
Roman, smart man that he was, worded his response very carefully.
Seeing the panic and fear on Selene and Luca’s faces made Tate’s heart hurt. He seriously considered telling them what was up, but this was supposed to be a punishment. Supposedly for Oscar, but it looked like the Grand Master, whom he didn’t dare do anything to piss off, was also punishing Luca and Selene.
“Damn it. I’m not...not ready to...” Selene whispered.
“Selene,” Luca said, stepping closer to her, his gaze worried. “Perhaps there is something we can do?”