How embarrassing. Ashley felt bad for Alex, him being the boss and all. She considered climbing back into the elevator. He didn’t need to know she’d seen that. But he didn’t go down, and he didn’t slow down, either, not even to catch his breath.
Charging forward, Alex dished out a wicked volley of punishing blows. Smack. Thud. Oomph, oomph, oomph! Like a pissed-off panther against a hefty Rottweiler, he went bonkers on whoever the poor, poor other man was until the guy started laughing behind his raised gloves. “You had enough yet, Boss?”
“Damn it, Zack, you know better. I don’t give up,” Alex growled, and bam, bam, bam. He beat the crap out of his friend.
Zack still laughed!
At last Alex hissed, “Shit! Why can’t I bulk up like you? Son of a bitch, we’ll never be evenly matched. You’re as solid as a bull elephant, just like when we were in the Corps.”
“And yet you keep beating the hell out of your fists and face.”
Just that fast, Alex dropped into a three-point crouch, kicked one foot out, hooked it around his bronze opponent’s ankle, and knocked Zack off balance. He’d very nearly righted his much bulkier weight, when Alex was back on his feet. He charged and wrapped both arms around Zack. BOOM! He landed on his back, which made him laugh harder. Pushing Alex off, he leaned flat to his back, still chuckling. “Should’ve known you’d cheat, you dog. What happened to playing by WBF rules?”
“Thought those were just guidelines,” Alex huffed while he slipped his gloves off, then leaned over and offered a hand to help his friend to his feet.
With a bounce off the mat, Zack cuffed Alex’s glistening shoulder. “You still hit like a son of a gun. What’s got you pissed this time?”
“Same BS.” Raising one arm, Alex swiped it across his forehead.
“Mother again?”
“Yessss,” he hissed. “Her ice princess routine is getting old.”
“Then stop trying to bring her around. Let her go. She hasn’t been happy since she came back anyway.”
“Can’t. Something’s eating her. She needs us.”
“Not sure that was ever correct, Boss. Dempsey’s life and death proved it. Mother’s a chameleon. She only shows what she wants us to see. You ever thought of limiting her access? Might be time to consider taking protective measures to keep the company safe.”
Alex ducked between the ropes, then lifted the top rope for Zack to climb through. “Not going to happen,” he said as he dropped to the floor. “I’m actually considering granting her more access. I’ve got a plan.”
“You bought that property out west, didn’t you?”
By then the men were standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling, wire storage shelf that partially blocked Ashley’s view, stowing their gloves into an array of shelves. Each grabbed a white towel from the same open shelving.
Zack wrapped his around his neck.
Alex slung his over his shoulder. “Bought that place and the farm to the south of it last month. Already started building.”
“How many acres?”
“More than enough for our needs.”
“You burning through Pops Delaney’s inheritance?”
The men paused to talk. They still hadn’t noticed Ashley.
“Hell, no, that’s blood money. If it goes anywhere, it’ll go to the Police Officer Family Survivor’s Fund. They need it. I don’t. My attorney’s working the details. Let him figure a way forward.”
“Sounds like you’ve got big plans for The TEAM’s future.”
“I do. We’ve outgrown Alexandria. With the Seattle office closed, it’s time to reorganize all assets and focus on the disciplines we do best.”
“Like what?”
“Like the work Beckam and the guys do for the homeless vets over in the District. Like what Mark and Harley do in Afghanistan. What you, David, Walker, and the others are doing in the Far East.”
“You’re going international?”
“We’re already international, Zack. The TEAM’s a major world player. Because our reputation’s solid, President Adams asked me to consider working closely with him. I’d like to discuss a plan to move forward with you, Mark, Harley, and David, first thing tomorrow morning.”
“You’re considering putting Mother in charge of all things tech-related, aren’t you?”
Alex shook his head. “Not just tech related, more like technological innovation. She’s got the talent, and I believe her biggest problem is she’s stymied. It’s time she has enough staff and resources to challenge that big brain of hers. I have ideas for covert warfare that I want off the drawing board and implemented before Christmas. She can do it. I know she can.”
“Seriously? Will the new digs be ready by then?”
“Hers will. I’ve got workers working on the rest of the foundations now.”
“Well, good. We outgrew this little bunker a long time ago.”
“That we have.”
Ashley took a step backward into the security of the elevator car, wishing she were anywhere but eavesdropping on Tripp’s boss again. She had no business overhearing this conversation, either. Too bad the elevator pinged extra loud the second she moved, as if it were motion-activated or something. Which it probably was.
Both men’s heads came up, and she was caught. Breathlessly, she ducked inside the car and slapped the close-door button a couple times. “Get me out of here,” she whispered.
“Ashley Cox? Is that you?” Alex asked as they headed her way.
“Y-y-yes?” she whispered, her throat gone desert dry. Determined to get away, she hit that darn close-door button one more time. Why wasn’t it working?
“Wait up!” the extraordinarily large man named Zack called out.
“W-w-why?” She hit that stubborn button one last time. Okay, that made her the world’s biggest chicken, but Alex and Zack were both big guys, big-chested, and sweating like draft horses. They blocked her way and filled her entire view. They took up all the air and, with it, her ability to think. They were everything she was afraid of—they were men. Their only saving grace was that Tripp worked with them, and for Alex, and maybe...
Too late. Alex clapped a palm across the metal doors just when they’d finally decided to close. “Do you box?” he asked,
