Page 50 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

But the large chrome gun at his hip ruined the harmless professor illusion.

Behind him and Cassidy were Ruxsberg—Ruxs—and Green.

They looked like two men he might see at an Aerosmith concert with a beer in one hand and a joint in the other, not detectives. Unapologetically masculine in the kind of way that made people step aside when they saw them coming. These were God’s enforcers, which meant they had to be amazing at their jobs.

And behind all of them was Free.

He walked with a small briefcase in one hand and a tablet in the other, head bent toward the screen as if he didn’t need to pay attention to his surroundings, not when walking with these guys.

Cassidy was to his right, his big warm palm still steady and strong against his lower back.

It felt so good there. He wanted that hand to never leave. It drove him crazy how badly he wanted it.

When the elevator opened on the floor below, Free walked out with Ruxs at his shoulder, motioning for him and Cassidy to follow.

Steele, Green and Tech stayed just beyond the elevator doors.

The hall had dim lighting with dark paneled walls, and the carpet smelled as if it had been recently shampooed.

A couple of hundred feet from the double doors at the end of the hall, Free stopped, knelt on one knee, and opened his briefcase.

Inside was black protective foam cradling several small devices shaped like hockey pucks, matte black and no larger than the palm of his hand.

Free took one out, peeled a thin plastic film from the back, and pressed it to the wall near the baseboard, then aimed his watch at it.

Cassidy’s hand tightened a fraction against his back. “What is that?”

“A passive corridor sensor with encrypted signal relay,” Free said, already lifting another device.

Cassidy stared at him.

“Basic English, Free,” Ruxs muttered.

Free stood and walked a few more feet and crouched again.

“It means, Ruxsberg, that if anyone comes down this hall who isn’t wearing one of our watches, I’ll know. If they try to crawl, scale the ceiling, or hug the wall like a Mission Impossible dumbass, I’ll know.”

Xander watched him place another device, then another closer to the suite door.

These men were doing all of this for him. For someone they didn’t know beyond his movies and two friends.

It made him want to thank them again.

Free stood and checked his tablet.

“All right. You’re all set. I texted you guys your keys. No one can access your doors except the two of you, and only from your personal devices. Not hotel staff, security, not even management. I overwrote their access configuration, so they don’t have standard keycard control.”

Xander blinked. “You can do that?”

Free frowned as if offended.

“Sorry.” He gave Free a small, tired smile. “Thank you. Again.”

Free’s expression softened. “No need to keep thanking me. Like God said, this is what we do. We protect innocent people from assholes, and we happen to pride ourselves on it.”

Ruxs nodded. “Big pride. Massive.”

Free shook his head but kept his focus on Xander.