Ivan 2 (Her Russian Protector #9) - Roxie Rivera Page 0,55
he had any crazy ideas about me, he could fuck right off.
Taking a step away, I wandered over to a detailed model of the development he was proposing. It was very ambitious, combining recreation and entertainment with luxury and affordable housing and green spaces. A framed set of infographics showed the financials of the project as well as the benchmarks for each step of the development.
“You’ve known Teague a long time?” Mueller joined me at the model and wiped away a bit of dust with his thumb.
“Six years,” I answered, continuing my trek around the edge of the model to maintain space between us. “We met in college.”
“And dated, I understand.”
“Yes. Briefly,” I lied, not wanting to get into any kind of discussion about my dating history with a man I barely knew. “And you? How long have you known him?”
“His whole life.”
Taken aback, I couldn’t even hide my surprise. “Really?”
“His father and I served together.”
The connection finally clicked. “Army Ranger, right?”
“Yes.” He gestured to some photos behind his desk. “Two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.”
“Were you with his dad when the IED...?”
Mueller nodded solemnly. He tugged down the collar of his shirt to reveal a gnarly scar that I suspected traveled far down his chest. “I was close enough to get the shrapnel but far enough back that I survived.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been a terrible day.”
“It was.” A phone chirped, and he slipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve it. He glanced at the screen. “I need to take this.”
“I can step out,” I offered.
“No, you stay.” He swiped the screen and lifted the phone to his ear while walking toward a door on the other side of his office. “Hang on...”
The door closed behind him, and I indulged my curiosity about the photos behind his desk. There were the usual photos of his family including his very cute kids. From the looks of it, they were a family who liked the outdoors. There were photos from camping trips and hikes and early morning snapshots of two of his young sons in camouflage hunting gear in what looked to be a deer blind.
Seeing Teague standing with Mueller and his family in so many of the photos left me questioning everything I knew about him. He had never—not once—said anything racist in my presence. He had more friends who were black or Middle Eastern or Asian than he did who were white. His sister had converted to Judaism to marry her longtime boyfriend. He had been nothing but supportive of Abby and was a loving uncle to Abby and Jacob’s little girls.
Was it possible he truly believed the shit that Mueller did? Was it possible for someone to hide those feelings that well? Had I dated a man with so much hate in his heart?
Troubled by the idea that I never even knew Teague, I moved along to the other photos. There was a selection from his years in the military, some stateside and others overseas. Some of the same faces from his time in the Army reappeared in more recent photos at the same camping lodge where he took his family. As I looked closer, I noticed the almost hidden details in the carved railing lining the front porch of the rustic cabin.
Are you kidding me?
There was no mistaking what I was seeing. Lightning bolts, runes, eagles and other hate symbols were used in such a way that they seemed innocuous. Almost pretty, I admitted reluctantly. If I hadn’t researched the world Mueller belonged to in preparation for this meeting, I wouldn’t have known there were other meanings to these symbols.
Another photo showed the name of the private riverside camp. My stomach churned when I read the sign. Wannsee River Camp. What kind of monster named their camp after the infamous Wannsee Conference?
“Sorry about that,” Mueller apologized as he returned to the office. “What do you think about the camp?”
“It’s very beautiful,” I said, thinking it was a shame such a pristine natural landscape had been soiled by his ugly ideas. “Hill Country?” I guessed.
“Bandera County,” he confirmed. “You and Ivan should come out and stay with us some weekend.” He delivered his invitation as he came to stand beside me.
I suppressed a shudder at his closeness. “We aren’t very outdoorsy people.”
“You might change your mind in the right company.” He glanced over at me, his smile unnervingly charming. “I think you two would fit right in with our kind of people.”
“And what kind