Cell Mates 2.

THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME THIS FAR AND I’M HOPING YOU’LL ENJOY THIS NEXT JOURNEY WITH ME. <3

Prologue.

Prologue

  (This story is set one year after the events of Cell Mates 1)

John’s POV

 My eyes snapped open at the sound of rustling clothes, and I glanced around the room with a frown.

 “What are you doing?” I grumbled when I spotted Kyle across the room, pulling on his shoes.

He glanced up at me briefly, then back to his laces. “Dad wants me to help him move some boxes in the morning so I figured I’d go over there tonight so I won’t be late.” He explained, and I turned away from him and glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

“It’s midnight, come back to bed.” I called, but he only shook his head.

“No, if I do, you’ll make me late again and dad’s already pissed at me from the last time.” He continued with a frown, looking around for his car keys, which he picked up from the ground when he managed to spot them in the dark room.

With a groan, I shoved the covers away and got out of bed, following him out of the room and down the hall.

“I’ll be back tomorrow evening.” He assured me, then expertly sidestepped my reaching hands when I went to pull him to me.

“Behave Johnny, I gotta go.” He scolded, and when we reached the living room, he picked up the envelopes which had been laying on the coffee table, and waved them in my face.

“Remember to get these out to the guys, we need to give them enough notice so they’ll come.” He said, and with a yawn, I nodded.

“I think you made a mistake on one of them…You gave Simon and Eddie the cabin with the single bed.” I explained, and when he grinned up at me, understanding dawned.

“Kyle, you can’t keep messing with them like this, they’re grown men, capable of making their own decisions, and like I said…Eddie’s as straight as they come…I’ve known the guy all my life.” I tried to convince him, but his grin only widened.

“You don’t see what I see Johnny. They’re into each other, they just need a push in the right direction, and I think a nice relaxing cruise with all of us will help.” He continued mischievously, and I only shook my head when he handed the envelopes to me.

“This is going to blow up in your face.” I told him, taking them from him, and he stood on his tip toes, giving me a quick kiss before he turned for the door.

“Oh, I already gave Riley his. He said he’ll try to convince Nate when Nate picks him up from campus next weekend, so just give those to the others tomorrow, and don’t leave until they say yes, okay?”

“Drive safe.” I said instead of assenting, and he offered me another smile.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

When the door closed behind him, I dropped the envelopes onto the coffee table, and made my way back up to my room and between the sheets.

  All this matchmaking is going to get him nowhere . I thought, just before I drifted to sleep, with only the sound of the ceiling fan to take with me.

                                                                    AUTHOR’S NOTES

THERE YOU GO WITH THE PROLOGUE. I’M EXCITED TO BEGIN THIS NEW JOURNEY WITH YOU ALL AND I HOPE YOU’LL ENJOY IT!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 1: Those rainy days.

Chapter 1

I jumped over the toppled trash can, sidestepped an elderly woman with a large umbrella and shot through another back alley. When I slipped on the pavement for about the third time since the chase had begun, I cursed under my breath, righted myself quickly, and continued on my way.

Up ahead, the perp continued to expertly navigate his way through the drenched streets, darting through alleyways, knocking down unwary pedestrians, and overall doing a whole lot better at staying on his feet than I was.

Not far away, I could hear the blaring of a car horn, which seemed to be the origin of a domino effect, when car horn, after car horn rented the air. No one should be out in this weather. I cursed again when I almost slipped, and it was when I turned down another side road that I made a split-second decision to use as a shortcut.

The day had started out shitty and it was going to end the same way. I was drenched right through to my underwear, and with every step, I felt the wet fabric rubbing against my sensitive flesh. The sloshing of dirty street water in my shoes was just as distracting, but it was all these things that gave me the drive I needed to continue. I was out in this crappy weather because of the asshole and I’d catch him if it was the last fucking thing I did.

I skated across the slick street and ran as fast as my tired feet could take me. With each step I felt the squishing between my toes and I tried to keep on the balls of my feet as I ran, hoping the strategy would propel me further and prevent me from falling yet again.

When he darted across the empty road, I followed him, and when he turned down yet another darkened alley I never lost sight of him. The tail of his shirt billowed behind him, the drenched material flapping in the wind. Still, he kept running, never seeming to tire and always in the lead.

The wind tore through the streets, allowing the loose trash to circulate and the rain seemed to pour harder with every passing minute as the heavy droplets tried to beat me into submission. But I was never one to give in. Not now, not when I had him just within my grasp.

I ran past another pedestrian who was holding a flimsy little umbrella and jumped over an empty cardboard box. I could hardly keep my lids open in the downpour and more than once I raised a hand to clear my eyes, which only succeeded in slowing my footfalls.

The fucker was fast, I’d give him that. Unless he slipped, or grew tired, the chances of me catching him were slim, which was why I made another split-second decision to take another route. If I was lucky, he would turn left at the next corner, and by taking this route I could grab him as soon as he took the bend. If not, then he would have won and this would have all been for nothing.

So I ran.  It bothered me that I could no longer see him in front of me, but that did nothing to weaken my determination. I would not lose. Not today and not to him.

I took in nothing around me, observed not a single detail as I blazed past the buildings. Instead, I kept my head straight, my eyes focused on what was before me and as luck would have it, the perp had in fact turned left at the bend. I spotted him before he spotted me, and a moment later I slammed into his side, taking him to the ground with me.

He fought only for a moment, then he lay flat on his back—panting as his eyes held mine. The second I moved to take out my handcuffs was the precise moment the timer on my bureau-issued watch went off and I felt it vibrating on my arm. I cursed under my breath and Simon chuckled from where he lay under me as his went off as well.

Just five seconds later and I would have been the victor.

I rolled off him and grunted when I hit the asphalt. I allowed the back of my head to rest on the ground as I lay there and the rain beat down on me, forcing me to close my eyes against the torrent. What a day. When Simon kicked the side of my thigh I brought my arm up to shield my eyes and looked up at him. He was standing now, his head bent against the rain’s assault as he looked down at me.

“Let’s go,” he said, and with a grunt and a sigh, I peeled myself from the dirty asphalt and stood.

“Did I tell you how much I hate training exercises?” I asked and he chuckled.

“You can’t win ‘em all the time Ed.”

I worked on putting one foot before the other as we made our way back to the others—where I knew a round of jeering awaited me. No, you couldn’t win all the time, but losing to a man who had spent most of his career around a desk fiddling with gadgets? That wasn’t a loss, that was a damn shame.

It was a long walk back to the rest spot and by the time we made it, I was bone tired and feeling miserable. The guys watched our approach from where they stood—nice and dry under the overhang—and some of them laughed when they realized Simon hadn’t come back in cuffs. Those who had cast their bets in my favor, shook their heads in disappointment and I shrugged.

“If it weren’t for the rain, his ass would’ve been mine,” I told them grumpily and beside me, Simon snorted.

“Yeah, sure Eddie.” Peter drawled sarcastically as he patted me on the back and I bristled.

I just wanted a hot shower, dry clothes and my nice, warm bed.

“Alright, let’s continue this tomorrow, it doesn’t look like the rain’s gonna ease up anytime soon,” the team leader announced and everyone was quick to agree.

I pulled off my shoes right there and let the water pour out, then pulled them back on and watched as the others ran for their vehicles. When I spotted Simon’s car close by, I thanked my lucky stars he’d had the insight to park so close to the rest stop, but when I took a few steps toward it, he stopped me with a hand on my arm.

I glanced up at him.

“You’re crazy if you think we’re messing up my seats,” he said, and I stared at him in disbelief.

“Who cares about your damn seats, I’m freezing my ass off.”

He looked at the splash of red he called his car and then looked at me. “We’re only two blocks from the Bureau, come on,” he said before turning away from me and heading back into the rain.

He was really gonna make us walk it.

“God-dammit Sy.” I cursed, and after a quick and longing look at the car we were leaving behind, I followed him.

I knew this day would end just as shitty as it had begun.

……………………………..

I hated training exercises—always had and this time was no different. Jesse, our team leader, had really gone all out this time with the location and the idea to have special agents acting as pedestrians as a way to add some realism to the activity. The rain had just been a bonus for her.

 I rested my head against the wall and cursed the day she’d been given the responsibility. Beside me, Simon sat fidgeting with the phone he’d pulled out of his locker not five minutes before, and I cursed him too. It was his fault we were now forced to wait for a vacant shower stall. If we had just taken his precious car we would have been here before the crowd.

I pulled my shirt over my head and let it fall to the floor, then I stood and pulled off my pants, before wrapping the towel around my waist. At least it was warm in here.

“You got Kyle’s invitation?” I asked my partner as I sat beside him once more and he nodded without looking up from the screen.

“You going?”

He shook his head. “Not my thing.”

“It’s an all-expense paid cruise, how can it not be your thing?’ I asked in amusement and finally he dropped his phone onto the bench between us, and leaned back onto the wall with his arms folded over his bare chest.

“Nate will be there,” he explained, and I shook my head. “He already can’t stand the sight of me and I’m tired of feeling like I’m walking on eggshells when I’m around him.”

“You guys need to just move on and get over it,” I commented and he shrugged.

“Yeah well, easier said than done.” He said, then he looked at me. “Hey Ed?” he began.

I raised a brow. “What?”

“Hand me my shoes will ya?” he said and I frowned as I bent to pick up the boots, wondering what use they could possibly be to him wet.

By the time I turned around to hand them to him, I caught sight of the tail end of his towel before he turned the corner heading for the showers, then I cursed under my breath when Peter walked into the locker room, clearly just leaving the shower.

The little fucker tricked me into getting the vacant shower stall first.

With a sigh, I settled back against the wall to wait.

……………………………

It was a good fifteen minutes later before I got my turn and I stood under the hot torrent, grateful for the heat soaking into my skin. Across the way, Simon stood under his own shower head, with the palm of his hand resting on the wall before him and his head bent as he allowed the steady stream of hot water to cascade over his body.

As I soaped my own flesh, I watched him, taking in his powerful frame, and I followed the separate streams of water as they traveled over him, sliding smoothly over his neck, past the dimples in his lower back and over his firm ass cheeks.

When I felt my body reacting to the sight, I looked away. It had been one year since I’d been out of the closet and despite the number of times we’d fucked since then, I still couldn’t get him out of my system. It was just as Michelle had said—I didn’t see anyone else when he was in the room.

I hadn’t believed it back then, but after  I had been badly injured on my last undercover OP a year ago, I had woken up in the hospital, and even while she sat by my side, holding my hand and smiling down at me, it was Simon’s name that had left my lips. He was the reason she had left me then—even if he didn’t know it—and he was the reason I couldn’t move on with anyone else.

I tried to get my breathing under control as I stood there. Embarrassing myself in a room filled with my colleagues wasn’t on the agenda tonight. One could only take so much shit in one day. The thought didn’t stop my eyes from drifting his way again however, and by then, he had his head tilted back, allowing the water to splash his face and travel down, down down…

I shook my head. I really needed to get out more, meet other people, get laid—by someone other than Sy for once. It wasn’t healthy, this obsession, especially when it was aimed at a man who fucked anything that moved. I stepped out of the shower before he did, wrapping the towel around my waist as I entered the locker room. Ten minutes later, while I sat tying my shoe laces he entered the room, and pulled open his locker.

 “Wanna grab a couple beers later?” I asked. It was something we did almost every Friday night—something to help us relax after a stressful work day.

He grinned down at me and I shook my head.  I knew what that smile meant.

“Hot date tonight,” he said and I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah? You know her name this time?” I asked, and he gave me the finger.

It was then that I decided it… I would go out tonight, meet some new people and maybe even get laid. I stood and straightened my clothes, feeling the determination run through me. It was unfortunate then, that later that night I found myself sitting in front of my TV with a beer in hand and my feet propped up on the coffee table before me.

                                         AUTHOR’S NOTES

 DON’T WORRY GUYS, LONGER CHAPTERS TO COME AND I’LL BE DOING WEEKLY UPDATES. I STILL CAN’T DECIDE ON AN EXACT DAY..BUT WE’LL SEE. 

ALSO CELL MATES 1 HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ON AMAZON ,  IBOOKS , BARNES AND NOBLE, KOBO   SCRIBD AND PAGE FOUNDRY . THE PAPERBACK WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN A FEW WEEKS. SO IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN OWNING THE EBOOK, GO AHEAD AND CHECK OUT THE LINKS FOR THE ONLINE STORES OVER ON MY PROFILE

.

THANKS FOR READING GUYS AND KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 2: Mondays- The beginning and the end.

Chapter 2

Monday morning was as welcoming as one could expect the first day of the work week to be. The sun was scorching, the dust in the air was almost suffocating and the two steaming cups of coffee I carried only added to the sweat forming on my brow. I was late…as I usually was on a Monday morning, and no one batted an eye as I entered the building and made a beeline for my paper-filled desk.

I sat carefully in my chair, shifted the papers to one side and stretched across the aisle to deposit a cup on Simon’s desk. He grunted in response and I glanced miserably down at my stack of paperwork while taking a sip of the drink.

Put me out in the field, hand me a gun, drop me in the middle of a shoot-out and send me chasing after the bad guy— I could do that, all day, every day, but set me down in front of a stack of papers and I felt defeated.

I took another sip of the hot liquid, flipped open the first folder and groaned. This is what happened when your partner threw your empty service weapon at an escaping suspect—paperwork for days. I looked at Simon and shook my head. He didn’t belong in the field. Generally I respected the chief’s decisions, but taking Simon off desk duty wasn’t one of his better choices, I knew it and Sy knew it.

“You going to sit there glaring at me all day or are you gonna actually get some work done?” the bastard spoke up, his eyes still glued to his own papers as he wrote his report.

I shrugged. “The former I think.”

He smirked. “The important thing is we caught the guy, the ‘how’ is irrelevant.”

“If it’s so irrelevant then you should be the one doing this shit.” I grumbled and when he only grinned, my eyes narrowed.

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” I questioned and while his grin widened, he only shrugged, and for a minute I watched as he focused on the work before him.

“I’m guessing your Friday night pickup rolled over into Sunday then.” I surmised and for the first time since I entered the building he looked at me.

“Twins.” He grinned and I shook my head.

Twins…of course.

“Don’t you ever get tired of the multitude flocking your bed every week?” I asked in annoyance and he raised a brow.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Reynolds, my office!” we both glanced up at the sound of my name and I stood with a sigh, straightened my wrinkled shirt and made my way to my boss’s office.

“Close the door behind you.” The chief ordered when I entered his space and I knew immediately what this was about as I took in the sight before me.

Excluding the chief, five men sat in the small room, their expressions serious and eyes hard. None of them looked at me and I imagined they were all caught up in their own thoughts as they prepared to hear the news.

Two years of my life I had spent with these men, holed up in some prison for an undercover operation that provided us with nothing but a name after everything we’d been through. Two years wasted and regretted which left us with injuries and far less men than when we had started out, all because of one man; Emmanuel.

I took a seat beside Peter who nodded in greeting and we both focused our attention on the chief when he cleared his throat.

“By now you should know why I’ve called you here.” The chief began. “We have a potential lead on our elusive resident drug lord Emmanuel.” He announced somewhat bitterly and I sat up and took notice. A lead on the asshole was far more progress than we’d had in years.

Peter and I shared a look, then I watched as the chief dug around in his drawer and pulled out a small stack of files, which he then dropped onto the table before him.

“I have an assignment for any man here who cares to take it.” He said. “We have an informant who knows a guy who works for Emmanuel’s right-hand-man.” He explained and my heart fell.

He knew a guy, who knew a guy… I should have known not to expect much where Emmanuel was concerned. The closest lead we’d had in a while, yet a very weak one.

“What exactly does this assignment entail?” David— the dark-haired, dark-eyed Italian by birth agent—questioned the chief.

“Simple. I need you to confirm the lead and that requires an undercover operation.” He explained. “Each file contains a new identity for each of you and the roles you’ll be expected to play. You’ll start off by gathering Intel, find out what people know, while assimilating yourselves into the lifestyle…you know the drill.”

I shook my head and Peter’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s take a breath here chief…what you’re saying is you want us to take on a high risk operation to confirm a lead? We can’t put ourselves in danger just to pull at straws, give us something concrete here.” He finished and I was in full agreement.

“This is as concrete as it gets.” He chief began seriously. “We’ve been on this case for four years, two of which you all spent incarcerated. We’ve used more resources and man power on finding this one mastermind than we have on most other cases we’ve dealt with and after all this time, this is what we’ve come up with; a potential lead.“ he continued. “It may not seem like much to you, but given the circumstances, it’s a big deal and giving up an opportunity like this is out of the question.” The chief’s eyes passed to each of us in turn. They were hard with determination.

“I chose to involve you on this because you have an intimate knowledge of the case and I think you’re the best men for the job, but I’m giving you a choice in the matter because like Peter said, it’s risky and you’ve already given this case so much of your lives.” The chief sat back in his chair. “Make a decision. Are we allowing this bastard to get away with it, or are we going to take him down once and for all?”

“I’m in.” David answered almost immediately and the chief nodded, then gestured to the stack of files before him.

“Take a file, read it and reacquaint yourself with the case. It’ll be weeks before this mission gets underway so you have time to prepare.” He said and I watched as David stood, picked up the file, and with the chief’s permission, he left the room.  

Minutes passed, where silence permeated the room and Jones stood, picked up another file and left and so it went until I sat there with Peter, until he too made a decision and I watched him leave with a file.

Now here was my predicament; I wouldn’t be taking a file. I didn’t need to think about it and as much as the chief’s words affected me, I wouldn’t be a part of the mission. He was right, I’d given enough of my life to the case and I wasn’t willing to give anymore. I knew it and the chief knew it, but I suppose he still had to try.

“I know you said you were through with undercover assignments, but if this wasn’t absolutely necessary I wouldn’t have asked you here.” The chief began. “You, more than anyone else have suffered because of this thing. You fought for your life and almost lost it, you lost your fiancé and you’ve lost team mates. I understand that.”

“Then you understand why I won’t be taking that file.”

The chief shook his head. “What I understand it that you more than anyone has reason to take this guy down. You joined the mission because, like every other agent, you want the streets clean and you want to save lives, well guess what? Because of this bastard people’s lives are still in danger and the streets are filthier than ever…help me take him down.”

“Even if we manage to bring him to his knees, there’ll still be others waiting to take his place, it’s the way of the world chief…there are plenty of other cases out there that could use my attention…I’m done with undercover OPs…it wasn’t an easy decision to make but it’s just the way it is.”

When he said nothing I cleared my throat and straightened in my seat. “Have you told John and Nate about this?”

“This is a Bureau investigation, they chose to become civilians so this no longer concerns them.”

I nodded, then watched as he fished in his drawer and pulled out two envelopes. “Your application for leave has been granted.” He explained and I stood to collect it.

“Here, give this to your partner.” He handed me the other envelope. My brows furrowed.

“Sy applied for leave?”

“No, but take him with you, he works so hard it’s making me tired.” He said and I chuckled. But when I turned to leave the chief stopped me. “Reynolds, take this with you.” He said, holding up the file and looked at him in confusion.

“Chief, I told you I’m–” He held up a hand and I fell silent.

“Just read through it anyway. Enjoy your vacation, but think about it while you’re away and when you get back you can tell me what you decide to do.” He said and I shook my head but took the offered file anyway.

“Thank you sir.”

“There’s just one thing you should know.” The chief spoke once more and I noted the seriousness of his expression. “If you don’t take this mission I’m handing it off to Simon…and we both know he’ll accept without question.”

I froze, the surprise clearly written across my face as I stared at the manipulative bastard sitting before me. “Simon can’t handle a UC OP, he barely has any field experience.”

The chief shrugged. “He’s better in the field than you give him credit for and I need another man on this.”

“Then send Parish or Cole, they’re better equipped for this, Sy can’t—”

“That’s my decision to make agent Reynolds, but whether or not your partner takes part in this OP is strictly up to you.”

So either I put myself at risk or I send my partner to do it. I shook my head. He knew he’d get his way today and he knew just how to make that happen. I gritted my teeth, then finally turned and left the room.

When I closed the door behind me I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was times like this that I wondered why I hadn’t taken John and Nate up on their offer…the more time passed the more the idea of getting out of this line of work appealed to me. I took another breath and made my way over to my desk.

I dropped the file into the drawer and locked it, then stretched across and dropped the envelope on Simon’s desk before running a hand through my hair in frustration.

Simon paused in his writing and picked it up and as expected, after reading the contents he glanced my way. “I didn’t apply for leave.” He said simply and I shrugged.

His eyes narrowed then. “What did you do?”

“As much as I wouldn’t mind taking the credit for this one, that’s all on the chief.” I told him honestly and before I could blink, he was out of his chair and heading for the chief’s office. I shook my head, took up a pen and finally got started on my report.

Half an hour later Simon returned and slumped in his chair with a sigh. “This is ridiculous. What am I supposed to do for three and a half weeks?”

I shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll find someone to occupy your time…or if you change your mind, Kyle’s still waiting for your answer.” I hedged but he only looked at me— arms folded at his chest and legs outstretched.

I turned back to my report but my mind was more on the chief’s words than on what I was writing and twice I had to cross out a sentence I’d messed up. I cursed under my breath.

“What’re you doing tonight?” Simon asked and I turned to see that he was still watching me.

“A cold beer, ESPN and my couch.” I told him, but if I was really going to be forced to do this mission then I’d be elbow deep in files all night.

I refocused on the report and tried to organize the facts in my head before I put it on paper.

“Invite me over tonight and I’ll do your paperwork for you.” He interrupted and I snorted.

“Didn’t you get enough action this weekend?”

“Maybe I’m in the mood for some dark meat.” He said in a low tone and I chuckled.

“Fuck you.”

“That’s the plan.”

My hand faltered and I looked up from my page. He raised a brow, a small smile playing about his lips and I swallowed hard.

“There’s a reason we stopped doing this.” I said seriously.

“It wasn’t a very good one.”

I looked around before lowering my voice. “It doesn’t need to be a good reason…I told you, I’m down with the fucking around…I’m in the market for something serious.”

His grin widened and something inside me stirred. “People have cheat days all the time.”

“We’re not talking about a diet here, we’re taking about my life.” I told him in a dry tone and he shook his head.

“Sometimes you g—”

He broke off when Ana passed between us and dropped another stack of papers on my desk before moving on and I groaned.

When he stretched across and picked them up I frowned. “I’m coming over tonight.” He said simply and confidently, and because I was only a man with needs I turned back to my unfinished report without a word.

…………………………………………

As a general rule I didn’t believe in fate…Fate to me was like a thing of fairytales—like Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny…it just didn’t exist. Bad shit happened and good shit happened. It was the way of the world, there was no ‘plan’ or ‘destiny,’ shit wasn’t just going to happen because it was preordained, it all came down to the decisions you made. Like if you decided to go surfing when you knew there was storm coming in, then odds were, you would die that day.

Or if you bought the lottery, chose the most random set of numbers and somehow you managed to win…it wasn’t fate…you simply got up off your ass, bought a ticket to your dreams and randomly won a couple million bucks.

Everything was just dependent on the decisions you made, which is why when I entered a particular deli at lunch with my partner in tow, it wasn’t fate that made me spot the drug exchange in progress, it was simply because I was hungry, chose to get up off my ass and made a conscious decision to enter the deli. Then because I was generally an observant guy—and not because mere luck— I was able to spot the exchange.

My buddies back at the Bureau would no doubt argue otherwise, but fate was a thing of fairytales and like the relationship I wished for, it belonged in a book. Either the guys were amateurs or they were pros who made the wrong decision when they chose to do the exchange right out in the open, in the middle of the day…my money was on the former.

The moment we spotted the suspicious activity, Simon made the first move and the second he calmly pulled out his badge and presented it to the perps was the moment our troubles began and I was faced with a deli filled with screaming occupants, while Simon kept his weapon trained on the guy who chose not to put up a fight.

I wasn’t as lucky as I struggled with my perp—knocking him to the ground with a fist to the face, but just as quickly as he went down, he was up again and I got an elbow to my eye for my troubles.

 I slammed the heel of my hand into his face and his nose broke with a sickening snap, but still, he continued fighting, holding his nose with one hand as the blood gushed and striking out with his other. I grabbed his arm, twisted hard and slammed my foot against his right ankle, he went down with a loud cry and while he lay there immobile and howling, I pulled his arms behind his back, cuffed his wrists and glanced over at Simon to see him doing the same with his guy.

 I grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and picked up one of the fallen medium-sized brown paper bags and surely enough there it was. A bag filled with the white stuff all the druggies craved. I tilted it so Simon could see and with a nod, he pulled out his cell phone and pulled the perp to his feet.

My howling assailant still lay on the ground, his face a mess and his hands cuffed securely behind his back. I could already feel my eye swelling and I shook my head and pulled the man from the floor.

Mondays…

………………………………………………………

I banged the palm of my hand on the desk and the perp glared up at me. Across the room Simon stood watching and waiting for his turn to question the guy. He had his arms folded before him and his mouth was set in a hard line

“This isn’t good cop, bad cop buddy. Personally, I’d like to think me and my partner here are pretty good guys, but you caught me on a Monday. I’ve missed my lunch, I’m sweating though my pants and because of you I’ve got a  black eye, so tell me what I need to know or whatever chance you think you have of getting out of this mess is gone.” I growled and still the asshole kept quiet. Not a peep, just like his friend in the other room.

“Who are you working for?” I tried again…nothing. Forty-five minutes of this and we were still trying to scale the brick wall.

I glanced down at the guy’s rap sheet again and gritted my teeth. “Roberto Garcia. Four years ago he was charged with B&E. When he was eighteen he was arrested for one DUI and only months later he secured one conviction for armed robbery—a gas station… clearly not very original.

“Do you realize just how much trouble you’re in right now? Assaulting a federal agent, possession of a controlled su—”

“I want my lawyer.” The guy interrupted and I gritted my teeth. When I glanced at Simon he shrugged and with one final look at the guy I closed the file and turned to go.

A break would do me well anyway. Simon followed suit.

“Any luck with his partner?” the chief asked as soon as I exited the room and I shook my head.

“Nothing…they’re not giving up their guy, they’re not interested in a deal, they just want to lawyer up.” I told him and he nodded.

“Let them have their lawyer…maybe we’ll have better luck when they’ve been advised…either way, they’re not getting off this one.”

The DEA guys came in just as I made my way out of the building and I nodded in greeting as they passed.

“Trouble just follows you huh?”

I glanced up to see Peter heading my way with a grin and I shrugged. “I’m beginning to think so, yeah.”

“I noticed you walked out with a file this morning…didn’t expect you to take on the assignment.” He said and I nodded.

“Yeah well…chief didn’t leave me with much of a choice.”

He grinned. “His little speech got to you huh?”

“Not quite.” I said seriously. “He’s threatening to hand off the assignment to Simon if I don’t take it.”

Peter’s brows furrowed. “Then what’s the problem? Give it to Sy, he can more than handle it.”

I shook my head. “Sy isn’t…” I trailed off and when he raised a brow, I shook my head. “Forget it…we’ll see.” I told him and with a shrug he let it go.

“Unlike you too heroes, I’ve got work to do. I’ll see you later.”

I nodded and watched him walk away, my mind a jumbled mess of unwanted thoughts. If I was being honest with myself I’d admit that Simon really was capable. He was a damn good agent, in and out of the field, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. I didn’t want him out there. I wanted him behind a desk, shuffling papers where it was safe and hell would have to freeze over before I allowed the chief to send him on the OP.

“A new place just opened up two blocks over…heard the food is pretty decent.” Simon announced when he finally joined me outside.

 I gestured to the street. “Lead the way.”

It was a silent trek up the block as it usually was with us, a comfortable sort of silence that typically came when in the company of someone you knew well and as we walked, I thought of the series of events that took place from the moment I’d entered the office this morning.

I’d say I was a happy person generally. I tried not to let little things faze me…you couldn’t really allow it to, not in this line of work and that was fine, but there was just something about Mondays that just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was because it signaled the beginning of the work week, or because it indicated the end of all weekend enjoyment…I couldn’t put my finger on it but Mondays…Mondays…Mondays.

“It’s that one, right there.” Simon pointed to the building up ahead and my brows furrowed when I heard the commotion coming from within. Simon sighed and I paused, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“Maybe we should start ordering in.” He suggested and I gritted my teeth in frustration.

“Come on, let’s go see what’s going on.”

                                             AUTHOR’S NOTES

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER…THE NEW SEMESTER HAS BROUGHT WITH IT MORE WORK THAN I IMAGINED IT WOULD, BUT I’LL TRY MY BEST TO UPDATE REGULARLY.

THANKS FOR READING GUYS!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 3: Puzzle pieces

Chapter 3

He was on the ground before he could take another breath, but he was up just as quickly—rattled but clearly still willing to take a beating. If this is what he called putting up a fight, then he had no place in this business.

We circled each other, bouncing on our feet almost like an ancient dance, moving closer then further away until he finally lashed out, throwing a punch which I dodged easily. He was almost unsteady on his feet, his mind clearly muddled from the alcohol I was pretty sure he’d consumed before coming here. I gritted my teeth. Sometimes he really knew how to piss me off.

I grabbed his arm when he threw another weak punch and twisted until he cried out, but just as I made to loosen my hold, he elbowed me in the ribs and I stumbled back. He grinned, a wide satisfied spread of the lips and my anger grew.

“You think that’s anything to be proud of? You coming in here late and drunk off your ass?” I shot

His smile fell. “I told you, I had something to take care of.”

“Yeah…and hitting up a bar was obviously more important than our sparring session.”

He shook his head. “It wasn’t like that.”

I swept a foot under his and he went down like a log and when he was on his feet again, I was in his face just as quickly. A jab to his right side, a punch to his uncovered face and finally a roundhouse kick to the chest that sent him sprawling. I was gracious enough to let him pull himself up from the floor.

“Just give me a second to catch my b—”

Another swift punch and he stumbled—then another and another, each time willing him to put up a fight, willing him to defend himself the way he knew how, but he was useless and the more I had to deal with this shit, the angrier I became.

He pushed up from the ground, clutching his side and when I moved, he put up a hand to ward me off. “Just wait I—”

“You think some asshole out on the street is gonna wait till you’re ready before they take you down?”

Another jab to the chest, then another. The third time he managed to block me and I tackled him to the ground, my legs wrapped tightly around his, one arm twisted behind his back and his face pressed to the floor.

He struggled, fighting desperately to throw me off and I wrapped an arm around his neck, forcing him to find a way to free himself. When he tried to elbow me, I rolled until I was on my back, arm still wrapped around his neck holding him prisoner. He was facing the ceiling and I could already see the veins standing up in his forehead as he tried desperately to free himself, but my hold didn’t budge, and too soon, he stopped fighting all together.

“Don’t you fucking tap out, find a way out.” I cursed in his ear and he tried, then tried again and failed miserably.

“Jesus Christ Sy, free yourself.” I urged him and a second later, he tapped out. I released him, shoving him from me none too gently.

I got to my feet, standing over him as he lay there out of breath and clutching his side.

“I don’t think I’m willing to wait for you to take this shit seriously.”

He sat up and ran his free hand through his mussed hair.

“Gimmie a break Ed. When’ve I ever not taken this seriously? So I had a drink before I came, what the fuck is the big deal? I’m here almost every night bustin’ my ass on this floor with you.”

“And you feel proud of what you just did? You’re so shit-faced you can’t even stand up straight!”

His eyes narrowed and I shook my head.

“I need a partner who I can trust to have my back no matter what goes down.” I began. “I need to know that if I have to take a bullet for someone, he’s fucking worth it and these days you’re better off behind a desk…because the only thing you’re good for out there is getting me killed.”

I turned away from the sight of him and made my way across the room where I scooped up my discarded towel, my duffle bag and left.

Outside I slammed the car door shut behind me and ran the towel over my face and neck, wiping away the film of sweat that had gathered over my skin.  When I was done, I rested my head against the steering wheel, feeling worn. It was strange how completely a person could change in a short year.

I found it hard to believe that I’d once been the guy who never let anything bother him. Always smiling, always thinking of the positive—the life of the party. Now I just felt angry…an empty, angry shell of the man I once was and I had no idea how to get myself back.

I blamed it on a lot of things…being shot and close to dying on my last undercover OP, battling with the need to tell the world what I was and needing to keep that side of myself buried, harboring feelings for a man who could only ever see me as a way to let off steam and finally and probably most importantly, my obsession with finding Emmanuel.

For months I’d let the thought of catching him consume me…months until I’d finally  decided to let it go, and now I was being thrust right back into that world. It was messing with my head.

I glanced at the entrance of the gym and sighed. Simon had changed too. From a man who had made computers his life to someone who’d made the leap and fought to become my partner. From the desk to the field just so he could be there the next time I did something stupid like get myself shot.

I frowned.  He was a damn good partner and I was taking my frustration out on him.

 Then my frown deepened. Sy never went so far as to open a beer in the work week, yet he’d come in with a buzz. Something was wrong.

I cursed under my breath, flung the towel into the back seat and stepped out of the vehicle and into the cool night’s air.

“Alright Sy, what’s going on?” I questioned as soon as I reentered the room and he looked up from the floor where he sat with his back against the locker.

He took a breath and for the first time that night I noticed just how worn he looked. Dark circles under his eyes, brows furrowed and mouth turned down in a frown.

“What? Not done chewing me out yet?”

“What happened tonight?”

“You mean other than you beating my ass and telling me I’m a shitty partner?” he said drily and I moved to sit on the bench before him.

“What’s going on?”

For a minute he only stared at me, empty eyes piercing mine until he ran a hand over his face and closed them.

“My dad called.”

I frowned. “Last time you heard from him was—”

“Over four years ago…when I told him I wanted nothing to do with him.”

He opened his eyes and set his gaze on the bare wall above my head. I could practically feel the tension radiating from his body. “What did he want?”

He shrugged. “He’s in the hospital…he’s dying.” he said the words quietly.

“Didn’t think you cared whether he lived or died.”

He shook his head. “I don’t…I didn’t…I just…” he paused for a long time and I remained silent, allowing him the silence to gather his thoughts and work through whatever it was that he was feeling.

“I guess I thought I wouldn’t give a shit what happened to him but…”

“He’s still your dad.”

He nodded. “He wants me to convince Nate to go see him.”

I shook my head. “You know Nate, he won—”

“I know. he already can’t stand the sight of me…showing up on his doorstep to tell him our piece a shit father is dying and wants to see him won’t do anything but drive him in further away.”

I sighed, “I don’t know what to tell you Sy. Either you care more about fulfilling a dying man’s wish or you care more about making it work with your brother…I can’t help you with this one.”

He nodded.

“How long does he have?”

“He says it’s cancer. The doctors told him he has a month, maybe two.”

“What’re you gonna do?”

He met my eyes then. “Am I still invited over tonight?”

I’d forgotten about our half plan to ‘spend some quality time together’ tonight. Something I shouldn’t have agreed to in the first place. I didn’t need that particular complication on top of everything else. What I needed was a clear head and a calm disposition. Simon would prevent that, but here sat my undoing, broken and clearly hurting, so I said the only thing I could.

“Yes.”

…………………………………………………….

He was quiet as usual on the entire ride over, his attention held by the tablet he held in his hands. It was only when I opened the door that he seemed to realize we’d reached my place. I retrieved my things from the backseat while he did the same and we walked up to my front door in complete silence, my mind on the events of the day and his mind on whatever it was that Simon thought about when he wasn’t fidgeting with his gadgetry.

“You finally cut that damn lawn.”  He commented as I searched my pockets for my keys and I let my eyes roam over the yard.

“I had some free time.”

I’d already forgotten how long it had been since he’d been over here. Back in the day this had been his crash pad almost every night…at least until things got complicated and I had to put an end to it.

It was crazy how strange it felt having him here again. When I pushed the front door open he automatically reached over to turn on the lights, then dropped his bag onto the floor by the couch, just like old times. I watched him glance around the room and I looked away when I spotted that small half smile on his face.

“I can’t believe how much I missed this place.” He said softly

‘You wouldn’t believe how much I missed having you here’ I thought to myself but what I said to him was; “Yeah it’s been awhile.”

A brief silence passed between us, before I cleared my throat and turned to him, my thumbs hooked inside the belt hoops of my jeans. “Anyway, you know where everything is. You’re staying in the guest room.” I emphasized, “I’m gonna go grab a shower.”

I turned to exit the room but his next words gave me pause.

“I remember a time when you’d invite me to come along.”

I glanced back at him over my shoulder. “Things change.”

“I don’t see why they have to.” He continued, his softly spoken words reverberating through the quiet room.

I faced him, my ridiculous heart beating wildly. “We want different things.”

“That never stopped us before…”

“Yeah well, like I said—”

“Things change, yeah… I get it.” His eyes held mine for a moment, before he lowered himself onto the couch and crossed his legs at his ankles. “Don’t finish the hot water.”

I watched long enough for him to unzip his bag and pull out his laptop, then I disappeared from the room, feeling all kinds of stupid for wishing he’d had a different response.

Upstairs I wrote a quick text to Kyle who’d been badgering me about my progress with convincing Sy to go on his little trip. Then I stripped and entered the shower. The moment the heat soaked into my skin I relaxed, thinking of nothing but the feel of the hot water against my flesh.

I found Sy standing in front of the open door of my freezer when I returned downstairs half an hour later. He had a bag of frozen peas pressed to his bruised side and on the kitchen counter across from him he’d spread all manner of screws and electronic parts I couldn’t identify.

“What’s all this?”

“My laptop. I’m switching out the hard drive.”

I raised a brow, taking in the messy counter. “You had to pull apart the entire thing just to switch the hard drive?”

“No, I just like putting it back together.

I shook my head. “Then maybe you can fix my TV while you’re here…it’s been acting up lately.”

He crossed the room and went to stand before the counter, where he dropped the peas and starting messing with random computer parts.

“I’ll buy you a new one for Christmas.”

 I moved past him and pulled a beer from the door of the fridge before grabbing a stool in front of the counter.

“I don’t need a new one, it’s just a little glitch.”

He glanced up at me, his brows raised in disbelief. “It’s a piece a junk. You should have thrown it out back when I told you to.”

I shook my head. “That thing took me through college.”

“Exactly.”

I took a swig of the cold liquid and he glanced up at me. “Here, I’ll teach you how to assemble this” He said, handing me a screwdriver and taking the bottle from my hand.

I looked at the thing, then back at him skeptically. “Last time you tried to teach me something you ended up biting my head off.”

“Insert this piece into that slot and screw both sides together.” He pointed to the mystery metal before me and I did as he instructed.

“I doubt I’ll be able to put a laptop back together after this.” I warned as I worked and he snorted.

“Trust me it’s like riding a bike, once you learn you’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed.”

I looked skeptically down at the pieces scattered across my counter. “Uhuh.”

“Think of them as puzzle pieces. Every single part has a place, you just have to find where it fits.”

I replaced he piece I held once I finished screwing it together and watched carefully as he picked up piece after piece and screwed them to their respective parts. Then I picked up another piece and searched for the part it matched up to, but nothing matched…in fact it was nothing like a puzzle piece, they were just little pieces of hard plastic and metal I couldn’t hope to identify.

“I think I might go down to see him”

“Yeah? what about Nate?” I dropped the screwdriver and picked up my beer.

He shook his head. “I’m leaving him out of it. If the old man wants to see him then he’ll have to find some other way.”

I nodded before taking a sip of my drink. “Probably for the best.”

He didn’t reply, instead he focused on the task before him, screwing parts together and fitting pieces where they matched in his mind, until soon enough the only thing that could be heard in the room was the sound of scraping tools and his even breathing. This brought back memories…of nights just like this where he worked through the night on his various projects, completely consumed by what only he could describe as entertaining.

His company was like a soothing balm over my aching muscles and I smiled as I gradually relaxed in the quiet room. I watched him work, studied his capable hands and his focused expression. Then continued to stare when he trapped his bottom lip between his teeth, his brows furrowed.

He was perfect, this stupid little nerd and I reached over to brush the hair from his face before I’d even registered the intention.

He glanced up at me, green, piercing eyes meeting mine and with a swallow and a glance at the bottle in my hand, I decided it was time to get my own work done.

“I gotta go finish up those reports.” I said pushing up from my seat and he straightened, watching me as I turned to go.

“One night won’t change anything.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what the softly spoken words meant and I left the room to avoid the tempting offer.

………………………………………….

Emmanuel… the faceless demon who tormented me while I slept.  The master evader, the resourceful drug lord and my greatest adversary. I wanted him to go down, needed to see his downfall like I needed the air I breathed…but I didn’t really believe I was the one for the job.

Maybe I didn’t want him badly enough.now, or maybe I simply didn’t want to waste another moment of my life thinking about the chaos he always managed to leave in his wake. Whatever the reason and whatever my wants, I had no say. I was doomed to this task like Emmanuel was doomed to go down…all that mattered now was time. I could only hope it was on our side.

I flipped the page and squinted down at the sketch, then I flipped another and took in the details…both pages held completely different faces, yet they were said to be the same guy. Every witness and every informant produced a different face for the same man and all were confident in their belief. Emmanuel was careful…certainly not a man to underestimate, but then neither was I.

I picked up the file which contained my new identity and glanced briefly at my new name. Marcus Byfeild.  Soon this would be the only name I answered to, and FBI agent Eddy Reynolds would be nothing but a whisper in the wind. 

I pulled the new ID card from the envelope and studied it, before storing it safely in the pouch that held everything else regarding the mission. Afterwards I leaned back into the chair and closed my eyes, before running a hand over my face in frustration.

I didn’t hear when he entered the room. Didn’t feel his presence, or spot his soft shadow on the wall. What I felt were calloused hands dancing along my shoulders and slipping beneath the collar of my shirt. I opened my eyes and made to pull away, when I felt the softness of his damp lips against the heated flesh of my neck…after that I was lost.

                                         AUTHOR’S NOTES

SORRY FOR THE WAIT GUYS..STILL WORKING ON BALANCING THE TIME I SPEND WRITING CHAPTERS AND SCHOOL COURSE WORK.

THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND AND KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 4: What we do in the dark

Chapter 4

When his hand slipped beneath the waistband of my draw-string pants I grabbed his wrist.

“We can’t” I whispered.

“Nothing’s stopping us.” He continued to trail kisses along the column of my neck, his breath hot against my skin.

“I told you—”

“You can go back on your diet tomorrow.” And his fingers closed around my hardness. I hissed from the pleasure of it, unconsciously releasing his wrist to allow him his opportunity to explore the parts of me that craved his attention.

He spun the chair around so that we faced each other and my gaze went straight to his. His eyes were wide with mischief. His half-smile cocky with triumph. He covered my lips with his, tongues meeting and melding and fighting for control until we pulled apart— panting and winded.

“I swore I wouldn’t do this…” I panted as he released me and began to pull my pants off, urging me to raise my hips…which I did without question.

This was the reason I’d barred him from coming here…because no matter how strong my convictions were and no matter how long I tried to stand my ground, he always managed to tear me down with a single touch.

Every. Damn. Time.

 I let him remove my shirt, then watched as he made quick work of his own clothes. My gaze travelled down the length of him, coming to rest at the thatch of soft curls just above his turgid member.

Christ I’d missed this—missed him and I’d be damned if I’d spent another second ogling. I was out of the chair before he could take a step toward me and I grabbed him roughly, taking his lips. I allowed my own hand to roam, rubbing and pulling, squeezing and scraping, all the while promising myself that this would be the last time I let this happen. After tonight that was it.

 I pushed him onto the couch and covered his body with mine, a hand at his throat, another parting him and preparing him for me. He was practically panting, gripping my arms tight.

For a moment I met his eyes and he grinned—a slow widening of his mouth that only spurred my arousal and a moment later I entered him; stretching him with every snap of my hips. I took his lips again and he moaned, but I wanted more. I wanted to hear him shout, to scream my name as I rode him.

I sank my teeth into his shoulder and when he cried out my movements became faster…harder. I watched his eyes drift closed and lips part and I reached between us to grip him. His hips arched, allowing me better access and took all I could get.

I knew this body. I knew it like I knew myself. Every sensitive spot, every nook and cranny. I knew how to pleasure him; better than all those girls he scored, better than anyone, and with every plunge I showed him just what I knew, until he was practically begging me to end it.

I didn’t.

I  held off until he was only a blubbering mess beneath me and still I continued, stretching him and making him mine, my goal; to erase everyone but me and when I ordered him to open his eyes, what I saw in his impassioned gaze told me I had succeeded…at least for the night.

I took his lips again and the next time I reached between us to grip him, his nails bit into my flesh until I was sure he’d drawn blood.

I saw nothing but him. I felt my own pleasure as deeply as I felt his and I felt the love I had for him grow until the emotion brought me over the edge. I shot into him, a shuddering mess and moments later, he joined me, his body convulsing from his own release.

Afterwards we stayed like that, our breaths evening out and our bodies cooling, but it wasn’t the end of it. Hours later I took him again, and at some point we reached my bedroom. The third time was different…slower…less explosive, but equally memorable and finally, with him wrapped in my arms, the blankets thrown over our naked bodies, we slept.

……………………………………

The next morning I woke up feeling more rested than I had in a while and I rolled across the bed intending to get up, when I came into contact with warm, solid flesh. My eyes snapped open and I spotted Simon sitting with his back against the headboard, his fingers dancing over the screen of my phone.

I groaned and stretched, then, bunching the pillow under my head, I watched him.

“What are you doing?’ I asked over a yawn and he glanced at me briefly, before his eyes returned to the device.

“Reading your messages.” He explained. I shook my head. “Who’s Alex and why is he sending you pictures of his dick?” he asked, turning to me with a raised brow.

“If I didn’t know any better, I say you were jealous.”

“I am.” He said surprising me, then; “His junk’s bigger than mine.” He finished with a lazy grin and I chucked my pillow at him and rolled out of bed.

I glanced at the time when my feet hit the ground and made quick work of crossing the room.

“We’re gonna be late.”

“I’m not going in today.”

 “Why not?” I questioned.

A mischievous look entered his eyes then and I raised a brow in question.

“Doubt I can even stand up after last night.”

I shook my head and entered the bathroom, intent on getting a quick shower so I could be out the door in fifteen minutes, but when I turned on the faucet and the hot water poured over me I rested my forehead against the tile and released a breath.

Something was seriously wrong with me. There was no other explanation for this. No other reason why I turned into a damn fool when it came to Sy.

Months I’d stood my ground and in one night that had all gone to hell. I took a breath. Maybe it was time to face the fact that I just couldn’t get him out of my system. When all was said and done he was the one I wanted and that just wouldn’t change.

Back in the bedroom I pulled on my clothes while Simon sat in bed fidgeting with my phone. I watched his reflection in the mirror— saw the way he frowned at the screen, his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed in concentration.

“I was thinking…” he began, eyes never leaving the screen. “Maybe I should go on your little cruise…”

I looked at him in surprise. “Yeah? What made you change your mind?”

When his eyes travelled from my bare feet and slowly upwards, I frowned.

Of course.

“Forget it.”

“Why not? We’ll be on a boat in the middle of nowhere with a brother who hates me and…other people. We’ll need a distraction.”

“I’m going there to relax with my friends, not to satisfy your urges.”

“And yours.”

“No.”

“What? Afraid your gay friends will shun you for being gay?”

My eyes narrowed. “I’ve been out for a year now.”

He snorted. “You’re not out of the closet if I’m the only one who knows you like dick Ed.”

I ignored him, pulling on my leather jacket, before bending to pull on my boots.

“Call Kyle and tell him I’m in.”

I glanced up at him. “Call him yourself. If you’re actually thinking of spending a few weeks at sea with the guy, you might as well get used to talking to him.”

For a moment he only watched me, his eyes showcasing his boredom. “I’ll send him a text.”

“And while you’re at it.”  I straightened up and pulled the stack of reports from the table. “Finish these for me.” I dropped them on the bed by his side and turned to go, picking up my car keys and wallet from the table and stuffing them into my pocket.

“Hey.”  He called out when I reached the room door and I turned to face him.

I caught the phone he threw and stuffed it into my pocket and a moment later I was descending the staircase. I stopped briefly in the family room to make sure my desk drawers were locked before I exited my home, closing the front door behind me.

………………………………….

“The room’s so small you can touch the four walls when you stretch, the food’s shitty, all the inmates wanna take a stab at you and you know what they say about dropping the soap? It’s true.”

Charles only looked at me. His expression one of boredom, his demeanor one of nonchalance and his face as ugly as sin.

“Twenty-five years in a place like that won’t exactly be a walk in the park.”

His eyes met mine just before he smirked.

“Oh yeah? I bet you’ve never so much as got yourself a parking ticket. What would you know about prison?”

I gritted my teeth, wishing I could just knock some sense into—

“Just take the damn deal Charles.” Michael spoke up, moving from his spot by the door and taking a few steps into the room. His tone was even, his stride deliberate, but his eyes blazing.  “That or we take you back to your little hole in the wall and find somebody else who wants it.”

Charles eyes narrowed and he folded his arms before him.

“Get him outta here.” Michael called out and the door to the interrogation room burst open and the guys took him away.

“If we don’t get something from him this case is a bust.” I said in frustration.

Michael, who propped himself up on the only desk in the room, nodded in agreement.

“We should let Simon take a go at him.”

I snorted. “What’d you want him to do?  Use big words to scare him into talking?”

Michael shrugged. “I don’t know, how does he usually do it?”

“It’s usually a combined effort.”      

“We need Nate.” He said then and I couldn’t agree more. If anyone could get a guy to talk it was Nathan.

“The chief won’t sanction that. The man’s still pissed at him for leaving and taking John with him. He can’t say his name with getting a fucking aneurysm.”

“Then it’s like you said” he began. “This case is a bust.”

I fished the phone out of my pocket when it began to vibrate and answered without looking at the caller ID.

“Reynolds.”

“Hey Eddie, it’s Kyle, I can’t believe you got Simon to agree!”

I stifled a sigh and Michael, who could no doubt hear his every word, rolled his eyes.

“Tell him I said hey.” He mouthed and I watched him escape before I could hand him the phone.

“That was actually his doing. He decided out of the blue.”

I could practically feel Kyle’s excitement.

“Nate’s picking Riley up on Friday. Do you need Johnny to get you guys on Saturday or can you find your way to the pier?”

“I think we can manage, thanks.” I don’t think Sy could handle being trapped in such a small space with Kyle. The guy was just too happy for his own good.

“Great, I’m so—”

“Hey Kyle, I’m kinda in the middle of something now, can I call you back?”

“Of course! Do what you gotta do. We can talk anytime.”

I ended the call and turned to stare at my reflection in the two-way mirror. I looked as worn out as I felt—eye bags and all. I would be lying if I said this cruise wasn’t a Godsend. Three weeks of blue skies, blue seas and warm sunshine.

When my phone began vibrating again, I was careful to glance down at the screen before I answered.

Simon.

“What’s up?”

“I’m leaving your place now. Thought that since I’ll be gone on Saturday then I might as well visit the old man while I can.” He explained. “I left your keys in the usual place.”

I nodded to myself. “Good idea. When do you think you’ll be back?”

“Friday I think…two and a half days should be enough to pay my respects to a dying man.” I could hear the cynicism in his words and it gave me pause, leaving me to wonder why, after his mellow attitude last night, he was suddenly in a piss-poor mood.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, why?”

I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me and offered no reply, but the longer the silence stretched between us, the more my concern grew.

“You want me to come with you?”

The long pause that followed my question gave me my answer.

“Nah it’s cool. I’m about to get going anyway. I’ll meet you at the pier on Saturday.” And he was gone.

I didn’t even get the chance to take a breath before the phone went off again and I stared at the screen in annoyance.

Alex …the thorn in my side and a general pain in my ass. I’d made the mistake of giving him my number one night at a bar weeks ago and I regretted it to this day.

When I let the call ring out, he sent me a text as he was prone to do whenever I didn’t answer and I opened the message.

“ Hey Eddie, I know I asked you to chill with me at the bar this weekend. Not sure if you got my message, but I won’t be able to make it anyway…my computer was hacked and my files are everywhere so it’ll take a while to get them sorted out. Maybe we can reschedule…BTW I sent you a pic this morning, hope it woke you up ;)”

I frowned down at the phone. When I saw the word hacked only one person came to mind.

Simon .

I shook my head. An FBI agent hacking into computers out of sheer boredom…I just couldn’t keep up.

 I pushed up from the desk and made my way out of the room and to my desk. I’d have to write up two letters to hand to the chief’s secretary—both for a three day sick leave for me and Sy.

They wouldn’t believe it for a second, but if he needed me, and I had a strong suspicion that he did, then tonight I’d pack a bag and meet him wherever it was that he was going.

                                                                  AUTHOR’S NOTES

TOLD YOU I’D UPLOAD MORE FREQUENTLY :)

And yes it’s Michael from my book ‘A Home for Timmy’ this is one year AFTER he met Jason and little Tims hence the reason he’s back at work :)

ENJOY!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 5: Jyle.

Chapter 5

John’s POV

“Okay that’s everything… I think.”

I glanced over at him with a frown. “You think?”

“I don’t know Johnny, I feel like I’m leaving something.”

I shook my head. “You’ve got three giant suitcases for a three week trip…you’re not leaving anything, you’re taking too much.”

He shrugged, as was his usual practice and came to stand beside me, staring down at the shelving unit I was trying to put together.

“You want me to finish packing for you?”

“Already did…my bag’s over there.” I gestured to the duffel by the couch.

He frowned as expected and I raised a brow in challenge. “Why do you always do this?”

“Do what?”

“This!” he pointed to the duffel. “Every time we go on a trip you pack that stupid bag and you always forget something, no matter how many times I tell you it’s too small.”

“No, you always forget something. I bring exactly what I need.”

He rolled his eyes, folding his arms before him. “Remember Kansas?”

“That’s because you went through my shit and repacked everything.”

“Well maybe if you had actually packed enough stuff, I wouldn’t have had to do it for you.”

I sighed and turned my attention back to my screwdriver and the unfinished shelf.

“Did you pack enough underwear?”

“Why are you even asking when we both know you’re gonna go check anyway?”

 When he ignored me and went to crouch by the bag, I gritted my teeth. Sometimes the need to reach over and squeeze the life out of him threatened to consume me. God knows the little shit was lucky I liked him alive.

“I knew it.” I heard him grumble to himself, and a moment later he was making his way up the stairs—determination in every step.

I waited about half a minute and sure enough, the sounds of drawers being pulled open sounded. I screwed the nail in place and was reaching for another, when I heard the creaking of the staircase—evidence of his descent.

He entered the family room with his arms full of my clothes and I watched with mild irritation as he dropped them on the floor beside my duffel.

“Nothing else is gonna fit in that bag Kyle.”

“Then I’ll grab another suitcase.”

“If you take out even one more suitcase, you’re carrying all of them.” I warned and he turned to glare at me.

I didn’t back down. He was being ridiculous and he knew it. “Fine I’ll put them in one of mine.”

I turned away from him and screwed in yet another nail, while he struggled to reopen one of his stuffed cases.

This alone was evidence of how the trip would be.  It wouldn’t be the relaxation I imagined, it would just be Kyle irritating the shit out of me, until I threw him overboard— like last time.

“Dad wants us to come over for dinner tonight.” He announced a few minutes later and I jammed another piece of wood in place.

“What time? Remember I need to go into the office later.”

“Doesn’t matter. I told him we’re not going.”

I glanced over at him. “Why not?”

“He’s bringing the girl .” He said scornfully.

“You can’t avoid her forever Kyle.”

“No, but I can try.”

“Your dad cares about you enough to accept our relationship. Would it kill you to show him the same courtesy?”

He stuffed one of my shirts into the corner of his suitcase and looked at me with a frown. “Yeah, it would actually. She’s a brainless bitch, she’s half his age and she hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you…and she’s the CEO of a major corporation. I’m pretty sure that takes some brains.”

“She’s fake…she doesn’t really care about him.”

“Why would she be faking? It can’t be because she’s out to get his money…she has more than enough for herself. I honestly think she’s into him.”

“She’s not.” He said adamantly. His too-pretty face reflecting his displeasure.

“Your jealousy is clouding your judgment.”

“Don’t be stupid Johnny. Why would I be jealous of her?”

“Because you’re used to being the only person in your dad’s life. You’re the one he calls for everything. You’re the only person who meant anything to him and now you’ll have to share all that with someone else.”

“I don’t have to share anything because sooner or later she’ll break his heart and she’ll be out of our lives. I’m a good judge of people Johnny…you know that.”

“So am I and I don’t get any bad vibes from her.”

“Well you can’t be that good a judge if you still can’t see that Eddie is gay.”

I ran a hand over my face. “Not this foolishness again.”

He gave up stuffing my clothes and sat on the floor facing me from across the room.

“It’s not foolishness. It’s a fact, and he’s dying to tell the world. I can feel it.”

“Uhuh.” 

“Don’t you see how miserable he looks these days? Remember how crazy happy he used to be? and how he used to always be joking around?” he questioned. “Now he doesn’t even smile much anymore. It’s because he’s trapped in the closet and he doesn’t know how to come out.”

“You watch too much TV.”

“You’ll see I’m right. I’m always right.”

“Eddie isn’t gay…I’ve known him practically my whole life.” I told him. “And if he doesn’t smile anymore it’s because he’s stressed at work, which is why we invited him on this cruise—to relax, not to try to set him up with some guy.”

He rolled his eyes at me and I frowned. “Not some guy …Simon… and don’t bother telling me Simon isn’t gay because we all know he is.”

“I don’t know what Simon is…and in any case, that’s his own damn business. Let them enjoy the trip Kyle.”

“The only way they’ll enjoy it is if they’re together… like together together.”

I chose to remain silent. Kyle was a stubborn little brat. I’d be wasting my breath trying to convince him of anything after he’d already made up his mind.

“I got them the honeymoon cabin. It’s huge.”

“I’m sure.”

He stood and I watched him as he made his way over. Then he lowered himself to the ground in front of me and took the screwdriver from my hand.

“You should see the way Simon looks at him Johnny…it’s exactly the same way you look at me.”

“You’re seeing things that aren’t there Kyle. You always do. I promise you, they’re friends. I know these people.”

“So do I. The next time Eddie talks to a good looking guy, watch Simon’s face. He always gets jealous and he’s always watching Eddie…always.”

“Simon fucks everything that moves. If he gave a damn about Eddie like you claim, he wouldn’t see anyone else.”

“You just don’t understand how love really works.”

I raised a brow and he waved me off. “What I mean is you never knew what love was until you met me, so you can’t see it when other people are experiencing it.”

“How can you be both cocky and condescending while trying to be sincere. There’s something seriously wrong with you Kyle.”

He smiled and I reached over to brush a lock of hair from his face.

“You’ll see I’m right. By the end of this cruise. Everyone will see I’m right.”

“Well then I guess we’ll see.”

“You will.” He said adamantly and I chuckled.

“I’m sure.”

                                            AUTHOR’S NOTES

JUST A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF OUR BOYS.

MORE TO COME VERY VERY SOON. SIT TIGHT AND THANKS FOR READING!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 6: Visiting the old man

Chapter 6

Eddie’s POV

 It was 7pm before I could leave the bureau and it would be at least another hour and a half before I would be able to meet up with Sy. I’d called him earlier to let him know I’d be tagging along, but by then he’d already left and was now waiting for me at a gas station just outside of town.

 I turned right at the intersection and let my mind roam as I sped down the practically empty street. Before I’d even exited the office, I’d made the decision to stop by my buddies’ PI firm. It was time Nate knew just what was going on with his family. More importantly, it was time he did something about it.

Sy was tough, there was no doubt about it. He knew how to stand on his own two feet. He could admit when he was wrong and when he needed help. It was a quality that I admired in him—a guy who, despite his general reserved personality, truly never had any qualms about telling the world what was on his mind when he felt the need to.

It was this very reason why I was worried about him now. The news of his father’s illness was affecting him more that he let on, I could feel it. Yet he’d chosen to keep it bottled up.

I turned into the semi-empty parking lot and hopped out of the car. It was time for Nate to forgive and forget. After all, it wasn’t really me who Sy needed now….it was him, the big brother he’d looked up to all his life.

I nodded in greeting to the guard by the door and stepped into the elevator, where I listened somewhat impatiently to the stuffy elevator music that went along with the ride. It had been weeks since I’d stopped by the office and every time I came, there was some new improvement.

It was still hard to believe that the men who had taught me everything I knew about life in the field had given it all up to live their lives behind a desk. It was admirable, but it was insane. When the doors dinged open, I turned left, down the hall, past a few closed office doors and around another corner where I spotted an office that hadn’t been there the last time I’d visited.

In just a year they’d amassed enough success to make a blind man take a step back and look. It was definitely praiseworthy—something I could have been a part of, had I accepted their offer a year ago.

I tried to imagine a life answering calls and investigating cheating husbands and all the trivial shit that went along with a job like this, but if that offer ever reared its head again, my answer would be the same. The Bureau was my home and I wasn’t ready to move out.

At the end of the hall, a light was on in John’s office and another three doors down another light shone from Nate’s. I shook my head. Different job, same work ethic.

I paused when I reached John’s door and glanced in, to see him sitting behind a desk writing something on the sheet of paper before him. In the center of the same desk, not surprisingly, sat his partner Kyle, who was bouncing a small ball on the wall across the room, while talking a mile a minute.

“…And do you know what she said to me?”

“What?” John replied distractedly.

“She said I should do it. Me , can you believe that?”

“Uhuh.”

Kyle caught the ball when it bounced toward him again and threw it hard across the room.

“I swear Johnny, this is it. If I have to deal with her again I’m gonna rip my hair out…or hers.”

I watched in amusement as John pulled on a sheet of paper that Kyle was sitting on and when it didn’t budge, he glanced up at his lover, who shifted to allow him access to it.

 They were one of a kind, these two. You could watch them interact for hours and still find it hard to understand how two people with completely opposite personalities, shared such a close bond, but I figured it worked out like it was supposed to. After all, only a man like John could put up with a guy like Kyle and only Kyle could tame the grumpy beast that was John.

I glanced at Kyle when he sighed. “We should look into her background. See if we can dig up some dirt on her.”

John looked up at him then and I realized that he’d actually really been listening to Kyle the entire time he worked.

“We’re not investigating her.”

Kyle caught the ball and turned to frown at his lover. “Why not? It’s what you do.”

John shook his head. “Don’t start.”

When Kyle opened his mouth to speak, I finally moved on with a chuckle. If nothing else they’d make the trip entertaining.

I knocked on Nate’s open door when I got there and he glanced up from his papers, smiling when he saw me.

“The last time you came here, it was to ask for help with a case. What is it this time?” he said in good humor and I grinned, grabbing a seat across from him.

“Simon needs you.”

The smile fell from his lips and his eyes narrowed. “Is he okay?”

“No.” I began. “He just found out his father is dying.”

He shook his head in clear irritation. “Is that all?”

I sighed. “Come on Nate, I just told you your dad is dying and that’s all you can say?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know…maybe something like…what’s wrong with him? Or how’s Simon doing?”

“Alright. How’s Simon doing?” he said drily and I frowned.

“Not so good.”

“Not surprising. You did say his old man’s dying.”

He said it without emotion. Sometimes I wondered how I’d survived his cold heartedness all those years.

“You know how close they were and you know the only reason Sy hasn’t said a word to him all these years is because of how he treated you.”

“Did Sy send you?”

I shook my head. “You know he didn’t.”

“Then why are you here Eddie?”

“Because your brother needs you. Stop fucking around Nate. What happened all those years ago wasn’t his fault. Put it behind you and go help him get through this.”

He fixed me with a cold stare. “I’m not interested.”

He turned his attention to the papers before him and I knew there was nothing more I could do. When Nate made up his mind, not many people could sway him.

I pushed up from the seat and without a word, made my way to the door.

“Eddie.”

I turned to look at him and watched as he pulled the piece of jewelry from around his neck. When he threw it my way, I caught it before it hit the floor. It was the necklace he’d worn for as long as I’d known him—leather cords with an oddly shaped pendant.

“That man hasn’t been my father for a long time. I’m not about to sit and mourn him with my brother.” He turned back to his work and I slipped the necklace into my pocket and left the room.

Those two had more demons between them than even I could hope to cure. It was evidence of just how tense vacationing with the two of them would be this weekend.

 Five minutes later I was in my car and once again on the road, headed out of town to comfort a man who hadn’t even asked for it. Carrying a necklace I didn’t know the significance of and listening to upbeat music that did nothing to reflect the mood of the night.

…………………………….

I made a quick stop by my place to pack an overnight bag and the first thing I noticed when I headed upstairs, was the stack of completed reports sitting in the center of the unmade bed. It was the little things like this that made me feel like an even bigger dick for the things I’d said to him in the gym the night before.

The fact that my words hadn’t seemed to faze him was testament of his forgiving nature. That, or he just genuinely didn’t give a shit. Either way, I’d been wrong and it was time I set it right.

The second thing I noted were his clothes from the night before, bundled up in my laundry hamper and I was surprised at the warmth I felt at the simple domestic act. This wasn’t the first time he’d left clothes lying around and if he had his way, it wouldn’t be the last. I needed to get a hold of myself.

Everything else was pretty much the same as I’d left it, but every inch of the place brought back the memory of the night before; of what we’d done, of how it had felt. I shook my head. Things wouldn’t be like this forever. Eventually I’d be able to move on and the sight of him wouldn’t make much of a difference to me. So for now I’d manage. I’d offer my support and somehow we’d both get through our separate ordeals.

When I pulled into the parking lot of the gas station I didn’t have to search very long to find Sy, who sat onthe roof of his car, legs stretched out before him, with a bag of chips by his side and a laptop nestled between his knees.

I pulled my overnight bag from the trunk and locked the door, before making my way over to him.

“What’re you doing up there?”

He glanced down at me for a second, before refocusing on the screen before him.

“Bad WiFi connection. I’m trying to fix it.”

 I pulled open his rear door and threw my bag in, It would be a three hour ride if the roads were fairly clear and from there, we’d find a room in the nearest inn for the night and rest up before we visited his old man in the morning. I could already feel the bed sheets covering me as I stood there. It had been a long day and I was ready to pass out.

“You ready?’

He sighed. “Might as well… this is hopeless anyway.” He grabbed his bag of chips, locked the screen and hopped off the roof.

I got into the passenger seat of his car, having called earlier to arrange for my car to be stored in the parking lot for a few days, and while he got in, I slipped off my shoes and propped by feet up on the dash in preparation for the journey.

“Here.” I handed him the necklace when he settled in beside me, and he glanced at me in clear surprise.

“Where’d you get this?”

I shrugged. “Nate wanted me to give it to you. Don’t ask me why.”

“You saw Nate tonight.” It wasn’t a question.

“I went by the office. I thought he should know.”

His mouth tightened. “And what’d he say?”

I sighed.  He must have already known the answer to that one, but I could tell he wanted to hear the words anyway. “He’s not interested in seeing your dad. He doesn’t seem to care that he’s dying.”

Sy nodded slowly, as though he’d already expected the answer, then he glanced once again at the piece of jewelry in his hands. I watched him, and for a moment he only stared at the thing. His mouth turned down in a frown and his brows furrowed. I waited for an explanation, wishing to know the significance of it.

He offered none.

Instead, he pocketed the necklace and turned the key in the ignition.

We travelled for a couple hours in silence, where I allowed him the space he needed to sort through his thoughts. I even managed to sleep for at least a good half hour before he finally broke the stillness with a question.

“When were you planning to tell me you were going back to undercover Ops?”

His hands were tight on the wheel, but his expression was calm…almost casual. There was only one way he could have come by that information.

“You went through my shit.” It wasn’t meant to be a question, but he lied anyway.

“I was looking for a pen.”

“Bullshit.”

“You’re evading the question.”

Somehow I didn’t expect to break the news to him this way and so yes..I was evading and I continued to evade.

“You wanna tell me why you hacked into my friend’s files?”

He glanced at me briefly and with a raised brow. “Friends don’t send friends pictures of their dick.”

“So you’re admitting it then.”

He snorted. ‘You call that a hack? I just shifted a few files around. Dick’s got nothing to worry about.”

“His name’s Alex.”

“That’s what I said.” He kept his eyes on the road, face forward, his expression blank.

I cursed. “Sy, when are you gonna stop messing with the law? You’re a FBI agent for God’s sake.”

“I acted within the bounds of the law. Reasonable cause and all that.” He waved me off.

“Bullshit.”

“I think I’m starting to hate that word.”

“You gonna start pulling warrants outta your ass too?”

“I could.” He said without an ounce of humor and I sighed.

“How bout we just cut the crap and you tell me what you’ve been up to Ed.” He said seriously. “I thought you said you were done with undercover Ops.”

“I never said I was back in. The chief brought it to my attention. I never gave him an answer.”

“But you’re considering it.”

“I am.” I answered honestly.

He made no reply.

“If you’re worried about having to put up with another partner yo—”

“I can handle a new partner. I’ve done it before.” he spat, then. “I want in.”

I was too surprised to utter a word, so I just looked at him.

“I’m serious.  I know you think I don’t take shit seriously, but when it comes to watching your back, you won’t have a problem.”

I took a breath. “Look Sy, what I said the other night…it was bullshit. I know you work your ass off. We both know you’re a damn good partner. I’m not worried about you watching my six.”

“Good, then you won’t have a problem getting me in on the job.”

I shook my head. “I can’t do that.”

His eyes narrowed and for a second he cut me a look. “Can’t or won’t?”

“You’re right. I won’t. I can’t concentrate on the mission if I’m worried you’ll be out there getting your ass blown off.”

“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence Ed. Good to know you don’t think I’m completely fucking useless.”

He was obviously pissed now, but it didn’t change a damn thing. I wasn’t going letting him in on the mission, not when the only reason I was taking it in the first place was to save his sorry ass.

I turned to look out the open window and once again silence descended. The rest of the ride continued that way.

…………………

 We went our separate ways when we got to the inn. At least as separate as we could go when we were sharing the same room.

I dumped my bag on my bed in the corner and he was quick to hop onto his own bed with his two laptops in tow. I watched inconspicuously as he sat cross-legged in the center of the mattress and opened both screens before him. Afterward, he pulled out a pair of headphones. The fancy looking ones with the microphone on the bottom, and began typing away on the thing.

If it was one thing Sy could do well, it was giving me the silent treatment and it never failed to irritate me. I pulled out a clean shirt from my duffel and hopped into the bathroom for a quick shower. When I reentered the room minutes later, dressed and ready to head out, he glanced up from his screen and our eyes met.

“Where are you going?” he asked somewhat reluctantly and I shrugged.

“Out.”

He ignored me again after that and I watched as he fingers danced across the keyboard. I was dead tired, but something told me that trying to sleep in here tonight with the pissed off Simon, would be an exercise in futility. So after stuffing my wallet deep into my pocket and grabbing the spare room key, I left without a word.

I’d take a walk, find a bar, maybe down a few drinks. It would be nice to get out after the long ride we’d just had.

It was dark out. Not the usual darkness of a well-lit city, but dark dark. The kind of blackness that one only found in the country-side, or really small towns. There was a street lamp somewhere far down the road, but from where I stood by the Inn door, to all the way down there. There was only black.

Not very far down the street I saw a soft glow emanating from a place of business. I made my way there expecting to see a well-stocked bar, filled with grumpy old men and guys in their prime relaxing after a tough day’s work. But when I entered the place, it was like a ghost town, and not a bar, but a restaurant.

There was young couple having a meal by a table close to the doors and a man ordering his meal to-go by the cashier’s counter. I wasn’t greeted by the host when I entered, and my guess was that a backwoods place like this didn’t need a host anyway.

I stood in line behind the guy, ordered two meals and went to have a seat after paying.

I couldn’t help but look around the place despite the fact that there was nothing much to look at. Just scratched up chairs, worn table cloths and carpets that must have seen better days.

I wondered how Simon’s dad ended up at a hospital all the way out here—Three and a half hours away from his sons. It got me thinking.

When the food came it was passable. Nothing to write home about, but I had them box up the meal I’d gotten for Sy, before I headed out again.

It definitely wasn’t the most exciting town. Dead would probably be a good way to describe it, but I figured it was a little better during the days. This time when I entered the room, food in tow, Sy was fast asleep. He was spread out on his back, both computers still opened beside him and the headphones still in place.

I placed the food on the table and did what I’d been doing for him since the day we became friends. I closed the laptops and put them on the table beside the food. After which time, I pulled off the headphones, pulled off his boots and turned out the lights.

                                             AUTHOR’S NOTES

ANOTHER CHAPTER DOWN, A MILLION MORE TO GO.

ENJOY AND THANKS FOR READING!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.