Chapter 1: Walk of shame

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Chapter 1

It was the walk of shame if I’d ever experienced it.

All eyes were on me as I was ushered down the long stretch of the corridor, sandwiched between two guards. Men jeered and spat obscenities my way, while others simply stared; their dead soulless eyes watching my every move. I tried to keep my head down and my feet moving. All I had to do was remember what Jerry had said.

Before I’d been sentenced he’d told me what I needed to do; don’t fight, keep your eyes to yourself, do what they tell you do, never sass and always be respectful, that’s how you get through prison life unharmed and even then it wasn’t a sure thing, but I’d do it because jerry had once lived through this, he knew what it was like, I’d be safe as long as I followed his advice.

The guards weren’t rough; they didn’t push or snap like the first set who had transported me to the facility. They held me in a way which told me they’d done this a million times or more . They were used to this, this was their job and now it had become my life.

When we stopped at the end of the corridor I held my breath. I still kept my head down like jerry had instructed, but I could see the dark grey bars of the cell embedded deep into the concrete floor. I didn’t have to look up to know this was to be my cell; my new home for the duration of my sentence.

I’d already shed my tears over that fact, already whispered goodbye to the life I’d had and now all that was left was cold hard acceptance but that didn’t mean I wasn’t scared stiff and terrified out of my mind at the daunting prospect.

As my eyes settled on the bars and travelled half way up I knew this day would make me or break me because this was when I would meet him. Jerry told me that throughout the entire prison experience, the most crucial point was the cell mate; the person you would spend the rest of your years with, the person you had to trust not to end your life while you slept.

You could have the entire reformatory population against you but if your cell mate wasn’t on your side then you might as well have signed yourself up for a homicide and this was the reason my hands were shaking before me today.

I heard the buzzer go off signaling that the door would be opened and not a moment later, the bars were sliding to the side and I was taking a step into the small cramped space. The door closed behind me then they instructed me to turn and stretch my hands through the small rectangular space to the right of the cell bars where they pulled off the cuffs.

“What’re you in for?”

It was only when I heard the deep voice resonating throughout the cell that I turned and got the shock of my life. In my mind prison was filled with guys with tats and weathered faces, huge angry scars and dirty sly grins, what I hadn’t expected was the site before me; he lay on his back bare-chested, his hands behind his head, his skin smooth and tanned from just the right amount of sunlight.

He wore a buzz cut and just the slightest bit of stubble could be seen on his handsome face. He was cut…not ‘gym’ cut but looking as if his muscled frame was from hard manual labor than anything else.

He looked to be about mid to late twenties and his eyes…holy heaven those eyes; the brightest dark green eyes I’d ever seen stared down at me from the top bunk. He was nothing short of gorgeous and he was in my cell.

My eyes travelled further down the length of him and there was no doubt he was much taller than I was… a little over 6ft to my 5“5’. His feet were bare and like the rest of him; sculpted to perfection. I wondered briefly if I was dreaming, or if this was some kind of trick the prison guards played on the new convicts; show them something they had no chance of having then take it away leaving them wanting for more.

As my eyes swept over his frame I found myself wondering how such a man could be in a place like this, he looked so out of place among the slightly rusted bed frame and dirty marked up walls. He couldn’t really belong here.

Jerry had told me never to tell any of the inmates I was innocent, he said the best way to fit in was to highlight whatever crime got you in, that would either gain you respect or cause someone to fear you in some small way, but as I looked at him I felt to need to tell him the truth, I didn’t want this gorgeous creature to think I was like the rest. I needed him to know that I wasn’t as evil as the very place that held him captive and so when I opened my mouth, that’s exactly what I told him…the truth.

“I- I didn’t do what they said I did…I’m innocent.” I said, my voice just a little over a whisper as I willed him to believe me.

I watched as he straightened up on his bunk, his back now to the wall and in an instant those beautiful green eyes changed from casually bored to ruthlessly lethal. They glinted down at me and his mouth tightened causing me to shrink back against the wall.

“Listen kid.” He spoke, his voice as cold as his eyes. “I don’t give a fuck whether or not you’re guilty, everyone here claims they’re innocent ad you’re no different but I have to room with you which means, you tell me what I need to know and everything goes smoothly…got that?” he asked and his tone brooked no argument. I swallowed hard, feeling trapped under his cold stare and the word tumbled out.

“M-murder.” I whispered.

He stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes never leaving mine, then I watched as he pulled a blade from the waistband of his prison issued pants.

My eyes widened and my blood ran cold when I spotted it and my throat became dry. Then he raised it up and slammed it into the edge of his mattress so that it stood straight up; the handle wrapped with what looked to be strips of brown cloth.

It was only then that his eyes left mine and I watched; my entire body shaking, as he turned once more to lay on his back, placing his hands behind his head and his eyes drifted to the ceiling. Beside him he left the blade glinting and erect and there was no doubt what it signified…A warning.

                                AUTHOR'S NOTES

HOPE YOU’LL ALL ENJOY THIS ONE…I’M LOVING IT ALREADY!

Follow me on Instagram at doublezone_books

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 2: Jail Crews

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 2

The first two weeks passed at a snail’s pace. Every morning I woke to the sound of buzzer signals and shouting guards and every night I cried myself to sleep.

I didn’t belong here with the hardened criminals; the rapists, drug dealers and the thieves, I was no murderer yet here I was incarcerated in a box like all the rest. The justice system had failed me like it had so many others and I didn’t know how much more of it I could stand.

 Two weeks I’d been here and I already felt as if I’d been here for years but that’s how it was in prison; eventually you’d get used to it…at least that’s what Jerry told me. The only somewhat likeable part of my days was going out into the prison yard, I’d go find a corner and sit down with my novel, so far I had two of them which jerry had sent me; he told me he’d send more.

Other times I simply sat and stared up at the sky, regretful that I hadn’t taken the opportunity to enjoy it when I’d been a free man. Now I had to take in whatever I could get whenever the lawmen allowed for it.

The place reminded me of school in some ways; a bell directed us on where to go and at what time, we were detained if we did something wrong, there were the bullies and the cliques and loners. Only, these particular cliques were more like gangs each with a leader and each equally as deadly as the next and unlike school we weren’t allowed to run home to our parents at the end of the day.

 At the moment I sat with my back against the far wall careful to separate myself from the moving bodies further in. It wasn’t a particularly wise move on my part since it made me stand out like a sore thumb but I surmised that the further I was from everyone else then the less likely it would be for me to get myself into trouble.

Jerry of course thought the opposite; he’d urged me to find a ‘crew’ and stick with them that way I’d be protected, so far I was still searching and so far none of them really interested me…well there was one but I decided that the only reason that particular group interested me was because of one particular member: my cell mate Nathaniel Grayson; the hard-ass who I’d been forced to room with; the man who had yet to utter another word to me since the day I’d arrived.  He’d stuck to his bunk and I’d stuck to mine just the way he liked it.

After all this time and after his barefaced warning I was still attracted to him and more than once I found myself watching him, whether it be in the yard, in the mess hall, during clean up or as we lined up to make our way to the showers.

My mind was never far from him and neither was my gaze. I’d tried to tone it down a bit after I’d caught him glancing my way a few times; I couldn’t tell if his looks were of contempt, pity or just plain hatred but I figured not getting caught watching him was a good way to go.

Across the yard on the sparse benches provided he sat with his gang seeming deep in conversation with the seven men. I was so engrossed in his features that I didn’t even realize that the book I’d been reading had fallen out of my lap and another inmate was standing beside me until he spoke.

“He aint gonna pick you just cause you’re his cellie you know.” The voice spoke and I froze, my heart pounding as I glanced up to see who it was.

The voice belonged to a 5ft,4“ African American with shoulder length black locks and a missing front tooth. He appraised me with a bored expression while chewing on what I imagined to be a stick of gum.

“E-excuse me?”

He cocked his head indicating Nathaniel then looked back at me, “Your cellie, he aint neva gonna invite you in so you should set your sights on somethin else, you know what a mean?”

I didn’t and my expression told him as much.

He sighed, “Your cell mate over there aint gonna invite you in so there aint no point in tryin.” He said it slowly as if I had some kind of learning disability and I tried not to feel offended.

“Invited where? How about you stop talking in riddles?” I said getting frustrated.

“Alright, first of all my name’s Ty, now lemme break it down for ya.” He spoke, the turned so that his back was to the wall as well. “So here’s how it is, the entire system is made up of crews right?” he questioned and only continued when I nodded.

“Every crew has a boss, over there” he pointed to a large group of guys standing in the middle of the yard, “you got one of the biggest crews in here, run by Demetri but err’body calls him D-fox.

“D-Fox? Really?” I said with a raised eyebrow but he only shook his head and continued.

“Anyway, to get into that crew you gotta kill somebody here but they gotta see you do it and after that, you in. They looking for the toughest guys to join so just one kill as long as it aint by accident or dumb luck and you’re in.”

“Oookay.”

He pointed to another group, smaller than the first but still quite large “Over there you got Monty’s crew, they only deal with them white boys you see running round.” He said as if he wasn’t talking to one of those white boys.

“So if you aint white, you aint getting in, but it’s not just about color cause if you don’t bring something to the table then they aint letting you in either.” He finished and I watched as his mouth curled in disgust.

“Like what?”

“You jus gotta show them that you’re useful .” he said vaguely and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

“Useful how?’ I questioned, moving closer so I could hear his words.

“Damn dude, do I gotta spell everything out for you? Just useful, you gotta be useful, aint you got a dictionary or something?” he continued clearly annoyed now so I relented.

“So the group closer to the gate is Joel’s crew, they got all kinda guys up in there, thieves, killas, druggies, everything but you’re not getting in just by association, know what I mean? One of their members gotta drop out for you to step in.” he said looking at me and when he realized I didn’t fully understand where he was going with it he took a deep breath and explained.

“You tell Joel you want in, but you gotta kill or seriously injure somebody who’s already a member for them to let you in, that way you take their place.”

“Wow it’s not easy is it?” I said more to myself but he shook his head.

“And over there.” He pointed to the wall opposite Joel’s crew, “You got the high and mighties, they think their better than the rest of us, just cause they used to me rich on the outside, they got drug lords and shit up in their crew, always getting into things with the white boys.”

“So what about people who aren’t in crews?” I asked, knowing there was no way I could do the things that would get me accepted by any of the crews he’d mentioned.

“What about them? all I know is they aint safe, they get killed the quickest cause they don’t got protection .” He emphasized.

“So then we have your cellie Grayson, he the boss of his crew but nobody don’t really know much about them boys, Grayson decides who he wants and invites em in, if you aint invited then you aint getting in and in the two years he been here he only invited bout five guys, he came here with the otha two.” He finished looking over at the small group and if I could guess I’d say he was envious.

“But they’re only eight of them, that makes them the smallest crew then right? They can’t be safe really so why doesn’t he let more guys in?” was my question to him as my gaze bore into my cell mate and it was as if he sensed my eyes on him because he looked around and his eyes locked with mine, the deep green penetrating my deep browns and igniting sparks sending them trailing down my body to jump start that very happy appendage in my pants.

“They’re small but that don’t mean they aint resourceful, those guys got some serious weight around here. Aint nobody gonna touch them cause they have a way of getting their hands on stuff that the rest of us can’t get to.” He said and I forced my gaze away from Nathaniel and onto the man by my side.

“What kinda stuff? Like… drugs?”

“Nah dawg, like this.” He said pulling the gum from his mouth and my brow furrowed.

“Gum?”

“No fool, not just gum, like anything, they can get their hands on all the contrabands; snacks, candy, jewelry,mp3 players, everything.” He said, his eyes wide with awe.

“So you’re saying nobody touches them because they can get candy, food and music players?” I asked skeptically and the guy hissed his teeth.

“Don’t be a fool boy, when you in here as long as the rest of us, those things are like heaven on earth, a man will literally kill for a pack a skittles in here you feel me?” he questioned and this time I nodded knowing better than to question his words.

“They’re like our own personal supermarket; well they aren’t the only ones you can get shit from but they the cheapest. All they want in return is information, you tell them what they wanna know and they give you what you want…easy.”

“How do they get the stuff?”

“If I knew that then I wouldn’t have no use for them now would I?” he asked, once again looking annoyed and I sighed. “Anyway, that’s not the only reason they’re safe; they got a good amount of them guards in their back pockets, I think they have some serious cash or something to pull off what they be pullin off all this time.”

“But why is it so hard to get in?” I asked again, wanting to know everything I could about the group my cell mate headed.

“I don’t know, maybe he only chooses people with links, who knows but anyway, they aint all that, they still get into fights just like the rest of us and their not the only ones with links and guards in their pockets, it’s only a matter of time before they get what’s coming to em.” He finished and I looked away from him once more and over to the group, my heart speeding up in my chest when I caught his eyes still set on me.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking as he stared, his face was as emotionless as a lump of coal but those eyes, if I didn’t know better I’d say he could see into my very soul and suddenly I felt vulnerable under his gaze and I looked away once more.

“So…are you in a crew?” I asked carefully, tilting my head so I could see into his face. “Yeah I’m with D-Fox.” He said simply and my eyes flashed to his.

“You-you killed somebody?”

“Boy do I look like I can even mash ants?” he asked dramatically and looking at him. Despite his height I surmised that yes, yes he looked like he could do more than mash ants. I chose to remain quiet.

“There are other ways to get into a group, people like us got other…skills that can get us in.” he said cryptically and I looked at him trying to figure out what it was that he was getting at.

“We got our own weapons boy…I’m talking bout our bodies, we give em a piece and we’re in. which brings me to why I’m over here talkin to you in the first place. Our crew got need for you.” He said with a sly smile and I bolted up from my seat, understanding dawned.

“You mean… sex?” I whispered the last word and he chuckled.

“Boy you acting like you aint neva been tapped before, course I’m talkin bout sex, you fresh meat and some of the boys want some a what you got.” He said and I watched in horror as he raised his hand and signaled someone from D-Fox’s crew. Not a moment later, a big muscular guy with a full sleeve of tats broke off from the group and was making his way over to us.

I pulled back from my companion, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Look I just want to be left alone, I don’t need a crew.” I told him and he rounded on me, eyes glinting and the smile falling from his face.

“They already chose you boy, you don’t get to back out.” He said and my hands began to shake causing the book I’d been holding to fall from through me fingers.

“Please, I just want to serve my time, I don’t want any trouble.” I pleaded and he shook his head, pushing his hands into his pockets as he watched me.

“Boy right now, you better decide whether you wanna give up some ass or lose that ass all together cause you don’t got a choice in this no more.” He said and I looked from him to the guy approaching us, my heart in my throat and scenarios whirling through my mind like autumn leaves on high wind.

“Well aren’t you pretty.” The big guy said when he stopped in front of me and I flinched when he raised his hand and grabbed my chin, turning my face this way and that.

“I think we’re gonna get along just right, what’s your name?” he asked, his voice gravelly.

I could only stare up at him in terror, no sound coming from me.

“Hey Beans, whad’ya think you’re doing with our boy?” The man’s hand fell from my face and we both looked to the source of the voice.

It was an equally muscular white male, minus any visible tattoos and he had an overall cleaner appearance. He came to a stop in front of the guy called Beans, folding his arms at his chest.

“Your boy?” he asked looking from me to the newcomer in confusion. Then he looked to Ty who shrugged at his silent question.

“Yeah our boy, you might want to let him go now Nate wants to talk business with him.” The newcomer continued.

“Since when is he apart of your crew, far as I’m concerned, this here is fair game.” Beans said territorially, grabbing hold of my arm but the new comer wasn’t having it.

“Nate invited him the first day he got here, so let him go unless you want shit to go down.”

“If he’s belongs to Grayson then what’s he doing standing over here by himself?” Beans questioned with narrowed eyes.

“He has legs doesn’t he?”

And after that answer there was a tense silence where both men glared at each other before Beans let me go and shoved me toward the newcomer. I stumbled and managed to come to a stop in front of the guy.

They continued to glare then a heartbeat later, Beans straightened up and stepped away from us, grabbed Ty’s arm and pulled him along with him back to the centre of the yard. I bent to pick up my book while taking a shaky breath.

“Come on.” The newcomer spoke to me and I followed him surprised when he made his way over to where Nathaniel sat, lowering himself down onto the bench beside my enigmatic cell mate.

When I stood there staring at them the newcomer raised an eyebrow at me then gestured to the empty seat at his right. After only a brief hesitation I moved between the other guys who were seated and sat.

“This won’t go down well you know that right? D-Fox won’t let this go.” The guy sitting beside me said, his gaze on Nathaniel.

“I’m aware of that.“My cell mate spoke and I shivered at the sound of his voice. It was just as cold as the day I met him and his eyes drifted over to me but only for a moment and then he was back to surveying the yard.

I looked around at the other guys sitting around but their gazes never steered my way, they seemed to be far more interested in what was going on around them- which wasn’t much.

Nathaniel turned from the group and a minute later was in deep conversation with another guy sitting to his left, I couldn’t hear what it was that they were saying but from the serious set of the guy’s face, I surmised it had to be important.

At one point I opened my mouth to say something but just as quickly I closed it not really sure what it was that I should say and I remained silent for the duration of our yard visit, listening to them speak among themselves about trivial things. All the time Nathaniel had his back turned, deep in conversation with the same bald guy on his left. Not once did anyone utter a word to me.

Later that night just before lights out I lay on my bunk listening to him repeatedly throw and catch the small ball he usually kept on him. He did this every night; to pass the time I assumed and I usually found myself listening to the sound of the rubber ball as it slapped against his palm. It was soothing in some ways; reminding me that I wasn’t alone in the little box I now had to call my home.

Thump

Thump

Thump

Ball against flesh, ball against flesh, over and over again. I put down my book and took a deep breath as I prepared to finally say something to him. He was more than a little frightening and I usually felt myself speechless whenever I made the decision to say something to him, but this time I had to know why he’d done what he did today.

“Why did you invite me into your crew?” I spoke, my voice barely audible but I knew he heard me because the rhythmic thumping of ball against flesh ceased and the only thing that could be heard was his even breathing.

He said nothing and a second later the thumping started up again. I let out the breath I’d been holding. I just couldn’t understand why he’d invite me, what did I have to offer? It was like Ty said, the only thing I had was… and that’s when it hit me.

“If it’s sex you want I’m not interested so you might as well kick me out of your crew right now.” I spoke without thinking and this time I heard the creak of his bed above and the thumping stopped once more.

“Be careful of the next words that come out of your mouth boy.” He finally spoke, that deep manly voice doing things to my libido.

“My name is Riley.” I said, just about sick of people calling me ‘boy’

Silence

“I just want to know why you chose me, I have nothing to offer, I don’t understand.”

“Is it that you want to become bedmates with Beans then?” he questioned, the inflection in his voice telling me he was gritting his teeth as he said it.

I took a moment to process this.

“So-so you were trying to help me then?” I asked in disbelief and his silence told me all I needed to know.

As my heart jumped at what this must mean a smile spread across my face and I bit my lip to curb it.

A minute passed where neither of us spoke and taking another deep breath, I whispered; “Thank you.”

It was only then that the thumping returned and for the first time since I’d been incarcerated in the hell hole we all knew as prison I felt a strange warmth seep into my chest and my smile widened.

“Lights Out!” the guard shouted and we were plunged into darkness.

                                      AUTHOR’S NOTES

THANKS FOR READING GUYS!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 3: The Assignment

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 3

The visiting room wasn’t as filled as it usually was which I assumed was due to the early hour. This was the first morning visit I’d had since I’d been thrown into this metal container to rot and I wasn’t sure I liked it very much. It felt cold somehow with the lack of families visiting lonely inmates but I couldn’t help feeling grateful that I had a visitor; many of the inmates didn’t even have that much.

I studied Jerry’s numerously wrinkled face; the last time I’d seen him was exactly four days ago and it hadn’t changed much; it still housed those kind brown eyes  and warm smile I’d long since grown accustomed to.

At the moment he was looking at me with concern and that look alone had me battling with the tears that threatened to fall. It was always like this when he visited me; seeing him reminded me of the life I’d once had and I always dreaded the moment he had to leave.

“You’re too skinny, you need to eat Riley.” He was saying and I shrugged.

“The food they serve here isn’t exactly conducive to a healthy appetite.” I said in a bored tone and he reached across the table to latch on to my hand.

“Well you gotta get past that son, you’ll need your strength for this place.” He said beseechingly and I nodded.

“Tell me what you’ve been up to? Have you made any friends? Are they treating you right?” he questioned and I had to smile.

“You make it sound like this is the first day of school.” and realizing his folly he blushed; his drooping face breaking out in a zesty red.

“You know what I mean.” He went on and I slipped my hand from his, fingering the cover of the book he’d just given me.

“Everything’s fine so far I guess, no friends and as far as treating me right goes; no one’s thrown a punch yet at least.” I tried to sound upbeat this time so he wouldn’t worry too much but of course he wasn’t fooled. He’d lived this life himself after all; he knew what it was like.

“I think I may be in a crew.” I announced and his head tilted infinitesimally to the side as he  took in my expression.

“What kind of crew? How’d you get in?”

“I don’t know exactly, I heard they’re the guys who can get their hands on things that the other inmates can’t and as for getting in; I think my cellmate is trying to look out for me. I was in a bit of a dilemma yesterday and he picked me for his crew to get me out of trouble.” I finished.

Jerry looked on at me thoughtfully. “Well it’s good that he’s trying to help you son but just remember nobody does something for nothing.” He said wisely and I nodded.

I’d had enough time to think on that as I lay awake last night; wondering what had driven him to help me when I really had nothing to offer and more than once my mind had come up with sex as the only answer but I was damned if I was going to end up as some guy’s bitch.

“Don’t over think it Riley, just watch your back and be careful, don’t get into anything with anyone and try to lay low.” He advised and once again I found myself nodding at his helpful advice.

“I know, God I just wish-”

“Visiting hours are over, Ladies and gentlemen please make your way to the exit as visiting hours are now over.” the intercom interrupted and around us, people shuffled out of their seats.

Jerry stood as well, his eyes going poignant which I could only imagine reflected mine perfectly. “Don’t worry Riley, the lawyers are still working on it, we’ll figure this out just don’t give up hope and remember to take care of yourself.” He said seriously, offering the same advice he always gave at the end of every visit.

I nodded, my throat clogging.

A guard appeared by my side and I pushed up from the bench.

“I’ll see you in a few days.” He said and I watched him until he exited the room and the guard was nudging me back towards holding.

I was searched, the books turned this way and that as the guards checked for contraband for the second time since they had been brought in and only then were they handed back to me.

I clutched them to my belly as best I could with the cuffs on. I had yet to actually read the titles but I knew I’d love them; Jerry being the only father figure I’d known since birth was verse in my likes and dislikes; whether it be in books, music or clothes.

They allowed me to deposit the books in my cell before I was escorted into the yard and left to my own devices. A group of men were playing basketball today. The game itself looked pathetic with the semi deflated ball they were making use of but I suppose it was better than no ball.

A few of the guys sitting around were smoking what looked like ill formed cigarettes and I wondered why it was that the guards on patrol never seemed to mind it; I distinctly remembered being told that smoking was prohibited when I’d first been processed. Smoking along with the million and one other things that weren’t allowed.

As I always did when I entered the yard; I let out a relived breath that no one seemed to be watching me; Jerry said to lay low and especially after yesterday’s episode I wanted to keep under the radar now more than ever. I imagined shrinking into myself as I walked pass the other inmates; just curling up into my own body until I couldn’t be seen at all; now that would be a plus in my unfortunate situation.

I licked my dry lips as a sudden nervousness crept over me. Was I expected to sit with Nathaniel’s crew from now on or did they expect me to run around doing my own thing like I always did?

On the one hand I assumed that since I was a part of their little group they’d anticipate my company in their corner and on the other hand I feared the humiliation of going to sit with them only to have them kick me out as being welcome by name association only.

I spotted them in their usual spot; everyone was there; seeming deep in conversation. I bit my lip trying to decide what cause of action I should take but the decision was taken from my hands when Nathaniel looked up, saw me standing out in the middle of the yard and motioned with his head for me to join them.

My cheeks heated and I took a calming breath as I made my way over; deciding that my little crush needed to be curbed before Nathaniel caught a whiff of it and punctured my skull with his huge fists.

My gaydar had been out of whack since the very day I’d come to the realization that I would never be a heterosexual hunk and  looking at my cell mate now told me it wouldn’t be wise to test that particular water. He may actually want me for sex –a fact I had yet to verify- but mere sexual release and full blown homosexuality were completely different things.

By the time my ass landed on the bench beside the guy who had rescued me yesterday, the heat had completely left my face.

“Hey” I greeted my fellow crew mates.

I received a round of mumbles in reply save for the African American sitting directly behind me who was quick to stretch out a hand in greeting.

“What’s up little man?” he asked, his smile reached his eyes but I couldn’t help but wonder if his gaze wasn’t just a bit calculating.

“Riley.”

He raised a brow in askance.

“My name…it’s Riley.” I explained and when I took hold of his hand he responded in kind.

“Eddie.”

“Nice to meet you.” The politeness had been ingrained in me from birth and Eddie seemed a bit surprised by my words but he nodded anyway before turning his attention the other guys.

To my left Nathaniel sat regarding me, his expression unreadable and I offered him a shy smile, my traitorous cheeks blushing red.

“So- you guys just sit around all day?” I tried for conversation.

“Is there something else we should be doing?” he questioned in that deep voice that sent shivers through my body and at a loss for words I shrugged.

“What’d you do during REC?” he asked, his deep greens still fixed on my face and after clearing my throat I answered.

“I usually just hang in the library.”

“We meet in the gym; be there, I have an assignment for you.”

My eyes narrowed, “What kind of assignment?”

“The kind that allows you to remain a part of this crew.” He said simply and before I could even get a word in edgewise he pushed up from his seat and I watched as he made his way over to another group in the yard; Joel’s crew if I remembered correctly; the one with the killers and the thieves.

 I continued to watch him, slightly uneasy as he moved to sit beside the boss. They spoke briefly to each other; as if they were old friends only there was a slight tension between them and if I hadn’t had my eyes trained on them I would have missed it when Nathaniel pulled out a small wrapped package from his pocket and handed it to the boss who pocketed it without even glancing down.

They talked some more and Joel even laughed at something Nathaniel said and a moment later he pushed up, they thumped knuckles and Nathaniel was crossing the yard, coming to a stop at the fence. I looked back at Joel who was now caught up in conversation with his boys and when I glanced back at my cellmate he was conversing with a guard standing on the other side of the fence.

I watched them communicate; suspicion coloring my gaze. I figured Ty was right when he said my cellie had a few guards in his pocket. Something told me they were chatting about something vital to them both rather than a brief inquiry.

When Nathaniel suddenly turned; his gaze connecting with mine I froze but a second later it was gone and I turned away, too embarrassed to be caught snooping again.

“So what’re you guys in for?” I asked turning to the guys. They all glanced my way; not looking particularly pleased with my interruption.

“What’re you in for? The bald, slightly scary looking one asked insolently and I turned away from the narrowed eyes watching me.

Friendly bunch.

………………………………………….

By the time REC period rolled around I was a mess of nerves. I kept having to consciously motivate myself to put one foot before the other. Jerry told me just this morning that no one did something for nothing and in a few short minutes I’d find out what it was that Nathaniel Grayson wanted me to do in return for his protection.

My hands shook as the scenarios whirled around in my mind; each more gruesome than the other. By the time I entered the gymnasium I was sweating profusely and I was sure my face was flushed ten shades of red.

Whatever exercise they were doing seemed more for show than for any real health reasons. I made my way over to the group. They stopped fooling around with the equipment the moment they caught sight of me and in an instant I was surrounded.

Nathaniel was the only one who spoke; he was also the only one who sat.

“What you need to understand first and foremost is that we’re in the business of getting information.” He said, his eyes penetrating mine and I felt inclined to speak.

“Information for what?”

“What you also need to understand is you don’t get to ask the questions boy.” The bald dude behind me spoke up.

“Your job will be simple. All you need to do is deliver. You collect the information from whomever you’re instructed to get it from and you take it back to us, then after we deem the info suitable, we’ll give you a package which you’ll deliver back to that same person. It’s simple.”

“Hold up Nate, delivery? We don’t need a delivery boy, any one of us can do that, what we need is another set of eyes and ears; let him make friends with one of D-Fox’s men, we need more guys up in there.” The bald guy said and the look Nathan cut him sent a shiver down my spine.

He faced me, “The most important thing for you to remember is that the packages must never be seen by anyone except the sender and receiver.” Nathan went on.

“But I saw your package when you handed it to Joel today.” I countered.

“That was the point of the exchange.” He said and my brows wrinkled. “I’m sure you noticed that not one person in that group saw it. You get in there, don’t call any attention to yourself, don’t talk to anyone else but the receiver…as a matter of fact, don’t even talk to the receiver unless I tell you otherwise, just drop off the package, collect the information and get out.” He said it as if it was the most important thing in the world and so I nodded, letting him know that I understood every word.

“So…what if one of the other guys in the group mess with me?”

“Then whoever you delivered the package to will deal with it, if not…just try to be polite and get the hell out.” He said and my eyes widened.

“That’s it? Try to be polite?” I asked in disbelief.

“And don’t get caught making the delivery. That’s it.” He finished calmly and I took a deep breath before I said my next words.

“And what if I don’t want to do all this?” my voice cracked on the last word.

“Then you’re of no use to us.” He said it simply as if we were discussing the weather. His eyes were dead serious though and I rubbed my clammy hands on my pants.

“When do I start?”

“You’ll watch us for a few days first and then we’ll give you your first assignment.”

“Ok…so…what now?”

“Now you can go back to your books.” He said and I could have sworn his mouth turned up slightly at the corners and his once glinting eyes held just a tinge of amusement but an instant later it was gone.

The guys parted to let me leave but just as I was almost two feet away from them baldy spoke up again “Hey kid?” he said and I turned to look at him, “If anything we just said goes any further than this room, you’re gonna wish you’d played your card with Beans.”

I didn’t doubt that for a moment. I glanced over at Nathaniel but he wasn’t looking at me and then at baldy and nodded before making a quick exit from the room.

…………………………………………….

“I don’t think your men like me very much.”

“This isn’t high school, nobody has to like you and nobody wants to be anyone’s friend.” He said. I was somewhat surprised he’d even bothered to answer.

“But I’m a part of your crew now, they could at least try for a bit of respect.” I countered.

 This time he said nothing and the silence closed over me trapping me in it’s cocoon until I thought I’d just go crazy from it.

“Nathaniel?”

“hmm?”

“What kind of information are you gathering?” I asked softly.

It was late and the only sounds that could be heard were the guards’ boots hitting the cement as they did their rounds.

“That’s none of your business.” He answered his voice just as soft and I bristled.

“None of my business?  I need to know what I’m risking my fucking life for.” I hissed. Angry with him and his tough ass crew and the way they all thought I’d just roll over and die if they said it was alright to do so.

“No one’s preventing you from leaving. Just say the word and you’re out.” He said it a-matter-of-factly I clenched my fists to prevent myself from hitting something.

“Yeah, I’m out and in with Beans right?…like that’s much of a choice.”

I wished everything wasn’t so complicated and terrifying in prison. I wished we could all coexist on the same plot of land, everybody minding their own damn business and nobody messing with anybody else. I wished I could just go back to my life with Jerry and my mom and my brother.

This year I supposed to be in college. I’d been accepted to the school of my dreams but instead of living it up in my precious university, drinking booze, going to wild parties, finding the love of my life and hating my hypothetical roommate, I was sharing a cell with a guy who could hardly stand me, in a crew that wanted me to risk everything for them and a fucking pervert who didn’t look anything like the legume he’d been named after.

So was I just a bit fed up? Yeah you could say that. Was I asking for too much when I requested that he tell me what I’m risking my life for? Fuck no.

“You know what, maybe I should go hook up with Beans, I’m sure he’d love to know that you guys are spying on his crew and trying to get information that you probably have no business trynna get anyway.” I said it out of anger but before I could even finish my sentence I heard a loud thud  as Nathaniel jumped from his bunk and an instant later he was on my bed, straddling my hips, fisting my shirt collar with a sharp object being held against my neck.

My heart sped in my chest as my eyes connected with his in the partial darkness. What I could only guess to be his knife, was almost biting into my flesh and when I swallowed my Adams apple rubbed uncomfortably against it.

“You’re a damn fool boy, what makes you think I won’t gut you right now?” he sounded angry, his warm breath blowing into my face as he spoke and despite the seriousness of the situation I felt awareness shoot through me at the press of his body against mine.

“Go ahead.” I challenged, “Anything’s better than living another second in this hell hole.” I gasped out.

His eyes tore into mine and neither of us said a thing. My breath was coming in pants as I tried to breathe with the press of the knife against my neck and the full weight of him holding me down.

I could see the angry set of his mouth from the minimum illumination and heat spike through me when his eyes which had first been set on mine, travelled down to my lips and held.

I felt the pressure of the blade ease before I felt the softness of his lips on mine. It wasn’t a punishing kiss, instead it was surprisingly gentle and without any conscious thought, I opened my mouth slightly, allowing him access to probe and caress and suck. I moaned when his tongue brushed against mine and he ground himself against me so that I could feel the evidence of his arousal.

My breath quickened and the kiss deepened, sending heat to my very toes. He shifted as if trying to get closer and I freed my trapped hands and brought them up to clasp his shoulders as he continued his onslaught.

When he finally pulled away I almost whimpered, instantly missing the press of his soft lips against mine. We lay there breaths mingling and when I finally looked up into his eyes I froze; the coldness that I’d grown so accustomed to was back in full force and his mouth tightened.

“You’re a damn fool.” He hissed and just like that he was climbing from my bunk and hopping up to his, leaving me trying to catch my breath and shifting to ease the discomfort in my prison issued pants.

                                    AUTHOR’S NOTES

THANKS FOR READING. HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!

KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited

Chapter 4: Beans

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 4

The month passed without much cause for concern. Life in prison had proven to be mundane at best; I woke up every morning, carried out my chores; an obligation placed on every inmate, had a crappy breakfast, enjoyed an hour in the yard, worked as the unpaid delivery boy for the crew, had a few minutes of REC period, ate a couple more times, then it was back in the cell with a cellie whose enthusiasm for conversation was just a little bit lacking.

My little jobs were going well at least. The position of glorified delivery boy wasn’t anything to sweat over; I was in and out with the packages or notes as the case may be without so much as a hiccup yet Nathan watched every exchange with sharp eyes; focused and unwavering until the very moment I handed him whatever I’d received from the trade.

His watchfulness annoyed me because it was clear that even after a little over a month doing these jobs he still didn’t trust me and this particular conclusion wasn’t a hard one to come by either considering the fact that he didn’t watch the exchange of any of the other members.

Speaking of the other members; other than the boss man himself; the only person who even bothered to acknowledge my presence was Eddie and even then, he was always cautious with whatever he told me; which wasn’t much.

Their distrust made for uncomfortable yard time but I tried to shrug it off, telling myself that I hadn’t been a part of the crew for very long and trust took time.

 I could only be thankful that Nathan-as I now called him- wasn’t as closed off as he had been weeks before and while he wasn’t exactly a social butterfly; he at least allowed me the opportunity to run my mouth and ramble on about inconsequential things while in his presence. I’d also noticed a change in his attitude toward me; the perfect example being an incident a few weeks back;

… Flashback

I’d just carried out one of his jobs and was lounging on a bench with the others when I spoke without really thinking.

“God what I wouldn’t give for a bag of skittles.” I sighed, then turned to Nathan and said jokingly; “What kinda information would it take for you to get me some?”

“Nah man, more like burger and fries, chocolate milkshake; the whole shebang.” Eddie had said, his expression dreamy, then licked his lips for emphasis and I chuckled.

“You’re trapped in this place for the rest of your life with thieves, killers and perverts and all you want is candy? Grow up boy.” John; the bald headed douche bag spoke up then and damn if I didn’t feel like a fool right then.

“The information it would take isn’t something you have even a lick of chance getting your hands on anyway. So keep dreaming.” One of the guys laughed and the others joined in.

Only Nathan remained quiet as usual, silently observing everything taking place in the yard, without so much as a glance in our direction. Which was why I was surprised when later that evening while I lay reading on my bunk; he entered the cell after his own visitations and dropped a bag of skittles right on the page I was about to turn before hopping up to his own bunk without uttering so much as a word to me.

I’d lain there for about a minute just staring silently at the bag then when I finally regained my senses, I’d pushed off my bed, climbed up two steps of his ladder and offered him some and just like that whatever shaky relationship I imagined we had moved up a level when he stretched out his hand; I poured out half and he sat up in bed, offering me a seat beside him where we munched on the sugary treats in silence. It had been… nice.

… End Flashback

We certainly weren’t the best of friends or anything though considering the only thing I knew about the man was his name but it was still nice to have at least one person I could talk to sometimes.

Even if most of the time I was picturing doing much more than talking with the gorgeous hunk of meat my cellie was, but my fantasies were all I had and possibly all I’d ever have since neither of us had uttered even one word about the kiss since that fateful night and he never made any move towards me to suggest he was even interested in anything but ’ talk’.

I was surprised by how much I missed him today. He usually had his visitations in the evenings so this was the first time he’d actually missed yard time. It was strange how much I’d become accustomed to the prison routine and missing him only made me see how much I’d come to appreciate the simplicity of sitting beside him for a few minutes outdoors every day.

I would have been completely content if I’d even been able to carry on my mundane lifestyle but as was always waiting in the wings of every maximum security facility; trouble eventually found me.

I hadn’t been assigned any deliveries today since Nathan was the one who usually did that and so I was sitting there with a few of the guys just enjoying the warmth of the sun and wondering when Nathan would be back when John and two of the others stepped up in front of me successfully blocking the rays of the sun from penetrating my pale flesh. I straightened in the seat, tilting my head to appraise them.

“We’ve got an assignment for you.” He said, his tone serious.

“Okay, just give me the package and tell me who you need it delivered to.” I said pushing up from my seat.

“This isn’t a delivery. If you’re going to be a part of this crew then it’s about time you start earning your keep.” He said and my brows furrowed.

It was no secret that most of the guys didn’t like me doing deliveries because they thought it was just a little too easy and in some ways I agreed; it really didn’t seem fair that I was getting off with doing such a simple task while the others had to do the tough stuff but it still didn’t change the fact that this was Nathan’s call and he was the only one I answered to. Well that and the thought of doing the more dangerous tasks didn’t entice me in the least.

“Now you’re gonna go over there.” He pointed to D-Fox’s crew, “Find your little friend Ty and make sure you two are the best of friends before the hour’s up.” He told me.

“What’s that gonna prove?”

“We need more guys on the inside and Ty’s so slippery something tells me he knows a bit more than anyone would think.”

“A bit more what? What does he know?” I asked in exasperation and the big guy growled. Yes growled; it was disconcerting the say the least.

“Don’t worry about that now, just go make friends with him, everything else comes later.”

“What does Nathan have to say about this?” I questioned, folding my arms before my chest.

John shifted from foot to foot his expression no less threatening than before. “This is how it is boy, the rest of us took a vote; we decided you’re not pulling your own weight and if you don’t do this then you’re out.”

The three of them stared at me; menacingly and I swallowed…hard.

“John, this isn’t a good idea.” Eddie spoke up. He looked slightly pissed off and I hoped he could talk some sense into him.

He ignored him, his eyes boring into mine; “Get over there and do your job…Nathan might be the leader in your eyes but we all get a say in this.” And looking around at the others with the exception of Eddie I realized they were all in agreement with John.

“Sending someone as inexperienced as he is over there is too risky, this could all blow up in or faces.” Eddie was saying to them but they weren’t having it.

“The more men we have working this, the better off we’ll be, trust me.” John told him.

Eddie looked at me, then back at the crew with a shake of his head before he pushed pass John and made his way across the field; as far away from us as he could get.

’ There went my one chance of getting out of this.’ I thought as I glanced back at the others who were looking at me expectantly.

I cleared my throat for no other reason than because I was nervous. “So what do you want me to say to him?”

“Just be friendly; the way you were with him that first day. Don’t push it just act casual.” He advised and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

Yeah act casual when I could hardly stand the guy and I was practically quaking in my boots at the thought of going anywhere near D-fox’s crew…act casual…sure.

“You’ve got forty-five minutes, don’t fuck this up.” Someone behind me said and I clenched my fists, pushing past them to slowly make my way over to Ty who was thankfully standing on the peripheral by himself.

I took a breath, coughing when it tickled the back of my throat and took another.

I could feel several pairs of eyes on me as I made the trek over there and I thought briefly about just turning around and not going through with this at all. Nathan would fix this when he got back from wherever the hell he was… right?

It was that small niggle of doubt that kept me walking because even after a month I didn’t know Nathan well enough to know whether he’d take my side over his crew in this matter.

I swallowed the lump which had formed in my throat and licked my dry lips.

Ty spotted me before I was even halfway there and his eyes narrowed suspiciously so I lengthened my stride so I could catch up with him before he decided I wasn’t worth his time.

“Hey Ty.” I said when I was within earshot and just as I’d expected he raised an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth turned up in a sneer.

I was the guy who caused him to fail in his recruiting and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t seen the large bruise on the side of his face later that day in REC. He’d failed and they’d punished him for it and of course he’d see it as being all my fault.

“Look…I ah…I wanted to apologize for what happened.” Was all I got out before he turned to face his crew and shouted for Beans.

I froze, staring at him with wide eyes, then I backed up a few steps.

“You diss my ass in front of my crew and then come up in here trynna apologize? man you mus be stupider n’ I thought.” He said, his eyes sweeping over me insolently.

“What’s he doing here?” Beans asked when he came over to stand beside Ty, his arms crossed before his chest. “If you think the offer for your ass is still on the table you’re sadly mistaken boy.” He said and I was quick to lead him away from that frightening topic.

I held my hands up palms first as if to ward off an attack. “No no, of course not, I just wanted to apologize to Ty.”

I realized it hadn’t been a wise thing to say when Beans’ eyes flashed with anger and he took a step toward me. His massive frame towering over me and I shrunk back in trepidation.

“Now this is the second time you’ve rejected me.” He said softly and the coldness in his voice caused me to shiver. “There aint gonna be a third.”

I wasn’t given the chance to back away, nor was I allowed to apologize or try to make the situation right; his meaty fist was flying toward my face before I could even register what was happening. I felt the pain ricochet down the back of my neck when he slammed his fist into my nose and I fell to the ground gasping through the blood that was gushing into my mouth from what had to be a broken nose.

By now I could hear the shouts of the other inmates around me but I wasn’t given the chance to dwell when his fist came again and again. I felt a stab of pain in my side from the kick he lodged there but by the forth punch I could no longer feel anything and by the sixth, darkness closed around me.

…………………………………………….

They told me I’d been in for a week with a severe concussion, cracked ribs and an assortment of bruises in places I didn’t even know I’d been hit. I hardly remembered anything about the supposed week I spent in the sick bay except that I hadn’t received any visitors and while the doctor had been friendly I’d been alone more times than I’d seen her.

An entire week meant I’d missed Jerry’s visit and I wondered if they told him what had happened. It also meant that Beans was already released from solitary confinement. Assault got you three days and I thought of how unfair it was that I was still battered and bruised and he was now roaming free .

I sucked in a breath and groaned from the discomfort in my chest and the prick of pain from my split lip. Just then the doctor walked in and she smiled when she saw that I was awake.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, glancing down to her clip board.

“Been better.”

She smiled again and I got the impression she’d only asked to be polite and probably hadn’t even heard my response.

“You’ll be escorted back here every day so I can administer your meds. I’ve notified the guards that you aren’t to carry out any strenuous activities so you’ll be placed on kitchen duty until you’re fully healed.” She explained while she jotted down something on her board.

“Okay…when do I leave?” I asked with furrowed brows.

“As soon as your escort gets here.” She said then looked up from her board briefly to lay on another practiced smile before she exited the room. A second later a nurse came in and dropped my ’ prison clothes’ onto the bed beside me, then I was left  alone and to my own devices; well that is if you could count me being left with the sickbay guard  standing by the door as being ‘alone’

I was fully dressed by the time my escorts arrived and I hobbled over to them, my entire body sore and throbbing. I was cuffed and not long after we were making our way down the corridor of shame.

I hadn’t realized it was nighttime when I’d been in the sick bay and I was slightly disappointed that I hadn’t gotten the chance to see the sky earlier. It wasn’t lights out yet so I took some joy in the fact that I’d at least get the chance to read a bit of my novel before I fell asleep at least.

When we stopped in front my cell Nathan jumped down from his bunk to stand beside mine as they hustled me in and removed the handcuffs. The moment the doors closed he moved.

He took hold of my chin gently turning my face this way and that so he could inspect the damage. I watched him; his mouth was tight with barely concealed anger and his eyes intent upon my face.

Then his gaze travelled to the parts of my body that he could see; my arms; which were wrapped around my chest. He was silent in his perusal and when he reached a hand up to unbutton my shirt to do more inspection I batted it away and slowly lowered myself onto my bunk. I felt achy and weak and I instantly missed the softness of the sick bay bed.

“How’re you feeling?” he finally spoke. His voice sounded harsh and gravelly in the silence of the cell and I looked up at him, noticing for the first time that his eyes looked troubled.

“Like Beans beat the hell out of me.” I answered and I watched as his fists clenched by his side.

I felt the warmth pool through me at the thought that maybe he was just a bit worried about me and I offered him a tentative smile. He didn’t return it.

Instead he stepped back until his back hit the wall and he slid to the floor, his legs bent and his hand resting on his knee as he looked at me. Now I was the one staring down at him.

“I could kill them for sending you out there like that.” he said this time and I shrugged; or at least tried to until the pain in my chest stopped me.

“They don’t think I’m contributing too much to the crew…and really who can blame them; all I do is deliver shit.” And I wasn’t being melodramatic nor was I feeling angry or particularly sorry for myself; I was simply stating a fact.

“That wasn’t their call to make.” He gritted out; eyes flashing. I snagged my pillow from the head of the bunk and slowly placed it behind me to support my back.

“Yeah well…”

“Don’t you fucking pick up for them Riley. You could have been killed for what they did and now you’re in even more danger than before. Beans isn’t going to let up after being thrown in solitary.” He said harshly; as if I was a child who had done something wrong and he was disappointed in me and wanted me to see the error of my ways. I would have rolled my eyes if my face didn’t hurt so much.

“I’m not picking up for them, I’m just telling you like I see it and besides what do you want me to do? Rant and rage and scream about how unfair it all is?” I asked and he glared my way. “What’s the point? This is prison, this is how it is and there’s nothing I can do about it.” I told him and darn if it didn’t sound just a bit like I’d given up.

“I’m taking you off deliveries.” He said after a minute of silence and I looked at him surprised.

“What? Why? What will I do then?“I questioned and I rubbed my sweaty palms against my pants nervously.

“Nothing. You’re’ done, it’s too risky.” He said looking directly into my eyes and I flinched.

“You’re kicking me out of the crew?”

He stared at me in confusion for half a second then his eyes flattened in annoyance; “Don’t be ridiculous.”

I was almost afraid to breathe. “So…you’re allowing me to stay and do nothing? Just like that?”

“Yes.” He said simply and I shook my head.

“What about the others? They’ll be pissed. What if they vote for a new leader?” I said it quickly, my words mashing together.

“They can’t overthrow me Riley. Stop worrying about it.”

“But how do you know?”

“Just trust me on this.” He said and my eyes followed him as he pushed up from the floor. “Get some rest.” He said and I grabbed his hand before he could climb onto his bunk.

The instant he looked down at me in surprise I dropped it and lowered my gaze. “I don’t mind doing deliveries and if it will prevent problems with the guys I’ll do the other stuff too.” I told him softly.

I’d do whatever it took because if I was kicked out of the crew for not pulling my weight I was as good as dead and even more than that; I couldn’t bear the thought of Nathan losing his position with the others; he deserved to lead.

He did something that surprised me right then; he stooped beside my bed and ran his hand gently though my hair and when he moved it to cup my cheek I looked up at him in shock; my eyes meeting his. His expression was surprisingly gentle as he watched me and when he spoke his voice was soft and warm as the sound bounced off my ears.

“Everything will be fine. Get some rest.” He said then straightened up and climbed onto his own bunk.

Silence filled the room and I stroked my cheek which was still tingling from his touch thinking that this was probably the longest conversation we’d had to date.

                                                  Author’s Notes

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Chapter 5: Escape.

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 5

Nathan’s POV

 From the moment he walked through my cell door until now I still had the same thought whirling through my mind; The kid wouldn’t last very long here .

 I watched him every day trying to put up a brave front; laughing with Eddie and Ignoring John but the eyes never lied and no matter how hard he smiled or how tall he stood they never changed. There was always that tinge of fear mixed with desolation in them that had me wondering how much longer it would take before he snapped.

I wasn’t exactly sure what made me decide to look out for him. It could have been the sad eyes, or the way his cheeks dimpled whenever he smiled. It could have been his bravery or the sound of his muffled sobs late at night when he thought I was asleep or even the way the sight of his body turned me on to the point of discomfort.

I didn’t know but whatever the reason something in me was drawn to him and the need to keep him safe was almost overwhelming.

Never get attached to the inmates. Don’t ask about their personal lives, don’t tell them your life story and don’t, under any circumstance trust a word coming out of their mouths. That’s what I’d been taught, that’s what I lived by and ever since his arrival I’d broken almost every rule I had set for myself.

 I found myself listening to him ramble on and on about any and everything, I sometimes even found myself cracking a smile over the silly things he said. I  felt like I knew everyone in his family just from his stories and even though I hadn’t asked him to tell me and even though I never actually partook in the conversations I felt like I knew him .

It was when I started feeling the need to do him favors that I realized how far gone I was and it was then that I knew I had to stop but it was difficult when you were a warm blooded male with a sexy as hell young man sleeping just below your bunk.

If it had just been the attraction then maybe I’d have been able to resist but he made me get to know him, he made me get attached and now I had no choice but to look out for him and no choice but to keep him out of harm’s way.

The incident a week ago only proved exactly what I’d been thinking from the start; the kid wouldn’t last very long here. He didn’t belong.

But despite my growing attachment and in spite of my determination to protect him I had more important things to think about and he was an unwelcome distraction. I’d already decided I’d detach myself from him the day he’d been hurt.

But seeing the nasty bruises covering his once flawless face shattered my resolve and I was right back where I’d started; panting after him like a love sick fool and billowing with anger at the thought of someone laying a finger on him.

“You all need to make him feel welcome, he’ll never let his guard down if you don’t and then he’ll never really be loyal to us.” I told the men standing before me and as expected, John was the first to disagree.

“Why do we even need him to be loyal? The kid’s useless to us.” He argued and my fists clenched at my sides.

“He’s right Nathan, why are we wasting our time on this kid?” someone else spoke up and I let my gaze roam over.

“He won’t survive in this place without our help.” I said simply.

“And how is that our problem? We have one goal here and one goal only. You need to focus on that and cut him loose.” John said and I bristled, my eyes narrowing as I looked at each of them in turn.

“Since when do we turn down someone who needs our help? We have a goal but that doesn’t mean we can’t help others along the way and frankly, the fact that you’ve all forgotten that has me thinking you’ve been in here too long. It’s like you’ve lost what little humanity you had to begin with.” I scolded and that shut them up.

After a brief moment of silence John spoke once more; “Okay, so let’s say we take him under our wing, we keep him safe and he comes to trust us, what happens when we leave Nathan? What happens when we leave and the other inmates find out what we’ve been doing here. They’ll remember he was a part of our crew and they’ll tear him apart. Who’ll be there to protect him then?” he asked and this time I fell silent. It had crossed my mind a few times but I refused to let it bother me. I’d rather cross that bridge when I got to it.

“No answer. You need to forget about him Nathan, in the end you’ll only be doing him more harm than good.” John said, suddenly becoming the wise, all knowing asshole he only hoped he could be.

“You’re one to talk about what’s best for him when you practically sent him to his death a week ago.” I retorted and he flinched at the low blow. “You’ve made enough bad decisions as it is. I’m in charge and Riley will remain a part of this team. You will all make him feel welcome or there will be hell to pay for disobeying my orders.” I finished and turned to exit the room, leaving them looking on after me in silence.

I was thinking about what John had said as I made my way to the library where I knew Riley would be. He had raised a good point. We’d all been deep undercover for two years and now that we almost had all the information we’d been searching for; it wasn’t the time to be forming new alliances and taking people under our protection.

We were the best undercover bureau agents because we thought with our heads and not our hearts and dicks. I agreed that now more than ever we needed to be completely focused but I’d joined the bureau so that I could help people and I wasn’t about to ignore someone so desperately in need when it wouldn’t even pose a risk to our operation.

All I had to do was help him without getting distracted. The thought of distraction brought with it images of Riley laying under me, his eyes burning with desire and his face flushed from a kiss that had sent tingles through my body and down to my very toes.

I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. That kiss was the result of a temporary leave of my senses and it would never happen again. That’s the thought that I carried with me into the library a few minutes later. I nodded to one of the on duty guards who was another undercover agent and made my way over to where Riley lounged with a book stuck under his nose.

He didn’t even notice my presence until I cleared my throat and when he saw me standing there his face erupted in a splash of red. The boy’s crush couldn’t have been more obvious if he’d written it on his forehead and announced it to the whole world.

……………………………………….

Riley’s POV

A grin blossomed on my face when I spotted Nathan and I couldn’t hold back to blush that went along with it.

“Hi.” I got out and he nodded in response.

I watched as he pulled up the chair across from me and lowered himself onto the hard surface. When he only sat there; his eyes drifting to my bruises as they had been doing since he first saw them the night before, I cleared my throat.

“So…what are you doing here?” I questioned, knowing full well that the only other time he’d visited me during REC period was to issue an assignment.

“Beans wasn’t in his usual REC spot today and something told me he’d be up here. I was right.” He finished and my brows furrowed as I tried to process what he’d just said.

I followed his gaze to where it landed over my shoulder and sure enough three tables down sat Beans, flanked by two guys. They all looked directly at me but only Beans’ gaze was tinged with malice. I instantly recoiled, my eyes wide with fear. I’d been so distracted by my latest novel that I hadn’t even realized he’d entered the library.

I looked back at Nathan who was appraising me with a bored looking expression.

“He’s following me?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

 “You’re the reason he was sent to solitary confinement, he’s simply looking to get even.” He explained and I stared at him in disbelief.

“You say that like he’ll be justified in getting even.”

He shrugged and I opened my mouth and closed it a few times, failing in each attempt to speak my mind.

“He wants me dead.” I was hedging, hoping he wouldn’t confirm my statement but to my disappointment he nodded.

“Relax.” He ordered just when I was sure I would start hyperventilating right there surrounded by all these books.

“All you have to do is try to avoid him.” Nathan said and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

“It’s never that easy. It’s not like I can avoid him forever, eventually he’ll have me right where he wants me and then what?”

When he spoke next his answer pleased me. “I’ll handle him, you just need to stay away long enough for me to deal with it.” he assured and I nodded in relief.

If Nathan said he’d handle it then he’d handle it but when I turned to look behind me once more a slither of fear assaulted me and I dragged my gaze back to the surface of the table, falling silent.

We were both quiet for a few minutes, lost in our own thoughts.

“Nathan?” I called and his beautiful green eyes found mine.

I hesitated briefly then took a deep breath before I spoke, keeping my voice low. “I was wondering…has anyone…” pause “…has anyone ever escaped from here?”

I peeked through my lashes, trying to gauge his reaction. His eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed but otherwise his expression didn’t change much.

“No. Why?” he interrogated and I shrugged but Nathan wasn’t fooled.

I watched nervously as he leaned closer, his expression hard and unrelenting. “If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking then forget it.” he said adamantly.

“I’m not thinking anything, it was just a question.” I lied.

“Listen to me and listen closely, this prison is virtually impenetrable. If you even attempt to enter an area that’s out of bounds they’ll shoot first and ask questions later. If you know what’s good for you, keep those questions to yourself and don’t you dare try anything stupid.” He warned and I decided to drop the act.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t ever even thought about escaping from this place, everyone has.” I whispered conspiratorially.

He shook his head and his mouth turn down into a frown.

“I’ll never understand you criminals. You risked everything to break the law and when the time comes for you to face up to your actions you want to do the cowardly thing? Just forget it Riley, you got yourself into this mess, now you need to pay for it and when you do your time and get out maybe you’ll learn from it.” he said harshly and I bristled at his words.

“I didn’t risk anything and I didn’t get myself into this mess. I’m innocent and I don’t belong here so if I’m looking for a way out it’s because I deserve it!” I hissed, fighting to control my temper.

Nathan shook his head. “Innocent…you’re still harping on that? really? If I had a dime for every time some convict uttered those words I’d-”

“Fuck you.”

“No thanks.” He shot back and I felt the anger die inside me to be replaced with desolation. I think he noticed the change in me because he dropped the ruthless expression fairly quick and shifted slightly in his seat.

“I should have been living it up in university right now. I wanted to study criminology.” I said then chuckled “Criminology The study of crime and criminals…and now apparently I’m one of those criminal minds…how bloody ironic.” I spat and as I thought about what my life should have been I became both angry and sad; my emotions shifting until it was almost too overwhelming to sit there and sit still.

“Just don’t do anything you’ll regret Riley.” Nathan tried again and I sneered at him

“I won’t be spending the rest of my life in this place, one way or another I’m getting out of here and if that means the guards end up killing me for trying then at least it’s a way out.” I said seriously, then pushed up from my seat and left the room without another glance in his direction.

He didn’t try to stop me.

………………………………………………………..

Thump

Thump

Thump

The rhythmic thumping of the ball onto his hand did nothing to soothe my nerves tonight. Everything that had happened over the past week was finally catching up to me and the words spoken between us today only magnified the feelings of fear and uncertainty.

The thought of actually never getting out; of living out my sentence like the criminal I wasn’t left a bad taste in my mouth, but it was everything and everyone that I missed terribly on the outside that really seared through my heart and had me gripping my chest as despair washed over me. I felt the tears build up and spill over.

When the sniffling started his thumping stopped and not a moment later my silent tears escalated into heart wrenching sobs that had me plunging my face down into my pillow as I tried to stifle the sounds.

I cried until the flesh around my eyes became swollen, then cried some more. Through it all Nathan uttered not one word but I could feel his presence like a persistent throb. When I cried all the tears I could manage I lay there in the silence sniffling and feeling sorry for myself. I turned so that I was facing the wall and curled up in a ball.

“Nathan?” I whispered after a while.

“Yeah?” came his immediate response and I wondered briefly why his voice sounded hoarse.

“What did you get in for?”

Brief pause.

“Nothing you need to worry about kid.” He replied and I thought about that as we both remained silent.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m losing my mind.” I told him and silence greeted me once more. “How did you deal with this when you first came here?” I asked, needing some sort of assurance that it would get better.

“I just kept reminding myself I’d get out one day…so all I had to do was get through it.”

It wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

“I’ll be out when I’ll be too old for it to matter.” I whispered. He said nothing.

“I won’t get to go to college, I’ll never know what it feels like to get drunk in a bar with my friends, I won’t know what it feels like to have sex, or intern at some place I’ve always wanted to work. Nothing. My whole life will just pass me by and everything I learn, I’ll learn it behind bars…” I trailed off, the tears building again.

“It’s best not to think about those things.” Nathan advised.

I swallowed the lump which had formed in my throat and when I spoke, the tears sounded in my voice.“That’s all I can thing about.”

I heard him shift slightly on his bunk but he said nothing.

“Nathan I don’t think I’ll make it.” I said, the tears clogging my throat.

Silence.

“I don’t think I’ll make it.” I whispered to myself this time as the tears fell and no matter how many times I wiped my eyes they continued to fall until I gave up and let them cascade down my face and soak the pillow.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t realize Nathan had climbed down from his bunk until I felt the dip of the mattress as he climbed in behind me. So great was my despair that I couldn’t even muster the strength to turn to question what he was doing. Instead the tears just fell as I felt him stretch out behind me until we were spooning.

The thin sheet was drawn up over our bodies and I felt his strong arm wrap around my waist.

“I’m scared.” I whispered through the torrent and I felt his hand tighten.

“Go to sleep Riley.” He told me, then I felt the brush of his fingers across my forehead.

I took a shuddering breath and sniffled loudly a few times and after a while I finally gave into his request.

                                       AUTHOR’S NOTES

THANKS FOR THE AWESOME COMMENTS ON THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER GUYS! I’LL BE RESPONDING TO COMMENTS ON THIS CHAPTER! <3

-DoUbLe.A

unedited.

Chapter 6: More than just a delivery boy.

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 6

His eyes never strayed too far from me the next day. I could feel them with every step I took and I liked it. It comforted me to know that he was always watching; to know that he cared and though he tried to hide it I could sense his concern and it left a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach.

My nighttime emotional episode had long passed and I was somewhat back to my normal self. Later today I’d be meeting with Jerry which was always something to look forward to.

On top of that very exciting news-because in prison that was as exciting as it got- the guys in Nathan’s crew had practically changed overnight. Well, all with the exception of John of course. They had taken to starting brief conversations with me and actually breaking out a little smile whenever I said something that warranted one.

I knew without asking that Nathan had had something to do with the attitude change but it was nice nonetheless to sit comfortably with the small group of guys and not feel as though I’d rather melt into the ground.

No one, not even John mentioned the fact that I was no longer doing deliveries and the stress I’d carried around with me over that issue lifted along with everything else.

No one seemed to be focused on deliveries today. They didn’t offer a reason for the day off and I decided not to ask. I wanted absolutely nothing to interfere with the new change.

“Seriously though riley…when are you gonna tell us about your situation?” Eddie asked. He sounded amused but his eyes were dead serious.

“What situation?” I questioned in confusion.

By now everyone was tuned in to this particular conversation and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

“They reason you got in here. I heard it was murder, never pegged you for a killer…how’d it happen?” he continued and I sent a quick glance to Nathan, who as usual had his attention set on more important things going on in the yard.

I shook my head in response to Eddie’s question and his eyes seemed to glint dangerously in the sunlight.

I was quick to speak up. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” I told him firmly and after about half a minute of staring me down he backed off even going as far as to offer me a cheeky smile that I didn’t return. Instead I jumped down from the top bench and went to sit beside Nathan, gazing out at the yard as he did.

If the guys weren’t going to believe me when I said I was innocent then there was no point in telling them how I got in and I knew for a fact that they wouldn’t believe a word I said. Not for a second.

“You mind if I come to the gym with you guys during REC today?” I asked him.

He didn’t turn to look at me. “There won’t be REC today.” He answered and I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“What do you mean? We have REC every day.”

“Not today. By then the entire prison will be on lockdown.” He told me vaguely.

“Lockdown? But why?”

“Because there’ll be a fight today” he said, looking at me now, “A huge one.” He continued and when his gaze shifted back to the yard I spoke up.

“But how do you know?” I questioned. Eager for any information I could get at this point.

“I pay attention.” Was all he said and from the tense set of his shoulders I knew it wasn’t the best time to bother him with more questions. Instead I turned back to the yard, watching the different crews more closely than usual now as my palms got sweaty from the anxiety.

……………………………………..

It was when I slipped from the group to go to the rest room that the guards called me up for my visitation, so I finished my business as quickly as possible and allowed the two uniforms to escort me to the room.

Jerry sat in the far corner of the room as he always did. He was looking at the books in his hands while trailing his fingers over the covers. I smiled when I saw him; the warmth filling my stomach and spilling over into the rest of my body until I felt as though I’d burst from the very feel of it. Happiness. That’s the word I’d use to describe the warmth and it only seemed to grow every time I saw him.

When he lifted his head and saw me he grinned; that wide toothy grin he always wore when he was feeling particularly happy about something but then as he continued looking his grin all but fell off his face as he took in my fading bruises. We hugged briefly when we were close enough and after I sat the guard drifted back a little allowing us a bit of privacy.

“Jesus Riley.” Jerry breathed, reaching over to touch my face. I pulled back before he made contact, then looked over at the guard stationed close by. While they allowed touching they didn’t appreciate too much due to the persistent fear of visitors slipping an inmate some form of contraband.

I told you to mind your own business Riley.“ He said in earnest, his face etched in concern.

“Yeah and you also told me to join a crew and they’re the ones who caused it.” I said grudgingly and Jerry flinched.

I shook my head, “Don’t worry about it, everything’s sorted now trust me.” I said then glanced at the books. “Those for me?” I questioned with a smile and that brought his grin back.

He pushed them toward me and remained silent while I read the titles. As always he picked the ones I liked.

I glanced back up at him again then perused his face like I always did. He looked a little thin but otherwise he was the same happy old man.

“How’s mom?” I asked then, almost afraid to meet his eyes lest I saw something in them that could finally break me.

He sighed and I looked up. “You know your mother…” he trailed off and I nodded. Of course. She didn’t need a convicted murderer for a son. I remembered that conversation well.

“She’ll come around when she realizes how wrong everyone was about you…don’t worry.” He tried to assure me and I nodded to placate him.

I looked at him with hopeful eyes but didn’t dare ask the one question I wanted to ask. Jerry knew what I wanted to know and he shook his head briefly in answer. As it always did I felt another part of me die and I began to wonder when all the hope I had left would finally diminish and disappear altogether.

“But we’re working on it…The lawyer’s doing everything he can Riley. We’re setting the appeal process in motion and I’ve got the investigator on the case. You don’t belong here and we’ll prove it.” Typical Jerry, trying to bring hope to a situation that was almost hopeless… and it always worked.

“So what’s new on the outside?” I asked with a half smile.

“You’re not missing anything Riley trust me.” He said in reply and I snorted.

“What’s the point of me laying something before you that you can’t have right now?” he asked and I shook my head.

“What’s new on the inside?”

I shrugged, “Same ole same ole. Except I think…” I trailed off, wondering if this was something I wanted to share with him.

“You think…?” he hedged and after a moment of uncertainty I trudged along.

“I think I kinda like my cell mate and I think… maybe he likes me too.” I could feel the heat blossom in my face as he processed my words.

“Your cellmate…” he said the words slowly as if testing them out for the first time and I nodded. “You like your cellmate…ah…Nick?”

“Nathan and yes.” I said with a grin I couldn’t contain and that seemed to soften him up because he smiled.

“If there’s anything in this place that can make you smile like that then I say go for it.” he said and I felt almost giddy with excitement. “But remember Riley…This is still prison, you need to be on your toes at all times and no matter how much you think this guy cares for you, you should never let your guard down.” He warned and I nodded at the seriousness of his tone.

“I won’t.” I assured him.

……………………………………..

Nathan’s POV

“Where is he?” I questioned Eddie who looked just as clueless as the other members of my team.

“I don’t know man…he could be anywhere.” He said and I cursed under my breath then jumped onto the tallest bench as I tried to look over the heads of some of the inmates scattered in the yard. It was no use.

No one could be found amidst this chaos. I felt a pain in my chest as foreign to me as my now sweaty palms at the thought of him hurt or needing my help.

I knew I shouldn’t have let him go earlier but I’d been so sure he’d be back before any fighting began. I’d warned him for God’s sake. A few gun shots sounded and I ducked to the ground along with the other inmates. Before long I was being hoisted to my feet by an irritated guard I didn’t recognize.

He shoved me toward another group of inmates who were now forming a queue. I looked around again, twisting and stretching to even catch a glimpse of Riley. If I could just find that he was okay. That’s it-I just needed to know he was okay, but alarms were blaring, inmates and guards were shouting and I couldn’t find Riley anywhere.

The intensity of my fear astounded me. I’d never been so anxious over the wellbeing of anyone who wasn’t a immediate member of my team and even then; my concern for them had never felt like this; so absolutely consuming that it had my heart pounding powerfully against my rib cage and my mouth as dry as a desert.

When I turned again I caught John’s eye and I tilted my head in askance but he shrugged, sending a wave of disappointment and worry through my body.

Please let him be safe

Please let him be safe

Please let him be safe

I whispered the words over and over again, praying to a God I hadn’t acknowledged since I was a child.

…………………………………..

Riley’s POV

“So maybe you should tell me more about this Nathan guy since I’m probably gonna have to start bringing books for him too.” He joked and I laughed along with him.

“I’ve never seen Nathan even look at a book since I’ve known him so I don’t know about that. Plus he can-”

I was cut off by the sound of the siren that erupted throughout the room. I slapped my hands to my ears as Jerry did the same.

“ This is a lockdown. All prisoners are to be escorted back to their cells and visitors are to make their way to the exit in a quick and orderly fashion .“ The loud speakers blared and before I knew it I was being pulled from my seat and the guard was instructing Jerry to take the books back out with him.

I caught a brief glimpse of his concerned expression before I was pushed none too gently through the door, roughly searched and cuffed. Then I was being shoved down a hall, through a passageway and then along the corridor of shame.

The noise in the cell block was deafening. Guards and men alike were shouting orders and obscenities alarms pierced the air. When we finally stopped before my cell I looked in the see Nathan pacing on the inside.

He looked both nervous and haggard as he walked back and forth but the noise was so loud on the block that he didn’t even realize I was there until I was being shoved inside the cell.

I bumped into him and almost fell to the ground but he grabbed and steadied me and before I knew it I was being enveloped in a tight embrace; shocking me to my very core. This display of affection from Nathan while not completely strange, was just a bit overwhelming and I found myself burying my face into the crook of his neck.

He felt warm and solid against me and when he pulled me even tighter against him I sighed in satisfaction but just as quickly as he’d pulled me close, he pushed me away and when I looked at him I took a step back at the anger I saw in his eyes.

“Where the fuck were you?” he demanded; his eyes blazing and his mouth tight.

“What’d you mean? I had a visitor.” I answered honestly and it seemed to take him a few seconds to process my words before the anger finally died and he just stood there staring at me with vacant eyes.

That’s when it hit me. “Jesus you were worried weren’t you?” I asked and just as quickly as I said it he scoffed at me, even going as far as to roll his eyes and turn away, but I wasn’t having it.

 I grabbed his arm before he could climb onto his bunk and he turned to look at me warily. “Why is it so hard for you to admit it? It’s okay to be worried about someone you care about.” I was hedging. Hoping beyond hope that he’d confirm my words but Nathan being Nathan kept on with his stubbornness.

“Gimmie a break kid.” He said with a brief shake of his head and before I could utter another word he climbed the rungs and lay down flat on his bunk; his face to the ceiling.

I sighed, kicking off my boots and pulling my shirt over my head before going over to the sink to splash some water onto my face.

It was as I was getting ready to get into bed that I made the decision. Why should I be the one to back down? Just because Nathan couldn’t admit he had feelings for me didn’t mean I had to wait around for him to come to his senses right?

He’d kissed me once; which at least meant he felt some form of attraction. Why shouldn’t I be the one to step up? What was the worst that could happen? I was already in prison.

So I took a deep breath -one that I couldn’t even hear over the noise on the block- and climbed onto the first rung of his ladder.

It was time I showed Nathan I was good for more than just deliveries.

                                        AUTHOR’S NOTES

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EVENTS OF THE NEXT CHAPTER..ARE YOU?

 -DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 7: Just a kiss.

Chapter 7

I think he was too shocked by my boldness to really say anything as I climbed onto his bunk and the surprise clearly didn’t die down because he allowed me to climb on top of him without saying a word either.

It was only when I hovered over him wondering what the hell I should do next, that he finally seemed to regain his senses and pushed me somewhat roughly off him.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

I flinched at his harsh words but steeled myself against any further onslaught. I’d been brave enough to drag myself onto his bunk and I’d be brave enough to finish what I’d started.

“I want to sleep here…with you.” Was the best way I could portray my intentions.

He was silent for a few seconds, watching me with those intense green eyes and I bit my lip nervously.

“What’s wrong with your bunk?” he glared at me and I had to swallow the lump which had formed before I could answer.

“The only thing I can do down there is sleep.” My words were barely a whisper and I hated myself for not staying firm.

It didn’t take long for him to grasp the meaning behind my words and before I knew what was happening he shifted to the left, grabbed the bed’s railing and launched himself over the silver poles and onto the floor below. Then as I watched in surprise he reached up and grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and pulled me off his bunk.

He grabbed both my arms before I could slam into the floor and righted me after my knees buckled and before I could get a word out he shoved me onto my own bunk where I landed haphazardly with a loud thud.

“This is a prison, not a damn whore house, you want somebody to fuck go find another cell.” He said harshly and I felt the hurt right down to my stomach.

“Don’t say that.” I said surprised that my voice came out firm when inside I felt crushed.

A moment of silence passed before Nathan sighed, almost in defeat and his next words were gentle. “Riley… you don’t know what you want but trust me, it’s not…this.” He finished gesturing between us.

I bristled. “I know what I want, I have a mind of my own.”

“Then if you took a moment to use it you’d realize that this isn’t something you really want to get into.” He tried to convince me.

“Why not? I know you’re attracted to me, I can tell and don’t try to deny it.” I couldn’t look at him as I said the words. The embarrassment was burning through me and slowly sapping my courage.

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m attracted to you or not Riley, look at where we are.” He gestured to the cell bars. “You’re stuck in a desperate situation and you’re trying to turn our…friendship into something it doesn’t need to be.”

“I’m not telling you I love you for god’s sake” I said looking up at him and if I didn’t know better I’d say he’d flinched at my words but the situation was such that I’d probably imagined it all. “I’m just talking about…you know, physical attraction between two people.” I finished somewhat uncertainly.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking and that made me nervous. He just stood there staring down at me with an expression I couldn’t read. I was putting myself out there for the first time in my life; propositioning to a man who shouldn’t even be interested in a straggly boy like me and it wasn’t easy.

“And I’m saying no. I’m not interested.” He finally spoke up.

I jumped up from the bed, standing close enough to feel his body heat. “Of course you’re interested. What about that kiss?” my voice cracked on the last word and I knew I sounded like a kid for just saying it but it couldn’t be helped.

He took two steps back. “That was a mistake.”

“How terribly cliché. Why do men always do this? They finally do something that’s worthwhile in their lives and the moment they’re confronted with it they start running scared.” And now I sounded like a chick.

“You read too many romance novels. There are a lot of things in this world I’m afraid of Riley, but trust me; this isn’t one of them. If I say I’m not interested it means I’m not interested and just because I made the mistake of kissing you once doesn’t mean that it was anything other than just that. A mistake. Now drop it.” he retorted, then took another step back to lean against the wall.

He shoved his hands into his shallow pants pockets and turned his head to look out into the corridor. The noise from before had finally died down some and I could hear the snapping of my too long fingernail as I bit into it.

And with all the emotions and probable comebacks roiling around in my head, all I managed to say was; “I’ve never read a romance novel in my life.”

At least I got him to smile but as soon as it had appeared it was gone and we were right back where we’d started. I took a step forward then took a deep breath.

“Just tell me why.” I said.

“Why what? Why I won’t have sex with you?” he asked incredulously and I blushed.

When he put it like that it made me seem foolish and loose. Neither of which I was.

“Do you have a boyfriend? Is that why?” I questioned praying he wouldn’t say yes.

“Boyfriend? Why couldn’t it be a girlfriend?” he questioned with a raised brow.

“Are you bisexual then?”

He still looked incredulous.

“Does it matter?” was his question and I shook my head in answer.

Silence descended for a few minutes, where I stared at him and he stared into the corridor.

Look, we’re in prison…not exactly the ideal place to start a relationship…even if it’s just sexual.“ He started and when I made to interrupt, he raised a hand and I fell silent, “and what if I have some disease? Did you even think of that?” he asked and I thought about it for a second.

“Do you?”

“No.” he answered. “But that’s not the point-”

“See you don’t have a disease and neither do I and really who cares if it’s not ideal …sex is sex right?”

What I didn’t tell him was that for me it was more than just the sex I was after. I’d read enough books, blogs and watched enough TV to know that bonds could be forged through a sexual relationship.

I was hoping it would start out that way and eventually he’d grow to have feelings for me as I had developed for him.

“I’m not having sex with you Riley. It’s just not gonna happen okay?” he said but he wouldn’t look at me and that gave me the boost I needed to go on.

“Fine… no sex, then how about a kiss?” I said and he looked at me, suspicion tinged his gaze.

“One kiss and that’s it…I won’t bother you about it anymore.” I lied.

“No.” he said and I gritted my teeth in frustration.

“One kiss Nathan…why are you being such a coward?” I said the words out of frustration but the moment they left my mouth I wished I could take them back.

I braced myself for an attack but none came. Instead Nathan just stood there seeming unaffected by my words as he looked out into the empty corridor.

I swallowed hard and took a step forward leaving me with two steps away from him and he still said nothing.

“One kiss.” I said again, this time a whisper and when he said nothing I took another step toward him.

I suddenly felt like a master seducer bent of ripping away his virtue and I felt a twinge of guilt which I quickly buried.

When I finally stopped directly in front of him I took another silent breath and slowly placed the palms of my hands on his chest, trailing them slowly down until I could feel the hardness of his abdominals.

He took a sharp breath then surprised me by grabbing my wrists. “One kiss right?” he asked, looking down into my eyes and the vulnerability there shocked me. I suddenly felt like the experienced one.

“Just a kiss.” I assured him and after a moment of silence he let me go and I replaced my hands, moving them over and up, across and down until I reached the waist band of his jeans and when he sucked in another sharp breath, I trailed them back up to his chest where they settled.

He was still looking away from me and if I didn’t know better I’d say he was nervous but this was Nathan; he was most likely trying to convince himself that he should push me away and forget this moment had ever happened and with this in mind I acted quickly.

I stood on my toes, bringing my forehead to his eyes and reached up to grasp his chin gently as I’d seen them do on those clichéd romantic comedies.

Bringing his face to mine, he finally looked down at me; his green eyes finding mine and I sucked in a breath; caught in their intensity.

“Relax.” I told him and he cracked a smile. I imagined him thinking how ridiculous I was to be telling him ; an experienced hunk of a man, to relax, but he said nothing and when he slowly brought his lips down to meet mine I quite literally saw stars.

My hand developed a mind of their own travelling over his body in a rush that matched the passion I was feeling. We kissed; tongues meeting and melding; bodies pressed together and skin unfortunately not quite meeting skin as the fabric of our clothes rubbed against each other.

I felt the pressure building in my pants and I didn’t hide it, instead pressing into him as if I could pull him into my body. He responded in kind and I soon felt his own hardness pressing into my belly.

“Just a kiss right?” he panted when he pulled his lips from mine but I was quick to react, grabbing his muscular arms and pulling him even closer.

“Not yet.” I breathed then reached up to latch my hand onto the back of his head, pulling his lips back to mine where I quickened the pace.

He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth hard enough to make it tingle, then it was a nibble before he released it all together and plunged his tongue into my mouth. I fought to keep up but my toes were getting tired and I fell back onto the balls of my feet. He followed; our mouths never leaving. He put his arm around my lower back, pulling me up and I was on my toes once more.

His mouth left mine and he planted kisses onto my sensitive neck leaving me moaning with pleasure.

“We shouldn’t” he breathed and my hands finally became useful, because when I dipped one into the front of his pants and gripped him he became putty in my hands.

He kissed me forcefully then ripped my head away from his. In a second we were sprawled on my bunk, where he covered my body with his own, trapping my roaming hands between us.

I fought to be free; wanting to touch him; needing to explore his body and when he finally allowed me the freedom I took advantage of it reaching around him to run my hands along his back, dipping into his shorts and gripping his cheeks, pressing him ever closer.

My boldness both shocked and aroused me further and before long I was out of my own head; my entire body focused on the pleasure I was receiving. Our shirts were off before I’d even registered it and the feel of his hot flesh against mine made me gasp.

“Nathan.” I breathed as he kissed a wet trail down my stomach, when his tongue dipped into my navel an excited shout bubbled up in my throat and Nate covered my mouth with his hand, swallowing up the sound. I raised my hips to make it easier for him to pull off my pants and my boxer shorts were next.

Then it was his hands on me and the feeling was heaven. He ran his palms from my knees and down to the inside of my thighs with his mouth trailing along and when he finally touched that secret place only my hands had ever known I shook with desire.

“Nathan.” I breathed when his head dipped and I felt his tongue on my overheated, hard flesh.

For a while I saw white then he withdrew, quickly moving off the bed to reach up to his own bunk. I watched him push his hand under the metal supports under his mattress and pull out something round. I couldn’t make out much else from the shadows.

A second later, legs spread and eyes shut tight; I felt something cold drip onto the inside of my thigh, then his fingers were there at the small ring of muscle between my butt cheeks.

His fingers did sinful things to my body, sending ripples of pleasure along my spine, then the fingers were gone only to be replaced by something larger and infinitely more potent.

I felt a shock of pain and I gasped then bit my lip against the uncomfortable intrusion. Nathan’s lips found mind again; this time gently.

“Relax, it’ll get better.” He whispered and as he kissed me I tried to do as he told and not particularly surprising; it worked. Soon I was enveloped in a world of pleasure completely beyond what I’d ever experienced.

I made sounds I was sure to be embarrassed about in the morning and clung to Nathan like a wanton young girl who’d just lost her virginity to the man of her dreams.

It was beautiful and painful and intoxicating.

When it was over he slowly eased out of me and fell onto the mattress beside me, then as I panted he pulled me to him; my back against his chest. I felt the coolness of the air drift over my naked flesh and I shivered.

Nathan reached down and pulled the thin sheet over our bodies and we settled in silence.

“Are you alright?” he whispered much later.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?” he asked again and this time I nodded, not trusting myself to get the word out without my voice betraying my emotions.

What we’d shared was something deeper than I’d imagined it would be. It felt as if something had shifted inside me and my mind was filled with only him. It was both scary and electrifying. I took hold of the arm he’d wrapped around me, holding on as if for dear life.

To experience something like this…why had they never portrayed it right in the movies? Why had the actors and their directors failed in their jobs to prepare me for an experience so absolutely riveting? I hated them for it but in the time it took for that thought to form I found that another unfamiliar emotion had bubbled forth; love.

It couldn’t be anything else.

I was in love with Nathan; everything about him since the moment we’d met up until this act now had a place in my heart and I didn’t know if i could handle it all.

“Nathan.” I whispered into the silence.

“Hmm?” I felt the vibration against my shoulder.

I took a breath.

“Don’t hate me in the morning okay?” I mumbled against the pillow.

He was silent for a second before he answered.

“I won’t.”

                                          AUTHOR'S NOTES

NOW THAT WAS FUN TO WRITE. HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THAT. SIGH SEXY GUYS ARE MY LIFE.

THE OTHER INMATES WILL PROBABLY BE HAVING NIGHMARES OR SPORTING HARD-ONS BY THE END OF THAT NIGHT LOL

If you do any

fan art

for these guys lemme know so we can all fangirl over them!

Follow me on Instagram at doublezone_books

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 8: Lock down.

Chapter 8

Nathan’s POV

I’d been an asshole to sleep with him when I knew he had feelings for me and irresponsible to sleep with him when I should be completely focused on my assignment. It was ridiculous how quickly I’d gone from completely in control to completely helpless in the space of five minutes and I wanted to kick myself for it.

Like so many other warm blooded males out there I’d done the clichéd thing and given in to the flesh. After all my resolve; broken by the one thing I should have been able to tame; My dick. Wasn’t that a bitch.

I looked at him again, taking in his flushed cheeks, the long lashes and bruised lips. Then my gaze travelled lower to his naked flawless back; along his spinal column and down to his perfectly shaped ass that I’d so deliciously made mine the night before.

 God he’d been perfect; the best sex I’d had in a long time and hell if I didn’t find myself wanting more but should I even consider it?

He’d literally begged me to have sex with him last night. He’d made  the act sound so material; devoid of all the unwanted emotional entanglements people tended to go for these days and while it had sounded like a good deal I knew it was just too damn good to be true.

He hadn’t just wanted a no strings deal. No one could look at someone the way he did me and not want something more out of it. While I’d sunken into his depths again and again he’d gazed at me with such trusting eyes, glazed over not just by the passion of the moment but something deeper, more intense that I hadn’t bothered to dissect until now.

And hell if I hadn’t reveled in it. It would be pointless to deny how great it had felt to have him look at me that way; as if the sun rose and set with me, as if I could make his whole world right. It was as frightening as it was addicting and I was almost terrified of what that meant.

He shifted on the bed, turned his head to the wall and mumbled something indiscernible in his sleep before his breath evened out again. I sighed.

I couldn’t actually have feelings for him; there was a simple explanation for the strange emotions that had bubbled up inside me overnight; I’d been stuck in this hellhole for almost two years; the lack of any meaningful interaction must have gotten to me and now I was viewing this simple carnal act as something it wasn’t.

See?  A simple explanation; I didn’t really have feelings for him; it was just sex…plain and simple.

Maybe I could actually do this; maybe letting out some sexual frustration would be a good thing. Maybe it really wouldn’t be so bad to continue this with him. He was an adult; old enough to understand that it would only be sex and nothing more.

Just sex…nothing more because that’s exactly what it was.

…………………………………

Riley’s POV

I could smell my mother’s sweet banana muffins accompanied by the warmth of a home I’d lived in my entire life. I snuggled deeper into the soft hand washed sheets and sighed in satisfaction. I could even hear Jerry downstairs; his keys jangling in his pockets as he got ready for work.

This was the life; relaxing with not a problem in the world and living with a family who loved me. This was how it was suppose to be.

I snuggled deeper into the bed, shifting to find a better position and my foot slammed into something cold and hard; like metal.  It felt strange in the comforting atmosphere and I pried my eyes open to investigate only to be dragged back to reality.

 What I’d imagined to be the comfort of my room at home, transformed into a small ratty cell. The banana muffins I’d smelled weren’t banana muffins at all, but the almost tasteless banana porridge all the inmates got for breakfast every morning and those musical keys I’d heard didn’t belong to Jerry at all, but a passing guard.

I sighed in frustration. Sometimes I wished I wouldn’t dream at all; it just seemed cruel to wake up and have none of it be real.

“Bad dream?” Nathan questioned and my heart sped up a little as I looked around.

He sat at the foot of my bunk, scooping porridge into his mouth. He was naked except for his boxers and when I looked down at myself I realized that I was advertising all my goods. I pulled the sheet up to cover my body and dropped my head back onto the pillow.

“No awesome dream; bad reality.” I mumbled and when he didn’t respond I turned my head slightly to look over at him.

He was regarding me with an enigmatic expression.

“What’s wrong?” he questioned and I shrugged.

“Just trying to figure out if you’re getting ready to kill me or give me a hug.” I half joked.

He raised an eyebrow.

“You know…because of last night.” I finished with a blush.

“Neither, I’m just focused on finishing this bowl before it gets too disgusting to eat.” He explained and I looked around spotting another bowl of porridge on the only table in the room. I surmised it was mine and looked to him in askance.

“How come we got our breakfast in here?” This was a first for me.

“It’s a two day lockdown, all meals will be brought to us.” He offered.

“So how do we shower?”

“You don’t…unless you think you can manage with the sink.”

I sighed. We were already in prison why put us through even more punishment?

“Do you think you could get us out of it?” I asked; knowing he had a way of always getting things done.

He looked at me with raised brows.

“Riley I’m a prisoner just like you…I can’t just walk out there when I feel like it.” he said

“Yeah but you’re friends with so many guards.” I justified and he shook his head.

“ Friends is going a bit too far. We have a business relationship, which doesn’t include them allowing an inmate to roam free as he’d like.” He said it as if it was something I should have known and I felt like an idiot for even bringing it up.

I threw the covers off me and blushed when his gaze heated as he stared at my body. When I sat on the edge of the bed and bent to take up my discarded boxer shorts I hissed.

“You alright?”

“Yeah just…just kinda sore.” I told him, my cheeks heating to the point where I had to look away.

He didn’t say much after that and it worried me some.

I made a quick chore of my toiletries and managed to suck down half of the porridge. He watched it all in silence and I felt self conscious the whole time. I had no idea what he was thinking or how he felt about what had transpired between us last night.

What I did know though, was that in the light of day I still felt the almost overwhelming surge of emotion I’d experienced the night before. He was still perfect in my eyes; gorgeous body, amazing smile, intelligent to boot, great hair; eyes, everything. It should be a sin to have so much going for you and it hurt all the more to know I’d probably be denied the chance to enjoy his many elements.

When I was done with my morning routine I sat on the bed, opposite to him but as far away as I could get. I drew my legs up to my chest and leaned against the wall then took a deep breath before I looked at him.

Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed last night… I should have just dropped it when he’d said no, at least that way if I didn’t have more, then I’d at least have his friendship. As I looked at him with absolutely no idea how he felt or what he was thinking I began to really worry that maybe I’d really gone too far.

What if he was just holding it together right now and later he’d blow up over what I’d lead him to do? What if it ruined the already shaky relationship we had? But the biggest question I had was why hadn’t I thought of all this when I was practically eating his face off?

“I’m sorry about last night.” I said then, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth.

He really looked at me then, his eyes piercing mine as he tilted his head in askance.

“What exactly is it about last night that you’re sorry about?”  he questioned and I wondered briefly if that dangerous glint in his eyes when he’d asked the question had been a figment of my imagination.

I looked away in embarrassment as I explained. “You know, forcing you to have sex with me when I knew you wanted nothing to do with it.” I felt so guilty I could have wept.

Nathan’s amused chuckle surprised me and I had to look up to make sure my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me.

“Riley, the devil himself couldn’t have forced me to do something I didn’t want to do. I might have been reluctant at first but I was a willing party to everything we did.” He told me but I found it a little hard to believe.

“But -“

“I’m old enough to know when to take responsibility for my actions. You’ve no reason to apologize, in  any case I was wondering if it’s something you’d like to do again.” He finished and with the way my mouth fell open at his words I wondered if I looked anything like the characters in those silly cartoons.

“You…you want us to….you’re asking me if…” For once the ability to form a proper sentence failed me and I could only stare at him in awe.

“I’m asking what you think about us having sex on a regular basis.”  He said it smoothly as if it was a mundane topic of conversation and even though my heart was just about ready to explode and I felt the joy burst forth inside me I tried to play it cool.

“Yeah… I think I could manage that.” I told him and he nodded thoughtfully.

“So…we’d be kinda like lovers then?” I asked needing to be clear on the perimeters of our new found relationship, if I could even call it that.

“Yeah but first we need to set some ground rules.” He replied.

“Rules?”

“Yes. For instance…what I’m proposing isn’t a relationship. I’m not looking for a boyfriend or a partner, or somebody to cuddle with or express my feelings to. It’s just sex plain and simple. Can you handle that?” he asked me.

“Sure…yeah no problem I wasn’t even considering more than that.” I lied, hoping beyond hope that rule would change somewhere along the line.

“And if at any point in time it becomes more than sex for you then that’s it…We go back to being how it was before.”

“Okay…is that all?” I said trying to make it seem as if it wasn’t a big deal but Nathan had more to add.

“And if we’re gonna do this, it’s just us…completely exclusive …we don’t have sex with anyone else because I’m not about to contract some disease from you because you decide I’m not enough…if you want out…you say so.” He said and I could tell from the set of his expression that this was one rule he was adamant about.

“Yeah of course…I don’t sleep around anyway…you were my first.” I hurried to appease him and even though I knew he must have known that I’d been a virgin before last night, it still seemed as if he was just a little pleased to hear it and it made me feel warm inside and out.

“And of course I’d rather you keep it to yourself.”

“So don’t tell anyone…really  Nathan who am I gonna tell?” I questioned while rolling my eyes.

He looked at me seriously, “There are ways of saying things without actually opening your mouth Riley. What I mean is no public displays…we carry on just like we had before.”

“Telling me all these rules was a waste of time, I wasn’t even thinking of doing those things.” I tried to assure him and after only brief silence he nodded.

“So that’s it then?”

“Unless you have something to add.” He continued and I shook my head.

I sat looking at him for a few minutes. He’d taken up a magazine I’d never seen before and was flipping through disinterestedly. We’d made the deal so I figured why not make my move.

It was almost too good to be true, this change in him; but why question something good?

“So what if I want to kiss you right now?” I said feeling stupid but driven.

He looked up from the page with a raised brow.

“Unless you want to guards to know what’s been going on in here then I’s suggest we leave it for nighttime.” He finished, but I didn’t miss his amused smirk.

That’s when something occurred to me. “Wait…do you think anyone heard us last night?” I felt my face heat. We hadn’t really held back last night; well I hadn’t anyway. I didn’t think I could bear the embarrassment of walking out into the yard in the morning and have everybody look at me like they knew my dirty deeds.

“Doubt it, the block was pretty noisy last night but if anyone heard us they wouldn’t know which cell it was coming from anyway.” He said it with a certainty that reassured me and I sighed in relief.

As we sat in silence once more it occurred to me how quiet Nathan really was. Every time I was alone with him or otherwise I was the one who had to form conversation. He never volunteered information and I figured that if I allowed him to…he’d be comfortable never opening his mouth again.

It was strange that he was like this when I knew for a fact that he wasn’t shy or socially inept. It seemed to be like he was always thinking though and observing what was happening around him. He never said the wrong things or made a fool of himself.

Maybe I should try the silence thing; if it could help me to be even half the guy he was then it had to be worth it.

I leaned back against the wall and tried but exactly a minute in I gave up and turned to him again.

“I can’t believe they’re actually leaving us in here for the rest of the day. I’m gonna go crazy.” I told him.

He shrugged.

If I had to sit in silence with him for the rest of the day I’d probably really commit murder.

“Can we play a game?” I asked him then and he slapped his magazine shut and looked at me. I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or just curious.

“I don’t do games.” He told me in no uncertain terms but I wasn’t having it.

“It’s nothing stupid…it’s like twenty questions…only instead of asking each other twenty question we each get to ask five things…you know, so we get to learn something about each other.” I trailed off and he seemed to consider it for a second.

“I don’t think there’s anything I don’t know about you Riley.” He said and I blushed.

Yeah I tended to talk a lot. He practically knew me now.

“There has to be something you wanna know.” I told him. “Anyway I’ll start.” I said not giving him the chance to back out.

“Do you have a best friend?” I asked him, stretching out my legs so that our feet brushed.

“Yes.”

I sighed. And that was the problem with Nathan, he didn’t offer information so if you wanted to know something you had to get to the meat of the matter.

“Okay, who’s you’re best friend?” I asked again.

“John.” He didn’t hesitate and my eyes widened in surprise.

“John? You mean asshole John who’s apart of the crew?” I questioned, my voice rising a little.

Nathan let out a chuckle, “Yeah asshole John.” He said and I shook my head.

“But why?” I still didn’t understand how anyone could be friends with that dick.

“I don’t know, when they were giving out best friends at the carnival, he was all they had left.” Nathan  said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

“But John’s a dick and he hates me.” I whined. If the best friend hated me then there would be no one on my side when it came to convincing Nathan that I was his perfect match.

“He doesn’t hate you Riley.” Nathan said then, completely discarding his magazine to focus on our conversation.

“Of course he does, what about the time he let me get beat up by Beans, or the way he treated me that first day I joined the crew or what about the fact that no matter what I say or do he always has a problem with it?” I could have gone on an on but I figured my evidence was sufficient.

“Alright then maybe he hates you.” He said with a shrug and I glared at him.

“You’re not helping Nathan!” I threw up my hands in annoyance.

“What do you want me to say Riley? If you wanna know how he feels then ask him.” He said and I glared harder.

Note to self; if ever looking for moral support don’t go to Nathan.

Rather than listen to me any longer Nathan slid down onto the bed, pulled the sheet off me and promptly went to sleep.

I reached up to his bunk and pulled off his sheet to cover myself with and not long after I was asleep too.

…………………………….

The next time I woke it was to the smell of baked beans and potatoes. Apparently the guards had delivered Lunch and as expected, Nathan was already munching away at his.

I didn’t have much appetite for mine which sat on the table but I figured if I wanted to live to see the day I finally got out of here I should eat something.

As with the breakfast, I only managed to get down half before I discarded it. When I stood by the cell door stretching, Nathan spoke up.

“You should try to eat more. It’s a lockdown…we might not get dinner.” But I’d had all that I could take…it wouldn’t be the first time I’d gone to bed hungry and so I shook my head.

Nathan placed his empty plate on the table next to mine and came to stand beside me at the door. He leaned against the wall with one hand holding the bar, then looked at me.

“When are you planning to start some courses?” he asked.

“When I get out of here.” I told him.

“You do know that they offer it here right? You just have to sign up.” He continued.

“I know that but it’ll be a waste for be to start when I’m getting out of here soon.” I said moving back to my seat on the bed.

“Riley, when you get out of here if you want to survive in the world you’ll need an education.” He was beginning to annoy me. “ Yeah and I’ll get it when I’m out.” I said adamantly.

“The sentencing for murder is-”

“Can you just shut up about it already? I said I’m getting out soon so leave me alone!” I shouted. Pissed that he was making me feel even worse about my situation.

I stretched out on the bunk and turned away from him.

“Who’d you kill anyway?” his question came not long after and I bristled.

“Fuck you.” I cursed feeling the tears build. Then I sat up, turning to face him.

“What kinda sick person has sex with a murderer anyway?” I sneered and it angered me even more that my words didn’t affect him.

“It’s just sex right?” he said and for just a second I felt the urge to hit him but it soon passed along with my anger and I leaned back against the wall; spent.

I blinked away the tears refusing to look at him. Sometimes he could be a real asshole; maybe he and John were good for each other after all.

He was beside me before I had the chance to look his way and before I knew what was happening he had kneeled by the bed beside me. He hooked a hand around my neck and brought my face down to his and when our lips met it was just like the night before; powerful and fulfilling yet gentle and heartwarming. Then he pulled away again to pick up his magazine and I had a feeling the kiss had been an apology.

…………………………………

 The rest of the day passed without much cause for concern. I read and napped while he did pushups and threw his ball around. Talking was at a minimal after the episode earlier and to my delight they brought us dinner which I gobbled up in hunger.

Fifteen minutes to lights out I’d managed to spark another question and answer session with him and though clearly uninterested, he humored me.

“So does John know you’re gay or bi or whatever?” I asked on my forth question in.

“Yeah.” He replied without clarifying his sexual preferences.

“Are you gonna tell him about us?”

“Probably not.” He answered and just as I was about to pop another question the intercom came on and the prison warden’s voice could be heard on the cell block.

“For those of you who haven’t realized it yet, this is your warden speaking. I’ll make this brief so you can get back to whatever it is you criminals do during lockup. Now, let me make this very clear; Fighting is not permitted during your incarceration here. The next time anyone is caught fighting the entire block will be on lockdown for a week and the time after that two weeks and so on until you finally  get it in your heads what it means to be civilized.”

A beep sounded over the intercom and just like that the warden was gone.

“Do you think they would be stupid enough to start fighting again?” I asked Nathan.

“Yes.”

And I sighed in frustration; “God I hate this place.”

…………………………………….

Nathan had a pack of cards and he sat across from me with them laid out in the centre of the bed as he taught me how to play poker. He could get his hands on so much contraband that I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled out a cell phone next.

So far I hated poker but I think it was more Nathan’s teaching methods than the game itself that caused the dislike. Suffice to say Nathan wasn’t exactly patient…if you didn’t understand it the first time he explained, it annoyed him and if the second explanation proved futile then you might as well give up because the looks he shot you as he explained again made you  too nervous to make a mistake.

“Ever heard of going slow?” I questioned after I made another mistake and he sighed in frustration.

“If I go any slower we’ll just be sitting here looking at cards.” He made his comeback and I threw the cards down in frustration…It wasn’t like we could see well in the poor lighting anyway.

“I don’t want to play anymore.” I said and he scoffed, raking up the cards.

“Trust me, what you were doing didn’t even come close to playing.”

“That’s because you suck at teaching. I’m glad no one was crazy enough to put you in charge of a classroom.” I insulted then, “Wait what did you do before this anyway?”

“This and that.” was his answer and his vague reply told me he wasn’t about to offer more info.

“Are you gonna tell me why you got in?” I asked instead.

I watched as he stuck the cards back under his bunk but he didn’t answer the question.

 I decided to drop it for now. “Don’t they have spot checks?”

“Yeah.”

“So what happens if they find contraband in a cell?” I shifted on the bunk to face him better.

“Solitary confinement.”

My eyes widened. “Solitary? How often do they check?”

“Whenever they feel like it I guess. They just show up one day.”

“So what happens if they find all your stuff?”

“Solitary.” Was all he said and his nonchalance both annoyed me and made me respect him just a little more.

“You done asking questions?” he asked then and I fought the urge to roll my eyes again and shrugged.

“Then why don’t you come give me a kiss.” He said and I grinned knowing full well that that glint in his eyes meant that it would be more than just kissing going on between us tonight.

                                        AUTHOR’S NOTES

SOMETIMES I WISH MY CHARACTERS WERE REAL ^_^

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-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 9: Pillow talks.

Chapter 9

Riley’s POV

The next few days were spent much like all the others with the addition of our passion fueled nights of course. There was no end to it and the more we carried on the more I wanted him.

My need for him almost crossed the line to addiction but I learned to reign in even my most fervent urges during the day when we had to mesh with the others and even then, sometimes Nathan and I both slipped up.

We’d gotten so accustomed to spending time together; touching and talking, that in the public space of the prison yard, sometimes I’d find myself reaching to touch his hand or make a joke and had to catch myself mid act before the others caught on.

Even this afternoon as we’d sat in the cafeteria eating lunch, Nathan had unconsciously reached over to brush a crumb from my cheek and it was only when he was halfway through the act that he seemed to realize what he was doing and put a stop to it. Luckily the others hadn’t noticed but it made me realize just how difficult keeping the secret had become and I hoped for the sake of what we had that it never got out.

We had to be more careful.

It was with that thought that I sat farther away from him than usual that day. The others didn’t comment on the move but they kept shooting looks between me and Nathan who was, as always, focused on more important things.

He sat scribbling something in a small notepad and I rolled my eyes at him when he looked over at me briefly. Leave it to Nathan to be brave enough to bring a pencil out into the yard. Everyone knew they weren’t allowed out of the library because of the fear they would be used as weapons.

He hadn’t even made an attempt to conceal it and I wondered if it was stupidity rather than courage that led him to act so recklessly.

“You know if the guards catch you with that you’re screwed right?” I spoke up, ever the worry wart when it came to his safety.

He looked over at me as did the others and regarded me with an amused smirk; “I’ve been here two years, I think I can take care of myself kid.” He said and I glared at him.

“Why don’t you give him a hug and a kiss too since you care so much.” John sneered.

You couldn’t remain in his sight for a good five minutes without feeling the urge to wrap your hands around his throat and squeeze until your arms got numb.

“I swear you act like a fucking kid sometimes John.” I retorted and the baldy had the nerve to chuckle.

“I know you have a problem with me being a part of this crew, but I am, so how about you just get over it already cause I’m just about sick of your attitude.” I challenged, fully prepared to get up in his face if he made a comeback I didn’t like.

“You’re both children, now shut up so I can concentrate.” Nathan spoke up cutting off whatever John was about to say and we both turned our glares on him.

“No wonder you’re best friends.” I grumbled.

“What was that smartass?” John started again but Nathan saved me from replying.

“We’re gonna have to ease up on the deliveries for a few weeks, we stretched it out too long this time.We can’t have them getting suspicious.” He said and everyone’s attention was on him in that second.

“Suspicious over what?” I questioned almost immediately but as usual they ignored me.

“We can probably get in three more then, once a month before we leave.” Eddie said and I didn’t fail to catch the look Nathan and John sent his way.

My eyes narrowed. “Leave? Wait, what’s going on? What’d you mean leave?” This time my eyes darted from John, to Eddie, to Nathan and back but neither of them offered an answer, instead Nathan tried to shrug it off as unimportant.

“Don’t read anything into it Riley.” he said then turned back to John.

“I’ve been a part of this crew for months now, why can’t you guys just trust me?” I appealed, hurt by their distrust.

“Trust you? What do we know about you kid? Other than the fact that you’re a murderer who was stupid enough to get caught?” John said and I looked at Nathan for support.

He had none to offer.

“Like I said, it’s nothing to get worked up over.” he said pointedly then I watched as he pushed up from his seat, making his way over to the fence where a guard stood waiting.

I quickly turned away from the others in annoyance. I’d try to get it out of Nathan later but I would be lying if I said I was confident I’d get him to talk.

…………………………………….

Nathan’s POV

I could see the tension set in his shoulders as I made my way to the fence, either he had big news or the operation was getting to him and I hoped it wasn’t the latter. So just in case he was about to tell me something I didn’t want to hear I decided to give him my update first.

“We’re putting the info exchange on hold for awhile, we’ll just sell the contraband for now.” I told him and he nodded in understanding.

“How long will it be this time?” he asked.

“Three weeks, maybe less, I’ll keep you updated.”

“Doesn’t matter anyway, turns out the lead was wrong. The guards aren’t in on it, none of the ones on my shift anyway. They’re clean.” He said and I gripped the fence and squeezed letting out my anger in that way rather than through the string of curses I had lined up in my head.

“Fuck!” one slipped.

The entire operation had just been one fucking disappointment after the other. Two years we’d been on the case, two years with nothing to show for it and in three months we’d be pulled from the op and for what? A few dead-end leads?

I couldn’t even imagine what Diego was going through. He was the one who’d really gone through a lot here. The moment we’d gotten here he’d installed himself into D-Fox’s crew in an attempt to get closer to the leader and it had taken him more than a year but he’d finally made it as D-Fox’s right hand man and it was clearly all for nothing.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now was not the time to come loose.

“You ready to listen?” the guard-and did I mention…good friend David asked.

“Sure go on.” I flicked a wrist in his direction and he continued.

“Alright, so turns out D-Fox really is in on it but only as a side man…the real boss isn’t any of the guards it’s the warden Nate.” He told me seriously and if it was really possible to shit bricks my bowels would be as loose as an overused sock.

“The prison warden?” I hissed, moving even closer to the fence.

“Nate there’s a whole lot going on here than just a simple drug operation.” He told me and the fact that we both knew this operation was anything but simple told me things were getting even more fucked up.

The summed up, not so crazy version of it was that my crew and I, which consisted of over twenty five highly trained agents were selected by the bureau to lead the mission. We’d gotten wind of a large scale drug ring in our jurisdiction and after learning that the big man in charge was an inmate at the prison we’d infiltrated the system, going deep undercover to weed him out.

As difficult as it had been, it would have been a bit easier to handle if it had actually been an inmate who was in charge; but the warden? The one person here who had the badge of one of the most upstanding citizens around and a man with such a reputable character was behind it. It would be even harder to amass evidence on him. He’d been this careful so far and with only three months to go before we were pulled from the op I wasn’t confident we could pull it off.

“I’m gonna need to talk to the captain.” I told David then and he stared at me in surprise.

“You know we can’t bring the captain here, it’ll blow the entire bust.” He told me, looking at me as if I’d lost my mind in the few seconds it had taken him to break the news.

I shook my head. “No, not here. I need to meet him on the outside.”

And he was shaking his head before I could even complete my sentence.

“This isn’t a request David, it’s an order. Make it look like a court appeal date came up for me or something, you’re a smart guy, you’ll figure it out just get me on the outside as soon as possible. I need to have a sit down with the captain. Make sure the guards who escort me are all bureau agents and you need to be there too.” I continued.

“It’s not that easy Nate, the amount of paperwork we’ll have to file. The warden would have had to receive the notice of appeal in advance, signed and stamped by the proper authorities…I can’t have you out of here in just a few days. We’re under the radar for a reason, which means we don’t have the resources we would have if the entire bureau knew about the op.” he went on and if I could reach through the fence to shake him I would have.

“I know all that David, but you were selected to be a part of this mission for a reason so get it done or we’re all screwed, got it?”

“Jesus.” he sighed, then ran a hand through his hair. “I guess I don’t have a choice then. I’ll have to make it happen…somehow.” He continued.

“That’s what I want to hear… we don’t have much time so give me a rundown on what you found…”

…..……………………………….

Riley’s POV

 

I was just sitting there minding my own business when….

I’d always hated it when people began their stories that way, but that was exactly what I was doing when the guy came up to me that day. Nathan was still talking the guard and the others were talking among themselves and I was trying the soak up as much sun as possible when the stranger came up and blocked my rays.

I blinked up at him as he stood there looking down at me. Right off the bat I could tell he wasn’t entirely comfortable to be there and the quick glances he kept shooting John and even Nate who was across the yard told me that maybe it was just a little bit more than discomfort.

“Can I help you?” I asked a bit uncertainly. I recognized him as one of the new inmates they’d brought in about two weeks before but I’d only ever seen him from across the yard.

“Hey Riley, can I talk to you for a minute?” he spoke with a confidence that belied his earlier disposition and I straightened up in surprise when I realized he’d said my name.

“What do you need to talk to him about?” John was the first to speak and I felt that niggle of irritation I always did whenever he opened his mouth.

“Sure, what’s up?” I ignored john and instead focused on what the stranger had to say.

“Ugh…do you think I could talk to you…you know, just us?”

I looked at the others who were watching us, then I looked over to where Nathan stood across the yard and shrugged.

“Yeah okay.” I told him and made the conscious decision not to take our conversation too far away from the guys just in case this was some kind of set up.

He seemed content to stop just a few feet away, far enough so the others couldn’t hear what was being said, but close enough that my crew could keep an eye on us.

“I’m Kyle by the way.” He said when we’d come to a complete stop and I looked down at his outstretched hand and clasped it in my own.

“Riley.” I told him and he nodded with a smile.

“Yeah I know.” He said reminding me that he’s addressed me by name earlier.

I really looked at him then, taking in his size and his youthful features. He looked to be about a year or two older than I was and I wondered if the prison would soon be teeming with young people with the way things were going.

“So what is it?” I asked when he just stood there appraising me.

“I was just…you know…I thought maybe we could be friends.” He said with a small smile and I shook my head.

“You called me over here to ask if we can be friends?” I asked to be certain and he nodded. “I’ve got no time for games.” I said, turning away from him to make my way back over to the others.

This guy was clearly playing at something and I wasn’t going to be the idiot who fell for it but I felt him latch onto my upper arm before I could even take a step and when I whirled around, fully prepared to fight if necessary, I stopped short at the sight of his expression.

“I swear it’s not a game. You don’t know how it feels to be all alone here.” he said softly.

He looked so alone and sincere that I couldn’t bring myself to turn away from him because I knew exactly how it felt to be all alone. I was in his position when I first came and if it wasn’t for my crew I wasn’t sure how I would have survived.

So maybe Kyle was honestly just a lonely guy looking for a friend but that still didn’t answer one question;

“Why me?”

He finally let go of my arm and shrugged in response.

“I don’t know you just seem so…real and… less likely to kill me than the others.” He trailed off with a reluctant chuckle and I offered him a small smile.

I looked at him for a moment. “Okay, well I guess maybe it wouldn’t hurt to make a new friend.” I said still uncertain, but it brought a grin to his face putting some light on the awkward situation.

When we just stood staring at each other I tried to break the silence with small talk.

“So… how’d you get in?” I questioned, certain he wouldn’t tell me but to my surprise he was pretty open.

“Hit and run.” He offered with no visible signs of remorse. “No one was hurt or anything but I’d have still gotten a few years if my lawyer hadn’t worked his magic… so I’m here for three months plus lots of community service when I get out.” He told me and I nodded in understanding.

“You must have a really good lawyer.” Was the only thing I could come up with next.

“Yeah, my dad.”

“Your father’s your lawyer? wow; that’s pretty cool.”

He shrugged.

“What about you?” was his question and I figured I’d tell him just to gauge his response.

“Murder.” I said it as nonchalantly as possible but couldn’t help biting the inside of my cheek as I awaited his response.

“Murder huh?” he seemed to consider it. “So did you do it?”

That was the question that sealed the deal for me. He was the first one who hadn’t heard what I’d done and automatically assumed I was as guilty as they said. Maybe it really would be great having an actual friend here, even if it was just for a few months.

“No I’m innocent. I guess my lawyer just wasn’t as great as yours.” I said in good humor and he took it as such.

“Which cell block are you on anyway?” I asked moving to lean against the wall

“B block dude… I’m on the ground floor.”

I looked at him in surprise. “You’re on my block? How come I’ve never seen you there before?”

He chuckled. “Your cell mate’s got you on such a tight leash I wouldn’t be surprised if you noticed anything at all going on around you.” He finished and I flushed in embarrassed surprise.

“What’re you talking about?” I said trying to play it cool.

“Please, if any of us even look at you the wrong way he looks like he’s ready to tear our heads off.” He trailed off and I felt the blood rush to my face. “Kinda like the way he’s looking at me now.” Kyle continued and I followed his gaze to where Nathan stood.

It was only for a second but I caught him looking before he turned back to the guard and I felt a strange warmth bloom throughout my body.

……………………………………

Nathan’s POV

“Nate are you listening to me?”

I looked back at David who looked just as frustrated as I felt. I was trying to keep my eyes on Riley and his new friend. He’d practically shown up out of nowhere and I immediately didn’t trust him.

What did he want with Riley? And who the hell was he?

“Nate?” David called again and I dragged my attention back to the matter at hand.

“Sorry, what’d you say?”

“I said the cell mate transfer request you put in last month was approved. As soon as the supervisor signs off on it Riley will be out of your hair and on another block.” He explained.

“Shit I forgot about that…I’m gonna need you to cancel that, I made a mistake.” I told him as the buzzer sounded for the inmates to return to their blocks.

“We’ll finish this tomorrow.” I said making my way over to gate that would take the inmates back to the cell blocks.

……………………………………………

Riley’s POV

Late that night Nathan and I lay sweaty and sated after a heated episode. I was resting with my head on his bare chest while he ran his fingers through my hair. I was thinking about how perfect moments like this felt, when he spoke.

“What did that guy want today?” he asked, his voice just a little above a whisper.

“Kyle? A friend I guess.”

“A friend? Nobody just walks up to somebody in this place looking for a friend.”  And I sighed. I had a feeling it would go down this way. Nathan was a very cautious person, almost to the point of pessimism

“I know what you’re gonna say but I think he’s honestly just looking for a friend.”

“I don’t trust him.” Was his predictable reply.

“You don’t even know him, you’ve never even had one conversation with the guy, how do you know you can’t trust him?” I asked, turning my head to look at his face and his hand stilled in my hair.

“Instinct.”

“Yeah well my instincts say I should trust him and I do…and besides, what does it even matter if he has ulterior motives, I’m never gonna be alone with him or tell him secrets or whatever. I’m just gonna be his friend.” I explained and when I turned my head away again he ran his fingers through the strands.

He remained silent for so long that I decided to just ask the question that was rolling around in my mind.

“Are you jealous?” then held my breath as I waited for his answer.

“Is there something I should be jealous about?

“No.” I was quick to answer, “I was just wondering.”

He fell silent once more.

“Kyle said you look at me like I belong to you.” I chuckled when I said it but strained to hear his response.

“Well Kyle is seeing things.” He said but the slight tensing of his body as he said the words told me another story and I fought to keep my grin in check.

“Just be careful Riley, you don’t know anything about this guy.” He said then sounding like his usual serious self.

“If I didn’t know better I’d say you actually care.” I said softly then fell silent not knowing what else to say.

“Of course I care…just because we have rules doesn’t mean I don’t care what happens to you.” He moved to sit up forcing me to do the same and we sat there in the silence with our backs against the wall.

“I’m not some heartless asshole Riley. I might not want anything serious, but I wouldn’t stand aside and watch something happen to you and not do something about it, so if that’s what you’ve been thinking get it out of your head.” He continued his tone one of warning.

I hated when he got serious like this, it always made me feel guilty and it always took a lot to take him out of his mood.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek a little then took a deep breath and tried to change the subject.

“I can’t wait to see Jerry tomorrow.” I told him.  He knew that Jerry hadn’t been able to visit me ever since the lockdown and I missed him.

“What time’s he coming?” he asked and I was glad he let the other subject die.

“In the morning.” I grinned up at him. “He’s bringing me some more novels.”

“That’s something to look forward to.” He commented disinterestedly and I nodded.

The mood from earlier was lost. I could feel the tension in the air and I sighed in frustration. Leave it to me to ruin a great moment.

“Look Nathan I’m sorry I implied you didn’t care, but I don’t think you’re heartless, I know the type of person you are I was just kidding.” I told him but as much as he was playing it down I knew he was hurt that I’d imply that he didn’t care when I knew he did…even if it wasn’t at the level I wanted.

“It’s cool…maybe we should just get some sleep.”

 He slid down into the covers again and I moved to accommodate him.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked then.

“Sure.”

“Are you and the guys planning to escape? Is that what the whole conversation was about today?” I needed to know.

“Jesus, not this again.” He groaned and rolled onto his side and away from me.

“Well are you?” what did he really expect me to think if he was always keeping secrets from me.

“No Riley, we’re not planning an escape, we’re gonna serve out our sentences and leave when we’re legally permitted.” He was getting annoyed now but I felt like I had a right to be annoyed too.

“Then what were you guys talking about then? What did Eddie mean by leaving?”

“You misunderstood… it’s not a big deal…can we just drop this?” he still hadn’t turned around to look at me.

“I wish you’d just tell me…I’m swear I’ll keep it to myself.” I told him, pulling his arm to get him to face me and he finally relented.

“You’ll know everything when the time is right.” He said earnestly and I tried not to doubt his words.

“Would you take me with you if you were escaping?” I think it was desperation that made me ask. I couldn’t deal with it if he left me here and something told me he was lying about the escape situation.

“Riley…” he started in exasperation.

“If you were… if I said…if you were gonna escape, would you take me with you?”

“Yeah…yeah I’d take you with me. Happy now?” he reached up to pull me down to his level and I tried to pull back, giggling like a little girl when his hands started gliding over my ticklish spots.

“Stop.” I was giggling so much I barely got the word out and I pushed against him again trying to dislodge his hold.

“You done asking questions?” he asked. I could hear the laughter in his voice as he continued the assault and I twisted and turned trying to escape his hold but he was relentless.

“I’m done I’m done.” I got out and he stopped, pulling me against him again, this time so that we were spooning and once more I found myself thinking how much I loved these moments.

“You’re the moodiest person I know.” I sighed in contentment and he nipped at my ear lobe.

“I swear I don’t know how I’d manage if you weren’t here, you’ve made it so much easier for me.” I told him honestly.

“You’d be fine.” was his reply but I was already shaking my head.

“No I wouldn’t but I’m glad you’re here…I just want you to know that.” I continued and I got another ear nip as a reward and I laughed at his antics.

“I definitely wouldn’t leave you behind if I was escaping cause you’d drive your next cellmate crazy with all your talking.” He joked and I elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

“Shut up, you just don’t wanna admit  how much you’d miss me if you left me behind.”

“Cocky aren’t we?” he said with a laugh and I wriggled closer to him.

We fell silent after that both lost in our own heads and not long after, his breathing evened out and he was asleep. Our pillow talk was over for the night but I wasn’t sure what to think of it all. I had so many questions and I didn’t know what to do to get him to trust me enough to answer them.

                                             AUTHOR’S NOTES

I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT HOW THIS CHAPTER CAME OUT BUT I’M GONNA WORK WITH IT ANYWAY…LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

KEEP SWEET <3

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 10: Comprehension dawns.

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 10

Two days after our short-lived pillow talk I found myself mopping floors with the rest of the inmates in my service pool. I’d been transferred back to clean up duty yesterday morning after enjoying the easy kitchen work ever since my run-in with Beans and I found myself missing the ease of it all. Wiping floors and cleaning filthy toilets wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.

The only upside to it all was the fact that Nathan and a few other members of my crew were in my service pool and my new friend Kyle was also mopping floors alongside me.

He grinned over at me when the head of our mops slammed into each other and I stifled a chuckle. We weren’t allowed to communicate during clean up. When he winked at me and moved farther away to mop up some spilled drink I continued to watch him; wondering at my luck.

I’d spent the past two days getting to know him and as cliché as it sounded I honestly felt like I’d known him my whole life.

He wasn’t a difficult guy to get along with; he got my corny jokes and while he was guilty of the crime that had gotten him thrown in with the rest of us, he didn’t judge me for my alleged one. I felt as if he sincerely believed I was innocent and it was nice to finally have someone other than Jerry on my side.

I ran the mop over the uneven tiles again and again, flexing my fingers when they started to cramp. I never imagined prison would have gotten a bit easier for me to deal with, who would have thought I could make a friend and gain a lover in this hell hole.

“What’re you smiling at? Get back to work.” Kyle teased when the guard had his back turned.

“That mop isn’t gonna push itself maggot.” I teased right back in my best drill sergeant impression and he snickered right along with me.

“You’re gonna come to the gym with me for REC later right?”

I glanced to my left to make sure the guard on duty was still occupied before I answered.

“Yeah… I’m getting sick of the library anyway.”  I never really understood why people chose to lie for the simplest of things until those words left my mouth. Everybody wanted to fit in sometimes right?

“How come you don’t do REC with your crew anyway? I always see them in the gym but you’re never there.” He questioned while he continued to glide the mop across the tiles.

I shrugged. “There’s no rule that says you hafto do REC with your crew is there?” sarcasm .

“Who knows, never been part of a crew before. I thought you guys did everything together.”

“Yeah well… I can barely stand most of them so the less time I have to sit around and ‘bond’ the better.” I said unkindly; stealing a glance at John as I said the words.

Kyle followed my gaze the tilted his head in askance, “What’s the deal with him?”

“Who John?” I questioned “Nothing if you’re the type of person who likes to argue with assholes on a daily basis.” I really needed to expand my vocabulary, John deserved something worse than the dried up anus of a donkey to describe him.

“That bad huh?” he said thoughtfully and I tore my eyes away from John and settled them back on the task at hand.

“Worse. Don’t even know how Nate can be friends with that sorry excuse for a-”

“Yeah I get it, you hate him.” Kyle chuckled cutting me off mid insult.

I shook my head, wondering how grown ass men still managed to spill their shit on the floor every single day…you’d think they’d have learned basic table etiquette when they’d been on the outside. I pressed harder against the wooden rod, trying in vain to clean the sticky mess off the tile.

“So I was wondering…” kyle trailed off and I looked up at him when I caught the seriousness of his tone, raising an eyebrow as assurance that he could continue.

“Do you think you could maybe get me into your crew?” he asked surprising me.

 After a brief pause I went on.“Trust me you don’t want in on my crew, all they do is sit around and throw insults and judge you for shit you didn’t even do.” I grumbled and he shrugged.

“It’s gotta be better than being alone here…everybody thinks you’re fair game when you’re a solo inmate.”  He explained and I supposed he was right. I’d experienced the horrors of being solo when I’d first arrived after all.

“Why my crew though? they’re so many others to choose from.”  I was genuinely curious.

“Have you seen the criteria to get in? I aint getting myself involved with those other freaks” he hissed and we both looked around to make sure no one had heard him. Things got ugly here for less things than calling someone a freak.

“I don’t know if I can get you in but I guess I could ask Nate for you.” I wasn’t too confident about his chances due to Nate’s distrust of him and I wondered I should just tell it to him straight.

“Time for you to get lost.” A very familiar voice boomed from behind me and I watched as Kyle looked at Nate then at me before taking a few steps away from us. Speak of the devil .

“Got any good books from Jerry?” he questioned then, moving his mop to the pace of my own.

“Why’d you do that?”

“Do what?” he asked. It was totally unlike him to act obtuse and I rolled my eyes at his failure at subterfuge. “With Kyle.”

“I needed to talk to you, he was in the way; there’s not much to tell.” He shrugged and I glanced over at Kyle who was even further away from us than before; making his way through his cleanup alone.

“You didn’t have to be so mean about it.” I retorted and if Nate was in the habit of rolling his eyes I got the feeling he would have. Instead he gave me that typical Nate look that meant I shouldn’t be making foolish statements and I rolled my eyes in turn.

“You know there’s no reason to be jealous right?” I questioned and even though he had yet to admit he was jealous of my relationship with Kyle I wasn’t too simpleminded that I hadn’t picked up on it and damn if it didn’t fill me with those warm tingly feelings I probably shouldn’t even be feeling.

“You shouldn’t assume things.” Was his only answer and I carefully noted that he didn’t deny my words.

“I don’t have to assume something I already know. Kyle is honestly just a friend, I’m not planning to run off into the sunset with him or anything.”

“Hadn’t crossed my mind but now that you mention it; I hope you remember our deal. The minute you decide to look elsewhere for gratification, what we have is over and you’ll have to find yourself a new cellmate.”

I gaped at him, “That wasn’t the deal, you said-”

“That’s the deal now.” He cut me off and when he moved away from me to go find another section of the room to clean I housed the thought of just lifting my bucket and tossing it; dirty water and all, onto him.

Leave it to Nathan to make you feel soft and cuddly one minute and murderous the next. I loved the man but his mood swings were going to be the death of me; I could only hope he somehow developed some vestige of feelings toward me before that fateful day reared its ugly head.

……………………………….

Much to Kyle’s disappointment, I missed REC period that day due to an unscheduled visit from my attorney and after over half an hour with him I left the room feeling just about the same way I did going in; somewhat hopeful but largely glum.

“We’re doing everything we can in persuading the court to grant leave for appeal but I won’t sugar coat it Riley; your situation isn’t the best right now. If only you hadn’t attacked him in front of witnesses.” He’d said; his face contemplative.

“Yeah well, there’s not much I can do about that now is there?”

Weren’t lawyers supposed to make you feel better about your case?

“Just be honest with me; is there any chance at all I might get out of here?” I couldn’t look at him as I asked the words; fearful of what I might see on his face.

“There’s definitely a chance you’ll get out but I need you to write a letter to the judge; it might help your case.” He said and my brows furrowed.

“The courts already received your testimony so you need to go for their hearts; tell them the type of person you are, your dreams, the way you feel about the murder. Anything you can think of to get them to at least consider hearing your case.”

I took a breath and let it out and he gave me a plastic smile. “Get it to me before the week is out; I’ll review it and sent it off.”

He’d left shortly after that and I’d found myself munching on my dinner in silence while all around me the noise grew.

“You okay?” Nathan was the first to ask; his expression was serious as he looked at me and I wondered if it was really concern that I saw in his eyes.

“Stop babying him Nate; he’s gonna be here a long time he’s gonna have to learn to be tough.” John interrupted and with the mood I was in already something told me that if I opened my mouth I’d probably end up with more bruises than I was comfortable with so in a flash I was out of my seat and making my way over to Kyle; where he sat alone.

“Hey dude.” He greeted when I dropped unceremoniously into the chair across from him.

I sighed, dropping my forehead onto the table.

“I’m gonna assume you had a fight with John since he’s looking at you like he’s ready to drag you back over there and pound your ass.” His comment came not long after.

“Didn’t have a fight with anyone…just sick of them. Maybe we should start our own crew.” I grumbled and he laughed.

“Ha! I wish.” He started and I looked at him, “So did you get a chance to ask Nate if I can join?” he sounded hopeful and I was sorry I had to crush it.

“Nate’s not gonna let you in dude. He’s…he doesn’t really trust people that easily.” I told him and his face fell.

“But did you ask him? I’m sure he’ll listen if it’s you.”

“I don’t have to… He told me point blank that he doesn’t trust you. If I ask him now he’ll just say no. Plain and simple.”

He didn’t say anything for a while after that and I knew he was hurt buy my words. Nathan was a dick; they all were and it was days like today that I found myself contemplating just leaving the crew all together.

“Sorry bro.” I said a short while later and I watched in surprise as he pushed up from the seat and went to dump his food tray. When he made his way back over to the table he didn’t sit but instead stopped beside it to address me.

“I have a visitor so I gotta go, but just ask him anyway okay?”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him no so I nodded and watched as he walked away. Right before he was to pass my crew’s table however he shot John a look that I didn’t quite understand and was out the door before I could decipher it.

No sooner had I replaced my head onto the desk than Nathan dropped into the seat beside me and I lifted my head to appraise him.

“You ready to tell me what’s got you acting like this?” were his first words and I shook my head.

“Nothing.”

I expected him to be annoyed but he remained pretty calm as he continued to watch me.

“Really it’s not a big deal…just going through some stuff and I don’t wanna talk about it.” I  even offered him a half smile in good grace and he nodded in what I assumed to be understanding.

“You shouldn’t let John get to you; that’s just the way he is; you’re  gonna hafto get used to it.” He began his next topic of conversation and I turned infinitesimally to glare at John but he didn’t look my way.

“He’s an idiot. I hate him.” I whined and Nate chuckled. I wasn’t sure if it was at my words, expression or the situation on a whole, but I felt myself smiling back at him despite myself.

“He’s not a bad guy when you get to know him.” He tried to convince me.

“Is he one of those guys who shows his affection through insults?” I asked sarcastically and when he didn’t answer but raised an eyebrow in question I shook my head.

“That’s what I thought. He’s an ass, he thinks I’m an ass and we both can’t stand each other…you don’t have to pick up for him.”

He shrugged then and once again chanced the topic.

“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I have a court appeal in the morning so the prison is shipping me out in a few minutes.” He said casually and I felt my lips stretch across my teeth of their own accord.

“That’s awesome Nate! I can’t believe you got an appeal, wow.” I was genuinely happy for him but it would be hours yet before I realized that an appeal meant he could possibly be set free soon and what it could possibly mean for our ‘relationship’.

“So when are you coming back? Do you think you have a strong case? Where are you gonna stay tonight?” I shot the questions without pause and he chuckled; his eyes gleaming with laughter.

“My lawyer seems to think so, they’re holding me in a courthouse cell and I’ll be back by tomorrow evening I think.”

Before I could reply a guard I hadn’t even seen walk up, tapped him on the shoulder and he stood.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said. I wasn’t sure whether I should wish him all the best on his trip, tell him I was gonna miss him or give him a hug so I nodded instead and watched him leave the room with the guard as an escort.

It wasn’t long after that that something occurred to me; I finally understood the look that Kyle had shot John as he left earlier. It was practically the same look I gave Nate on a daily.

I shook my head in disbelief and turned to look at the table the rest of the crew still sat around, letting the realization sink in.

Kyle had a thing for John.

……………………………….

Nathan’s POV

I pulled the book out from my oversized pants pocket and stared silently at the cover. I’d managed to get the copy delivered earlier today and I hoped he’d like it. When the guard cleared his throat to hurry me along I dropped the novel onto Riley’s bunk and turned to go. I watched as he slapped the cuffs onto my wrists and I took a breath.

 Ever since I’d landed the case I’d been hoping for it to just be over so I could get back to my life on the outside but now that I had the chance to escape the confines of the prison for just one night I felt hesitant.

It was strange, but I recognized the hesitation for what it was; it was only for a single night but I would miss him.

As I walked between the two guards who would escort me to the location where I’d finally get a chance to speak with my captain, I realized how much I really didn’t want to leave him here. Not tonight and probably not even when I would permanently be retracted from the prison system a few months from now.

                                          AUTHOR’S NOTES

…AND NOW I CAN FINALLY GO WATCH A MOVIE…ENJOY THE CHAPTER GUYS AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS; THEY ALWAYS MAKE ME FEEL EXTRA SPECIAL ^_^

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 11: Those damning words.

Chapter 11

Nathan’s POV

“Too much has gone into this already Nate, I can’t give you boys anymore time.”

I wasn’t exactly surprised by the chief’s words, after all, we’d had two years to do this and it was only now, with little over two months to go, that we were making a break in the case, but if we didn’t take the bastards down then that would be two years of our lives wasted and I couldn’t live with that. I wouldn’t.

“Sir this could possibly be the biggest case our department has seen in years. This drug op could save the lives of hundreds… no thousands of people, we can’t afford to let it go.”

“You don’t need to sell it to me Greyson, I know what’s at stake but it doesn’t mean there’s a damn thing I can do about it. Not even I can pull those kinds of strings. I gave you two years and now I’m giving you two and a half months. If you don’t get it done then that’s it. Case closed.”

And there in lay the enormity of the load on my shoulders. Two and a half months to take down the highly reputed warden of a maximum security facility.

“Then I guess I don’t have much of a choice then.” I said and the chief turned to look out the floor to ceiling window of his office.

“Eat up Nate, you have a lot of planning to do.”

I glanced down at my uneaten burger and fries; my mouth watering. I hated to partake in this meal when my men were still stuck in that hellhole scrambling for scraps. I sighed and took a bite of the treat while my mind picked and refused ideas that it produced as a way of getting through this predicament on top.

I had exactly five hours left before I’d be carted back to the courthouse and then to the prison and I was both dreading it and anxious to get back. I’d gone over the plans with the chief so many times that it was just about cemented in my mind; now it just had to work and my fear was that it wouldn’t.

I stood and walked around the office, pacing the room for a while; my mind consumed with thoughts of the end result of all our undercover work as well as the steps we would have to take to prevent two years of hell from going down the drain.

It was I tried to process it all that the chief reentered the room. His expression was as it always was; one of dissatisfaction tinged with annoyance and I knew that my next question would only add to his already downtrodden disposition.

“I’m going to need you to get me file on one of the inmates; Riley Parker.”  There was a question in there somewhere.

The chief moved to grab a seat at his desk and shuffled around a few papers before responding.

“Riley Parker, is he one of D-Fox’s guys?”

“No, my cell mate.” I figured I’d just get it out of the way because knowing him, he’d make it his duty to find out anyway.

The boss’s brows furrowed and he leaned forward with sudden interest. “Your cell mate’s in on it? Why didn’t you say so, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to find out what he knows about the warden.” I could practically smell the excitement oozing off him and I hated to be the one to kill his sudden burst of enthusiasm but…

“No he has nothing to do with the operation. He’s completely clueless.” I was quick to explain and I watched as the chief deflated.

“Then why do you need his file?”

“I need to know who I’m sharing space with don’t I? Can’t be too careful.” I said nonchalantly and by the narrowing of his beady eyes I could tell he didn’t buy it for a second, but as was his way; he chose to give me the benefit of the doubt and was already nodding his agreement.

“I can have it delivered here within the hour, now go make yourself scarce, I’ve got a phone call to make.” He issued and I stepped out of the room and into his hallway. This was the second time I’d been to his home office and like the first, I was impressed by its opulence. Looking around at the beauty having a trust fund could get you, I decided I’d take a little tour to kill the time.

…………………………………..

I stared down at the semi thick file before me wondering why I was even investing myself in all this. Where was the Nathan who was always completely focused on the case? The man who pledged never to be sidetracked by things that would only take away from duty? Only a short time left to go and I’d changed so much I could hardly recognize myself and I suppose that was the reason I needed to do this now.

I needed to know who I was dealing with and why it was that I felt as if it were suddenly easy to accept someone who possibly played a part in maliciously ending someone else’s life. I took hold of the edge of the paper file jacket and turned the page; fully prepared to uncover all I could about Riley’s past.

…………………………………….

Riley’s POV

 I never thought it would happen but with Nathan gone Kyle was just about the bravest dude you could find. The minute lunch rolled around he’d somehow injected himself into the crew; chatting up with the guys and making himself at home. It was strange to see, yet somewhat exciting.

I think what surprised me the most was the reception he’d received from the guys; of course with the exception of sour puss John. After their initial shock at his boldness and failure to scare him off they’d simply taken it in stride and an actual conversation was blooming at the usually somber table.

As unfortunate as it was; it said a lot about Nathan. If I hadn’t realized it before then now I was certain that he was the one who kept these guys inline. Sure they had fun when he was around; what with their ‘friendly’ insults (usually thrown my way) and their usually dirty jokes but this side of them was different. More open; as if they’d finally allowed themselves to relax and let go.

As I watched them interact however, I came to the conclusion that while they were freer, they were also wilder and just a little disruptive; a fact which had me glancing back at the guards every few minutes.

I didn’t even think they realized how loud they were getting. I certainly wouldn’t be the one to spoil their fun but I could see why they needed Nate as their leader.

Kyle’s attraction to John also couldn’t be more obvious to me. It was there every time he went out of his way to involve John in the conversation even though he very well knew John just wanted him to piss off, but to be honest if I didn’t know better I’d think dear old Johnny boy was actually enjoying Kyle’s attempts at drawing him out; if the ever present smirks were anything to go by.

Overall it had been a good day. I still wasn’t anymore accepted than I had been before Kyle came along, but it was fun to see the crew interact with my new friend and to welcome him as I had.

Despite it all though, I missed Nathan even more than I thought I would; which was saying a lot. I’d become so accustomed to having his arms around me as I slept, that last night I hadn’t been able to sleep a wink.

I just wanted him back as soon as possible and so my eyes never strayed very far from the large clock that hung on the cafeteria wall in the center of the room. He’d said he’d probably be back by evening.

“I don’t know man, my brother’s crazy. So he jumped off the roof, landed on the-”

I droned Kyle’s retelling of some childhood prank and turned back to the book Nate had left on my bunk the night before. It was actually pretty good and even though I wasn’t really a ‘mystery novel’ type of guy I’d already reached halfway through.

“Nate.”

I glanced up at John’s announcement and a grin that I couldn’t even hope to contain broke out on my face when I saw Nathan walking over to our table. He nodded at John and the others who looked at him in silent question. Then I watched as his eyes narrowed as they roved over Kyle who’d suddenly gone silent before they landed on me.

“Nate we have things to discuss.” John was quick to say, pushing up from his seat but Nate held up a hand to stop him and I watched the two with mild curiosity; my smile not quite as large as it had been before.

“We’ll talk later, I need to have a word with Riley first.” When he said this, it was the first time I’d realized how serious his expression was; even more so than usual and I immediately felt guilty for absolutely no real reason.

I saw John shoot me an annoyed glare before I pushed up and followed Nate to one of only a few empty tables available.

“So…how was your trip?” I asked awkwardly when we sat, cracking my knuckles on the table.

“Insightful.” Was his only reply and when he stared at me looking as serious as I’d seen him in a while, I felt the urge to hold my head down like a scolded child.

“I’m going to ask you one question and I need an honest answer okay?”

Heart thumping. “O…kay?”

“Did you murder your mother’s ex-boyfriend?”  his voice calm but I could sense something just below the surface. Something I didn’t want to tempt.

I didn’t even ask him how he seemed to know the facts, it was plain as day that my answer was the only thing he wanted to hear and as I straightened up in my seat and held his eyes I decided to give him my answer one the last time.

“I didn’t murder him or anyone. I’m innocent.” Don’t flinch. Don’t waver.

He gazed at me for what felt like a long time; as if he was searching for something he was having difficulty finding, then just like that, he seemed to relax and regard me with something that looked just a little bit like acceptance.

“What happened?” he asked then and that’s where I drew the line. I’d spent a long time trying to forget it all and I didn’t feel like rehashing it now and certainly not in a cafeteria teeming with all these people I didn’t even want to see.

“I’ll tell you…but not now. Not today.” I said then glanced around me, looking at nothing in particular.

“You’ve been reading the book.” He commented then and I looked back around taking in his softer expression. I allowed myself to smile, but only a little.

“Yeah.” I held it up to show him how far I’d gotten to.

And then while I had the nerve; on to the question I was dreading to ask. “How did your appeal go?”

Looking back at this moment I’d describe his expression as one of sadness mixed with…guilt?” but as I sat there I thought I saw uncertainty.

“My sentence has been reduced. I’ll be out in two and a half months.” He said fluidly and the pain in my heart at his unexpected bombshell was sudden.

I didn’t know why it was that it shocked me to know that it had gone well and I knew I was being the worst kind of person for not congratulating him right then. Instead I just sat there, staring at him in horror as my mind fully processed his words and their implications.

He was leaving and not just going away for a day leaving, leaving leaving. I swallowed hard against the bitter taste in my mouth and blinked back the tears that just wouldn’t stay away.

I think I even opened my mouth a few times but when no words came I closed it again. It was only after I’d taken a few breaths that I was finally able to get something out.

“That’s a good thing…right?” I’d managed to turn it into a question but I couldn’t help but watch his expression while he answered, hoping that I’d heard wrong and he’d be staying with me.

My selfishness knew no bounds.

When he answered, his small smile was one of pity. “Yeah…yeah I suppose it is.”

I took a breath, then another. “I’m gonna go back to the guys now.” I told him then, pushing up from my seat without glancing his way.

“Are you sure?” I thought I heard concern in his voice but really who cared? He was leaving. It was over.

He followed me to the table where I dropped myself down into my usual seat and he pulled up a chair beside me.  I couldn’t even look at him, instead I focused all my attention on the small slash on the surface of the table before me.

“What’s his problem?” I heard John ask then and I couldn’t even manage to get mad at his condescending tone.

“He got some bad news.” Nate replied and I froze.

Those words. It was those words spoken by Nate that made everything come pouring out.

He got some bad news

Which meant that Nate knew how I felt about him…enough to know that his announcement that he was leaving was bad news for me and it’s what finally tore into me and left me vulnerable. He was leaving and I wouldn’t even have my ‘secret’ feelings for him as comfort; he’d be taking everything with him and it wasn’t fair.

I wasn’t sure when the tears really started; but I could feel the soft sobs wracking my body as I tried to come to terms with everything I’d lose. I wished I could just go to my room, curl up in a corner and let it all out. Instead I was stuck in the crowded room, with my head to the table and my heart breaking.

I felt more than one hand come to pat my back as I cried but I couldn’t tell who were the ones who tried to offer comfort and in that moment I didn’t care. Nate was leaving and it hurt too much to keep in.

“It’s okay Riley, whatever it is, we’ll deal with it okay? I’ll help you.” I heard Kyle whispering the words in my ear and I imagined it was his hand that was forming circles in the center of my back. There was someone else’s hand patting my shoulder and yet another running through my hair and I thought it ironic that the one time my crew had decided to show they cared was the one time I just wanted them to all disappear.

When my sobbing died down minutes later I still kept my forehead on the table; too ashamed to look up at anyone as I sniffled and felt sorry for myself. The first thing I noticed was that no one around the table said a word. Then I felt a hand on my arm and realized Nate was saying something to me.

“Are you okay?” he was asking.

Of course I wasn’t okay. The man I loved was leaving in two months and with my luck I’d probably never see him again, but I nodded anyway and his hand fell away.

I heard him push up from the table and someone else left with him but I just sat there; feeling cold and empty and heartbroken.

 It wasn’t long after that that the buzzer sounded for REC period and I pushed up from the desk. I caught the concerned faces of my crew mates but I didn’t know what to say to them so I just followed the crowd that would take me to the library. I needed to be alone with my books.

On my way there I spotted Nate standing against the far wall; in deep conversation with John and I quickly looked away. Seeing him brought back too many unspent emotions and no one needed a repeat of my earlier behavior.

The quietness of the library allowed a calm to descend over me but it wasn’t long before I had company. Kyle; the hater of books and all things educational, dropped into the chair across from me; his expression concerned, yet hopeful.

I didn’t have the heart to send him away.

“You wanna talk about it?” he asked then and I found that; yes. I actually did want to talk about it; I needed someone to share in my troubles and Kyle seemed like the perfect candidate.

“Nate’s appeal came through. He’ll be a free man in two and a half months.” I said fidgeting with my hands. It hurt like hell to think it but somehow saying it made it feel worse. More real.

“And you don’t want him to go.” Kyle surmised and I nodded.

“You don’t have to say it, I know I’m a selfish bastard. I should be glad he’s getting out of this fucking hell hole right?”

“Who says?”

“Huh?” I asked in confusion.

“Who says you should be glad he’s leaving? You care about him right?”

I nodded.

“Then you should show what you feel. You shouldn’t have to be happy he’s leaving just because that’s what society says you should feel. You know what I think?” he asked finally and I shook my head.

“I think it makes you real; at least you’re not lying to yourself and everyone else about what you’re feeling and that’s one of the reasons I like you; you’re just so open.”  He finished and I nodded; not really sure I even wanted to take the compliment.

I sighed blinking back fresh tears that had just come up out of nowhere.

“Nate’s leaving and then you’ll be gone too.” I told him and my heart clenched.

“Do you want me to stay?” Kyle asked and for a second he looked so serious that I raised my eyebrows in askance.

“What? I’m sure I can find a few cars to total and innocent people to run over. I’ll be back in no time” He joked and I was laughing despite myself.

“But really Riley, you’ve got two and a half months left with him. I say you should try to make the best of it and when it all ends and he has to leave, you still have me. I’ll visit so often you’ll get tired of me.” He encouraged and I reached over to give his hand a squeeze.

“And hopefully if everything goes the way I hope it will, I’ll be visiting John too.” He said with a wink and my eyes widened.

“So you actually like John? I knew it!”

Kyle actually blushed and I laughed.

“He’s a grouchy son of a bitch but I can handle him.” He said then and as we talked I was glad I’d decided to confide in him. For just an hour I was able to forget about my problems and it felt good.

…………………………………….

We hadn’t talked much as the day had dragged on and I’d opted to sit with Kyle after they’d allowed us a second hour in the yard after REC. As we were both ushered into our cells for the night I couldn’t avoid him but that didn’t mean I didn’t try.

I climbed onto my bunk, turning to face the wall and hoping he’d just leave me to myself for the night. My brain still craved the time to process the events of the day and whenever I was near him it seemed to scramble.

I didn’t get my wish however, when I felt my matrass dip and I surmised that he was about to crawl in next to me.

“No, I just wanna be by myself tonight.” I said without looking back.

There was a pause then. “Tough.” He said and in no time he was pushing me over so he could fit comfortable in the small space and I felt his arm wrap around me, just like he always did before we went to sleep.

All was silent for a few minutes before I chose to break it.

“I guess I should say congratulations huh?” I whispered into the night.

“I’ll visit you you know.” Was his answer and I was shaking my head before he completely got the words out.

“I don’t want you to visit.” Might as well make a clean break; less heartache that way.

“I’ll visit anyway, and I’ll bring you some of my mom’s famous carrot cake; you’ll love it.” I could hear the smile in his voice and I smiled into the pillow.

He nipped at my ear and I pulled away. “And I’ll get you all the candy you can eat.”

He nipped at my ear again and this time I giggled. He was trying to make me feel better.

“And I’ll even get you some of those romance novels you love so much.” He continued and nipped again. This time I laughed.

“I don’t read romance novels.” I chuckled out and despite my earlier resolve, I found myself nestling closer to his warmth. His arms tightened. It was rare for Nate to get this playful. I loved moments like this.

“Nate?” I asked after another moment of silence.

“Hmm?”

“What’s the first thing you’re gonna do when you get out?”

“Buy a dog.” He didn’t hesitate; he knew exactly what he wanted but his answer surprised me and I found myself chuckling.

“A dog? I’d probably go buy ten boxes of pizza; burgers, fries; all the shit we can’t get in here and stuff my face with it.” I confessed and he nipped again.

“I’ve always wanted a dog. What about you?”

“Who told you I like dogs?”

“Everybody likes dogs.” Was his illogical answer and I smiled.

“Tell that to all the crazy cat lovers.” Then I sighed, “I don’t know, I like anything small and cute.” I offered and he laughed.

“I should have known.”

“I could see you with a Husky.” I told him. He reminded me a wolf sometimes; strong, fierce, possessive.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I responded.

“Maybe I’ll get one then.” And we both fell silent again.

I could imagine Nate outside the prison walls, walking his dog in the mornings, nursing a cold beer in some bar on a hot night; just enjoying his freedom. When I used to picture it; there hadn’t been a dog, but I’d been there with him. I suppose now that’s all it would ever be; a figment of my imagination.

“Guess you’ll want to settle down with a nice guy huh?”

He didn’t answer right away and I wished I could turn around and watch the expressions crossing his face but I remained where I lay.

“I’m not the settling down type.” He finally answered and I didn’t know whether I should be sad for him or glad that he wouldn’t be taking up with some romantic soul when he got out.

“Me neither.” Not anymore.

“You gonna make me beg for that kiss or what?”

I smiled at his words, turning to give him what we both wanted. I started at his lips; just a peck, then his cheek, his nose, his eyes and his forehead until he was chuckling at my antics; then I was back to his lips; kissing him with all the gentleness I could muster. I wanted him to know how much I’d miss him when he left.

I needed him to know how much I cared and so I poured it all into the kiss. Slow and steady. Gentle and heated and sweet, until our lungs filled and we had to break apart to catch our breaths. Then we were at it again. Kissing, just kissing, no roaming hands or rubbing bodies. No hungry moans or naked flesh; just kissing.

It felt right and I felt safe and for whatever brief time it would last for; I felt happy to be with him, in his arms, my lips on his. It wasn’t long after that my lids got heavy and my lips fell from his. I loved him; I knew it with everything in me and I wished I could remain with him forever.

What I didn’t know however was that as my eyes drifted close, I whispered those three damning words to him. I didn’t feel it when he pulled away from me when he heard them and I had no idea that it was hours before Nathan would fall into a deep sleep and that when he did it was with my whispered words on his mind.

                                     AUTHOR’S NOTES 

THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE POSTED SOON!

HOPE YOU LIKED IT! DON’T FORGET TO CHACK OUT MY OTHER STORIES AND THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT GUYS!

sHoUtoUT: To catsare_mylife who was just as excited as i was to post the new chapter tonight <3

-DoUbLe.A -unedited.

Chapter 12: Solitary.

Chapter 12

“Is he looking over here?”

I glanced over at the table where my crew sat, then back at Kyle.

“No he’s still talking to Nathan.” I told him with a shake of the head.

Kyle looked crest-fallen and I sought to cheer him up. “Maybe they’re just having an important conversation.” I tried but Kyle wasn’t convinced.

“I was so sure he liked me but no matter what I try he doesn’t really react.” He said then seemed to think about it for a second before looking up at me with wide eyes. “Shit, do you think he’s straight?” he exclaimed, his eyes darting to John, then back to me.

I stared at him in surprise. “How should I know? I thought he told you he was gay or something, you’ve just ben assuming this whole time?” I questioned in disbelief and Kyle’s frown deepened.

“I don’t know, I just went with my instincts.” He mumbled and I shook my head. “Plus he barely even talks to me, so there’s no way I can just go up and ask him if he’s gay…what if he’s not and I piss him off?” he continued then glanced at John again. “Have you seen the size of him?”

I shrugged. “I say screw John, I’m sure you can find somebody else, who’s actually friendly and decent and isn’t likely to crush all your bones with a single hug.” I went on bitterly, my hatred of John never far from the surface.

“God, imagine me getting a hug from him.” He shivered then his eyes went all dreamy and I turned away from him to glance back over to the table.

Like John, Nate hadn’t glanced my way since lunch started either, as a matter of fact, he’d been strangely distant all morning. He hadn’t said a word to me when we woke up; even after I’d practically chattered his ear off and when I asked him a question he’d answered in monosyllables or not at all.

At first I’d chalked it up to him just being a grouchy morning person, but as they day had progressed I’d changed my mind about a hundred times already.

“Does Nathan seem…different to you today?” I asked Kyle, who seemed to be having difficulty tearing his eyes away from John to face me.

“I don’t know…he’s emotionless, unsmiling, glaring at everybody…I’d say he’s acting like he always does.” He shrugged and I nodded slowly.

“But he hasn’t said a word to me all day and he was looking at me weird earlier.” I told him and Kyle rolled his eyes.

“No dumbass, he was looking at me weird…he probably thinks I’m out to steal you away or something. No offence dude, but I prefer my meat muscular, tatted and grouchier than a motherfucker.” Kyle said describing John perfectly.

“I’ll never understand what you see in John…he’s a dick and he hates me for no reason.”

“And I’ll never understand what you see in Nathan, he’s an emotionless dick who hates me just because I’m sexy.” Kyle said with a smirk and I chuckled.

“You’re such a girl.” I commented but Kyle’s response was to wink and turn his attention back to John…who still had yet to even glance this way.

“You know, I think we could round up a space at our table for you twinks…no point in letting all this fresh meat go to waste.”

I looked up in shock when I heard Beans’ voice and started pushing up from the table so I could get out of his reach. He stood hovering over our table, a smirk pasted on his pudgy face.

“Keep dreaming asshole.” Kyle said in a bored tone and I glanced back at my companion in shock.

“Shut up Kyle, let’s go.” I told him, pulling at his sleeve to get him out of the chair.

My eyes darted back to Beans who looked puffed up and ready to beat the shit out of Kyle, but Kyle remained seated…not an ounce of fear in his expression.

“You should listen to your friend boy, I’ve killed men for less.” Beans spat and my heart kicked up a notch.

Kyle shrugged my hand off his arm. “Why are you afraid of this tool? You know what I don’t like?” Kyle spoke, turning to face Beans, “Assholes like you who think you have the right to boss people around just because you got on a few extra pounds. Gimmie a break.” He said and before I could blink, Beans fist smashed into Kyle’s face, causing him to topple over.

He landed with a thud and a groan but was up again in a flash and seemed ready to fight.

“Don’t be a fool Kyle, come on.” I grabbed his shirt again and pulled and he turned to me for a second, “You shouldn’t let them boss you around Riley.” He said, shrugging my hand off again.

I was shocked that the entire cafeteria hadn’t noticed what was happening yet. Only a few inmates looked on; everyone else seemed caught up in their own worlds and I searched desperately for the sign of a guard.

“Hey Beans calm down, he’s an idiot, he can’t help it.” John suddenly appeared, stepping between Kyle and Beans as he said the words.

Beans, glared over at us, his eyes looking murderous but he spotted the guard the same time we did and fell back a step.

“You better keep them safe Johnny boy, because the moment I catch them alone…” he trailed off then and turned to make his way over to his table.

John turned to us then, looking more pissed than I’d ever seen him.

“I know you don’t use your head much, but if you’re gonna do something stupid, how about you leave my crew mate out of it?” John said to Kyle who stood, holding his cheek and glaring back at John.

When he walked away looking disgusted on top of the attitude, I turned to Kyle, “What an asshole.” I said, expecting him to agree but Kyle’s glare melted the second I said the words and his expression softened.

“Did you see that? He practically saved my life.” Kyle said in awe and I raised a brow.

“No, the guard saved your life, John was a jerk to you remember?” I tried to get him to understand but I knew I’d lost him when his eyes got all dreamy again as he stared off into the direction John had gone.

“I knew he had to care about me and of course he was pissed, wouldn’t you be if someone you cared about did something like that?” Kyle questioned and I stood staring at him in disbelief.

“I don’t mean to burst your bubble Kyle, but John is incapable of caring and why’d you do that anyway? Beans could have crushed you.”

“Because I’m sick of the way those assholes treat us. Like they can just walk all over us. Aren’t you?”

“…Well yeah but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna sign myself up for my own death.” I countered and Kyle rolled his eyes.

When he moved his hand from his cheek I could see that it had already started bruising. It was going be a nasty one by the looks of it.

“Shit. He hits like a fucking truck!” Kyle exclaimed then, scrunching up his eyes as he touched his cheek.

“How about you two get your asses to the table and stop causing problems for yourselves.” A voice spoke up. Eddie stood before us with his arms crossed. He didn’t looked too pleased and after giving him a sheepish smile I grabbed Kyle’s arm and pulled him along with me over to the rest of the crew, who sat watching our approach.

My eyes fell to Nate who didn’t even glance our way. John was saying something to him and he was nodding in response, then they both turned to glare at Kyle which just pissed me off.

Why couldn’t John just get a life!

I dropped down into the chair directly across from Nathan and Kyle grabbed the seat beside me. “I swear you’re a magnet for trouble Riley.” One of the guys said with a chuckle and I felt my face heat.

“Beans is a fucking joke; I can’t stand him.” Kyle said bitterly and when John snorted I glared at him but Kyle seemed to take it in stride; gazing at John as if he’s hoisted the sun.

I shook my head, glancing back at Nate who was watching Kyle with an expression akin to confusion, then as I watched something seemed to click and his eyes widened as he looked between John and Kyle.

He’d finally figured it out it seemed and when Nate’s gaze settled on mine; his brows lifting in askance I nodded.

Now we both knew that Kyle had a thing for John and I wondered how long it would take the others to realize it too.

I offered Nate a small smile then, happy to finally have his attention and at first he looked like he was about to return it but his face fell flat and he turned away from me, his mouth tightening.

I swallowed hard…confused by his behavior and without really thinking about it, I reached across the table and grabbed hold his hand.

“Are you okay Nate?” he seemed surprised at my actions but when he glared down at our joined hands I quickly let him go, realizing that the others had a front row seat to my little display.

My cheeks warmed and John’s eyes narrowed.

Kyle was the first to speak. He cleared his throat then addressed John. “Thanks for what you did out there.” He said; a smile blossoming on his handsome face but John being John cut it down pretty quickly.

“I didn’t do it for you so don’t get your panties in a twist.” He snarled and forgetting my problems with Nate for a while I turned to address him.

“Why do you always have to be such a dick? Didn’t you get enough of that in your lifetime?” I shot back and Nathan pulled John back into his chair when he made to lounge toward me.

“I don’t know what Kyle even sees in you, you’re nothing but a sad excuse for a human being and one day karma is gonna find your ass and I hope I get a front row seat to all the shit it’s gonna dish out.” I retorted.

It wasn’t until I finished my tirade that I realized I’d just outed Kyle and I glanced over at him wide-eyed.

“Oh shit.” I said, covering my mouth but it was John’s expression that took the cake.

He looked at Kyle in shock, then he looked at the others at the table who were just as surprised by my outburst before he settled back into the chair to glare at me.

“You just outed your friend and I’m the dick?” he said calmly and I felt the shame burn through me at his words.

“At least he has the balls to say what’s on his mind!’ Kyle spoke up, surprising me when he came to my defense. “Riley just told you I like you and you can’t even look at me. Are you gay or not?” Kyle asked then and I swear this table had never had such a drama filled meal.

We all glanced at John who was now looking at Kyle as if he wanted to reach across the table and pummel him. Then he glanced at Nate who shrugged in answer and I wondered what strange silent question had passed between them.

I turned to look at my friend who had his gaze focused entirely on John but to my surprise John had no retort to offer. We all watched as he took up his fork and continued his meal as if no bombs had just been dropped.

“How about we just get back to our fucking food.” He mumbled after a few minutes of silence passed and just like that, the others turned away from him, and the scraping of utensils sounded.

 Kyle turned to me then and I saw the hope shining in his eyes as a small smile formed on his lips. I think we had our answer.

………………………………..

One day later

I hated mopping floors. Give me kitchen duty, let me rake up leaves in the prison yard, I’d even clean the damn bathrooms, anything but mopping floors; especially when Nathan was just a few feet away and I wasn’t allowed to talk to him.

I knew he was moody; everyone knew, but to be completely ignoring me when I’d done absolutely nothing to deserve it? I just couldn’t understand him. I’d tried to have a conversation with him the night before but after giving me the usual one worded answers then brushing me off altogether he’d hopped up onto his bunk and promptly gone to sleep.

After weeks of sleeping together he’d just completely disregarded me and in turn hurt my feelings. I’d tried talking about it with Kyle but he had just about as many answers as I did, plus he had his own ‘John issues’ to sort out.

I sighed, running the mop over the same stain patch I’d been trying to clean for the past five minutes. It was no use; I couldn’t get rid of the stain; no more than I could get rid of the nagging feeling that I’d done something to upset Nathan.

I abandoned the stain, gliding the mop over the floor as I moved closer to where Nathan worked. Up ahead I spotted a guard talking to his colleague, an inmate angrily wiping up a spill he’d made when his bucket of soapy turned over, Kyle annoying John into talking to him and Nate pushing his mop back and forth over the filthy tiles.

I inched closer still, needing to get a chance to confront him. There was no way I was wasting the short time I had left with him with us not talking to each other. No way in hell.

When I was close enough to speak without being overheard I stopped inching closer.

 I glanced over at him. “Nate.” I whispered.

“This isn’t the time for talking Riley.” He whispered back.

“Why are you being like this?”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he turned to me, still pushing the mop back and forth. “Do you remember the rules we made that morning? The night after we-”

“Yeah I remember, what about them?” I cut him off, the raised my brows in confusion.

“What did I say would happen if you broke one?” he asked then. His voice had hardened and my heart sped.

“But I didn’t break any, I swear.” I hissed, focused more on him now than the work we were supposed to be doing.

“What did I say would happen?” he asked again, this time more forcefully and I cringed.

“That we’d go back to the way it was before?” I said and he nodded.

“Well now you have your answer but I know how you can get, so until you accept that what we had is over, I’d prefer if we keep contact between us to a minimum understood?” he said again and I felt that sudden, intense pain in the region of my heart.

“But…but I didn’t do anything. I swear I didn’t tell anyone about us or anything!”  My words came out a little louder than I’d anticipated and I watched him look to where the guards stood.

When he looked back at me, his eyes had narrowed into slits. “You’re in love with me.” He said simply and I felt my face heat as the horror of what he said sunk in.

“No I’m not!” I retorted unconvincingly and when he gave me that knowing look I deflated.

“Did Kyle tell you?” I asked in a small voice and when he stood looking at me, his face devoid of emotion I suddenly felt lost.

“Kyle didn’t tell me anything. You did…in your sleep and now you’ve confirmed it.”  He looked so serious and I knew that no matter what excuse I gave or how much I pleaded he wouldn’t budge but I tried anyway.

“But it doesn’t change anything. We can still be together, I won’t ever bring it up Nate I swear!’ I’d given up even the pretense of cleaning and it was only when Nate pointed to the mop in my hands that I started again.

My heart felt so heavy that I feared his next words.

“Like I said before. I don’t do love and what we have won’t amount to anything Riley. No matter how much you want it to.” He told me. His tone wasn’t as sharp as it had been before but I felt his words pierce me.

“I know that. I know Nate I really do.”

“No you don’t. If you did you wouldn’t be setting yourself up to get hurt. This is the best way and I’m not budging on this.”

“I don’t care if I get hurt, who do you always get to make the decisions? Why can’t you just let everything stay the way it is?”

“Because it would be cruel.”

I felt my bottom lip start to wobble and the tears filled my eyes.

“Stop it!” Nathan hissed when he saw that I was about to cry and it only made the tears come faster.

“Riley don’t start.” He warned and in that moment I felt an anger I didn’t know I harbored, rear up in me and show its ugly head.

I flung the mop and it landed not far away. Nathan swung around to see if the guards had noticed, then he looked back at me in surprise.

“What are you doing?” he hissed and I stepped away from him.

“Why can’t you just admit that you care about me? Why do you always have to push me away?” my voice sounded foreign to my own ears.

I hurt so badly for him and just the thought of him wanting to end the beauty of what we had scared me.

“I can see that you care about me Nate, I can feel it…you couldn’t kiss me the way you do without feeling something. Just admit it!” I hadn’t gotten loud yet but I watched as Nathan glanced around to see if anyone was taking in our argument.

He walked the short distance and snatched my mop from the floor then thrust it toward me.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Take this before you get yourself into trouble.” He ordered and I stepped even further away from him.

His eyes widened.

“Riley.” He snapped.

“No I’m not taking it until you admit it.” I told him, the tears had already stopped flowing as my anger took over and I watched as Nathan became increasingly flustered.

“We had sex Riley, that’s all it was, Jesus I knew I shouldn’t have gotten involved with you!”

That hurt. I had to admit. It hurt me something terrible, but I knew he was lying; I could feel it to my very soul. He cared about me. He had to.

“What’s going on here, why aren’t you working.” A guard finally appeared and I felt no fear as I gazed at Nathan who once again held out the mop for me to take.

I shook my head. “No, just admit it. Please Nate, stop being like this.”

“Get back to work.” The guard issued and I watched him pluck the mop from Nathan’s hand and drop it onto the floor at my feet.

I shook my head and stepped back.

“Riley, don’t be stupid, pick it up.” He sounded anxious as he said it and when he took a step in my direction, the guard shoved him back, then he spoke into his little radio and Nathan’s eyes cut to mine.

“Riley do you have any idea what you’re doing? Take it up!” this time Nate shouted the words. He was getting angry at me when he was the one who was doing this.

“I can’t believe you can’t just say it.” I whispered; hurt.

“If you don’t take it up and get back to work right now, you’re going to solitary.” I vaguely heard the guard’s words as I looked at Nathan.

I loved him so much, more than I could even explain and he couldn’t even do this one thing? I turned away from him then and before I could bend to pick up the mop I felt something slam into me and I was shoved to the ground, then my arms were being forced behind my back and I heard Nathan shouting something. I couldn’t hear over my breaking heart.

When they hauled me up from the ground, I caught a glimpse of two other guards holding Nathan back as he shouted something my way and it was then that I realized I could’nt hear him because of my sobbing.

I felt so heart broken, no matter how hard I tried with him it was like I was getting nowhere. I fought to put one foot in front of the other as I sobbed my heart out in front of the on looking inmates.

……………………………

My tears had long since subsided by the time they pulled me to a stop before a metal door but that’s when my struggling began. When I saw the room they planned to leave me in I fought, fear lodged into my throat. It was dark, I couldn’t make out a window and only a small bed sat bolted to the wall.

They couldn’t lock me in here, I felt the claustrophobia taking hold as they shoved me in and the door slammed shut behind me. I clawed and screamed and slammed my fists against the door. I couldn’t hear anything on the other side, I felt trapped and alone in the dark room.

I had to get out

I had to get out.

I pounded then pounded some more, until my hands burned and my throat hurt, then I slid to the floor and cried and even though I was trapped and afraid, it was still Nathan’s rejection that caused the tears to keep flowing.

………………………………………

Nathan’s POV

“Do whatever you have to, I don’t care just get him out of there.” I ordered the undercover guard who was already shaking his head.

“Nathan I told you, I have no ties with anyone in that department, do you have any idea how suspicious it would be if I walked in asking for favors? There’s nothing I can do!” his voice had risen in his frustration and I wished I could reach through the fence and shake some sense into him.

“I can’t let him stay in there! There must be something you can do, just think!” I was getting desperate but he was still shaking his head.

“The only one who has the power to get him out of solitary is Harrison.” He said, then pointed to the guy patrolling the parameter. “And he’s a mean son of a bitch, there’s no way he’d do me any favors. I’m sorry Nate but there’s nothing I can do.”

Before he could offer anymore apologies I was making my way over to the other side of the prison yard and up against the fence.

“Sir!” I hissed, careful not to alert anyone to my intentions.

“Sir!’ I tried again,  I figured being respectful from the get go would earn me brownie points and this time Harrison looked my way, his eyes narrowed but he continued to walk, making no attempt to get any closer.

“Please sir, my cellie’s in solitary. I need you to get him out!” I hissed again and this time Harrison turned away from me completely and quickened his pace with a shake of his head.

I followed, him, matching his pace on the other side of the fence.

“Please, he won’t survive a few days much less two weeks in there! I’ll do anything!”

That was when the guard slowed, he turned to look me up and down then slowly made his way over to where I stood, my fingers gripping the fence.

“If your cellie’s in solitary then that’s where he deserves to stay. What could you possibly offer me to make me free him?” he sounded scornful and though I knew that bribery was a sure way to get me thrown into solitary along with Riley I had to try something.

“I have cash…on the outside. I could make some calls and have it wired to your account.” I told him.

Harrison looked me over again, he didn’t look pleased with my offer and I tried again.

“Just name the amount” Men had gone into solitary for little over a day and had to be admitted to the psych floor. That’s what solitary was meant to do; drive you crazy; Riley wouldn’t be able to handle it.

I never thought I’d ever find myself in such a position. Pleading with some asshole like some weakling and yet here I was practically falling over myself to get this man to do this one thing for me.

A moment of silence passed where the man looked around then stepped closer. He shocked me by reached through the fence to pull the front of my state issued shirt from my loose pants and I stepped back in confusion.

“There’s only one thing you can do to get your friend out of solitary and it has nothing to do with our bank accounts.” He had lowered his voice and I took another step back, looking on at him in disgust.

“Fuck you.” I said then and Harrison shrugged.

“Then your friend can stay there and rot for all I care.” He said and I felt my blood run cold.

I took a deep breath, then grit my teeth as I stared at the man; my eyes glinting.

“Wait.”

……………………………………….

Riley’s POV

They told me I had been locked in for about four hours but it had felt like days. I didn’t understand why they’d let me out so early, I’d been given two weeks of solitary but I was so relived I didn’t question it.

They’d had to patch up my bruised hands at the sick bay before they could escort me back to my regular cell and by then, I was on emotional overload. I felt like I’d gone through more than any human being should ever have to experience and I felt like just one more bad thing, one whisper of bad news or a miss placed word would drive me over the edge.

My cuffs were removed when we finally reached my cell and the first thing I noticed was that Nathan wasn’t there. I assumed he’s gone to meet with a visitor and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I couldn’t stand seeing his face right then. He was nothing but an uncaring bastard and I wished I could just erase the feelings I had for him; it hurt too much to care.

                                         AUTHOR’S NOTES

  I CAN FEEL THE MIXED VIEWS COMING FROM YOU GUYS ALREADY. THIS SHOULD BE INTERESTING ^_^

I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER.

IF YOU’VE READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTES PUT A HEART <3 AT THE END OF YOUR COMMENT!

LOVE YA AND KEEP SWEET. I’LL TRY TO UPLOAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

                                        PLEASE READ THE MESSAGE BELOW!

I’ve received a few messages from my fellow readers, ‘literally’ begging me not to let Nathan do ‘the dirty deed’ and a few of you aren’t taking it very well at all; so i’ll tell you what i’ve told another reader;

Keep in mind that this story isn’t a supernatural novel which means that i’m trying to keep it as realistic as possible and in a prison setting things like this happen more often than you think. i’m not a fan of stories that are built on all good experiences and everything is all sunshine and happiness because simply put; real life is far from that.

Sometimes you’re gonna have to deal with some terrible situations in life that will hopefully meld you into a better person.If Nate does this for Riley it tells us all how deeply his feelings run; not many people can love like that; it won’t make him a cheater and it won’t make him a bad person. I’m certainly not saying that Nate will be ‘doing the dirty deed’ with Harrison…right now anything can happen….What i’m trying to say is; as human beings you cannot allow every bad thing to affect you so deeply guys.

I do cherish every one of my awesome readers however and at times i do take their wishes into consideration but right now i’m trying to do what’s best for the plot and character development .

Bottom line is; In the next chapter you might find that Nate hasn’t had sex with Harisson or you mayfind that he has, so whatever i decide will be what i think is best…just be prepared.

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 13: Cover..blown.

Chapter 13

Nathan’s POV

 My cover was as good as blown.

I had been in some deep shit before but this took the cake…by far. I watched as the little coward of a man; Harrison, sat shaking in his little corner as I trained his gun on him. A coward with not a lick of sense.

“You really thought I’d let you fuck me?” I asked in disgust. I still found it a little hard to believe that a man like him could look at me and expect me to stoop to his level; it was grotesque.

I’d planned to get him to do as I wanted somehow, but I’d never imagined it would be so easy; The fool just stripped, dropping his clothes; gun and all onto the ground beside me.

I shook my head again. “You should have just taken the cash.” I told him then.

He still hadn’t said much in the short time we’d been in the small room but that was about to change.

“Now, this is what I need you to do.” I began and he glanced my way with narrowed eyes. “Put on your shit, go to the door and call out to the first guard you see, tell him to escort prisoner 266 back to his cell right away. Then you’re gonna close the door and grab a seat back in your little corner until I say otherwise, understood?”

He was quick to nod and I watched as he gathered his clothes and pulled them on clumsily, then he walked over to the door.

His hand froze on the nob when I spoke. “If you try to alert the guards or make any sudden movements I’ll kill you right where you stand.”

“If you kill me you’re a dead man; every guard in here will be on your ass like that.” He said with a snap of his stubby fingers and I scowled.

“Which simply means neither of us will get out of here alive.” It was a risk I was willing to take.

 From the moment I’d agreed to go with Harrison, I’d known it could possibly come down to this. If I didn’t die here, then there was a possibility my cover would be blown, but it had to be done; for Riley; who wouldn’t survive with his sanity intact if he was forced to remain in that little box they’d stuffed him into and for all the other inmates who had to deal with the likes of Harrison on a daily basis.

His  Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard and his hands shook slightly. I raised the weapon in line with his head and steadied my hand, watching him carefully as he opened the door slightly.

“Peterson!” he called out when he had the door cracked.

I heard a muffled response.

“Have Rogers release prisoner 266 from solitary, report back to me when it’s been done.” He issued and after another muffled response Harrison was closing the door. He glared at me for a second. His mouth tight and his nose flaring as he made his way back to his corner.

I lowered my weapon. I’d make my next move when I heard that Riley was free and safe in our cell. I sank onto the floor directly across from my prisoner, the gun still trained on him as I tried to figure out a way to get out of this mess.

I had Harrison’s phone nestled in hand and I looked down at the blank screen, trying to figure out how to proceed.

An idea came to mind. It was a good thing Harrison had already proven to be a fool.

I decided to get him riled. “You only think you’re so tough because you wear that uniform, but I bet you’ve never done one bad thing in your life. You’re just a little pansy aren’t you?” I asked, hoping he’d take the bait.

He remained silent.

I forced a chuckle. “Yeah, no surprise there. Every man in this place could rip you to shreds, you’re only hiding behind your flimsy little badge. We’ve done drugs, we’ve killed men, we’ve raped, stolen…we’ve taken all the risks and what have you done? Got yourself a speeding  ticket?” I shook my head as he watched me; his anger clearly rising, “Pathetic.”

I knew guys like this. He was a blackmailer, a guy who solicited sex from prisoners, there was no way his indiscretions stopped there. Guys like this lived on the edge…they needed the rush of knowing they’d gotten away with something ‘bad’ all I had to do was get it out of him.

What skeletons did he have in his closet? The minute I deciphered that, I could begin to put my plan into action.

I could only hope my little friend in the corner actually had a few skeletons in his closet or I was just about screwed.

Fifteen minutes later I figured I’d gotten about everything he was willing to give me which was absolutely nothing. Other than sex with prisoners his background seemed to be as clean as a whistle and I wondered what I could use against him when I finally decided to put my plan into action.

 I looked down at his phone screen once more then back at the guy. When the knock sounded at the door, I was on my feet in an instant…the weapon still trained on Harrison, who was just a little slower in his movements.

“He’s being escorted to his cell right now sir.” I made out and I released a pent up breath.

Okay that was one problem out of the way.

When he closed the door Harrison looked at me. “You know they’re eventually gonna get suspicious right? You can’t keep me in here forever.” He hissed and I flashed the gun to the corner to get him moving.

I flipped out the phone, dialed the number and put it to my ear.

I’d tell him everything but the fact that I’d gotten into this mess because I was trying to help Riley. The less the captain knew as it related to my love-struck cell mate; the better.

When the voice on the other end sounded, I took a deep breath and began my explanation.

“Sir we have a problem.”

………………………………………………..

Riley’s POV

It was hours before Nathan stumbled into the cell. No matter how hard I’d tried to sleep I couldn’t, having been too worried about him. I’d never known a visit to go on for so long or one to even take place at night time and my mind had begun to dredge up a million scenarios as I’d lain on my bunk…waiting for his return.

I looked up at him when the guard finally left and tried to make out his expression in the dark room. He seemed a bit worn; with the way he was carrying himself and my worry grew.

“Where’ve you been?” I asked, trying not to sound like the clingy, interdependent brat he probably already saw me as.

He turned to me then and I was able to see his eyes in the dim lighting.

He seemed to be looking me over; for what, I had no idea, but when his eyes settled on my wrapped knuckles I drew then under the sheet.

“The guards just needed to ask me some questions about another inmate. It’s fine, go back to sleep.” He finally spoke up and for some reason I had the niggling suspicious that he had lied to me.

I couldn’t explain it but something wasn’t right here. I chose, however to let it go, it wasn’t my problem after all right? I turned away from him, pulling the sheets up to my chin and closed my eyes tightly trying to get to sleep. It was as I struggled to even zone out his shuffling, that I felt his hand in my hair.

I stiffened at his touch, feeling my body heat but I refused to turn around.

Then the fingers were on my cheek. I turned my head back and forth to dislodge his hand and he pulled away. “Why are you doing this?” I asked then.

“You don’t care about me, you made that perfectly clear and you told me we’re done so what do you want?”  the words came out harshly and I immediately regretted my tone when I was greeted by silence.

I turned on the bed so I could take in his expression and found him kneeling on the floor beside my bunk. His eyes found mine and I gasped at their intensity, but he dropped his head onto my shoulder and my heart sped. Then he turned his head slightly and I felt the gentle brush of his warm lips against my neck and I swallowed hard.

“Things aren’t as simple as I’d like for them to be Riley.” He’d whispered the words and my brows furrowed in confusion as I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. Instead he pulled away and stood. I watched him as he removed his shirt, dropped it onto the floor and pulled himself up onto his own bunk.

“What does that even mean?” I asked into the silence.

More silence greeted me and I pushed away the covers and hopped out of bed.

“Could I sleep up there with you tonight?” I asked. I’d said I would try to get over him. I knew he didn’t care about me but I couldn’t help myself. When it came to him I felt as if I was losing myself, as if I could take a thousand heartbreaks, anything he had to throw my way as long as I got the chance to touch him, to hear him speak, to have him hold me.

“Riley.” He began and I could sense the rejection in his tone so I climbed up onto his bunk and shuffled my way in beside him before he could get the rest of the sentence out. I heard him sigh in defeat and then his arm came around me as if it belonged there.

He shifted slightly to pull the covers over my body and I snuggled closer; feeling secure against his heat.

“I’m sorry about today, I shouldn’t have done what I did. It was selfish and childish and stupid.” I began.

No response.

“I swear I won’t do it again. I won’t even bring up how I feel about you. It doesn’t matter anymore I promise.” I continued.

“I don’t blame you for what you did Riley… you wanted answers and you felt that was the best way to get them but you’re right…it was stupid and the next time you even think about doing it I’ll request a cell transfer.” His voice had an edge to it as he said the words but the slight brush of his lips against the back of my neck softened them.

“I won’t” I told him firmly.

“I’m old enough to make my own decisions though Nate. I’m not a child. I can deal with heartbreak and all that shit. It won’t be unfair to me if we continue what we have. You don’t know this, but I loved you from the start and it still didn’t change anything. I can handle it.” I told him.

My gaze travelled to the cell door and onto the corridor then I closed my eyes and waited for his response.

I could feel his heart beating against my back and I wished my shirt was off so I could feel his skin against mine.

“Your actions today say otherwise.”

“I was just hurt, I wasn’t thinking but I’ve had time to think about it and really I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way. I just want us to go back to the way we were. No strings…that’s it.”

I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever get through to him. Nathan was stubborn and I’d come to realize that he wasn’t one to give second chances or take bullshit from anybody, but in the few short minutes it had taken me to think it through; I’d come to the realization that we don’t always get what we want in life.

Sometimes we had to just take the little scraps that were offered to us and be grateful we got even that. Nate would be leaving for good in just a little over two months; after that I might never even lay eyes on him again so if sex was all he could offer then I’ would take it and I’d savor it until we were no longer together; because he was worth it. Nate was worth it.

I turned in his arms then, so that we were facing each other. His eyes were closed but they drifted open when I kissed his chin. Then I smiled and watched as he tried to fight against his own grin before shaking his head and looking to the ceiling. So I kissed his cheek, then the corner of his eye and spread my hand onto his chest so I could feel the beating of his heart against my palm.

“I won’t ask you for any more than you can give me.” I whispered then and he turned his head to look at me.

His expression was serious but it was his eyes that caught me. They looked so tormented, so distressed that I had to cup his cheek and kiss his lips just so whatever I saw in them would go away. I didn’t understand the look; I couldn’t tell if I had only imagined it, but it wasn’t something I wanted to glimpse again and so I deepened the kiss, moving slightly on top of him so I could make the greatest impact.

It didn’t take long for his arms to wind around me and then he was kissing me just as fiercely. I tasted blood when his teeth grazed my bottom lip and fought to gain the upper hand as his tongue delved into my mouth but it was not to be so. He flipped me over so that I was trapped beneath him and I felt the tearing of fabric before my shirt left my body. All the while our lips never parted.

Then he was kissing my neck, sucking at the flesh until I gasped from the pain/pleasure of it. I felt his hands dancing over my chest, he squeezed a nipple between his thumb and forefinger and I hissed, arching my body so that my lower half came into contact with his.

I felt as if I was on fire as his mouth replaced his fingers and he sucked the swollen bud into his mouth. My hands moved from his shoulders and into his hair; holding him there as he brought pleasure to my sensitive nipple.

I moaned when he found my lips again in a bruising kiss; I couldn’t think, I couldn’t speak I could only feel. His hands were everywhere, kneading and rubbing, scratching and squeezing as the kiss continued.

I reveled in his strength; at the power he had over me. I trembled beneath him; my member swollen and ready for his assault. His lips left mine then and I felt him sink his teeth into my neck before his hand came up to grip my hair, pulling my head back until my throat was exposed.

I gripped his arms; needing more. I rocked my hips against his again and again; trying to urge him along but his mouth at my throat continued its assault.

“I can’t leave you in here.” I heard him whisper fiercely against my ear but his words went unprocessed and forgotten the second he released my hair and his hand dipped into my pants. I felt a million sensations roll through my body as he held and squeezed and rubbed my turgid flesh.

It was too much…too much.

Then he was sliding the fabric from my legs and from his before he spread my legs wide and continued to touch me. I moaned and bucked and gasped and rasped out his name as his hands worked my flesh.

When I felt the pressure between my cheeks I sunk my nails into his skin. Then he was inside me and I was losing myself to him.

“Ah!”

It was many many minutes later that we lay sated in each other’s arms; sweaty and sticky yet comfortably resting. He ran his fingers through my hair while I hummed in appreciation.

“We shouldn’t have done that.” He said into the silence and I smiled.

“I don’t care, it was perfect…you were perfect.” I whispered and when he didn’t reply I turned to kiss his chin.

“No strings right?” I offered and after a few seconds he nodded.

“Right.”

……………………………………

Nathan’s POV

I was right back where I’d started. I looked down at him humming softy and I couldn’t regret my decision to get him out of solitary. So far my cover was still intact and other than Riley’s growing feelings for me, I only had to worry about the mission ahead.

We were going to have to step up our game; too many things could happen between now and  the next two months to render our mission futile; the events of earlier today proved that point.

I thought back to what had happened in the room with Harrison and how the captain had handled the situation with ease despite my lack of much information as to how I’d gotten myself into that mess in the first place.

The captain had done what was necessary; he’d pulled some strings and made a few calls to have a significant amount of illegal substance planted in Harrison’s apartment, then he’d pulled a search warrant practically out of thin air as we’d continued talking on the phone.

 Not thirty minutes later, the room we’d been stuck in had been invaded by agents I’d worked with in the past and Harrison had been arrested for a crime he hadn’t committed; without any blame or suspicion cast my way.

They would hold him for exactly twenty-four hours before offering him a deal; if he chose to forget about the events of the day, the charges would be dropped and he would be a free man once again with not a mark on his record. If not, he’d be slapped with the charge of possession of an illegal substance and would be facing time with the rest of us criminals.

I was sure the spineless dog would take the deal; he was too much of a coward to even fight for his own rights and though I hated that as agents we could bend the law to suit our own purposes; in this case it had to be done; bigger fish needed to be fried here; the lives of many depended on our success and no one, not even a perverted prison guard who certainly belonged in prison, would be allowed to mess with that.

The captain had also explained that after his release Harrison would be kept at a safe house out of state; under constant surveillance for the next two months or until we cracked the case, that way I didn’t need to be looking over my shoulder all the time, worrying that one day he’d show up and sabotage everything.

When Riley sighed and snuggled closer, I turned my gaze to the ceiling. I couldn’t risk it all like that for him again. I was here for one reason and one reason only; everything else took a back seat but as I lay there in the dark cell I found myself wondering if what I told Riley was really what I wanted.

                                         AUTHOR’S NOTES

NO GUYS, I HAD NEVER PLANNED TO MAKE NATE SLEEP WITH HARRISON SO FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE DISAPPOINTED …SORRY SWEETS ^_^….AND FOR THE FEW OF YOU WHO WERE JUST ABOUT READY TO ATTACK ME…YOU CAN CALM YOUR SOCKS NOW..I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING BUT REALLY YALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT BAD THINGS DO HAPPEN AND YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET YOUR WAY…SO KEEP CALM AND READ ON…. In the mean time check out my story “ A Vampire’s Marine“

-Oh and Keep Sweet!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 14: Visiting hours.

Chapter 14

John’s POV

There was something going on between them even if nobody cared to admit it.

 I didn’t even want to know what those two did in the privacy of their small cell but with the two very visible love bites baring themselves on the boy’s neck; it wasn’t hard to guess. I turned away from them in annoyance, only to come face to face with the other kid; Kyle. Now this one was a down right pain in my ass.

He looked at me as if I’d given him the moon and up until recently I’d thought I could ignore it but now it was just getting ridiculous. This was a prison not a fucking soap opera.

 I shook my head then turned away from him and with nowhere else to look without having to deal with the goo-goo eyed inmate, I looked down, dropping my forehead onto my arm.

“Hey are you okay?” Kyle was quick to interrupt. I felt the pressure of his small hand against my arm and heard the concern in his voice and I shook my head. This is what infatuation did to a person; turned a stone cold criminal into a …Kyle.

Yet even while the thought struck me, I couldn’t ignore the fact that it felt damn good to have someone feel concerned about my wellbeing. It had been awhile since anyone other than Nate gave a shit and I turned my head briefly to the side to appraise the kid.

I took in the too-pretty-to-be-male face with those large brown eyes, the too long eye lashes and the plump pink lips and the thoughts I had tried to suppress rose to the surface and I gritted my teeth against their assault.

“Look, you seem like a decent kid and all, but I don’t do relationships, more than that, I don’t do relationships with inmates so stop wasting your time…good?” I got out then dropped my head again before he could answer.

“You’re all talk but I can tell when someone likes me.” he said and I chose to ignore him. He was only a child after all; they had a tendency to say foolish things.

When I felt the hand pass through my short cropped hair not a second later, I stiffened and pulled away, glaring at him as I did. “What the fuck is your problem kid?”

He only offered a smile.

“The ‘badass’ act doesn’t work on me Johnny, so you might as well drop it.” He told me with a confidence that sickened me and I reached over to grab the hand that was moving toward me again, and twisted…hard. He cried out in pain and when I dropped it, he held it protectively to his chest; pouting. I looked away.

“I’ll give you two weeks.” I heard him say then and my brows furrowed.

“Two weeks for what?”

“Two weeks before you fall in love with me.” he said it once again so confidently I had to really take a good look at him. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh at his stupidity or strike him over the head for his unwelcome cockiness. I did neither; only continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes.

“You won’t be able to help it; I’ll be around you so much you’ll just give in to what you already feel.” He continued and this time I did laugh.

“You must be on something kid.”

He only grinned and I gritted my teeth then glanced over at Nate who was deep in conversation with Riley. He looked so engrossed in the kid I had to look away. Everybody in this place was losing their minds.

………………………………

Nathan’s POV

I smiled as I watched him trying desperately to keep the love bites covered as he talked and talked as only Riley could. His mood had seemed to heighten drastically with the coming of the morning and surprisingly; I found I liked him this way. I liked him…happy.

“…but I think I’d rather just get a tattoo… piercings are kinda messy. Did it hurt when you got yours? I hear they do, but I’m sure some people exaggerate.” He was saying then blushed when he caught me looking at his neck.

“Stop looking.” He said then, snapping a hand over the marks and I shook my head in amusement.

It was times like this that his innocence really struck me and made me think back to how far he’d come these past months.

“It doesn’t hurt much, in fact if you think about something else you hardly feel a thing.” I lied and he nodded in contemplation.

“I probably wouldn’t get something that big though, maybe just something on my arm. What do you think they charge to do that stuff in here?” he asked then and I frowned.

“In here?”

“Yeah, do you think they charge cash or like barter stuff?” he continued and my frown deepened.

“It doesn’t matter what they charge, you’re not getting a tattoo in this place. The first thing you’ll leave with is a disease and you can be certain the only bartering they’ll be doing is with your body.” I finished, working to quash the feeling of anger that had arisen at the thought of Riley with any of the disgusting perverts in here.

“Then where do you expect me to do it. I’m not getting out of this place anytime soon remember?” he said and the happiness from earlier all but disintegrated as I watched him.

“You’d have sex for a tattoo?”

“Of course not.” He grumbled, then shook his head and turned away from me, “Just forget it.”

“You’re moody today.” I commented.

“Yeah well the thought of having to stay in this place for any length of time would kill anybody’s mood.” He said, then pushed up from the seat. “I’m gonna finish the rest of REC in the library.” He announced and just like that he was gone.

I shook my head.

“John!” I called, turning to face my fellow agent who seemed just about ready to strangle Kyle who sat by his side across the small room chatting his ear off.

When he looked up and saw me waving him over, the relief on his face was unmistakable.

“You got something for me?” he asked the second he dropped into the seat before me. “We’re doing a drop tonight, then I’m turning the second meet-up over the Eddie.” I explained.

His brow furrowed, “Why Eddie?”

“Because we’ve used you too many times already, I can’t afford for anyone to get suspicious right now. Not even a dying man needs to go to the infirmary as often as you have been. Eddie will get himself in there; I’ll organize for one of our guys to escort him; he’ll form a distraction and he’ll plaster the device close enough to the warden’s office for our guys outside to get a read; if they hear anything worth much they’ll get the message our way and we’ll know how to proceed. And if that doesn’t work we’ve already got a guard slowly making his way up as the warden’s right hand anyway.

“Do I need to remind you how many laws we’re breaking to make this work?” John stated the obvious and I nodded.

“When we uncover the truth, the last thing anyone will care about is the laws we’ve broken. This is bigger than all of us.” I told him and he nodded in agreement.

“I’ll go over the layout with Eddie a few more times.” He said and I watched him push up from the chair and make his way over to where Eddie sat with the others.

Just then, my name sounded over the intercom and I pushed up from my seat. “Right on time.”

…………………………………………..

Riley’s POV

It was just as I’d found a book worth reading that I heard my name over the intercom and I was being escorted down the corridor. I hadn’t expected Jerry today; this would make it his third visit for the week. It was strange but welcome and I grinned at what it could mean. There might be news!

When they released me into the visiting area, I noticed two things; one Nathan was also there  and two; it wasn’t Jerry who had come to visit but Malone; not a friend of mine, but someone I’d seen walking the hallways in my senior year; I think I had had chemistry with him. My brows furrowed.

The guard uncuffed me and I shuffled over to the seat, eying my ex class mate awkwardly, then my eyes shifted to Nathan who sat a few seats away in deep conversation with a woman I didn’t recognize.

“I-I shouldn’t even be h-here.” My visitor stuttered and I turned my attention back to him.

My brows furrowed.

“Then why are you? I mean… I’m glad to have a visitor but…we hardly know each other, why are you here?” I didn’t know how else to ask it without sounding impolite and I hoped I didn’t offend him.

He was fidgety. I watched him as he twisted his hands in front of him then looked around the room; once, twice, three times before he answered my question.

“I ah…you didn’t do it. You didn’t kill that guy.” He said finally and I really looked at him then, turning my head slightly to appraise him.

“I know that…is there a reason you’re telling me this?” I asked; confused by the entire situation.

“Because…because I know who did it.” He said then and my eyes widened, my breath became shallow and my mouth ran dry. “And I want to help you but-” He continued.

I ran a hand through my hair and straightened in my seat. I gasped in surprise as I registered his words, then I reached over to take hold of his hand.

“Really? You do? Who is it? Did you tell anyone? You should tell the guard! Or my lawyer, wow I can’t believe this.” I let out, my mind whirling. “How do you know who it is? Who did it? Jesus this is perfect!” I exclaimed and when he pulled his hand away from mine and jumped up from his seat I knew I had been too loud.

“I s-shouldn’t be here…they’ll…I’ll help you though I promise…” He said, then he was bolting from the room and I jumped up to follow.

“Wait! Please don’t-“

I got out only to be held back by a guard who slid the cuffs around my wrists once more. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, to jump for joy or shout on the top of my lungs. I couldn’t believe it! It had been months…months I’d been sitting here slowly losing hope and this pops up.

“I can’t believe it.” I whispered to myself as the guards ushered me from the room.

“I can’t believe it.” I said again, I looked behind me, stretching so I could see the door my savior had gone through and my eyes locked with Nathan’s.

He looked confused, his brows furrowed and his eyes crinkling and I offered him a grin with all the hope and happiness that had welled up within me at that moment and just before the guards pushed me into the hall his mouth turned slightly up at the corners while he shook his head in confusion.

“I just need to make a phone call…please could you just take me to my cell for a sec?” I pleaded with the guard, who finally relented. When we got there and he uncuffed me, I ran to the small table in the room and took up the only quarter dollar that rested there, before slipping in into my pocket and holding out my hands once more to be cuffed.

The whole time I walked down the corridor; my mind was reeling with the possibilities and my chest grew tight at just the thought of freedom. As soon as they delivered me back to the library to continue what was left of REC period; I was quick to make my way to the cafeteria where the phones were kept.

I released a breath of relief when I saw that there were no lines and jumped at the chance to make the call.

I inserted the coin and waited.

Ring

Ring

Ring

I bit my lip and wiped my sweaty palm onto my pants.

Ring

I felt my eyes begin to water at the thought of nobody picking up. Once you put the quarter in you couldn’t get it back whether or not the call went through and that was my last one.

“Come on…please.” I whispered into the phone.

“Hello?”

At first the words wouldn’t come when I heard her voice and I swallowed hard to dislodge the lump.

“M-mom?” I whispered brokenly.

There was silence then the phone went dead and I removed it from my ear; staring at it as if it had offended me.

It had been awhile since I’d heard her voice and it brought back so many memories now. Memories that were too difficult to stomach. I missed her. I slammed the phone onto the hook and stared at it for a second before shaking my head and biting my lip. I needed to focus. I’d made the call because I needed to update Jerry on the situation.

A lump formed in my throat again as I thought of my empty pockets. I’d run out of quarters which meant the only way I’d be able to update Jerry would be to wait until his next visit; a week from now. I couldn’t wait that long so I turned to face the room; my eyes landing on my crew’s table; I’d have to ask them.

“Fuck.”

 I walked over to the table; my palms sweaty and took in their faces. Nathan was now among their ranks, as was Kyle; who I knew was broke, then there was John and the others. I took a breath.

“I need a quarter, it’s an emergency.” I said hesitantly and judging from the raised eyebrows I received; it was clear I hadn’t properly portrayed the ‘emergency’.

John was, as expected, the first to speak.

“Why would we give you the one thing we all need to keep in touch with our families? What’s the big emergency?” he said scathingly and my eyes drifted to Nathan for help. He offered none but looked as if, like the others, he was waiting for an answer to John’s question.

I sighed. “There’s somebody who knows the truth about the murder I was convicted for and he could get me out of here.” I said, then when no one offered a response I continued.

“He knows the real killer and I need to tell Jerry so he can look into it, but I don’t have any money to call him and he won’t be back till next week. I can’t wait that long.” I went on, my desperation now evident in my tone but I didn’t care. I was desperate.

“Number one: who’s Jerry?  and number two: how’d somebody just happen to appear with this information after all this time?” Eddie questioned; looking skeptical and I explained who Jerry was then told them about the visit I’d received that day. The still didn’t look convinced and I started to panic; looking at Nathan once again.

“Please Nate, I need to call Jerry I don’t want the guy to get cold feet.” I pleaded and he leaned back in his chair to appraise me with folded arms.

“Tell me what happened to get you convicted in the first place. I know the gist of it but I want to hear the whole from you.” He said and I stared at him in disbelief, then back at the phone sitting across the room.

When I looked at the others they were waiting patiently and with a sigh I pulled out a chair, dropped heavily onto the seat and leaned forward so that my elbows rested on the table before me. Then I looked at them each; my eyes passing over their faces before I began to speak.

It didn’t take long, but I told them everything; including the fact that I’d voluntarily injured him in a room full of witnesses and making sure not to leave out the fact that I had threatened his life. While I explained the facts; recounting my innocence and my horror at his death, their expressions didn’t change and I felt disheartened.

I continued with my recount of the unfortunate events that had led to my conviction; telling the absolute truth, pouring my heart out into my account.

When I was done, I felt defeated. I had no idea what else I could say to get them to help me which was why when John slammed down a quarter onto the middle of the table I stared up at him in shock and as if in a domino effect, one by one the men reached into their pockets and pulled out a quarter, depositing the coins onto the table before me.

I didn’t know what to say and so I stared at them all in surprise; my heartbreaking at their display. These were the men same men who had gazed upon me with contempt every time I sat with them. The same untrusting men I had grown weary of as time had passed. The same men I thought had detested me for my very presence in their crew. I couldn’t respond as everything inside me melted and I felt like weeping.

Nathan was the last to deposit his coin but he was the first to speak; a small smile crossing his face. “Go make your call.” He said and my bottom lip quivered. I was touched.

“Thank you.” I whispered; my eyes skating over their faces, then I scooped up a handful of coins and pushed out of the chair; hightailing it to the phone before anyone else could think to do the same.

…………………………………………

John’s POV

“Never thought I’d say it, but I believe the kid.” I said watching him as he inserted the coin into the slot.

Murmurs of agreement went up from the others. “So he was framed, the important question is; why and by who.” I continued.

“A room full of witnesses heard him threaten and assault the guy…there’s a possibility the real killer held a grudge against the victim and  used the opportunity to take him out.” Paul said and I nodded.

“Or someone held a grudge against Riley and wanted him to suffer.” Someone else spoke up and I shook my head in contemplation.

“It could be anything but why now? The kid’s been in here for months, why’d this visitor just show up out of the blue?” Eddie questioned.

“I’m really glad you guys are finally on his side. He thought you hated him.” Kyle said with a grin and I frowned at him.

“Why exactly are you here?” I questioned in annoyance and he rolled his big brown eyes; sending my heart doing ridiculous little flips that just soured my mood completely.

“We have official ‘crew issues’ to discuss, you need to leave.” I growled and when Eddie interrupted to stand up for Kyle I cut him a look and he quietened.

“Then make me apart of the crew so I can stay. I’m not a squeal, yall can trust me.” he said and when I pulled the weapon from my boot and slammed it down into the center of the table he froze; staring at the pocket knife that stood embedded in the furniture in horror.

“Leave.” I issued and with a glare directed my way, he pushed up from the table and made his way over to where Riley stood talking on the phone.

“I’d ask what your problem is but dissecting your moods isn’t a part of my agenda today.” Nathan said drily and I pulled the knife from the table and returned it to its hiding place.

I studied him as he snuck a look at Riley. “Looks like your cellie could go free.” I commented to get a clear view of his reaction, but Nate being Nate remained devoid of any.

“We could help him. Get some people on his case.” Eddie suggested, but I shook my head.

“We need all our men focused on our case right now, the kid’s gonna have to wait.” I interrupted, “and speaking of our case, just thought I’d remind everyone that we all need to remained focused on the mission; everything takes a back bench to this…everything.” I emphasized, focusing my gaze on Nate who stared at me with narrowed eyes.

“You have something to say to me John?” he asked in that deadly tone I’d long ago grown accustomed to, but I still felt that nervous shiver run through me. I held firm.

“Yeah I do, but right now I’ve got more to say about our case, so it can wait.” I finished and at his nod I leaned in.

“What did Natalie say?” I questioned, referring to his recent visitor and he leaned forward; voice lowered.

“It’s all set. She held up her end; so we need to get Eddie to do his part. We just have one small problem…” he continued and I sighed. Of course we did.

…………………………………………..

Nathan’s POV

I heard the thud of the boots against the corridor and the jingle of the keys and shot up in bed. The guards were moving along the corridor; which meant I needed to get back to my own bunk. I glanced briefly at Riley who still lay sleeping soundly, then stepped out of his bed and onto the cold concrete floor before pulling myself up onto my own bunk.

It was exactly a minute later that the guards stopped before our cell and I stiffened in surprise. In no time they were entering our cell and Riley was being pulled from his bunk. I sat up, watching as they allowed him to slip on some clothes before they cuffed him and pulled him from the cell.

I made eye contact with one of the guards who was, to my luck; my undercover agent and I jumped from my bunk.

“What the hell’s going on? Where are they taking him?” I whispered the demand as he closed the cell door; effectively locking me in, then he spoke to me through the bars.

“He’s needed for questioning. The visitor he had today was found dead in his home an hour ago. A team’s here to find out what they talked about today and if there’s any possible link between the visit and his death.” He said simply and I shook my head; my mind reeling.

“Dead? Was it a homicide?” I asked him then and he shook his head.

“All I know is that he’s needed for questioning. I gotta get back to work.” The guard said, then he was off and I pushed away from the bars to drop myself onto Riley’s bunk.

This fucking day just kept getting better and better . I dragged my hand through my hair and sighed in frustration.

                                     

                                                         

                                                                 AUTHOR’S NOTES

I’M TOO TIRED TO ASSESS WHETHER THIS CHAPTER WAS ANY GOOD OR NOT..HOPEFULLY WHEN I RE-READ IT IN THE MORNING I’LL BE PLEASED. IF NOT…MY BAD.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT GUYS! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!

OH! and feel free to check out an interview I participated in here on wattpad! If you guys wanna get to know a little more about me or some simple facts you never knew about my stories and characters here on wattpad, then go check it out! it would mean a lot tome! <3

Here’s the link..just copy and paste to check it out :)

http://www.wattpad.com/27249782-dear-fangirls-boyxboy-authors-interviews-interview

KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited (big time!)

Chapter 15: Breakdown

Chapter 15

Nathan’s POV

The kid didn’t deserve this. He just couldn’t seem to catch a break and it was pissing me off. The entire situation was fucked up anyway. Within hours of finding hope it had all been shattered.

My main suspect was Jerry. Something just didn’t add up. Riley called the man and his potential savior turns up dead. I didn’t believe in coincidences.

I’d come into this thing fully prepared to carry out the mission. I’d agreed to the risks, I’d walked in fearless, I’d been confident and completely devoted. I’d wanted it. I’d wanted to be here, but now I wasn’t so sure.

Who would have thought that I’d come to care for my cell mate? and now I couldn’t seem to concentrate on much else. Now I just wanted to grab him and run, to take him away from all this because if it was one person who wasn’t meant for this place it was Riley.

I ran a hand through my hair and released a breath.

“Hey, focus Nate, the kid will be fine.” John said, thumping me on the shoulder. I looked over at my best friend of nine years and nodded.

“You’re right. How far along are we?”

“The guards should be escorting Eddie to the bay right now, which gives us half an hour to start the next phase.” I nodded.

“You guys know what you have to do.” I said. “I’ve got no more part in this until you guys do your part, oh and we’re gonna have to find another delivery boy. There’s no way Riley will be up for it now.” I continued and John agreed.

Despite the fact that he was smiling and laughing with the others after a night held in some room being questioned for hours on end, I knew he was hurting. We all knew.

“Kyle wants to be a part of the crew, maybe we should make this delivery his initiation.” I suggested and was surprised when John found a fault with it.

“No I don’t want him involved in this. He’s too flighty, too eager, he’ll screw it up.” He was quick to supply and I shook my head. Eyes narrowed.

“It’s a simple delivery, not even an idiot could mess that up. We’ll give him a shot and-”

“No, we leave him out of it. Find someone else.” He interrupted and I turned my full attention on him. He looked back at me, his mouth set in a stubborn line and his eyes trained on mine.

I sighed.

“And you’re lecturing me about focus.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he questioned suspiciously and I looked over at Kyle, who sat with Riley; talking a million miles a minute in an attempt to keep his friend entertained.

“You’ve got a thing for the kid.” I supplied and watched him bristle.

“Do you really want to bring another innocent person into this?’ he asked and my brows furrowed.

“Kyle is hardly innocent, do you remember where we are?”

“Hit and run is hardly anything to condemn him for.” He defended and I shook my head.

“You didn’t have a problem with Riley doing it and he’s completely innocent.”

“That’s because he’s already involved. I just don’t want to add anyone else into the mix. We’ll use one of our regulars.”

I shook my head. “It’s too risky to use them again, but we won’t need to make the delivery for a few days yet so we’ll figure it out.” I told him and satisfied with my answer, he pushed up from the seat and went to sit with the others.

The instant he sat, Kyle’s focus retrained on him and Riley glanced my way briefly. I turned away from the complete hopelessness I saw reflected in his eyes and looked around the room.

He’d been acting unusually upbeat ever since he’d returned from questioning and I would have preferred if he’d come back weeping to how he was now. At least then I’d have some idea what he was thinking.

I pushed up from my seat then and made my way over to the phone. There were two inmates ahead of me in line and I shoved my hands into my shallow pockets and leaned against the wall as I prepared to wait.

If everything went according to plan today, our guys on the outside would have ears in the warden’s office, thereby allowing them to listen in on every conversation that took place within.

That safeguard was simply to keep us on the right track though, because even if we overheard something condemning, the evidence would be rendered inadmissible in any court of law due to the absence of a warrant.

Which was one reason we had two other guys on the job; both were undercover as guards; one had managed to make it into the warden’s inner circle; however, for the time being it was the ‘legal’ inner circle and what we needed was for the warden to let him on some of his illegal activities.

 Our other guy was also a guard, was in the process of getting himself caught by the warden himself on a very unlawful phone call. His job was to let the warden think he’d caught him in cahoots with some very powerful drug dealers. One of two things could happen with that scenario.

He’d either be arrested on the warden’s orders, or the warden would find use for him and pull him into his own operation. We were hoping for the latter.

In the mean time we needed a message delivered to our guy planted in D-Fox’s crew before the week was out. Though we had eyes on him every day, going anywhere near him was a risk we couldn’t take.

Someone as unassuming as Kyle or Riley would be the perfect delivery boys, no one would think twice about their actions and it would put the next phase of our plan into action.

I stepped up in the line when one call ended and fingered the coin in my pocket. There were so many things that could go wrong with this plan, so many loose ends we needed to tie up or we’d have failed. Two years worth absolutely nothing.

“You know just one word from me and D-fox can have your boy toy transferred to my cell.  Wouldn’t mind some a that pert little ass in my bed.”

It was just one of those moments when he should have just kept his mouth shut. Just the one time he should have gone on his way without opening his mouth, but as it was, I was already in a piss poor mood and he was the best person to let off some steam on anyway.

I spun around to face Beans who was smirking down at me and brought my knee up as hard as I could. The moment it came into contact with his groin he collapsed onto the ground, the breath knocked out of him as he grabbed his balls; his eyes watering. I stooped down beside him, shaking my head as I watched him writhe in pain.

“Let’s get one thing straight Beans, you’re a piece a shit coward. You know it and I know it. So how about you cut the crap about what you plan on doing, because we both know that if you even think about laying a hand on Riley, I’ll break your neck and I don’t give a fuck how many more years I get for that. understood?” I said it as nicely as I could muster but from his watery nod it was clear he understood I meant every word and I straightened, moving up in the line.

When I looked around, I caught the eyes of a guard; one of our own and I gave him a short nod which he returned. I spared the still writing Beans another glance then settled back against the wall, patiently waiting my turn.

……………………………………….

John’s POV

The entire table watched Nate take Beans down and I shook my head in annoyance. It was definitely times like this that we really didn’t need anyone from the crew drawing attention to themselves.

What with everything else we had going on, the last thing we needed was a fucking war on our hands. I looked away in disgust and my eyes landed on Riley’s hands which were clenched tightly on the table as if he were feeling pain. His expression on the other hand betrayed what I expected was really going on with him.

This whole situation suddenly seemed much bigger than I’d thought. Now they were dealing with two murders, the second one most likely an attempt at keeping the truth from getting out and while I didn’t have all the details, the person he’d called yesterday was my likely suspect.

The detective in me was rearing to investigate, to see what I could find and allow justice to be served, but our current operation required every ounce of focus I had and if I had to choose between saving the lives of thousands versus one boy, the thousands would end up thanking me.

“I’m worried about him.” Kyle leaned in to whisper then and I looked at him with raised brows.

“And?”

“Well…I mean look at him; he looks like he’s ready to have a breakdown. It might seem like he’s fine but he’s not.” He continued and my eyes travelled to his bottom lip which was now trapped between his teeth, then to his eyes which were filled with worry.

“I don’t see that there’s anything I can do about that. We’re all trapped in this place, we’re all going through the same thing-”

“It’s different for Riley and you know it. He’s not meant for this place Johnny.” Kyle pleaded, reaching over to take hold of my hand and I pulled away quickly.

“The name’s John and like I said there’s nothing I can do about it, but if you really think he’s about to lose it, then call up a guard and have them take him to the sick bay.” I told him, then because my eyes kept straying and I really didn’t need to be giving him any reason to smile, I turned away from him, but sensed when he pushed up from the chair and I knew he’d actually gone to get the guard.

I twisted around then to watch him, gesturing and pointing at Riley as the guard listened, not five minutes later, said guard was making his way over to our table with Kyle in tow and I was impressed. Who said the kid couldn’t get things done.

“Riley Parker right?” the guard asked Riley when he stopped at the table and I watched the boy glance up at him in surprise which quickly turned to nervousness, then fear as he glanced around the room in desperation. The kid was losing it.

“I need to take you to the bay…just for a simple checkup.” The guard explained.

“B-but why? I-I’m fine.”

With the way he was fidgeting we could all tell he wasn’t fine, the guard included and I actually felt sorry for the kid.

It was then that I spotted Nate making his way over from the phones. He looked confused but fierce as he came straight for us.

The only reason the guard wasn’t cuffing him and pulling him roughly across the room to get that checkup was because he was one of our guys and everyone involved in the operation knew that Riley was a part of the crew…even if he didn’t know everything.

“What’s going on?” Nate asked the moment he stepped up and I didn’t fail to notice the way he placed his hands protectively on Riley’s shoulder, the boy seemed to relax slightly at the contact.

“I’m taking him to the bay for observation. He looks like he’s on the verge of a breakdown. If he’s fine, I’ll take him back, but right now he needs to come with me.” the guard explained.

“Nate, don’t let him take me, I’m fine I swear. I don’t wanna go.” His voice shook so much as he said the words that I’d had a hard time making out what he’d said. By now he was clutching at Nate’s hand with unshed tears in his eyes. The kid was terrified; even when he had no need to be.

I knew he’d been through a lot since he got here, but it was now as I watched him; hands shaking and eyes darting, that I realized just how much he’d been affected by it all.

Nate looked torn as he looked between the guard and Riley.

“Do you think I could go with you? It’ll be easier if I’m with him.” He spoke to the guard who after only brief hesitation, agreed to the proposal. He waved over another guard who was quick to respond and I watched as they cuffed Nate and the boy-who now had fat tears leaking from his eyes- and ushered them out of the room.

“Oh my God did you see his face? I feel so bad, I hope he doesn’t hate me for that.” Kyle worried and I shrugged in answer. Who knew how kids nowadays went about forgiveness. Riley needed help. He would get that help and whether or not he appreciated Kyle’s part in all of it, it was for his own good.

 …………………………………………….

Nathan’s POV

I held his hand, despite the bite of the cuffs against my wrists and he lay on the small bed, whimpering into the pillow.

“Hey it’s just a checkup, then you’ll be right out. We can even ask the doctor to make them take you to our cell early and I’ll stay there with you oaky?” I tried calming him but he’d been inconsolable ever since being dragged in here and I didn’t blame him.

Riley wasn’t a hardened criminal, he couldn’t deal with all he’d been going through.

“I wanna go home.” He wailed and I gripped his hand tighter. I didn’t know what to say to that.

“Please Nate, please.” He pleaded while the tears fell and I didn’t know what to tell him.

“Riley listen to me, if you don’t calm down they won’t let you leave the bay and I’ll have to leave you, so stop crying.” I said gently but his tears didn’t subside, if anything they got worse and I watched him helplessly

“Don’t leave me her Nate. I can’t stay here without you.” He cried and I had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about the sick bay. I sighed and pushed closer to place a comforting kiss onto his forehead. For once I didn’t care if the guards saw, but the doctor who had finally arrived had and she gave me a warm smile as she approached.

“Hey there Riley.” She said after reading his name off her clip board, but Riley ignored her completely as he continued to shed his tears.

“Hey Riles, the doc is here to see you. Remember what I said about the crying?” I said, pulling my hands from his but he latched on to them and continued to sob.

His face was red and the veins in his forehead stood up. I looked to the doctor helplessly and she gave me a reassuring smile.

“Riley, I’m going to give you something to help you calm down okay?” she said in that sickly sweet doctor’s tone and I watched her pull a syringe from her metal cabinet, dab alcohol onto the flesh of his arm-which I doubt Riley even felt- then impaled him with the needle. When she looked up at me she still wore the smile but right before my eyes, Riley gradually calmed down and his eyes drifted closed.

“He’ll sleep for a while, but I’ll give him something for the anxiety, we’ll have a little talk and if all goes well he should be good to return to his cell tonight.” she explained to me.

I glanced down at Riley who looked like a child as he slept, then I pulled my cuffed hands from his.

“I’ll let the guard know you’ll be staying with him.” She said then and I finally returned her smile; I knew there was a reason I liked doctors. Despite the discomfort of my bound wrists, I reached over to run my fingers through his damn hair and when he didn’t even stir, I dropped my head onto the bed beside him and watched his face until I drifted asleep as well.

The first thing I noticed when I woke next was that Riley was awake and he was watching me; his face completely devoid of emotion. There were no tears, no sobs just a blank stare that had me more worried than relieved.

“I’m going to escape you know.” He said then and I looked around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear.

“Let’s continue this conversation in our cell okay?” I told him and he sighed, shifting on the bed to find a more comfortable position.

“I’m sorry about earlier… I didn’t mean to start acting like some crazy person.” He explained and I was quick to reassure him.

“You’ve been through a lot lately, it’s understandable.” Then when he said nothing I continued. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He looked at me and shook his head. “I don’t know if I’m feeling calm because of the thing the doctor gave me or if it’s just because I’m trying not to think about what happened, so I don’t wanna talk about it right now okay?” 

I nodded.

“Thanks for staying with me.” he said again.

He looked so small and fragile laying there, talking to me as if he hadn’t almost gone off the deep end a few hours before.

All calls were monitored here, as a result, if I wanted to get a message out to one of our guys I’d need to set up a meeting; which meant going through the ‘guards’ and potentially putting our operation at risk, which meant in order to get a message out there I’d have to wait for a scheduled visit that would raise no suspicions.

I glanced down when Riley took my hand in his and silently began playing with my fingers and I felt a strange tenderness well up inside me. If I could get a message to our guys on the outside I could set in motion a thorough investigation of Riley’s case. If not, then when my time here was up; I’d have to leave Riley behind and I knew beyond a doubt that he wouldn’t survive here if I did.

                                           

                                                         

                                                              AUTHOR’S NOTES

NOT MUCH ACTION IN THIS CHAP BUT I ENJOYED WRITING IT NONE THE LESS… HOPE YALL ENJOYED IT AS WELL. BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

<3

IF YOU’VE READ THE AUTHOR’S NOTEs DROP ME A SMILE AFTER YOUR COMMENT :)

THANKS FOR READING GUYS!

KEEP SWEET!

DoUbLe.A

unedited.

Chapter 16 : Hope from a stranger.

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 16

We were given the clearance to go back to our cell about an hour later after the doc had completed all her checks. Riley was unresponsive in the sense that his usual incessant chatter was missing and I wondered if the doctor had had the right idea by sending him away.

When the cuffs were finally removed and we were being locked into our small space; he immediately headed for his bunk and after kicking off his boots he curled up onto his side, his back facing the wall.

I pulled up the only chair in the room and lowered myself into it, directly in front of his bed. He watched as I kicked off my own boots and plopped my feet onto the bed, my toes brushing his side.

“How are you feeling?”

He shrugged “I thought I could handle being in here for the rest of my life if you’d be here with me but even with you here I can’t handle it. I gotta get out.” His expression had become one of desperation as he said the words and I sought to appease him.

“You just need to be patient, I’ll try to help you in any way I can, just don’t go thinking of doing something stupid.” I warned and he offered no response, but continued to stare on me as if the words coming out of my mouth made absolutely no difference to him.

I’d have to watch him more closely from now on.

 I allowed a brief silence to pass between us, in which time Riley kept his eyes firmly planted on my face, as if he were memorizing every inch of it, as if it was the most important thing in that moment and I frowned, wondering what was going through his mind.

“How well do you know Jerry?” I asked rather than taking up an issue I’d rather not discuss and his brows furrowed.

“I’ve known him all my life. Why?”

“But how well do you really know him? You said he went to prison once, what was he in for and why’s he so interested in helping you?”

Riley finally sat up in bed, his legs bent under him as he appraised me. “Why are you suddenly so interested in Jerry?”

“Think about it Riley. You finally get a break in your case and the minute you call him, the one person who could get you out ends up dead.” I trailed off, letting him come to the only conclusion he could after such a statement and when realization dawned, so did his anger and I watched as his mouth tightened and his fists clenched.

“Don’t you dare try to blame that on Jerry, he’s a good man, the only person who’s given a shit about me since I got here.”

“Did you stop to think that the only reason he’s given a shit is because he’s the real murderer, or at least trying to cover up for one? Maybe he’s just here to keep an eye on things, make sure the truth never comes to light.” I suggested and Riley frowned, his eyes piercing mine in their angry intensity.

“He’s a good guy, stop trying to put this all on him. It was just a coincidence.” He said firmly and his naïveté annoyed me.

“I don’t believe in coincidences and you need to stop trying to find the good in everybody. Look where you are.” I gestured to the dirty wall surrounding us, “humans betray each other. It’s life and you need to start considering the fact that your little friend Jerry isn’t a great as you think he is.”

“Just shut up you don’t know what you’re saying. You’re too cynical, that’s your problem. When Malone showed up, he was scared, like he thought somebody would find out he’d come so it could have easily been someone working here who did it.” He explained then cut me off before I could get another word in,

“I’ve considered every possible scenario, just as you have, I’m no fool Nate .” He said my name forcefully as if willing me to accept it, “and Jerry isn’t involved.” He finished with absolute certainly and I knew there would be no point in arguing with him over it today.

“Believe what you want, I’ll find out for myself who did this.” I told him with determination and after staring into my eyes for a few seconds; searching for…something, he finally nodded and stretched out on the bed once more, the battered pillow bunched under his head.

“You can hold me now.” He announced then and when my eyes landed on his face I noticed the stress from earlier had returned. He suddenly looked so tired and worn lying there, but it was the deadpanned voice he used when he said the words that worried me and I pushed up from the chair and moved to stretch out beside him, pulling him close enough that not even air could pass between us.

He grabbed my hand and held, his nails biting into my flesh and I used my free hand to run my fingers along his side, trying to ease his tension. He didn’t relax.

“What are you thinking?” I asked him then, hoping that through talking he would finally be able to unwind.

He hesitated the sighed, burrowing his head into my neck and I felt his warm breath against my flesh

“You’ll get mad if I tell you.” He said then and took a deep breath.

“If it’s the escape shit again then-”

“No not that…worse.” He said and I frowned.

“Tell me.” I ordered and his hesitation fed my concern.

“You have to promise you won’t get mad.” He said, sounding like the innocent kid he was and I sighed, my jaws clenched.

“Just spill it Riley.”

 Brief hesitation “I was thinking…I was thinking how nice it would be if we got out of here and…started a life together.” When I didn’t reply right away he went on, his voice lowered almost to a mumble.

“And I was thinking how much I love you.” And I swallowed hard. The words upset me, but for him to think they were worse than even the thought of escaping was…ridiculous. What did I expect though; with the way I’d gone on about his feelings of course he’d be terrified of sharing them.

He borrowed even closer then, “Are you mad?” he asked, his tension back in full force and I shook my head.

“No I’m not mad.” I assured him.

I just didn’t know what to say.

……………………………………………….

We were in deep sleep, Riley wrapped in my arms when I heard the rattling of the cell bars. My eyes shot open and extricated myself from him to see what the disturbance about and caught sight of the guard who was standing there, his expression unreadable.

“Visitor for you.” He said but he was looking at Riley and when I turned I realized for the first time that he was wide awake; looking tired.

“V-Visitor?” he asked uncertainly, his eyes flashing to mine and I could imagine what was going through his mind, after all, the last time he’d had a visitor things hadn’t turned out so well in the end.

“A Jerry Sullivan.” The guard offered and I watched as Riley wrapped his hands around his legs and shrunk against the wall.

“I don’t want any visitors today.” He mumbled, then looked at me and said more forcefully “and it’s not because of what you said. I’m just tired.” He finished and I nodded, turning once more to the guard.

“You sure kid?” he asked and at Riley’s nod he turned to go but I approached the bars and called out to him.

“Ask Jerry if he wants to see me instead.” I said, “Tell him I’m Riley’s cell mate.”

The guard cocked a brow, “I look like a delivery guy to you?”

“Please, it’s important.” I said again, barely keeping from gritting my teeth. I was used to people obeying my orders, even after almost two years holed up in this joint, insubordination still rubbed me the wrong way…and this guy didn’t even work with me.

I watched as he glanced at Riley who was still huddled in his little corner looking completely breakable and I was surprised at the sympathy I saw in the guard’s eyes as he looked at my cellie.

“What’s wrong with the kid?” he asked then and I shook my head.

“He’s just not taking to prison life so well.” I explained and after one last look at Riley the guard finally agreed to my request.

“I’ll find out if he wants to see you.”

Ten minutes later he was unlocking my cell and when Riley gave me a small wave I offered him a weak smile before turning down the corridor, allowing the guard to escort me to the visitor’s room.

……………………………………

Riley’s POV

Everything hurt.

My eyes, my face, my head….but I think it was my insides that hurt the most. My heart and my thoughts and I wished I could just go numb to all the negative emotions. The moment I’d learned of the homicide, I’d felt as if all the hope in the world was just gone. Now all I felt was doomed; in this rotten place with the thieves and the killers and the rapists.

I rolled over on the bed, facing the wall and pulled the thin sheet over my body. I was going to get out of here, whether it was through escape or…or something worse, because if I stayed any longer I would go crazy with wanting and I just couldn’t deal with it anymore.

I didn’t know how long I lay there brooding but I turned quickly when I heard the door being opened and my eyes widened when the guard from earlier stepped through and closed the door behind him. He was a big man, tall and a little pudgy around the waist.

His hair was greying ant the temples and his face was wrinkled. He didn’t look as old as Jerry but he was getting there and I wondered, hands shaking, why he was in my cell.

I watched with apprehension as he pulled up the chair and like Nathan had done earlier, sat right in front of me. I felt helpless with the sheets covering me and my feet bare, but leaned as far away from him as possible.

He watched me with what I could only describe as sympathy and curled my hands into the sheets. Waiting.

“What are you doing in this place kid?” he asked then and I didn’t know how to answer him so I remained silent, looking to the doors, willing Nate to get back.

The guard didn’t react to my silence just watched me, expression the same. “I’ve got a boy around your age, just packed him off to college. He wants to be a journalist.” He explained and I nodded slowly, wondering where this was going.

“He’ll make a good one too, got himself some killer instincts my boy.” He said like the proud father, “Just like his old man.”

I nodded again, eyes darting between the guard and the door and back. “I’m only telling you this because something tells me you don’t belong here and I know that sometimes us guards probably seem like a heartless bunch, you know, the ones to fear, but it doesn’t mean we don’t see you guys as human beings.” He trailed off, then continued after a brief pause.

“If it was my son in here…I’d want him to know he wasn’t alone. I hope it works out for you boy.” He stood then and offered a hand. I looked at it, but refused to move even an inch closer and he withdrew it. Nodding in understanding with a small gentle smile.

“Just know if you need to talk I’m here, ask for guard Kelly.” Then he turned to leave and that’s when I finally spoke.

“Why are you being so nice to me? What do you want?”

Then he shook his head. “It’s sad when a kid your age can only see bad in the world. You’re new to the system, an innocent, I guess I’m just hoping you won’t turn out like all the others who’ve passed through these doors. It never ends well for them.” He said and I frowned.

“It ended the second I got thrown in here.”

“That’s where you’re wrong kid. Life aint over just cause you feel trapped. Call me up sometime and I’ll show ya.”

Then he was gone and for the first time since Malone’s death, I felt a niggle of hope that maybe…just maybe things wouldn’t be so bad. I had my entire crew rooting for me, I had Nathan willing to help me, I had my lawyers, Jerry and now this stranger. Maybe, just maybe it wasn’t the end.

I dropped back onto the bed, my head nestled between the pillow and the wall and fell into a deep sleep where I dreamt about Nate and a dog and our life on the outside. It was a good dream and I prayed it would one day become a reality.

………………………………..

Nathan’s POV

Jerry wasn’t anything like I expected. He was a frail old man with intelligent eyes coupled with a kind smile that had me wondering if I’d been wrong in my assessment of him earlier. That maybe it really was just a coincidence.

“Is Riley okay?” was the first thing he asked and even a fool couldn’t miss the concern in his expression.

“Not good.” I said, then when he frowned, his concern deepening I went on, deciding I wouldn’t give him the chance to lead the conversation. I had a limited amount of time to figure out as much as I could about the guy sitting before me for Riley’s sake.

“I’m sure you heard about his friend’s visit.” I began and he nodded slowly.

“It’s sad what happened to that boy.” He said and my eyes narrowed.

“You do realize how it looks…Riley calls you and the guy shows up dead-”

“Is that why Riley won’t see me? because he thinks I have something to do with his friend’s death?” he cut me off, the kind eyes flecked with anger. I read all the expressions crossing his face, cataloging them and assessing each one, then I took in his body language, the tension set in his shoulder before I took in the set of his mouth and the clenching of his fists.

“Murder Jerry. He was murdered.” I bit out and Jerry shook his head, threw the books he’d up until now held lightly in his hands onto the table before me and pushed up from his seat.

“Give those to Riley and tell him I’ll be back next week, same time as always.” He said then turned and left before I could respond and I didn’t try to stop him.

I looked down at the three novels strewn across the table and shook my head before gathering them up and allowed the guard to take me away.

I’d learned a lot about him despite the briefness of the visit and one thing I knew for sure was that Jerry had nothing to do with that kid’s murder. Just like that, the case had became more complicated than ever.

Riley was playing catch with the small ball I usually used when I entered the cell a few minutes later and only stopped when I dropped the books onto the bed. He glanced down at the titles then refocused his attention on me.

“So? What did he say?” he asked and my eyes narrowed.

“You were right, he has nothing to do with it.”

He offered a small smile, then said sarcastically; “I had no idea, how’d you figure?”

I reached over to ruffle his mussed hair and he latched onto my arm pulling me down beside him onto his bunk. I went willingly, kicking off my shoes and stretching out in the small space; my head on his lap.

“I have killer instincts…Jerry’s clean.” I told him simply, then closed my eyes against the glare of the light as a headache formed.

“I didn’t doubt it, you’re the cynic remember?” he said playfully and I finally noticed the change in his mood.

He was no longer sulking or sitting there unresponsive, neither was he back to his perky self but there was a change for the better and I opened my eyes, looking up at him as he stared down at me.

“You okay?” I asked and he shrugged.

“Why are you so… lively all of a sudden?” and he shrugged again.

“Someone made me see that maybe there’s reason to be.” He said simply and I nodded slowly, not really following but glad he was at least turning back into the Riley I lov- knew, the Riley I knew.

I closed my eyes when he began to run his fingers through my hair and as I thought about his situation and how I could possibly help him I suddenly felt burdened. The reason I was actually here was no longer at the forefront of my mind. It was just Riley, it was all Riley and I found myself worrying about what would happen if I couldn’t get him out.

If I couldn’t do it through legal means would I even consider breaking him out? As a man of the law who had worked all his life to be an upstanding citizen, to put the bad guys behind bars so that my country could be safe, did I really have it in me to break the law just to save one kid?

I opened my eyes then and shifted my head to really look at him and he smiled; looking small and innocent and when he lowered his head so that our lips met in a gentle yet searing kiss, I had my answer.

The kid had finally gotten under my skin.

                                           AUTHOR’S NOTES

 THANKS FOR WAITING GUYS AND I HOPE YOU’LL ENJOY!

-KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited (duh)

Chapter 17: Johnny boy

Chapter 17

John’s POV

It was that time of day when the big guys allowed us inmates to mix and mingle on the block. All cells were left open for exactly two hours during which time the we were able to interact with each other, make new ‘friends’ and get the chance to stretch our legs. I’d have preferred to go out into the yard but at this point any time spent out of cell was a Godsend.

Which was ironic since I found myself out of my own cell and lounging in Nathan’s playing a round of cards with him, Riley and Kyle. I pushed back in my chair until it was tilting precariously on its feet and stifled a yawn. We were playing some stupid game Kyle made up and had been at it for about fifteen minutes already.

I was just about ready to literally throw in the cards and find some other way to spend my time. Over on the bottom bunk Nathan and Riley sat side by side making goo-goo eyes at each other and beside me Kyle was about ready to break his neck trying to catch a glimpse of my cards.

I sighed

Yup this is what had become of my life; wasting time in prison while the real bad guys got away. After two years of this undercover bullshit I had to decide if this was really the life i still wanted. I was never one to sit and strategize or wait patiently for the bad guy to fall. I needed to get in on the action; to feel as if I was actually making a difference and when my time in here was up; that’s what I’d be doing.

Nathan was in this for life though, sure he talked about leaving, starting up his securities company but he was meant for this kind of thing, it was his calling and I respected that. To each his own right? I only had to wonder what it would do to the kid when it was time for us to move on.

Riley was attached, any fool could see it and I was pretty sure everyone knew it by now too. The way he hung on to Nate’s every word, the way his eyes never strayed too far from my partner’s face and how he got all sulky and annoying to look at whenever Nate had to go check in with a visitor, it was kinda…kinda like the way Kyle kept looking at me now that I thought about it and my eyes narrowed as I turned to look at him.

He pulled back quickly as if everyone didn’t already know he was cheating. I dropped my cards face-up on the small table and the others threw in as well… probably glad the game was finally over.

I rolled my shoulders trying to dislodge the discomfort that had settled there at the thought of Kyle become attached to me. It wasn’t something I could deal with right now, not something I wanted to deal with.

“We should double-date sometime.” Kyle announced then, successfully breaking the silence and I looked at him as if he’d suddenly grown a pair of horns; for all I knew they were already in the making. The kid was delusional.

“Don’t you bother giving me that look Nathan, I know you and Riley are a thing and John and I are pretty close too, so I think it would be cool for us to hang when we finally make it out of this place.” He paused and did that cute thing where he scrunched up his nose as he considered something.

“Maybe we could go catch a movie, or eat at some famous restaurant, my dad knows a bunch of ’em, hmmm or maybe an amusement park, I haven’t been to one of those in years, or maybe not…I’m kinda afraid of the rides…” he trailed off now and I chose that moment to break the silence.

“What do you mean we’re close? I barely even know you.”

He looked at me then, one eyebrow raised, “You know me well enough.” Then he turned back to the others and I looked at Nathan who shrugged.

“I think it’s kinda cute that you two are together, this place needs some love.” The boy continued as if he couldn’t survive without the constant chatter.

“We’re not a couple, we’re just cell mates.” Riley said, the deep red blush on his face betraying his words.

“Uhuh…you and John need to stop denying your feelings…there’s just no point. You should try to be more like me and Nate…we embrace our emotions.”

“We’re just cell mates, you’re overthinking things.” Nate finally spoke up in a bored tone and I watched as he pushed up from the bunk and stepped around Kyle to the entrance of the room.

“Coming?’ he paused long enough to ask Riley, who like the little puppy he was, got up and followed. Then it was just me and Kyle.

“Was it something I said?” he asked his mouth pulled down in a frown and I sighed.

Of all the people in the world, why did he have to get attached to me ?

………………………………….

“…so then I told him there was no way I was taking the bottom bunk and he told me to fuck off as if I wasn’t the first one to get there. Can you believe it?”

I cracked open an eye wondering if he really expected me to answer, but he was too busy organizing what little stuff my cell mate and I had in the small room. I watched as he folded Eddie’s pants and placed it neatly onto his bed before starting on the scattered shoes.

“And then I went to the guard to complain about it and he told me to fuck off too. This place is just full of assholes.”

My eyes drifted closed once more but I continued to listen to his endless chatter which had a surprisingly soothing effect on me at the moment. We’d left Nate’s cell not long after he’d departed with Riley and I’d come back to my own, too tired to hang with the others.

Not surprisingly Kyle had followed and as I’d stretched out on my bed, arms folded under my head and my legs touching the other end of the matrass, he’d begun his tirade.

That was over forty-five minutes ago.

“We should both request a cell mate transfer, then we’d get to room together.” He was saying now and I answered him without looking his way.

“I like my cell mate.”

“Well I hate mine, what if I told you he hurt me, would you transfer then?”

This time I did look at him; with raised brows. “You cellie is an old guy who couldn’t fight to save his life.”

He sighed, “But he snores.”

“I snore.”

“Well he’s grumpy.” He tried again.

“So am I.”

“Yeah but you’re a good grumpy and you actually listen when I talk.” As he said the words he came to sit beside me on the bunk, one foot bent under him and the other hanging off the bed.

“There’s no good side to grumpy Kyle.” I couldn’t help but chuckle and he pouted, trying to look cute and damned if didn’t succeed.

“Well he smells, and you’re hot and can you imagine how it would be if we got to room together. We could stay up all night talking…”

Which was a good reason to pass on the whole transfer thing.

“And we’d learn more about each other…and we could even do….other things.” This time he threw a saucy smile my way and I felt the heat flush through my body.

I shifted slightly away from him and he scooted closer.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I asked then and he glared, the previously sex charged atmosphere disintegrating.

“I’m staying till time’s up.” He explained.

“You know nothing will come of this right? You understand you’re just wasting your time?” I asked him seriously but he only shook his head firmly.

“You’re only trying to make this harder than it needs to be. We’re meant to be together, I just know it.”

“I don’t date criminals.” I tried again.

He blinked up at me “Neither do I.” and I felt the need to grab him and shake him until he accepted what I was saying to him.

“We’re just two misunderstood guys who were stupid enough to get caught right?” he continued with a grin and despite my frustration with him I found myself trying to stifle a smile.

The kid could turn any statement in his favor.

“Who says you’re even my type?”

“Well if the big guy standing tall between your legs isn’t an indication then I don’t know what is.” He continued, then the grin all but slid from his face and he was staring into my eyes. In his dark orbs I saw the same thing I saw whenever Riley looked at Nate and I turned away, for once, completely at a loss on how to handle the situation.

“I can make you happy Johnny, you’ll see.” The determination in his voice was unmistakable and I looked back at him, the intensity of his gaze grounding me and I swallowed hard against the heat that pooled in my belly.

“Can I kiss you?” I was surprised he even bothered to ask but I shook my head slowly, not at all confident in my response.

He smiled. “One day you’ll be begging me to kiss you.”

“Since when are you so bloody cocky?” I ground out and his grin widened.

“When it comes to you I can afford to be.” Then he ran his hand over my smooth head.

“Why’d you shave it?”

I shrugged.

He yawned. “Scoot over Johnny.” He ordered, pushing against my side

“The name’s John.” I corrected even while I moved over to accommodate him and a second later, he was stretched out beside me, his head buried under my only pillow and I couldn’t deny how good it felt to have a warm body laid up against mine.

I waited until his breath evened out and he fell into a deep sleep before I pushed up from the bunk. I looked back at him once while I laced up my boots, then I was out the door and making my way down the corridor.

I looked into a few cells as I passed, most were empty and I didn’t blame them. You got the chance to leave the sardine can you might as well take it. A minute later I stepped through the doorway of the last cell on the block, where, as expected, the other members of the crew were holed up; including Nate and Riley. By now there was barely even a place to sit so I leaned against the wall and folded my arms before me as I listened to what Eddie was saying.

“…So you shoved him, he fell, broke his hand and then you threatened him. What exactly did you say?”

Riley sighed in annoyance and we all watched as Nate put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“I told you, I said if he went anywhere near my mother again I’d kill him.” Riley spoke and Eddie seemed to consider this.

“And you said earlier that at least a dozen people witnessed it right?”

“Yes Eddie, why do we have to go over this again. My mom’s ex showed up at the party drunk, he pulled me aside and asked me to where she was and when I told him to get lost he shoved me, so I shoved him back and he fell and broke his arm. Then I told him off and I left. A week later he showed up dead and I was being arrested for his murder. Got it?” he looked frustrated.

“He’s just making sure he has all the fact Riles.” Nate said.

Well the nick name was new. I shook my head.

“I know, I’m just tired of having to go over it that’s all.”

“Just one more question. “Are you sure you have no idea how the murder weapon ended up in your house? Are you sure you’re not trying to protect someone? Like your mom maybe?” Eddie asked and the room went completely silent.

“My mom? How’d she get into th- wait, you think she set me up? Are you crazy?”

Eddie held up a hand, “Hey, you said he was abusing her right, that they met regularly and she’d come back home with bruises. Maybe she got sick of it and offed him. She probably wasn’t thinking and brought the knife home and then when you were arrested she got scared. Didn’t know what else to do so she kept quiet and let you take the fall.”

Riley was shaking his head before Eddie even finished the sentence.

“You don’t understand. I might not have liked the guy, but she was still in love with him. She didn’t care that he was hurting her, she just wanted to make the asshole happy.” He said bitterly and I shook my head again. This was just one messed up situation.

“And then this kid who was also at the party that night, shows up saying he knew who killed him and hours later he ends up dead.”

“We need to consider the fact that this might not be Jerry’s doing. I got the chance to talk to him. I can’t see him as the culprit.” Nate spoke up and my mind immediately began shifting through possible scenarios. If Nate said Jerry wasn’t the guy then there was a high chance he wasn’t, which meant we were right back where we started; with no possible leads.

“You said he looked scared when he came in right? Kept looking around like he was afraid someone might see him? Maybe it all comes back to the prison. Maybe he saw someone here who had something to do with it and that’s why he ran. It would explain the coincidence in the timing.” I offered and the others seemed to be considering it as well.

“We need someone on the outside to investigate this. Our hands are pretty much tied in here.” Nate continued and by that I knew he meant; we’ve got enough on our plate as it is.

“It won’t be easy, the phone lines are monitored and I’m pretty sure the visiting area is wired. If we hire an investigator and the perp is here at the prison then it’ll put him on alert. We’d need to get a note out…maybe pass it along to one of our visitors, but they might find it when they frisk us.” Eddie ran a hand over his face in frustration.

There was of course one other way, but using our secure line for something that had nothing to do with our operation was out of the question and the others knew it.

I hadn’t liked him when he’d first joined the crew but like the others I’d developed the urge to look out for him and seeing him in this predicament and knowing that we might have to leave him here when the operation was over was like a sucker punch to the gut.

The kid shouldn’t be in this place.

“We’ll figure it out.” I said then and Nate looked at me, giving a brief nod before he bent to say something quietly to Riley.

“Thanks guys.” Riley said then and pushed up from his seat. A moment later he was gone and we all turned to watch Nate expectantly.

“Any news about the op?” he asked, all business now. He was greeted with silence.

“Okay good, everything’s on track then. We’ll meet tomorrow in the yard after I get the update from the outside.” He finished and I nodded along with the others.

“As for Riley, we need to get him out. Any suggestions would be helpful, but when it comes down to it, If I have to, I’m getting him out of here by any means necessary. I’ve never stood by and watched an innocent suffer and I’m not about to start. I’m gonna need your help, but if any of you have a problem with it speak now.

No one uttered a word. As always, we were behind Nate one hundred and ten percent. If he went down, we were all going down with him.

He nodded. His expression grave as he appraised our small group, then he turned and left the same way Riley had.

“That’s one fucked up situation.” One of the guys commented and I left before anyone else could get a word in.

When I entered my cell, Kyle was still sprawled out on my bunk; asleep. I removed my boots and dropped down into the chair across from him. I titled the chair back as far as it could go without toppling over and sat regarding him.

He was a trouble maker, too flamboyant, too chatty, nosy and way too cocky for my taste. At the same time he was kind, a good friend to Riley, pleasant to be around…when he wasn’t talking a hundred miles a minute and attractive…really attractive.

It wasn’t even that pros outweighed the cons or vice-versa it was the way the situation presented itself. He was a criminal, I was a man of the law and when this was all over I’d be going back to being just that. Nothing could come of this.

In another time maybe, when I didn’t take risks for a living and when my job didn’t put those around me in danger. Another time; another universe but for right now, this was my life and welcoming him into it would be selfish and irresponsible.

                                           AUTHOR'S NOTES

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING GUYS!

Like this book? Give it a review on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22910293-cell-mates?ac=1

I LOVE YA!

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-ENJOY.

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 18: Heat Wave.

Chapter 18

Riley’s POV

“Whad’ya think they’re talking about over there?” Kyle tilted his head in the direction of our crew, who had not surprisingly, kicked us out of whatever clandestine meeting they were having.

You’d think that after everything we’d all been through that they’d just get over themselves already.

I shrugged. “Whatever it is we’re probably better off not knowing anyway.” I commented untruthfully and frowned in contemplation.

The rest of the crew sat serious-faced around a large table not far from where I sat with Kyle. They all looked tense; or was it restrained excitement? I really couldn’t tell.

“Isn’t Johnny looking handsome this morning?”

I shifted my gaze to John, who sat with his elbows propped up on the clean surface of the table, listening to whatever it was Nathan was telling the group. He was wearing the same ugly prison clothes he wore every day, same tattoos, same shaved head, same huge muscles and same grumpy expression.

I rolled my eyes.

“You’re whipped.”

Kyle grinned briefly before turning to me with raised brows, “And you aren’t?”

“Well at least I’m not sitting here mooning over Nathan.”

“That’s cause you get to be with him all night.” He commented, then he let his eyes rove over me, “Lucky bastard.”

I chuckled then sighed, “Yeah and in just a few weeks Nathan’ll be gone and I’ll have to room with some other dude.

“I could put in a transfer for your cell.” Kyle looked at me, eyes wide with excitement and I shook my head.

“No point, you’ll be gone a month after Nate leaves and then what? I’d rather not get attached to anymore cell mates while I’m here.”

He shrugged, “The others will take care of you when we’re gone, I’ll make sure of it and you know I’ll visit and I’ll hunt Nathan down wherever he is and bring him along too.” He said good-naturedly and I offered him a small smile.

That I didn’t doubt.

“I don’t know how you do it Kyle.” I commented after a few seconds of silence.

“Do what?”

“Be so happy all the time. I mean you’re in prison but you don’t ever act like it.” I explained and he shrugged.

“You’re not there when I’m bawling my eyes out at night.” He commented and when I looked at him in concern he laughed it off.

“I guess I just don’t see the point of walking around sad all day, there’s nothing I can do about it.” He shrugged again.

“You make it sound so easy.” I frowned at him.

“Okay, look at it this way….if I hadn’t ended up in this dump I’d never have met you…or the guys…or John. Everything happens for a reason Riley.” He looked like he believed it too and I nodded.

He was still making it sound more simple than it was and I found myself wishing I had his outlook on life.

“Do you really cry yourself to sleep at night?”

He smiled. “At first I did…but then I met John.” He was silent for a second. “There’s just no way you can be sad with a face like that around.” He chuckled.

“I’m gonna go crash their meeting, come on.” He said standing up. I looked back and forth between the crew and Kyle with furrowed brows.

“You think that’s a good idea?”

He shrugged and turned to go and I pushed up quickly from my seat; determined to follow.

All voices dies down the moment we reached the table and I looked apologetically at Nate who had turned to watch our approach with a blank expression.

“Scoot over Johnny.” I watched as Kyle somehow forced himself into the space between Eddie and John and I rolled my eyes, grabbing the only other free seat directly across from Nate.

“So Riley was wondering what it was you guys are always whispering about so we decided to sit in on this meeting.”

I glared at Kyle who looked back at me innocently.

“What happened to everyone being entitled to privacy?” one of the guys put in and I could feel that we weren’t welcome at the table right then.

Nathan cut the guy a look and turned to me to explain. “It’s fine we were just discussing your case. I didn’t want you to get upset which is why I asked you to leave earlier.”

I continued to stare at him, a number of emotions flitting through me.

“Wow… so you’re just gonna sit there and lie to my face.” I said softly and the entire table seemed to still as everyone turned watched the two of us.

Kyle was the first to break the silence, “Riley I’m sure he’s telling the tru-“

“No.” I cut him off, “He’s lying. You don’t live with a person for as long as I have and not pick up on a few things. He just lied right to my face.” I said, my gaze still locked on Nate who had yet to say a word.

He just sat there in silence his gaze fixed on mine; face completely unreadable.

“You wanna sit here and have your secret meeting with your crew Nate fine…but don’t treat me like I’m some fucking idiot.” I said firmly.

I’d been through enough as it was, I didn’t need the one person I cared about lying to me too.

“What’s so important you’ve got to be keeping it from us anyway? Aren’t we apart of your crew too? Don’t you guys trust us?” Kyle spoke then and Nate finally looked away.

“Alright I lied. I’ll admit it.” Nate said then, his voice cold and his jaw set. “but when we keep meetings like this, it’s for a reason and If I say you’re not welcome to sit in, that’s exactly what I mean. Better?” he turned back to me and asked, his expression still frosty and I wondered if it was because I caught him in a lie or because he was genuinely upset that Kyle and I had crashed the meeting why he was acting this way.

I gazed around the table for a second, taking in the faces of the others who chose to remain quiet.

I shook my head, “Alright, go back to your little meeting, I have more important things to do than sit here with you jerks anyway.” And I was out of my seat before anyone could take another breath.

Hurt that they could still be so distrusting of me and Kyle, angry that Nate had felt the need to lie to me in the first place and embarrassed that I’d practically been rejected in front of the others by my own lover, I made my way across the room and towards a familiar guard standing by the phones.

The one who had been kind to me. I heard Kyle’s feet tapping against the floor as he followed me and I slowed to allow him to catch up.

“What now?” he asked when he was by my side and from his tone I could tell he wasn’t particularly overjoyed by the circumstances either.

“Wanna go play cards in my cell?” I asked and his eyes narrowed.

“I would, but we’re not allowed on the block till they say so.” He was clearly confused and indicated with my head to the guard standing not too far away from us.

“Nathan’s not the only one with links around here.” I said slyly and I watched as a slow smile spread across Kyle’s face.

“Lead the way.” He invited and I took a deep breath and made my way towards the man.

“Guard Kelly right?” I asked the second we stopped in front of him and I knew that he recognized me from his glittering eyes.

“You’re that depressed kid. Riley was it?” he greeted and I smiled shyly in response.

“What can I do for you?”

“Well…I know this is gonna sound weird…but I was wondering if maybe…it might be possible for me to go back to my cell?” I hadn’t really come up with an explanation as to why he should even consider allowing me on the block so I trailed off and looked up at him, waiting for his answer.

His brows furrowed and he looked between me and Kyle. “Block’s out of bounds to prisoners during lunch period.” He explained and I looked to Kyle for help but he shrugged offering absolutely no aid.

“Why do you want to go onto the block?”

I shrugged, looked once more at Kyle then back at the guard. “Boredom.” I uttered the stupid answer and the guard’s amused expression caused me to blush with embarrassment.

“Come with me.” he said then and my eyes widened in surprise. “You’re actually gonna take us to the block?” I asked in awe but he only shook his head and my brows wrinkled.

“Even better, I’ll show you something.” He said and after signaling to one of his guard buddies he indicated that we should walk before him and we did.

Kyle looked a bit uneasy and I bit my lip, wondering just what I was getting us into.

On our way out of the room I spotted the crew watching us, my gaze locked onto Nathan’s particularly. His brows were furrowed in what looked to be concern as he watched the three of us walk by him and I turned away swiftly, reluctant to forget what a dick he’d been only minutes before.

………………………………………

Nathan’s POV

“They’re only going to get more suspicious you know?” Eddie said as soon as Kyle was out of ear shot.

“Clearly, but we don’t have a choice.”

“Have you given any thought to what you’re gonna do about him once we’re done here?” Eddie again.

“Haven’t really thought about much past the Op. I’ll figure it out.” I assured him, but he only raised a brow, looking at me as if I’d just spoken another language.

“When we leave and all the inmates find out the reason we were here…which they will…Riley and Kyle will be in danger and that’ll be on us. So I ask again…what are you gonna do about them? They’re as much part of this crew as the rest of us and I won’t leave them to fend for themselves just because of their association with us.” He continued and I bristled.

I wasn’t sure yet if it was the heat of the day, or something in the air why everyone seemed to be on my case today. It was bad enough I’d been caught in a lie by an amateur like Riley but to have one of my men questioning my ability to cater for the guys I’d inadvertently put in danger didn’t sit well with me.

“I don’t know if it’s that you’re intentionally being dull-witted or if you really don’t have an ounce of perception, but I care about Riley and John cares about Kyle which means that when I say I’ll look out for them. I damn well mean it.”

It was the heat , that would be the best way to explain why tensions seemed to be running high today and everyone felt the sudden need to be mouthing off, but it only soured my mood  and luckily for Eddie; he chose to remain silent after my outburst.

John only gaped at me as if I’d given away some prized secret of his and the others kept their eyes averted as if they expected me to blow up any minute.

I jerked at my collar a few times to allow the air to cool my skin but it wasn’t much better.

“If Riley doesn’t go free before we leave, we’ll pull some strings and get him transferred to another facility; he’ll be fine, as for Kyle he’ll be out soon after we leave so that won’t be a problem either.” John; seemingly the only level headed of the group today chose to be the voice of reason.

“So you two are fucking prisoners now?” Charlie asked and I gave him the full effect of my annoyed stare. He didn’t seem particularly judgmental just merely curious but his words still had the ability to piss me off.

I jerked my collar again as the heat seemed to get worse.

“Mind you own damn business.” John told him and I took a breath and turned away from both of them. It was then that I spotted Riley walking towards the exit with Kyle and our block guard in tow and I frowned.

“I don’t even want know what those two are up to.” John groaned when he saw them and we all caught the wink Kyle gave him. One of the guys snickered.

Riley met my eyes for about a second then abruptly turned away.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was pissed. I cursed under my breath at the entire situation, then I cursed the heat and the case and the whole god damn world because today was not going my way in the least.

                                    AUTHOR’S NOTES

THIS IS A PRETTY MELLOW CHAPTER..JUST AN ORDINARY DAY IN THE LIFE OF OUR PRISONERS.

ENJOY!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 19: No longer a boy.

Chapter 19

“Are we even allowed up here?” Kyle asked in awe as we took in the view.  I’d never imagined a place like this would have had such an amazing view. We could see the entire prison grounds…extensive as it was.

I looked beyond the far walls and could even catch a glimpse of the city beyond, where people roamed free; where I used to roam free.

Wow

I huddled closer to Kyle trying to shield myself from the biting wind.

“It’s fine. It’s prisoners who clean up here anyway.” Guard Kelly announced, surveying the small balcony briefly before turning back to us.

“I like coming up here to think, clear my mind you know…figured you two could use a place like this sometimes.”

I gaped at him, “You mean we can come up here whenever we want?”

He chuckled. “Maybe not whenever you want, but if you’re having a particularly bad day, lemme know and I’ll see what I can do.” I offered.

“I just don’t get why you’re being so nice to me…even that day in my cell…guards don’t do stuff like this.” My brows furrowed as I looked up at him, watching his gentle eyes.

“Like I said…you remind me of my son.” Was all he said before turning back to enjoy the view.

Kyle didn’t say much but continued to take in as much as he could…to lock the memory away for later I presumed.

“So you two want to tell me what’s going on that had you wanting to rush back to the cell block?”

I shrugged, then sighed but didn’t turn to face him. “Nothin really, just wanted to get away from it all for a few minutes. I’m sick of all the drama and the secrets and this place…” I trailed off, thoughts from earlier circulating and ruining my newfound good mood.

Guard Kelly was silent for a while as I stewed, then I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder, “Well if you ever need to talk don’t be a stranger…both of you.” He finished, extending his invite to Kyle who nodded along with me.

“The guys will come around, just give them time.” Kyle spoke up then and I shook my head.

“It’s been months Kyle, they’ll never change and really I don’t care, I just…Nathan shouldn’t…” I swallowed against the lump in my throat and I felt the ache in my chest as the hurt washed over me. “He just sat there and lied right to my face…after everything we’ve been through…everything we have and he just didn’t care….”

Guard Kelly had crossed to the far end of the balcony, allowing us our privacy and Kyle moved closer, taking my hand and squeezing.

“Everybody lies sometimes Riley.” He began, “and I’m not saying what he did was acceptable but everyone knows Nate cares for you…you’re the only one who can’t see it…but he really does and if he lied then I’m sure he had a good reason.” He explained and it didn’t make me feel any better but I nodded anyway and he smiled.

The feeling was stupid though. Nate didn’t owe me anything…we were just fuck buddies…like he’d said from the very beginning. I’d been the fool who wanted it to progress, the fool who’d gone into it with expectations and all that bulll.

Nate didn’t owe me anything, we weren’t a couple and maybe it was time I learned that. Maybe it was time to start acting the part. Just sex right? Just two cell mates in need of release…absolutely nothing more.

I accepted my role then as I continued to take in the view, but I still felt as though someone had ripped away the happy parts of me and left me aching and hollow.

………………………………………..

John’s POV

They’d been gone for a while now…almost forty-five minutes and Nathan was on edge…usually he could keep his emotions in check but recently when it came to the kid, Nate was like a completely different person. It just about pissed me off that he could allow the boy to have that kind of control over him. It wasn’t healthy, it wasn’t normal and it was making him weak.

I glanced at the exit again and my brows furrowed. Almost an hour and they had yet to get back and in just a little over ten minutes, we’d be escorted back to our cells. I didn’t know the guard and I could only hope that Kyle didn’t say something stupid to get himself into a situation I probably had no hope of getting him out of.

The kid was bad news and that mouth was likely to get him killed. I strummed my fingers on the desk, half listening to the ramblings of the crew as I waited for Kyle and his mouth to get back.

I could admit that I was slightly worried and it wasn’t because I was suddenly crazy over the kid, it was more the agent in me than anything else; there was always that need to protect and Kyle more than anyone seemed to need it.

“He better not be doing something stupid.” Nate grumbled then and I turned to look at him.

“You lied to him and he’s always been emotional. If he’s doing something stupid I wouldn’t be surprised.” I said drily and if it was even possible, Nate seemed even more on edge.

I shook my head and stood just as the buzzer went off alerting us that it was time to get back to our cells. I glanced toward the exit once more; still no Kyle then allowed myself to be ushered out the door and back to my matchbox of a room.

………………………………………….

Riley’s POV

He was throwing his ball when I got back to the cell later that night and as soon as I entered the space he straightened up on his bunk, sitting with his back to the wall as he watched me remove my boots and my shirt. I was careful not to meet his eyes and I didn’t utter a word.

When I’d stripped completely save my boxers and dropped into the chair by the desk, I took a breath. The change that was coming wasn’t going to be easy but I’d already made up my mind. It was time to grow up, no more playing house and trying to force a relationship on someone who had absolutely no interest in anything beyond sexual gratification.

It had taken a while up there on that balcony with my thoughts to help me to come to the realization that all the hope I’d had for more had been a waste of time. The mature thing to do…the smart thing, would be to move on, to completely let Nate go but even I wasn’t that selfless; that brave. I still needed him, I probably always would, so while I had given up on the idea for more, I wasn’t completely letting go.

I’d give Nate what he wanted, what we both wanted but beyond sex there would be no more. It was time to wake up, be a man and stop living in those damn clouds.

“Where’ve you been?”  he finally broke the silence. He almost sounded like a parent, pissed that his child had come home late and I rolled my eyes.

It was clear he’d been worried, I was no fool, I knew he cared for me…like a friend or as much as one human being could care for another…but beyond that…it was best never to expect much when it came to my cellie; he had a heart of stone that one.

“Getting wasted at this sick college party.” I replied sarcastically then when his eyes narrowed into slits I shook my head. “I’m stuck in prison, I wasn’t anywhere.”

His expression didn’t change, he still had that ‘don’t mess with me’ look and for once I didn’t care to make it go away.

“Anything else you wanna know mom? Or can I go to my room now?”

“Cut the shit Riley, it’s a simple question.”

“Yeah and it’s none of your business.” I retorted pissed that he thought he had the right to be pissed at me when he was the moron lying to my face and treating me like some kid.

“You can’t just run off with some guard, these people aren’t your friends Riley, you could get hurt.”

“Jesus Christ Nate! Would you stop treating me like a fucking child for once?” I jumped from the chair making my way over to the metal bars that held us captive.

I wrapped my fingers around them and squeezed, trying to calm my growing anger.

“Is there a reason you can’t tell me where you went with him?”

I didn’t answer, just stared out into the empty corridor.

I could practically feel the tension gathering in the room.

“I just hope you remember our deal….you sleep around and it’s done, I won-“

I whirled to face him, “Yeah because I’m just a fucking slut to you right? Can’t keep my damn hands to myself, you’re fucking unbelievable you know that?”

“I’m only trying to look out for you, I don’t get why you’re acting like some spoiled kid, you need to grow up!” he threw the ball he’d been gripping and it bounced against the wall by my head, through the metal bars and into another cell.

I took a calming breath and turned away from him again. “Yeah you’re right, I do need to grow up, I’m sick of this shit.”

My heart was heavy my palms sweaty and I allowed my hands to fall from the bars as I slid to the floor; pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.

And silence descended yet again.

“He took us up to a balcony so we could take in the view and I stood there and hung out with Kyle until he told us it was time to leave. He took us right back to our cells. That’s it.” I explained quietly.

“Lights out!” a guard called and we were plunged into darkness. It took him a while but he finally decided to respond.

“I shouldn’t have sai-“

“It’s fine.” I cut him off.

……………………………………

It had been hours since I’d dragged myself off the floor and onto my bunk and I still couldn’t get any sleep, instead I just lay there watching the darkness and harboring thoughts that would only get me nowhere.

I sighed and turned onto my side trying to get comfortable. Above me I heard Nate shift then it was back to complete silence. I wished I had light so I could at least read a chapter or two from my latest novel.

I only needed a distraction from my pessimistic thoughts, so I tried to think of something upbeat; like the fact that Christmas was right around the corner and how Kyle and I had volunteered to help decorate the cafeteria. Not that these rough inmates would appreciate the effort; it would probably only remind them of the family they wouldn’t get the chance to be with this Christmas and all the gifts they were likely to miss out on…after all they all probably topped Santa’s naughty list.

I started when I heard a soft thud behind me and spun to see Nate standing by my bunk.

“What are y-“

“I’m an asshole, I know and I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier.” He said simply and I wished I could see his face so I could have some idea what was running through his mind.

I shrugged. “It’s fine really..i’m over it.”

Silence.

 A moment later I felt my bed dip and like the traitor it was, my body heated at his presence, reminding me of my earlier resolve. Reminding me that what I needed wasn’t what Nate had his eyes on.

It was all physical.

It was Just sex.

Just sex.

 Sex

The words swirled in my mind mocking me with the truth. Then Nate reached over and I felt his hand cup my face. My heart pounded in my chest. This was the kind of shit that got to me, the gentleness, the care he took whenever we made love….

No, not ‘made love’…we fucked, because you only made love with someone who meant something to you and everyday Nate proved to me how much of a fool I was for hoping for more.

I pulled his hand away from my face as the anger ripped through me. The anger and the heat and the need and I reached out into the darkness and grasped what I could, pulling him roughly down to my level. He came willingly, his lips meeting mine without difficulty, our breaths mingling, the kiss deepening, our bodies melding, fabric against bare skin and nails scraping against hard flesh.

I tried to speed it up where he tried to go slow and when he was gentle, I was rough. Gentle hands would get me nowhere but lost. I needed it hot and messy…no emotions just the heat.

“Slow down Riles, we’ve got all night.” I heard him chuckle when cloth ripped beneath my hands, but I didn’t want slow. I pulled him against me again, bucking my hips to meet his and I felt the predictable bulge in his pants. He moaned and when I bit his neck he gasped, pulling me closer, running his calloused hands over my heated flesh.

“Now.” I demanded against his lips when he tried for foreplay and when he ignored me I reached down to grasp him in my hand, pumping him in time with the beat of my heart. That got him going and before long, his clothes were discarded, my boxers went missing and it was flesh slamming against flesh, moans and bites and heat and pleasure.

White hot pleasure that had me writhing under him as he went harder, faster. I didn’t allow him to slow down, I didn’t allow him to be gentle, I rode it out with him, urging him on, telling him I wanted more; needing him to fuck me harder; until I couldn’t think anymore…until I could only want.

It didn’t take long for the heat to build and build and finally spill over, sloshing over us until I was biting his shoulder to keep from screaming in pleasure. I emptied myself between our pressing bodies and then it was his turn, grunting and moving until it was over and we lay panting and spent.

That was when he tried to gather me in his arms as he was prone to do after sex and that was when I shook him off. I could practically feel his surprise…or was it shock at my actions, but I wouldn’t allow it, I wouldn’t fall back into that pointless routine.

“Can we not do the cuddling thing? I’m tired, I wanna sleep.” I managed to get out. I felt his hesitation; his uncertainty.

“Alright.” He responded, then made to stretch out beside me, fully prepared to fall asleep with his body pressed against mine.

“Look the sex was good… as always…but I’d rather have a decent night’s sleep and the my bunk’s small enough as it is…” I trailed off but I knew he got the picture when I felt him stiffen beside me.

“Riles-“

“Nate jeez just leave me alone will you?” I was deliberately harsh as I turned away from him and pretend as if I was just moments from sleep.

It took a second, but then he was sliding out of the bed and I felt the cool air against my back at his absence. I tried to swallow against the unwelcome ache in my throat at what I was doing, then bit my lip when it wobbled.

I knew he stood there for a moment, probably just staring down at me, wondering if this was really the same goo-goo eyed Riley he couldn’t get rid of, then he was climbing onto his own bunk.

I heard him take a deep breath and I pulled the covers around me, biting my lip in an attempt to keep from sobbing into the already damp pillow. It was time to grow up, a relationship just wasn’t in the cards for us but goddamn did it hurt just thinking it.

……………………………..

Nathan’s POV

As pathetic as it sounded, I felt….used.

                                             AUTHOR’S NOTE

… and HERE IT IS..WHAT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

-ENJOY!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 20: Chaos

Chapter 20

Nathan’s POV

I didn’t wake to soft kisses and a warm body pressed against my side. I opened my eyes and looked around me; no Riley. My brows furrowed.

“Riles?” I called and was surprised to hear him awake and alert down below.

“Hmm?”

I glanced over the edge of the bunk and spotted him sitting crossed legged on the chair, face planted in his latest novel.

“What’re you doing? Come here.” I called rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“Reading.” he said almost coldly and the previous night came back to me in a flash; I gritted my teeth.

“You’re not starting this shit again are you?” I returned and he chose to remain silent.

I wasn’t about to obsess over this new behavior; he was being childish, giving me the silent treatment and refusing to tell me what was bothering him. It was absolutely fine with me if he wanted to keep it all to himself. I jumped from my bunk and landed with a soft thud below; then went to pull on the usual outfit.

He didn’t glance up from his book once and I felt a flash of annoyance go through me before I quashed it and focused on what I was doing. When that was done I lowered myself onto his rumpled sheets, waiting for the guards to come free us from our cage.

I sat through twenty minutes of silence before the buzzer sounded and our gate was being opened. He ignored me on the long trek down to the showers and the walk to the cafeteria and when I sat in my usual seat amongst the guys, despite his earlier actions, I was surprised when he didn’t come to sit by me as he usually did. Instead he took a seat next to Kyle and John and everyone around our large table took notice.

“Well this is new.” John commented, looking between us and I ignored him.

“Mind your own business Johnny.” Kyle scolded him and a few of the guys snickered when John only gave him a pointed look.

The John we all knew would have decked a guy for that. He was getting soft and all because of this fruitcake sitting across from me. Just then, said fruitcake turned to offer me a small unwelcome smile and I stared at him blankly.

“You need to shave babe.” Unfazed, Kyle had turned back to him and was running his fingers through the stubble on John’s face. We all watched with varying degrees of amusement and in my case indifference, as John slapped Kyle’s hand away and turned to the meal before him.

“What’s up with you two lovebirds?” one of the guys nudged Riley who rolled his eyes before regarding me with a bored stare.

“Trust me dude, love has nothing to do with it.”

“Ha-ha Nate what’d you do, kid looks about ready to beat your ass.” The guys joked and I shrugged.

“I couldn’t tell you…” My gaze settled on Riley as I said it but like this morning he continued ignoring me, looking completely unconcerned as he listened to something Kyle was telling him.

“Any news?” I turned my attention to Eddie.

“Nothing as it relates to Riley’s situation and as for our case; everything’s going as planned. We’ll be outta here before you know it.” He grinned and I could understand his excitement; he had a girl on the outside he planned on marrying; we all had lives we were eager to get back to and this case had affected so much already it was time for it to end.

Many of the guys had already decided this would be their last undercover OP and it was understandable; but for me…this was my life, it was what I’d trained for and it was the one thing I knew how to do and do well. This certainly wouldn’t be my last; but it would definitely be the last time I allowed myself to get caught up in something that had the potential to harm my case.

I glanced at Riley and the thought of the few short weeks I had left with him sent an unfamiliar ache through my chest.

“What do you want for Christmas?” Kyle interrupted my musings with his address to John.

“We’re in prison.” John said simply then took a bite out of his stale bread.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Eat your food.” John sounded annoyed now, but of course Kyle wasn’t backing down and I wondered how he could even stand the kid.

“You know, that attitude will get you nowhere.” Brief pause “You wanna hear what I want for Christmas?” he asked then, the excitement in his voice hard to miss.

John shot him down. “No.” Eddie chuckled and Kyle pouted, looping his arm through John’s and moving to rest his head on my partner’s shoulder.

“Dammit Kyle I’m trying to eat.” He admonished and I shook my head then took a bite out of my own loaf.

“So Kyle and I are supposed to help decorate the cafeteria and we were wondering if any of you guys wanna help.” Riley spoke up then and the silence that suddenly enveloped our table was answer enough.

“Come on guys, wouldn’t you like to see something other than these bare walls for a change?” he continued.

Silence.

“What about you Nate? Wanna help decorate?” he finally addressed me and I shook my head.

“I’ll pass.”

He sighed.

“It’s probably not helping you get back in his good graces if you turn him down.” John said softly.

“I’m not interested in getting back in anyone’s good graces, mind you own damn business.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” then continued munching on the unappetizing meal.

It was at that point that the commotion began and before I knew it, shouting filled the air and guards were moving from their posts, weapons raised threateningly as they went to stake out the situation.  I pushed up from my own seat so that I could catch a glimpse of the chaos a few a tables down, when I heard the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh and the snap of bone as some unfortunate guy’s jaw snapped. I groaned and dropped right back into my seat.

“Shit, there’s gonna be a lockdown for this.” John grumbled and my mouth tightened.

A lockdown was exactly what we didn’t need right now; it would only postpone our carefully crafted plans and our deadline was already too close for comfort.

“Beans again, why am I not surprised.” Riley muttered from where he stood on his chair surveying the scene.

By now the entire cafeteria was in an uproar as men ran to surround the fighting prisoners. As the seconds ticked by, guard after guard came rushing in, trying to quell the chaos and I turned to make sure all of my men were in their designated slots.

 I couldn’t afford any trouble right now.

“Oh shit! He just hit a guard!” Riley exclaimed.

“Really?” this coming from Kyle who attempted to stand on his chair but was pulled back down by a disgruntled John.

“Keep your ass planted.” John warned and Kyle bristled but otherwise remained seated.

“Get down Riley, you’re only drawing attention to yourself.” I called over to my cellie and soon he too was lowering himself into his seat, but continued to stretch awkwardly in his seat trying to catch every aspect of the fight.

“This is getting serious.”  This from Eddie.

“We’ll get a week this time if not more.” John commented, his anger barely concealed. I nodded.

“A week of lockdown? I can’t stay in my cell with the old man that long, he’ll drive me crazy!” Kyle exclaimed, eyes wild with worry.

“Guys, I might be wrong…but I think a guard just got stabbed.” Riley reported in horror and I pushed up from my seat, moving closer to the crowd. It was complete mayhem in here, food trays flying about, men shouting, running, guards subduing insubordinate inmates and I knew that sooner or later the tear gas would be let loose on the lot of us.

I ducked when I food tray came flying my way and it crashed into the wall behind me.

“Get down get down!” one guard shouted. Someone bumped into me and I stumbled. When I managed to straighten up, it was in time to see a guard, gun raised as if prepared to fire. I ducked again, skating across the floor and back to my table where the crew sat.

“Down down down!” I shouted, grabbing hold of Riley when I got close enough and pulling him to the floor. Half my body was draped over his as I covered my head and the others followed suit. A second later gun shots sounded and I didn’t need to look up to know that a few people had been hit.

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!” Riley was whispering over and over as he lay beneath me; his body quivering.

“Eddie’s been hit!” This from John and I glanced up to see my partner crossing the room -head still ducked- to go check on our fallen comrade.

I pushed up from the floor. “Stay here and stay down.” I told Riley before making my way over to Eddie.

“It’s bad.” John said when I approached. His hand was pressed against Eddie’s bloodied chest.

“Jesus.” I dropped to my knees before him.

“Get help!” John shoved me. I hopped up and the second I spotted a guard everything went to shit. I felt an intense heat flow over me, then I was being flung through the air. I crashed into a far wall and went down. Before I could register any pain or make sense of what had happened my world went black.

………………………

When I woke once more it was to a pounding head and utter confusion. Screaming, pounding feet, and heat. I pushed up with a groan, taking my time as I got to my feet, taking inventory of my limbs.

“What the-” I looked around me in shock, taking in the scene; most importantly the cafeteria wall across from me; all but torn down. I shook my head trying to clear it, but it only intensified the pounding in my head.

Not far from the gaping hole a fire was blazing eating away at everything in its path while inmates and guards alike tried to quell the flames. I moved unsteadily on my feet, almost tripping over the body of an unidentified male.

“What the fuck’s going on?” I said more to myself than anyone else but a breathless voice beside me answered and I felt a hand latch onto my arm; pulling me closer to the scene.

“They fucking blew it up!” it was John.

“What?”

“The fighting, it was all a distraction; they’re escaping!” he tried again and it took a while for me to process his words, but when I did, my eyes widened and I swung around to appraise him with wide eyes.

“Come on, help me find the others.” He shouted and pulled me in the direction of the flames. When he released my hand I noticed the imprint of his bloody hand and I froze, grabbing hold of his sleeve.

“Eddie, where’s Eddie?”

The look that flashed through his eyes at that moment was unreadable. “Later, come on” and he was running across the room, pushing pass inmates and jumping over rubble.

Despite the pain I followed him, racing to catch up, all the while glancing around me to catch a glimpse of Eddie or…

“Riley.” I hissed when I spotted him standing amidst the rubble. He had his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he looked toward the large hole in what had once been the cafeteria wall, then back into the cafeteria.

Kyle stood not far from him, shouting something at him but he only shook his head. I continued to follow John as we moved closer to the two and it was only when we were a few feet away that I realized what was going on between them.

“Riley you can’t!” Kyle was shouting.

Three long strides brought me close enough so that he could see me and when he did his eyes widened briefly before they shuttered and his expression became unreadable. Blood soaked his pants and he was sweating profusely.

“Riley-”

Kyle swung round when he heard my voice, eyes pleading.

“Nate, do something, he’s gonna run!”

Riley took a step back, bringing himself closer to the gaping hole and farther away from me.

Around me the guards had bigger problems; rounding up as many prisoners as they could while trying to deal with the roaring flames.

I took a step closer as he looked back and forth between me and the hole.

“Riley don’t!” I shouted, it didn’t take a fool to realize what he was contemplating and my heart sped in my chest at the prospect.

“I have to!” he shouted back and took another step away from me.

He looked scared; eyes wide, lips wobbling and I stepped closer.

“No…if you do this, that’s it for you, you’ll be on the run and when they catch you Riles, that’s it, your life will be over. Come here.” I said, afraid that if I stepped any closer he’d bolt, so I tried for rational despite my pounding head.

He glanced between me and Kyle this time, then I watched in horror as his expression shuttered once more and he said firmly.

“My life is already over.” Just like that, he spun on his heels and before I could process it all, he had disappeared through the hole.

“Riley no!” Kyle screamed in horror and a second later he was darting after his friend.

“Goddammit Kyle!” This from John who, without a thought skated across the rubble and disappeared through the hole behind them both.

I stared after them in shock, my mind reeling, my head pounding, my thoughts in chaos, then I too was darting across the small distance and through the hole. It was a tunnel, completely empty, rubble strewn across the floor, lights hanging by faulty cords. I could hear Kyle screaming Riley’s name as I ran, slipping on the loose stones.

There was no thought to what was going on behind me, no thought to all the shit that had just gone down; I just ran, heart pounding with every thud of my feet against the concrete and before I knew it I was out into the open; fresh air forcing its way into my lungs.

The escape had been well planned; the route from the prison clear and uninterrupted, I could see guards darting about, hear the gunshots and at one point I wondered if it was me being shot at, but I kept going, drowning out the sounds, focused on John’s back which was quickly disappearing from view.

When I got to the fence I slid through the small gash with some difficulty, but then it was home free and I was tearing across the asphalt and into the forestry beyond.

Even as I swept pass trees and brush and jumped over protruding roots I kept going, eyes ahead so that I wouldn’t lose sight of John’s shirt, all the while knowing that by stepping through that hole we’d all just made ourselves fugitives.

                                         AUTHOR’S NOTES

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING GUYS AND I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR SUPPORT <3

HOPE THE HOLIDAY IS GOING GREAT!

KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

unedited.

Chapter 21: Through he trees.

Chapter 21

Riley’s POV

Kyle’s shouts had died down a while back and all I could hear now were the pounding of his feet on the thick green terrain not far behind me. I darted through the woodland as fast as my feet could take me, not daring to look behind, not daring to slow my feet, not daring to stop. I wouldn’t be caught, I wouldn’t go back to that place. I slipped on mud and righted myself before I fell and continued on my way.

My heart was pounding and my breath was coming in quick gasps. I could even feel a stitch beginning to form in my side and I wasn’t more regretful that I hadn’t spent more time in the gym with the others, than I was in that moment. In the end, it wasn’t the books that would save my life, but the fitness of my body.

I clutched my side as I ran, branches whipping my body as I went. If I could just distance myself from the prison; that was the most significant thought that rushed through my mind.

Distance, that was all I needed and I’d be free. I didn’t allow myself to think on what would come next, or on what to do about Kyle who had been foolish enough to follow me, nor did I allow my thoughts to wander to Nate and what he was now doing back at the prison. I just ran. Freedom was the goal and I would be successful; I had to be.

 …………………………………………….

John’s POV

The damn fool

Though I was beginning to wonder who the real fool was the longer I chased after the brat. I ducked under another lower hanging branch and by the time I spotted him I was fuming. He was sitting amongst the trees and the roots, trying to catch his breath and as soon as I approached, I grabbed hold of his collar, pulling him to his feet.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” I demanded, shaking him for what it was worth until he went limp and had to clutch at my biceps to remain standing.

“Johnny?” he questioned with wide disbelieving eyes, then in a flash, he had his arms wrapped around my neck, body pressed against mine.

“Oh my god Johnny, I can’t believe you’re here!” he exclaimed and clutched tighter and for an instant I felt myself hugging him back before I pulled his arms from around me and pushed him away.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? That’s years added to your sentence you fool!” I exploded.

He had the good sense to look remorseful, any other expression and I would have skinned him alive. “I know, I didn’t think I just had to get Riley and….” He trailed off as if considering something, then with furrowed brows he looked up at me and as I watched in annoyance, his expression gave way to realization and before long a large stupid looking smile spread across his face.

“You came after me!” he practically squealed and once again his arms were around my neck and he was squeezing as if for dear life.

“I knew you cared, I knew it, I’m so glad you’re here Johnny.” He whispered. I felt his hot breath against my neck and a shiver went through my body. I pushed him away again.

“Kyle, look at me.” I commanded and he did, but it was with that same goofy expression and it only served to anger me further. He wasn’t grasping the seriousness of the situation, he was standing before me, face lit with the biggest smile I’d ever seen him manage after he’d just escaped from prison .

“When they’ve taken stock of all the prisoners and they find out that you’re not there…which won’t be very long from now, they’ll hunt you down Kyle, your name, your face will be aired in every media house in the state and when they find you…which they will, you’ll be locked away for years…do you understand what I’m saying?” I spoke slowly if not harshly, trying to make him grasp the importance of my words and by the way the smile fell from his face and his eyes widened, it had clearly finally sunken in.

“Wh-but… I didn’t think…Riley just ran and I couldn’t make him go alone…oh my God…” he blubbered to himself, while I took the time to survey the area. It was quiet here, but in the distance I could hear the ringing of the prison alarm. The signal for a prison break hadn’t gone up yet; which was possibly a good sign.

“…and you actually followed me, you put yourself at risk for me too. God I’m so sorry…”  Kyle was saying and I zoned him out again, listening closely to the sounds of the woodland.

The second the alarm went up, the prison would be on complete lockdown. They’d send every team they could get their hands on and they’d start with the forest, aided by the dogs. I shook my head. What the fuck was wrong with the kid.

“…now we’ll both get more time and Riley…” he trailed off with a groan and I turned back to him.

“You need to turn yourself in, there’s a strong possibility you might get a lighter sentence and-“

“No way!”

He cut me off mid-sentence and I stared at him in disbelief.

“I’m not going back until I find Riley, I’m not leaving him out here.” The kid was saying, arms crossed before him and his mouth set in a thin hard line.

I took a breath, then another, trying to calm myself lest I lash out and strike him.

“Listen to me you little shit, you’ve already fucked up everything for yourself and for me, now either you’re walking back with me or I’m putting your skinny ass over my shoulder and taking you back…either way, you’re going.” It was a threat that I had no qualms about keeping.

He glared at me “You take me back and I’ll never forgive you.”

“I can live with that.” I assured him and took a step in his direction. His tough guy act broke then, and I saw real worry etched in his face.

“Please John, I can’t leave Riley out here, what if he got hurt? Just help me find him and we can go back…please.” he pleaded and to my horror, his eyes filled with tears and I found myself staring into his huge sad orbs.

I swallowed, looked around me then took his arm roughly “We’re going back…Riley’s just as much of a fool as you are and if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll turn himself in.” I dragged him back in the direction we’d come, pulling his resisting body along with me as he fought tooth and nail to get free.

My hand tightened on his arm and before long I was practically dragging him along. It was just as I had made up my mind to sling him over my shoulder that I heard the snap of dried twigs not far from where we stood and a second later Nate came tearing through the woodland as if heaven and earth were on his heels.

 He managed to slow when he spotted me but still passed by us before coming to a complete stop.

“Where is he?” he questioned, looking around us and I stared at him in shock.

“Nate thank God!” this from Kyle.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” I asked in disbelief.

If it were possible, my day had just gone from downright fucked to fucking shit storm. I hadn’t thought for a second that he’d have followed; our case was already blown to hell and I was pretty sure that when I got back I would no longer have a job; some part of me had thought Nate wouldn’t have been stupid enough to follow suit, to be foolish enough to fuck up his life as I was doing mine.

“Where’s Riley?” he asked again and I shook my head to clear it.

Of course; why else would he have come if not to find the kid he’d practically lost his mind to months ago? We were both a pair of damn fools.

“Jesus Nate, you know the kinda shit we’ll be in when we get back?”

“Focus John, where’s Riley?” he asked seriously. I took in the determination in his stance and the wildness of his eyes and I shook my head.

“I only managed to find this one.” I held up Kyle’s arm and he tried once more to pull out of my grasp

“He went that way, I couldn’t keep up with him.” Kyle said then, pointing with his free arm to the direction Nate had first been running off to.

Nate nodded then looked at me, eyes serious, jaw set. “Take the kid back, I’m gonna go get Riley.” He ordered and without another word he departed, tearing through the forest in a mad dash, searching for a kid who quite possibly did not want to be found.

“I can’t believe he came for him.” Kyle spoke up, his voice softened with awe. I glanced down at him then back into the direction Nate had just gone. I needed to get Kyle back before the alarm sounded but my partner and best friend since childhood was out here in the thick blanket of the woods searching desperately for his cell mate.

A cell mate bent on escape and one who hadn’t cared about the consequences of his actions upon fleeing. I could leave him to it, hoping it all went smoothly and take Kyle back to the prison, or I could go after him and make sure he wasn’t in need of my help. I glanced toward the direction of the prison once more then back towards the path Nate had just taken.

Nate hadn’t had a rational thought since Riley had come into the picture, if I left him to himself in this maze of trees who knew what could happen. With a curse, I released Kyle’s arm and he stared up at me in confusion.

“Come on.” I said and a moment later, I too was darting through the forestry behind Nate; my goal to provide backup for the only real friend I could consider family.

……………………………….

Riley’s POV

When running became too much, I slowed to a jog until I had no choice but to stop. I dropped behind the trunk of a massive tree and gulped air. My throat was parched and my hands were shaking.  I couldn’t tell how long I’d been running but it felt like hours since the escape. I rested the back of my head against the bark so that I could look to the sky.

The day was cold and the sun nowhere to be found. I pulled my tingling knees to my chest and fought to keep my breathing under control so that I could hear everything going on around me.  I hadn’t heard Kyle’s footfalls in a while  which meant I’d lost him and I found myself worrying for his wellbeing, hoping he wasn’t hurt somewhere and wishing he hadn’t followed me in the first place.

 I hadn’t thought beyond the escape and as I sat trying to regain my strength, I began to worry about what would come next. When I managed to free myself from the forest, where would I go? what would I do to survive? Human contact was out of the picture, but without some semblance of aid, I wouldn’t get very far.

I thought of Jerry and what he would think when he learned of my escape. I wondered if I could call him and if he would help me, or if he would try to convince me to turn myself in. I shook my head. No, I couldn’t contact Jerry, everyone knew that the first place the cops looked was to close family members and friends of an escapee. They would probably be waiting for me to contact him and this entire journey would have been for nothing.

I sighed, I had no money, no idea who I could contact for help, no plan beyond getting out of the forest and no prospects of helping myself when I did. It made me wonder if maybe I’d acted a bit rash by running. If I was captured and taken back then it was as Nate had said; my life would be over.

I quashed the thought as soon as it intruded my mind. My life had been over since the moment I’d been convicted; staying in that prison while there was a possibility of escape would have been as if I was giving up. No, I had made the right decision; it was time I took my fate into my own hands.

I would solve my own case and get my name cleared somehow and if it took months or even years on the run, I would persevere and no matter what I wouldn’t get caught… I wouldn’t go back.

 When my legs began to cramp I straightened them, flexing my toes in my boats. My mind wandered to Nate and what he must have thought of my escape. He would be disappointed no doubt. He’d been against anything like that from day one. I wondered if he would be worried, if he was now sitting in our cell gazing at my empty bunk and wondering where I was and if I was safe.

The thought of him made my heart ache and I felt the sting of familiar tears behind my eyes. I shouldn’t be thinking about him…not now when I needed all the strength and courage I could get, so I pushed him from my mind and took a deep breath, steeling myself for the journey ahead.

Later, when I was safe and hidden, far away from this place I could allow myself to get lost in thoughts of him, but for right now, it was time to be strong. I pushed up from the ground and listened; the only sounds in the air were the animals of the forest and the howling of the wind as they passed through the branches of the trees.

I glanced back to the way I had come, my thoughts once again on Kyle, then I looked ahead and set off once more, running and running as I sought to distance myself.

I stumbled three times and fell once, skinning my knee which allowed the blood to flow freely. Despite the never-ending running, I wasn’t sweating half as much as I would on a regular basis; which was probably because of the gradual drop in temperature the more time passed.

I ran.

The next time I stopped it was to the wondrous sight of a river. My parched throat drew me to it and I went without a thought, dropping onto one knee and cupping my hands under the surface. It was frigid but I drank until I throat no longer hurt, then I kneeled there and cried because I couldn’t help it.

I was terrified to be out here, fearful of the consequences; of the future. Then I cried some more for my family and for Kyle and Nate. As I cried, I made promises to whomever cared to hear them.

I promised that if I made it out of this alive, I would be a better person. If I got my life back, I would repair the relationship with my mom, I would go to college and be the best student I could be and I would stop being childish.

Then when my tears dried and I couldn’t cry anymore, I washed my face in the river and pushed up from the ground. It wasn’t deep I could walk across it. It wasn’t even rough enough to make me stumble and so I set off across the waterway.

Five minutes later and I was on the other side where the forest was beginning to thin out and I could weave through the trees much easier. I stopped to rest only once more, but most of the time I was jogging; I’d long ago gotten too tired to run full out, but I couldn’t even allow myself to pause for any length of time.

The next time I stumbled and fell, I got the wind knocked right out of me and I pushed up slowly, taking inventory of my body. I ached, that fall could have caused me to break a limb and then where would I be.

It was that thought that sent a cold chill throughout my body and my mind flashed instantly to Kyle. What if he really was hurt somewhere, hurt and scared and alone? What if he was out there suffering all because he’d been worried enough to follow me in my escape?

 I looked around me, biting my lip at the thought. I hadn’t heard his footfalls in hours. Wouldn’t he have caught up by now? I looked at my bruised palms and took a deep breath. Kyle was one of the persons who had kept me sane in that place; he’d wiggled his way into my life and had become a friend, someone who I could count on.

He’d cared enough to chase after me and I’d completely ignored him as he’d called for me. If something happened to him; that would be on me. If something happened to him; I would never be able to forgive myself. I looked back to the way I’d come and took off; I had to go find Kyle; he was worth the risk.

                                              AUTHOR’S NOTES

IT’S NOT EXACTLY WELL WRITTEN BUT I’M WAY TOO TIRED TO FIX IT SO PLEASE FORGIVE THE MESS.

THANKS FOR READING GUYS!

-DoUbLe.A

unedited.

Chapter 22: Path to freedom.

Chapter 22

Riley’s POV

I couldn’t tell how long I’d been running but what I did know was that I was cold, my feet ached, I had scratches and bruises in places I didn’t think it possible to get scratches and bruises, a skinned knee, torn pants and I was as filthier than I’d ever been in my life.

All that, plus a gnawing hunger that had settled in my stomach hours ago and my parched throat. The more I ran, the more I was sure Kyle was laying hurt somewhere, probably feeling one hundred times worse than I was.

I’d started tearing up a few times whenever thoughts of him surfaced and had to will the tears away. I had to concentrate on getting back, make sure I didn’t take a wrong turn or I would probably miss him all together, that is, if he himself hadn’t taken another path.

By now I was half running half walking; the stitch in my side and my aching feet preventing much more exertion. I managed to sidestep a protruding root, when I heard a loud siren flood the air.

It was loud enough that I could hear it clearly, but not so loud that I had to cover my ears to shut out the sound of it. It was just another one of the many alerts I’d heard being issued from the prison since I’d started the journey and as with the others, I had no idea what this one meant. I continued on, my worry over Kyle steadily increasing the further I went without any sign of him.

It was just when I felt as if I’d just collapse from exhaustion, that I saw the silhouette of a man bounding through the trees toward me; way too big to be Kyle. I let out a squeak and spun on my heels as fast as my tired body could take me.

My heart was firmly lodged in my throat as I began running away from the quickly approaching figure, my mind racing, wondering if this was it, if this was the moment I’d get caught and hauled back to my lonely cell.

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me when something hard and large slammed into me from behind, knocking me onto my chest. I could feel the heat coming from the man’s body and his warm breath on the back of my neck and I struggled to get up, fighting with everything I had to be freed of the foreign weight pressing me into the soil.

I screamed and kicked and tried to crawl away, stabbing my nails into the thick mud as I tried to drag myself out from under him, but the man had other ideas. I felt the a large calloused hand clamp over my mouth successfully muffling my shouts for help and  for a moment my head went light and I become dizzy from the lack of air.

I could feel my lungs burning in my chest as my nostrils fought to keep up a healthy supply of air in and out of my body, but my panic soon had me hyperventilating while I still fought to be free. I could hear the man shouting something but it felt as though large cotton balls now inhabited the space where my ears were and all I could pick up was a distant rumbling.

I bit down hard on the hand until I tasted blood and with what I imagined to be a curse, the man pulled his hand away swiftly and I gasped for air.

“Help!” I howled into the forest. Not sure who I expected to help me. This was it, the man would either crush me to death or drag me back to prison and both prospects sounded equally disturbing.

“Help!” I screamed again, using my elbows as weapons to jab them into the stranger’s flesh.

“Help!”

“Who the hell do you think’s gonna help you? Will you just shut up and calm down for a second!” the man’s voice rumbled above me and when I let in another jab; this time pretty sure I’d caught a rib or something equally sensitive, he cursed and I froze.

I knew that voice, but no…it couldn’t be. I twisted and turned until finally the pressure eased and I was no longer being pressed into the ground. I managed to flip onto my back and when I saw who it was looming over me, looking as annoyed as I’d ever seen him, I gasped.

I was pretty sure I was a sight, laying there, staring up at him with wide eyes and my mouth hanging open. For a moment I wondered if this was all a dream or if I’d become delirious from the hunger and I closed my eyes, shook my head and opened them again, but no he was there.

Nate was actually here, in the forest, looking at me as if he wanted to reach over and smack me in the head, but he was here none the less.

I gaped at him and watched in awe as he reached down and took hold of my arm, pulling me from the ground.

“You alright?” he was asking and it took him asking one more time for me to snap out of my trance and answer him.

“I’m fine.” I whispered, “I don’t understa-”

He was pulling me across the forest floor before I even got the rest of the sentence out and I had no choice but to allow it.

“They sounded the alarm, they’ll be out looking for us by now.” Nate was saying, bringing me back to the seriousness of the situation and why I was out here in the first place.

“I gotta find Kyle, I think he’s hurt out here somewhere, what if they find him?” even I could hear the fear in my voice, but Nate sounded more or less calm and collected when he responded to my breathy words.

“He’s fine, he’s with John.”

I was shaking my head even though he was staring straight ahead and had no way of seeing the action.

“No Nate, you don’t understand, he’s not, he followed me from the prison, he was running with me but…but I don’t know where he is.’ I tried to make him understand and he finally slowed and turned to look at me.

“I’m aware of that. He’s with John, I passed them up ahead and they’re on their way back to the prison.” He told me. It had been a while since I’d seen such a coldness in his eyes.

My brows furrowed. “John’s here? But… I don’t understand…why is he….why are you even…what’s going on here?” I asked, the confusion clear in my tone and expression. None of this was making any sense and my confusion only seemed to be giving me a headache.

He paused again and we came to a stop. “Which part don’t you understand Riley? You decided to play the fool and escaped, your ridiculously loyal friend Kyle followed you and John went after him. Now I’m here to drag you back and hope that by some fucking miracle we can get ourselves out of this massive shithole you’ve buried us in.” he said harshly and I could only stare at him in shock.

“Oh my God, we’re all fugitives now aren’t we?” I asked in horror. “I never meant for you guys to get yourselves in trouble. I just… I just had to go, I-” and then his words finally sunk in and I pulled my arm from his.

“What do you mean drag me back? I’m not going back.” Nathan sighed, dragged a hand over his face and looked at the tree before him for a long time before looking back at me. It was then that I got the chance to take in his frame. He looked tired, probably just as tired as I felt if not more so. His clothes were also ripped. There was a smudge of dirt on his left cheek, blood stained a patch of hair at his hairline and there was dried blood on the arm of his shirt.

“The trouble we’re all in right now is unimaginable. You escaped from prison.” He was speaking calmly like he had explained himself a million times and he was using his very last drop of energy to get these next few words out. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen once we get back but turning ourselves in is the only option open to us right now.” I began to offer words of protest and he held up a hand.

“Believe it or not Riley, there’s not one person in that prison that wants to be there, but there’s a reason only so few of inmates actually escaped today, so when I tell you we need to get back; I’m not playing around.” He ended. He hadn’t looked at me once, just continued staring at the tree as if it was the only thing keeping him rooted and once again I got the suspicious feeling he  was restraining himself from reaching over an doing me some damage.

I took a step back and had opened my mouth to speak, when I heard someone shout my name and not a minute later Kyle and John came bursting through the trees. Kyle plummeted into me, his arms tight around my neck.

“Thank God Thank God Thank God.” he was whispering over and over and the relief I felt at seeing that he was safe and unhurt, sent such a wave of relief through me that my knees almost buckled.

He finally pulled away and looked me up and down, a huge smile on his face. “You have no idea how worried I’ve been!” he exclaimed and enveloped me in yet another hug. He was acting like my mother…or rather like a mother and I didn’t care; too happy to see him to protest.

“…thought you were taking him back.” I heard Nathan telling John and I looked over at the two, who, after noticing my interest in their conversation, lowered their voices so that all I could hear was Kyle’s incessant chattering and the sound of the prison alarm in the distance.

“…actually came looking for me and Nate came looking for you too isn’t that awesome? They must really love us…” Kyle trailed off with a dreamy look in his eyes and I nodded absently.

If John had run off after Kyle then it was understandable why Nate was here. John was his best friend after all, he would have wanted to help him out.

That didn’t mean that I didn’t know that Nathan was also here to help me out; Nate was a protector after all, he had this thing where he thought he had to look out for every member of his crew; that was just who he was and whatever his reasons, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved to see him here, relieved to see them all. I grabbed Kyle’s hand and squeezed and he smiled at me.

“Alright, come on let’s go.” This was Nate who was once again coming towards me with purpose. I watched as John latched onto Kyle’s arm, ushering him into the direction of the prison and I took a few steps back, holding out my hands in front of me to ward Nathan off.

“I’m not going back.” I said firmly.

Nate wasn’t having it, his expression remained unchanged as he continued toward me and I kept backing up until I was up against a tree and Nate was standing before me.

“Riley we don’t have much time. Right now I guarantee they’re out looking for us and our best chance is to make them see that we’re turning ourselves in, co-”

“You don’t know what it’s like there Nate, you might be there but you don’t really know!” I began, eyes pleading. “Nothing fazes you but it’s killing me, I’ll go crazy in that place and I won’t, I won’t go back.” I finished.

I could tell I wasn’t getting through to him, “You can talk to the prison psychologist about this Riley, it’ll help.” He was saying and I shook my head.

“I don’t want to talk to anybody, I just need to go, I need to get away from here and I need to solve my case and get on with my life.”

He was getting pissed now. “How do you expect to solve the case when the police can’t even do it? Riley, you’re grasping at straws here and it won’t get you anywhere. Now come on.” He finally grabbed hold of my arm and I grabbed his wrist, rooted in my position, which caused him to look up into my eyes. I don’t know what it was he saw there but he froze in surprise.

“I’d rather die than go back and if you force me through those walls then I’ll end it. I’d rather die.” I said it with such certainty, with such conviction that no one who was listening could doubt my words.

“We’ll let them put him on suicide watch.” I heard John say, “Come on Nate, we gotta go.”

“You think suicide watch can save someone who wants to die?” I asked through gritted teeth. “Let me go Nate, I can do this, I can solve my case and then I’ll be free, but no matter what I won’t be going back.”  And I was dead serious about it too.

 I think that’s what Nate saw why he finally released me and took a step back. He looked…disappointed? Angry? Or was it a combination of the two? but for once I didn’t care what he thought, for once I took my own life into consideration and suddenly I felt stronger, I felt like I could do this, I could solve the case and I’d be free.

“You guys go back, I’m sorry for all the trouble, but I’ll be fine and everything will work out, you’ll see.” I tried to reassure them even if my small smile didn’t quite reach my eyes.

“So what, you’ll just solve your case and you think everything will be okay? Things are never that easy.” Nate was saying.

I nodded. “But it’s worth a try.”

I watched as he looked between me and John, gritted his teeth and took a breath.

“John, take Kyle back to the prison.” He bit out, throwing me a nasty look and with furrowed brows I watched the exchange.

John was looking on at him in disbelief. “Nate don’t tell me you’re gonna do what I think you’re gonna do.” He said.

“I’ll help him solve this case and if it doesn’t work out then…I’ll see what happens.” He said.

My eyes widened in surprise, hope blossoming in my chest as I watched them.

“You understand what you’re saying right? Everything we’ve worked for, everything we-”

“I know.” Nate said harshly cutting off whatever it was John had been about to say. “but he’ll get himself killed out here and….” He shook his head “Just take Kyle back, I’ll take care of everything else.”

John stood looking at his best friend for the longest moment, some silent communication seemed to pass between the two and finally John let go of Kyle’s arm.

“You might need some backup.” John said then, though he didn’t look particularly pleased as he said the words.

“I can’t ask you to do that John. If this doesn’t go the way I’m hoping it will, then that’s it for us.”

“Good thing you didn’t ask then.” John was saying, “If we have any hope of solving this case we need to head out now.” John said and I finally understood what he was saying. John would be coming along!

Expression grave, Nate gripped John’s shoulder briefly and John nodded, no other words passed between the two.

“If we wait till nightfall they’ll have all the roads blocked and we’ll be boxed in. We need to get out of town within the next couple of hours or we won’t be going anywhere.” John continued seriously. Nate nodded.

“Then let’s go.” He said and when they made to take an unfamiliar path, I spoke up.

“Wait, there’s a river that way, the trees start thinning on the other side of it, which means it’s not that far out of the forest.” I told them.

After a brief nod, then we all started off in the direction I’d indicated. Nate took the lead, with John bringing up the rear and Kyle and I running side by side between them.

This all felt like a dream and I wondered when I’d wake up and find myself still trapped in my little cell back at the prison. The fatigue from earlier had all but dissipated and I felt as though I could actually do this. With Kyle by my side and Nate trying to help me I felt like I could accomplish anything.

…………………………………………..

We stopped to rest every forty-five minutes for ten minutes, after which we kept up a jogger’s pace. I found myself dropping back every once in a while but with John’s encouragement I somehow managed to keep the pace.

I think everyone was in a better mood once we’d managed to cross the river, but it still only made us colder and soon I was dying for our ten minute break. At one point Kyle had asked almost out of breath, that in the event that the police had tracker dogs, if crossing the river had managed to kill our scent and Nate had answered in an annoyed tone “it doesn’t quite work like that.” And that was it for any conversation any of us thought of having.

The spacing of the trees after we’d crossed the river, made it easier to navigate and it wasn’t long before we were able to see where the forest finally ended.  When we were close enough, Nate made us slow to a walk and we were all to be very quiet while he and John surveyed the area. There was a field beyond and in the distance I could see what looked like a little farm house behind which stood a dilapidated unpainted barn, or was it a shed?

John didn’t like the idea of cutting across the field which would make us visible to anyone nearby who chose to look, but with no other choice we set off. It was the most heart wrenching two minute run of my life. I had expected a chopper to descend at any moment and pluck us one by one off the clearing and I’d instantly missed the cover of trees.

Then finally we were behind the shed and Nate went off the look around. I bit my lip, my gaze planted firmly on the back on Kyle’s head as we crouched behind the building waiting for Nate to get back.

Luckily it wasn’t much longer that we had to wait and soon we were entering the barn, as quietly as possible, which would be our rest stop while they figured out what to do next.

As we sat there trying to catch our breath, I found myself wondering if I would have been able to make it this far on my own. When I looked back on the journey, I wasn’t every optimistic about the possibility.

Kyle sat, legs outstretched and half his body resting on John who spoke quietly with Nathan. They were trying to figure out our next course of action. I sat as far away from Nate as possible which was probably wise because ever since the start of the journey he hadn’t once glanced my way and whenever I was lucky enough to get a look at his face, he looked as though he’d been sucking on a very potent slice of lime.

He didn’t want to be here, it was as clear as day but as selfish as it sounded I was glad he was.

“We’re not very far from the main road, I can hear horns.” Kyle announced.

“Hey look, it looks like…clothes!” I exclaimed, pushing up from the ground to go examine the scraps of cloth that were hanging by a rusted nail across the room.

Well looking at it now, I don’t think anyone could call it clothes. It was filthy and torn in some places. It looked like work scraps, probably whoever owned the land used it whenever they were in the farm or whatever it was they did here.

I held it up for the others to see.

“Look around, see if you can find anymore.” Nate said, and he too got up and began searching.

In the end though, it was the only pair and they were so small they could only fit me or Kyle. I handed the pants to Kyle who took it scornfully.

“Put it on over your clothes. It’s too cold to strip down.” Nate said and we did. When it was safely over my head I had to breathe through my mouth lest the smell of dried sweat and some other unidentified scent made me dizzy.

“Alright, we’re gonna go check out the area. You find somewhere and hide; make sure you’re fully covered. If you hear anything at all, stay hidden. You’ll know if it’s us.” John told us and we nodded.

 Not long after that, they were off and Kyle and I were scrambling around the small storage trying to find a suitable hiding place. Turned out that the only available space was under a muddy tarpaulin, which we flattened out as much as we could so that if anyone were to enter, it wouldn’t be obvious that two bodies were hidden underneath.

Without John and Nate there we didn’t dare speak, too afraid that at any moment some stranger would enter and find us. I could feel the pounding of Kyle heart in his chest, which was pressed against my arm and I could hear the blaring of car horns not far from here.

Time passed and we still lay there unmoving, uttering not one word. My foot had begun to crap and I had to force myself not to move to alleviate the discomfort. I had no idea how much time had passed but by the time John and Nate came back, I was aching all over and was relieved to get the chance to stretch my limbs.

They looked winded, as though they’d been running at a breakneck speed. “Kyle, give Riley the pants.” Nate instructed and I watched in confusion as Kyle removed the filthy gear he’d just put on and handed it to me. I took it uncertainly, looking between Nate and John in askance.

“Hurry up and put it on, you’re coming back out with me.” Nate explained and rather than question him, I slipped on the rough material over my prison issued pants and followed him out of the shed with a quick glance back at Kyle who smiled encouragingly.

Not long after, we were sneaking past the farm house and crouching low behind the brush.

“There’s a town just up the road, that’s where we’re going.” He explained and I nodded. Then we were on our way, crouching behind whatever cover we could find, and sometimes running all out to avoid being seen. It didn’t take long to get into the town Nate was talking about. It looked pathetic compared to the city I’d grown up in. The streets weren’t exactly busy and more than one building needed a coat of paint. There wasn’t much traffic moving through either and there were mostly pickup trucks like old Chevys lining the narrow streets.

“See that sign?” Nate pointed from where we crouched behind another building in a deserted alleyway and I nodded.

“That’s the name of the town we’re in. Memorize it.” He said and I did.

“Now look across there.” And I turned to look at what he was pointed to directly opposite the sign. A red Chevy, beside which stood an old guy holding a small box in his hands. I watched as he deposited it into the bed of the truck and stood talking to another old guy.

“When I came here earlier with John, we heard him talking to the store owner. He’s going to Cleavestock , which is two towns over. I know a guy living about an hour and a half drive out of town. His name is Ringo and he owes me a favor” he explained.

“I need you to get a ride with that guy.” He said and pointed to the Chevy owner again. “Ask him to drop you in Scottgrove . It’ll be on his way so it shouldn’t be a problem. There’s this motel there called ‘ Bob’s Rest Stop,’  have him stop there and then get out. When he’s gone, you’re gonna walk about three blocks up and turn right at this garage, there’ll be a bunch of rusted old junk in the front. Go around to the back and ask for Ringo, tell him Nate sent you and tell him I’m ready to collect that favor.” He continued and the more I heard the more nervous I became.

“He’s gonna want proof so you tell him he knows me from back in Reno, then make sure he gets us some clothes and tell him to bring his truck and come get me. Got that?” he asked, peering into my face and I nodded briskly.

“But how do I get that guy to take me there and what if Ringo isn’t there?” I asked nervously, looking from the old man and back to Nate.

He took my shoulder, turning me to face him. “Listen to me Riley. This is our only shot alright?”

I nodded.

“Say whatever you have to say to get into that truck and get to Ringo. He’ll be there. By the time Ringo gets to this town, it’ll most likely be filled with cops, so don’t come back here with him, just stay at his shop until we get there, you’ll be safe.” He said. He looked back over to the Chevy owner, then back at me.

“I can’t go with you in this prison uniform, so it’s up to you and if…if Ringo doesn’t find us, then tell him I said to give you some cash and a place to crash for a few days. I’ll figure out the rest alright? Now go!” he said a pushing me toward the street. I shoved my trembling hands in my pocket and made quick work of getting across. I didn’t remember a time when I’d been so nervous. Everything was resting of my shoulders and if I fucked up then we were all screwed.

I took a deep breath and ran my sweaty palms over the pants as I approached. The two men’s conversation broke off when I walked up and I turned to the Chevy owner, hands shaking.

“Hello sir, I was just wondering if…if you could give me a ride to Scottsgrove , at Bob’s Rest Stop I’m supposed to meet my brother there and…” I was at a loss. I stood there frozen, no clue what to say next as I watched the old man look me up and down.

“You can get a ride if yer alright sittin in the bed.” He pointed to the trunk and I grinned, nodding in relief.

“Git in then.” He said and I quickly climbed up and over, so that I was sitting on the hard surface of the truck bed.

I glanced over to the alleyway where I had been crouching with Nate. I couldn’t see him but I knew he was there and I sent up a silent prayer that it would all go alright.

………………………………………

An hour and a half drive felt like four as I sat fretting in the truck bed. What if Ringo wasn’t there? What if the cops caught Nate and the others? What if I got caught?

What ifs were a heck of a thing and my mind was swirling with them. I went from scared to nervous to hopeful and back-twice, in the space of time it took to get to Bob’s Rest Stop and when the old man dropped me off, with not so much as a nod in my direction before he continued on his way, I was back to being nervous.

I waited until the man was out of sight; like Nate said, before I began up the road. I didn’t need Nathan to tell me not to draw any attention to myself, so common sense had me walking swiftly up the block with my head down and my eyes on the lookout for a place with rusted junk in the front.

Two and a half blocks later, I was staring Ringo in the face and giving him my stuttering explanation. Ringo wasn’t what you would call friendly, as a matter of fact as I delivered the news like Nathan told me to, he looked more annoyed than anything else that I was there and even more annoyed that he’d have to leave his greasy little garage to go help somebody out.

I was made to stand outside as he gathered up some of his clothes…which while they could probably fit Nate and John, had no chance in hell of fitting Kyle, unless he was okay walking around in something that draped him like bed sheets. I didn’t tell Ringo that Nate had told me to stay behind, because there was no way in hell I was leaving the pickup mission to Ringo.

Something told me he would drive into the town where Nate and the others hid, not spot them on the first try and leave immediately following that and I couldn’t chance it. I jumped into the front seat of Ringo’s truck, though the moment I did, he shot me this look that clearly asked in I was stupid and pointed to the back seat.

“There’s a hidden compartment back there. If I see cops, then that’s where you’ll go.” He explained and I nodded.

It didn’t take very long to get back to the small town and I guessed it was partly due to the fact that Ringo drove like a madman. I’d hit my head on the side window so often, I was sure that before the night was over, I’d have a concussion.

An hour and ten minutes was how long it took to get back and I knew because I had to focus on the truck’s clock the entire ride because looking anywhere but, would probably cause me to throw up and something told me Ringo wouldn’t be too pleased about it.

It was as Nate had predicted, we could see the flashing lights up ahead and from what I could see there were quite a few police vehicles lining the previously vacant town. I got into the hidden compartment behind the seat before Ringo had to tell me.

It wasn’t a tight squeeze, but it couldn’t exactly hold a ton of people. It was also dark and the way the metal rungs underneath my body bit into my flesh, told me this compartment hadn’t come with the vehicle.

The faint smell of weed told me Ringo wasn’t exactly a law abiding citizen either and probably transported the stuff back here. It wasn’t very long before the vehicle slowed and my heart rate went up two notches. I could hear a foreign voice speaking to Ringo and it didn’t take long for me to learn who it was.

A cop.

I listened, barely breathing as Ringo answered the man’s questions;

Just going to pick up some things at the hardware store

No, I don’t live in this town.

No, I had no idea there was a prison escape, Jesus, how’d that happen?

No I don’t recognize those people in the picture.

Yes I understand that I’ll be searched on my way out.

“Thank you officer.”

And we were off again. I could hear Ringo mumbling in the front seat; something about how he wasn’t going to jail for this asshole.

“Stay here, I’m gonna get some cement.” I heard him mutter and then the door was being slammed and I was left alone.

Cement?

I groaned. This was the worst person Nate could have trusted to save our asses. After a few minutes, I could hear something being loaded into the bed of his truck. It took about ten minutes for the pounding to stop, then the door was being slammed again and Ringo was back.

I pushed down the seat slightly so I could see what he was doing.

“Now where the hell am I supposed to find him? Ringo was asking.

“There’s a farm house about a block down the road, that’s where they’ll be.” I instructed and we were off.

Two minutes later he spoke again;

“If they’re in that farm house then it’s only a matter of time before they cart their asses off to the prison.” He was saying and I pushed out of my compartment so that I could see what he was talking about. Surely enough, there were cops standing by the door of the farm house, talking to a woman, while two other cops made their way around to the back of the place.

My heart jumped, my mouth became dry and my hands started shaking.

“They’ll search every yard in the neighborhood. A place this close to the prison is bound to have a few runaways stowed up.” Ringo was commenting and then the truck was moving again as he turned around and headed back up the street.

“What are you doing? We can’t just leave them!” I exclaimed in horror.

“Listen kid, you keep quiet back there, I aint going to jail for anybody, no matter what Nate thinks he did for me in Reno.” He said and suddenly I felt cold, lost and utterly terrified.

This couldn’t be happening .

I’d stowed myself back into my compartment, eyes wet with tears and fear roiling in my gut when I heard Ringo mutter something again about fifteen minutes later.

“Lucky bastards.” He was laughing and I stuck my head out to see what it was he was making noise about when I saw them, through the window, tearing down a secluded trail and out of a nearby bush towards the vehicle.  We were no longer in the heart of the town and I wondered when we’d made a turn off.

My heart leapt with joy when I realized that Ringo had actually continued looking despite his earlier words. A moment later the door was being flung open and Kyle was shoved inside.

“Get into the compartment.” Ringo was saying and I moved over as far as I could so that Kyle could squeeze in beside me.

“Oh my God Kyle! I can’t believe you’re here, I thought they got you guys.” I exclaimed, the tears now flowing.

“They would have if John hadn’t suggested we move closer to the town border.”

The door slammed but no one else entered and I stuck my head out, looking around in confusion. I could hear the others climbing up into the truck bed and I finally understood why he’d bought all that cement. Somehow they were going to have to hide among the bags and I hoped it was be a decent enough cover.

Before we set off again, Ringo made me pull the seat back up so that Kyle and I were enveloped in darkness. It wasn’t long after that, that we were pulling to a stop again and Ringo was being questioned.

I could tell that a flashlight was being shone into the back seat because a flash of light passed over the crack in the seat for a second before it disappeared. The most heart stopping moment though, was when I heard the bags of cement being moved about, but as with the flashlight, that was only momentary and then we were off again.

I heaved a sigh of relief and I felt Kyle go limp beside me. “Yall can come out now.” I heard Ringo say and I pushed the seat forward and climbed out, Kyle following behind me. When I hazarded a glanced out the back window, it was to see a huge van pull up to the road where a few police cars had blocked and a moment later, dogs were being ushered out the back.

My heart jumped.

Just a few minutes .

Had that van come just a few minutes earlier, we would have been sniffed out like the rats we were. I glanced at Kyle whose expression mirrored my thoughts.

That was fucking close .

…………………………………………………….

Hours later, freshly showered and wearing clothes that was twice our size, Kyle and I sat on a couch without cushions in Ringo’s garage, munching on the most heavenly tasting pizza I’d ever had. Across the room, having already eaten and equally clean, John and Nathan stood talking to Ringo in low tones.

As I chugged my soda I watched as Ringo handed them each a wad of cash which seemed to signal the conclusion of their little meeting, then Ringo was exiting the room and a moment later I heard the engine of his vehicle roar to life.

They both turned in our direction and I looked away. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and pushed close the now empty pizza box.

“You guys should get some sleep, we’ll be leaving at the crack of dawn.” John said when he approached and after the hectic trauma filled day we’d just had, neither of us protested.

We made our way into the only other room in the place which housed a very small bed and a desk cluttered with rusted metal contraptions.

Kyle spread out on the matrass with a satisfied sigh and I got in next to him. We both rested our head at the top of the bed so that we could see into the other room where Nate and John still sat talking.

“I can’t believe just this morning we were in our cells.” Kyle said and I nodded.

“I wonder if we’d still be in the forest if Johnny and Nate hadn’t showed up…or do you think we’d be caught by now? He questioned.

I shrugged. My throat was clogged with unshed tears and I couldn’t speak lest they started flowing and wouldn’t stop.

A brief moment of silence passed.

“Hey Riley, you okay?” it took a while but eventually I shook my head and opened my mouth.

“I’m scared.” Was all I said, my voice croaking and I blinked back the tears.

I felt Kyle’s arm go around me as he pulled me to him.

“So am I, but you know what Riley? We’re gonna be fine, we’ve got Johnny and Nathan. They wouldn’t let anything happen to us. You know that right?” he was asking.

I continued blinking back the tears.

“Nate doesn’t want to be here.” I told him slowly, my heart aching at the thought. Nate hadn’t said a word to me much less glanced my way since we’d gotten here and I wondered if maybe he was regretting his decision to help me.

“If he didn’t want to be here he wouldn’t be. Stop worrying about it. Everything’ll be fine you’ll see. Johnny and Nate will take care of us.” He yawned then and his arm around me slackened. “We’ll be fine.” He sighed and a moment later he was asleep.

I watched John and Nate as they continued their conversation in the other room, for as long as I could manage, hoping that Kyle was right, praying that everything would work out and we’d all come out of this unscathed.

                                            AUTHOR’S NOTES

DECIDED TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND MUCH APPRECIATED SUPPORT.

-DoUbLe.A

unedited (more so than usual)

Chapter 23: Settle.

Chapter 23

We’d been forced to wake up by Nate at 3:00 am; way earlier than we had agreed upon the night before and I was so tired I could sleep standing up. John had left out over an hour ago to get some supplies while Nate was outside hunkered over the engine of the rusted bucket of a car we’d be travelling in.

Beside me on the cushion-less couch, Kyle lay fast asleep once more and I found myself wondering for about the hundredth time, why we had to get up so early if we weren’t even going do anything. It was only Nate’s grumpy disposition that kept me from asking.

It was still very dark outside and so cold my joints were beginning to ache. It had been just hours since we’d left the prison and I had no idea what was going on in the world at large, I found myself wondering if our pictures were being circulated and if we’d made the breaking news on TV; I wasn’t even sure I wanted to watch; it would only serve to make the situation feel more real.

I heard the loud clatter of metal objects hitting a hard surface as if a tool box had fallen and pushed up from the chair to go investigate. When I reached the open doorway, I paused taking in the sight of Nathan bent over the spilled tools and cursing under his breath, flashlight in hand and pants riding low. His hands were greasy, as was the plain white shirt he wore and I smiled at the sight of him.

“Need some help?” I offered as he continued to gather the tools. He looked around at me briefly, our eyes meeting before he turned back to his mess.

“No go back inside.” He said gruffly and I bit my lip.

“Nate-”

“Riley, this entire situation is hard enough without you giving me any trouble alright? Go back inside.” He said adamantly and choosing not to give him the opportunity to make me feel even shittier, I turned away from him and reentered the room where Kyle still slept, oblivious to the shit storm tearing at my heart.

 It was ten minutes before Nate entered the room, going straight to the bathroom and a moment later I heard the running of water.The worst part about Nate’s foul mood was the fact that I had no idea if he was just pissed off at the whole situation or if he was like this because he regretted even coming in the first place, so despite being comforted by his very presence, a few times already, I’d caught myself wishing he’d never even come.

I knew I was selfish, ungrateful, irresponsible, possibly even every name anyone could think to call me, but at the end of the day freedom mattered more to me than what anyone thought and I could practically taste the tangy flavor of liberation, so much so that every time I closed my eyes that’s what I saw and every time I harbored second thoughts, it brought me back to my senses.

I’d been framed and I would go down fighting for my freedom, the time for sitting in my quiet little corner like a scared mouse was over. I’d taken the first step and with the help of my friends-because that’s what they were to me, whether they agreed or not- I was going to succeed.

“Kyle.” Nate’s voice interrupted my musings and I moved to shake Kyle awake.

“What?” came his sleepy response and I pointed to Nate who stood across the small room, cleaning the blade of what looked to be a pair of scissors.

“Come here.” He said before disappearing once more into the bathroom and I watched as Kyle pushed up from his seat n confusion, stifled a yawn and followed Nate into the tiny lavatory.

I followed because there was nothing else to do, but mostly because I was curious. When I got to the door my brows furrowed in confusion and I leaned against the frame watching the scene play out before me.

Nate stood behind Kyle, who in turn stood before the small sink, looking at himself in the mirror. I watched as he took the scissors, gathered Kyle’s dirty blond hair in his fist and proceeded to chop the silky strands.

“What are you doing?” I asked when another clump of hair fell to the floor.

“You’ll need to alter your appearance if you don’t want to get caught.” Nate said simply and the strands continued to fall.

“I’ve always wanted a Mohawk, no don’t cut that part Nate.” He instructed and Nate followed.

“Yeah right there, cut that part lower and make sure you get the hair line…no lower-”

“He’s not your hairdresser Kyle, take what you get.” A booming voice said behind me and I jumped.

It was just John. I took a breath, watching him deposit the bags onto the floor behind me, then coming to stand next to me in the doorway. In his hand he held a much smaller bag which he handed to Nate.

“Hey Johnny, did you get my lip balm?” Kyle questioned, gazing at John in the mirror with a lopsided grin.

John grunted as he reached into one of the other bags and pulled out a lip balm packet of three, which he threw into the sink and Kyle snatched up with a grin.

“Hurry it up Nate we don’t have much time.” John said then and I turned my attention back to Nate’s progress, watching him pull what looked to be a straight edge razor from the bag John had handed him. In no time he was done with Kyle and I could barely recognize my friend.

Nate then extracted a small bottle from the bag and handed it to Kyle “Follow the instructions.”

It was hair dye.

“Here.” He said handing the scissors to John as he went by us and after making me sit on the only stool in the room, John began and a moment later I was watching my black tresses fall at my feet. When I glanced up once, I caught Nate watching as John hacked off the curls he had always seemed to love running his fingers through late at night when he thought I was sleeping but the moment he caught my eyes he turned away and began rummaging through the bags.

I lowered my head, my gaze resting on my hands which were clasped tightly in my lap.

“I look evil.” Kyle announced a few minutes later when he entered the room and I looked up. Gone was the dirty blond, his head was shaved low at the sides and what was left of his hair was as black as the night. With that uncharacteristic Mohawk, if he’d had just a little eyeliner, some black leather clothes and maybe a piercing or two he’d look like a gothic rock star.

“You’re dripping all over the place.” I pointed out and he shrugged.

“Alright your turn.” John handed me a full bottle of dye and I proceeded to the bathroom. I didn’t know how to feel when I caught sight of my reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was all gone; probably the length of a fingernail. The last time I had my hair this short was probably when I was a baby; I hardly recognized myself. I glanced down at the bottle and apparently I was going be a Blondie from now on. Platinum blond.

Great.

It took me two bottles to get the right color, the first time I tried, it came out in some weird orange-brown shade that was likely to bring more attention to me than away, the second time however it came out the way it was supposed to and I dyed my eyebrows too just to carry out the effect.

I didn’t even bother looking at myself when I was done; everything was just becoming too real. We were actually doing this, we were actually going to try. I deposited the bottles on the table and John scooped them up, throwing them, along with my discarded prison uniform into the fire he’d started in the large metal garbage can.

He handed each of us a knapsack which contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, a few underwear and a couple shirts. When we were all dressed in our new clothes we were ushered into the car and by 5:00am we were on the road in our shaky rust bucket, making our way to wherever John and Nate decided we needed to go.

“I just don’t get why you guys don’t hafto disguise yourselves too, you could get caught just as easily as we could.” Kyle uttered the exact words I’d been thinking and it was John who answered him.

“We have our reasons.” was all he would say and with furrowed brows I pulled off the pair of fake test glasses they’d given me to wear and fidgeted with it in my hands.

As always they were hiding something; no real surprise there, but as long as they were still set on helping us; I couldn’t care less.

……………………………………….

Nathan’s POV

Three hours, two stops and thirty two minutes later we were pulling into a motel that looked like it had never seen better days. While John went to check in, I instructed the guys to lay low while I went to find the nearest pay phone. The operation had gone bust since the minute that fight had broken out which meant after two years stuck in that hell hole with the likes of thieves, rapists and murderers we had failed.

I imagined the team was being briefed right about now and with John and me missing it wouldn’t take very long for the others to realize what had happened. If our names somehow found its way to the outside world, which I highly doubted it would, we would be considered fugitives who had aided the escape of convicts and if caught, would be sent packing with the rest of them; just like that, our lives would be over and everything we had worked for would have been for nothing.

It was a thought that would keep anyone up at night and it was that thought among only a few others, that had me so determined to succeed in this particular endeavor. The other determinant would be Riley, but thinking about him only caused the anger to rise and that would get us nowhere.

I deposited the coins into the slot of the only payphone on sight and dialed the number that had been ingrained in my head for years. It rang once, twice, three times then;

“Chief Hayes.” the gravelly voice answered.

“It’s me, I have a bit of a problem.”

A brief pause.

“Where the hell are you Greyson?” he barked out, “You and John better drag your asses down here this very second or it’s your jobs on the line-“

“Can’t do that chief, it’s more than our jobs we have to worry about right now…” and I told him everything; how we thought Riley had been framed and how he had escaped and we had gone after him. I told him that we would solve the case and get everyone back home safely and then I asked for his help because we couldn’t pull it off without him.

He took his time responding, then after taking a deep breath he continued. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what’s at stake here, but I hope you understand that even if you do manage to clear his name, it’s not as simple as that. There’s speculation that he and his friend helped plan the prison break; that’s personal injury charges, destruction of state property, obstruction of justice…do I need to go on?”

“I understand all that sir, we all do and we’ll just have to figure everything else out when we get to that point, but right now I’ve got a kid who doesn’t deserve what he got and I can’t focus on much else right now.”

“Then you also understand that the only reason you and John aren’t all over the media as accomplices is because technically the operation never happened, which means you were never there? A handful of people knew about it which means a handful of people are now aware that you’re missing.”

“Yes sir.”

He sighed “I’ve worked with you for years Nathan and I trust your instincts and I respect your judgment. You’re one of my best agents and if you’re sure about this then I won’t stop you, but if you get caught before you can figure this all out you’re on your own. There’s a line even I won’t cross; not even for you.” The chief continued, his tone subdued.

“I understand that sir.”

There was a brief pause before he spoke again. “Alright then, I’ll hold down the fort here for as long as I can and I’ll keep your name out of it, but eventually everything will be out in the open so you’ll need to act fast. You know where my private cabin is. You can rest up there for a while. It’s fully stocked and as long as you’re careful you should be safe there.”

I nodded to myself, knowing full well he had no chance of seeing the action. “Just one more thing…what can you tell me about Eddie.” At present, the only thing I knew was that he’d been shot and even John hadn’t had much to say about him, but I couldn’t go on until I knew for sure what his status was.

The chief sighed and I knew the answer before he spoke his next words. I felt as if my heart had just plunged into my stomach. “The doctors don’t think he’ll last the night.” He said quietly and I swallowed, then nodded.

“Thank you sir.”

“Good luck Greyson, I can only hope you two come home in one piece.”

When the call ended I stood there for a minute gathering my strength, then when I managed to push the news from my mind, I inserted a few more coins into the slot and called up a restaurant. We’d be having takeout for breakfast

……………………………………………….

Riley’s POV

It was crazy how the hours flew by despite the fact that Kyle and I had done absolutely nothing but laze around while John and Nate made plans. The dump of a motel had nothing but two full sized beds and a nightstand, yet I was grateful to be there and free rather than locked up. None of us had left the room all day which meant with nothing to do I’d spent most of it sleeping or talking to Kyle, who spent most of his day pestering John.

 It was interesting to see how much the bald guy had changed in the months I’d come to know him. He no longer looked at me with contempt or annoyance and the name calling had all but stopped ever since the day I’d begged the crew for a quarter to make a phone call.

Even so, it felt as though it was really after Kyle squeezed his way into his life that John really started to mellow out and I was finally able to see the kind of guy Nate had always said he was; rough around the edges but with a giant-sized heart. One that clearly beat for Kyle even if he fought tooth and nail not to admit it.

Then there was Kyle, who despite our serious predicament seemed to be bubbling over with happiness just because he was able to be with John. That kind of love was beautiful to see play out and I hoped I was around to witness John crumble under Kyle’s attention. I smiled as I watched Kyle stake his claim on the bed John was to share with Nate. It was kinda cute how he drove John crazy and I wished I could be like him; filled with so much confidence that he could go after the one he wanted without giving a damn about the consequences.

I transferred my attention to Nathan who was now moving toward my bed after having given up on the other one across the room. Kyle seemed to have won that right. As he approached I felt myself go warm all over and I placed my hand over my heart as it pounded in my chest.

If it were possible, I felt an even deeper connection to him now than I did locked away in our cell which I couldn’t understand. We’d barely spoken a proper sentence to each other since the escape, yet here I was still hot and bothered by the thought of him climbing into bed with me.

I took a breath and released it, then very bravely turned onto my side so that I could face Nate when he stuffed himself under the sheets. He rested on his back, hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling and I lay there watching him, taking in as much as I could of his features before he turned away and completely shut me out.

I was dying to say something to him and a few times I even got my mouth open, but fear of what he would say once I managed to start up a topic had me snapping it shut once again.

“Just spill it Riley.” He spoke then and I froze, eyes wide and my entire body blushing red.

“I…just wanted to say thank you for doing this…I know it’s a huge risk for you but you decided to help me anyway and it means a lot to me.” I managed to get the words out without much of a stutter and after a brief moment of silence he turned to face me and I braced myself.

On the other inside of the room I could still hear Kyle and John arguing about something that went along the lines of ‘respecting personal space’ and I bit my lip and tried desperately to drown out their words as Nate opened his mouth to speak.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Nate said then and my eyes widened in confusion.

“Like what?”

“Like I’m about to rip your throat out or something…like your terrified of me.” he trailed off, his eyes narrowed but for once, not harsh and I swallowed.

“I’m not, I just…I don’t want you to be mad at me. I’m really sorry for all this.” I told him sincerely, hoping that by some miracle we could somehow put all this behind us and our relationship could be like it was before, but then even I couldn’t go back to that. It wouldn’t be right.

“I’m not mad at you. I’m just…pissed at what you’ve done. You didn’t have to run and now you’re in over your head.”

I chuckled without mirth. “I think that still translates to you being pissed at me and I know everything’s bad now but it was bad then too and to be honest it doesn’t feel much worse. I just know I can solve this Nate and with you guys helping me I can be free again.”

“Things won’t ever be that simple Riles.” His voice had gone soft and his eyes took on a gentle glow. I’d missed my nickname on his tongue.

“Kyle has no case to solve, he’ll still be considered a fugitive and so will John and me and if  you manage to get off on one charge…escaping is a crime on its own. Things are never that easy.” He didn’t growl the words which was a start but he looked very tired, almost like he’d reached the end of his rope even though we had just began and I felt so guilty I could cry.

I understood the enormity of the situation, but telling myself that everything would work out could get me by each day like nothing else would and I needed that positivity like I needed air.

“I know. I didn’t think ,I just ran and now I can’t bear to go back and I’m sorry, I swear I am. Ther-”

“We’ll figure it out somehow.” Nate cut me off and I nodded, gazing at him like he was my lifeline because to be honest; he was. He was everything to me and I hoped I wasn’t dragging him and the others to their doom.

When Nate reached over to rest a gentle hand on my cheek I closed my eyes, absorbing his comfort and loving the feeling of his flesh against mine. I missed this and even though he had been in my presence every step of the way, I missed him and I told him as much.

He gave me that amused half smile that I loved and I all but melted into the mattress. “I’m right here.”

Then he pushed himself up onto his elbow and inched closer to me, lowering his lips to mine so that when they touched I felt an explosion of feeling erupt in my veins and I just wanted to pull him into me and never let go.

It was a miracle I was able to think in that moment, that I still had my senses and my resolve, because I managed to push him away before he could deepen the kiss and when he looked down at me, the confusion written all over his gorgeous face I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair, loving the feel of the strands against my palm, but soon I was pulling away.

“I told myself I wouldn’t do this with you anymore.” I whispered.

“Do what?” he moved to rest on his elbow once again, still watching my every expression.

“This…us, kissing, everything. You already know how I feel about you Nate and to be honest it doesn’t get any better. I can’t just get over it, I’m not built that way and it’s wrong for me to do this to myself.” I explained.

“It’s wrong for me to put myself through this when nothing will come of it you know? I just want to be with a guy who loves me at least half as much as I love him and I don’t want to settle for less…not anymore.”

Nate continued to watch me for a while, his expression unreadable, then he turned onto his back again and his eyes went to the ceiling.

“You’re right, you shouldn’t have to settle.” He said the words so softly that I almost missed them. Then when he fell silent again I reached out to touch his hair, running my hands through probably for the last time.

After a moment he removed my hand and I watched as he just looked at it, as if trying to memorize the lines of my palm, then he gave me a gentle squeeze, released me and turned onto his side and away from me. When he reached over to switch off the lamp I knew our conversation had ended and I turned toward the ceiling, my heart in my throat, trying to will myself to sleep.

I think I lay there fifteen minutes, in complete silence when I heard a curse on the other side of the room and glanced over in time to see John climb off his bed, pick up Kyle like he didn’t weigh a thing and to my surprise walked the distance and dropped him into the middle of the bed right between me and Nate.

“You guys can have him.” He said gruffly and then in a few strides he was back across to his own bed.

“Johnny why do you have to be such a-”

“Shut the hell up and get some sleep Kyle.” Nate growled, cutting off whatever he was about to say and because Nate could be a scary son of a bitch when he wanted to be, Kyle fell silent, shifted closer to me so that his head was resting against my thigh, but made no move to get up and I stifled a chuckle.

A few minutes later I was fast asleep.

                                                 

                                                                   

                                                               AUTHOR’S NOTES

THANKS FOR READING GUYS!

AFTER READING QUITE A FEW COMMENTS ON A PARTICULAR SORE SPOT WITH MANY OF YOU I DECIDED I SHOULD GIVE MY OWN VIEWS ON THE MATTER:

Quite a few people do seem to be annoyed at our little Riley, but my view actually differs somewhat… To be scared for your life after just escaping prison and praying that you’ll finally be free, i actually commend and respect Riley for going back for his friend. It shows his courage and his compassion as well as his deep-rooted loyalty in such a time of chaos. As for the reason he escaped; while not the smartest idea; which quite frankly borders on stupidity, it is understandable why a person in his situation would run, firstly, being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit,.

Secondly, feeling as though the one person he loves doesn’t return the feeling and the frustration with the way his case is going. Most people would fight within the realms of the law, some would give up and others would simply make do. Riley chose another route; to run, and while such an action might be perceived as being wrong in the eyes of the majority, the fact that Riley is in fact only human should be at the forefront of the everyone’s mind and the question is thus put forth to anyone reading this:

If you were placed in a similar situation, what do you think you would have done? You’ll find it’s not the easiest decision to make when it is your life that is in the balance.

DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 24: Eddie.

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 24

We set out at night this time, fully decked in our disguises and making sure to keep our heads down or at least hidden from the strategically placed street cams. The air was cold but it was the atmosphere that was the killer. Nate broke the news to us earlier that Eddie was dying, by now probably already dead and even as the hours swept by, I still couldn’t fully grasp it.

Eddie; the only one who’d ever given a damn about me when I first joined the crew, the man who had been kind enough to talk to me when the rest of the crew hadn’t seen a reason to. One of only a few guys in that place who I could actually call a friend. It was hard to swallow and I sat wishing Nate had heard wrong, Eddie couldn’t die, he was the sweetest, kindest man you could ever meet, he didn’t deserve to have his life cut short.

I could see him in my head with his ever present welcome smile, his corny jokes and that look he’d get every time he talked about the things we couldn’t have in prison; like those double cheese burgers and his favorite chocolate milkshake. I smiled at that. I would miss him.

Nathan seemed much the same as always, but it was John who was unusually quiet; even for John. After expressing his obvious shock at the news he hadn’t said one word and Kyle as expected, was doing his best to comfort the man, though I wasn’t exactly sure he was getting through to him.

For a while I had watched him as he leaned forward, his hand resting of John’s shoulder as he leaned in the talk to him. I didn’t have a chance of hearing what was being said over the sound of the wind skating across the windows but occasionally John would nod and all the while Kyle continued to speak.

Nate on the other hand looked completely unruffled, but then Nate was always pretty strong, someone to lean on in times of trouble. It was the reason he made such a good leader.

“What happens when we get to the cabin?” I asked to dispel the silence.

“We lay low for a few days, figure out our next plan of action.” He glanced into the rearview mirror and took a sharp right turn.

“Do we really want to waste a few days doing nothing? The sooner we get on the case the better right?” It felt like action got you where you needed to go. I never did like to sit and plan.

“We don’t have much of a choice. We plan this out to a tee or we get caught.”

I nodded and sat back. He and John seemed to know what they were doing. I’d just have to follow and hope they were making the right choices.

…………………………..

Two left turns, a short grocery stop, one bumpy drive way and an hour and a half later we were transferring our things from the car, into the massive structure in the middle of nowhere. When Nate had said we’d be going to a cabin I’d pictured a small wooden building, with a cute little fireplace, no TV and one small bedroom.

This edifice before us didn’t belong in the mountains. It looked like it had been stolen from the suburbs; white stone walls, fully equipped kitchen, three bedrooms, a bathroom and a television set that must have cost a fortune. All the cupboards were stocked with canned food and the fridge was almost packed with beer. I helped Kyle load the fresh foods in, my eyes never straying from the opulent decorations.

I didn’t bother asking Nate how he came by a place like this because something told me his answer wouldn’t exactly satisfy my curiosity.

“It’s kinda cute huh? My dad’s cabins don’t look anything like this. It’s cool how they kept it simple.” Kyle looked around the place, running his hand along the wooden surface of the counter top.

Cute? Simple? “This place is bigger than my own house!”

Only rich people could talk like he did. I shook my head and dropped another loaf of bread into the bread basket in the center of the table.

When I turned back to face him he was leaning against the counter lost in thought.

“You alright Kyle?”

He looked up, shook his head then he offered me a small smile and nodded. “Yeah I was just thinking about my dad. I bet he’s pissed after everything he did to help me.”

I hadn’t even allowed myself to think about that. I wondered how Jerry was doing, if he was worried or disappointed. I wondered if Nate would say it’s okay to give him a quick call to let him know I was alright but I knew the answer to that already.

“I wish I could talk to him, just to explain what happened.”

I threw him a box of milk and he caught it just before it hit the floor.

“We’ll get to talk to everyone we want to talk to once this is over.” I assured him.

He shrugged and deposited the carton into the fridge.

“I don’t have a case to solve remember? I’m screwed either way.” It was the first time I’d seen him even remotely upset about the situation we were in and a wave of guilt washed over me as I watched him exit the room, leaving me to the task of unpacking everything else.

“You didn’t force any of us to come after you. He’ll be fine.” Nate offered when he entered the room and I watched him deposit our knapsacks onto the floor before I spoke.

“What about you? Will you be fine?”

He paused, looking at me in confusion. “Wha’d you mean?”

“I’m talking about Eddie… John’s trying to act like it doesn’t bother him but we all know he’s hurting, how are you feeling?”

He shook his head. “Eddie was like a brother to him.” his expression was stoic as he reached into the fruit bowl and extracted an apple.

“Same as he was to you” I moved closer, “It’s not a bad thing to show your grief you know. You lost someone really close to you. We all lost a friend. It’s okay to mourn.”

He took a bite of his apple and distanced himself from me by moving around the counter.

“Eddie knew what he was getting himself into. He knew the stakes.” He said simply and I frowned.

“What are you talking about Nate? No one expects to be killed when they get thrown in prison. Don’t be callous.”

That seemed to give him a pause. He looked as though I’d caught him off guard then a moment later he masked his expression and cleared his throat.

“He knew what he was doing when he broke the law…it’s what got him there in the first place.”

“Yeah and so did you and John and Kyle but that doesn’t mean any of you deserve to die, least of all Eddie. Whatever he did to get himself in trouble doesn’t matter. He was the nicest guy I’ve ever met.” I swallowed against the lump which had formed in my throat “He didn’t deserve to die. Not him.”

The words came out in a whisper but I knew he heard them and instead of replying he dumped his half eaten apple into the nearby trash and left me standing in the kitchen alone.

I sighed. Seemed like I’d succeeded in upsetting two people already in the space of ten minutes.

………………………….

It turned out that the television was only good for watching DVD’s so without really reading the titles on the stack by the small bookshelf I slipped one into the player and lowered myself into the couch right in front of it. I didn’t have much appetite for a movie but anything to drown out the silence of the room was welcome.

 As I sat there I allowed my mind to wonder and in doing so I thought of Jerry, of Eddie’s family and of how Kyle was going to get out of the mess he was in. Then I thought of the cabin and how Nate and John were getting access to all these things. It led to the thought that maybe whatever they were arrested for was something big, like maybe drugs or larceny or worse.

The first person they’d asked for help had been Ringo, who was clearly involved in the drug trade but even that didn’t seem right. I couldn’t imagine either of them doing that. It was hard to even imagine them as criminals but then you could never judge a book by its cover.

I released a sigh and slumped lower in my chair. There really was no point in thinking about all that, whatever they did was in the past and Jerry always said you should always focus on the present because that’s the only thing that could alter your future. It was just too bad that things were easier said than done.

I heard the scraping of a chair across the floor and craned my neck to see John getting up from the dining table to plant himself directly in front of the kitchen window. He seemed lost in thought and I decided I might as well go have my little talk with him too but the moment I stood Kyle passed by me and I grabbed hold of his arm.

He looked back at me in surprise and I released him.

“I know this is hard for you, I just want you to know I’m sorry I dragged you into this and I’ll do everything I can to make sure it works out for you. We all will.”

He shrugged.

“It’s alright, I was just feeling sorry for myself earlier, I know it’s gonna work out. Don’t worry about it.”

I nodded.

“How’s John holding up?”

“I don’t know, you can never really tell with him.” he looked over to where the big guy stood and shook his head. “I’ve just gotta be there for him, maybe he’ll talk to me about it eventually.”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t too sure of that but who was I to shake his optimism.

“I’m gonna go get some sleep.” He announced then and made to move away.

“Kyle.” I called and he turned to face me.

“What if he doesn’t want to be comforted, what if he doesn’t want your help, what then?”

“Then I’ll push and push until he has no choice but to accept it.”

 Yeah things were always easier said than done.  

I made my way over to where John stood, not really sure why I even wanted to risk him telling me to shove off, but wanting to offer him something. He’d helped me out this far it was only right that I at least tried to be there for him.

“What’re you thinking about?” I offered in my most cheery tone and he glanced my way briefly before turning his attention back to the window.

“The escape. You don’t just blow a hole in a prison wall and run away, it’s never that simple.” He began. “It must have taken them months, maybe even years to plan the prison break. There were only a few guards in the cafeteria that day. I never thought about it then but there were usually more.”

I pondered his words.

“Then they blew up the wall, escaped and not one guard followed us. Something just doesn’t make sense. How could it have been that easy? We had a clear path from the prison straight to the woods and you’re telling me not one guard came after us?” it really seemed to be bothering him and I didn’t really know what to offer.

This seemed like a conversation he should be having with Nate; something they could sift through and come up with solutions, but the only thing that mattered to me was that we’d escaped. I didn’t care how easy it had been or how long they’d been planning it. Though if I could choose; freedom or Eddie’s life, my friend would still be alive today.

“I don’t know, I’m just glad we’re not trapped in that place anymore and I’m glad you came after Kyle…that means everything to him.” I offered with a warm smile and he grunted in response.

“He’s in love with you you know.”

He stiffened but didn’t turn to face me.  His next words wiped the smiled completely from my face.

“Love doesn’t mean shit when you’re on the run.”

I thought of how sad it was that someone could actually think like that and I felt bad for Kyle.

We sure knew how to pick em .

………………………………………

It was much later that night when I was sure everyone was asleep that I left Kyle snoozing on the bed beside me and went to grab a snack from the kitchen. I don’t know what made me look out the window as I passed. Maybe it was the rustling of the trees outside or just the ability to look out a window simply because I could, but when I did, it was to the shocking sight of Nathan standing among the trees not far from the house.

From the weak porch light I could just make out his frame. He stood with his back to the house and hands at his sides as he seemed to survey the forestry. His shoulders were drooped which gave me the first clue that something was wrong. He looked so frail standing there with nothing but the wind and the trees for company and I ached to go to him.

 Instead I stood watching him, wondering what he would do and what he was thinking about, when he looked to the side for a fraction of a second and my heart constricted. It was just a brief moment but what I saw had me pulling the porch door open and stepping out into the cold air. His face, shrouded in darkness and only illuminated for such a short time, yet I had managed to catch a glimpse of the anguish there. It was such pure, uncensored grief that I wondered how he could even take a breath.

“Nate.” I called softly, my voice carrying in the wind. I saw the muscles of his back bunch as he tensed at the sound of my voice and I watched as his fists clenched but he remained in that position.

“Go back inside.” His voice was firm but it sounded different to me, almost like it was heavy with pain or discomfort and I took another step toward him.

“Nate I-”

“I said get back inside Riley.” There it was again, that barely concealed pain settling just under the surface, altering the smoothness of is voice just so.

I took a few more steps, refusing to be bullied into retreat. “Just tell me what’s-”

He spun to face me then, his face alive with anger, “For fuck’s sake, what’s wrong with you!” he roared and for a second I froze unsure, but no; there it was, hardly masked by his anger; the pain, the anguish was there, in his eyes, etched deep in his expression and with a heavy heart I closed the distance between us, wrapping my arms tightly around his torso and clutching as if for dear life. He tensed and his hands dropped to my shoulders as he made to push me away.

“It’s okay Nate, he was your friend. It’s okay to let it out. Just this once.” I shouted the words against his chest, tightening my hold offering him my comfort even if he didn’t want it.

“It’s okay, we all loved him. We’ll all miss him.” I said the words over and over again until the hands on my shoulder tightened and with a vicious curse Nate was sinking to the ground, too sapped of strength to hold himself up. Hurting too much to endure it any longer.

I knelt in the grass with him and when the torrent burst forth I still held him, offering my support, comforting him as much as I could. His head dropped to my shoulder and his hands slid to my forearms where he held on tight, his nails biting into my flesh.

“Goddamnit Eddie.” He cursed brokenly and not long after that I felt the wetness of his tears seep through my shirt and his shoulders began to shake. For the first time since I’d known him I watched as Nate fell apart in my arms, weeping soundlessly as if his world had just shattered and he had nothing left.

It took a man with heart to have held in so much pain and I was fine being his strength just this once. Sometimes a man just had to let go and be human and so as the minutes ticked by and he bared his soul for a man he had considered a brother, I held him and told him it was okay.

                                           AUTHOR’S NOTES

  VERY SHORT AND UNEVENTFUL CHAPTER BUT THERE YOU HAVE IT.

THANKS FOR READING AND REMEMBER I UPLOAD EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 25: Detective John…Detective Nate.

Chapter 25

I woke to comfort the next morning, wrapped from neck to toes in about a million blankets and cushioned by the soft, well-padded mattress. I snuggled deeper into my warm cocoon reluctant to so much as open my eyes lest I lose the feeling of utter tranquility.

I appreciated the silence and I could smell the scent of the forest through a partially open window. It was heaven and I wasn’t ready to leave. I let out a sigh, a smile gracing my face as I finally opened my eyes.

Everything came rushing back to me when I realized whose room it was that I was in and whose bed I was snuggled so comfortably on and with that thought my peace shattered and the ache started deep in my heart.

Nathan.

The poor guy had been beyond devastated the night before. I couldn’t remember ever seeing someone in so much pain before, so absolutely hurt that he had practically been paralyzed by it and it wounded me to think of what he was going through.

Last night I had held him for what had felt like hours until there was nothing more he could let out, so that not even the tears could continue flowing, then I’d ushered him to his room and he’d followed, looking lost and empty as I wrapped him in his blankets and climbed in beside him.

We hadn’t uttered a word to each other as we lay there and eventually I had wrapped an arm around him, pressing my face to his chest so I could listen to his erratic heartbeat. It wasn’t until his breathing evened out and I was sure he was fast asleep that I had allowed myself to drift off and now here I lay, still wrapped in his blankets, only now I was alone.

I stretched my hand across the sheets so I could touch the indent he’d left in the mattress but the space was cool, which meant he’d left the bed long ago. With a sigh, I pulled myself into a sitting position and looked around the room; I hadn’t had much of a chance to see it last night. Like every other room in the ‘cabin’ it was decorated with a level of opulence and professionalism.

There were no personal touches just cold beauty, reminding me of a hotel room; built for comfort not family. I wish I knew more about Nate and how he had come by all of this. I wish I understood him; what pushed him to be the kind of person he was and what had led to his incarceration. I wish he would trust me enough to let me in…but I supposed his trust in me the night before was a start.

I finally got out of bed, curling my toes when they touched the cool floor. When I got to the door I took a breath, not sure what to expect but willing to face the new Nathan head on, so I pushed it open and stepped out into the hallway.

My first stop was the room I shared with Kyle, which was empty, and after a quick shower and teeth scrubbing I stepped out into the hallway once more, making my way to the kitchen where I could smell the coffee and frying bacon and eggs. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had bacon and eggs and my mouth watered.

When I stepped into the kitchen though, it was to the sight of said bacon and eggs frying without a cook and I looked around the room wondering where everyone was. Reaching up on tip toes, I pulled a mug from the cupboard and poured myself some coffee, adding the milk and sugar and stirring, while keeping my eyes on the frying pan.

I glanced out the window as I passed it and saw Kyle sitting on the porch railing smoking his stress away and I wondered briefly where he even found the cigarette.

“Hey what’s up?”

Kyle looked up at me when I joined him on the porc only moments later h and he offered me a warm smile.

“Nothin just taking in nature.” He explained, looked at the trees that surrounded us. Then he looked back at me with a knowing smile, wiggling his eyebrows as he stared.

“You didn’t come back to bed last night.” He teased and I shook my head.

“It’s not like that, trust me. Nate just needed my help with something.” I took a sip of my coffee.

More brow wiggling “I’m sure he did.”

I rolled my eyes. “Where is everybody anyway? There’s breakfast frying on the stove with no cook.”

He shrugged. “Nate’s cooking, John’s not up yet, I tried his door this morning but it’s locked.” He explained with a miserable pout and I laughed.

“That’s probably because you keep trying to molest him.”

Kyle rolled his eyes and took another draw of his cig. “Since when do you even smoke?”

“Since always. I just never had any back at the prison.” He removed an entire box of cigarettes from his pocket. “Found this in the bedside table in our room.” he held it up so I could see.

“So what’s the plan for today?”

“No idea, I’m gonna try and convince them to let me call my dad.”

I shook my head. “That’s never gonna happen, don’t bother wasting your time.”

He took another drag. “John will listen.” He said confidently and I dropped into the seat against the wall.

“Where’d you get that?” I jumped and almost spilled my coffee when the voice sounded above me.

Speak of the damn devil .

John stood framed in the door way in nothing but a pair of Jeans and boots. In his hand, he held his T-shirt, which after only minimum fumbling smoothly slipped it over his head and made his way over to Kyle whose face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Hey Johnn- hey what’d you think you’re doing?” he questioned in confusion when John pulled the cigarette from his hand and dropped it to the floor, before snuffing out the flame under his boot.

“Those thing’s will kill you.” He said simply then turned to survey the forestry much as we had done earlier.

Kyle shook his head. “There’s a million things out there that’ll kill me, I think I’ll take my chances.” And he pulled out a lighter and I watched as he fumbled with the cig box to pull out another.

I chuckled when John grabbed that too and Kyle jumped up in annoyance.

“Give that back!” he ordered, holding onto John’s shirt and stretching around him so he could pull the box out of the big guy’s hand, but John easily held it out of his reach and Kyle cussed at him as he tried to retrieve it.

They were like two big kids fighting over a toy.

“If you guys are just about done making a fool of yourselves, breakfast’s ready.” Nate said and my head snapped around as I turned to stare at him. He stood in the door way, sipping his own coffee and watching the guys; his expression one of boredom.

I swallowed, taking in his overall disposition and surprisingly he looked fine. There was no trace at all that he had lost it the other night, no sign that he was even grieving over his fallen friend.

“Hey Nate.” I said slowly and he finally looked down at me, expression unreadable.

“Hey, you should go get something to eat. We’ve got a lot to do today.”  And after another quick glance at Kyle and John who had yet to settle down, he turned to go inside and I drained my mug and followed.

“Are you okay?” I questioned as we stood side by side sharing out our food. He paused and looked at me.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”

He looked the same as always I supposed. Same old Nathan, always in control.

“No, it’s just that last night-“

“Was a momentary display of weakness.” He said simply and his mouth tightened. “It won’t happen again.”

I shook my head. “It wasn’t weak, it’s okay to grieve for someone you love.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, just continued sharing his meal and pouring himself another cup of coffee, but then he paused and turned to me and I paused too, watching him.

“Thanks.” And the look in his eyes when he said that one word let me know that it wasn’t just for what I’d said, but also for last night. I smiled and nodded.

………………………………………….

When I’d said Nathan had gone back to being the same as he always was I’d been wrong. Yes he was still in control, gruff and virtually emotionless. He still felt the need to boss me and Kyle around and generally he was the same as he always was, but as the morning wore on I began to notice something about him, mainly in the way he looked at me now; almost as if he was seeing a completely different person.

 I couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes but every time he glanced at me it was there, as if he was seeing me for the first time, or as if there was something he was seeing that he couldn’t understand and it put me on edge for most of the day. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking and I worried that maybe I wouldn’t even want to know.

It was after all the dishes ad been cleaned and we all sat around the small dining table that the ‘work day’ officially began. John and Nate sat side by side, each holding a writing pad and a pen. I was seated in front of them with my hands clasped before me and Kyle at my side munching happily on an apple.

Then the questions began and once again I was made to tell them every single detail that I could remember about that night, once in a while they’d pause to jot things down and throw theories at each other and I would sit there watching them, thinking that they’d have made good detectives.

“You said that everyone who came through the door that night signed a yearbook?”

I nodded at John, “Yeah it was a ‘done with high school’ party so it was supposed to be fun you know, everybody who passed through the door signed this yearbook they had hooked up on this wall.” I explained.

“And what was the invite list like? Was it exclusively students from your school?” this from John again.

I shook my head. “People could invite their friends.”

John turned to Nate, “So if the real killer was there that night then there’s a chance they’d have signed that year book.”

Nate frowned, “But even then, assuming at least a hundred people went that night, we can’t very well sift through so many names just to find our guy. Visiting every one of them to get a statement would be too risky and time consuming.”

John agreed. “Not to mention our lack of resources.”

Nate ran his hand through his hair a few times in frustration, tapped the pad with his pen then glanced over at me.

“Tell me about your mom’s boyfriend.”

“What’d you wanna know?”

“What was he like? Do you think he has any enemies that you might know? Why exactly was he at the party that night?”

“That’s easy, he was an abusive asshole who spent his money on booze and drugs and lived most of his life drunk than sober. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had enemies, but I don’t know them and like I said before he was at the party asking for my mom.”

“But what could have happened that he had to find you just to ask about your mother? You said they were a couple right? Then why come to you? Why not call, check at your house or at least wait until she got home if she wasn’t in?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, he was drunk like always, he probably just wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“Can you tell us anything else about him that night? Did he seem anxious? Maybe even angry?”

I bit my lip, thinking hard. “No more than usual I guess. I can’t really remember.”

John and Nate looked at each other and some silent communication seemed to pass between them.

“I’ll just go over this one more time then. You went to a house party thrown by some kid you don’t know, your mom’s lover crashed it, he was drunk, and drew you aside, demanding to know where your mom was, you threatened his life, he pushed you, you pushed him and he fell. Then you left?”

I nodded

“Instead of going home you went for a walk in the park alone and by the time you go home it was late and no one was there and there was nothing out of the ordinary that you noticed. A week later, the police came storming in, the murder weapon was found in your room and you were arrested.”

John looked at me and I nodded again. “Then it turned out that your mom had been out with Jerry and some friends that night, which gave her an alibi and left you with none.”

The entire statement made me sound guilty as sin. I sighed, rubbing my hands together slowly.

“I don’t even see what you guys can do that the cops didn’t. They already investigated and they found me guilty, no offence but you are just two normal guys who happened to escape from prison, I’m beginning to think this was a waste of time.” I was feeling sorry for myself and maybe just a bit depressed.

“The detectives on your case stopped investigating the moment they found the murder weapon with your prints. They didn’t think there was anything else out there they needed to know, that was their downfall, we’re about to start our investigation where they ended theirs. We’ll figure this out.” Nate assured me with a smile and I tried but failed to return it.

“So what do we do now?” Kyle spoke for the first time.

“Now we run with the only lead we have.” John said and I looked over at him questioningly.

“We’ll have to pay your mother a visit.”

                                              AUTHOR’S NOTES

THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE WRITTEN IN John’s POV SO FOR ALL YOU SEXY PEOPLE WHO JUST LOVE OUR BIG GRUMPY TEDDY BEAR..PREPARE YOUR BODIES FOR NEXT SUNDAY!

ShoutOUTS: xxxchasemejamesxxx , SneezingTurtle , fishinmiss777 , mellymelw , booknerdessxx and LifoLifo . Thanks so much for reading and taking the time out to comment guys..it means alot.

I’ve decided to start giving shoutouts again so check back every Sunday to see if you’ve been named.

Love you guys and keep sweet!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 26: Jyle

Chapter  26

John’s POV

These days if I managed to get a wink of sleep I was lucky. Too many thoughts, too many unwanted emotions, distractions, hopes and fears; they all kept me up at night staring at the ceiling of my too large room and this night was no different. In the morning Nate and I would be heading out to question the kid’s mother and my mind was on everything but that all important meeting.

 I rubbed my thumb over the palm of my left hand again and again as the thoughts swirled in my mind; the most prominent one being Eddie; my friend, my brother.

I still refused to believe he was gone; not him, a man like that deserved to have the years he’d been promised, deserved to settle down and marry his woman then grow old with a flock of kids at his feet. A guy like that didn’t deserve to have his life snuffed out without even his friends around to offer comfort in his last hour.

Nate had to be wrong. Our Eddie was a fighter, always had been and it definitely wasn’t his time to go, but then Nate was always one to work with the facts placed before him. He’d never been one for hope and optimism; a fucking realist through and through.

I took a breath.

Every time I closed my eyes I was bombarded by memories of a man closer to me than a brother. I’d practically begged Nate not to let him in on the assignment. He was a damn good agent but he had too much heart, he was too kind, too sensitive to the plight of others; undercover work didn’t suit a man like that and now my greatest fear had been realized.

I took a breath.

He couldn’t be gone. I felt the persistent pain in my chest at just the mere thought of him lying in a cold grave; lifeless and I shook my head trying to clear it. I was sick of these thoughts, these distracting emotions. I had to focus.

There were only two people in this world I gave a damn about and if Eddie really was gone then I had to do everything I could to make sure Nate was safe, which meant I had to focus on our trip tomorrow; not get worked up over things I couldn’t change.

I took a breath.

I continued running my thumb against my palm, fighting with my mind to think of something else, anything else; like maybe the ease with which we’d escaped from the penitentiary; it suggested an inside job and I couldn’t ignore the feeling that this was somehow connected; that it was all connected.

“Johnny? ” I looked toward the door when I heard my barely whispered name on the other side and shook my head.

I hadn’t been able to listen to the news since our escape but as soon as I could I would. If I could get an idea of the men who had escaped it would give me at least a clue into-

“Johnny! Are you awake ?” with gritted teeth I listened as Kyle jiggled the door knob, testing to see if it was open.

If I knew who escaped it would at least answer some of the questions I had and would quite possibly give me a clue into-

“Johnny!” then the knocking came, soft and controlled but with the almost stifling silence of the place it sounded annoyingly loud.

I looked up at the ceiling with a muttered curse. This was just another one of my problems; Kyle; the persistent throb in my side that would quite possibly never go away.

“I can practically feel your glare through the door…open up I have something to tell you.”

I shook my head. “Then tell me and go to bed.” I called back.

There was a pause in the knocking, then I heard a thud as if he had pressed himself against the door. My eyes narrowed.

“I promise you John, you don’t want me shouting this through a door, unless you want the others to know our business…” he trailed off.

Our business. As always the kid was delusional. “Then tell me in the morning.”

“It’s freezing out here, can you just open the door so I can tell you, then I’ll be out of your hair, I promise.”

I think I could even sense that lie from a mile away. I turned my attention back to the ceiling, trying to recall my earlier thoughts. I couldn’t deal with Kyle tonight.

If it really was an inside job, to get that level of cooperation couldn’t have been easy unless you held some extraordinary power…which brought me back to the warden; but allowing an escape of this magnitude at your own prison had to be bad for his reputation so why would he have orchestrated this if in the end, it could quite possibly have led to his downfall. This whole thing wasn’t making any sense.

“I’ll stay out here and freeze until you open this door.”

So what if it wasn’t the warden, what if there was someone else, someone bigger pulling the strings…but it would all still lead to the same question; why allow the escape? what was the point of it all?

I heard another thud as if he had slid to the floor and I imagined him sitting on the freezing tiles with the back of his head resting on the door, waiting for me to open up.

“Go to bed Kyle, we’ll talk in the morning.”

No answer.

I gave it a few minutes but it was uncomfortably silent out there. “Kyle?”

Nothing.

With a curse I pushed up from the bed, throwing the sheets off me in annoyance. When I released the lock and pulled the door open, Kyle, who had indeed been resting against it fell in and I glared at him while he looked up at me from where he was sprawled on my floor.

“Say what you need to say and go.” I muttered, then watched as he scrambled to his feet and before I could blink, he had shot inside the room, grinning as he climbed up into my bed.

I really didn’t have the energy to fight with him. Not tonight with all these thoughts and feelings rolling around in my mind. With a glance out the hall, I pushed my door closed and dropped into the chair by the open closet door, my head propped in my hand as my mind drifted.

Kyle watched me with a pout.

“You okay?”

I glanced at him with raised brows. “Don’t I look okay?”

He shrugged. “You look kinda sad actually. Are you thinking about Eddie?” he asked, the concern sneaking into his expression.

“No I was thinking I need to get to sleep and you’re keeping me up.” I said to make a point but of course he couldn’t take a hint.

“I kinda miss him too. He was really nice wasn’t he?” he got this far away look in his eyes as he said the words. “I remember when he-”

“Stop talking about him like he’s dead” I growled in anger and he looked on at me in confusion.

“But Nate said-“

“Fuck what Nate said. There’s no way Eddie’s gone, he…” I trailed off when he smiled. And I shook my head and looked away. I needed to calm down and I needed him out.

“This is the thing people don’t seem to get.” Kyle began. “They all see you as this grumpy guy, who hates everybody and wants to be alone, but you wanna know what I see?”

I ran my hand over my head; I was finally letting my hair grow out after two years of keeping it bald. I chose not to look at him.

He continued anyway, “I think you’re the sweetest guy I know.”

The kid was high on something.

“You’re kind, you care even though you act like you don’t, but you’ve got the biggest heart out of all of us here and you know what else?”

I didn’t have to respond, he’d tell me what was on his mind either way.

“I think you’re lonely.”

I finally looked at him. “That what you came in here to tell me? that I’m lonely?”

I didn’t even try to conceal my annoyance.

“No, I came here because I like your company, I like being around you.” He said.

That was something else that didn’t make sense.

“Really now and why is that?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” when I only looked at him he rolled his eyes.

“Because I love you dumbass!” he exclaimed.

And there it was; the words everyone but me was dying to hear.

“It’s okay Johnny, don’t have an aneurism. I don’t expect you to say it back, I already know you feel the same.” He said it with such confidence it almost bordered on cockiness and I decided it was pointless to argue with him. The kid rarely listened to me anyway and something told me this time would be no different.

“I’ve known for a while now actually.” He continued, looking as snug as a bug in a fucking rug. I watched as he nestled deeper under my sheets.

“Have you now?” the sarcasm dripped from my voice like a broken faucet.

He ignored it and pulled my pillow under his head. “Yup.”

It was just what I needed tonight. What did it matter that I had Kyle’s infatuation to worry about, after all I already had Eddie, the escape, the meeting tomorrow and a million other things running through my mind right? I was practically an expert.

With a grunt I pushed up from my seat and made my way over to the too large bed.

“You planning to go back to your own room anytime soon? I asked, already knowing the answer.

“I’m staying here with you.”

Of course he was .

I slipped under the sheets, dragged my pillow from him and returned to my usual routine of staring up at the ceiling, willing my mind to shut down so I could finally get some sleep.

When Kyle made a slight move towards me I shot him a look and he froze. “You move even an inch closer and you’re out of here.” I warned.

He settled again with a sigh and I tried to focus on anything but the heat drifting off his body and the smell of his recently shampooed hair, but my body responded as it always did to his nearness and I gritted my teeth and took a breath. I found myself listening to the sound of his steady breathing and after a while all other thoughts gradually fled and he was the only thing on my mind.

I had a sweet tooth and God damn if he didn’t smell like the sweetest candy I had yet to taste. I cursed in the silence of the room and for the first time since I had issued my warning he turned to look at me.

“I say we just get it over with.” He said simply. No playful smiles or annoying little smirks. His eyes, when they met mine in the dimly lit room, were serious and a jolt went through my body.

“Go to sleep.”

But instead of following the command he reached across the mattress and the heated flesh of his palm made contact with the skin of my waist. I grabbed his arm to remove the intrusive limb and he took hold of my hand.

I looked up at him. “For once in your life just stop running from something you obviously want so desperately.” And before I could retaliate he had leaned across the small space and his mouth was on mine.

It was as soft and supple as I had expected. His lips smooth and full against mine. I should have pulled away and I would have if he hadn’t taken it upon himself to close the distance between us so effectively that he was pressed tightly against my side. I felt his hardness through the thin material and the heat from his skin surrounded me until I was so caught up in it I couldn’t offer much protest.

His mouth opened ever so slightly above mine and for a minute our tongues fought for control until he was moaning and grinding against me.

At one point I managed to pull away, my eyes glazed with pleasure, my body hot and wanting. “This is-”

“Perfect…” he finished and his lips were once again pressed against mine. I didn’t know when he crawled on top of me, I only felt the press of his thigh against my swollen member and his searching hands trailing over my chest.

A hundred reason why this was wrong ran through my mind and for the first time, I didn’t do the logical thing, for once I chose to go with what I felt rather than what was best and so pushing the voice of reason aside I reached up, running my hand through his short hair while trailing another under his cotton shirt, over his smooth skin and across his puckered nipple. He shivered and I did it again deepening the kiss.

Just this once I’d give in, all my protest wouldn’t be for nothing if it was just one night. One night of total abandon that would take my mind off all my worries.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I broke off for a moment and managed to get the words out and he shook his head, his lips seeking mine again.

“I’m not some innocent virgin Johnny, I can handle my business.” He assured me with the confidence of an experienced male and I allowed him to pull my shirt off, his lips dotting over my chest.

When I ran my palm along his arm he paused and pulled it away. I watched him in confusion, too drunk in the moment to fully process his actions. “I don’t want you to be gentle John.” It had been awhile since he’d called me John and the name sounded strange on his lips. I registered the far from innocent gleam in his eyes as he leaned down, then I could feel his breath against my ear.

“I like it rough.” The whispered words were all I needed to hear before I threw all caution to the wind and flipped him over; all reservations gone, all logical thinking replaced by fire and  sweat and deep-rooted, all-consuming need.

…………………………………….

I woke the next morning more calm than I’d felt in a long time. I stretched, checked the time and lay there waiting for the regret to consume me but it didn’t come, there was no guilt, no shame, just a strange sense emptiness.

I didn’t know how to feel about the night before, wasn’t sure how things would be from now on and  I glanced to my left where Kyle still lay in deep sleep, the sheets wrapped around his naked flesh, his hair a mess and his lips red and swollen from my ministrations.

He didn’t stir when I pushed up from the bed, nor did he shift when I gathered my clothes and made my way to the bathroom. By the time breakfast came around he hadn’t made an appearance and I pushed all thoughts of him from my mind as I tried to concentrate on what Nate was saying.

We’d be visiting Riley’s mother at her workplace which turned out to be some restaurant I’d never heard of deep into the city because visiting her home would be too risky. Riley was worried that she’d call the police the moment she spotted us and as always, whenever we were confronted with the small matter of our true identities we lied and lied well.

“We’ll wear disguises it’ll be fine. We’ve got everything figured out.” Nate said smoothly. It didn’t particularly appease the kid but it got him to stop voicing his worry and we fell silent once more; stuffing our faces with the meal Nate had prepared.

Every now and then Riley would give me these looks, like we shared some juicy secret between us and eventually I pushed up from the table to finish my food on the comfort of the couch.

By the time Kyle made an appearance I was deep into one of the DVD’s that I’d found in the stack and didn’t realize he’d entered the room until he was walking towards me, plate of food in hand and a huge smile of his face.

“Morning.” He said cheerfully dropping himself into the cushion beside me and I grunted a short hello before turning my attention back to the film.

“Do you think you guys could get some ice cream on your way back?” he asked after biting into his sandwich.

“We’re not going on a shopping expedition Kyle, we’re going to find out what the woman knows then we’ll be back here. We can’t risk fooling around, this is important.” I explained.

He took another bite, chewing enthusiastically, “Get chocolate too okay? I haven’t had candy in forever.”

I stared at him, letting my annoyance show and he stared back; still chewing. It was as if he hadn’t heard a word I said and instead of arguing I shook my head and turned back to my show.

“Yeah sure.” I muttered darkly.

…………………………………………

“We’ll be right back, just stay inside and try not to make any noise, no one should come up this way but it’s still possible. Don’t answer the door for anyone and don’t do anything stupid.” Nate warned, then he took out the small cheap cell phone and handed it to Riley.

“This is for emergencies, meaning if there is a serious problem, you call me; no one else and don’t use it unless you absolutely have to, you understand?” Riley nodded, biting his lip and I turned away from the two, throwing our equipment into the trunk.

“If we’re not back by the end of the day, call this number. It’s Ringo’s, he’ll help you two out.”

When I slammed the trunk and turned around I almost walked right into Kyle who stood before me looking very much like Riley did; worried for absolutely no reason.

I was surprised when he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me and for a second I stood there stunned, then not knowing what else to do I reached up and patted his head awkwardly.

“Be careful okay?” he said when he pulled away and with a nod and a grunt I made my way around to the driver’s seat and got in. A moment later, after they were safely stowed away in the cabin, Nate joined me and we were off.

It took us exactly two and a half hours to get into town. First we dropped by Nate’s apartment so we could pick up our suits and badges, then fully decked out in our gear, we made our way to the address. The restaurant turned out to be a little bed and breakfast type establishment that clearly wasn’t doing as well as the owners would have wanted.

The smell of oil and gravy hit me when I first stepped through the door. The walls were peeling, the table tops scratched and the chair paddings torn, otherwise it wasn’t too bad; if the only reason you came to a restaurant was for the clean floors that is.

I allowed Nate to do the talking and not long after his inquiry, we were being led to a secluded area at the back of the restaurant and politely offered a seat by the manager. A minute later we were able to meet Riley’s mother for the first time.

She was a tall woman, a little round in the middle. She had sad little eyes, below which housed dark circles as if she hadn’t been getting enough sleep. Her dark hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail and her hands, which she held tightly in front of her were small and scarred.

She offered us both a small smile before taking a seat and after brief introductions we got right down to business. So far she simply thought we were FBI agents looking into her son’s escape and we played along with that perfectly. Probably because it was the truth.

“I understand that you’ve been visited by officers multiple times but we simply need to clarify some things Ms. Parker.”

She was surprisingly cooperative, although a bit apprehensive and after a series of procedural questions we finally got down to the Nitty-gritty of why we were really there.

“Could you just run through the statement you gave the police the night your boyfriend was killed please?”

She looked at us strangely when we got to that particular question and I took it all in, cataloging her every emotion to discuss with Nate later.

“You mean my husband.” She said slowly and it was our turn to be confused.

“Pardon me?”

“You mean my husband…I didn’t have a boyfriend.”

I looked at Nate and he glanced at me briefly before turning his attention back to her.

“I apologize Ms. Parker but, I was led to believe that the man who was killed was your boyfriend Joseph Menza?”

She shook her head. “No and I meant to correct you earlier but I go by the name Cheryl Menza, Parker is my maiden name. Joseph and I were separated but we were still husband and wife.”

I tried not to let my confusion break across my expression but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t totally confused by all this.

“Okay, let’s try this again.” I took over and she glanced my way.

“Riley Parker is your son right?”

She nodded. “Yes but his name isn’t Parker, it’s Menza.”

“Wait are you saying that Joseph Menza, the man who Riley was convicted of murdering is his own father?” Nate asked in surprise and the woman looked between us before nodding slowly.

“Of course, didn’t you read the police report?” she asked uncertainly.

………………………………….

We’d learned exactly two things at that interrogation. One; Cheryl Menza; Riley’s mother was no killer and had absolutely nothing to do with her husband’s murder. The woman was as innocent as they came, if a little overworked.

The second thing and perhaps the most shocking news we’d leaned however, was that Riley, who had for whatever reason changed his surname to Parker, had been convicted of murdering his own father.

“This just doesn’t make any sense.” Nate was saying.

I shook my head, not knowing what to say as we made our way back to the cabin with Nate travelling as fast as the speed limit would allow.

This case just kept getting more twisted by the second.

                                           AUTHOR’S NOTES

.. .AND THE PLOT THICKENS..DUN DUN DUNNNN…….HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT !

sHOUT oUTS:To   Love_Hate_Heartbreak , lovely_everywhere , lacyskye , EmEmMartinez and nharris15416 ..as always thank you guys for your support and sweet comments. I love your enthusiasm and I appreciate the time you take to read my work. <3

THANKS FOR READING GUYS, REMEMBER I UPLOAD EVERY SUNDAY SO I’LL SEE YOU THEN !

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 27: Love and Friendship.

Chapter 27

John’s POV

I gave him thirty minutes of silence before I decided to say what was on my mind. During that time he’d been tense; holding the steering wheel in a death grip as we sped through the streets.

The news from earlier had left us stumped and as much as I’d love to get an explanation, the suspicion that maybe Riley wasn’t as innocent as we’d all thought couldn’t help but push through.

“Maybe we need to consider the fact that Riley may not be as innocent as he says.” I said into the silence and Nate took his eyes off the road for a second to take a good look at me, his gaze critical.

“Don’t start with the bullshit.”

I shook my head. “Why else wouldn’t he tell us the truth? He’s had all this time to say something and he’s kept his mouth shut. The kid’s hiding something and I think it’s gonna turn out to bigger than the both of us.

“You’re wrong, he’s innocent.”

I looked at him, brows furrowed. “You never were one make conclusions without all the facts. All I’m saying is that you need to consider the possibility and brace yourself for it.”

“I don’t need to consider anything, I know Riley and this is all just a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? Nate do you hear yourself? He changed his name. He was convicted of murdering his own father and never thought to tell us. He’s hiding something.”

He gritted his teeth and I felt the need to reach across and strangle him until he came to his senses.

“He has to have a good explanation for this.”

He took a sharp turn and the seatbelt bit into my neck.

“You’re fucking unbelievable.” I shook my head.

He was changing, right before my very eyes.

When he didn’t respond but kept his focus on the road my anger built. “You’ve always been the best for the job because of your ability to remain unbiased and logical, now you’re turning into a fucking sap.”

“No I’ve been good at what I do because I give it everything I’ve got and where the hell is this coming from anyway? You thought Riley was innocent just like the rest of us, that’s the reason you’re here-”

“No I ‘m here to keep your ass alive and that’s it. You think I’d risk my life, my career for your little fuck buddy? The kid could be playing us and I’m gonna get to the bottom of it even if I haf to shake it out of him.”

Another sharp turn before he shot me a murderous look.

“I’m handling this, you lay one hand on him and-”

“And what? Threats now Nate? That where it’s at between us?”

He gritted his teeth and took a breath. “I’ll handle Riley, I’m telling you he has to be innocent.”

I shook my head and consciously tried to calm down. “Like I said, we just need to consider the possibility that he might not be and if he isn’t we’ve got to decide what to do about it.”

A moment of silence passed before either of us spoke again.

“You’ve always been a cynical bastard” he muttered.

“Yeah and you were right there with me until you met that boy, now I can hardly even recognize you.”

Silence.

I turned to looked out my window, taking in the trees and not much else.

“I can still do my job and I can still get us through this but I’m telling you John I know Riley, I know him.”

“No you only think you do.”

He muttered a curse. “What’s your problem anyway? Is this really even about Riley?  Or are you just taking your own fucked up situation out on me.”

I chuckled without mirth, “Yeah? And what situation would that be?”

Another sharp turn, the car jerked when we hit a pothole, then there was a loud pop and we were swerving across the street, narrowly missing a speeding truck as we spun and came to a stop on the grassy bank on the opposite side of the road.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I looked over at Nate who still gripped the wheel.

“You okay?”

He shot me a glare, pulled off his seat belt and got out of the car. I followed suit.

“We’ve got a busted tire.” He called and I walked over to where he stood looking down at what used to be the front tire, now it was just shredded rubber.

Nate leaned against the car, folded his arms before him and looked at me.

“I get what you’re saying. It doesn’t make sense for him to have kept something like this from everyone unless he’s hiding something big and that’s probably that he’s guilty. I get it and if it was anyone else I’d be thinking like you do now, but John, I swear to God I know him. I’ve spent months with him and there’s just no way he could do something like this.”

I said nothing just let him get it all out.

“He’s good, you can’t find people like that anymore trust me John”

“So is Eddie and if he’d lied to us the way Riley has, I’d still question it.”

“Eddie’s dead.”

It was like a lifetime of anger and hurt erupted through me in that moment and I lashed out, my fist connecting with his mouth. His head snapped back and he stumbled.

 “You’ve changed Nate, and right now I can’t tell if it’s for the better.”

He spat, then wiped his bloodied mouth with the back of his hand.

“I changed because I’m choosing to believe someone can be innocent?”

“Stop thinking with your dick and use your head, I just need you to focus more on why we’re out here and less on what the kid can give you, there’s plenty of other guys out there and when this is over you can have your pick but for right now, when he’s been lying through his teeth, he doesn’t deserve to be defended.”

He looked away from me, shook his head then turned away completely so that he was facing the trees. I watched as he dragged his hand through his hair a few times, kicked a pebble with his boot then turned back to me, his expression one of the utmost seriousness, his eyes held conviction and I braced myself for whatever  he was about to say.

“I love him.”

And there it was. I shook my head.

“You’re all losing your fucking minds.”

He didn’t say anything, just stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked away.

“Lemme ask you something Nate.” He turned back to me.

“If it turns out that he is guilty, as an agent of the law, you’ll be required to turn him in, what will you do?”

He didn’t answer right away and when he did, he didn’t sound as confident as he should have. “Then I’ll turn him in.”

I shook my head. “No, your hesitation told me all I needed to know.”

He turned on me then, eyes blazing. “And what about you John, what will you do if it turns out we can’t do a thing for Kyle? You gonna turn him in? He’ll be doing hard time for his escape, you realize that right? You think he’ll survive in that place alone? With all those killers and rapists? You think he can handle it?”

His question threw me and I opened my mouth to give an answer but I had nothing.

“That’s different and you know it.”

“No.” he said. “It’s not different at all. You can’t even answer me.”

I gritted my teeth.

“I’ve seen the way you look at him and you’re just as fucked as I am so get off my goddamn back alright?”

 He turned away from me, pulled the trunk open and took out the spare tire. Then I watched as he pulled out the jack and after taking a breath, I grabbed a wrench and got to work.

…………………………..

We travelled the rest of the way in complete silence. I had nothing to say to him as lost as I was in my own messed up head and he didn’t try to make conversation. When we finally got to the cabin, we slammed the doors behind us and made our way to the front door, still without uttering a word.

Riley was the first to spot us from where he sat, on the chair arm watching some sort of movie and he offered Nate a small shy smile. I dropped my small duffel by the door and glanced over to where Kyle lounged on the couch. When his eyes met mine they lit up and I looked away.

“What happened to your face?” Riley had walked over to Nate and I watched as he reached up to touch his busted lip, hesitantly, as if unsure whether or not he should.

“It’s nothing. Look Riley, we met your mom today and…” he trailed off.

“And what?” the kid asked and I noted the apprehension in his expression as he said the words.

Nate glance my way briefly then turned back to him. “Let’s go for a walk.” He offered and the kid nodded, less than enthusiastically.

“What’s going on?” Kyle questioned when they exited the cabin and I glanced his way. He’d moved to stand by door and he watched me with furrowed brows.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” I walked the distance and dropped into the closest chair, running my hand over my face.

As I sat there, my mind jumping from one scenario to the next, Kyle came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my neck, our cheeks pressed together and because everything was going to shit anyway, I let him.

                                            AUTHOR’S NOTES

DUE TO THE CRAZY NUMBER OF REQUESTS I GOT FROM YOU GUYS PRACTICALLY BEGGING ME TO UPLOAD BEFORE SUNDAY, I DECIDED TO DO JUST THAT.

SO ENJOY THIS LITTLE TREAT BUT IT’S BACK TO SUNDAY UPLOADS AFTER THIS BECAUSE AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO, I DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO UPLOAD MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK.

If you can’t see chapter 28 (the next chapter) it’s because wattpad restricted it which means you’ll have to fan me to read it…#wattpad problems.

If you do any fan art for these guys lemme know so we can all fangirl over them!

THANKS FOR READING!

DoUbLe.A

unedited.

Chapter 28: Verdict

Chapter 28

Riley’s POV

“Watch your step.” Nathan warned just as I was about to smash my foot against a protruding tree root. I paused briefly then stepped over the thing, quickening my pace so that I was once again walking directly behind him.

He didn’t seem like he was in a particularly good mood and even though you could never really tell with Nate, I had a feeling I was right this time. The way he and John had walked through the door looking more pissed off than I could ever remember either of them being had had me sweating bullets and this little ‘walk’ Nate had planned wasn’t helping the situation.

“Nate?”  I called uncertainly.

“Hmm?” he seemed to be deep in thought.

“Where are we going?” he glanced back briefly then continued on his way.

“We’re just walking.”

I bit my lip, looking around me at the thick trees, then up at the blue sky above us. It seemed so peaceful out here with the chirping birds and the natural scent of the woodland, opposing the apprehension roiling within me.

“Why do you look so worried?”

I tore my eyes from the sky and glanced back at Nate who had finally stopped not too far ahead. He was looking at me with those piercing intelligent eyes, his expression unreadable.

“Do I?” I replied with a nervous chuckle and his eyes narrowed.

They’d finally learned the truth .

 I could see it in just the way he looked at me and I swallowed hard, frozen in that very spot as I watched Nathan watch me. I’d worried it would come to this the moment they’d made plans to go see my mother and of course she wouldn’t have kept it to herself, she’d tell anyone who would listen how her deranged little boy killed his own father.

I looked away from Nate, my heart hammering. He had probably already decided I was guilty, even after all this and I didn’t think I was up to the task of convincing him otherwise, I’d spent most of my time in prison trying to do just that.

I lowered myself to the ground then, sitting with my back to a massive tree trunk, waiting for the accusations to fly.

He didn’t say anything right away, instead he watched me and waited and I watched  him  and  I  waited.

“Is there something you need to tell me?” he finally broke the silence and I shook my head slowly.

“John and I had a conversation with your mother today and we learned something interesting while we were there.” He’d moved so that he was standing across from me.

I picked up a twig from the forest floor and snapped it in half, then I nodded because I didn’t know what else to do and whatever words I’d planned on letting out had lodged firmly into my throat.

“Riley we can’t help you if you lie to us and if this is the way it’s going to be from now on then we might as well give ourselves up now.”

I snapped the twig again and again and again until he reached over and pulled the pieces from my hands and then I had no choice but to look up at him.

I took a deep breath, fixing my gaze on his nose because I couldn’t meet his eyes. “What exactly did she tell you?” my voice was a little over a whisper.

Nate frowned, “Tell me what you’re hiding.” His voice was firm and his tone brooked no argument

“I didn’t kill anyone.” I said pitifully.

“I didn’t ask you that.”

“What’s the point if you all think I’m guilty anyway? It isn’t even a big de-”

“Stop fucking around and tell me what I need to know, you think it’s just your life hanging in the balance here? This is serious Riley.”

He was angry now.

“I swear it’s not even a big deal Nate…” I took a deep breath. “My name isn’t Parker, it’s Menza, Riley Menza, Parker is my mom’s maiden name.”

I stole a glance at his face to see him watching me like a hawk.

“…I didn’t want to share the same name with him, he…the man who was killed is my father and I hate him.”

It sounded childish even to my own ears and maybe even a little bit heartless but he’d asked for the truth.

He crouched to the ground so that we were on the same level.

“Because he abused your mother.” It was a statement not a question and I was surprised by the strange understanding in his voice.

“He abused us both. He was vicious and a drunk. He did drugs and he treated us like shit but no matter how bad it got she always took him back, it’s like she didn’t even give a damn if he ended up killing us, she loved him too much and I hate him for it, for everything, but I didn’t kill him.” I spat the last words, my disgust most definitely showing on my face.

I shook my head at Nate’s expression because despite how understanding he looked in that moment, he didn’t really  understand , no one would understand what we went through when that man was alive and no one would understand how I could be so happy that he was gone out of our lives forever, so I told him as much.

“Then help me understand what you went through, tell me about him.” he prodded.

“No.” my words were dripping with finality but he didn’t take the hint.

“Riley-”

“No, don’t you understand Nate? This is the reason I changed my name in the first place; to get away from him, to get away from the memories, I don’t  want  to tell people about him, I don’t  want  people to know what I went through, I just want to forget!”

He was calm in the face of my rage.

“Changing your name won’t make you forget Riley, you’ll never really forget you just learn to get past it and holding it inside won’t help you to move on.”

“This coming from the emotional recluse.”

Then I realized I was being an asshole “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Despite all that, you don’t keep secrets from us when we’re here trying to solve your case. It doesn’t matter how trivial you think something is, any and every little fact can affect the outcome of this case, do you understand that?”

I nodded.

“After a while I wanted to tell you guys but I thought it would make me look guilty if I said anything after all this time.

“Yeah and look where that got you.” Nate commented drily. “John’s back at the cabin, convinced you’ve been playing around with us this whole time. Now you need to go tell both him and Kyle the truth; they deserve your honesty.”

I nodded again.

He stood and stretched out a hand to help me to my feet which I took graciously, then still holding my fingers he spoke again, looking deep into my eyes as if wanted to discover the secrets hidden within my very soul.

“Is there anything else you’re keeping from me? Tell me now because if we discover something else down the line that doesn’t add up that’s it; we’re done trying to solve this.”

I shook my head. “No nothing I swear.” I promised and finally there was nothing more I had to hide, he knew everything.

I felt emotionally drained.

…………………………………………………….

We headed back to the cabin almost immediately following our little talk and I felt shittier than a dog covered in his own mess. Mostly I worried about what Kyle would say and whether he’d believe I was innocent after this pointless lie, because even though I’d done it to keep the memories of my father at bay, when I looked at it from Nate’s perspective it really had been pointless and it only made me look guilty as sin.

I followed closely behind Nathan as we made our way back, my eyes fixed on the back of his head. His reaction out there had surprised me. I never expected his easy understanding after having lied to his face for weeks.

I found myself thinking of those first few months with him and how angry he’d been at the world,  that  Nathan would have throttled me out there and I found myself wondering what had changed in him to make him suddenly so calm…so accepting.

I didn’t get much time to think on that because a few more steps brought us up to the back porch and I paused, taking a breath to calm my nerves.

“There’s no way John’s going to believe me.” I told Nate who had stopped by the door to wait for me.

“That’s on you.” He said simply, as always never one to mince words.

I pushed past him and entered the cabin, passed through the kitchen where I came to a stop at the entrance of the ‘family room’. Nate stopped not far behind me, leaning onto a nearby wall with his arms crossed and we both paused watching the scene playing out before us.

Neither Kyle nor John had noticed our presence and I didn’t alert them to it as I tried to figure out the best way to go about apologizing for keeping secrets from two people who had only ever wanted to help me.

They both sat on the largest couch in the space, John at one end and Kyle sitting on the chair arm beside him. In one hand John held a piece of wood and in the other a small pocket knife. He was whittling away at the piece of wood with Kyle watching keenly.

“Aren’t you going to cut this piece off?” Kyle asked, touching the wood with his index finger. John’s hand froze just in time to prevent the blade from slicing into Kyle’s skin and I watched as John looked up at him in annoyance.

“You want to keep that finger?”

Kyle pulled his hand away and to my surprise he blushed, smiling sheepishly at John who had resumed peeling away at the wood.

I glanced back at Nate who was watching them with a strange expression. The coward’s way out would be to beg him to explain it all to them, to get  him  to make them see that what I did was harmless and in no way had I intended to deceive them, but after everything we’d all been through simply to lend a hand to my cause, they deserved to hear it from me.

As I stood there, biting my lip and trying to figure out the best way to break the news I fought hard to keep thoughts of the man I’d been convicted of murdering at bay, but with just the thought of having to tell another soul that we had shared the same blood, the memories came rushing back, threatening to impale me with their viciousness.

After my parents had separated and I’d finally been old enough to legally change my name, I’d honestly hoped that it would be the end of all my hurt, that I could simply lock away that part of me and become a whole new person, but again and again I’d been forced to tell the tale of a man who had meant less to me than a sperm donor. First with the police, my lawyer, then at trial, with Nathan and now I’d be made to let it all out again and it hurt every time.

“You’re giving it to me?” I turned back to the men in time to see John hand over the finished object to Kyle, who held it with a sense of reverence, as if it was the most precious thing he’d ever received.

“Don’t really have much else to do with it.” John shrugged then deposited the knife onto the coffee table before him and moving the brush away the wood shavings. When he turned to pick up the couch pillow that had fallen to the floor he spotted me and froze, straightened up and folded his hands before his chest.

Then his eyes locked with mine and his narrowed. My mouth went dry.

“Oh hey guys.” Kyle greeted with a grin as soon as he spotted us. I tried to offer him a small smile but the negative energy emanating from John had me stuffing my hands into my pockets and biting my lip.

“Before I start I just wanna say I didn’t kill him, I’m innocent. I never lied about that.” I began defensively and while John’s expression didn’t change, Kyle stared at me in confusion.

“What’s going on?”

“He lied to us, the man he was convicted of murdering is his own father. The only reason we didn’t pick up on it before is because he changed his name.”

Kyle looked between me and John then back at me, his eyes wide.

“Fuck Riley why didn’t you say something? Wow this is…wow.” He didn’t seem angry yet, just shocked, John carried off the anger well enough for both of them.

I looked to Nate but he offered no help as he continued to watch us all, so I turned back to the two, determined to get it all out.

“Yeah I know I’m sorry I kept it from you guys, I swear I didn’t think it was important to the case I just…after everything with him…my dad I needed…” I couldn’t get the words out right and I found myself becoming frustrated.

Kyle pocketed his piece of wood John had carved up for him and dropped back onto the couch, this time facing me.

“Well… I guess if I had a jackass for a dad who beat up my mom I’d wanna change my name too…but jeez to keep all that to yourself this whole time, that couldn’t have been easy…wow your dad.” Kyle was speaking the words quietly almost as if to himself and I watched in surprise as he seemed to think everything over, shaking his head ever so often until he was finally staring at me with a concerned frown.

“I don’t understand, how did you know…I thought you’d be mad…”

“You told me the guy used to beat up your mom…then you went and changed your last name, it’s not really hard to put two and two together. I just wished you’d at least told us. I couldn’t even imagine keeping all that to myself.” Kyle continued and the happiness bubbling up inside me at his words had me wanting to run over and envelop him in a big hug.

Leave it to Kyle to understand me, to understand what made me tick. I grinned at him and he returned a sad smile.

“That’s it? That’s the reason you changed your name? then why’d you keep it from us, something so important? I don’t believe you.” John said harshly and I knew I had to give him a proper explanation, one where I shone light on the entire reasoning behind my selfish actions and so with another deep breath I began, to tell him everything I’d told Nate and even a few more bits and pieces about my life before my father’s death that I hadn’t mentioned to Nathan out in the woods.

It had been difficult and almost painful to recount and when I’d finished I still wasn’t sure whether or not John believed me. He’d simply looked at me for a long time, mouth set and arms crossed, then he’d grunted something under his breath and exited the room, leaving the rest of us standing there looking at each other.

Kyle offered me a warm smile and Nate left the room to go fix us all something to eat. When I was alone with Kyle his smile widened into a grin and he was beckoning me over to the couch.

“I told myself I wouldn’t say anything but…John and I had sex!” he announced in delight and just like that, my issue which had seemed like such a huge deal to everyone else melted into the background and relief flooded through me.

You just had to love Kyle.

I rolled me eyes, “Yeah it’s kinda obvious, the walls aren’t as thick as you think you know.”

He chuckled, then seemed to just mellow out, his eyes going soft. “It was perfect Riley, I swear that man can handle his business.” He seemed very proud as he said the words and I laughed.

“That’s not even the best part.” He sighed “He actually held me after, like I meant something, I can’t even count the number of guys on one  finger  whose ever done that for me. He’s so sweet.”

John and sweet sounded odd in the same sentence and I told him as much.

“Gimmie a break, you’ve got Nate, the one who never cracks a smile, treats me like I’m kid, major control freak who pretty much acts like he’s got a stick shoved up his ass…Not to mention scary as fuck. John though…” his voice gentled, “John’s perfect…”

I watched him in amusement, shaking my head. “Trust me Kyle, I don’t  have  Nate, he’s in a world all by himself.”

……………………………………………………..

I guess I should have known I wouldn’t be seeing him for the rest of the night when he’d left the room with his pillow secured safely under his arm and I thought I’d finally be satisfied with the entire bed to myself, but after the initial excitement had worn off I’d begun to feel just a little bit lonely and now four hours after Kyle had gone, I was still awake listening to him and John talking to each other in ‘their’ room not too far down the hall.

Maybe if I could have heard their actual words rather than just soft mumblings I would have felt slightly comforted but as it were I was lonely.

It took me forty-five minutes of arguing back and forth with myself to make the huge decision to drag my ass up to Nate’s room and when I finally pushed his door open and entered, my heart was going a million miles a minute.

He was asleep.

I could just make out the outline of his body with the aid of the soft light streaming through the curtains. His face was relaxed and his lips slightly parted. I stood there just mesmerized by the sight of him; like the gentle rise and fall of his chest and the look of his tousled hair against the stark white pillow.

Another thing I couldn’t help but notice was his smooth bare muscular chest on which stood dark rosy nipples, rigid from the cool breeze circulating the room.

I bit my bottom lip as my eyes trailed lower, over his abdomen, past his navel and across the sexy trail of hair leading to his secret place which the blankets managed to cover quite well. He shifted in his sleep and the covers slid ever so slightly off his hips and I fought to keep myself from moaning at the very sight of him.

It should be a crime for someone to look this good and I cursed the stars that I’d been the unfortunate soul who’d fallen in love with not only the body but the man who controlled it.

“Riles?”

I jumped when I heard the sleepy voice call my name and my gaze travelled up from his fun parts to his face. His lids were half open, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” he questioned, his voice still muffled with sleep. When he pushed up so that he was resting on his elbows I took a step closer to the bed, as always feeling a little bit shy in his presence.

“Nothing, I just…wondered if maybe you needed company.” I said awkwardly and before I could change my mind and back away, he was shuffling to the other side of the bed, giving me enough space to settle in.

I smiled.

“Thanks.” Then I was sliding between the covers, already warmed by his body heat.

When I turned onto my side to face him he was already asleep once more so I nestled closer and just watched him.

I missed him, missed us being together and intimate. I missed his fingers running through my hair and his body pressed against mine for my favorite ‘after the loving’ cuddle. It wasn’t the first time I’d just wished I didn’t love him and it wouldn’t be the last, but God damn did it hurt like a bitch to know my everything was right in front of me and I couldn’t do  a damn thing about it.

I reached up tentatively to touch his face and when he didn’t stir I ran my fingers along his hair line and across his cheek. I could feel the rough stubble at his chin and the pulse beating in his neck.

When I brought my hand up again, this time I trailed his lips, which were soft to the touch and full…just the way I liked them. When his soft breath brushed the tips of my fingers I shivered as the need travelled through me, so I pulled away to stem the flow of my unwelcome desire.

“You done?”

I froze, the heat building in my cheeks. “You were awake the whole time?”

He grinned then his eyes finally drifted open and he turned to look at me.

“I’m a light sleeper.”

“I hate you.” I said, horrified that he’d caught me in the act but his grin only widened and for that moment I was able to witness one of Nathan’s rare full smiles.

“Really? I think your little friend says otherwise.” He drawled and I could have jumped ten feet in the air when I felt him cup me through my pants.

I pushed his intruding hand away. “Don’t.”

“Then kiss me.” his voice had taken on a husky undertone and shivered at the sound.

“I can’t, I told you the next time I do it has to be with someone who loves me remember?” I said the words softly but even I could hear the strain in my voice. I wanted him so badly even my mouth was watering for his touch.

He lay there staring at me with that strange look I’d been seeing on his face a lot recently and I wondered if I had upset him, but then he reached across to run his hand over my cropped bottle-blond hair and I didn’t know what to think.

“I should have never let you cut this.” He said randomly and I sighed, my body still hot with need.

When he finally dropped his hand from my head I assumed it was over and that we would at least be able to rest comfortably beside each other in companionable silence but without warning, he was stretching across the short space and my face was suddenly cupped in his hands with my lips trapped under his.

I couldn’t have fought it even if I wanted to and so the moment his tongue sought entrance I melted under him, giving him free reign, which he took graciously.

He was as gentle as I remembered, taking his time to get to know my lips, while his hands got to know my body. They drifted down and down until the material of my pants prevented further access, but instead of freeing me from the prison of my suddenly too tight clothing, his hand was again drifting upward, under my shirt and across my nipples which tightened.

I moaned.

He kissed a wet trail down my neck only pausing to suck the spot until I was moaning for more. Which he also delivered, then when I brought my hands up to hold his head in place, he grabbed hold of one and pulled it down, down, settling my palm against his own naked evidence of arousal.

“See how much I want you?” he rasped against my neck.

“I missed this.” I gasped out and I felt his smile against my flesh. His hands continued their journey and I felt as though every inch of skin above my navel had been thoroughly explored.

I needed more. I turned slightly so that I could grind myself against him but he stayed my hips and I groaned in frustration. I felt as though all my senses had been heightened and my body was ready for everything he had to give me but then he was pulling away and I was staring after him in surprised confusion.

“What? What’s wrong?” I asked breathlessly.

“When you do this it’ll be with someone you have no doubt loves you.” He said and I watched him with eyes still hooded with desire.

“No… I want-”

He kissed my lips then to silence me, but all too soon he was pulling away again. I couldn’t believe it when he reached down to pull the covers over us both, nor could I begin to understand it when he pulled me close so that my back was pressed to his chest.

For a moment, just before he bid me goodnight, I felt his warm breath against the back of my neck and then that was the end of our steamy adventure.

It took a while for me to get my breathing back under control and my body to cool and by the time I managed to drift into a fitful sleep I was beyond exhausted.

                                           AUTHOR’S NOTES

 HEY YA GO GUYS!  REMEMBER I UPLOAD EVERY SUNDAY.

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SHOUT OUT TO :  FredCorby  who’s just the sweetest person ever <3

THANKS FOR READING AND NOW I SHALL RETIRE TO BED .

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 29: Everything changes.

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 29

 Riley’s POV

The sweat cascaded down my face, trailed down my neck and soaked my shirt. I wiped at my face with my sleeve then refocused, spreading my legs and crouching, eyes darting from Nate to John and back again.  The big guy’s eyes narrowed on me and I watched as a sinister smile crept up on his face.

I looked away from him as Nate shouted my name and a second later the ball was in my hands. I dribbled the thing on the soft grass, darting out of John’s way and into Kyle’s path. When I threw the ball over his head, Nate caught it before Kyle could register the move then he glared at me and I gave him the finger.

I swiveled just in time to see Nate take the shot and succeed. We were making use of our surroundings, using a low hanging tree branch as the basket and a soccer ball we’d found in the basement earlier that day. So far we were tied, John and Kyle against me and Nate, though Kyle’s contribution to the entire game was questionable.

“Riles, heads up!”

I threw my hands out but John plucked the ball from the air before I even had the chance to catch it and I ran with him as he dribbled it. He made to pass it to Kyle, then seemed to change his mind and took the shot instead. We watched as it bounced off the branch but he caught it easily and took another shot; this time it went over.

“You know you can pass me the ball once in a while!” Kyle shouted at John who was now chasing Nate.

“Bloody ball hog…I quit.”

I laughed at that, watching out of the corner of my eye as Kyle, walked across the lawn, pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the ground before lowering himself into the grass beside it.

I threw my hands up. “Come on Kyle we can’t play with just three people.”

“It’s fine, he wasn’t much use anyway.” John panted.

“Gee thanks Johnny.” He drawled sarcastically and I shrugged, turned away from him and  got my head back in the game.

Basketball was the only sport I was actually good at despite my height and it was amazing to be able to enjoy it after so long. When Nate passed it to me again I poised to take the shot but John slammed into me and we both went down, the ball falling from my hands and rolling across the grass.

I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me and I pushed against John’s wall of a body and he jumped up, stretching a hand to help me to my feet. I ignored it.

“What you can’t win so you maim me?” I glared, pushing up from the ground and brushing the grass and dirt from my bruises.

“Fuck you, I’ve got this.”

“Calm down kids.” Nathan teased from across the lawn, spinning the ball on two fingers.

“What a waste of a perfectly good day.” Kyle sighed dramatically then completely spread out onto his back, hands behind his head.

“What’re you talking about, this is the most fun thing we’ve done since we got here.” I brushed some more dirt from my scratched elbows then pulled my shirt off too to shake the leaves off.

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Trust me there’s plenty of ways to work up a sweat and this isn’t a good one.”

“We should get back to the case.” John commented and I sighed. As much as I was dying to solve this, one day of relaxation would have been nice.

John stepped over Kyle on his way to the porch and Kyle turned his head to watch his lover go.

 Nate threw me the ball.

“He’s right, we’ve wasted enough time today. Come on.”

I tucked it under my arm and followed Nate, stepping over Kyle who had yet to drag his ass out of the way and after depositing the ball on the porch chair, went inside.

……………………………………..

Thirty minutes later, showered and dressed, we all sat around the dining table sifting through files, the silence only broken by the occasional question relating to the case. As I let my gaze roam over the others I felt the warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach because these three men genuinely made me happy.

The past two weeks since I’d been forced to come clean to them all had honestly been the happiest I’d been in months following my conviction. I had no idea what it was that had changed, but suddenly Nate was smiling more, though today he hadn’t been acting quite like himself, while Kyle seemed beyond satisfied and although John was still a grumpy bastard the subtle change in him had been equally hard to miss.

 It was as if something in the universe had suddenly shifted and we were all able to enjoy the hand we’d been dealt. The room Kyle and I had once shared had been abandoned as we both chose to spend our nights with the men who mattered most to us and though Nate and I hadn’t copulated since the night he practically turned me down, our nightly ritual was something to look forward to.

Whether it was that we stayed up playing cards or talking about our shitty lives or even swapping stores from our childhood, they were moments that I would always remember and always hold close to me. 

Now that Nate had seemed to begin to shed his guard and let us in, I’d learned more about him in the past two weeks than I had in the months we’d been imprisoned together. John and I had even somehow managed to mend our fences and apart from the occasional banter we were comfortable enough around each other.

Even Kyle, who had once thought Nate was nothing but a stick in the mud was warming up to the guy and the only thing that could have made it all better was if Jerry was here to share it with me.

I took a gulp of my water and pulled out another file. A few days ago Nate and John had disappeared to the city and brought it all back including the year book that everyone had been made to sign at the party. I’d been more than surprised that they’d been able to get their hands on this type of information but as always when I’d asked them about, it they’d swept it under the rug.

Some things would clearly never change.

Every time we found a signature matching a photo in the book, Nate would pick up the phone and report it to some unknown person to find out if they had any connection to my dad. He’d explained that he had guys on the outside who’d been willing to help, but with the kind of information he’d been able to get his hands on, I found myself wondering just what it was that he and John were hiding.

“Wait, go back a second.” I said when John flipped the page of the year book. He glanced my way briefly before turning the page back and I pulled the book from his hands so that I could get a good look at the picture.

“This guy looks so familiar.” I said softly, staring down at the picture of an unsmiling teenage boy with long black hair and bushy eyebrows.

“Well you went to school with all the people in this year book, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if you’d recognize a few of them.” Kyle interjected.

“Yeah but…I don’t know, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere recently.” My brows furrowed as I continued to stare at him.

“His signature isn’t under the picture which means he either wasn’t there or he didn’t sign.” Kyle said as if speaking to himself.

“We’ve been on the run for three weeks, two and a half of which you spent holed up here, where could you have seen him?” This was John.

I shook my head. “You’re right, maybe I met him at school or something.” I said uncertainly then pushed the book back to him.

Nate was watching me carefully. “I’ll see what my guys can find out about him anyway, just to be sure.” He said then pulled out his cell phone.

The stack of papers were only telling me things I already knew about the case and the little details I managed to learn seemed irrelevant at best.

It felt like the more we looked, the more depressing the future seemed and every once in a while I had to take a calming breath and remind myself that no matter how long it took these guys…my friends…now my family would never give up.

In the other room I could hear the sound of the radio chipping in and out. The sound penetrating the stillness of the room, reminded me of a low budget horror film. It was just another little thing Nate and John had brought back when they’d gone to the city and on the second day it chipped it and we’d finally been able to hear the news.

We now knew exactly who it was that had escaped the day we had and no surprise; D-Fox and most of his crew were among the escapees. We’d also managed to learn that out of the thirteen guys who’d run, only four had been caught and that fact had the authorities working overtime to recapture the fugitives.

That news hadn’t really intrigued me so much so as the fact that John and Nate hadn’t been named among those who had escaped and when I’d commented on it in cutter confusion they’d, as with everything else, brushed it aside, stating that it must have been an error on the reporter’s part.

I wasn’t quite sure I believed them but no other explanation made sense.

I stuffed another useless file under the pile. The police on the case had managed to do a shitty job of putting together a list of persons who my dad may have made enemies with in the days leading up to his death and had even seemed to just given up more than half way through, possibly because by then they’d found the murder weapon with my prints on it.

I was no investigator, but it felt as though we wouldn’t get anywhere in this case without taking a little trip out in the real world and pushing some buttons, which is exactly what I mentioned to the others and while Kyle was all for it, John and Nate made it clear that the people he had helping were competent enough to gather intel and going out there ourselves was to be a last resort.

Four hours flew by as we sat trying to come up with something to guide us and when the fifth hour approached, Nate slammed down his file onto the table and we all glanced his way. Usually I’d have chalked up his evident frustration to the fact that we’d been sitting there for hours on end and still hadn’t gotten anywhere, but he’d been acting strangely all day and while he’d tried to hide it, putting on a mask of normalcy, I was pretty sure we could all see through it.

“You okay?” John asked him as he dragged his hands through his hair a few times.

“Yeah, I think we should all just take a little break, we’ve been at it for hours.” He explained then looked down at his hands, fidgeting with his fingers; something Nate never did; fidget. My eyes narrowed in concern.

“Thank God.” Kyle said jumping up from his seat and making his way over to the family room.

John looked at Nate for a minute, his gaze taking in everything thing about his friend as if he knew something, then he shook his head, scoffed and left the room.

My brows furrowed in confusion and when I glanced back at Nate he was staring at me. The intensity of his gaze holding me in place.

“Nathan are you sure you’re okay?”

That seemed to snap him out of it and with another hand through his hair he nodded and pushed up from his chair. “Come help me with dinner.” He tried for a smile but it fell flat and I followed suit; concerned.

In the kitchen, he handed me a knife and instructed me to cut up some vegetables, which I did without question but the more I watched him the more worried I became, especially when I caught him watching me, face flushed and the knife he held shaking slightly in his hands.

I deposited my own knife onto the counter then and walked over to him, reaching up to feel his forehead. “Are you feeling sick? Maybe you should go lie down…you really don’t look so good Nate.” And when he stood there staring into my eyes, face still flushed and seemingly unable to say a word, my concern grew.

“Nate?”

Then he pulled away and cursed. “This is fucking ridiculous.”

He took a breath, gritted his teeth and this time turned to me, his expression one of determination.

“Look Riley I have something to say.”

“Okay..?” I began uncertainly.

“I know…” he began then gritted his teeth before continuing “I know I’m no prize and I can be a real asshole sometimes and….” He paused, as if he were at a loss for words and I shook my head, taking a step closer to him.

He definitely wasn’t acting like himself and the more he searched for words that wouldn’t come to him, the more my concern grew.

“I seriously think you should probably sit down…maybe the case is get-”

He held out a hand as a signal for me to stop talking and my mouth fell shut.

“I’m trying to tell you that…look…I fucking love you and… if you’re up for it… maybe we could give this relationship thing a try.”

He didn’t look much better after he’d said it and I stood there utterly speechless, my face heating and my ears ringing as I tried to fully process his words, but as I opened my mouth to somehow form coherent words after his declaration a loud crash sounded in the other room, then when the raised voices of John and Kyle sounded, we both bolted from the kitchen to go check it out.

By the time I got to the source of the commotion my heart was in my throat and with widened eyes I stared at the scene before me.

A vase which I was pretty sure cost a fortune was smashed on the floor in between John and Kyle who stood glaring at each other. Chair cushions were strewn about and John and Nate’s duffle back lay on the floor, its contents spilled.

“Kyle hand me the phone.” John was demanding, looking more pissed than he probably had any cause to be.

“Please just give me one minute… I only need him to hear my voice then I’ll hang up, I swear!” Kyle pleaded and I shook my head.

“You can’t put us all at risk because you want to call home to daddy and that’s exactly what you’ll be doing if you do so hand it over.” John took a step closer to him and Kyle back away.

“I just want him to know I’m okay. It’s been three weeks Johnny please.”

“Kyle you heard him, just hand over the phone.” Nate interjected, taking a step toward Kyle.

I walked over to the couch, hand still clutched to my chest as I waited for my heart rate to slow, -for a second I’d actually thought something serious was going on in here- I picked up the fallen duffel on my way over and had began stuffing the things back in when I came upon something that I was sure had no place among Nate and John’s stuff.

 I pulled out the object, and stared at it is complete and utter confusion; An FBI badge.

I looked back at the duffle then and turned it upside down, watching everything fall to the floor. My eyes scanned the contents: What looked to be an expensive suit, something that couldn’t be mistaken for anything but a gun…an actual gun and beside it was another FBI badge almost identical to the first. I held the two in my hands and stared down at them at a loss for words.

“Riles…” I looked up at the sound of Nate’s voice to see him staring at me, his expression unreadable, then I looked back at the objects it my hand. I didn’t understand.

 “What’s going on?”

                                           AUTHOR’S NOTES

Nate would want you to follow me, he’s just too much of a prideful, emotional recluse to say it . -_-

John would want you to vote, he just won’t admit that he has needs too . :(

Kyle is eagerly awaiting your comments because he loves your drama

(-)

WHILE

Riley is just happy you took the time out to read . :)

BUT

If  for no one else, then do it for Eddie , who fought a good fight and would love your acknowledgemnt . <3

Your FAN ART is welcome!

I upload every Sunday so see ya next week and thanks for reading!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 30: Classified.

A/N: Had to give you guys less than half of the chapter because my net sucks butt and it wouldn’t load otherwise.

 

Chapter 30

 We both stood there staring at each other as if frozen in time. Across the room Kyle and John still fought for control of the phone.

Nate spun to face them “Jesus Kyle put the damn thing down you’re not calling anyone!” Nate barked and he froze. His bottom lips wobbled and he bit down hard before finally dropping the phone into the couch and moving past John to take a seat. He looked utterly dejected and when he turned his face away so that the rest of us couldn’t see, I felt anger roll through me as I turned to glare at Nate.

“Why do you have to be such a damn jerk?” Nate said nothing, only glanced at John whose eyes were fastened onto the badges I held in my hands.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the big guy asked, his voice dangerously low and I turned my glare onto him, refusing to back down.

“I could ask you guys the same thing. What’s going on?”

“Isn’t it obvious, we bought them off some guy selling souvenirs, we had to use them to get the infor-“

“John.” Nate spoke softly, shaking his head when his friend looked his way.

Then when John fell silent he looked at me “I think it’s time we told you guys the truth.” He said solemnly and at his tone my heart fell. This couldn’t be good.

I glanced between John and Nate, much like how Kyle was doing then and when Nate gestured for me to have a seat I took a step back and dropped into the small chair. John also grabbed a seat across from Kyle who moved to sit beside him, looping his arm through John’s.

For the moment at least it seemed their little tiff was over.

Nate shoved his hands into his pockets, looked at each of us in turn before his gaze resettled on me. “You should know that we never meant to deceive you two, it just wasn’t in our power to tell you…it still isn’t but I think if we’re gonna do this we should just get everything out in the open.”

“No you mean because I found your little goodie bag you might as well tell us your big secret.” I shook my head. “I knew you guys weren’t telling us something, I just knew it.”

“I don’t think I like the sound of this.” Kyle commented and I nodded in agreement.

“John and I are FBI agents.”

I wasn’t sure if the gasp came from me or Kyle or both of us but there was so much buzzing going on in my head I wasn’t even sure I heard right so I sat in silence, eyes wide and staring.

“I thought you said you were going to tell us the truth.” Kyle glared from his place beside John.

“It is the truth Kyle. When you two met us we were in the middle of a two year undercover operation.” John explained and I only had to look at their solemn faces to know they were telling the truth.

Kyle refused to believe it and I watched him shaking his head slowly, his eyes tinged with uncertainty. “If you guys are joking it’s not funny anymore.”

“They’re telling the truth Kyle.” I said softly.

A dull ache began just behind my ear as I fought to comprehend the situation. I felt confusion, shock and plain uncertainty as my gaze travelled down to the badges once more. It just didn’t make any sense.  I’d known they’d been keeping something from us but this… this I hadn’t even imagined. Even as I had first held the badges in my hands it hadn’t occurred to me that they could actually be…

“So when you said you didn’t date criminals…you weren’t joking wereyou?…you were actually…shit.” Kyle’s voice cracked and he pulled his arm from John’s, looking down at his hands as if he didn’t know who they belonged to.

The two men were silent as we tried to process it all, but everything was just too much and the dull ache turned into a painful throb. I ran my hand over my head, trying to ebb the pain but it only seemed to worsen.

“What are you investigating?” I questioned then, not sure if either of them even heard me but Nate was quick to speak up.

“That’s classified.”

I nodded. Of course .

“Look Riley if we could have told you we would have but this is complicated alright?”

“If you can tell us now, you could have told us then.” I shot back but he was shaking his head before I could even finish the sentence.

“Things are different now.”

“Why because you got caught?” Kyle sneered. “And there you two were condemning Riley for lying when you had this shit keeping from us, you’re nothing but goddamn hypocrites!”

“Kyle you’re not getting it, we didn’t have a choice. This is our job and we were undercover-“

“So what is this part of your mission too? You think maybe we can lead you to the others who escaped? huh? Why are you really here?”

“We failed the operation the minute that fight broke out in the cafeteria, we’re here because we want to help you…both of you.” Nate continued. By now Kyle had gotten up from his seat and was pacing the floor and biting on his fingernails.

I could see that he was hurt as his watery eyes locked firmly on John. I could see the betrayal etched in his expression, I could see his anger and practically feel his pain but I didn’t even know what I personally felt.

For me there was no anger, no hurt, my mind was only reeling with information as I thought back to every moment we’d had in prison, every little thing he’d said and done that only confirmed who he really was.

“That’s why they didn’t mention you on the news isn’t it? It wasn’t a reporting error like you said, it’s because you weren’t really even prisoners.” I directed at Nate who nodded.

I couldn’t read his expression. I couldn’t tell if he was remorseful or nervous or calm. He was completely closed off… completely devoid of emotion and if  not for his eyes, which almost seemed to be pleading with me to understand I’d have thought he didn’t care one way or the other.

“And this is how you guys were able to get your hands on practically anything you wanted isn’t it? You didn’t bribe the guards like a thought…the guards were in on it too weren’t they?” Kyle asked but neither of them responded.

I suppose that was fucking classified too.

“We’re only telling you all this out of courtesy, it’s not as if you have a right to know. This was a job and it’s still confidential. It’s not some petty little secret we kept from you, its information that could mean life or death for thousands of people.” It was John’s turn to say his piece.

“What information? All we know is that you both lied to us and you were undercover, you haven’t told us anything!” Kyle all but shouted.

“And that’s all you’re gonna know so just drop it.” When John trailed off Kyle looked at him for a few seconds, his eyes hard and glinting, then he shoved past his lover and exited the room. A few moments later a door slammed somewhere down the hall and the three of us were left in silence.

John cursed under his breath and crossed the room, walking in the direction Kyle had gone and I stood. “Leave him alone John, he just…he needs sometime alone to think.” I said and the big guy turned to look at me, cursed under his breath again dropped into the nearest couch, his head in his hands.

I walked over to Nate and handed the badges to him, which he took. “We both do.”

I left the two FBI agents alone in the room, making my way down the hall, where I pushed open the door to Kyle’s room.

He sat in the center of his bed, his arms wrapped around his legs and his chin resting on his knees. He didn’t look up when I entered.

 I pushed the door shut behind me and climbed right up there with him, stretching out on my back, my head propped onto the pillow.

Kyle was the first to break the silence.

“It feels like a nightmare I just can’t wake up from.”

I turned my head to look at him but I didn’t respond. I had yet to even sort out my own emotions on the matter and the more I thought about it to more it felt as though it should have been obvious to me. The things he’d said, the way he seemed to know things he shouldn’t.

The way he practically got away with every little rule breaking he’d managed, but of course I couldn’t have known. Undercover agents in a prison? The things that I only saw in movies, I wouldn’t have expected or even imagined it could happen in real life or that I could be caught up in the middle of it.

“This means they’re on the run with us then. It means they’ve risked their jobs and their freedom…for us.” I said more to myself than to Kyle but he nodded anyway, still looking as devastated as before.

I took a breath. “Nate told me he loves me.” I whispered and when Kyle looked at me this time he smiled, a small sad little upturn of his lips that had me feeling like shit for even mentioning it.

“But then everyone but you knew that.” He commented and I shrugged.

“They must really love us to risk it all Kyle…to risk everything just for us they must really care.”

He sighed. “They do…I just…I guess I just always thought of me and Johnny as being on the same level you know. I liked that we’d both made mistakes and I thought it would mean we could both work on making everything right together, but I’m the one whose really the criminal…he’s the one whose good…he’s a fucking cop, he hasn’t made any mistakes.”

“Everybody makes mistakes and you are good and John knows that otherwise he wouldn’t have given you a second thought and all that doesn’t even matter because he loves you anyway.”

He nodded, his expression still one of dejection. “He does.”

“FBI agents…I still can’t even believe it.”

“It’s a lot to take in… I don’t know if I want to talk to him right now…everything’s just crazy.”

I nodded, moving my hands behind my head before looking up at the plain white ceiling with a frown.

“This whole thing is just fucked up.”

                                                 AUTHOR’S NOTES

SORRY I DIDN’T UPLOAD LASTNIGHT GUYS..MY NET IS ACTING UP. IT IS ALSO THE REASON I COULD ONLY UPLOAD LESS THAN HALF OF THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE IT WASN’T LOADING WHEN I ADDED THE ENTIRE TEXT. I’LL TRY TO SORT IT OUT WHEN MY NET IS FULLY FUNCTIONING BUT HOPE YOU’LL AT LEAST ENJOY THIS LITTLE SNIPPET.

THANKS FOR READING

-DoUbL.e.A

-unedit.

Chapter 31: Acceptance

Chapter 31

The second half…                 

Nathan’s POV

When I heard the soft click of the lock being turned in the door I bent to scrape the items off the floor, stuffing them back into the small duffel.

“That information was confidential.”

I glanced over at John who was unsurprisingly pissed. “So sue me.”

“These are people’s lives we’re messing with. We were all undercover for a reason and if that information gets out-”

“It won’t.”

“You can’t know that.”

I straightened up, depositing the bag onto the chair.

“It won’t.”

“Nate-”

I turned to face him then, “Let’s stop pretending for a second that your big concern is the information getting out.”

He stood then, sharp eyes travelling slowly to mine. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“We both know that those two would never tell a soul…your problem is that Kyle found out and now he’s pissed at you…well guess what? He’ll get over it.”

“You didn’t see the look on his face when you decided to do what you thought was best for you .”

I shook my head “Riley found the badges, the gun, the suit. He’s not stupid John and the only reason your boy had that look on his face is because you shut him out…like you always do. So if you’re looking for someone to blame, take a good look in the mirror.”

He cursed, dropping back into the chair and I could see the vein pulsing in his forehead.

I took a breath, running a hand over my face in frustration. “Maybe you should just tell him how you feel.” I let the words pass through my lips like some chick advising her bestie and it disgusted me the second they were out.

It was no surprise when he shot me a nasty look that I knew all too well. “Yeah like you spilled your guts to Riley?”

“As a matter of fact I did.”

He shook his head and frowned, looking grumpier than usual…which was saying something.

“We don’t get to have that kind of life Nate… we’re undercover for long periods of time, we risk everyone who associates with us just by breathing…is that the kind of life you want to give him? Where he’ll have to spend his days worried about whether you’ll be coming home and his nights worried about whether someone who’s got a bone to pick with you is coming after him?”

I finally understood. His reluctance with Kyle had nothing to do with the fact that Kyle was a criminal or pride or any of the number of reasons I’d assumed.

“Your experience with your father doesn’t determine how your relationship will be with Kyle.”

“Exactly, because there’ll be no relationship.”

“John the kid loves you almost to the point of obsession, give him a break.”

His eyes, when they met mine again were cold and glinting.

“Give him a break? My father’s job is the reason I have to visit what’s left of my family in a cemetery. I’m not about to put someone’s life at risk because I’m dumb enough to want to believe in happily ever after.”

“Then we’ll do something else, we’ve always talked about branching out on our own; going into securities…private investigation. Less risk, less exposure.”

“No you talked about it. I worked my ass off to get where I am now and I’m not about to quit…not even for Kyle.” He looked me dead in the eyes as he said it. There would be no changing his mind.

Since when had I become a fucking match maker anyway?

I turned away from him and made my way to the kitchen where I picked up the broom and scoop. When I walked back to the family room, he still sat there; his expression one of… well it was somewhat difficult to decipher, it could have been contempt, anger or even annoyance, but my day had already taken a turn for the worst and I wasn’t in the mood to guess, so I made quick work of the broken glass, then dropped down at the table to sift through files. Dinner could wait.

…………………………………..

It was hours before anyone made contact with me again that day and I was able to go through half of the files, turning up little to nothing.

When Riley entered the room I looked up, watching as he made his way over to the table. He ran his hand over a few papers on the desk before finally glancing my way.

“Go for a walk with me?” he asked almost shyly and I looked down at the papers in my hand then back at him, dropping them onto the desk; my decision made.

I’d expected anger, disbelief any form of emotional response from him but so far I was still surprised by how well he seemed to be taking the news. He seemed calm and collected as we made our way across the room and out the door.

He’d stuffed both hands into his pockets leading the way into the trees beyond the back yard and I followed close behind him, watching and waiting for some clue as to how this particular conversation would go.

We walked in silence as he seemed to take in the scenery, looking comfortable as if he was in his element. Then when we’d walked for about ten minutes he slowed to a crawl and cleared his throat.

“The FBI… I never would have guessed.” He commented, glancing back momentarily.

I nodded. “Yeah well if you could have guessed, it would have defeated the purpose of our entire mission so maybe that’s a good thing.”

He shrugged. “Is Nathaniel Greyson even your real name?”

“It is… we were so deep under that using another name wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Our identities are sealed.”

“But to infiltrate a prison for two years that couldn’t have been easy. I don’t think I’d have been able to do that.”

“When thousands of lives are on the line you’d do just about anything to keep them safe. It’s what I signed up for when I joined the bureau.”

He seemed to contemplate my words for a minute and by now I was walking alongside him, glancing sideways to take in his expression now and then. He merely looked curious and I wondered whether I should be worried that he was taking the news just a little too well.

“Would you have told us if I hadn’t found the badges or would you have let us go on thinking you were criminals?” he asked it as if we were simply discussing the weather.

I thought about lying then, of just telling him what he wanted to hear, to make him feel better about the situation if nothing else, but in the end I decided against that, for once we had no real lies between us and maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to keep it that way.

“No. I wouldn’t have, I didn’t see the need to.”

He looked at me then and nodded…his expression still collected; his gaze steady.

“I thought about it and I guess I understand why you couldn’t tell us and besides, we didn’t really have a right to know anyway…it has nothing to do with our case anyway right?”

“It doesn’t, but maybe it’s not such a bad thing you two know…two years is a long time to run around keeping secrets.”

He smiled, a small one that didn’t really reach his eyes and I felt the irrational need to reach out and pull him into my arms.

We continued on our trek through the woodland, stepping over roots and circling trees while listening to the sounds of life in the air.

“Can I ask you a question?” he interrupted the silence.

“Shoot.”

“Why did you tell me you love me?” he stopped walking and turned to me, lifting his eyes to mine. Eyes which were steady but filled with questions.

“Because I do.” It was a tough question and it was the only answer I knew to give and it was true, despite everything that had happened and how hard I’d fought against it I loved the kid… I couldn’t help it and I couldn’t deny it any longer.

He bit his lip and my eyes travelled followed the action, taking in the fullness of them against the assault by his teeth.

“I’ve wanted to hear those words for so long now, I even dreamed about you saying them but there wasn’t one time I actually thought you would.”

His eyes seemed to be searching me as he stared unflinchingly. “You made it clear again and again that nothing could happen between us. You practically told me you could never love me and even up to a few weeks ago you were still pushing me away so I guess it’s hard for me to believe that all of a sudden you just love me.”

“That’s probably because it wasn’t sudden . We were in prison, I was undercover and for most of that time I wasn’t completely sure you weren’t a criminal. I didn’t want to love you…never even expected it so when I realized I had feelings for you…I tried to tell myself I didn’t and now I’m tired of fighting it.” I was being brutally honest probably for the first time in my life and maybe that was a good thing but the baring my soul thing was uncomfortable.

He didn’t comment on that, didn’t even bat an eye. “When did you first know you loved me?” he asked.

“I don’t know, maybe it was the first time you talked to me about escaping; you were terrified then and the only thing I could think about was keeping you safe or maybe it was that day you told me you loved me in your sleep… I don’t know Riles, does that really matter?”

He got that look then…the one where he was trying desperately to hold back a smile but couldn’t help letting it peek through, but it was his eyes that got me; the emotion I saw there, the evidence that he cared deeply for me. That look alone made me want to do anything I possibly could to make him happy, to keep him smiling and my heart pounded in my chest telling me that what I was feeling wasn’t all in my head.

 “You said you’ve been fighting against what you felt, then when did you give up and just accept it?”

I shook my head. “The night you…helped me with the Eddie thing. You saw me at my weakest and you didn’t run. Guess it made me realize how ridiculous it was fighting when we could both be happy.” I confessed and before I knew it I was being enveloped in a tight hug, Riley hanging on as if for dear life and after only the briefest hesitation I returned it.

As I held him close to me, my heart pounding viciously in my chest I realized that I was scared; me… one of the bureau’s top agents who wasn’t afraid of anything, who didn’t even flinch at the thought of death and remained calm in the face of chaos and here I was scared that this all this might not work out…or worse, that it actually might. 

                                          AUTHOR’S NOTES

YUP THE SECOND HALF..ENJOY.

REMEMBER I UPLOAD EVERY SUNDAY..KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 32: Poodles and huskies

Chapter 32

Riley’s POV

“Tell me about your family.”

I don’t know how many questions I’d asked him since we’d come out here, but like all the rest he took this one in stride and told me what I needed to know.

“Not much to tell really, my mom died when I was too young to even know what it meant and I grew up with my dad. He’s…well he’s my dad, I haven’t seen or heard from him since I blew off law school to become an agent.”

He picked up another stone and skipped it across the surface of the lake, where it bounced a few times before plunging in. We had walked for about an hour before we’d come upon this place, then we’d made our seats on the lake’s edge, sitting side by side and taking in the beauty of the earth around us. It was quiet and serene. The lake itself was large and green from the refection of the trees that surrounded it and it seemed all the plants here flourished.

I picked up a rock of my own, brushed away the dirt and twisted it in my hand a few times before throwing in into the lake…it didn’t skip, it just sank.

“Don’t you miss him?”

“He told me he’d disown me if I left and I left so that’s the end of that story.” He didn’t answer my question but I could read between the lines well enough and I inched closer to him so that our sides were pressed together.

He picked up another rock and I watched him turn it around and around slowly before he dropped it and picked up another.

“I can’t imagine you as a lawyer…guess you really wanted to join the FBI huh?”

“I didn’t actually, I always wanted to be a lawyer, my dad groomed me for the job from the day I was born.” A small smile curved his lips and I thought that maybe it would be good for him to see his dad again. He clearly loved the man.

“Then why didn’t you go to law school? Why join the FBI if it wasn’t something you really wanted to do?”

He didn’t answer right away and I remained silent as I watched him contemplate my question.

“The year I was supposed to go was the year John lost his entire family. He was…troubled, said he was gonna join the army, said he was sick of the bad guys getting their way and wanted to do something about it. I tried to talk him out of it but he wasn’t thinking straight.”

He paused.

“Eventually I managed to convince him that the army wasn’t the best fit for him and told him that if he wanted to do something he should join the FBI, he still wouldn’t listen so I told him we’d do it together, if I hadn’t, he’d have enlisted.”

To say I was shocked wouldn’t do my emotions justice.

“Jesus are you saying someone killed his entire family?”

He nodded.

I shook my head “Wow, I had no idea…jeez…poor John. But would it have been so bad to let him enlist? I mean he was hurting, it might have been a good place to lose himself, maybe take his mind off all that.”

“He wasn’t going there to take his mind off things Riley. He wanted to die and probably figured that was the best way to go.”

My eyes widened of their own accord “How do you know that?”

“Because I know him.”

My mind was a jumbled mess then. To lose your entire family like that, I guess I couldn’t really blame John for wanting to die and I wondered what I’d have done if I was in the same position.

“So you gave up your dream to help your friend…. And now you’re risking everything to help me…you’re a good person Nathan.”

He turned to me then, eyes serious, “I don’t see it as giving up my dream, John’s my family and there’s never been a day that I’ve regretted my decision. I won’t regret helping you either.”

He was so selfless and I couldn’t believe I was the lucky guy to get him.

“So did they ever get the person who killed his family?”

“It was more than just one guy…but no, they never did. Anyway, no more John, we just got into a relationship shouldn’t we be talking about happy things?” he joked and nudged my side. I grinned.

“I can’t think of anything else to ask you.”

“Alright, then it’s my turn to ask the questions…what do yo-”

“Oh wait!” I cut him off midsentence “There’s this one thing I’ve always wanted to know.”

“Okay shoot.”

I bit my lip. “Have you and John ever…you know…” I trailed off hoping he would catch my meaning and after a pause he chuckled.

“No never, I’m not John’s type.” He said playfully and I grinned, it was the best feeling experiencing him like this. It was rare seeing him smile, this new happiness; it was breathtaking and I soaked up as much as I could, hoping to save what little of it that I could for a rainy day.

“That’s crazy you’re perfect.”

He raised an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes. “Fine then what’s John’s type?”

“You’d have to ask John.” He replied though we both knew Kyle was the answer.

“Okay…then what’s your type?” I asked softly, pretty sure that my face was blazing beet red by now.

“Apparently I’m into effeminate guys who can’t skip rocks or play poker.”

My face grew hotter and I pushed him. “Shut up… and I’d be able to play if you could actually teach.”

“I spent an entire day trying to teach you.”

“No you spent an entire day glaring at me every time I made a mistake…I didn’t learn because you were making me nervous.” I countered with a mock glare and he laughed again. Just about the richest, manliest sound in the world and I all but melted.

“What am I gonna do with you?” he shook his head and this time when I picked up a rock he took it from me and handed me another.

“Hold it like this.” He instructed, fixing my fingers and positioning my hand to throw the stone.

When I finally threw it, it sailed through the sky then fell into the lake and sank.

“You’re hopeless.” I pushed up from my place beside him then bent to pull off my boots and socks.

“What’re you doing?” he asked looking up at me in confusion.

“I’d rather swim than skip rocks any day.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you can’t swim in this, it’s freezing.” Then he reached up to take my arm and I hopped away, I let my pants drop to my feet, then pulled my shirt over my head. He stopped protesting only when my boxer briefs fell too and then he could only stare.

It wasn’t until I ran and jumped into the lake that I realized that maybe Nate had a point. When I broke the surface of the water and came up sputtering he only sat watching; shaking his head. I gasped.

“Shitshitshitshit!” It was freezing to the point where I couldn’t feel my balls anymore and I was pretty sure my blood had permanently froze in my veins. When I stood, the water came to my chest and I waded through as quickly as I could then ran the rest of the way when the water became shallow.

“I don’t just say things to hear my own voice you know.” Nate drawled as he watched me jumping up and down on beside him as I tried to gather my clothes, then even after I’d piled them on I didn’t feel much better and I glanced his way with a frown, trying desperately to rub some warmth back into my skin.

He chuckled, “Come here.”

I went, trembling limbs and all and he took my arm and pulled me until I was standing in front of him, after which he pulled me down to sit between his legs, my wet hair pressed against his chest.

“D-d-didn’t think it w-would be t-that c-c-cold.”

“The word freezing generally means more than just merely cold.”

I said nothing in response, just continued to shiver and he rubbed his hands along my arm over and over again while pressing his body closer to mine.

“Guess it’s my turn to do all the talking then.”

His smugness made me want to reach up and smack him.

“Alright, so before you completely commit yourself to this you should probably know some things about me.”

I turned my head so that I could warm my cold ear against his shirt.

“Like the fact that I’m not the tidiest person you’ll ever meet which means if you can find the floor in my house you’re lucky. Ah… I’m thinking of quitting the bureau and opening a securities company. My life was never designed for relationships, I’ve always been a casual hookup guy so this would be my first.”

I rolled my eyes.

“What else? I’m not rich by any means, just an average guy with an average salary so if you’re into guys with money you might want to go hook up with John.”

“Oh p-please…I don’t w-want your money, I’ve only ever w-want-ted you N-Nate.”

I felt a slight pressure on the top of my head and I wondered if he’d just kissed me. I smiled to myself.

“I don’t like doing dishes but I’ll cook and even if sometimes I don’t show it, it doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

“I know.” Then something occurred to me.

“You’re m-making it sound like we’re moving in t-together.”

I felt him shrug “Just want you to know what to expect when you do.”

I could imagine that life with him and it made me happy. “And let’s not forget your husky.”

“Never…we’ll have to think of a name for him and your poodle.”

I scoffed “I n-never said I wanted a poodle…j-just something small and fluffy…like a shih tzu.”

“Uhuh.”

He was rubbing my palms now and I wrapped my fingers around his to stay his actions.

“I’m sorry for how I was before. I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did.” He said quietly and this time I pulled away from him slightly to turn in his arms. The sincerity in his eyes warmed my insides and I reached up to hold his face in my hands before I leaned into him and pressed my lips to his.

His response was immediate and thrilling and when I pressed closer, his arms went around me but all too soon he was pulling away.

“You’re still shivering, come on.” He stood and stretched out his hand and I took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet.

“I’m fine we can s-stay.”

“There’s no hospital for miles, if you get sick up here we’ll have to leave you to die.” He joked and I elbowed him.

“W-whatever.”

…………………………………..

It didn’t take us very long to get back to the cabin but the shivering had stopped awhile back and after sneezing for about the third time since we’d set out, I figured I was coming down with a cold.

I pulled off my boots and damp socks at the door and made my way pass the kitchen and into the family room where John was stretched out on the sofa, hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

“You talk to Kyle yet?” I asked and he turned to me with a raised brow.

“Is there a reason I should be talking to him?”

I shook my head, and left him there to himself, deciding it was in my best interest not to continue that particular conversation. When I pushed open his room door, Kyle was sprawled out on his bed fast asleep, so I pulled it shut again and made my way to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, warm and feeling fresh, I padded into the room I shared with Nate. He was sitting cross-legged in bed, shuffling a deck of cards and he looked up when I dropped my dirty clothes into a nearby chair.

“What’re you doing?”

“Poker.” He held out the cards and I shook my head.

“This time I promise not to glare.” He said with a wide, happy grin.

“I swear if I see so much as a narrowing eye I’m done.” I countered, hopping up onto the bed across from him.

He stretched across the mattress, grabbing hold of the blanket and throwing it over to me. I caught it and wrapped it around my body, settling in to hear his instruction.

He laid out the cards between us. “Alright, the first thing you need to know is…”

                                      AUTHOR'S NOTES

JUST A CHILL CHAPTER..HOPE YOU LIKED IT.

Follow me on Instagram at doublezone_books

THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO READ, YOU GUYS ARE JUST AWESOME!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 33: Sick day.

Chapter 33

Riley’s POV

I watched as he crossed the room and turned out the light and I burrowed deeper into the blankets as a shiver swept through me. I could feel the beginnings of a cold coming on and the tingling in my throat told me a sore throat was also in the cards.

I groaned and let my eyes drift closed. It was only when I felt the dip in the mattress beside me that I opened them again to see him getting under the covers. It was already past two in the morning and even though we’d stayed up more than half the night playing cards and learning as much as we could about each other, I still wasn’t feeling as tired as I knew I should be.

“So what’s the plan for later?”

Nate turned to me, his expression had long since gone unreadable and I was already missing his easy smile. “ I should be getting my hands on copies of the police interviews, if we don’t get any leads from there, we’ll need to go into town for a while; there’s only so much we can do from here.” He explained.

“We?”

“Me and John.” He said with a finality that I knew I couldn’t sway, but the thought of having to stay here while they went out and solved my case for me still left a bad taste in my mouth.

“You sure you couldn’t use my help? and Kyle’s pretty useful too…we can stay hidden, just like we did when we first broke out.”

He shook his head, his gaze travelling to the ceiling. “Can’t risk that. John and I will handle it, you two just need to lay low until we find something that’ll help.”

I stifled a sigh, “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“As long as it takes.”

I shifted closer so that I was pressed against him “I don’t like the sound of this. If something happens to you guys how would we know?”

“We’ll check in at the end of every day and we’ll put something in place in case something happens, you guys will be safe.” His words weren’t reassuring in the least.

I went quiet then, processing his words before deciding to drop it all together. “You know, you’ve changed these past few weeks since we got out.” I whispered into the darkness and this time he shifted slightly and turned to face me once more.

The soft illumination the moon provided allowed me to see his eyes, which were fixed on mine.

“How so?”

I shrugged, “You just smile a lot more, and you talk more…you were different in prison.”

He seemed to think on my words. I sneezed; once twice, three times, then groaned, flipping onto my back with a sigh.

“Maybe I’m happier.”

I grinned. “That’s good…I like you this way.”

I trembled when I felt his fingers brush my forehead.

“You’ve got a fever.”

I shrugged. “I shouldn’t have jumped into that damn lake.”

He offered no further comment and my brows furrowed. “You okay? You’ve been kind a quiet since we put the cards away.”

“Yeah, just have a lot on my mind.”

This was the Nate I was used to; silent and brooding and I suppose more often than not this was the Nate I’d be getting.

“Wanna talk about it?” I cringed at my own words, pretty sure he wouldn’t take me up on that offer but as he’d been doing a lot these days, he surprised me with his response.

“Just Eddie mostly. Can’t seem to get him out of my head.”

I reached out a comforting hand to squeeze his arm. “I don’t think you ever will.”

He nodded then and I watched his mouth open as if he might say something but he closed it just as quickly and shook his head.

“Let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

I bit my lip wondering what I could say to lift his funk but in the end I decided I’d just let him sleep on it and hope he’d feel better in the morning, so I shifted even closer, buried my face in his neck where I could feel his strong pulse and smell his manly scent and despite not feeling tired, I was out in a matter of minutes.

……………………………

…“ No I can’t”

I turned away from him, my face burning red but he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, so that his face hovered over mine.

“Why not?”

My face grew hotter.

“Cause.”

He chuckled.

“Cause what?”

“Cause it’s embarrassing.” And that was exactly how I felt, as if I’d die from embarrassment right then and there but he persisted, trying to bend me to his will.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed with me.” his voice was husky as he said it and I fidgeted as he hand trailed slowly over my naked flesh…

…………………………………….

I don’t know if it was the aching joints, the terrible headache or the uncomfortable pain I felt in my throat whenever I swallowed that woke me from just about the best dream I’d had all week, but when I did I immediately wished I could go back . I felt as though I’d been run through by a bull… or five and I groaned softly feeling miserable.

“I made you orange juice.”

I pried my eyes open squinting against the almost blinding light to see Kyle curled up in the chair by the window, poking at a device he held in his hand.

“Nate said you’re sick.” He offered again.

I groaned “I feel like shit.”

He glanced up at me then and smirked “You look like shit.” Then he gestured to the side table “Drink the OJ.”

I took a moment to glance at the table upon which stood a tall glass of orange juice before closing my eyes again, careful not to swallow too hard.

“Where’s Nate?”

“Downstairs going through files.” He reported sounding distracted and I rolled over with another groan and rested my head on my arm as I watched him.

My eyes narrowed. “Where’d you get a tablet?”

“It’s John’s”

Well that was certainly news to me. “You guys are talking now?”

“Nah, found it in his stuff.” He said simply. “I can’t figure out his password,.” Then he looked up at me thoughtfully.

“What do you think a guy like John would use as his password? And don’t say my name I already tried that.”

I rolled my weak eyes then let them drift close again, feeling so pathetic I could hardly even lift a limb.

“You’re not even trying.” He whined and I sniffled, then wiped my leaking nose with the back of my hand.

“I don’t know Kyle, why don’t you ask John?” I whispered hoarsely and he shot me a glare.

“He hasn’t said a word to me since we found out. John can kiss my ass.”

His annoyance was undeniable but I was feeling too shitty to comment as I sat up slowly, then reached across and snagged the glass from the table clumsily, causing some of its contents to slosh over the rim and hit the sheets.

“Nate said they might go into town today and he’s not sure when they’ll get back.” I offered after the first sip.

Kyle frowned, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. “So they’re leaving us here?”

I nodded and took another sip, then lowered the glass to the bed between my legs and leaned back against the headboard.

“I’m going with them.” He announced then and I glanced at him warily.

“They won’t let you.”

“They can’t stop me.” and his determination wasn’t something I would doubt but if our men didn’t want us with them we sure as hell had no chance of going, it was as simple as that, but to Kyle I said;

“Uhuh.”

“I’ll go talk to Nate now…you want anything?” he asked while pushing up from the seat and I watched almost as if in slow motion as the tablet slipped from his lap and hit the floor with a loud clatter.

Kyle froze and we both glanced down at the thing to see the web of cracks spread out from one corner of the screen to the next.

Kyle picked it up gently as if any show of care from him after the fact would magically repair the device, then he looked at me; horrified.

“It just slipped.”

I nodded. “I saw.”

“You don’t think he had anything important on it do you?” he asked carefully, clearly still shocked that he’d managed to wreck it.

“Well he had a-” sneeze “password on it so-” sneeze “I’m guessing there must have been something important on it…can you get me some paper towels please?”

It took him a moment, but finally he moved from his frozen position and exited the room, a few seconds later he came back with a roll of tissue which he threw my way and I scooped it up off the sheets and unrolled a few blocks.

When I’d blown my nose and looked up once more, Kyle was standing in the middle of the room worrying his bottom lip again. He seemed genuinely upset about the shattered screen and I decided to offer him some comfort…or something.

“Maybe he won’t care.”

He shook his head. “Well maybe now we’re even.” He said but it sounded more like a question and I raised a brow then took a sip of my juice.

“Even with what?”

He shrugged. “He kept who he was from me this whole time and when I finally found out he ignored me.” he explained.

“I don’t think it works quite like that Kyle.”

 He looked from the broken tablet, to me, then back at the tablet. “Well it’s not my fault he didn’t put a case on it.”

“You weren’t supposed to be snooping around in his things in the first place.”

He sighed and dropped down into the chair again.

“This just isn’t my fucking week.”

 I took another sip of my juice and flinched at the pain in my throat when I tried to swallow.

“You think he had FBI stuff on it?”

I shrugged. “I feel like I’ve been run over by something.” I hated being sick; the sapped strength, the pain and the constant snot were just too much for one man to bear.

I sneezed into the tissue again and groaned pitifully. Getting sick also made me feel helpless and needy and right then I wouldn’t have minded having Nate beside me.

“You want a pill or something?”

I shook my head which felt as though it was stuffed with cotton “I think I just need to sleep for a bit.” I murmured, depositing the glass onto the table and sliding right back under the covers. It didn’t take long for me to drift back to sleep, but this time I dreamt of smashed screens and cotton balls.

At one point while I balanced between dreamland and reality I thought I smelled Nate’s signature woodsy scent, then I felt a warm hand against my forehead and the sheets being pulled around my shoulders but then I was being pulled  back to my dream world and reality felt like a faraway place.

The next time I woke, I was alone and the orange juice had been replaced by a bowl of soup.

 I sat up as best I could with my body feeling weaker than it had any right to feel and picked up the bowl-which was warm to the touch- and swallowed a few spoons full to satisfy my empty stomach. After a while even shoveling the tasteless soup down felt like an exhausting chore and with my appetite already nonexistent I replaced the bowl and swung my feet to the side of the bed.

It was that moment that the door clicked open and Kyle came in.

“Oh you’re awake…finally. How’re you feeling?”

“Not much different from before really.” I explained then pushed up from the bed completely and padded across the cold floor.

“What did John say about the tablet?” I asked as I walked past him.

“I’m waiting for the right time to tell him.”

I didn’t really know when the right time was to tell someone you’d not only invaded their privacy but smashed their personal possession to pieces. Kyle turned and followed me to the bathroom, leaning against the door jamb as I stood trying to brush my teeth.

I felt so shaky, that I had to grip the sink a time or two from fear of falling on my face and even the trek down the stairs and into the family room tired me out to the point where it felt as if I’d walked a mile rather than taken a few steps.

John and Nate sat around the table, papers spread out before them. They both looked up when I entered.

I offered Nate a shaky smile which he didn’t return and John went back to his file.

“Did you eat?” this from Nate and I nodded.

Behind me, Kyle dropped into the sofa and flipped on the TV. I made my way over to Nate, glancing down at the papers before him. “Find anything interesting?”

He shook his head and when I went to pull away his arm automatically went around my waist, pulling me closer so that the side of his face rested against my belly.

All this wasn’t lost on John, who watched the display with narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

“We’ll have to go into the city after all.” Nate was explaining and I nodded then sniffled to prevent my nose from leaking all over the place.

“Come sit down.” He said then, releasing me and patting the chair beside him. When I sat, I put my cheek to the table just so I wouldn’t have to hold my head up any longer, then I sniffled some more as I watched him watch me.

“I hate being sick.”

When he reached across to run his hand through my hair I closed my eyes enjoying the soothing feeling of his fingers against my scalp.

“Stop babying him, he’s not a child.” Came John’s aggravated voice and I opened my eyes and frowned.

“Shut up John, just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean you have to try to make everybody just like you. Leave them alone.” Kyle called over, sounding irritated.

“Don’t start with me Kyle.” The big guy growled and I closed my eyes again trying to stave off the headache that was surely bubbling to the surface.

I heard the could squeak and footsteps across the floor and then silence which told me Kyle had left the room, but less than half a minute later he was back and I opened my eyes in time to see him drop the smashed tablet onto the table in front of John.

He had his arms folded and his mouth set in an angry frown.

John looked down at the thing, gritted his teeth, pinched the bridge of his nose then took a deep breath and all the while Kyle stood there looking pissed as if daring his lover to say something.

Nate reached across and picked it up and we both looked at the screen before he dropped it on the table again with a shake of his head.

“Kyle, how about you sit down and make yourself useful.” Nate suggested though it sounded more like an order and with a glare at John and an equally disdainful look at Nate, he walked around the table and dropped down across from me. Nate handed him a file and he flipped the cover open.

“I didn’t break it on purpose if that’s what you’re thinking, but really John, sometimes I think you deserve the shit that comes to you.”

John didn’t seem to be listening anymore, he once again had a pen in hand and his eyes planted on the files before him and I wondered if he’d somehow worked out a method to drown Kyle out when he got to be too much.

Sniffle

I finally sat up in the chair and pulled a stack of papers over to me but Nate pulled them away again.

“You need to go get some rest.”

“It’s okay, I want to help.” I assured him but his expression remained unchangeable

“You’ll be more help to us healthy, go get some sleep.” He more or less ordered and I frowned. Here was the bossy Nathan I was used to.

With a sigh I pushed up from the table, making my way over to the couch but a loud banging at the front door had be freezing in the middle of the room.

John and Nate acted swiftly and without a sound they were out of their seats and I was being dragged across the room and made to duck behind a couch. At the other side of the space, Kyle also crouched behind a wall and I watched with rounded eyes as Nate pulled his gun from behind the unused fish tank and John grabbed his from an empty vase.

Then they positioned themselves, John beside the door closer to the knob, his weapon held strategically in front of his chest and Nate on the other side of it; his stance identical.

The pounding came again and I swallowed hard, the pain in my throat momentarily forgotten. I pinched my nostrils together to prevent myself from sneezing then watched the scene play out before me, my heart thumping rapidly in my chest and my hands trembling.

“Who is it?” John’s booming voice pierced the quiet space and a shiver swept through me.

“Open the damn door!” the voice called and I froze.

Nate and John looked at each other, their brows raised in confusion and with weapon still drawn, John pulled the door open slightly, making sure that at all times his body was protected, then while I watched he stepped back as if in shock and the door fell wide open to reveal the intruder. I gasped, rising shakily from my position as the man entered and Nate lowered his weapon, looking as though he might be sick.

“Hey guys…missed me?” the man asked with a wide grin and Kyle finally pulled away from his hiding place and took two steps forward.

“How is this possible?” he whispered while the rest of us stood frozen in place our eyes planted on a man we’d thought we would never see again.

                                                         

                                                               AUTHOR’S NOTES

THERE YA GO GUYS! AND I UPLOADED EXTRA EARLY SO YOU WON’T HAVE TO STAY UP ALL NIGHT WHEN YOU HAVE SCHOOL AND WORK TOMORROW <3

Check out my tumblr for sneak peeks and more! http://www.tumblr.com/blog/twinzdouble

sHOUToUT TO : kindlenook for reading and taking to time out to comment <3

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 34: Progress

Feel free to purchase the published copy on select online stores. (Links on my profile)

Chapter 34

He stood there, the grin still planted on his face as he took in our expressions, then we all watched, still frozen in silence as he raised a brow in question.

“Yall look like you’ve seen a damn ghost, what’s wrong with you?”

I didn’t think I could even manage to speak then and I didn’t try as my mind searched for possible solutions to the question of his appearance.

“But you’re…you’re supposed to be dead.” Kyle went on, his voice filled with unspeakable awe and comprehension seemed to dawn on Eddie who, after a pause smirked.

“Well at least that explains why I didn’t get a single visit in the hospital from any ah you fools.” He joked as only Eddie could in the face of our awe, then without a word John stepped up and pulled him into a hug, his face buried in Eddie’s neck as he held on tight.

“Whoa big guy, easy there…still healing remember.” Eddie’s muffled voice could be heard from somewhere trapped behind John’s shirt and I took a shaky breath, holding the arm of the chair for support.

When John pulled away slowly, his face was flushed and I could have sworn I detected a faint glistening in his eyes but I couldn’t be sure. “Jesus Christ you’re actually here.” He said, gripping either side of Eddie’s face and pulling him in for another quick embrace.

“The first time you hug me in my whole life and it had to be because you thought I was dead…that’s cold man.” He continued to joke, pulling back from John with a wince. He lifted his hand to his shoulder and rolled his back as if to loosen the muscles there.

“What the fuck’s going on Eddie? We all thought you were-” I didn’t wait for John to finish his sentence, I couldn’t, not when the man we’d all mourned for weeks was standing before me, clearly alive and well and in a flash I was across the room and pulling him in for a hug too. Then Kyle, who wasn’t one to miss out on the welcome, after I’d pulled away shakily, had Eddie wrapped up too.

Some of earlier excitement seem to leave Eddie’s eyes then and looked at each of us in turn, offering a small smile. “I’m alright guys…I swear.” He promised and turned to face Nate who had yet to utter a word since his untimely arrival.

My lover stood there, his eyes roaming over the man he called brother, looking pale and still disbelieving then when he realized we were all watching he cleared his throat and took a step forward, holding out a hand that clearly shook.

“It’s…good to see you man.” He offered to his longtime friend and with a grin Eddie, bypassed the outstretched hand and pulled him in for a hug too.

“Missed you too buddy.” Eddie mumbled.

It was a long time before they pulled apart again and as I stood watching them, my shock gradually beginning to dissipate and a blanket of utter euphoria built within me, draping me with it’s warmth.

Eddie was alive. He was fucking alive . I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding as I allowed a grin to grace my face. When I glanced over at Kyle our eyes met and we shared a smile.

Eddie was alive.

“This doesn’t make any sense, the chief told me the doctors said you wouldn’t have made it through the night.” Nate said the moment they pulled apart and Eddie glanced quickly at me and Kyle.

“It’s okay, they know.” John explained and without argument Eddie nodded.

“I figured you’d tell them.” He paused for a bit, took a breath and began. “I wasn’t supposed to live.” He said seriously, then there was a loud thumb outside and we all froze. Nate and John had their weapons raised again before I could blink.

“Down boys, it’s just Simon.” Eddie assured them.

“Computer geek Simon?” John asked in surprise.

“You know, I never did like labels.” A voice uttered from the other side of the door and a second later, in walked the very epitome of nerd. Short, lean and wearing large square framed glasses which shielded a handsome round face. The only thing that was missing was the stereotypical pimples which I suppose were replaced by the sprinkle of well placed facial hair.

Despite his small frame there was no mistaking the hard muscles than rippled beneath his clothing making him look both sexy and capable…if you were into the handsome nerd thing anyway. In his hands he carried some form of electronic equipment I couldn’t readily identify as he stepped past us.

Either he was oblivious to our moment of reunion or not really interested in what it  was that was going on between us. He deposited his equipment onto a nearby table after shuffling a few files out of his way, then passed us again to go outside.

“Talk to me Eddie.” Nate broke the silence and Eddie nodded, “Let’s sit down, I’m still not fully recovered and after that long ass ride I feel like I got hit by a damn truck.” He explained as he moved across the room then slowly and stiffly lowered himself into the couch. We all went with him, each taking a seat around him, eager to hear how it was that he was back with us.

“You guys know I’d never go down without a fight, guess I just wasn’t ready to go. Docs had me on that operating table for a while, they said there was no exit wound but they couldn’t find the bullet, like it just wasn’t where it was supposed to be…didn’t even know that could happen and that’s why they had me under longer than expected, then even after they found the damn thing I wasn’t responding well to treatment, guess they didn’t really expect me to live and said as much to chief.”

“I should’ve gotten in touch with him again after he told me…should’ve made sure.” Nate murmured almost to himself.

Eddie nodded. “Stayed there for two weeks before they released me then I spent another week trynna get chief to tell me where the fuck you and John were. He’s got the rest of the team thinking he put you on another case, the mission’s fucked; not a thing came out of it.”

“Where are the others?” Kyle asked.

“Assigned to other cases, regulated to desk work…the usual, they pulled everyone after the explosion, chief’s been spittin’ fire over there.”

“But how’d you know Nate and John weren’t really on another assignment? And how come nobody else figured it out?” I questioned.

“It’s possible they could’ve gone dark, only few agents are thrown back under cover immediately after a failed assignment but when you’re as good as these guys it’s no surprise. When I heard you and Kyle escaped I knew they couldn’t be though. Knew these fools couldn’t leave you out here like that and trust me, the others aren’t stupid, they know what’s going on and I’m sure they’re rooting for you to beat this.”

I smiled looping my arm through Nate’s and sniffling from my cold.

“It’s really good to see you again Eddie…Johnny’s been depressed ever since we heard you died.” Kyle uttered knowingly and Eddie grinned, turning his attention to John whom he patted on the back.

“Aww John you shouldn’t have.” He joked and the big guy flushed pushing at Eddie’s hand.

Nate tried to hold back a smile. “I’m surprised your girl let you come out here, thought she’d want you all to herself after two years of visiting you in lockup.”

Eddie shrugged, his grin fading slightly, “Nah, we broke up.” Then he looked at the rest of us, a strange expression crossing his face before shaking his head, “Long story.”

Nate nodded, respecting his friend’s need for privacy.

There was another thud on the outside then in bustled Simon again, a small duffel in hand, a laptop in the other and a gun trapped between his chin and chest. I stared with wide eyes. I’d never get used to the things, no matter how much these guys waved them around.

When he deposited his load onto the table, he adjusted his glasses then looked pointedly  at Eddie, his intelligent brown eyes narrowed “I’m not carrying your shit.” And Eddie snorted, waving him off.

“So give me an update, what’d I miss?” Eddie inquired and while Nate was the first to open his mouth, Kyle beat him to it with a sigh.

“Well.” He began as if he’d relayed the story over and over and it had become a chore for him.

“The shortened form of it is Nate finally told Riley he loves him, we found out about the FBI thing and now Johnny is being too much of a dick talk to me, Riley’s practically dying from a cold and there’s no Wi-Fi up here.” He trailed off addressing his last words to Simon who stood fidgeting with his gadgets, looking up briefly only to acknowledge Kyle’s words.

“That won’t be a problem.”

“Oh yeah and turns out, the man Riley was convicted of killing is his dad.”

Eddie raised a brow at that, his eyes travelling to me and I shrugged. He cleared his throat.

“When he said he wanted an update I think he meant on the case.” Nate continued and after Kyle responded with a shrug, he went on to explain exactly where we’d gotten in our investigation…which really wasn’t very far at all.

“…We have Sticky and Darnez back in the city helping us out, but we can only do so much from way up here. Sticky gave me a name yesterday; carl Howard, said the guy might know who had a bone to pick with Joseph Menza. We planned to go back out there ourselves, see what we can dig up. “

“Well at least it’s something.” Eddie said thoughtfully.

Nate nodded. “You sure you’ll be up for this?” he questioned Eddie who was rolling his shoulders clearly still feeling some discomfort after being shot a few weeks back.

“You know me, I’m up for anything.” Eddie said with a grin. Across the room Simon snorted.

 “It’s good to have you back man.” Nate said seriously and I grinned, happy that things finally seemed to be looking up.

……………………………………………..

“This is a waste of time. I say we leave now, we’ll get there by sun down and we can finally start getting some answers.” Eddie said slapping down another useless file onto the table before him.

 Across the room, Simon stood eating dry cornflakes from the box while Kyle talked a mile a minute as he held John’s broken tablet up for him to see. Nate sat across from me buried in paperwork and John sat by my side running a hand over his face.

I shook my head. I agreed with Eddie, this was a waste of time and I said as much.

“I’m all for it. Nate you in?” John asked and with a frustrated sigh Nate dropped his file and nodded.

Eddie pushed up from his seat making his way toward the kitchen. “Okay well I’m already packed and it won’t take Simon anything to cart his stuff back to the van…so if you guys get a move on we can leave out in fifteen minutes.”

I sneezed into my crumbled tissue then groaned; feeling miserable.

“I’m having second thoughts about leaving them here.” John began and I glanced up at him quickly, hoping he was saying what I thought he was saying.

“Let’s face it, this is hardly the middle of nowhere, if someone stumbles onto this place and even catches a glimpse of either of them, the police will be swarming the place and we won’t be of much use to them from in the city.” He continued and my gaze travelled to Nate who seemed to be considering his words.

“So what? We hole them up in some motel while we work?”

“Why not? Simon will keep them safe…we don’t need him out in the field anyway.”

Nate looked at me, brows furrowed then he nodded slowly. “Alright, we’ll take ’em. Kyle leave Simon alone and go pack you stuff, we’re leaving in fifteen!”

In our room, Nate made quick work of it, shoving our stuff into the two duffels and eliminating every shred of evidence of us ever being there. I was forced to sit and drink a tall glass of orange juice while I watched him, glad that I wouldn’t be left behind.

When he was done, he straightened up and looked around the now spotless room. “Alright that’s it, let’s go.” He ordered, picking up the bags and walking out the door, I followed close behind him, sniffling as I went.

In the family room we all decided to take Eddie’s van which could accommodate us all with ease and five minutes later, we were leaving the cabin behind and making our way to the city.

I fell asleep twice on the way there, my head resting on Kyle’s shoulder and my throat still sore and aching. When I was awake, I listened to the others talking to Eddie, John and Nate obviously happy that he was back with them and safe and more often than not, I found myself smiling at their ribbing.

By the time we finally made it to the motel it was night fall and we managed to make it into the room without being spotted. It was a small space with a door connecting to another room where I expected Simon and Eddie would stay.

We piled all our stuff onto the bed and floors and the files were stacked on whatever empty spaces we found. John ordered a few pizzas and some soup for me and just as I settled in for the night, my back against the headboard in bed, John, Nate and Eddie got up to leave.

I watched as Nate pulled out a piece of paper from his jeans pocket and showed it to them and I assumed it contained a name and address. It was slightly depressing watching them gear up for what might certainly be a dangerous night and I tried not to worry for their safety.

“Be careful.” Kyle muttered to John, clearly not wanting to be the first to play nice but too concerned to let him go without some form of well-wishing. Then Nate turned to me and nodded and I waved weakly in return.

“You’ll be fine, Simon will take care of you.” John assured us as the others stepped through the door. “He only looks useless.” He added with a smirk and from his perch around the small table in the center of the room, Simon gave him the finger, his eyes never leaving his computer screen.

The door clicked shut then it was just the three of us. Kyle sighed, grabbed a slice of warm pizza and came to sit beside me in bed. After a bit, he took a swig of my drink and looked over at Simon.

“So Simon, are you gay?”

I shook my head at his words and Simon paused in his typing for a second, as he looked over at us. He seemed to be considering Kyle’s words, then shrugged.

“I never did like labels.” He said simply and once again his fingers were flying over the keyboard at a rate I had yet to learn.

……………………………………………….

Nate’s POV

After we’d made it to the address, it hadn’t been particularly difficult to find the guy. A few bills thrown at the right people and we had him in our sights. The only thing we’d had to do was wait for the opportune time to make our move, which happened to be two hours later when he stumbled out of a rundown bar, a cigarette in hand and a bottle of booze trapped under his arm.

He took a few steps then looked down at his shoes, rubbing the heel back and forth over the asphalt as he tried to dislodge whatever it was that he’d managed to step in then he continued on his way, muttering to himself. It was just as he was about to pass the mouth of the alley that John grabbed him and he thrashed, his drink falling to the ground; smashed.

I stood watching, hands buried deep into my coat pocket warming to butt of the gun nestled in its confines.

 The man continued to struggle and only quietened when he heard the pulling back of the hammer issuing from Eddie’s gun, then he could only look up at us, stark fear reflecting in his bloodshot eyes. When he opened his mouth to speak I held up a hand cutting him off.

We didn’t have time to listen to his blabbering.

“Carl Howard. That’s your name right?” I asked and the man shook his head vigorously.

John dipped into his pockets, pulling out an old and battered looking wallet, which he flipped open to read the name off the driver’s license. John nodded and I watched the man in annoyance.

“Alright, Carl, this is how we’re gonna do this. You answer our questions and we’re out of your hair. You don’t and… well I’m sure you get the picture.”

The man’s eyes widened but he said nothing.

“Word on the street is you’re a dealer.” I held up another hand to cut off his denials “I’m not here to turn you in, calm down. I just need some information. Joseph Menza worked with you.” It wasn’t a question and upon realizing that he nodded slowly.

“Look I don’t want no trouble, whatever he did when he was alive I got nothing to do with it and that’s the truth!”

“Alright, that’s fine. What I want to know is who might have had a reason to kill him. Anyone he might have pissed off, that kinda thing.”

He shook his head at first but when Eddie adjusted the weapon in his hand he took another route. “Okay yeah, he pissed off plenty a people, he wasn’t exactly a smart guy you know, it was only a matter of time before-”

“Names Carl…give me names.”

“Ah…ah  Robby…Robby Paul, ugh.. Dave Barnett…they had it in for Menza since the time he started.”

Eddie was shaking his head. “Stop bullshittin’ us Car,l Robby Paul was killed in a hit and run weeks before Menza died and Dave Barnett’s been rotting in prison since ’02. We’ve done our damn homework, now tell us the truth or we’re not gonna have much use for you.” Eddie warned.

The man spluttered, “I swear I didn’t know, I just deal I don’t know nothin!” he lied through his teeth and John sighed.

“Just kill him, he’s wasting my time” and he let go of the guy and pushed him to the ground.

Eddie bluffed right along with John, cocking the weapon, Carl was quick to comply, holding up his hands in front of him as if they could protect him from a bullet wound “Okay okay, Kelly! Edward Kelly, that’s the guy you want, Menza owed him money, he was dodging him for weeks and the night he came round here askin’ for him, Menza ends up dead. That’s all I got I swear, please don’t kill me!” the man begged.

“If you’re lying to us we’ll know where to find you.” Eddie said and the man nodded sharply, hands still held in front of him and eyes wide.

I pulled the handcuffs from my pocket and threw them at John who grabbed Carl’s hand and slipped one onto his wrist, then attached the other to one of the panels along the large dumpster.

“Wh-what’re you doing?”  we ignored the man’s cries to release him and in a moment Eddie had his friend from a local precinct on the line.

“Cops will be here in a few…hang tight.” Eddie told the guy and without another glance his way we were off.

“They’ll hold off his one phone call for a little while…that should give us some time to track this Kelly guy down without interference.” He explained as the vehicle swept through the empty streets.

“Edward Kelly, ever heard of him?”

They both shook their heads and I looked glanced out the window. If we were lucky we’d finally caught a break.

…………………………

Thirty minutes later we were back at the motel, pushing into the warm room where Simon sat on his computer just like we’d left him and Kyle fast asleep on one of the beds.

Riley looked up when we entered, looking relived.

“We need you to find everything you can on an Edward Kelly.” I told Simon who looked up from the screen with a raised brow.

“You have any idea how many Edward Kelly’s there are in the world?”

“Narrow it down to the ones in this area. Possible prison record, or maybe appearing on a suspect list…anyone by that name who looks even remotely interesting.” I told him and he got to work.

“I’ll contact my guys and see if they know anything.” Eddie offered and I nodded, pulling off my jacket and running a hand through my hair as I made my way over to Riley.

I sat next to him and reached up to touch the back of my hand to his forehead.

“I’m fine.” He assured me. “What did you guys find?”

“Apparently your father wasn’t well liked in his line of business, he’s has a lot of enemies but there’s one in particular who might have wanted him dead, his name is Edward Kelly, that’s all the guy could give us.”

He nodded, his tired eyes plastered on my face and I bent to give him a quick kiss on his lips.

“Found Thirteen Kelly’s in this area but there’s one in particular I think you guys might be interested in.” Simon announced a few minutes later.

“Why’s that?”

He looked up at me, “Because he was a prison guard at the penitentiary you guys did your OP.”

I got up and crossed the room in three long stride to come to stand behind Simon with Eddie and John and sure enough, there he was, the guard who’d seemed overly interested in Riley after he had his little breakdown.

Riley came to stand beside me then, staring at the picture of the man who’d helped him.

“Holy shit!”  He exclaimed racing across the room to sift through the files on a nearby table I turned my attention back to the screen.

“You think he could have had something to do with this?” Eddie asked and I nodded.

“It’s too much of a coincidence…Jesus, this would explain so much.”

“I knew I recognized him, guys look.” Riley said holding out the year book we’d brought with us along with everything else. I looked at the picture he was pointing to and comprehension dawned.

“He looks just like him It’s his son, guard Kelly told me he had a son who was in college now…doing journalism or something.”

John whistled. “I think we may have broken this damn case wide open guys.”

“Only one problem.” Simon interrupted, his hands flying over the keyboards as file after file popped up on his screen. “Edward Kelly retired two weeks ago. He no longer works there.”

“Shit. Can you find out his home address?”

Simon nodded. “There it is.” He indicated the screen which contained the guy’s personal information.

“Alright let’s go.” I said grabbing my jacket again and running for the door, the others were right behind me.

Minutes later we were weaving through sparse traffic and my mind was reeling.

Weeks we’d been at it… weeks and after one night we’d made more progress than I could ever have imagined. Edward Kelly, if the bastard really was behind this it meant Riley’s freedom. My heart clenched at the possibility and if it all worked out I’d owe Sticky a huge favor and it would be so fucking worth it.

“So his son was probably at the party that night…which can’t be a coincidence, but what does it mean? He’s working with his father?” John rattled off.

“If it’s really this guy it would explain what happened to that kid who visited Riley in prison that day.” Eddie continued.

“Yeah he could’ve offed him to cover his tracks. Not to mention his sudden interest in Riley in the first place.” I finished and John nodded.

“If this really is the guy then he aint going down without a fight. Hope you guys are ready for this.”

“Think we should call the chief?” John asked and I shook my head.

“Not yet…let’s make sure we’ve got the right guy first.”

………………………………………….

“Edward Kelly, FBI open up!”

I called for the third time when a door down the hall opened and an old lady peeked out, wearing nothing but a bulky pink robe and a hair net.

“If you boys are looking for Mr. Kelly, you’re out of luck. He moved out weeks ago.” She announced then after only a brief pause shuffled back into her apartment. I cursed under my breath and pulled out my cell.

“Simon? Get me a number for his landlord.”

A minute later I was rattling off the number to John who called and confirmed it with the annoyed land lady.

When he hung up they both looked at me. “What now?”

I shook my head. “We’ll have to find the son.”

                                           AUTHOR’S NOTES

SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE GUYS BUT I GAVE YOU EDDIE SO I DO BELIEVE I’M ENTITLED TO A FREE HUG AND VIRTUAL KISSES! ^_^

-DoUbLe.A

unedited.

Chapter 35 : Let’s play pretend…

Chapter 35

John’s POV

With nothing more to do to past the time, I reviewed the timetable once more, glancing over the courses and the times. In the morning we’d be confronting Jason Kelly, the prison guard’s son and hopefully we’d have some answers before lunch.

Hopefully . I sighed, running a hand over my face.

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you so worked up over a case.” Simon commented drily from his seat across the room. In hand he held a beer, his feet, which he propped up on the scarred surface of the coffee table, were comfortably crossed at the ankles.

I dropped the thin sheet of paper I was holding onto the side table next to me and straightened in the narrow bed. Beside me, Kyle groaned then burrowed deeper under the covers, still asleep.

“Yeah well it’s the first time I’ve ever had so much to lose.” I replied in an equally dry tone and Simon regarded me silently, his eyes locked with mine as that powerful mind of his worked out whatever conclusion he would draw from my simple statement.

“Makes sense.” He said finally taking a swig of his beer.

“So I guess the real question is, why’d you put yourself in a position where you could lose so much?”

I shook my head, conversations with Simon always had a clinical feel to it, as if he was more interested in understanding the inner workings of my brain than he was in the actual topic. “Is there a point to this question? You know why…Nate’s my partner, I’m here to keep him safe as always.”

He nodded thoughtfully and I felt my annoyance grow. “Tell me about those two.” He indicated to Kyle then to Riley who was also asleep in the bed across from me.

“What, you trying tell me you haven’t done your background checks yet?” I scoffed and he grinned.

“Of course not, but words on paper don’t mean a damn thing without more.” he continued and I shrugged.

“Nothing to tell really, Riley was framed, we’re trying get him off and in the process we’re going to see what we can do to help Kyle out.”

“They must be pretty decent guys if you and Nate are willing to go through all this trouble to help them out, but Riley’s innocent. You’re trying to break the law for Kyle, why? I mean, he’s a good looking guy, I can see the appeal, but to help him run from his own crime? That’s not like you John.”

My eyes narrowed. “Not everyone who breaks the law deserves to be in prison.”

He raised a brow at that, “You break the law, you suffer the consequences, that’s what you’re taught every day at the bureau, it’s why you do what you do and that’s always what you believed, it’s what Nate believed and now here you both are…wasting your training.”

“And here you are, wasting your training right along with us.”

He smiled at that, then held up his beer. “Touché.”

“Tell me more about Riley, is he good for Nate? Is all this really worth it?”

“Why’s that important to you?”

“Well I wouldn’t want my big brother to be here risking life and limb for nothing. I need to know what type of man he is.”

“Then ask him, you came here to help keep him safe and you two haven’t said more than two words to each other, what’s the point of that?”

He put down his beer then and slid deeper into the chair, “We don’t need to have a conversation to watch each other’s backs.”

“Yeah but if you want any kind a relationship with Nate then that part’s kind of necessary don’t you think?”

He raised a brow. “What makes you think I want a relationship with him?”

“Because he’s your brother and you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.”

He smiled again, his intelligent eyes dancing with amusement. Then he shrugged. “Maybe you should be my new shrink.”

I flipped him the bird and he chuckled softly. We both looked toward the window when we heard a vehicle pulling into the parkinglot and I sat up straighter in bed.

Nate had gone out about half an hour ago to get some medicine for the kid, who seemed to be worse off than he had been earlier today and Eddie had volunteered to go with him. If that wasn’t them pulling in I’d have to call them…it shouldn’t be taking so long.  

A few moments later I heard the key rattling in the door, then Eddie’s cheerful voice on the other side and I allowed myself to relax. Simon sat up in the chair when they finally pushed the door and came in.

Nate dropped a shopping bag onto the table at Simon’s feet then moved to Riley’s side, testing his temperature with the back of his hand. “Think I’m gonna head to bed guys I’m beat.” Eddie announced, locking the door behind them, after which he stood rolling his shoulders and wincing in pain.

I nodded. “Just make sure you get up on time.” Then I watched him cross the room and disappear through the connecting door.

“Yeah yeah.” I heard him mutter and I suppressed a grin, it was damn good having him back.

“Think I’ll do the same. Nice talk” Simon got up then and I watched him take one last swig of his beer, offer me a short nod and a moment later he left the room.

“It’s kind of hard to believe that after tomorrow all this might be over.”

I glanced at Nate who was pulling off his boots and nodded. “Feels like we’ve been going at it for years doesn’t it?”

He grinned then pulled off his shirt, turned out the light and got in bed with Riley, who automatically curled around him when he felt the contact of his lover’s skin.

Nate sighed, his arm looping around Riley’s waist “I don’t know what I’ll do if it turns out it’s not the guard after all.”

“You’ll do what we’ve been doing all this time…we’ll get the person responsible, if not tomorrow then someday.”

I watched him run a hand through Riley’s hair “I don’t want him on the run for the rest of his life.”

“Yeah well anything’s better than jail right? If he’s innocent then he doesn’t deserve to go back.”

“If?”

I shook my head. “You know what I mean… I know the kid didn’t do it.” I trailed off and the silence descended.

“What’re you gonna do about your brother?” I asked then changing the topic.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s trying to connect with you again Nate…maybe you should give him a chance…like you gave Riley a chance.”

He remained silent and I slid down onto the bed, stuffing the pillow under my head as I tried to get comfortable.

I cleared my throat “I’d give anything to see my family again….anything and you have the chance to make it right with yours… I say don’t let it go to waste.”

He didn’t reply to that but I didn’t push him, and pretty soon I was listening to his deep breathing as he fell asleep.

………………………………………

It was hours later, way past midnight and I still couldn’t sleep. My eyes trailed the dark ceiling and my mind drifted from thought to thought. In the other room I could here Simon and Eddie mumbling to each other and across from me Nate and Riley still lay sleeping. It wasn’t often a person got the chance to be in the same space with all the people in the world he cared about and despite my tiredness it felt oddly at peace.

Kyle shot up with a gasp then and I froze as his hands found my chest patting me as if to see if I was really there.

“You okay?”  I asked and when he looked around at me, his eyes were wide with fright.

A nightmare then. He took a deep breath then nodded slowly, one hand still wrapped tightly around my wrist. “Yeah, just a bad dream.” He chuckled nervously and after only a brief pause, lay back down, his head once again buried under the covers.

As the minutes ticked by with no sound from him I’d have thought he had drifted back to sleep if it wasn’t for the fact that his hand was still gripped mine and hadn’t loosened once.

I reached down and pried his fingers from my wrist and he pushed out from under the sheet, watching me warily.

“Come on let’s go get some air.”

I hopped out of bed and pulled on my shoes and he sat up watching me. When I grabbed a hooded sweater and threw it at him, he caught the thing and pulled it on quickly before turning to stuff his feet into his own shoes.

Within minutes we were outside, Kyle’s face hidden under the hoodie and my hands shoved deep into my pockets as we walked across the parking lot then came to a stop beside a ledge further across the compound. I took a seat enjoying the cool breeze against my face.

For a while neither of us spoke and I watched as Kyle paced back and forth in front of me, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. He seemed lost in thought.

“I know you were just doing your job and you couldn’t tell me the truth.” He said finally coming to a stop directly before me.

I nodded slowly, pretty sure there was a ‘but’ coming.

“I guess I just thought we’d both made mistakes and we could work it out together, then I found out you were FBI and I was the only real criminal here and that’s probably the reason you didn’t want to be with me in the first place.” He went on, sounding completely serious for the first time since I’d known him.

“It’s a lot more complicated than that.”

He shook his head. “No it isn’t and really I just don’t care anymore. I love you, you love me and that’s all that should matter right?”

I shook my head, “Kyle, don’t start this again, I told you I don’t lo-”

“Yes you do, stop it!” he scolded me as if I were a child and I glared at him, this was getting out of hand now.

He didn’t back down, looking me straight in the eyes, his glittering with determination. “You’re mine, I’m not letting you go.” He said seriously, then before I knew it he was pulling himself into my lap, his arms going around my neck.

It was wrong that his words left me feeling warm and secure and I forced myself to snap out of it; apparently I was more tired than I’d thought. I gripped his arms to pull him away but they tightened around me and I just gave up, deciding to let him do and say as he pleased because in the end it really wouldn’t change a thing.

When I felt his lips against my neck I gritted my teeth. “Kyle…”

“I like your hair like this.” He interrupted, pushing his fingers through the short strands which I’d allowed to grow out over the past few weeks after two years of shaving.

Then he sighed and moved to rest his head against my chest. “You don’t have to say the words right now, but one day you will and I’m gonna be crazy happy.”

I said nothing and he went on, tracing the stripes on my jacket with his fingers. “You know sometimes I stay awake and I can see our whole lives when this is over.” I felt his smile against my shirt.

“You shouldn’t do this to yourself you’re only going to get hurt.” I warned him and being Kyle, he ignored my words.

“We’d have a house by the beach and a cute little pet hedgehog…you know their quills are as sharp as needles but when they get to know you, they’ll lower them whenever they smell you because they feel safe…kinda reminds me of you.” He chuckled.

“And we’d have to make sure we have a guest room for when Nate and Riley come over. Maybe we could even get a gold fish…they’re kinda stupid but I like to look at them.”  he continued despite the fact that I hadn’t acknowledged him even once.

“Maybe later on we could think about adopting….but then again maybe not, kids tend to run away from me.” he said thoughtfully and I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“What about you Johnny…how do you picture our life together?”

“Kyle-” I began in annoyance, I couldn’t understand why it was so hard for him to accept how it was going to be.

“Okay okay…let’s pretend then.” he said quickly, “Let’s pretend you love me, everything will work out and we actually get to have a life together, describe it to me.”

I shook my head. “What’s the point of that?”

“Just humor me…please.”

I said nothing for a few minutes refusing to play along with his silly game but he waited me out, clearly expecting me to do what he wanted and I released a breath.

“Okay…this is only us pretending” I said firmly and he nodded.

I paused, letting the silence in for a few more minutes before I began.

“…We…we’d have a huge deck out back and we’d grill out there on Sundays…” I paused again, this felt stupid.

“Go on.”

“I like cats.”

Kyle grinned. “I don’t mind cats.”

I nodded. “Then…then we could maybe get married.”

“Really? Where?”

“…Anywhere you wanted.”

He kissed me then, slow and gentle and I let him. When he pulled back I couldn’t quite look him in the eyes.

“What else Johnny?”

“A house on the beach doesn’t sound too bad…and we could bury your hedgehog in the sand.”

He looked up at me, his eyes bulging in horror. “We’re not burying my hedgehog in the sand!”

I raised a brow. “Isn’t this supposed to be my fantasy?”

I watched as he opened and closed his mouth a few times without saying anything then he nodded and waved a hand to indicate that I should go on.

“I’d probably have to quit the bureau, work with Nate…He’s planning to start up a securities firm.” I explained and he nodded.

“You could be my secretary.”

He laughed at that and I grinned. “Yeah and we could have hot and heavy sex on the copy machine afterhours.” He joked and I groaned.

That earned me another kiss and when he pulled away, his eyes were twinkling with what I could only describe as happiness. I swallowed hard. “But that’s all just pretend…I already told you it’s going nowhere.”

He kissed me again and smiled, one that lit his entire face. “Nah Johnny, we’re gonna have that life.” He said with certainty then pushed up from my lap to stand.

“Come on let’s go get me some chocolate.” He said and I watched him walk away shaking my head as he did. The entire conversation had left me feeling hollow and maybe a little disappointed and not for the first time I thought about how much easier it would all be if I’d never met him.

With a groan, I pushed up from the ledge and followed coming to a stop when we got to the vending machine and Kyle stood there looking up at me expectantly. I shoved a hand into the pocket of my jeans and pulled out a dollar which I handed to him and a minute later we were walking back to the room, Kyle as happy as a damn lark as he bit into his chocolate bar.

It was warm and quiet when we entered and we carefully pulled off our boots and pants and got into bed without a sound. I felt drained as if the simple walk outside had completely sapped whatever strength I had left and when I pulled the covers over me I felt as though I could sleep for a year.

“Go to sleep Kyle.”

He dropped the other half of his chocolate bar onto the side table, still chewing whatever was left in his mouth then he reached across and kissed me before settling comfortably against my side.

“Maybe we could get two hedgehogs so the other one won’t be lonely.” He whispered into the night and I fought not to roll my eyes.

“Goodnight Kyle.”

“Night Johnny.”

                                                              AUTHOR’S NOTES

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NOTHING TOO HEAVY IN THIS CHAPTER..HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED IT AND REMEMBER I UPLOAD EVERY SUNDAY SO SEE YA NEXT WEEK!

KEEP SWEET <3

-DoUbLe.

-unedited.

Notice.

NOTICE

Hey guys, this is to inform you all that i’m currently doing exams which includes crazy study hours and annoying research papers so my update days will be a little messed up for a while. This simply means that instead of updating on just Sundays, i’ll probably be forced to throw in an update during the week sometimes or updates may come later than expected. Really sorry for the inconvenience guys but it cannot be helped.

As for chapter 36 i’ll try to get it up tonight, howvever that depends on how far i get in my studies.. rest assured though, that there will still be weekly updates so don’t worry about that.

Thanks for reading and for all of those messages that you guys have sent out that i havent replied to yet, i’ll get to them as soon as possible so don’t worry. <3

-Keep Sweet

-DoUbLe.A

Hurt, disappointed and angry

BAD NEWS

So it turns out my work Cell Mates is being plagiarized on another site and i feel utterly violated that someone would do such a thing. I have reported the matter to the proper authorities and expect the matter to be cleared up very soon.. wow very disappointed that one of my readers would go this far but as this is my creative piece if it means taking this to as far as the courts i will…Terrible time to get such bad news.

This entire ordeal has me rethinking posting my work online…knew it was a risk but to experience it…feels like a betrayal. I’ll keep you all posted on the situation and there’s a possibility i’ll post the link to the plagarised work later on.

The show must go on

I’ve been reading your supportive comments all night and all morning and you guys have certainly helped to boost my spirit and you’re right… you have all been with me for so long and deserve to know how the story ends..however until i officially register the work i cannot post any other chapters..i need to make sure it is as safe as possible first and if all goes well i’ll have it registered in a few days.

The person who copied my work is now under review and i’ll keep giving updates as i go.

My tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/twinzdouble

I love you guys

Chapter 36: Winding down

Chapter 36

Riley’s POV

I felt much better when I woke the next morning, but I was still too weak to do much more than lay in bed and watch everything going on around me. Today was the day the guys would confront guard Kelly’s son and I was probably more nervous than I had any reason to be.

If these people really had anything to do with my father’s murder then they were dangerous and someone could get hurt, someone like Nate and I didn’t think it was something I could handle.

I wiped my nose with another rolled up hand towel and discarded the mess into the trash beside my bed.

“We’ll need to decide on the best approach here. The kid might not even know what his father did…going in with threats aint gonna cut it.” Eddie explained and John nodded.

“Then there’s the fact that we could have the wrong guy. We’re going off something some dealer told us. He could have been lying.” John continued but Nate shook his head.

“It’s too much of a coincidence. Something’s off about the guy.” And that much we agreed on. Guard Kelly really had been too nice for a prison guard. At the time I’d been too lost in my own grief that I hadn’t seen it but now, it was as clear as the day.

Simon had long since reported that there was no credit card trail, no activity in his bank accounts; nothing. It was as if the guy didn’t want to be found, like he was hiding from something and that made him my number one suspect…him and that kid of his.

“What time’s the flight?” I asked. I’d managed to sleep through the earlier preparations and unfortunately I’d missed almost all the plans they’d made. Being sick was turning out to be a major pain in my ass.

“We leave out in two hours…we should be intercepting the kid in three and hopefully we’ll finally have all this shit behind us.” Nate responded and I nodded.

“Do you thin-”

“…I mean, I ship it you know? You and Eddie…he’s a cool guy…made me laugh once.”

I glanced over at Kyle when he managed to interrupt me as he sat across the room talking to Simon who as usual, was typing away on his laptop and only half listening to what my friend was saying.

Across the other side of the room Eddie snorted. “Don’t get it twisted kid, last time I checked I still liked tits.”

I shook my head.

“Not everyone in the world is gay Kyle.” I put in my two cents.

He glanced at me with a small frown.

“Maybe not, but everyone’s just a little bit curious aren’t they Simon?” He continued and I shrugged. As always there was no point in debating with the guy.

Right then Simon glanced up, an eyebrow raised as he looked first at Kyle then at Eddie and with a small shake of his head, he turned his attention back to his laptop.

 “Kyle why don’t you go find something to do so Si can work on ur case in peace?” Nate interrupted from his perch on the chair arm. In hand, he held a file which contained every possible information on guard Kelly and his family which Simon had scrounged up and printed out early this morning while we’d slept.

Kyle sighed. “It’s not as if there’s much more to do here. You’ve got me trapped in this place since yesterday. I feel like I’m about to lose my mind.”

“Get some sleep then.” John suggested but Kyle waved him off and pulled up a chair beside his new best bud Simon. I chuckled.

“So how’d all of you meet anyway? You just happened to work at the same place?” Kyle continued skeptically and Eddie nodded.

“Yeah actually, it was as simple as that.”

“How come you weren’t undercover at the prison too?”

Simon glanced up again, just barely managing to tear his eyes from the screen. I think it was then that he finally realized Kyle wasn’t about it leave him be, because he snapped his laptop shut with a sigh.

“Working that kind of job with someone you care about isn’t wise. You tend to be distracted and when you’re distracted, you make mistakes so I opted out of the assignment.”

My brows furrowed. “So you actually do have a thing for Eddie?” I asked in confusion and for a moment the two men regarded me as if I’d lost my mind.

“He means Nate.” John clarified and I glanced his way in surprise.

“Wait, what? I don’t think I follow.”

Kyle glanced back and forth between Simon and Nate, which mirrored my own actions. “You and Nate are…” he trailed off and I narrowed a look at Nate who hardly even glanced up from his papers.

“Brothers.” Eddie finished. “They’re brothers…didn’t Nate tell you?”

I released a breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding as the news sank in. My gaze was still planted on my lover. “There’s a lot he hasn’t told me.” I commented and it was only then that Nate glanced up, his expression was one of boredom as he looked at me.

“We haven’t really had time to get into all that.” He said simply, then turned to the others. “Let’s get back to the case, we don’t have time for this.”

“Yeah because it takes so much time to say by the way Riley I have a younger brother .” I responded and I saw Kyle nod from the corner of my eye.

Simon cleared his throat and Eddie grabbed his unfinished beer from the table, taking a satisfying gulp before taking a seat next to John.

“Riles just…we’ll talk about it when all of this is over alright?” he ‘asked’ without waiting for an answer then threw a Nathan-like glare at the others “Do you want to solve this case or not?”

They hopped to it and I sighed, sliding deeper under the covers. He was right, this wasn’t the time, but it didn’t stop me from glancing at Simon, who before now I hadn’t really given much thought to. I took in his high cheek bones, the sparse dusting of facial hair, the piercing hazel eyes, thick eyebrows and full lips. He was gorgeous no doubt, but apart from the height and hair color, I didn’t see Nathan in him.

“Bros huh? Damn I never would have guessed.” Kyle commented more to himself than anyone else as he sprawled onto the bed across from mine.

…………………………………….

It was forty-five minutes before they finally put away the files and were able to take a break. The plans had been made, all details fleshed out and the only thing left was for them to hop onto that flight in exactly one hour and fifteen minutes.

Across from me, still sprawled on his bed was Kyle, nose buried deep in a magazine that John had gone out to get him earlier. Simon and Eddie had walked out the door the second the files had been put away and John moved about the small room gathering the things he would need for the trip.

Finally there was Nate, sitting quite comfortably in the less than comfortable couch across the way, a warm beer in hand seemingly lost in thought. I watched him for as long as he sat there, his handsome face was in need of a shave and his deep green orbs looked tired and drawn.

He had been working so hard to save my ass, he…no we all deserved a happy ending and I hoped and hoped that we would find that today. Being on the run had lost its charm the minute we’d set foot outside the prison walls and I yearned for the day we could all just be free.

As I continued to watch him, he clasped the neck of the bottle loosely in his fingers before bringing it to his mouth, wetting his soft lips with the bitter liquid, then he licked them and I shivered.

“Nate?”

He glanced my way, only his eyes moving in answer to my call and I tilted my head to the side to watch him more carefully.

“You alright?” I questioned and he offered me a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Of course.” He lied.

I threw the covers from my legs and got off the bed, shivering just a little when my toes made contact with the chilly floor. His eyes followed my every move, looking up at me even as I stood before him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked gently, pushing his hands out of the way so I could climb onto his lap and he straightened to allow it, wrapping them around me when I was safely nestled in his arms. I felt warm and secure trapped there in his strong arms, listening to his breathing and smelling the beer on his breath.

It felt right. Like home.

“What makes you think something’s wrong?”

I shrugged. “I lived in a sardine can with you for months, I think I can at least pick up when you’re in a less than happy mood.”

He grunted, “I’m never in a happy mood.”

“You gonna tell me what’s wrong or are you gonna keep stalling?” He shook his head, took another swallow of the beer and shook his head again.

“I’m tired of this.” He began. “You shouldn’t have to keep running when you never did a thing to deserve it.” He took another sip.

“Yeah well life sucks that way, but after today maybe we’ll finally get to stop running right?”

“And if we don’t?”

I bit my lip and released it slowly. “I’m here, you’re here…we’ll figure it out.”

“And if we need to leave the country?”

“Then we leave the country… I always liked travelling anyway.” I tried for funny and of course it fell flat.

He regarded me silently then lifted his hand to take another sip of the drink and I took it from him, turning it to my own head. Bitter, warm liquid pooled in my mouth and I swallowed it down past my sore throat.

“I don’t know why you guys drink this stuff, it’s disgusting.”

The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile and I grinned back. Then he was taking the bottle from my hand and pulling me closer to him, arms wrapped tight and his face hidden against my chest.

“You’re a pretty decent guy Riles.” I felt his lips move against my shirt and I patted his neck.

“Yeah yeah I love you too.”

…………………………………………….

 Nate’s POV

I tucked the weapon inside my jacket, made sure the knife was safely hidden inside my boot then grabbed the handcuffs and my badge. It was only after I had secured them that I glanced at the others who were also making final preparations. Eddie climbed into the van and started the engine.

I heard Riley take a deep breath and I lay a hand on his shoulder. “Just a few more hours and it’ll all be over.” I told him and he nodded, his gaze determined and his mouth set in a hard line.

“Few more hours.” He repeated and with another pat on the shoulder and a nod I turned and climbed into the front seat of the vehicle.

“I swear to god Johnny if you get yourself killed I’ll….just don’t do anything stupid alright?” I heard Kyle call out from the room and a moment later John was also climbing into the van. At the door of the motel room my little brother stood and offered a small salute before closing the door behind him.

It was up to him to keep our boys safe now. In a few short hours we would be in another state, in another town, hunting down the people responsible for Joseph Menza’s death and something told me it wouldn’t be an easy win.

                                                               AUTHOR’S NOTES

THE PLAGARISM SITUATION HAS BEEN DEALT WITH. I RECIEVED AN APOLOGY FROM THE CULPRIT AND THE ADMINISTRATORS HAVE ALSO INTERVENED TO SORT IT ALL OUT. THANKS FOR ALL THOSE WHO STUCK BY ME EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME..YOU GUYS ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING <3

THIS CHAPTER WAS DELIBERATELY MADE SHORTER THAN THE OTHERS BUT REST ASSURED THE OTHERS WILL BE OF PROPER LENGTH. 

NB: The quality of this chapter is unfortunately not up to my usual standards after having rushed to get it up but i hope to get back on track for the next one.

WE’LL NOW BE GETTING BACK INTO OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SCHEDULING SO SEE YOU ON SUNDAY AND SHOUT OUTS WILL BE GIVEN ON THE NEXT CHAPTER.

ENJOY! Oh and follow my ass on tumblr http://www.tumblr.com/blog/twinzdouble

-DoUbLe.A… Also check out my new book called skittles out on my profile

-unedited ( even more so than usual)

Chapter 37: Kelly

Chapter 37

John’s POV

“No Kyle we’re not there yet. It’ll be a forty-five minute drive at least.”

“Can’t wait till you guys get back here, I’m about to go out of my mind wondering what’s going on.” He said dramatically and I shook my head.

“Hopefully we’ll be back in a few hours, now can you put Simon on the phone?”

Ten minutes…I’d called Simon ten minutes ago and ever since Kyle had answered the call I still had yet to talk to the little nerd. I sighed, running a hand over my face.

“I told you…he’s in the shower, I’ll give it to him as soon as he gets out.”

“Just go in there and give it to him now.”

“So you’re comfortable with me gazing at Simon’s naked body?”

I chose not to answer.

 “Alright if you insist.” He sighed again and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

“What do you want him for anyway? Thought you said everything was fine.” The devil continued.

“Just give him the phone.” I took a breath. If I kept this up the kid would give me an aneurism before my thirty-third birthday.

“I’m knocking, he’s the one taking forever to open the damn door.” He complained “By the way can you get me another magazine when you’re over there? I’m done with this one and I’m bo-”

“I’m here, what’s up?” Simon came on the line and I could clearly hear Kyle bitching in the background.

“There’s been a slight change of plans.  If we don’t get the information we need we’ll be taking the son back with us for questioning. Hopefully it’ll draw Kelly out of hiding, so I’ll need you to notify the captain as soon as I give you the okay.”

“What about Kyle and Riley?”

“Don’t mention them, this is just a precaution. We don’t know what kinda guys we’re dealing with here and there’s no telling what he’ll do once we take his son.”

There was a pause.

“You do realize that if you arrest him and it turns out he’s innocent we’ll have a lawsuit on our hands right? This is a closed case John.”

I nodded. “We’ll have to take that risk.”

Another pause, then, “Alright, but for all our sakes I hope the son of a bitch is guilty as sin.” He said and clicked off. I dropped the phone onto the seat beside me.

“Alright we’re set.”

Nate nodded.

Looking out the window at the passing scenery made it easier to think about something other than the upcoming confrontation. Like the fact that when this was over Kyle would still be in the hot seat and we had yet to come up with a solid plan to keep him out of prison.

The ideas we’d come up with were contingent upon the captain’s discretion and while nobody could dispute the fact that he was a fair man, I didn’t like the thought of putting Kyle’s life in anyone else’s hands.

I turned my face from the window, resting my head against the seat of our rental. I tried to imagine how it would go down if the kid did get thrown back into the slammer and I cringed. His mouth alone would get him killed.

Just then my phone vibrated snapping me out of my reverie and I picked up the thing to glance at the screen.

‘ Good luck and be safe.  Luv Kyle’ the text read and the pressure only escalated.

Somehow I’d have to find a way to keep him out of prison and by the looks of it, my time was running out.

“I say we intercept him at his dorm, right as he leaves out for class.” Eddie offered, his eyes fixed on the road.

I shook my head, “There’s no telling whether he’ll be in his dorm at this hour.”

Eddie scoffed, “And there’s no telling whether he’ll even go to class.”

“He was a straight A student, graduated second in his year, something tells me he’s a guy who doesn’t miss class…especially not in his first year.” Nate added and I agreed.

“Or we split up, one of us goes to the dorm, two to the class and whoever gets to him signals the others.” Eddie continued and I hated the idea the second it was out of his mouth.

“We don’t know what this kid is capable of, he could have people watching him for all we know. We stick together.”

Eddie snorted. “Somehow I doubt he’ll be much of a problem.”

I shook my head, “Yeah well this is a guy who might have played a part in Menza’s death. I wouldn’t underestimate him.”

“Look guys we’re trained agents, we’ve been through worse shit than this, why are you making this harder than it needs to be? If it’s such an issue, I’ll go to the dorm, and you guys can stick with t-”

“We’re not splitting up alright? We already lost you once, it’s not fucking happening again.”  Nate interrupted.

 “If we still manage to keep our jobs after this we’ll have dozens of cases down the line and the chances of me or any of us getting hurt is pretty damn high, so what? You’re gonna put me on the sidelines every time? Cause I won’t work like that Nate.”

“After this case I’m out and something tells me John will be too. I told you about the company I’m starting, private investigating, that kinda thing… I want you to join us, it co-”

“No.” He cut Nate off and I gritted my teeth.

“Christ Eddie, would you just listen? The job isn’t worth your damn life and with the way things are going the likely reward at the end of this is a fucking tomb stone.” I raged.

“I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am and I’m not giving it up just because you guys want to throw it away. We’ll split up, cover more ground and find the kid.”

“Then do whatever works for you, but right now this is still my team, you’re on my case and you’ll follow my orders. We stick together, we watch each other’s backs and we’ll all come out of this mess alive. If you don’t like it, I can drop you off at the nearest bus stop and you find your way home.” Nate interrupted.

His icy tone, which I had grown accustomed to over the years was in place and clearly brooked no argument. He was our team leader after all and in situations like this, when he spoke, you followed orders no questions asked, which was why Eddie fell silent and the rest of the drive was spent as such.

……………………………………….

I glanced down at the small photo I held in my hand then back up at the faces walking by us. Still no sign of the kid. Beside me Nate’s eyes searched the moving crowd and across the way Eddie struck up conversation with anyone he could, trying to get a lead on Kelly’s son. So far no luck.

“I’m starting to think that maybe Eddie was r-”

“There he is.” Nate nudged me and I straightened glancing in the direction his gaze was fixed and sure enough there was the kid…no he looked more like a man than a kid now. Over the past year alone it seemed he’d gone and had a major growth spurt.

He was tall, wide chested, broad shouldered and too well dressed for a kid whose mother was a nurse and father worked as a prison guard. He wore his dark hair slicked back with way too much hair gel so that it took on an almost dirty look and his face hadn’t quite filled out yet showing off his slightly puffed cheeks with barely there stubble.

All in all I’d say apart from the clothes, he looked like a pretty average fresh-eyed freshman. He didn’t look particularly dangerous, maybe even a little bit clueless and slightly awkward but judging a book by its cover was almost always a stupid thing to do.

I watched as Nate stepped toward him and I signaled to Eddie who broke off his conversation immediately, making a beeline for the boy.  When Nate finally approached him ad flashed his badge, I took in the kid’s expression; he seemed surprised, maybe even a little confused but there was no guilt, no nervousness or fear.

 I approached only when they had managed to get him safely away from the crowd and by then Nate had already started his interrogation.

“…and this is your father Edward Kelly?” Nate asked holding up the picture for him to see.

The kid; James, looked at the picture, then at Nate with furrowed brows. “Yeah, but… I don’t understand, what’s this about? Is my dad okay?”

He seemed worried now, his expressive eyes going wide. “We’re investigating the murder of one Joseph Menza. He was killed over a year ago and an innocent man was convicted of the crime. We’ve officially reopened the case.” Nate explained, his face serious, eyes almost glinting.

Officially reopened … there went another misdemeanor to add to our growing list of misdemeanors.

“Okay, what does that have to do with me?” James asked uncertainly.

“You were present at a school- leaving party last year, the sixteenth of June correct?”

James shrugged. “Yeah I guess, but I didn’t stay long I had…I’m not really into parties.”

“Everyone signed the yearbook at the door that night, why didn’t you?”

He shook his head, brows furrowing again. “I don’t know, maybe I just didn’t feel like it, I hardly even remember that night, like I said I didn’t stay long. Why are you asking me all these questions?”

Nate pulled a sheet of paper from inside his jacket and unfolded it. “Says here, you lived with your father back then. Where was he that night?”

“Home. What’s this about? You don’t suspect him do you? He wouldn’t-”

This was getting nowhere. Either the kid really didn’t know anything or he was one hell of an actor. My money was on the former and that didn’t bode well for any of us.

“Where’s your father now?” I tried for a different line of questioning and he looked up at me and shrugged.

“How am I supposed to know? I’m here with you guys remember?”

“Where does he live smartass?” I bit out and James took a hesitant step back.

“I ah… I don’t know, he told me he moved out of the old place a few weeks ago. Said he’s staying with some friends upstate.”

“You’re telling me you don’t know where your own father is living? A man you’ve resided with for most of your life?” I asked skeptically.

“I live on dorm now, I haven’t been back home since I got here. He said he’d give me the new address once he finds someplace new.”

“When was the last time you saw the old man?” I continued.

“Last week…he came over to visit. Look I’m late for class okay I need to-”

Beep

We all glanced down at the sound of a phone beeping which came from the kid’s jacket pocket, the same pocket that the kid’s hand was buried in. Nate latched onto his arm, pulling the object out while the kid protested the action. When he glanced at the screen he cursed and held it out for us to see.

A single word was written across the face of the screen ‘ RUN ’ sent to the number labelled dad .

“You sneaking son of a bitch.” Eddie said shaking his head and the kid tried unsuccessfully to pull out of Nathan’s grasp.

I took the phone from Nate then, dialing the number on the screen and after only the first ring it was answered.

“James? I got your text, what’s going-”

“Your son is being taken into custody as we speak. He’s being charged with the murder of Joseph Menza. If there’s anything you need to say on his behalf I’d suggest you come quickly.” I rattled off an address and hung up when Kelly began to protest. Then I threw the phone to Eddie who caught and pocketed it.

Something was going on here, the text to his old man just proved it and it was time we finally got to the bottom of it all.

I watched as Nate pulled the kid along with us, choosing not to cuff him in order to avoid the stares of those milling around.  It only took a gruff warning from Eddie to get him to cooperate and by the time we made it to the car, the once innocent looking kid was glaring daggers at us all.

I cuffed his hands before him only when we were safely hidden away in the vehicle, surprised that James didn’t even have the decency to look frightened. He only sat there, dry-eyed, alert and looking defiant as we pulled out of the campus parking lot and onto the main road beyond.

We would take him out of state, back to the precinct for official questioning. It was time we came out of hiding and by the time we finally got all the information out in the open, we’d disclose Riley’s location. As for Kyle…that would take just a little while longer.

…………………………………

 We’d managed to get word to the captain through Simon and with a short phone call to the airport authorities, we were cleared for flight with James in custody. Without much to go on we couldn’t actually charge him but maybe we could hold him long enough to get what we needed.

By the time we had landed James was finally subdued, looking tired and finally just a bit uncertain. We picked up Eddie’s van from the airport parking lot and fifteen minutes later we were on the highway headed towards the precinct. It would be a thirty minute drive to the motel where Simon and the boys waited but we couldn’t risk the exposure which meant we would be heading straight to the precinct taking would take us all of two hours.

“This is ridiculous, my father is innocent.” James said for about the fifth time this whole trip and I repeated what I’d told him the other four times.

“If he’s so innocent then why did you warn him?” Again the kid had no response.

“You can’t just show up and drag me to another state, you’re breaking the law, you have to be.” He continued and I wished I could just ram a sock down his throat to keep him quiet.

“Like you and your father broke the law when you murdered Joseph Menza?”

“We didn’t do anything and if this goes to court it’ll be thrown out anyway after you practically kidnapped me.”

“Somehow I doubt that. Either you tell me what happened that night or you shut up, you’re giving me a damn headache.”

He looked away from me then, glancing out the window with barely concealed anger.

The kid was right though, this whole thing could blow up in our faces. This wasn’t an official investigation, hardly even sanctioned by the captain himself, which meant once again our boss would have to call in a few favors to save our asses and keep the case on the table.

It wouldn’t be easy. Not by a long shot.

…………………………………….

“Why do you have Simon’s phone every time I call?” I asked Kyle who had picked up on only the first ring.

I could imagine his shrug “I was bored so I borrowed it.” He said simply and I shook my head.

“This line needs to be free at all times, Simon knows that.”

“It’s not like I’m here making calls Johnny, I’m just fooling around with it and I answered on the first ring anyway didn’t I?”

“Give Simon the phone.”

“What’s going on over there, did you find his son?”

“Yes we have him in custody. We’re taking him to the precinct.” I explained.

“What’s he like?”

I shook my head. “What does it matter what he’s like? Give Simon the phone.”

“I’ll give him when we’re done talking. It’s not like you have an emergency right?”

I took a breath then gave up, I was only calling to check in anyway.

“Alright what?”

“I miss you, what time are you coming back?” his voice had gentled and I could hear his soft breathing on the line.

“I don’t know yet, as soon as we get what we want.”

“That’s hardly reassuring.” He mumbled.

“Yeah well that’s how it is.”

“I still can’t believe it’ll be over soon Johnny. I can’t wait to hug you and kiss-“

I cleared my throat cutting him off mid-sentence. “How is he?” I asked referring to Riley whose name I refused to call while James sat beside me. We couldn’t risk that and Kyle understood right away.

“You mean Riley? Either he’s dying or he’s just really tired because he’s been sleeping all day.” He replied and I snorted.

“Alright well tell Si- what the hell?” I exclaimed when the van jerked and the phone slid through my fingers to clatter onto the floor below.

“Fuck!” Eddie cursed, glancing around and I followed his gaze, letting out an expletive of my own when the van jerked again and I hit my head against the window.

Following close behind us was a black SUV which rammed into our vehicle once more before Nate hit the gas and we were speeding down the road.

“What’s going on?” James asked, eyes wide with fright as he tried to catch a glimpse out the window.

The van jerked again and I reached down to grab the phone from the floor before I grabbed hold of my seatbelt and strapped it on quickly.

“…going on? Johnny? Johnny?” I heard Kyle’s frightened voice once I put the phone to my ear

“Kyle, we’re-”

I ducked when the back window shattered and shards of glass went flying through the air. I felt one nick the back of my neck.

“They’ve got guns!” Eddie shouted again and I pulled out my weapon in a flash, glancing behind me and ducking when another shot was fired.

I reached across and pulled the kid down as I fumbled for the phone again.

“We need back up! We’re on route 66 off highway 11E, tell Simon!” I yelled into the phone then ducked again when another shot was fired this time from Eddie’s weapon.

“Oh my God Johnny, what’s happening?”

“Get Simon!” I shouted again as I was slammed into the door when Nate maneuvered the vehicle around the bend.

“John? What’s going on?” Simon’s voice sounded and rattled off the same instructions I’d given Kyle then; “Trace this call!”

A few moments passed while chaos erupted around us before Simon was back on the line.

“I’m tracing it now, what the fuck’s going on out there?”

A screech of tires sounded against the asphalt and again Nate swung ‘round another bend and out of nowhere another vehicle rounded the corner and blocked our path, the occupants just as vicious as the ones following close behind.

I threw the phone onto the seat beside James and raised my weapon, sending a few shots in that direction. Nate cursed, managing to swing the vehicle around the other SUV, missing it by inches.

Another window shattered and I glanced back, ignoring the warm stream of blood cascading down the side of my face. Behind us, two black SUV’s followed at a frightening pace, men with guns hanging out the windows, aiming at us.

Nate sped along, turning another corner, then another as we tried to lose them somehow. My window shattered and I brought my arm up to cover my face as I turned away from the flying shards.

“We can’t shake them!” Eddie shouted, glancing quickly at the road ahead then back at the vehicles chasing us.

“Hang on!” Nate yelled and we swung around another bend, my head slamming so hard against the back of the seat, I was sure I saw stars.

“Get down! Get down! Get down!”

…………………………………………..

                                            AUTHOR’S NOTES

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER GUYS AND THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND SWEET MESSAGES!.

Check out my new book ‘Skittles’ which is out on my wattpad profile and if you haven’t yet, follow me on

tumblr for updates, ramblings and fun at http://www.tumblr.com/blog/twinzdouble

SHOUTOut: To denny1 who like so many others has gone through so much <3

ENJOY

-Double.A

-unedited.

Chapter 38: Goodbye parade

Chapter 38

“Get down Get down Get down!” I shouted when James lifted his head to take a peek behind us, then I reached across and pulled his head down until he lay flat against the seat.

“Greyson, if we don’t lose them in the next minute, we’re dead men!” I shouted over to my partner who ignored my words as he focused on getting us out of harm’s way.

“There’s a warehouse a mile up, Simon and I did a bust there a few years back, if we can make it there, we can ditch the van and try to lay low till backup comes.” Eddie explained.

“You want us to go to some abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere? I get that we’re in a tough situation but think about what you’re saying. There are three of us against at least eight of them and we’re already almost out of ammo. We’ll be sitting ducks if we go there.”

Eddie shook his head then flinched when the van jerked again. “It’s like a maze in there. We’ll hide out and when they’re searching for us, we pick them off one by one, it’s our best option.”

“Or they could burn the building down with us in it, save themselves some trouble.” I countered as I searched for the damn cell phone.

“Then what do you suggest? Keep driving until they blow our heads off?”

 “We’ll drive to the nearest police station, or go somewhere public, a mall, anywhere, I doubt they’ll be dumb enough to make a move with so many witnesses.”

Nate cursed, jamming on the breaks, allowing the car to slide smoothly around another bend, then he stepped on the gas and once again we were tearing down another street with minimal traffic.

We’d finally managed to put some distance between us and the assholes in the SUV’s but I doubted we’d be able to keep them at bay for much longer.

“We can’t risk the lives of innocent people on the off chance they’re a little camera shy and the nearest… anything is miles away, we won’t make it on the road that long.” Eddie tried and failed to convince me.

“Will you two shut the fuck up so I can concentrate?” Nate yelled, his expression one of pissed determination.

I ducked my head under the seat again in search of the thing and came up empty.

Where was the damn phone when you needed it . Beside me the kid was a mess of tears and snot and I shook my head, it was his damn fault we were- something occurred to me then and I looked at him.

“Eddie throw out his phone!”

“What?”

“The kid’s phone, throw it out, it’s how they found us, probably tracked his damn phone.”

Eddie cursed and dug into his pocket before sailing the thing through the smashed window. “You’re really a piece of work you know that kid?” he addressed James who was clearly lost  in a world of his own.

“Well at least this confirms one thing.” Eddie continued, propping the gun on his lap and getting comfortable in his seat beside Nate as if we weren’t being chased by a group of men trying desperately to fill us with bullets.

“What’s that?”

“We’ve found Menza’s killer.”

I thought about it for second, “Yeah but why would Kelly send men after us like this. His kid could get killed the way they’re going on.”

Eddie shrugged “I never did understand the inner workings of a murderer’s brain” then he turned his attention to Nate. “So where to?”

I felt the van dip, then a loud pop before the vehicle went out of control for a few seconds, swerving along the semi empty road as we went. I held on for dear life, managing to bump my head against the door a few times before Nate had it under control again, but by then our speed had been considerably reduced and I had no doubt the bastards would catch up with us in a heartbeat.

We’d blown a back tire. I made a quick glance around and sure enough, there they were, in the distance but fast approaching.

“Where’s that damn warehouse.” Nate gritted, the decision on our destination clearly made for us and Eddie rattled off the directions, pointing out turns and quick detours along the way.

What was left of our transport bumped along the beaten path we’d taken minutes later and a quick look behind us told me we’d managed to lose them, at least for now.

When I ducked under the seat again, running my hand over the shard-covered flooring, my fingers brushed something out of place and after another half a minute of grappling, I came up with the phone. Without pause, I brushed the dirt off the screen and dialed Simon’s number.

He answered on the first ring.

“Jesus John I’ve been trying to get you for over fifteen minutes now, what’s going on?” and I explained our situation making sure to stress our need for backup, rattling off the estimated number of gunmen on our trail, as well as the address of the warehouse.

He didn’t seem surprised by the news, instead he listened with a professional ear and gave his two cents accordingly. Then when the conversation was at its end he finally dropped the practiced manner, demanding to know how badly, if at all, we were injured and I told him to send an ambulance with the team just in case.

“…got it, lemme talk to Nate real quick.” Simon requested and I shook my head.

“He’s a bit tied up right now Sy, I’ll call you later with an update, just get everything sorted out.” I continued, then made to pull the phone from my ear when he let out a curse.

“Don’t you fucking hang up John, I’m telling you to put Nate on, I need to talk to him.”

“Simon-”

“Anything could happen out there!” then much softer; “put my brother on the phone… Please.”

With I shake of my head I pulled the phone from my ear and hit the speaker button, then tapped Nate on the shoulder to let him know the call was for him.

“He’s here.” I told Simon then who after a pause, let out an uncharacteristic sigh.

“Nate…” he began uncertainly and I almost felt sorry for him. This definitely wasn’t the time for all this lovey-dovey sibling crap.

“What’s up? Backup’s on the way right?” Nate asked, his eyes still glued to the bumpy road ahead. I snuck another quick glance behind us, glad to see the road was still empty. When we took another turn up a narrow street I could breathe easier.

“Yeah of course…I’d say you’ve got a good twenty to twenty-five minutes before they get there. Anyway look, just in case of…anything…”

Nate let out an annoyed grunt, “Now isn’t the time Sy.”

Another pause. “I’m sorry…for everything. I just need you to know that…incase…” he trailed off again and as expected Nate didn’t react appropriately to his brother’s attempt at mending the broken fence between them. Instead he kept his focus locked on the road, his mouth drawn tight.

“Nate-”

“How’s Riley?” Nate interrupted instead and I shook my head.

“Left turn up ahead.” Eddie interrupted.

Another uncharacteristic sigh issued from the line. “He’s fine, still asleep.”

“Wake him up and give him the phone.”

Half a minute later Riley came on, sounding half asleep and confused.

“Nate? What’s going on?”

I watched my partner smile, his head turned slightly toward the phone. When the look of longing entered his eyes, I had to turn away. The road clearly hadn’t been used in a while if the thick vegetation along each side of it was any indication.

“Hey Riles, how’re you feeling?”

“Ugh…better I guess, just a little tired. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah of course, we just… hit a little snag but we’ll be there as soon as we can alright?”

“Good, did you find guard Kelly’s son?”

“Yeah we have him here with us…looks like everything’s finally going the way we want.” He said weakly, just enough to convince Riley I guessed, but the truth would be out soon enough.

Riley released a relived breath and we could all hear the smile in his voice. “Thank God, just hurry and get back alright?”

I glanced at the rear view mirror in time to catch Nate’s expression which was one of uncertainty.

“Yeah of course. I ah… I love you.”

“Uhuh.” A yawn issued from the line, then “Oh Kyle wants to talk to John, hold on.”

I heard the sounds of a phone shifting hands then Kyle came on sounding almost… afraid.

“Johnny?” I heard the slight tremor in his voice and I ended the call, dropping the phone into the pocket of my jeans.

Eddie looked at me but said nothing. I wouldn’t be taking part in the ‘goodbye parade’ today. Damned if I was gonna die out here. We were all making it out of this alive and when I got back Kyle could tell me whatever he had to say in person.

Ten minutes later, we pulled off the road, taking a path between the trees where we would stash the van. The next lap would be made on foot, hopefully giving us more time. I hopped out of the vehicle, dragging the kid along with me. He’d stopped with the pointless tears a little while back. Now he just looked plain scared.

“Come on.” I urged him along and after robbing the vehicle of our gear, we set off. It wasn’t a long walk before we had the warehouse in our sights, but the moment we spotted it, was the same moment a bullet went whizzing by, embedding itself deep within the bark of a tree up ahead.

I ducked, pulling the kid down with me while Nate and Eddie took cover not far away; weapons drawn.

They’d finally caught up with us.

……………………………………………

 Riley’s POV

I learned the truth a few minutes after the call with Nate and it felt as if my heart had plummeted to my feet. Kyle wasn’t doing much better either and I think it was the first time I’d ever seen him so out of sorts, which only made this whole ordeal a hundred times worse.

I sat on the chair wrapped in a blanket as I watched Simon stuff things into bags while talking harshly on the phone with someone, who I guessed was also from the FBI.

 Apparently the guys were in more trouble than I’d thought and a few minutes earlier Kyle had told me he was pretty sure John and the others were being shot at.

I tried to remain positive, remembering the conversation I’d had with Nate but the more I thought about it the more it sounded like he was trying to tell me goodbye rather than see you later.

“What are you doing Kyle?” I asked when he too began stuffing his things into his small bag. He glanced up at me with tired eyes.

“I’m packing my shit. Simon’s going to go find them and so am I.”

“No you’re not.” Simon said then, dropping his cell into his pocket before securing his weapon at his waist.

“You know what the beautiful thing about choice is Simon?” Kyle asked then, staring at Simon with the most serious expression I’d ever seen him muster and when Simon said nothing he continued. “You don’t get to make it for me.”

I flicked the blanket off me and shivered when the cool air touched my skin. In a second I was on my feet.

“I’m coming too.”

Simon gave me a disapproving look, for an instant reminding me of Nate. “The whole point of you guys being here is so you can lay low. The case isn’t solved yet, if I take you out there and someone recognizes you that’s it, you’re back in jail and I can’t help you.”

Kyle hoisted the bag onto his back, looked around the room again, probably to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything and turned back to Simon. “Are we gonna stand around and talk all day or are we gonna go save my man?”

I slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed my own bag which I’d never even bothered unpacking and went to stand by Kyle, who reached over and snagged a roll of hand towels from the bed and handed it to me. I took it with a nod.

Simon only looked around the room, then back at us, probably trying to decide the best course of action, then he picked up his laptop, grabbed his duffel and walked toward to door. “Put on your hoodies, keep them drawn over your face and no matter what, keep your heads down. I don’t want any street cameras singling you two out.” He said simply then exited the room.

I glanced at Kyle, who looked back at me briefly before indicating the door and with a final look around the place, I turned to go. Kyle closed the door behind us.

Five minutes later we were in a rental which Simon had picked up hours ago while I was asleep and the atmosphere in the car was tense. Up front, Simon glanced down at his phone constantly while we sped through the streets and beside me, Kyle sat with his chin propped on his arm and his gaze out the window.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so serious.” I commented and he looked at me.

“You didn’t hear what I heard. They’re in some deep shit Riley, it sounded like a battlefield over there.”

My heart sped in my chest and my palms began to sweat. The more I looked at him, the more nervous I became and the more my worry grew.

“It’s Nate and John though, they can get through anything right?” I asked needing his optimism right now, or some form of hope that they would be okay, but he only shook his head, then ever so slightly his bottom lip trembled.

“They’re only human Riley.”

Only human…

It felt as if a vise had wrapped itself around my heart and just like that the tears began to build. I knew they were only human but Nate could get through anything, he had to. I … I couldn’t lose him.

                                          AUTHOR’S NOTES

Thanks for reading. More chapters to come!

Don’t forget to add the sequel  Cell Mates 2: Dead Men Tell no Tales  to your reading lists. It’s available on my profile.

Also, don’t forget to follow me here on wattpad.

If you’re into vampire

stories and sexy hot soldiers go check out my book

‘A Vampire’s Marine’   definitely not your typical vampire story.

Add me on instagram: doublezone_books   

Check back next week for the next chapter!

-Double.A

-unedited.

Chapter 39: Low hanging branches.

Chapter 39

The longer it took to get there the more frustrating it got. Beside me, Kyle chewed nervously on his nails and in front of me, Simon sat cursing into his cell phone. With every mile we drove my anxiety grew and the pain in my chest grew with it.

Where were Nate and the others?

What kind of trouble were they in?

Were the hurt?

Were they even alive?

These question whirled around in my mind, over and over again, with each possibility just as sickening as the last.

I looked at Kyle, took in his nails which were bitten down to the quick, the way his eyes seemed to take in everything we passed and the way he’d gone quiet for possibly the first time since I’d known him; that alone was frightening.

I was so used to him being my positive ball of energy, the one who could make me see the silver lining in even the worst of circumstances, but here he was, just as terrified as I was and offering nothing in the way of comfort. For about the hundredth time since we’d set out, I felt my eyes fill and again I refused to let them fall. If I lost all hope now I’d fall to pieces and then I’d be of no help at all to Nate if he needed me.

I curled my hands into fists and felt my nails bite into the soft flesh, then I took a breath, opened them and looked at the red, crescent shaped punctures dotting my palms.

I needed him to be okay. I needed them all to be okay. I glanced over at Kyle again and this time he looked at me, but gone were the cheerful eyes and insane optimism. He looked lost.

“You’ve always been so fearless. Even when we were in prison you didn’t care, it never bothered you. When we escaped you were fine with it, so what changed Kyle? Is there something you’re not telling me? What else did John say?” I questioned in desperation and he shook his head, almost in pity.

“Don’t be stupid Riley, do I look fearless to you? I was terrified in prison. Every time my dad visited I begged him to find some way to get me out, practically every night I cried like some little girl from just wanting to be anywhere but there and of course I was afraid when we escaped, I’m still afraid, if I get caught, I’m going back and it’s not gonna be a measly three month sentence this time!” he raged and I sat back in surprise.

“But you always seemed…”

“I can’t help that I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve like you do. I’ve tried to make the best of the situation,  to push it all to the back of my mind so I could cope and…I guess having Johnny there helped too, but I’m only human…we all are and we all get scared and we all die. It’s just how life is…but if Johnny…” he took a shaky breath, “If anything happens to him it’ll kill me Riley….”

I watched in horror as his lower lip wobbled, but he bit it and turned away. I sighed. “Please give me some good news Simon.” I begged when he finally dropped the phone onto the seat beside him, but he only shook his head and I felt my frustration grow.

“We have just as much right to know what’s going on as you do. Why are you being such a dick?” I raged, pissed that he’d try to keep crucial information from us.

He glanced into the rearview mirror and our eyes locked, then his he glanced back on the road. “There’s been reports of a high speed chase on the highway; two SUV’s pursuing a vehicle that matches the description of Eddie’s van. Witnesses claim shots were being fired.” He began and I felt my chest tighten.

“John says they’re heading to a warehouse not far off course. I did a bust there once.”

“Why are they going to some warehouse? Why don’t they drive to a police station or something? What the hell are they thinking?” Kyle erupted and Simon shook his head.

“They’ve got a busted tire, they won’t be able to keep up for much longer. Their best bet is to find somewhere they can lay low until help comes.”

“Who are these guys? Is it guard Kelly?” I questioned, leaning around the seat so I could see his face.

“I don’t know, but I doubt it. He’d likely get his son killed chasing after them like that…” he trailed off, “Then again I don’t know a thing about the guy.”

I took a shaky breath. “This is bad.”

Simon nodded. “That’s all I know. Now shut up so I can concentrate.”

…………………………………………………

The flashing lights were the first indication that we had finally arrived and I sat up straighter in my seat, craning my neck to see if I could even catch a glimpse of Nate and the others, but all I could see amidst the trees and dirt were police cars and official looking people dressed in suits.

Simon brought the car to a stop about a quarter of a mile away from the others, down the narrow street and shot us both a look when we automatically moved to open our doors.

“Bringing you two here was a mistake, you’re still fugitives and there’s still a manhunt on for you guys, which means you’re not safe here.” He began seriously. “I need you to stay here, no matter what and keep hidden. Keep your hoods up and get on the floor.” He continued and we scrambled to do as he instructed.

“There’ll be cops and agents coming in and out of this street, so no matter what you do, don’t let anyone spot you, understand?”

I nodded while Kyle kept his gaze fixed on Simon’s face.

“I’ll keep you updated.” He finished, then I watched as he cracked the windows slightly and pulled the key from the ignition, before locking the doors and stepping out into the cool evening air.

I craned my neck, watching his progress until I lost him in the mess of officers, then I dropped my head into my hands and prayed for the best. Beside me, Kyle stretched out as best he could on the floor of the car, his head cradled on his arm as he looking unseeingly at the back of the seat.

Twenty minutes later and Simon had yet to show up. I had no idea what was going on out there and I was pretty sure the wait was going to eat me alive. Not too long ago I’d fished out Nate’s card pack from where it was hidden deep within the confines of my bag and Kyle and I were already on our third game of Go-Fish when we heard the shots.

I jumped up from our hiding place, peeking over the seat to see if I could somehow catch a glimpse of what was going on out there, but all I could see from this far out, were agents moving about while the shots continued from somewhere deep within the trees.

Nate was out there . Caught somewhere in all that mess, he was out there fighting to stay alive, while I was trapped here without a clue as to what was going on. I felt the frustration build and I slammed my fist against the seat.

“I need to see what’s going on.” Kyle said seriously and I glanced over at him with a frown.

“Yeah well until Simon comes with news, we won’t know a fucking thing.” I growled in frustration and his mouth tightened.

“I’m going out there.”

My brows furrowed. “Don’t be ridiculous Kyle, if you set one foot out of this car they’ll haul your ass back to the prison. If they don’t shoot you first.”

He shook his head. “Then I won’t let them see me. I’ll go through the trees.”

“They’re firing shots through the trees! Or haven’t you realized that by now?” He was losing his mind.

My eyes widened when he reached for the door. “I’ll keep hidden. I just need to see if they’re alright.” He said, then pulled on the handle and pushed the door open.

I grabbed his arm. “Don’t.  Kyle this is crazy!”  I practically yelled, but he pulled away from me, his eyes hard and glinting.

“No! Sitting in here, hiding while the people we care about are out there fighting for their lives is crazy! I’m going to find Johnny. You can stay here and wait for Simon all you want!” and just like that he was gone. For a second I could only watch in stunned silence, then when I gathered my wits, I was pushing through the door after him, ducking down as I ran from the car and into the trees not far away.

……………………………………………

I wiped my runny nose with the back of my hand and almost tripped over a protruding tree root for my troubles. Beside me, Kyle ducked behind another tree, glancing out into the bushes. I could still hear the gun shots not far away and at one point I had even spotted an FBI agent, with gun aimed and firing.

It would be sad indeed if we ended up getting shot by the good guys. Kyle was of course, determined, pulling me along with him whenever I stopped to catch my breath and cursing me out whenever I so happened to start my usual bout of coughing. At the moment, my chest was so tight I felt as though I was struggling to breathe and I cursed the damn flu that just wouldn’t go away.

“Jus gimmie a sec.” I gasped, slapping a hand to my chest as I tried to take a deep breath.

Kyle bit his lip, looking out and about, possibly to make sure we weren’t spotted by anyone who just happened to come this way.

I sniffled, wiped my nose again and tried to get a normal flow of air through my lungs. Kyle glanced over me and his brow furrowed, this time in concern and when the back of his hand came to rest against my forehead I batted it away.

My illness was taking its toll. We’d only been out here amongst the trees for about half an hour, yet my body felt as if I’d been running for hours on end.

“You don’t look so good.” Kyle commented with a whisper and I nodded.

I could have sworn that particular round of shots was closer than the others. “Come on let’s go.” I rasped, pushing up from the ground.

The more we ran, the closer the shooting sounded and the more nervous I became. I could no longer count on two hands the number of times I’d tripped and fallen.

At one point, a branch smashed into the side of Kyle’s face, leaving a massive bruise from chin to eye and for a second he groaned, holding his face in his hands and I watched in horror as about half a dozen agents darted through the trees not far from where we stood.

“We need to keep moving.” I said, grabbing hold of my friend’s arm and once again we were moving silently through the trees, sidestepping roots and ducking under low hanging branches.

Throughout the entire journey, I managed to scratch my skin raw, sprain my pinky and skin both my knees and when I thought it could get no worse,  a spider, the size of which I had never seen before, somehow lodged itself into my hair and I’d had to hold my breath as Kyle smacked it away with a stick.

It was highly likely that the agents were trying to surround the shootout, which was certainly a good plan if they had any chance of catching the bad guys, but our plan was to somehow get to Nate and the others, which meant we would need to bypass the agents and get into the middle of the chaos. With every step I took, my confidence in the plan shrunk.

This was borderline insane. I knew it, Kyle knew it, but if he wouldn’t give up, then I couldn’t either. Letting him do this alone was out of the question, even if it got us both killed.

I sniffled again and Kyle clapped his hand over my nose, before shoving me to the ground. From there, we had to crawl along the thick grass and dirt, over a strange assortment of insects and somehow do it all as silently as possible.

We’d managed to make it past at least two sets of agents without being seen; the thick cover of the trees and the noise from the gun shots provided us with the best shield and I counted my lucky stars we hadn’t been shot yet.

It was only when the sound of the shots reached an all-time high and a bullet whizzed past us, lodging itself deep into a tree not far behind that I realized we’d somehow managed to make it into the very center of the shoot-out.  I crawled behind Kyle, staying as low as possible until we were ‘safely’ tucked away behind a wide oak.

I rubbed my chest, trying desperately to loosen the tightness I felt there and Kyle instructed me to take slow, deep and calming breaths.

“Let’s just stay here for a while, I don’t… think I can manage to go much further.” I pleaded and he was quick to nod, looking every bit as worn out as I felt.

As we rested up against the bark of the tree, feet spread out before us, I felt as if the shooting would never end. It seemed to come from every direction and every sound sent my heart racing and my hands shaking.

When Kyle took my hands between his own and squeezed them, I offered him a small smile at the comforting gesture. I was scared. No doubt about it and right then, I felt as if we were trapped in a war zone with no possibility of coming out of it alive.

I closed my eyes and offered up a silent prayer.

“I don’t know what to do.” Kyle shouted and I looked at him, which allowed me to see the fear in his eyes which mirrored my own. We shouldn’t have come out here.

I felt like we sat there for ten minutes at least before everything died down and the forest became silent again. All that could be heard was the rustling of the trees and I wondered what had made them stop. I looked around in confusion, too scared to move my body even an inch lest it all started up again.

It was then that the shouting began and for the first time since we’d been out here I felt a frisson of hope when I heard John’s voice.

“Just give us the kid and we’ll be out of your hair!” an unfamiliar voice shouted into the silence.

“Kelly? Is that you?” John called back and Kyle froze beside me, his eyes darting around as he searched for the direction John’s voice had come from.

His question was greeted with silence but John went on.

“You sure you wanna do this Kelly? Your kid could get hurt out here if you don’t ease up!”

“Aint no body named Kelly out here man, give us the damn kid or I swear you’re gonna wish you’d never gotten within a mile of that brat!”

The voice called back finally and I knew instantly that Guard Kelly wasn’t among them. I would have recognized his voice. I was sure of that.

“Johnny!” Kyle called out then and I froze, shocked that he would give away our position so easily.

There was only silence in response and I held my breath, then sure enough a hesitant answer went up.

“Kyle?”

“I’m here! Come get us Johnny please!” he pleaded and this time a spray of bullets came our way. I threw myself to the ground, as low as I could manage and covered my head. Through the mess of flying bullets I could hear John shouting Kyle’s name, but it was only when the shooting stopped again that I grabbed Kyle, pulling him along with me and away from the spot.

The bad guys knew there was a third party involved now and I was worried they’d come after us. The farther we ran the more paranoid I became, but I kept going until Kyle tugged on my arm and I glanced back to see that he’d stopped running. His eyes were focused on something up ahead and I followed his gaze. What I saw made my heart jump in my chest and I gasped.

Nate !

Not too far ahead of us, my lover was ducking down behind a tree, a gun held tightly in his hand as he stared at us in shock. I took an unsteady step toward him and he shook his head and waved at me to get down so I dropped, pulling Kyle down with me. I looked for any sign of the others but it was only Nate, looking battle worn but otherwise unhurt and I thanked whoever cared to listen that my baby was safe.

When Nate shifted further away from us my eyes widened but when he looked at me and put a finger over his mouth I nodded in understanding, going as far as to purse my lips as I lay there waiting for something… anything to happen.

It was then that I heard it; someone moving through the trees and I stiffened in fear, terrified that we were about to be found, then all too soon everything went quiet again and I held my breath, but kept my eyes firmly on Nate who seemed to be signaling to someone further away.

A long time passed where all around us was silence and I wondered if by some crazy miracle it was all over. I felt Kyle straighten up off the ground and I silently followed suit, pressing my back against the tree trunk as I listened. It was only then that I felt the familiar tickling deep within my throat and fought against the automatic reaction, going as far as to hold my breath to prevent it. 

I rubbed my hand against my throat, trying desperately to dislodge the feeling until my eyes began to water and I couldn’t any longer and Just like that, I broke down in a fit of coughs, unable to catch my breath as the symptom of my illness took over.

The bullets came then, slamming into the tree I was leaning against and hitting other things around us. I screamed in horror when they just kept coming and I could feel bits of bark flying around me and leaves from the trees being ripped apart against the onslaught.

Kyle pulled me roughly to the ground and covered me with his body as everything around us went to hell. Twice I heard my name being shouted through the trees but mostly I heard the chaos and the loud explosions and never  in my life had I ever been so utterly terrified.

                                                             AUTHOR’S NOTES

 I DO HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER AND I’LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WITH ANOTHER UPDATE!

DON’T FORGET TO Check out my book:  ‘A VAMPIRE’S MARINE’ AND FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM at : doublezone_books

YALL BETTER NOT HATE ON MY KYLE !

KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 40: Stacks of metal.

Chapter 40

While the chaos erupted around me I could only feel the weight of Kyle’s body pressed against mine and the hardened earth digging into my hands and face, as the pounding in my ears grew louder and louder. I couldn’t tell if Kyle was hurt, I couldn’t even tell if I was, the only thing I knew, was that I was scared stiff to the point where I could no longer open my mouth to scream.

I snapped my eyes shut, as if not being able to see the flying bark and leaves would somehow make it all go away. My chest felt tight, my nose was running and I imagined the wet stuff seeping through my eye lids to be tears. I took a shallow breath which hurt like hell and only succeeded in burning my sore throat. When I felt Kyle shift above me, my heart jumped with relief.

He was okay.

He wasn’t dead …at least as far as I could tell.

“Ah!” I heard him yell right then and a moment later his weight completely left my body and I was being pulled from the ground, almost roughly.

“Come on, stay as close to the ground as you can and run!” I heard Nathan shout and I twisted around in surprise to see him right behind me, shoving me and Kyle into the direction he wanted us to go.

I stumbled a few times because I was foolish enough to look back, checking to make sure Nate was still safe behind us, and my aching chest didn’t do much to make the journey any easier.

Shots were still being fired and every so often I could swear a stray whizzed past us, but with Nate’s insistence I kept going, tearing through the trees as fast as I could manage, while keeping my head down and body bent at the waist. Twice I fell, injuring my already scraped up knee and I could feel the blood running down the inside of my pant leg.

The further we ran, the more muted the sounds of the shooting became, and after a while, all I could hear was the sound of our feet passing lightly over the ground and my own heart still pounding rapidly in my chest. When I peeled my eyes from the ground and looked up ahead, I spotted Eddie just as he dove behind the bark of a tree, and even further away I could see John, settling in with a guy whose identity I couldn’t decipher from such a distance.

The third time I tripped, it was over the unmoving body of a man I’d never seen before and I slapped my hand over my mouth to hold in the shocked shout that was sure to burst free, when I realized  just why he wasn’t moving; a shot to the head.

I watched, with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as Nate searched through the man’s clothes, managing to pull a silver gun from the waistband of the dead guy’s jeans. Then we were on the move again.

Beside me, Kyle panted as we went, expertly sidestepping protruding roots and every other trap nature flung our way, but with each step the tightness in my chest grew until I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. When the tingling started in my fingers and the black dots started flashing before my eyes I stopped completely, sliding against a weak looking tree and onto the ground, where I clutched at my chest in hopes that the feeling would pass.

Nate grabbed my arm, trying to pull me up again, but I fought against his hold in panic, desperately shoving him away from me so I could catch a breath.

“Run! Go to Eddie!” he shouted at Kyle who took off in the direction we had been going.

“Riley, come on we can’t stay here!” Nate was yelling but even though he crouched directly in front of me, he sounded farther away.

“I can’t…breathe…wa…wait.” I gasped out. By now my lungs were burning, and I tore at my shirt trying to get it off me so I could breathe easier.

Nate grabbed my hands and pulled me up, but my knees buckled, and he was forced to drag me along the ground while I continued to gasp for air. I felt as though I was drowning and I fought, kicking and clawing at him so I could catch a breath.

After what seemed like a lifetime later, I felt the hard bark of a tree against my back and Nate was crouched before me, my face trapped in his hands.

“Riles listen to me.”

I tilted my head, sucking in air from wherever it chose to come and the tears spilled over from my watery eyes.

“Breathe Riley, I’m here, just breathe.” He was saying over and over again and for a while he demonstrated, exaggerating his breathing as if he wanted me to mimic him.

“Just breathe, that’s right, just relax and breathe.”

As the minutes ticked by, the tightness in my chest slowly began to ease and I practiced taking breaths as deep as I could manage. Nate stuck with me, my face still held between his palms as he encouraged, until eventually the tightness fell away completely and all I was left with was a strange burning sensation in my chest and an aching head.

I slumped against the tree, exhausted and feeling completely worn out and for a moment I closed my eyes and imagined how good it would feel to sleep.

“You’re burning up. What the hell are you two doing out here?” he questioned and I cracked an eye open to look at him.

“We hitched a ride with Simon.” I said by way of explanation and he swore.

“Why am I not fucking surprised.” He said, his expression having changed to one of anger, before he pinched the bridge of his nose and pushed up from the ground.

“Come on we can’t stay here.”

I let out an exasperated breath. “Just give me two minutes please.” I pleaded, too weary to even muster the strength I would need to pull myself from the ground.

Nate turned around and signaled to Eddie and a moment later, he and Kyle were pushing up from their own spots and taking off through the trees.

“You can rest when this is all over. If we stay here we might as well sign our own death certificates. Let’s go.” He said seriously then pulled me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my waist so that most of my weight rested on him as we ran.

I could still hear the shooting in the distance and as we ran, it sounded as if it was getting nearer rather than farther away, which meant they were catching up to us. The only good news really, was that shooting meant that the agents were finally engaged in the chaos and we at least had some help.

I couldn’t see the others up ahead, but what I could see was a break in the trees and I wondered as I ran, whether we were running toward some sort of clearing.

“There’s a warehouse up ahead, if we can get there, we’ll be safe.” Nate explained.

If was a tough time to have the flu and I was certainly reaping all the rewards of the damned illness; runny nose, watery eyes, swollen lymph nodes, cold sweats and all. I never thought I would crave a bed as much as I did then.

The closer we got the clearing, the more my hopes rose. Nate said we would be safe when we got there and I desperately needed for us all to be safe. It was not to be however, because when we finally broke through the trees, it wasn’t a clearing that we stumbled upon, but the warehouse Nate mentioned. It was huge and ancient but I failed to see how we could be any safer here than we were back in the trees.

Up ahead Eddie, Kyle and the guy who’d been with John were approaching the massive metal doors of the place and Nate pulled me along, cursing viciously as he looked around.

“Where the fuck is my backup?” he was shouting and Eddie turned to him, looking just as pissed, if not more so.

“Once again Simon  has to let me down. Why am I not surprised.” He ranted as he approached the doors.

“When we got here the cops and a bunch of agents were further down. Maybe they heard the shooting in the trees and decided to stop.” I tried to defend Simon, but the others weren’t listening to me and I took the opportunity to slide to the ground, resting up a bit before they decided on their next course of action.

I fixed my gaze on the guy who’d been with John and recognized him as the guy from the year book; guard Kelly’s son. I disliked him instantly. He and his asshole of a father were the reason we were in this mess, yet here he was standing around looking scared and lost.

“Where’s Johnny?” Kyle asked then and everyone froze. Eddie and Nate looked around in surprised confusion before fastening their gaze on the newcomer.

“Where’s John?” Nate questioned, his eyes narrowed as he took one step, then another towards him.

He back up, raising his hands before him. “I don’t know he told me to run so I ran.” He said, voice shaking as he did.

Nate ran a hand over his face in frustration. “Watch the kid.” He told Eddie then surprised me when he took off heading right back into the forest we’d just emerged from.

I pushed up from the ground, taking an unsteady step in that direction and Eddie grabbed my arm. When I looked at him he shook his head and I bit my lip, looking back at the trees Nate had just disappeared into.

Right then Eddie bent to grab a rusted metal pole from the ground and turned to the locked warehouse door.

Kyle gasped then and I glanced his way to watch as he pulled something from the pocket of his jeans. “I almost forgot about this.” He said, pulling one of Simon’s phones out to show us.

I hadn’t even seen when he’d pocketed it.

Eddie grabbed it from his hand and ruffled Kyle hair, grinning as he tapped the phone screen. “Jesus Kyle what would we do without you?”

“You call Simon, I’ll get the door open.” Kyle assured him, then pulled the pole from his hand and slammed it against the bottom half of the rusted lock. It didn’t budge but he kept trying, slamming again and again.

Beside me Eddie, had the phone to his ear and save for the clunking of pole against lock, it was just quiet enough for me to make out Simon’s voice when he finally answered.

“We’re in!” Kyle shouted in delight and I sighed in relief when the lock fell to the ground and he pushed the massive doors open.

Eddie ushered us in and pushed up the door behind us, probably to give the illusion that it was still locked.

“…met up with them a few minutes ago, what the fuck were you thinking Si?” Eddie was saying as we followed him further into the place.

It was filthy and old and I hoped the putrid smell coming from one corner of the room was not that of rotting flesh.  Up ahead, a rat the size of my fist scurried past and cringed. The sooner we got out of here, the better.

The place was mostly filled with junk; scraps of metal, sullied plastic cups, broken glass and pretty much everything one would expect to see in an abandoned warehouse.

It was pretty dark, the only source of light coming from the large dirty windows in the center of the room, which allowed me to make out the rows and rows of shelves and stacks upon stacks of greasy metal.

“We’ve got Edward Kelly. They brought him in ten minutes ago.” I heard Simon say and I spun around to look at Eddie who looked just as surprised as I was.

“Wait, he wasn’t among the assholes shooting at us?”

“No he turned up at the bureau, saying some FBI agent took his son and he wanted him back.  I got the call, put two and two together and had them bring him out here.”

Eddie scratched his head. He looked as frustrated as I felt.

“So he has nothing to do with this then.” Eddie surmised.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Simon continued, then a pause and we could hear him talking to someone in the background.

“Alright, forget that, just hurry up and get your ass down to the warehouse, we’re running out of bullets and something tells me, things are gonna heat up real soon.”

“We’ll be there in five minutes… and Eddie…” Simon trailed off.

“Yeah?”

Pause

“Nothing…just sit tight.” Then the line went dead and we were plunged right back into silence.

“This is all just so fucked up.” I sighed.

“Come on, we gotta get upstairs.” Eddie said and we followed behind him as he led the way, clearly familiar with the layout of the place.

We found a stairway, hidden behind another stack of ripped up metal. It was solid enough that I didn’t fear falling through as I stepped up, and in no time we found ourselves in another large space, much like downstairs only, with far more places to hide or get lost.

The dust was practically growing in the room and the air was thick with the smell of grease and a strange chemical.

“What was this place used for anyway?” I questioned.

“Scrap metal trade.” Eddie said, “At least that’s what they advertised the business as until we found the drugs in the back room.” he continued, pointing to a door further down the way.

We walked through aisle after aisle, and passed row after row of shelving before coming to stop in front of one particular shelf standing by itself in a corner. Eddie pulled it away from the wall, which took some amount of effort and the scarping of metal against the concrete floor was loud and startling.

Behind it, was a door I hadn’t expected to be there and Eddie pried it open and stepped inside. We all filed in behind him into another open space about half the size of the first room with more stacks of junk.

Down stairs, as clear as day we heard the scraping of the warehouse doors and knew we had company. Eddie waved us over to crouch behind a large shelf in the back of the room and drew his weapon, moving silently across the room and out the door, leaving the three of us to wait silently for the approach of our visitor.

There was just no way they could find us where we were. They’d have to search and that alone would take a while. I hoped, but within five minutes I heard the footsteps approaching and I sighed in relief when it was Eddie who reentered with John and Nate in tow.

“Thank God!” Kyle and I breathed in unison.

“It won’t be long now before they find this place.” John spoke, moving to the back of the room where we were crouched, and lowering himself to the ground. Nate and Eddie followed suit and then it was the six of us sitting there behind shelf and the stacks of metal in silence.

“I got ahold of Simon, they’re five minutes out.” Eddie announced and Nate’s brows furrowed.

“How’d you manage that? John lost the phone miles back.” He continued and Eddie tilted his head to Kyle whose eyes were fixed on John.

“I took it from the car before we came looking for you guys.” He offered with a small smile and John nodded. He didn’t seem particularly pissed that we were out here, instead he looked just as worn as Nate and Eddie, as if the only thing he wanted to do right then was go home.

Nate shifted to sit in front of me and when I smiled at him, he returned it.

“What the hell happened to your face?” John’s voice interrupted the brief silence once again and I watched him take Kyle’s chin in hand, turning my friend’s face so he could inspect the large angry bruise that ran from his chin to eye. The eye was already swelling, making him look like he’d been punched a few times or at least taken too many doors to the face.

“I was attacked by a tree branch.” Kyle explained and I found myself grinning despite the serious shit we were in.

John only shook his head, let go of Kyle’s face and grumbled something to himself.

“How are you feeling?” Nate asked and I grimaced.

“Like I just wanna go home.” I said and from the corner of my eye I saw Kyle nod.

“I think it’s time we asked James here a few questions.” Eddie said and the guy’s eyes widened; in fear? in surprise? I couldn’t tell anymore.

“We don’t have the time. We’ve got to find them a place to hide until this mess is over.” John interrupted and Nate nodded in agreement. I imagined he meant James, Kyle and me and I dreaded the thought of being separated from Nate again.

“Alright let’s-” Nate began and was in the process of pushing up from the ground when we heard the familiar scraping of the warehouse door against the concrete floor downstairs.

“Too late.” John hissed and I nervously licked my dry lips.

I watched as John checked his gun. “I’m outta bullets.” He announced and almost like a domino effect Eddie and Nate did the same.

“I’ve got one.” Eddie said and I looked at the two guns Nate held, hoping he would have better news.

The first one he checked came up empty and he placed it on the ground beside him.

“Three.” He said when he checked the other and I looked at each of their grim faces, worrying my lower lip as I imagined what this must mean.

“We better hope Si comes through soon or we’re dead men.” Eddie said seriously and before I could blink, John pulled Kyle to him and kissed him soundly on the lips.

It was this unusual display of affection from John that sent a sliver of fear through me and I looked at Nate, praying he would offer me some whisper of hope, praying that this wasn’t seriously the end.

“It’s okay, we’re all gonna be fine.” He said, but the small smile he offered me was weak and unconvincing.

                                                                AUTHOR’S NOTES

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-unedited.

Chapter 41: Family.

Chapter 41

I ran a shaky hand over my face.

“Nate, do me a favor and don’t lie to me.” I said quietly and he looked away, resting his back against the wall, elbows propped onto his knees and gun held firmly in his hand.

Downstairs we could hear the men, making no attempt to be quiet. They were sloppy if you asked me. I imagined the sensible thing to do would be to enter quietly, surprise us using stealth rather than announcing exactly where they were. It was clear they weren’t professionals but it didn’t take a professional to end a life.

I worried my bottom lip between my teeth and glanced at Kyle, who had moved to sit between John’s legs, his own elbows resting on his lover’s raised knees, and his back against John’s chest.

John’s easy acceptance was worrying, and I clenched my fists, trying to keep my hands from shaking.

“We’ve just gotta protect each other. We’ll find a way out of this.” Kyle whispered.

 As always he was filled to the brim with optimism, but in light of our current situation, his words did nothing for me.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” James whispered brokenly.

 He had tears streaming down his face and no matter how much he swiped at them, they just kept coming. I reached over and dropped a comforting hand on his shoulder.

I could understand how he was feeling, at least the five of us knew each other. James, though, James was all alone up here, with no one to assure him but a bunch of strangers, and despite the fact that he may very well be the reason I’d been wrongly convicted; I couldn’t just sit here watching him suffer.

“Kelly just wants his son back. What if we use him to negotiate?” John said and I was already shaking my head when Eddie spoke.

“Simon told me earlier that Kelly’s with him. I don’t think he’s involved in this and if he is, he’s one sick bastard getting his kid mixed up in this mess.” He finished and Nate let out a string of curses.

“It’s just one shit storm after another.” John commented drily.

“Who the hell are these guys?”

“T-they want me…because I know too much.” James whispered through his tears, and we all turned to face him. Completely alert.

“What do you mean? What do you know?” Eddie prodded, and James shook his head then took a shaky breath.

“I know about….” Another deep breath. “the drugs and the people they killed, the guards, everything…but they made my dad do it, he’d never just get up and kill someone; they forced him to do it, I swear!” he hissed. By now his face had gone red and splotchy and I patted his shoulder again, trying to calm him.

“Wait, wait, wait…” Nate began, his brows furrowed in obvious confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Start from the beginning and hurry up.” John told him, glancing around the room as if he expected someone to burst out of the shadows at any moment.

“Wait gimmie the phone.” Kyle said to Eddie who pulled it out, but didn’t pass it on.

“Why?”

Kyle pulled it from his hand without a word and fidgeted with it for a second, before placing it on the floor in front of James. “I’m recording it, just in case…in case we don’t make it.” He said and I swallowed past the lump in my throat.

John looked away and Eddie nodded. If anything, I think it put more stress on James, who wrapped his arms around himself, while Nate only watched, his face devoid of emotion.

“Awhile back my dad told me he had a plan to set us up for life.” James began. “ I won a scholarship, but he wanted me to go to college feeling comfortable, without having to work while going to school, but we didn’t have that kind of money and…“ he wiped his eyes with  the tail of his shirt.

“Anyway, I didn’t really take him seriously. He always has all these plans and schemes  that never work…but… it wasn’t long after he told me that he started bringing in cash…buying me things, things we couldn’t ever afford before.” Another deep breath.

“I knew though, I knew he couldn’t be getting the cash legally, I just knew, it but I didn’t care…for the first time we had things and my dad was happy so-”

“We don’t have time for this.” Eddie interrupted. “The longer we stay here the closer they come to finding us.”

“Unless they have intimate knowledge of this place, it’ll take them a good while to find us.” John told him, but Eddie wasn’t having it.

“Yeah well I’d rather not sit here and wait for them. We’ve gotta make a move.”

“With what? We’ve got four bullets between us. We’re not exactly equipped to start a war with these people.” Nate responded. “If there’s a chance we can get information to use against them…information to scare them, or bluff our way through, then we’d better take it.” He finished.

Eddie shook his head, but otherwise remained quiet, and Nate nodded at James to continue.

“One night my dad came home…he was a mess. Been crying and…just a mess, and that’s when he told me everything. About where he got the money and that he was dealing drugs and…” James wiped at the fresh tears again, then jerked when he heard something downstairs smash against the floor. When he realized we were waiting intently for him to continue he did.

“My dad saw some things…people getting killed, and he couldn’t stand it anymore so he told them he wanted out. They threatened him, threatened to kill both of us, and his boss is somebody really powerful so he told me he didn’t have a choice.

“When he came home that night, he’d just killed somebody. They made him do it. The guy at the party…they made him kill him.” James continued, his red, watery eyes pleading with each of us to believe him.

“Joseph Menza you mean.” I said quietly and James nodded.

I looked at Nate, my heart in my throat, not sure how to feel now that we’d finally discovered the truth. I suppose I should feel relived, or even angry at James for not coming forward with the information as soon as he’d found out, but I only felt sick to my stomach.

“Why’d they make him kill Menza?” I interrogated but James shook his head.

“I don’t know. He was one of the dealers, I think he owed money…I don’t know.”

“So the guys after us now, they think you have something on them and that’s why they’re after you.” John said and James nodded.

“Is that why your dad left the apartment? Because he knew they’d come after him too?” Kyle questioned. This time James looked a bit uncertain.

“It’s why he sent me to a university out of state. He wanted to hide me, just in case they tried anything, but they didn’t have a reason the come after us. My dad was still on board…well he was until they killed Malone.” James trailed off and I leaned closer.

“Malone?” Nate questioned, his brows knitted together in confusion.

“This guy I knew back in high school. He was my friend, I was stupid, I told him, and he went to the prison and they killed him because he was gonna talk.”

I gasped. “Malone, oh my God, the guy who came to talk to me in prison.” I turned the Nate. “The one who said he had information that could get me out!” I hissed and everyone turned back to James in what I could only guess was surprise.

“My dad said they killed him because of what he knew, and it wouldn’t take them very long to realize how he came by that information.”

“So the day Riley made that call to Jerry, you father was monitoring the call, and relayed that information to his boss.” John said to clarify, but James was already shaking his head.

“No the other guards…they were monitoring, they informed the warden and he took it from there.”

“The warden?” John turned his wide eyes onto Nate, who looked as shocked as he was.

Eddie let out a breath as if he’d been punched in the gut.

“Yeah, the warden…my dad’s boss.” James confirmed.

“Holy shit.” John expelled.

“Holy mother fucking shit, we just blew this case wide open.” Eddie exclaimed as low as he could.

“This whole time…this whole time they were connected.” Nate murmured almost to himself.

“What? What’s connected?” I questioned in confusion.

“Both cases.” Eddie explained, his eyes, for the first time since Kyle and I had caught up with him, were brimming with excitement.

“Your case, and the case we’ve been working for two years. We just found a witness.” he continued, looking at James as if he’d been sent from heaven.

“We’ve got two.” Nate added, before scooping up the phone and pushing a few buttons. “I sent the recording to Simon. You said he has Kelly?” he looked at Eddie, who nodded.

“Good.”

“What about the breakout? I’m guessing he had something to do with it.” John questioned and James shrugged.

“I don’t know the full story, but my dad said his boss was planning something big. It could have been the break out, but I don’t know.”

“It would explain why our escape was so easy, and why it took them so long to send out a search party, and to set up roadblocks even after we’d escaped for more than an hour.” John surmised. “But it still doesn’t explain why he’d do it. His negligence alone would put him under review…why would he shed so much light on himself if he’s trying to keep his own muddled affairs under wraps?”

No one had an answer for that.

“I think the question we all need to focus on right now, is how they found out we had James.” Nate added.

“You’re right, if they actually were tracking his phone, then why didn’t they grab him when they had the chance? Back on campus before we got there?” Eddie contemplated and John’s brows knitted together.

“Unless that was their plan, they came to the campus to get him, but we got to the kid first.” Nate guessed.

“Then why wait until we were out of state to try to get him back? These guys waited hours before they made a move. If they suspected he was gonna talk, then why give us so much time with him?”

Downstairs, something was scraping against the floor, not loud enough to cause a racket, but low enough to make me wonder just what the guys were up to down there. Nate pushed up from the ground, as did Eddie, then finally John and I watched as Kyle leaned forward to allow him to get up. My hackles rose just a bit.

“What? What’s wrong?” I hissed in question, and Nate waved at me to be quiet.

I glanced at Kyle, who looked just as puzzled as I felt as he watched his own lover. James, who still sat beside me, had his head buried between his knees as he fought to control his breathing.

“You guys stay here.” Nate issued, before signaling to John and Eddie, who were already making their way silently across the room.

“Please don’t go down there Johnny.” Kyle pleaded quietly, his eyes were wide with trepidation.

John looked back and lifted a finger to his lips; a warning for us to be quiet, and a moment later he was out the door, Eddie and Nate at his heels. I watched as my best friend closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them slowly, intently watching the door the guys had just gone through.

I sent up a silent prayer in hopes that we would all come out of this unscathed. Then I wiped my runny nose against the sleeve of my shirt and slumped against the wall, feeling miserable and helpless. Kyle reached over to press an unsteady hand against my forehead, and I offered him a small grateful smile. For him to actually be concerned for my health in this time of terror was heartwarming.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about all this Riley.” He said, pulling his hand away.

“You were just saying how we’d all get out of here if we protect each other, what changed?” I asked and he bit his lip.

“I don’t know, something just doesn’t feel right.” He said seriously, then I watched with wide eyes as he pushed up from his spot and crawled across the room.

I followed him without a second thought, afraid he would do something stupid. When he stopped at the door, looking out into the other room, I grabbed his arm and he looked back at me.

“Don’t Kyle.” I warned him and he shook his head.

“I’m not, Johnny would skin me alive if I followed them.” He said seriously, but I could practically see the inward battle he was having on whether or not to take the chance.

I kept my hand securely fastened on his; just in case.

I could still hear the scraping downstairs, as if someone was pushing metal along the concrete, but that was it. I heard no footsteps, no voices; nothing. Just scraping, and it rattled my already fucked up nerves.

I peered out into the other room, as Kyle was doing, but I didn’t see the others moving about the dimly lit space. They were either blocked by the shelves and never-ending stacks of metal, or they’d already made their way down the stairs. It was the latter thought that scared me. I didn’t want any of them near those crazy assholes. I wanted them up here with me and Kyle where it at least felt safer.

When I heard the faint sound of the sirens in the distance, I rocked back on my heels and clutched at my chest in relief. Kyle glanced around at me, his expression hopeful and I pushed up from the floor, tiptoeing back over to where we’d been sitting, so I could look through the small window.

It was no use. The windows were so matted with dust and dirt, that they barely shed light throughout the room much less provided a decent view of the ground below. Downstairs I heard scurrying and an unfamiliar shout.

James, who’d had his head between his knees, looked up at me with wide eyes, and I looked at Kyle who was still staring intently out the door, across the room. Something fell downstairs and smashed against the floor, then the scraping grew louder before it suddenly stopped all together.

I heard more shouts, a curse and feet pounding against the concrete floors as the sirens became louder. A minute later, and I could just make out the red and blue lights flashing through grimy window.

The confusion going on downstairs only served to rattle my nerves, and when the shooting started, I ducked automatically, despite the fact that it was clearly nowhere near me. I fought the urge to scream Nate’s name into the chaos, and focused instead on taking deep breaths, all the while assuring myself that it would all be okay.

I could hear the screeching of tires outside, and a moment later the far away sound of a voice over a loudspeaker. Downstairs the shooting continued sparingly and I wondered if we were finally out of bullets, or if Nate and the others were simply making the other guys waste their own ammunition.

When I heard the sound of pounding feet coming up the stairs, I dove behind the stacks of metal where James still sat, and picked up the empty gun. I felt safer with it in my hands, despite the fact that the most I could do with it by way of protection, was to chuck it at my enemy. I could see that Kyle had also lunged for cover, through the small cracks in the stacks, and I felt better knowing he was at least hidden.

Then I heard those same feet in the other room, quickly approaching, and I felt my heart jump. I wiped my suddenly sweaty palm against my jeans, and worked at keeping my breathing under control. James wasn’t doing a very good job at it, and knew we’d be found the second the intruder entered the room.

Through the cracks, I could make out the blue jeans, ripped in one leg; looking more like a fashion statement than a result of the job.

Eddie.

I exhaled, and pushed up from the floor to greet him, but froze when I took in his appearance.

“Oh my God you’re hurt!” I exclaimed when I saw the blood on the front of his shirt, but he waved me off, heading quickly to the small window.

“Not my blood.” He said breathlessly, then I watched in confusion as he pulled his shirt over his head and wrapped it around his knuckles. A moment later he was slamming it against the window, gun still in hand, and I shielded my eyes from the shards when the pane shattered from the force.

“How many men are out there?” I questioned quickly, my gaze travelling from the window to him, and back.

“Four it looks like…the others must either be dead, or still searching for us in the trees.” He said, leaning out the window, as if searching for something.

“Jesus, how many of them were there to begin with?” I asked in surprise but he ignored me, instead waving his hands wildly, and I guessed he was trying to signal the agents.

I approached the window, trying to catch a glimpse outside. I could hear the speaker more clearly, but I found that it was hard to focus on the words being spoken. I glanced down at my arm when I spotted a small red light moving along my skin, and I watched it in confusion as it moved slowly upward and onto my chest.

Before I could blink, I was being tackled to the ground, and Eddie was pulling the useless gun from my hand. I hadn’t even remembered I’d been holding it.

“Are you insane? You’re still a fugitive remember? The very fact that you’re here, means that the agents outside believe you’re a part of this. They will not hesitate to gun you down if they feel threatened.” He shouted and my eyes widened in horror as I imagined just how I’d looked, standing behind Eddie at the window with a gun in hand.

I nodded, sickened by my own thoughtlessness and after a breath, Eddie pulled me into a crouch.

“Keep your head down and stay away from the windows.” He commanded and I nodded.

They were no longer shooting downstairs, instead it was eerily silent, and I crouched by the door with Kyle, straining to hear. Behind us, Eddie was back at the window, still telling the agents something with his strange hand signals.

“Give it up D-fox, they’ve got this place surrounded!” I heard Nathan’s voice break through the silence and I froze.

“D-fox is down there?” I asked in surprise. I could picture the big scary man from prison, always surrounded by his cronies; always so high and mighty.

“I didn’t think he’d want to get his hands dirty, being a boss and all.” I whispered.

“He was a hotshot in prison, but out here, he’s nothing but a common thug.” Eddie explained as he crossed the space.

We watched him pull the shirt back over his head, and run past us and into the other room. Then he disappeared behind the stacks, and all was once again quiet. D-Fox hadn’t replied and my chest tightened in anticipation.

Outside, someone was still talking on the speakers. I didn’t recognize the agent’s voice as he urged the guys to come out with their hands up …just like in the movies. I heard not a shuffle down stairs though, and I figured that was their answer.

James was still hunched over in his corner, too scared to even move and maybe a year ago I’d have been just like him, but I’d been through so much these past months, that what we were now going through felt like just another terrible life experience, rather than an outright nightmare; a petrifying one, but an experience none the less.

I glanced back into the other room, and jumped when I heard the loud crash as if something had just been rammed through a door or a wall. Shouts rent the air, boots pounded against the floor, then the shooting began. I covered my ears against the sounds, my beating heart sounding just as loud as the noise I was trying to block out.

 I almost fell when Kyle pulled me away from the open door and slammed it.

“Oh God, Johnny.” He whispered brokenly, and while I prayed the big guy was safe, my mind was on Nate; just as it always was. Suddenly, I felt as if a massive load had been placed on my shoulders and with every breath I took, I was being weighed down.

I tried to work out the probability of any one of our friends being seriously injured, but I had no idea what they were dealing with down there. Human behavior was so flighty, and I found I couldn’t really think in times of high stress.

It went on for a while, and Kyle and I sat, huddled in our corner, hoping desperately that Nate, John and Eddie were safe, and praying that it would all be over soon. James was crying outright now, loud sobs wracked his body; showing just how scared he was in all this, and Kyle crossed the room and sat in front of him.

He didn’t offer any comforting touches or reassuring smiles, instead he just spoke to him and I pushed up from my corner and went to sit with them.

“… and my dad didn’t talk to me for a week. It was the second time I’d been arrested. The third time was a DUI and the fourth time landed me in prison-hit and run.” Kyle spoke softly and I listened to his story as if I was hearing it for the first time. Across from us, James still sobbed but Kyle continued, unperturbed.

“It was after I got there that I really believed things happened for a reason.” He continued, then clapped a hand on my knee and grinned. “See? I met Riley here. He’s the only real friend I’ve ever hand…my best friend.” He said and I grinned back.

“Then there’s Eddie and Simon, and all the guys from the crew; they’re like family now you know? And as bad as it was in there; I wouldn’t want to change a thing, because I’m lucky. It’s not every day you inherit an entire family that genuinely cares about you. It just goes to show that a situation may seem terrible to you at the time, but amazing things can come out of it.” James sobs had turned into sniffling as the tears now ran silently.

“And of course you met John.” He smiled. “I call him Johnny because it drives him crazy, but I know he secretly likes it. I met him in prison along with the others. He acts tough, but I swear he’s just a giant teddy bear.” He paused for a moment, looking down at his hands. “He doesn’t believe it yet, but he really does love me and one day we’ll have a life together.” his smile this time, was sad.

James was watching him, his head propped up on his knees. “You just have to be optimistic…things will work out.” Kyle finished and I could see the determined glint in his eyes.

Downstairs, I could still hear the chaos, but up here, sitting with James and Kyle as he told his story, I felt hopeful and I felt safe.

“Kyle’s right, despite all the crap we’ve been through; there’s been a lot of good too. I honestly think we’ll get out of here alive. Those three guys down there…” I paused. “I swear they know exactly what they’re doi-”

I broke off when I heard the commotion just outside the door. “Clear!” a shout went up and I froze, clutching Kyle’s arm as the pounding came closer.

 When the door creaked open, I held my breath, and beside me Kyle let out a relived sigh. I glanced up to see Nate and John making their way toward us and stood up with a gasp, grabbed my guy; my boyfriend, my lover, my friend, and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing, as if I could somehow pull him inside me.

“It’s over now.” He said softly, and I closed my eyes as he held me, allowing the hot tears of relief to trickle down and wet his shirt.

“Come on.” Nate said and I pulled out of his embrace. When I looked around, it was to see an unfamiliar agent pull James off the floor and pull his hands behind his back. He kept his head down as he was led from the room, and with a hand at my lower back, Nate ushered me from the room as well, following behind John and Kyle, who was fussing over him like a concerned wife. I smiled.

It was over. I couldn’t believe it.

As we walked, we passed men and women moving in an out of the room, searching between the stacks of metal or talking on the police radio. We passed them on the stairs and there were more on the ground floor, and I found myself surprised that so many agents were here. On the floor, near the door leading outside, lay a guy, a pool of blood settled under his body, and I guessed he was dead.

There was another guy in cuffs being led outside; D-Fox . He was limping as they steered him, and he looked as pissed as I’d ever seen him. I grinned when we finally stepped outside and I felt the warm sun on my face. Across the way I spotted Eddie in deep conversation with Simon. It suddenly felt like a new day, a better day, and I could see all the possibilities.

Things were never so easy though, and I should have known there would be a hitch.

We’d managed to make it a few feet from the door when all hell broke loose. I saw it happen as if in a dream. I watched as one agent stood, in the process of putting handcuffs on another guy, when he twisted out of his hold, and grabbed the agent’s gun from his holster before I could blink. There was a shout, then the sound of the gun going off, and Nate was pushing me to the ground.

It honestly felt like a dream, the way it happened; so quickly that I couldn’t properly process it all, then there was the crunching of feet, and I looked up from where I lay; rocks biting into my cheek.

I watched as the shooter was shoved to the ground and subdued easily but two agents, but it wasn’t that scene that had my heart racing. No, it was a scene a hundred times more horrifying that caught my eye, and I shoved at Nate, who pushed up and helped me from the ground.

I stood on shaking legs as I watched, and when I made to take a step, Nate held me back and I cried out.

“Oh God no.” I whispered. I could feel the tingling in my hands and feet, and my knees shook as I took it all in; John, kneeling only a few feet from where Nate and I stood. In his arms he held Kyle, who lay still and unmoving, the front of his shirt stained with his own blood. This time when I took a step, Nate let me, but only close enough so I could see the pasty white face of my best friend.

“I need a medic over here!” someone shouted and there was scurrying about.

“Oh God no.” I said over and over as I watched, unable to move, unable to do a thing but stand there and look at the mess before me.

“I’m right here Kyle, stay with me.” I heard John whispering, and when I took another step, my knees buckled and Nate held me against him.

The tears came and streamed down my face and clogged my throat.

“Oh God no.” I whispered brokenly.

John held Kyle’s limp body to him, his hand pressed into Kyle’s wound to staunch the flow, but the blood just kept coming, thick and red and never-ending.

“Hurts…” I heard Kyle’s soft whisper and my tears flowed harder.

“I know baby, I know it hurts, but I need you to stay awake okay? Just look at me, just look at me.” John told him gently.

It was nothing like in the movies, where the injured hero still managed to rattle off a few jokes, or make some witty comment before he was wheeled away into the ambulance. No, nothing at all like that, instead Kyle just lay there, tears rolling down the side of his face and into his hair, his expression one of intense pain as his breathing became shallow.

“Where’s the fucking medic?” Nate shouted.

“Kyle? Open your eyes for me baby please… Kyle? Kyle?” John was practically pleading now, his own tears falling as he stared down at his lover’s face, and I let out a sob, my heart in pieces.

I watched, just long enough for the medical team to take over, shouting orders at each other as John stood slowly, watching them, looking for all like he’d just lost his whole world. I turned in Nate’s arms, sobs wracking my body, and Nate held me to him, whispering calming words I didn’t want to hear.

When the medical team did all they could on the ground, they hoisted him up onto the gurney and quickly wheeled him into the ambulance that had travelled with the backup team. John went with them, and I watched sullenly as they drove away, sirens wailing as they went.

“Oh God Nate…” I sobbed and he ran a hand through my hair.

“He’ll be okay Riles, he’ll be fine, you’ll see.” He whispered, but Nate couldn’t know that. Like me, all he could do was hope, and I found no reassurance in that. Not an ounce.

I don’t know how long we stood there like that, but soon Nate was pulling away from me, his expression serious. “Riley I need you to listen to me okay?” he said and I nodded halfheartedly.

“When they take you, don’t say anything aright, not a word, do you understand?” he said and I could only stare at him in confusion.

“What do you mean? Take me where?” I asked.

“Not a word okay?” he said again, then turned away from me, hand wrapped around my arm as he looked away. I followed his gaze, to see a man in a suit approaching us, an agent by his side.

“Chief.” Nate acknowledged the man who held out a hand; Nate shook it.

“Greyson… and you must be the infamous Riley parker.” The chief turned his gaze on me and when Nate gave me the go-ahead by way of a nod, I did the same.

When the chief looked at the agent by his side, the guy took a step toward me and grabbed my arm, turning me around and pulling them behind my back. I stared at the chief and Nate in horror.

“Riley Parker, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…” the agent began.

“Nate?” I called uncertainly, but he only shook his head, his eyes urging me to remain silent and could only watch him in fear, as the guy secured the cuffs around my wrist.

When he turned me away from them, leading me away from Nate and the chief, I craned my neck, trying desperately to see his face. All the while the agent led me, reading my rights in a clear and brusque tone.

I tried taking deep breaths, tried to trust that Nate knew what he was doing, and that he would get me out of this, but the fear still held me in its grip, as I thought back to the days I’d been in prison and how it would feel to go back there.

When I was seated in the back of the car, I glanced back out past the agent who still stood by my door. I spotted Nate, still talking with the chief, both their expressions were hard to read and not once did Nate glance my way.

“…Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?” the agent was asking, and I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. His own expression was hard and unforgiving, and I answered ‘yes’ then looked away.

“With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?” he continued and I dropped my head onto the back of the seat in front of me.

“Just leave me alone.” I mumbled, and the agent slammed my door shut and hopped into the front seat, where he started the engine.

For a while the vehicle didn’t move, and I sat there, my mind reeling with the events of the day. Mainly I thought about Kyle, and wondered whether he was okay, and I had to bite down onto my lip hard, to keep from crying out at the thought of him.

I watched as the tears from my eyes fell onto the floor of the car and I didn’t try to blink them away; too filled with grief now to care.

The next time the door opened, it was Nate climbing into the passenger seat beside the agent. He  slammed the door behind him and turned to look  out of his own window, then all too soon we were moving, the wheels of the car crunching the gravel as we drove down the street, and I closed my eyes, my mind fixed on Kyle; my best friend, my family.

                                             AUTHOR’S NOTES

I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING THIS CHAPTER, AS MANY OF YOU WHO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AND KEEP UP WITH MY WATTPAD POSTS WILL KNOW.

AS ALWAYS, THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING, AND REMEMBER TO ADD THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES : ’Cell Mates 2- Dead men tell no tales ’ TO YOUR READING LISTS. IT’S OUT ON MY PROFILE AND  II’LL CONTINUE POSTING CHAPTERS FOR THAT BOOK ONCE I’VE RELEASED ALL THE CHAPTERS OF THIS ONE.T

I’LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WITH A NEW CHAPTER, AND AS ALWAYS, KEEP SWEET AND FOLLOW ME ON ALL MY SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR MORE…LINKS ARE ON MY WATTPAD PROFILE AND SOME ARE BELOW:

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-unedited.

Chapter 42: Remembering Kyle. (Part 1)

Chapter 42

(Part 2 of this chapter will be posted

next week)

(Check out the description for Cell Mates 2 if you want to know what the book will entail)

Eddie’s POV

I placed the cup onto the table beside him and he glanced up briefly from his papers to look at me.

“You spent two years trying to take these guys down. I thought you’d want to be there with Nate when Kelly spilled his guts.” Simon commented as I lowered myself into the seat across from him.

Around us, agents were packing up for the night, while others were just settling in to get some work done. I sighed, then took a generous sip of my coffee.

“They’ll fill me in later. I just wanna go home and curl up in bed with an ice cold beer.”

When he didn’t reply, I looked down at the papers he had before him, and shook my head.

“You’re doing the paperwork now? Jesus Simon, I know you’re one with your inner nerd, but it’s been a long day, you should relax. Go home and get some sleep.”

He paused his writing, and reached over to pick up the cup I’d brought him, took a sip, and glanced back at his work.

“I’d rather get it out of the way now, I might not come in tomorrow.” He explained.

“Taking the day off?”

The corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “Something like that.”

Translation: he’d be spending the day fucking the latest chick he’d managed to pick up at some undisclosed location.

I sunk lower into the chair, stretching my legs out to get more comfortable.

“Have fun with it.” I said with a smirk, and his grin widened.

“Don’t I always?”

I sighed. “Two years Sy…two years of my life I spent in that hell hole, and for nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say it was for nothing. If you guys hadn’t been there none of this would have happened…we’re finally getting somewhere.”

“Yeah, and because we were there, Kyle’s in the hospital fighting for his life, and the woman I planned on marrying left me.”

“Everything happens for a reason Ed.” He said simply, his ball point pen skating over the page as he filled out all the necessary blank spaces.

I shook my head. “Oh yeah? And what’s the reason behind the shitty hand we’ve been dealt? Why is Kyle dying, and my fiancé gone?” I questioned in response to his flawed reasoning.

“I don’t know with Kyle, maybe it’s just his time, and maybe now that she’s gone you can stop lying to yourself.”

I scoffed. “Now I’m lying to myself?”

For a second Simon glanced up, and his eyes met mine. “About what you really want…about who you are…you can finally be yourself.” He said seriously, and when his eyes travelled back to his work, I glanced down at my hands.

I didn’t know what to say to that.

………………………………………………………………

John’s POV

I’d been an asshole to him.

I’d treated him like shit, like he meant nothing to me, and for a while I’d convinced myself he didn’t. This is what it took…him getting shot for me to realize just how much I actually cared for him, and he might very well die without knowing any of it.

I felt the familiar clench in my chest at the thought of this night getting any worse, and I ran a shaking hand over my face. I felt more tired than I should be, and the tension in my shoulders pressed down on me like a massive weight that I couldn’t hope to dislodge.

I picked up the stale coffee I’d gotten from the cafeteria earlier, then replaced onto the table without taking a sip. I didn’t know if I could deal with it if he didn’t make it. He’d grown on me these many weeks I’d known him…just like he grew on everyone, and now I couldn’t remember what it had been like to not have him in my life.

I couldn’t remember how it felt not to have to put up with his constant chatter, the nagging, the lack of privacy, and his ever present, warm smile. I couldn’t remember how it had been before, and I didn’t want to go back to that.

I needed him to come out of this alive and well, so I kept telling myself that it was Kyle and he was a fighter, he could pull through, but that’s what you told yourself when you were hoping for the impossible.

He’d lost too much blood, and there’d been no exit would. Hours I’d been here, and even after flashing my badge too many times, I still couldn’t get an answer. He was in surgery , they said.

They’d uttered words like ‘critical condition,’ severe blood loss,’ and ‘hope.’ They’d told me the doctors were doing everything they could, and all I could do now was hope for the best.

The words were meant to be comforting, but I imagined just how useless they’d been to Kyle’s father, who sat across the way with two strangers I assumed were Kyle’s grandparents. The three of them looked like they’d been to hell and back, sitting there in their crumpled, expensive clothes, with eyes that looked hopeful and anxious.

I’d thought about going over there a number of times, but what could I say to him? That I’d fucked his son then told him I could never love him? That I was with him when he’d been shot and I’d been completely useless?

I shook my head. In the end I just sat on my side, and left them on theirs, where we equally mourned, and hoped, and prayed for a miracle…prayed that we got our boy back and everything would finally be okay.

…………………………………………..

Three cups of coffee, and half a bag of M&M’s later, and I was just about ready to go out of my mind. Kyle’s grandparents had left awhile back, and his father now slept in the chair a few feet away from me. His snoring echoed throughout the silent waiting room, and was slowly lolling me to sleep.

I blinked rapidly, then shook my head, trying to stay awake. I’d tried it all. Pacing, a few bathroom runs to splash water on my face and stretching, but it had been a tough day; dodging bullets in the forest, and watching someone dear to you get shot would surely take its toll.

I shifted in my seat and the wrapper on the item beside me crinkled loudly. I glanced at it, then pushed it further away from me so I didn’t accidentally ruin the packaging.

I’d gone out an hour and a half ago to grab a new shirt so I could change out of the bloodstained Tee I’d been wearing all day, and while in the convenience store, I’d picked up a few bags of candy and a couple of those magazines Kyle was obsessed with.

Then when I’d made it to the cashier, I’d spotted one of those oversized ugly stuffed bears people tended to give to sick people, and paid for that as well. When the cashier offered to gift wrap it, I allowed her to, watching as she stuffed the items into a medium sized basket, covered it all up with some fancy clear wrapping paper and stuck a bow on the bear’s head.

I probably should have stopped there, and feel a sense of satisfaction that he would have something nice to wake up to when he got out of surgery, but I felt the intense need to get him something meaningful, something to show him that I was ready to give whatever we had a chance.

So I’d called in a favor, and now I sat with a certificate in hand, that congratulated Kyle on being the proud new owner of two baby African Pygmy Hedgehogs, which I was expected to pick up from the pet store a week from now.

I’d spent a few minutes staring at the small photographs that had accompanied the certificate, and for a while I’d wondered why Kyle wanted the ugly little things, with their ratty schnozzles and soft underbellies, but in the end it didn’t matter…they would help me get the point across, and I was sure he’d understand what the gift meant the second I gave it to him.

I placed the certificate beside the gift basket and stood, walking to the window and back; and there began my pacing. The wait had given me a lot of time to think, and I’d made a few important decisions while I’d watched the clock. Like the fact that after we finally wrapped up the case, I was leaving the FBI for good, and this time I had no doubt it was what I wanted.

It was time to move on, find something else I enjoyed in life. Preferably something safer, that wouldn’t have me looking over my shoulder all the time, and wondering just when one of my cases would put someone else I cared about in danger. Nathan’s plan seemed feasible, and if he really needed a partner to see it through, then I’d be there.

In all the chaos I’d even figured out a way to get Kyle off the hook, one that was foolproof if the chief was on board, and I had high hopes he’d be a free man as soon as I got the ball rolling.

I’d also thought about travelling for a bit first, and visiting my family’s graves; something I hadn’t done in years. Then finally I’d thought about moving; A fresh start in every sense of the term. This entire ‘adventure’ had opened my eyes, and it was time to stop finding excuses and live my life in a way that would guarantee my happiness.

When I’d almost tripped on my shoelaces and bent to tie them, a new visitor entered the room, and I glanced up to see that it was Eddie, carrying a six pack of beer in one hand, and two cups of coffee in the other. I straightened, and watched his approach with furrowed brows.

“What’s with the beer?” I questioned, and he deposited it onto the chair beside my gifts.

“It’s for Kyle…a get well soon present.” He explained.

“I doubt he’ll be able to drink alcohol with all the meds he’ll be taking.”

He shrugged. “It was Simon’s idea.” And I nodded finally in understanding.

Simon…of course, who else .

“Here.” He said, handing me a steaming cup of coffee, and I accepted it gratefully.

“Any news?”

I shook my head, following him to take a seat.

“Nothing…”

I took an experimental sip of the steaming liquid and Eddie did the same.

“I feel like it’s my kid brother in there.” He began softly. “Never thought I’d come to love two men I met I prison, but Kyle and Riley wow…it’s hard to imagine life without them now…after all we’ve been through.” He finished, and I nodded.

“How’s Riley holding up?” I questioned.

“He’s worried about Kyle, but he’s dealing… I stayed with him for a while, and when I left Jerry came to visit…he should be okay.”

Eddie gestured with his cup to the man sleeping not far away. “That his dad?” he questioned, and I nodded.

“Yeah…he’s been here for hours.” I told him, after which we fell into an easy silence.

Every time a door opened, or I heard footfalls against the tiles I looked up, expecting to see a doctor coming with news, and every time it wasn’t, I felt both disappointment and relief.

“The chief wants you to come in for your debriefing.” Eddie announced after a while.

“I’m not leaving here until Kyle comes out of surgery.” I told him, and he nodded in understanding.

“He’s gonna be fine.” Eddie said then, but I wasn’t sure exactly who he was trying to convince.

“This is Kyle…the guy who stood up to Beans and made it out alive, risked his life running after Riley when he escaped just to make sure he was okay, and ran through a bullet storm in the woods just to find us. He’s a fighter. No bullet is gonna break that guy, we just have to remember that.” He continued and I frowned.

“Thing is…I don’t want to spend my days remembering Kyle…I’d rather have him right here in front of me.”

…………………………………………

Nate’s POV

“ My dad said they killed him because of what he knew, and it wouldn’t take them very long to realize how he came by that information .“

I allowed the recording to play out and watched Kelly’s expression as he sat listening to his son’s tale. He was pale, and looking thinner than he was the last time I saw him back at the prison.

He’d refused to talk since the moment we brought him here, showing no emotion as he sat calmly and listened to our questions and threats. This was the first time he’d shown any sign that he gave a shit about what was happening here today, and I realized I should have started off with this tactic. His son was his weakness after all.

“I want to see him.” he said finally, and I glanced at the chief who stood just behind him. He shook his head and so I relayed the action to Kelly.

“You’re son is being charged with obstruction of justice, accessory after the fact, and a whole lot of things I’m not here to discuss with you today, and all because of you.” I began, and his eyes flashed to mine.

“Please, he has nothing to do with this. He’s just a kid. He has his whole life ahead of him, he shouldn’t be punished for my crimes.” He pleaded. His wrinkled lids squeezing together as his tears broke free.

In that moment he just look like a scared old man, who’d been dealt a shitty hand in life. It was unfortunate that his one bad decision had left so much destruction in its wake.

“Riley had his whole life ahead of him. He’s the same age as your kid, and you allowed him to go to prison for your selfish actions. Why should James -who’s actually guilty of a crime- be spared?” I asked him, and his lower lip wobbled.

“I would have taken care of him.” he said. “I’d have taken care of Riley in there.”

I gritted my teeth. “He was just about to start college and you killed his father, ripped him away from the only life he knew, and got him thrown into prison with the rapists and the thugs, and your excuse was you were going to take care of him?” I questioned in disbelief, and he hung his head.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and stared at him. “You know, there’s a difference between you and me Mr. Kelly.” I began, and he looked up at me. “I’m actually not a heartless bastard. I’m willing to cut your son a deal, but only if you give me the information I need.” I told him, and for the first time since he’d listened to the recording, I saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“You’ll let him walk? A free man?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“There are serious charges against him Mr. Kelly. He lied to multiple federal agents, not once but twice. Then while we questioned him, he attempted to warn you-the criminal- that we were coming” I rattled off, “ and if that’s not bad enough, he had intimate knowledge of what you’d done, and didn’t think it fit to report it to anyone, then went onto use the proceeds of your criminal acts. He doesn’t get off scot-free…he’s an adult, and he’ll need to take some responsibility.“

His shoulders slumped. “Then what kind of deal are you offering?”

“He’ll plead guilty in court, and we’ll make sure he gets off with probation and community service. That’s the best I can do for you. Take it or leave it.”

He spilled his guts. Told us everything, from the moment he began, right up to the very end, and all the while we listened in silence to his every word. The small video camera on the table before him recorded his confession, and his every expression as he spoke.

“But why would the warden allow an escape from his own prison? That’s a huge risk, even for him.” I said when he was finished, and he shrugged.

“We all had our parts to play. That was just his.” He said, and my eyes narrowed.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“You gotta protect my son when I’m gone…you gotta keep him safe because they’ll go after him. They’ll hunt him down, and kill him for what I’m about to tell you.” He pleaded, and after a breath I nodded.

“We’ll keep his safe. I’m giving you my word.”

He only stared into my eyes for a few moments, then he took a deep breath, blinked away his tears, and spoke.

“The warden was only a conduit.” He said, and my brows furrowed.

“You telling me there’s someone else calling the shots?”

He nodded. “I’ve never met him myself, but I’ve heard some talk.” He continued.

“Go on.”

“They call him Emmanuel. That’s all I’ve got, but one thing you should know, is you’ll never find this guy, and if you even manage to take him out, they’ll be more guys ready to take his place.”

“Anything else?” I asked, “And before you answer that, remember our deal. If I find out later that you hid something from us, your son will be sharing the cell right next to yours.”

He shook his head. “That’s it, I swear. That’s all I know.”

A knock sounded on the door and I looked up when it was pushed open.

“Chief, Nathan…a word please?” An agent said, and with one last look at Kelly, I followed the chief out.

The agent, whose name I didn’t know, stopped just outside the door and turned to us. “Carlton Bates and his wife were found dead in their apartment ten minutes ago.” He announced.

“Jesus Christ, when does it fucking end?” I cursed, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

The warden was dead…what next ?

………………………………………………

I walked down the well-lit hall of the lockup, holding a cup of ice-cold orange juice, and a chicken sandwich. The guard’s keys jingled with every step, and the sound of his boots hitting the floors echoed loudly as we went.

When we came upon the holding cell, I waited somewhat impatiently as he searched for the right keys on his large key chain, and watched him in annoyance as he took even longer to open the damn lock. When he finally did, with a grin and a nod, I stepped into the dimly lit room, and the door was locked behind me.

Riley stood by the small bed, large eyes staring up at me in relief, and I placed his food onto the small table in the center of the room, and he ran into my arms. I hadn’t seen him since he was brought in hours before, and I couldn’t hide my own relief. I squeezed back, holding him for a bit, enjoying the warm press of his body and the sound of his even breathing.

“I wondered when you’d show up.” He said when we pulled apart, and I retrieved the food and drink, and handed them to him.

I sat on the bed beside him, and reached up to run a hand through his short hair.

“I’ve been interrogating Edward Kelly.” I told him, and he glanced my way after taking a large bite out of his sandwich.

“What did he say?” he managed to ask around the food in his mouth, and I reached over to wipe the line of mayo stuck to the corner of his mouth with my thumb.

“James was telling the truth. Kelly told us everything.”

“That’s good news right? I’ll get out of here soon then?”

I nodded. “That’s great news… I’m working on that now. The bad news is; the warden is dead. He and his wife were killed in their apartment two hours ago.” I explained.

“There’s always some issue.” He commented, and I nodded in agreement. This case had been just a collection of twists and road bumps since the moment I got the assignment.

He took another bite, chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed. “Eddie told me Kyle’s still in surgery.” He said solemnly.

I nodded.

“…But he’ll be fine. We just have to stay positive.” I told him, and for a moment he looked down at his half eaten food with furrowed brows.

When he looked back at me, his eyes were tinged with worry.

“Do you think I can go see him when he’s in recovery?”

“Of course. I’ll arrange to have you transported there as soon as I get word from John.

He nodded. “How are you feeling though…with your flu…is it getting better?”

“My throat’s still sore, and my nose won’t stop running, but I feel much better that I did back at the motel.” he said, and I gestured to the orange juice.

“Drink it all…you’ll need your strength for when we visit Kyle.” I told him with a grin, which widened when I got a smile out of him.

“God, I can’t wait, I miss him already.” He said and I couldn’t dispute the fact that I actually missed the little troublemaker myself.

It would be good to have him back.

“When do you have to leave?”

“I’ll stay as long as I can.” I assured him, and immediately he replaced the rest of his sandwich into the bag, placed the OJ on the ground at our feet, and scooted closer to me. A hand went around me, and I followed suit. Holding him like that for as long as I was allowed.

……………………………………….

Later that night, I took the stairs two at a time after having had to wait too long for the elevator, and by the time I reached the waiting room, I was sweating.

“I spotted John and Eddie immediately, and when I walked further into the room, Eddie nudged John, who looked up.

He acknowledged me with a quick nod, but otherwise remained seated. He looked worn out as he slumped there in the uncomfortable looking chair, and my heart went out to the guy. I cared about Kyle as much as everyone else did, but I couldn’t begin to imagine what he was going through as he waited for the verdict.

I didn’t know how I’d be able to cope if it was Riley in there instead of Kyle, but one thing I knew, was that sitting here waiting, while clearly ready to fall flat on his face wasn’t helping anyone, and I said as much.

He didn’t bother to reply, just sat there running his thumb over a small piece of wood he held in his hand, and I nodded towards it.

“What’s that?”

He opened his fingers and showed it to me. “They found it in Kyle’s pocket. I carved it for him back at the cabin…he kept it all this time.” He said softly, and when his lip trembled, he closed his fist over it, and turned away from me.

I dropped a hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t realize how much I cared about him until all this.” He said, and patted his arm.

“But he knows. Kyle’s always known how you felt even when you didn’t, which is why he’s not going to give up without a good, long fight, then you can tell him yourself.” I said. “You need to get some rest John…if you don’t you’ll be no use to Kyle when he gets out.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“You can come crash at my place for a few hours at least, get some food, and grab a shower, then I can have you back here as soon as you’re ready.” I continued to try my hand at persuasion, but I knew it wouldn’t work, just as I knew that if it had been Riley, nothing in the world could have gotten me out of this hospital. Not until I knew for sure he was going be okay…and not even then.

He looked up at me. “You go home. I’m good here, and I’ll call you if there’s any-”

He broke off when Eddie nudged him, and we both looked in the direction Eddie was focused.

A doctor had entered the waiting room and after looking around briefly, made a beeline for a man who sat a few seats away.

The man stood, as did John and Eddie, and I realized for the first time that he must be Kyle’s father.

“Mr. Macmillan?” The doctor asked, and Kyle’s father nodded.

He had his hands clasped tightly before him as he awaited the news, and beside me, John sucked in a shaky breath.

                                   AUTHOR'S NOTES

HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THAT.

PART 2 WILL BE POSTED

NEXT WEEK

AND AGAIN, SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT <3.

(Check out the description for Cell Mates 2 if you want to know what the book will entail)

FOLLOW ME ON

InSTAGRAM at doublezone_books

AND MAKE SURE TO

ADD CELL MATES 2 TO YOUR READING LIST

..BECAUSE IT’S ALMOST TIME.

THANKS FOR READING AND KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.

Chapter 43: Remembering Kyle (Part 2)

Chapter 43

(Bonus chapter will be posted next week!)

Riley’s POV

 I paced the small room, back and forth from the tiny window to the opposite wall, until my feet grew tired and I had to sit on the bed to rest them for a while. Not even the books Nate had brought earlier enticed me, not when my best friend lay in the hospital two days after surgery and still hadn’t woken up yet. I wanted to be with him, I wanted him to know I was there for him and waiting for him to wake up.

I sighed, looking around the room in disgust. After two and a half days stuck in the place I was already sick of it. I was counting the seconds until Nate come to tell me it was all over and I could leave. I was particularly grateful when he’d told me John had found a way to free Kyle as well, and  I couldn’t count the number of times I’d fantasized of life as a free man, actually able to go out in public with Kyle and John, and of course Nate. Finally being able to live a normal life with the people who mattered.

I dropped my head unto the pillow and hummed a broken tune. It was the only thing I could do to keep sane. I closed my eyes and allowed my mind to drift as I thought about life on the outside. I could practically taste the free air, wanting it so desperately that my mouth watered.

“Am I interrupting something?” A voice issued from the doorway and I sat up in surprise to see Simon standing there. I hadn’t even heard the lock in the door being turned.

“Simon? What are you doing here?’ I asked. Of all the people, I never expected him to visit me.

“I’m taking you to lunch, come on.” He said simply, and for a second I could only stare as he walked out of the room. The guards standing by the door watched me impatiently as I stood, then before either of them decided to change their minds, I stepped through, following quickly behind Simon who only looked back when he was holding the door for me that led outside.

I took a breath and stepped through and into the fresh air. It was perfect.

He led me to a flashy red car that looked like something straight out of a magazine; shiny and expensive looking, and I could even bet it was fast.

I got in when he unlocked the doors and a moment later I got to see just how fast it was.

Simon didn’t say a word as we drove, but then I didn’t really expect him to. From the moment I’d met him I’d realized he was one of the strong silent types, brainy and gorgeous and so intelligent, that I sometimes felt uncomfortable talking to him for fear of saying something stupid.

He didn’t listen to music, didn’t hum a tune and didn’t offer anything in the way of small talk, we just drove, the wind blowing through our short hair, while sitting in surprisingly comfortable silence.

He took me to a fancy diner in a part of town I’d never been before, and surprised me by ordering just regular burgers and fries, which he got with extra ketchup. I ordered the same, and while we ate, he watched me with an expression somehwere between curiosity and amusement.

“Why’d you do this?” I asked around a mouthful of salted fries.

He took a swig of his lemonade before answering me. “I felt sorry for you.” Was all he said. No other explanation, no rambling, just blunt and to the point…like always.

“Well…thanks I guess.” I said uncertainly, and he nodded.

I snagged another fry and plopped it into my mouth, then picked up my milkshake and sucked the milky goodness threw the small straw.

Simon’s phone rang and I watched as he plucked it from the table and put it to his ear.

“Yeah?” he answered, picking up two fries and stuffing them into his mouth as he listened to the person on the other line. I sucked down the rest of the shake as I watched him, and when his eyes shot to mine, my brows furrowed.

“I’m on my way.” He stood as he said the words, and I stood as well.

So much for a day out on the town .

“Kyle’s awake.” He said after ending the call, dropping a few bills onto the table, and I was sure my heart stopped for just a second as I processed his words. I couldn’t speak as we made our way to his car, and despite how fast he drove, my impatience grew with every mile.

………………………………………………

The waiting room was crowded with members from the crew, who all greeted me as soon as I stepped in with Simon. Everyone looked excited as they talked with each other. There was laughter, roughhousing and the atmosphere in all was just uplifting. I was told that I was the first person Kyle had asked for when he woke, and my heart soared.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to stay awake for more than two minutes, after which time his father had remained in the room with him until he woke again, for longer this time. I grabbed a seat beside Michael in the waiting room, and spotted John in the far corner talking with Eddie.

I could just imagine how anxious he was to finally get the chance to talk to Kyle, after having spent the past two and a half days at the hospital. Relief and anxiety wrested inside me at the thought of getting to see him alive and well, and as I sat there my smile blossomed into a grin.

“Good to see you finally smiling again.” Michael said, and I glanced at him. He’d been a member of Nate’s crew back at the prison. He was also one of the first out of them all to accept me as part of their team. Nate had told me that two weeks ago, while chasing a suspect through the streets he’d been shot, and was now relegated to sick leave.

I hadn’t seen him since he visited my cell the first day they brought me in and it was good to get the chance to talk with him under better conditions.

If it was even possible, my grin widened. “Yeah I’m just glad Kyle’s finally awake.” I told him. “How’s your shoulder?”

“I never had a doubt, Kyle’s a fighter.” he said with an equally wide grin, then glanced down at his injured shoulder. “It’s alright, I’ll be back to work in no time.” He said positively, then glanced at something behind me, and I looked around to see Nate entering the room. He had a large gift bag in hand, and a smile on his face as the others greeted him.

I stood, and when he finally spotted me he broke away from the guys and headed my way. He draped his free arm around my shoulder and nodded in greeting to Michael who did the same.

“I was just about to drop this off and come get you. What are you doing here?” he asked, and I grinned up at him.

“Simon brought me over. What did you get for Kyle?” I inquired, staring down at the large gift bag, and he pulled away from me briefly to pull the edges apart. I glanced over the contents and pulled out the card inside. When I opened it I looked at Nathan in surprise.

“You put my name on it?” I asked in awe at seeing my name alongside Nate’s, scrawled inside the get well soon card.

He plucked it from my hands and replaced it. “Have you seen him yet?’ he questioned instead, and I shook my head.

“His father is still in with him, and I hear he doesn’t stay awake for very long when he manages to open his eyes.”

He nodded and dropped into the chair I’d first claimed as mine. I glanced around the room, looking for one that was empty that I could pull up to Nathan’s but he took hold of my wrist and pulled me onto his lap before I could find one.

I glanced around with burning cheeks to see if anyone was watching us, but they either didn’t see, or didn’t care, so with a sigh I leaned into his chest and waited.

………………………………………………….

It was a good two hours before any of us were finally allowed to see him, and one by one the guys entered his room, said their piece and left. A couple times he’d fallen asleep again, and we’d had to wait, but soon the waiting room was clearing out.

Simon went in with Eddie, then finally it was John’s turn, and after a few minutes had passed, I went to stand by the doorway to his room, watching their interaction. He didn’t look like the Kyle I knew. He lay there looking pale and weak, with tubes attached to his wrists, and I was sure he’d lost some weight in the short time he’d been here.

My lips trembled at the sight of him, but the light I saw in his eyes was unmistakable. He may look sick, but he was the same Kyle I knew and loved.

“You know…when I was younger I was terrified of stuffed bears.” He was telling John, who held up the bear for him to see. His voice was raspy and he didn’t so much as lift a finger from the bed as he spoke.

John laughed though, and pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. Kyle lifted a shaking hand to take it, and I watched as he slowly brought it up to eye level. He looked at John, then back at the paper and to my surprise his face crumpled, as tears flowed freely from his eyes. When John took the paper from his hand, whispering words I couldn’t hope to hear, Kyle covered his eyes with his fingers, his body wracked with sobs.

“I knew it…I knew you loved me Johnny.” He managed to get out, and I smiled softly at the sight, then John bent to place a kiss on his forehead and I turned to Nate, who still sat in his chair across the way, and gave him a thumbs up. He grinned.

I turned away when they started talking quietly, deciding it was time to allow them some privacy.

It was half an hour before Nate and I got our turn with him and when he brought me back to my cell I was still smiling.

…………………………………………………………

Three weeks.

Three weeks I was held in the small cell before I saw any progress as it related to my case, and in all that time I’d managed to make myself sick with worry at the thought that I wouldn’t be allowed to go free after all. Nate came by every day around noon, staying with me for as long as he could, while giving assurances that I’d be out soon, but the longer I waited, the more convinced I’d become that freedom wasn’t in the cards for me.

I wasn’t allowed to leave the cell any more, except where it was designated by law that I was entitled to at least an hour of sunlight and fresh air every day. Otherwise I was left to pace the four corners of my room, only getting relief when someone visited.

Jerry came as often as he could manage, and once he’d even brought my baby brother along, after my mother reluctantly agreed to it. I’d played with him until he’d had to leave, then cried because it was the first time I’d seen him in months.

Eddie came by almost as much as Nate did, and I never saw Kyle again. I’d been told he’d been released from the hospital only a few days ago, and was now in a holding cell of his own. The only time we spoke was when we were able to relay messages to each other through John, Eddie or Nate, but I missed him terribly, and prayed for the day I’d be able to see him again.

I’d also found out that James had already been released on probation, and I’d felt so much anger and resentment that Kyle and I were still stuck, while he practically roamed free. I’d even stopped reading, unable to find pleasure in books anymore, and as a result Nate had stopped bringing them by.

It was on yet another uninteresting day, where I’d been pacing my cell that I’d been collected by a guard who looked like he could use a vacation. He led me down the hall, through a set of wide double doors, down a narrow passage way, and into a large office, where I was shocked to see Kyle, John and Nate all seated before the chief, whom I’d only met once before.

The man looked stern as he sat there watching me, and when I was led to the seat beside Kyle, I didn’t look away from the guy as he continued to observe me with that intimidating stare.

When he finally looked away, his eyes roaming over the others, I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, and glanced briefly at Kyle, who offered me a warm smile.

“Okay, now that we’re all here, let’s get down the business.” He man spoke, and I focused my attention on him.

“In light of current circumstances; that being Edward Kelly’s confession, the confession of his accomplices, and the irrefutable evidence stacked against him. I hereby apologize to you on behalf of the state.” He said to me, and I nodded quickly, my heart pounding in my chest.

You’ve been exonerated of all charges relating to your murder conviction, effective immediately.“ He said and I grinned, my eyes flashing to Nate whose lips upturned in a small smile.

“Now as for the other charges against you, that is another matter entirely.” He said, and I frowned.

Other charges?

“You escaped from a maximum security prison, and you and Kyle are suspected of being active accomplices in the destruction of state property.” He said, and when I spoke up in protest, he raised a hand and I fell silent.

“I’ve been assured by every agent I sent on that OP, that neither of you were involved and I’ve already dealt with the matter, but the fact that you escaped from prison isn’t something that can easily be overlooked.” He said.

Then he leaned forward on the desk, his hands clasped before him. “Let’s be frank here.” He began quietly. “We all know what happened out there, and I know that my agents helped you escape, but they assured me there was no other way around it, and I trust my men with my life.” He finished, and I glanced at Nate again.

“I called in a few favors, and officially submitted a report that states you both agreed to a deal where you would aid in the investigation against Kelly at the time of your supposed escape. The deal was to get time shaved off your bids in return for your help. Essentially, what I’m saying here, is that before your alleged escape, you cut a deal with my men, under my authorization, and were released under their supervision after the ensuing chaos.” He continued, and I nodded slowly, understanding fully what the chief wanted us to do; lie.

“If not for your help, we wouldn’t have gotten this far and so you’re free to go.”

I bit my lip. “So if anyone asks…that’s what I’m supposed to say happened right?” I glanced at Nate, who nodded.

I looked back at the chief. “But why would you do that for us? You don’t even know who we are…Not really .” I continued, and for the first time since I’d entered the room, the chief smiled.

“I know enough.” He said, and I nodded in full appreciation at the risk this man was taking for our sake.

“So that’s it? We can leave?” Kyle spoke up, the hope in his voice unmistakable, but my heart fell when the chief shook his head.

“Your situation is a bit more complicated Mr. Macmillan. Whereas Riley was never guilty of any crime in the first place, excepting his escape of course, you still have a hit and run sentence to carry out, and I’ve already gotten you off one charge.” He said.

“Chief-” John spoke up, and once again the guy held up a hand to silence him.

“You’ll be on probation for the duration of your sentence. You’ll be given a specific time where you’ll be expected to be home, and you’ll be expected to report to your probation officer once a week.” He said, and I sighed in relief. It was better than going back to prison.

“So…I’ll have to wear one of those ankle things?” he asked uncertainly, and the chief nodded.

“After you leave this office, you’ll meet with the probation officer I’ve assigned to you, and she’ll explain everything.” He said.

Kyle nodded and I followed suit.

“Any questions?” he asked, and when we both shook our heads, he shoved a stack of papers over to us, which we were made to sign.

I went through each of them as quickly as I could manage, wanting more than anything for this to be over with and to never see the inside of a federal establishment again.

When we were done we stood to leave, but the chief called out before we could go, and I turned back to him in apprehension.

He held up one of the papers we’d signed, waving it slowly.

“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you gentlemen that anything you relay to anyone about the meeting we just had, will be detrimental to all of us.” He said simply, and I shook my head quickly.

He waved a hand at us and finally we were allowed to leave. John took Kyle to meet his probation officer, and we all agreed to meet up outside when he was done. I walked slowly beside Nate, feeling as though this was all a dream.

There was no way we were free…not after all we’d been through, yet here I was, walking away a free man, beside a guy who had risked everything to make it happen. A man who had been there for me even back when he couldn’t stand the sight of me, and still continued to risk his own freedom with the lie he’d concocted with his partner and chief.

I didn’t see the faces around me as I walked, and I didn’t care to remember these halls, the only thing that danced through my mind was the fact that I was the luckiest person alive, and I had the people I had met in prison to thank for it.

Months ago I’d entered the system, expecting a cold hard life, filled with danger and uncertainty, and I’d prepared my mind for it, but what I couldn’t hope to expect was that I would have gotten the chance to meet a group of incredible men, who had taken me under their wing, cared for me, and befriended me while I was going through my personal hell. Men who would lie for me, and die for me without a moment’s thought, and I found I was overwhelmed by emotion at just what this all meant to me.

I’d gained a best friend, a boyfriend, and as Kyle had said; A family.

When we pushed through the front doors of the building and stepped out into the cool air, I grabbed Nate’s wrist and he turned to me, a small smile gracing his beautiful face.

“What’ is it?” he asked, and tears filled my eyes.

“I love you.” I told him, my very heart spilling into the words as I said them, and he grinned, his eyes regarding me with amusement as his smile grew.

“I know.”

                                                                   

                                                             AUTHOR’S NOTES

( Bonus chapter will be posted next week so don’t go anywhere!)

Go ahead and add Cell Mates 2 to your reading lists while you wait! (it’s posted on my profile)

( Cell Mates has been published. Check out the links in the next chapter. Also i would appreciate it if you go ahead and rate and review it on my goodreads page: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22910293-cell-mates

NB// IF YOU’VE READ   MY BOOK ’A HOME FOR TIMMY ’ THEN YOU KNOW WHO MICHAEL IS!!

Follow me on instagram at doublezone_books

Feel free to check out my website if you want to follow me on my daily adventures: pulledfromhercarriage.com ( You can also find the link to this on my wattpad profile )

 -DoUbLe.A

-unedited. (still..i know)

Cell Mates has been published!

CELL MATES HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!

If you wish to get your own copy of this book you can purchase the ebook on Amazon, Itunes, ibooks, Scribd, barnes and noble, ibooks, kobo and Page foundry.

The paperback version is also available on Amazon and the createspace ebook store.

Also if you’re not interested in purchasing it; feel free to write a review, i’d really appreciate it.

LINKS:

PAPERBACK:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500875562?keywords=cell%20mates%20behind%20bars&qid=1450826169&ref_=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2&sr=8-1

Createspace : https://www.createspace.com/4956670

EBOOK:

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cell-mates-alana-henry/1120138275?ean=2940046311990&itm=1&usri=2940046311990

Amazon :http://www.amazon.com/Cell-Mates-Behind-Alana-Henry-ebook/dp/B00MRO71V8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408196579&sr=8-1&keywords=cell+mates+alana+henry

ibooks:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id909040202

kobo :http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Cell-Mates-Behind-Bars/book-1J1KFbpsBkuHdopsRc6jqg/page1.html

Scribd : http://www.scribd.com/book/236713964/Cell-Mates-Behind-bars

Page Foundry : http://www.inktera.com/store/title/f4abad20-4774-4c17-b60e-6f98e46b6f72

Review on goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22910293-cell-mates?ac=1#other_reviews

IT IS  PAPERBACK  ON AMAZON!

I couldn’t have done it without you guys. thank you<3

Cell Mates has been fully released on Wattpad (Bonus Chapter has been posted!)

Hello All!

When I first published Cell Mates, I promised you that I would one day release the full book here on Wattpad for those who were willing to wait or those who were not in a position to purchase it. I’m here to make good on that promise!

Before I continue this announcement, I NEED to thank you all for your amazing support here on Wattpad throughout the years. You guys have helped to fuel my passion for writing and have taught me the importance of creativity. Without your comments, critiques and sweet messages, I promise you that I wouldn’t have gotten this far in my writing journey.

I have to also give a special shout out to all those who purchased a copy of the book. One thing you don’t know, is that you guys helped get me through law school. Yup, I KID YOU NOT. About 90% of the proceeds went into helping with either tuition, textbooks, lunch money or some school related event, so you can imagine just how absolutely grateful I was and still am for your interest in my work.

Now it’s time for me to give back. All the chapters have now been released on wattpad!

But here’s the best part!  I have also posted a

 never before seen chapter

which is available exclusively on Wattpad. So, for those of you who have read the entire book and have been missing our favorite couple, you will get to see them once again in the Bonus chapter!

It gets better!  I have finally continued posting chapters for Book 2 (Cell Mates; Dead Men Tell No Tales) which can be found on my Wattpad profile. Go ahead and add that to your reading lists and enjoy reading it.

Still want your own personal copy?

For those of you who are still interested in getting your own personal copy of Cell Mates. It is still available on the following online platforms:

Amazon – (ebook and hardcopy)

itunes/ibooks

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Scribd

Tolino

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Thanks for everything!

•           Love, DoubleZone
  

Ps. For updates, sneak peeks and more, visit my Instagram: doublezone_books

For more about me and what I’ve been up to,

check out my blog: pulledfromhercarriage.com (The blog link is available on my wattpad profile or you can simply copy and paste pulledfromhercarriage.com into your browser.)

Thanks for your support!

Bonus Chapter: One Year Later

Bonus Chapter- 1 Year Later

Kyle

The poor, sad soul. I shook my head as I watched him stuff his thirteenth pair of jeans into the suitcase.

“Who even needs thirteen pairs of jeans?”

“I thought you came over to help me pack.” Riley said, glaring at me with his bunny rabbit eyes. I curled my feet underneath me on the couch and sighed.

“I did, but just watching you is sucking all the excitement out of me.” I yawned and stretched, then pulled a cushion into my lap.

“I wanna go but I don’t wanna go. You know what I mean?”

“You’re going to university to do all the random stuff you’ve always wanted to do.” I responded. “You’re supposed to be happy and excited and jumping up and down like you did the day we found out you got in.”

“I know, but I don’t want to leave Nate.” Riley sighed for about the one hundredth time that night and I rolled my eyes.

“Nate will be just fine. He’s got me and Johnny and Eddie and all the other guys to keep his company.” I said, and when he only frowned at me, I grinned. “ Oh , so you don’t want him to be fine without you. Is that it? You want him to be miserable while you’re gone?“

He blushed his usual Riley blush, then covered his eyes with his hand.

“Is that a bad thing?”

I shrugged. “If I was leaving for any length of time, I’d want Johnny to miss me to the point of insanity. So I guess its normal.”

“You know how Nate is. He won’t admit that he’s going to miss me, but he says he doesn’t want me to live on campus. He wants me to rent an apartment close by. That counts as something, right?”

“But it’s a requirement for first years to live on campus. You don’t have a choice.”

“Well maybe they’ll make an exception.”

I laughed. “Oh yeah? What are you gonna do? Go to the Dean and say, I’m sorry sir but my boyfriend’s a very jealous man who thinks I’m going to get swept off my feet by wayward college boys, so I can’t live on campus. Can you please make an exception?”

“Hmm…” Riley bit his lip and turned his eyes to the ceiling like he was actually considering it. I reached out a foot and smacked him with it on the side of his head. He laughed. “I’m kidding. I know it won’t work.”

“Nate needs to relax. The whole world knows that you’d never even look at another guy. He’s got no reason to be jealous.”

“But it’s the same with you and John gets jealous all the time.” Riley said, and I grinned and swayed; his words instantly putting me in a happy mood.

“That’s because Johnny’s emotionally unstable. He can’t control his overwhelming feelings for me.” I giggled. “I forgive him.”

“But sometimes I think maybe it’s not just that he’s jealous. Sometimes I think he just doesn’t trust me. I think that a lot actually.” He sighed.

“You know, your mood swings could be a sign of an underlying mental condition.” I told him seriously, and when he rolled his eyes I swung out a leg to kick him again, but this time he dodged.

“Anyway.” I went back to the topic at hand. “Even if you could live off campus for the first year, I would still tell you to forget about it. College is all about fun, new experiences, and living on campus isn’t something you want to miss out on. Nate just has to accept that.”

“I guess.”

I ignored his pouting and continued; “Plus, if you don’t live on campus I’ll miss out on all the fun too.”

“Are you really going to visit me every week like you promised?”

“Would I lie?” I asked him seriously, and when he shook his head, I continued. “I’m gonna visit during the week since I know Nate will want to come on the weekends.”

He made a face. “He hasn’t even said that he’ll be visiting.”

“Yeah well, luckily for you, I’ve got all the juicy details. He told Johnny that he’s not going to work the weekends anymore because he wants to drive up to visit you when you start living on campus.” I assured him. “Maybe that’s another reason he wants you to live off campus; that way he’ll have somewhere to stay when he comes to visit you for his weekly dose of vitamin D.” I wiggled my brows and he blushed. Even after all this time the little teddy bear was still so innocent. I sighed.

“I wish you were coming too. Can’t you just enroll and do a couple of courses? It’s not like you’re doing anything anyway.”

“I can’t. I’ve gotta take care of Johnny. Plus, now’s your chance to get rid off all that shyness and meet new people.” I told him, then pointed a finger at him so he was forced to look at me. “Just don’t forget that you’ll never find another Kyle, so don’t even think about trying to replace me.”

He waved me off and I leaned over to pick up the small bag I’d brought with me. After peaking inside for a second, I threw it at him, and he plucked it from the air before it could hit the floor.

“What’s this?” he questioned as he opened it, then he frowned and looked at me all irritated-like when he pulled out the large box. “Why are you giving me condoms?”

“For when Nate visits obviously. What else? It’s my ‘congrats on getting into college gift’. I didn’t have time to wrap it, but it’s the thought that counts right?”

“You can have them. What do you think Nate’s gonna say when he sees me packing a lifetime supply of condoms to take with me to my dorm?”

“I would take them off your hands but John’s an extra large so they won’t fit him.” I said with a satisfied grin. “Besides, Nate will thank you for thinking ahead.”

“I know Nate a whole lot better than you do, and I can promise you he won’t. Especially since we don’t use condom anymore.” he said, then chucked the box at me. I dodged and it went sailing past my head to land somewhere behind the couch.

“You don’t?” I asked, frowning as I thought about this interesting new development. “Wow you guys are progressing faster than I thought.”

He shrugged. “We’ve been together for over a year you know.”

“So have we, and we’re still buying condoms. Who decided? You or Nate?” I asked, then shook my head. “Why am I even asking, of course it was Nate.”

“It was mutual, and anyway, I don’t wanna talk about this anymore. Nate likes his privacy.”

Johnny hadn’t brought it up even once, but then I’d never even thought to bring it up either; condoms had just always been a given. I watched Riley for a while as he continued stuffing his suitcase. Johnny and I had been exclusive from the start too. I wondered if he’d ever considered going sans condoms.

I bit my lip, lost in thought for so long that I missed it when Nate finally entered the room after being holed up in his study for more than half the day. I’d also missed more than half of what Riley was saying.

“…but I don’t think I’ll need them. What do you think?”

“Huh?”

“About how much clothes I should bring.”

I shrugged. “The dorm room’s pretty small and you’ll be sharing with at least one other person so I’m thinking less is more.”

A small box of Band-Aids landed on a pile of Riley’s clothes, and I glanced up just in time to see Nate surveying the mess we’d made of his living room.

Riley frowned. “What if my roommate turns out to be homophobic or what if we don’t get along?”

“Then you can request a room change” I said, then smiled. “Or you can just call your big bad boyfriend to come beat him up for you.” I glanced at Nate who was watching Riley with furrowed brows and an unreadable expression.

That same look on Johnny’s face usually meant concern, but with Nate, it was hard to tell. The guy was so complicated that it made my head hurt.

“I hope everything goes smoothly. I want a good roommate, good professors, a good dorm room, a good experience and I want to meet good people.” He continued.

“Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world.” Nate put in his two cents, then disappeared as quickly as he’d come. A moment later I heard him rattling around in the kitchen, and on the floor in front of me Riley groaned.

I whistled low. “Is it just me, or is he pricklier than usual?”

Riley shrugged. “He’s working on a tough case.”

“Johnny’s working the same case and his grouch level is the same as it always is.” I said.

Riley shrugged again, and this time I let it go. I glanced toward the kitchen entrance then slowly let my eyes travel around the room to the one million and one pictures of them that Riley had put up around the place; on pretty much every available space in the room. It always weirded me out to have their eyes following me everywhere whenever I visited.

The rooms in Nate’s place held over a year ’s worth of their precious memories together. Riley, being Riley, just hadn’t realized that Nate’s grumpiness had nothing to do with his case and everything to do with the fact that his precious Riley was moving four hours hours away.

It would be the first time they’d be apart for longer than a few days since they’d met in prison. If I were in Nate’s shoes and Johnny was running off to college (as unlikely as that was), I would probably have some of the same fears Nate was no doubt having.

I would worry about how he’d manage so far away without me. I’d worry about all the new people he would meet and whether his new experiences would change him. I would worry about all the thirsty boys chasing after what was mine.

Just the thought pissed me off, and I had to shake my head to clear it. Now Riley was removing the jeans he’d previously stuffed into the suitcase. I didn’t think Riley would change much though. He’d probably gain some confidence and come out of his shell a little. He’d also learn to be more independent, but there was no way the Nate-obsessed Bunny was going to accept any of the losers who would no doubt chase after him.

The only thing Nate really had to worry about (in my humble opinion) was him making the mistake of choosing the wrong friends. The dude was not good when it came to trusting the right people. But then, that’s where I came in. I’d be there as often as I could to make sure he was traveling on the right path.

Johnny thought I was being overprotective and nosy, but I knew best. As usual.

“Did you get everything on your list?”

He nodded. “Everything except bed sheets, but I’m going to get those tomorrow morning.” He said. “Oh and Simon’s gonna help me pick out a good laptop tomorrow too.”

“Bad idea.”

He glanced up with a frown. “Why?”

“Because he’s going to pick out the most complicated, high-tech, most expensive laptop he can get his hands on. He’s a nerd, he won’t be able to help it.”

Riley grinned. “That’s why I asked Eddie to come along too. That way he can reign him in when he gets too crazy.”

“Oooh… Simon and Eddie in a room together? Count me in. I’m in the mood for some secondhand sexual tension. It’s like reading a romance novel; except the characters are ten times hotter, and I can take pictures.”

“I feel like they would be together if they really liked each other.” He said and I reached over to pat his head.

“My sweet naïve little Riley…life’s not always that simple. They’ve got to sort through their issues first.”

Riley rolled his eyes. “You make it seem like you have inside knowledge.”

“I’ve got common sense and good intuition. That’s all I need.”

“Yeah whatever. Come help me pack this one.” He said pointing to a small hand luggage in the corner.

“What are you putting in it? More clothes? You’re packing like you’re going to another planet for a few hundred years.”

“Better to have more than less.” He said with confidence. “Just pack all my skin stuff in that one.”

I discarded the cushion and went to sit beside him on the floor where he had about a million different skin care products that I’d never even heard of.

“When you and Nate get married and you buy a house together, make sure you get your own bathroom so you can have space for all these products. It’s not fair that Nate should lose all his counter space just because you’re a hoarder.”

“Nate’s just fine.” He said. I began stuffing his products in one by one, reading the labels as I went even though most of them were in some weird, indecipherable language.

“Is this the honey and lime body scrub that you made?” I asked when I came upon a clear unlabeled jar. He nodded, and I opened it and took a long whiff. It smelled like candy and fresh fruits mixed into one cute package. “Can I use it as a face mask too?” I asked. He nodded and I dipped my fingers in and proceeded to coat my face with it.

“Are you sure you don’t want to open a beauty store instead? You’re always making these cool things. I’d invest.” I told him seriously, but he shook his head.

“I do it for fun. If I start doing it to make money, it won’t be fun anymore.”

“I guess.” When my face was fully coated in the stuff, I opened a packet of his wet wipes to clean my fingers, screwed the jar shut and deposited it into his suitcase with the rest of his skincare army.

“What time are you going to get the laptop tomorrow?”

“Around ten. He’s picking me up. Where are you staying tonight? Your place or John’s? If you’re gonna be at John’s then Simon can swing by and get you since it’s on the way.”

When the last bottle was packed, I pulled the zipper closed and stretch. “Johnny’s I think, but I’ll let you know what I’m doing later tonight.”

As he continued his packing, we fell into a comfortable silence.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked, and I realized for the first time that I’d been staring. I sighed.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving me. Who am I gonna annoy now? Who am I going to gossip with and visit at all hours of the day? You and Johnny are the only people who put up with me, and now you’re abandoning me here with all the boring people.”

He laughed. “Then enroll in a couple of courses and just come with me.”

“You don’t believe me when I say Johnny needs me, but it’s true.”

“What does he need you for?” He was looking at me with furrowed brows.

“I’m his only source of entertainment.” I began and he snorted. “I’m the person who relieves all his stress and fills his quiet days with good conversation. I’m the one who drags him to the grocery store every weekend so he doesn’t starve in that house of his. I’m the one who cuddles with him in the middle of the night when he reaches for me after a bad dream. Most importantly, I’m the one he loves.” I finished.

“What do you think he’d say if you told him you were leaving for college too?”

“Hmm…” I thought about it seriously. “I don’t know. I think maybe he wouldn’t take me seriously, or maybe he’d be upset. Do you think I should test it out tonight and see how he reacts?”

“If he’s gonna be upset then why bother?”

“It’s not healthy to be in a good mood all the time anyway. Sometimes you gotta change it up a little. Plus, now I’m kind of curious about what he’d say if I was leaving.”

Riley shrugged. “It’s your funeral.”

“The makeup sex is always worth it.” l grinned. “How long am I supposed to keep this face mask on anyway?”

“How am I supposed to know that? Just take it off whenever.”

“You’re a terrible businessman. It’s your creation.” I grumbled.

“That’s because I’m not a business man.” He said distractedly, then proceeded to ignore me in favor of packing up his belongings.

I watched him for a few minutes longer, feeling genuinely devastated that he was leaving in a mere three days. After that, life would be a little less interesting. I really needed to make more friends like Riley who weren’t particularly boring or average.

“Can’t you just do online courses?” I asked and he frowned as he looked at me.

“You’re the one who just told me I need to enjoy the full college experience.”

“I’m entitled to at least one selfish moment per hour. Just bear with me.” I said with a sigh, then stood and left him to his business.

I followed my nose which led me to the kitchen where Nate stood making dinner. He glanced up once when he heard me coming, but as usual, proceeded to ignore me, even as I sat at the counter directly in front of him.

I opened my mouth to start a conversation, but he beat me to it.

“Go home.” He said, and I blinked up at him in annoyance.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” he asked with that typical ‘I want to crush Kyle’ glare that was custom-made for me.

“Because Riley says you’re making spaghetti for dinner.”

“And?”

I gave him my best trademark pout. “I want some.”

“No.”

I sighed. “Are you seriously still mad at me because of that gay bar incident? I told you it wasn’t my fault. How could I have known that the guys would flock him; he’s just too cute and sexy for his own good; you can’t blame me for that.”

“You’re a bad influence.” Was all he said.

“That was weeks ago. I promise never to take him anywhere near thirsty gay guys again.” I said, but the evil look in his eyes only intensified. I dropped my chin onto my folded arms and decided to keep my mouth shut.

I watched him work in silence for a good ten minutes before I spoke again.

“Sooo.” I began, sitting up. He glanced up at me for about a millisecond before he turned back to his task…without so much as a word. “I heard you guys haven’t found a secretary yet.”

This time his look lasted a little bit longer than the first, but he still didn’t comment, so I decided to stop beating around the bush. It wasn’t any fun when the other person didn’t play along.

“I want you guys to hire me as your secretary.”

This time a wide smile erupted on Nate’s face and I felt a sudden flash of hope, until the smile turned into a chuckle and he turned back to his pot with a shake of his head.

“Come on Nate. Why can’t you just give me a chance?”

“I’m sure John already gave you an answer on that. Why do you think it will make a difference if you ask me?”

“Because you’re business partners and you’re supposed to discuss it together and then come to an agreement. Johnny decided all on his own. How’s that fair?”

“Even if we’d discussed it, the answer would still be the same; no.”

“Why?” I folded my arms before me, feeling all kinds of frustrated and maybe a little bit pissed because I knew that neither of them was taking my request seriously.“

“Since when are you interested in working?”

I glared at him and he watched me with his usual emotionless expression and those scary-as-fuck green eyes that Riley was obsessed with.

“What’s so wrong with me wanting to work? Is that a crime?”

“You’re too impulsive Kyle. If we give you a job today, you’ll quit tomorrow. We’re looking for someone reliable who’ll get the job done the way we need them to.”

“I’m not impulsive anymore. I’ve changed.” I tried to reason with the emotionless monster before me.

“You quit your volunteer work at your father’s firm after being there for three days.”

“That was last week. People can change in the space of a few minutes.” I argued.

We stared each other down for exactly two minutes before finally he had to turn back to his pot so he could drain the water from the spaghetti.

“Why do you want to work as our secretary?”

“So I can be near Johnny.” I said. I’d heard that when it came to an interview, honesty was always the best policy. “You know that I’m one hundred percent committed to him, so since he’s my motivation, I’ll work my ass off.”

“I don’t need someone who’s committed to John, I need someone who’ll be committed to their work. If you couldn’t even convince your lover, I don’t know why you thought you could convince me.”

“I bet if it was Riley asking, you’d give him in a heartbeat.”

“Yes, because Riley has his head on his shoulders. He works hard at everything he does, he never quits just because he’s not in the mood and he understands that what we do is important to us.”

“Then why don’t you just hire him then since he’s the model employee?”

Nate grinned and I kind of wanted to strangle him. “He never applied for the job, and he’s going off to school anyway, so it would be pointless, don’t you think?”

I was seriously contemplating going down on my knees and begging, but then my phone rang; interrupting my dark thoughts.

“Hey Johnny.” I answered with a sigh.

There was a brief pause before he replied. “Why do you sound like that? What’s wrong?”

“Would you give Riley the secretary job over me?”

“Yes.” He said; no hesitation.

“You and Nate are the worst, you know that? You’re my boyfriend, you’re supposed to be supportive.” I said. “Don’t bother coming for me, I’m taking a cab home.”

“I’m already on my way. Get your stuff together.” He said, as if my words had had no effect on him, then he hung up, and I groaned. When I dropped my cheek onto the counter feeling murderous, Nate set down a plate of steaming spaghetti and meatballs right in front of my eyes, and my sour mood lifted completely.

Nate’s signature spaghetti and meatballs weren’t something to turn your nose up at. It was like heaven in your mouth and fireworks on your tongue. I took the fork from him when he held it out and dug in without another word. When Riley left I wouldn’t be getting anymore and that in itself was a tragedy.

“Do you think maybe you could box some up for me to take home too? I mean since this is the last time you’ll probably be making it?” I peeked up at him through my lashes, expecting a resounding no. Everybody knew he only made it because it was Riley’s favorite.

“The storage containers are in the cupboard. Don’t make a mess.” He said, causing me to glance up at him in shock.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” I asked, but he was already leaving the kitchen with two plates in hand and I didn’t get a reply.

“Sometimes I really wonder what Riley sees in him.” I mumbled to my plate. “He’s like a rock; cold, emotionless and dead inside.” I shook my head.

I plucked one of Riley’s mushroom-looking lollipops from the jar on the counter and twirled it around in my hand. I didn’t understand where the boy got the energy or the creative juices to make all these different things everyday. When he wasn’t making lollipops, he was making body scrubs and music boxes and popsicles, and I just couldn’t keep up.

I didn’t have the patience for stuff like that. I preferred to spend my time gathering information on important stuff. Stuff like who was dating whom, the gold-digger who was trying to get into my dad’s pants, the exact size of Johnny’s package, and on whether I was tall enough to get a modeling contract; the things that mattered. I dropped the lollipop back into the jar and took another huge bite of my jumbo meatball.

I glanced at my phone screen again when it rang, and answered over a mouth-full of food.

“I’m outside.” Johnny said as soon as I picked up. I swallowed.

“Aren’t you coming in? I’m eating.”

“No, I’m beat. Just pack it up and let’s go.”

“Did you eat already?”

“No, I’m not hungry.”

“Nate made spaghetti though so…” I trailed off, and there was a long pause before he responded.

“I could spare a few minutes.” He seemed to be saying mostly to himself, and then the phone went dead. Less than a minute later, I heard his spare key jiggling in the keyhole of Nate’s front door, and Johnny came sauntering in. He looked like a tired, handsome bear, with his hair sticking up at weird angles from running his fingers through it a million times, no doubt.

He called out to Nate and Riley as soon as he closed the door behind him, and they shouted back a greeting from the other room.

“Sit down, I’ll share some for you.’ I said, waving him over as I stood and made my way around the counter. I pulled a plate from the cupboard and picked up the tongs from where Nate had set them down and began heaping the spaghetti onto the plate.

He sat on the stool next to the one I’d vacated and watched me.

“You look tired.”

“Understatement.” He responded. I slid the heaping plate over to him along with a fork, then grabbed a bottle of water from the case by the fridge and slid that towards him too.

“What’s that on your face?” he asked just before taking his first bite.

“Riley’s homemade Honey and Lemon body scrub. I’m using it as a face mask.”

I sat beside him and scraped some of my own food into his plate as well, then propped my head in my hand and watched him.

“I missed you today.” I said “You know, if I’m your secretary we can spend all day together everyday.”

“You can do that without being a secretary. No one’s stopping you from coming to the office everyday.”

“Dad says I’m too clingy, and that if I keep it up you’re gonna eventually run for the hills.” I said, and he chewed thoughtfully as he watched me.

“Since when do you listen to your dad?”

I shrugged. “He’s not the first person to say that. Mario and McKenzie said pretty much the same thing too. I don’t wanna jinx it.”

Still, he continued to watch me as he ate; his tired, intelligent eyes focused on mine.

“Stop listening to other people and do whatever you want.” Came his reply before he finally turned his full attention back to his meal.

“I guess.” I replied, then reached up to flatten the hair on his head. He’d stopped shaving it months ago and I still wasn’t used to it.

“Riley’s leaving…I feel like I’m losing a rib or something.” I told him with a frown.

“Didn’t you say you’d drive up to visit him once a week?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but it’s not the same. I won’t have anyone to talk to when he leaves.”

“You’ve got a million friends here Kyle.”

“Not like Riley though.” I said. “I want him to go to college and live his best life, and get wasted at partie, and be independent and more outgoing and make new friends and stuff. But I want him to experience all those things when I’m right there with him. Selfish, right?”

Johnny didn’t answer right away. His chewing slowed and he set down his fork on the plate. When he turned to me, giving me his full attention, his eyes suddenly didn’t look tired anymore. Instead, they looked alert and assessing.

“Are you saying you want to go to college with him?”

I could have played with him just to see his reaction, but I wasn’t really in the mood for games. I was genuinely upset that Riley wouldn’t be around much anymore and I kinda wanted to vent. So, I chose to be honest.

“I would if you were going to come along too, but since that’s not going to happen, I’d be miserable if I went.” I said. “I wish things could just stay the same. We’re all happy now and in two days everything’s gonna change.”

“That’s life. Change is a huge part of it. All we can do is suck it up and deal.”

I rolled my eyes. “I was hoping you would say something profound.”

This time, instead of answering, he leaned in and kissed me on the lips, then turned back to his meal as if nothing had happened. I propped my chin in my hands, with my elbows resting on the counter, and watched him.

Yup, that was my Johnny; blunt and rough around the edges, but as sweet as honey and all mine. I reached over and poked his arm.

“Someone’s getting laid tonight.” I said with a wide grin, and the infinitesimal lifting of the corners of his lips, for a fraction of a second, was the only indication that he’d heard me.

The room fell silent after that and I watched him and waited until he’d taken his last bite and set down his fork before I spoke again.

“Johnny.” I whispered.

“Hmm?”

“I have good news and I have bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

“Whichever.” Came his unconcerned reply, then he uncorked his bottle of water and drank.

“Okay, then. The bad news is that I’m going out of town for one week starting on Monday.”

I said, then watched as he closed the bottle and finally gave me his full attention.

“Out of town, where?”

“I’m going to keep Riley’s company for his first week of school. I want to help him unpack and stuff and get accustomed to everything.” I said and he was shaking his head before I even finished the sentence.

“When are you and Nate going to stop babying him? He’s not the first person to go off the college. He can manage on his own.”

I frowned. “Are you saying that if I was going off to college you wouldn’t keep me company for the first week and visit me every weekend?”

“That’s different.”

I rolled my eyes. “How is that different?”

“You’re independent and I know you can take care of yourself. You guys don’t give him the opportunity to learn to do things on his own.”

“Yes we do. What’s so wrong with wanting to support him? He’s my best friend. Plus, it’s only a week. He’s going to be there by himself after that anyway so he’ll have plenty of time to get independent.”

He was quiet for a long time before he finally said; “Where are you planning to stay when you get there?”

“I booked a hotel room close to campus. You can come if you want.”

“I can’t take a week off work.” He said gruffly. “What’s the good news?”

I grinned. “I bought you a non-refundable plane ticket, so you have to come with me. It’ll be fun Johnny, plus, you haven’t taken any time off work in a long time. You’re entitled to vacation time just like everyone else.” I said. “And we’re due for a vacation anyway, so this is the perfect time.”

I was 99.9% sure that he was strangling me in his mind; if the look in his eyes were anything to go by. I smiled, putting on my best ‘cute Kyle’ face in an attempt to convince him to yield to my plans.

“Kyle—”

“It’s just one lousy week out of a whole year. All you do is work.”

“Well some of us have to make a living.”

“No you don’t. Your family left you as shit-ton of money. You can do whatever you want, you just choose not to because…because…” I trailed off and froze as I watched him; waiting for some reaction because his family was a sore topic that he never mentioned, and I’d just thrown them in his face.

I was holding my breath as I watched him watch me, but instead of blowing up, biting my head off or walking away, he simply shook his head.

“Well unlike you, I like working. It makes me feel like a useful member of society.”

I pouted. “Are you saying that I’m not a useful member of society?”

He smiled in confirmation, and because his smiles were so rare and they made my heart flutter, I leaned in and kissed him once, no—twice on the lips and pulled away again feeling happy.

“What’s the point of me having a trust fund if I can’t enjoy it?” I asked.

He propped his cheek in his hand, with his elbow on the table, and watched me.

“No one’s stopping you from enjoying it.”

“But we never do anything fun together.”

“You drag me out with you every weekend.”

“If you don’t come then I’m going to hang out with Riley for two weeks…or more depending on how I feel.”

Another rare smile. “Are you blackmailing me?”

I shrugged. “If that’s what it takes.” And then I stole another kiss because Johnny smiling was gold.

“Alright, I’ll take three days off.”

“Six days.”

“Four and that’s the best I can do.”

“Deal.” I grinned and held out a hand. He took my hand in his, and as usual, his grip was firm; just the way I liked it. He leaned in close to my ear and I thought he was going to say something sweet and romantic, but instead he whispered;

“Get your ass to the car. I’m tired.”

“You were supposed to say something nice.” I frowned.

“Like what?” he pulled away and began gathering our dirty dishes. I watched him walk around the counter and frowned.

“I don’t know…something like…you’re beautiful or something.”

“Have you seen your face lately?” he said, turning his eyes to the dishes he’d placed in the sink. I groaned. I’d forgotten all about the face mask.

“I’m gonna go wash this off and you better have something nice to say when I get back.” I warned as I walked away. I entered the living room where Nate and Riley were sitting together on the couch. Nate was fidgeting with some weird gadget and Riley was eating his dinner with his legs folded under him like one of those Buddha figurines he’d given me way back when.

I entered the first bathroom I saw because God knows they had a lot of them. I could understand the need for so many if they were usually in the business of inviting guests over or hosting fun house parties, but Nate and Riley were disturbingly quiet people who didn’t like attention, so one bathroom would have probably been enough.

By the time my thoughts veered to another topic, I’d already washed the face mask off and I had to hand it to the kid; he knew his ingredients; my face was Gold. I grabbed a bar of soap from the humongous jar of soaps Riley had placed on the bathroom counter and sniffed it.

“Minty.” I whispered. I couldn’t say what it was, but every time I visited their house I somehow got lost in all the cool stuff Riley made. Back in prison I’d had no idea he’d had any talent whatsoever.

I’d thought he was just quiet Riley who had big ambitions and the most adorable smile but, low and behold, I’d grown to learn that he had layers to him; many many layers; like an onion. Unlike his life partner Nate, who had exactly one layer, and all that was there was the essence of evil…and maybe some good looks, but that was it!

I turned Riley’s minty soap around and around in my hands; lathering it up and then washing it off, then I glanced down at the jar again. This was the only scent that he’d made that I didn’t have. I sighed. I was seriously going to miss him when he was gone.

Universities: tearing families apart since the days of the caveman. I sighed. I was going to have an extra long chat with my dad in the morning. I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent him a quick text so he could know to expect me.

Me:

“I’m dropping by the office in the morning.”

Dad:

“Any reason in particular?” he texted back almost instantly.

Me:

“I need to talk about my feelings.”

Dad:

“I keep telling you, I’m a lawyer not a therapist.”

Me:

“Then why do you have a therapist’s chair in your office? Besides, I don’t trust therapists.

      The inner workings of my brain can't be divulged to just anyone."

Dad:

“I have a busy day tomorrow. We’ll have to meet up another day.”

Me:

“I’m coming by at around 8:00 a.m.”

There was a long-ish pause before his next reply.

Dad:

Okay, but let’s keep it under an hour this time. Deal?“

Me:

“Two hours at the most. I swear.”

Dad:

“Alright. See you tomorrow and don’t be late.”

Me:

“I’m never late.”

When I pushed open the bathroom door and stepped out into the living room; it was to see Riley quietly giggling at something Nate was whispering in his ear, and John dozing off of the chair across from them.

I passed by the two lovebirds and made my way over to my man. When I flicked his ear with my finger his tired eyes sprang open.

“Time to go sleepyhead.”

“Ready?” He asked, looking all cute and blurry-eyed.

……………..

“What’s wrong with Riley?” Johnny asked as he pulled the car out of Nate’s driveway.

“You noticed it too?” I asked in surprise and he nodded.

“He looks like he’s about to have some kind of emotional meltdown. What’s the big deal with moving a few hours away? He’ll still see you and Nate often enough.”

I sighed. “They haven’t spent more than a day apart since they met. Riley’s trying to act tough and calm but it’s obvious he’s stressed out about all these upcoming changes.” I said. “He’s always been dependent on others…especially Nate. It’s natural that he’d be afraid of going off by himself to some new town where he won’t know anyone.”

“Maybe this will be good for him.”

“It will be but Nate’s no different though. He looks stressed out about it too.”

“That’s because he dotes on the kid too much. He needs to stop being so damn overprotective otherwise Riley will never learn.”

I chuckled. “They’re cute though. I love the way Nate takes care of him.”

John snorted but otherwise said nothing.

I looked at him for a moment. “How come you’re not overprotective of me?”

“You get into too much trouble. It would be too much work.”

I shrugged. “I guess. Do you think Nate’s noticed how much it’s affecting him?”

“I think he’s too caught up in his own feelings to see it but no doubt it’ll all come out soon enough.”

“Yeah. Riley’s been on the verge of tears all day. I feel bad for him.”

“He’s the one who wanted to go off to college. People leave their family’s behind to do it every year. He’ll get used to it.”

A long moment of silence passed between us, where we both sat there lost in our own thoughts, before I looked at him and said what had been on my mind for the past few days.

“Back to our conversation earlier, about what my dad and friends said. Do you think I’m clingy?”

“Of course.” He said simply and I blinked up at him in surprise.

“You do? Is it because I visit your office everyday? Is it because I text and call you too much or do you think I sleep over your house too often? because I can cut down on a lot of that stuff.” I assured him; my feelings hurt.

“If I had a problem with you being clingy I would have told you so.” Johnny said in that matter-of-fact tone that he always used. “I like you this way. It makes me worry less.”

I grinned. “Worry less about what?”

He glanced at me briefly but didn’t respond and I knew from the look in his eyes that he wouldn’t no matter how many more times I asked, so I let all my happy, sappy thoughts pool into my mind and let it go.

“That’s the most romantic thing you’ve said to me all week.” I reached over to run my fingers along his muscular arm, then gave it a firm squeeze and let go before he started being all grumpy about me distracting him.

I was in a happy mood all of a sudden. Take that dad. When we stopped at a traffic light, I turned to him again.

“Do you know that Nate’s still mad at me?”

“Well you dragged his lover to a gay bar and he almost got sexually assaulted. What do you expect?”

“He’s making it seem as if I knew that was going to happen.” I sighed. “He thinks I’m a bad influence. I swear Nate acts like his dad sometimes. It’s ridiculous.”

“You just said it’s cute.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re his best friend, tell me what to do to make him like me again.”

“Stay away from Riley.”

“Never.”

He chuckled. “Then be patient. Nate will come around soon enough…if you stop causing trouble.”

“It’s been weeks.”

“Yup.”

I rolled my eyes again because asking Johnny for advice was always a bad idea anyway. He was never on my side.

“I bet you two hundred dollars I can get him to talk to me again by the end of next week.”

Johnny, who loved a good bet, grinned. “You’ll be waiting a month at least.” He said confidently.

“Are we on then?”

“Make it three hundred and you do my laundry for a month. And don’t come whining to me when you lose.”

I rolled my eyes. “Alright then, and when I win, I want three hundred and you have to go on a cruise with me when I work out the details. And you don’t come walking around all grumpy when you lose.” I countered, then rubbed my hands together in glee. A long vacation at sea with Johnny. There was no way I would lose this one.

He glanced at me for a brief moment, as though he were considering his options, then he nodded slowly.

“Deal.”

………………………………………

I was on time when I stepped off the elevator and into the waiting area outside my dad’s office the next morning. The first thing I noticed was the new legal assistant sitting behind the desk beside his door.

“I glanced up at the clock on the wall and walked right past her, but when I placed a hand on the door knob leading to my dad’s office, she practically had a heart attack.

“Sir! You can’t go in there. He’s in a meeting!” She hissed at me, and for a second we stood looking at each other. She was frozen there with her hand held out and her eyes wide. It was such a comical thing that I could only grin as I pushed the door and stepped inside.

And I know what you’re thinking; ’ that was so rude Kyle. At least wait your turn.’ No. It’s already 8:01 a.m. so it IS my turn, and if I didn’t barge in, his meeting would go on for the rest of my life.

“Don’t mind me.” I said to the two dozen guys seated around the large conference table. I dropped down onto the ‘therapist’s chair’ positioned next to my dad’s desk and laid down on my back; waiting and listening.

All I was hearing were problems after problems but no solutions. I sighed. This was cutting into my therapy session and I was not amused. I stood and walked over to the end of the long-ass table and folded my arms.

“How about you just set up the company in St. Lucia…that way you’ll get your 1% tax and you get the added benefit of not having to name any of them as directors. Just contact a trust services company over there, God knows they’ve got a million, and use them as a nominee director for the IBC.” I said. “You could even use them as nominee shareholders and once you’ve figured out your shareholder situation, you simply have them transfer the shares to those guys and issue a new share certificate. Easy.”

I was greeted by complete silence as the room full of newbie lawyers looked at me as if I’d grown an extra head. I sighed.

“Seriously dad they’re cutting into our session.”

“Kyle.” He said in that tone he used when he was trying to lay down the law (no pun intended). But there was still that proud glint in his eyes that always appeared whenever I decided to state the obvious.

“Alright gentlemen. I’d urge you to think on what Kyle just said because he’s absolutely right. Do your research and we’ll meet back here on Monday to discuss it further. Right now I’m late for a meeting with my son, so if you’ll excuse me.”

I watched with my arms crossed in front of me as they stood like those robots on television, and filed quickly out of the room. When we were finally alone I turned to my old man with a frown.

“Seriously dad, where’d you find those guys. This is elementary school stuff.”

“Everyone has to start somewhere. They’re new hires, fresh from law school. Eventually they’ll learn.”

“And you wanted me to waste my time and go to law school when it’s obvious they don’t teach them anything. I learned this stuff from reading your books when I was just a kid. Literally all they have to do is take up a book and the information’s right there.”

He patted my head. “Not everyone has your brain Kyle. Us normal folk can’t just glance at a few thousand lines in a book and remember it all for life.”

I knew exactly what was coming next so I sat down in the chair and waited.

“You could do amazing things with that mind of yours Kyle. You could be a damn good attorney. Your friend’s going off to college, why don’t you just go with him? You might find something you’re interested in. It doesn’t even have to be law.”

“Nope.”

“Kyle—”

“You’re cutting even more into my therapy session dad. It’s already 8:15 a.m. and I’ve gotta meet up with Riley soon so we can get the tea on Simon and Eddie’s non-existent but ‘soon to exist’ relationship.”

He sighed and pulled off his glasses the way he usually did when he was frustrated. I lay down on my back and watched as he settled in his chair behind the desk.

“Alright, what’s going on with you?”

“Aren’t you going to do the thing?” I questioned. He blinked at me for a little while as if I was the one who had wasted sixteen minutes of our time already, then he pulled out an empty legal pad and a pen, and pulled on his glasses.

“And how does that make you feel Kyle?” He tapped the pen on the pad, just like in the movies and I turned my eyes up to the ceiling to get into the mood.

“I feel fucking sad. My best friend’s going off to college and I’m only going to see him once a week from now on and I think I might be depressed a little bit. Do you think I’m depressed?”

“If you went to college with him then you wouldn’t be depressed at all.”

“Ah…so you do think I’m depressed.” I surmised. “You know that feeling you get in your chest when you’re trying really hard not to cry but it’s just right below the surface but you’re in public so you gotta hold it in so you don’t embarrass yourself?”

“Ah…”

“Well that’s how I feel everyday now. I mean at the beginning when we found out he’d gotten in, I was ecstatic, overjoyed, over the moon even, but ever since he started packing up his stuff I’ve been feeling like this.”

“Have you told him how you’re feeling?”

“No. Nate’s stressed out about it too, even though he won’t admit it, and Riley’s about to have an emotional episode. I don’t want to add to the household stress.”

“Do you think he’s making the right choice?”

“Absolutely. This is something he’s always wanted to do and its going to be an amazing experience for him, so he should go. If he doesn’t he might regret it.”

“Don’t you also think that you might regret it if you don’t go?”

I shook my head. “No. It’s not something I’ve ever wanted. I’ll probably regret it if I decide to go actually. But that’s not the point Doctor.”

“I’m not—”

“The point is, I’m gonna miss him and I feel like shit that my other half is going away for an extended period of time and I’m going to miss all the important milestones in his life. Plus, if you look at the statistics, most college students drift apart from their other friends once they meet new people in college.” I said. “I swear to God if Riley outgrows me I’m gonna be pissed as hell.”

“I thought John was your other half.” he commented and I frowned.

“Johnny’s like my left lung; there’s a difference. And anyway, that’s not the point dad.”

“What is it that you want Kyle?”

“I want things to stay the same. I don’t want to lose my only friend.”

“You have dozens of friends.”

I shot him a look. “You sound just like Johnny.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

I sighed. I should have known better than to ask a lawyer to be my therapist. All they did was talk; they never wanted to just listen.

I sat up and picked up the phone I’d set down on my dad’s desk.

“I’m gonna have to cut this session short dad. You’re stressing me out and that’s not good for my health.”

“I’m stressing you out?”

“Yes.” I stood and walked over to him, glanced at the empty legal pad and shook my head. Then I leaned down to kiss his forehead. “I’m staying at Johnny’s again tonight so don’t wait up for me.”

“Where are you headed now? I can give you a ride.”

“Nah, I’ll call a cab. Go meet with the rest of your staff so they can go home early. It’s Saturday dad. You shouldn’t be such a slave driver.”

“The work of an attorney never ends.” He said with a chuckle. “Be safe. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I ordered my cab as I was walking out the door. The legal assistant didn’t even give me a second glance as I walked past her desk, and I figured it was for the best anyway. I was losing track of how many new friends I’d somehow managed to accumulate in the past year alone. Johnny said I was too friendly.

I sat by the large windows in the lounge outside dad’s office and waited for my cab. I might as well go spend some time with Johnny and have Simon pick me up there when they were ready. I folded my arms before me and closed my eyes. I must have drifted off soon after because the next time I opened them, it was because the legal assistant was calling out to me.

I glanced up at her as I fought a yawn. “Front desk called to say that your cab is outside.” She was saying.

I glanced down at my phone and shot up out of my seat.

“Shit. Thanks Daisy!” I shouted as I ran down the hall and by-passed the elevator for the stairs. If the driver gave me a bad passenger rating I was going to be so annoyed. I blamed Johnny for keeping me up all night.

It was only when I was seated in the back seat of the car with the seatbelt strapped securely across my chest that I realized that I actually didn’t know the legal assistant’s name, and in my hurry to get out of the building I’d made one up for her on the spot.

I shook my head. “What the fuck’s going on in that head of yours Kyle?” I mumbled to myself.

“Huh?” the driver questioned; looking at me in his rearview mirror.

“Don’t mind me. I’m just…talking to myself.”

…………………………………

The first thing I spotted when I got out of the elevator at Nate and John’s securities firm was a very tall guy wearing trendy square-frame glasses, sitting behind the secretary’s desk that had been empty for weeks.

“Hey Kyle.” Gabriel, an employee greeted as he was about to walk past me and I grabbed hold of his arm.

“Who’s that?” I whispered conspiratorially. Gabriel glanced between me and the tall guy.

“Oh that’s Lorenzo. He’s the new secretary the bosses hired.”

I blinked several times slowly as my mind began to process what he’d just said, and by the time I’d gathered my wits I realized that Gabriel had gone about his business and I’d been left there alone to gape at Lorenzo.

Lorenzo, who was watching me now with a welcoming smile, beckoned me over with an overly-excited greeting.

“How may I help you, sir?” he asked, and I made my way over to the desk.

“I’m Kyle. My hubby works here.” I told him, folding my arms before me in an attempt to look somewhat slightly important.

“May I have your ID please?” he asked and when I handed it to him his smile widened.

“Ah yes. I have you on the list. You can go right ahead. I’ll just let him know you’re here.”

I frowned. “What list?”

“The partners gave me a list of all the persons who are allowed in without an appointment or prior notice.”

That was news to me. “Can I see it?”

“I’m sorry sir, but I’m not authorized to distribute the list.” He said with that same wide grin.

“You’re not distributing it though. You’re just showing it to me.”

“I’m sorry sir, but it’s against the firm’s policy for me to do that.”

I nodded slowly, looking him up and down. He was going to be a tough nut to crack, that was quickly becoming clear; but I had my ways.

I leaned against his desk. “Well, you know, in a way you are authorized to show me. Johnny’s my boyfriend and one day in the not so distant future, he’ll be my husband, so if you look at it that way, I’m practically your boss too.” I said. “So I’m authorizing you to show me the list.”

“Show him the list Lorenzo. God knows he won’t stop nagging unless you do.”

I glanced up at the sound of Johnny’s voice and smiled at him as he walked into the room with a large file in his hand.

“Of course sir.” Lorenzo said, reaching to some hidden spot behind his desk and pulling out sheet of paper. He handed it to me with a smile. Always with a smile. Just where did one go to find perpetually happy people like this?

Johnny pulled open a file cabinet, deposited the file he was holding and locked it back with a small key. I glanced down at the paper. There were two columns. One for Nate and one for Johnny. Nate’s list had Riley, Simon and Eddie. While Johnny’s list had me, my dad and Michael.

I grinned at the fact that my name was listed first, then handed it back to Lorenzo.

“You know what I don’t get?”

“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.” Johnny responded distractedly as he reached over to take another file that Lorenzo held out to him.

“How come Nate doesn’t talk to Simon at all, yet he put him on his list? I mean what’s the point?”

“Simon’s his brother. Why wouldn’t he be on the list?”

“If Simon stops by what are they gonna do? Sit in silence?”

John’s reply was a half grunt but otherwise he said nothing. I shook my head, then turned my attention back to a more important matter.

I stared him dead in the eyes. So this tall guy was their new secretary. They’d even gone ahead and gotten him a name plate already: Lorenzo. The injustice of it all. I shook my head.

I leaned against his desk, getting myself comfortable as I prepared myself to have a nice long chat with the guy who had stolen the secretary post right from under my nose.

“So…Enzo. Can I call you Enzo?”

“Uh…”

“No.” Johnny interrupted as he grabbed me by the nape of the neck like I was some stray cat. “Stop harassing my secretary.” He said, ushering me out of the room and down the hall.

“Johnny, I’m just being friendly.” I assured him, but he still didn’t let me go until we were safely tucked away in his office.

He went as far as to lock the office door; as if I didn’t have opposable thumbs to aid me in my escape. I sat in one of his chairs and propped my feet up on his desk.

“How’d the meeting with your dad go? He called me a few minutes ago.”

I shrugged. “Not good. He was trying to be a lawyer instead of a therapist and ruined the whole vibe.”

“You do realize that he’s not a doctor right?” he asked as he sat in the chair behind his massive desk.

“And it’s a damn shame.” I said. “Why did he call you?”

“He wanted me to know that you’re depressed.”

“Oh.” I said, then pulled out my phone to check the time. I had at least two hours left before Simon came to pick me up.

“Are you?”

“Am I what?” I questioned with a frown.

“Are you depressed?”

“How would I know. I’m not a doctor.”

“Kyle.”

I sighed. “I don’t know. I think I could be…a little bit.”

“Because of Riley?”

“No, because change is inevitable and life sucks.”

“Where’s the Kyle who could take on the world? I miss him.” Johnny said. I looked up at him, and though there was a tiny smile on his face, his eyes looked slightly worried.

“That Kyle’s terrified that he’s about to lose his best friend. He doesn’t have time to take on the world too.”

“Come here.” Johnny said, pushing his chair back from the desk and gesturing to his lap. I shook my head. If I went over there I would cry and I’d already filled my crying quota for the year. Instead, I looked across the room, then back at him and grinned.

“What?” he asked, looking at me with furrowed brows as my grin grew wider and wider.

“Wanna have sex on the copier?”

…………………………….

Riley

Simon was making the entire process more complicated than it needed to be. I just wanted a laptop that could get me through all my years at university. I didn’t need a space shuttle. Kyle and I sat side by side in the store watching him debate with some other tech nerd who worked there. We’d been watching them go at it for about half an hour and it didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon.

This is the reason I’d asked Eddie to come along, but instead, Eddie was sitting on my left with a weird little smile on his face as he watched the two nerds argue. I poked his arm and he looked at me with that same happy expression.

“Make him stop.” I whispered, and Eddie’s grin widened.

“Do you know Simon?” he asked. “Once he gets started on the tech stuff there is no stopping him.”

I frowned. “Then why’d you agree to come along?”

Eddie shrugged. “Nothing better to do.”

Beside me, Kyle yawned, then blinked a few times fast before pulling out his phone to reply to one of his millions of texts.

“This isn’t going the way I’d hoped it would.” I commented mostly to myself, but Kyle shoved his phone into his pocket and stood. The expression on his face was one of abject determination as he looked down at me.

“What?” I asked. He glanced not-so-subtly at Eddie, then gestured to the other side of the store with his head.

With a sigh, I stood and followed him across the room. Not surprisingly, neither Eddie not Simon even noticed our disappearance.

“Maybe I should just go home, finish packing and tell Simon to call me when he’s done.”

Kyle waved me off. “Rid your mind of all thoughts pertaining to the laptop Riley. We have far more important matters to attend to.”

“Why are you talking like that weird guy from the stupid Vampire book you’re always reading?” I asked in frustration. Kyle looked at me like I’d committed blasphemy.

“For your information, ’ A Vampire’s Marine’ is not a stupid book, it’s a work of art. And Rien isn’t weird, he’s badass. He’s my my spirit animal.”

When he realized I wasn’t about to play his game, he rolled his eyes at me and manhandled me so that I was facing a row of DVD’s.

“See that guy standing over there?” he asked and I nodded.

“I’ve been watching him for awhile now and he’s been stealing glances at Eddie for the last fifteen minutes.”

“And?”

“And, my sad, miserable little friend, we’re going to use him to make Simon jealous.”

The guy in question was a sexy-looking guy with a full, well-groomed beard that any twink would call ‘daddy’ and he looked like a very straight man who would squash us with his bare hands for even suggesting the word gay and him in the same sentence.

“I can already tell you’re stereotyping. Get out of your head.” Kyle drawled in a bored tone.

“You think every man on earth is gay though, but just because the guy looked at Eddie doesn’t mean anything.”

“If he’s not gay I’ll eat my hat.” Kyle practically shut me up. I watched in horror as he walked over to the guy in question; hips swaying to some beat only he could hear as he sashayed down his imaginary runway.

I couldn’t hear what he was saying to the guy when he stopped in front of him, but I held my breath, waiting anxiously for the guy to get pissed off. For a while nothing happened, then I watched as Kyle pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and waved it in front of the guy’s face, before he pointed to Eddie who had no idea what was happening just a few feet away from him.

I watched as the two talked some more. At least the guy didn’t look pissed, but he was shaking his head in disagreement to whatever it was that Kyle was saying. Then, I watched as Kyle replaced the cash into the back pocket of his tight jeans and they continued their talk.

I shook my head. Only Kyle would put himself in such an uncomfortable situation. Whenever I was with him it felt like I was in some kind of insane romantic comedy and I wasn’t ever quite sure if he was playing the main character or the funny supporting role.

I sighed. Moving to college was stressful and I still had a lot of packing left to do. When I’d left the house this morning I’d been so sure that the trip to the store would take a quick fifteen minutes. I should have known better.

I pulled my phone from my pocket when a message alert came in and sighed when I read it.

Nate:

“I’ll be there in ten.”

Me:

“We’re not done yet. Simon’s still debating with the store guy, Eddie’s not helping and Kyle’s doing something stupid.”

And that was the end of that conversation. Nate wasn’t really a texter. Any minute now he was going to call. I started the mental countdown. Five…Four…Three…Two…. And like clockwork my phone began to ring.

“Hey babe.” I answered.

“What’s going on?”

“Simon and the tech guy are arguing and it’s been more than half an hour already and I still haven’t finished packing everything.” I complained. “and Kyle’s trying to pay off some random guy to go flirt with Eddie to try and make Simon jealous and the guy doesn’t even look gay Nate. He looks like a kickboxer or something.”

“That damn Kyle.” Nate responded, and I could already picture his annoyed expression. If it would prompt him to come down here and move things along, then that expression was welcome. “Just don’t get involved.” Was all he said.

“Are you still going to come down here anyway? I bet you could speed things up.” I said; my fingers and toes crossed.

“Yeah I’m on my way.” He said, then after a brief pause he continued; “Let Si do his thing. He’ll get you the best, so you won’t have to worry about that.”

“Yeah but the best is about to cost me three thousand dollars that I don’t have. I just want a good computer not a whole science lab.”

I rolled my eyes when he only chuckled. “Can you get me food when you’re coming?” I asked.

“What do you want?”

“Anything with a strawberry milkshake. Oh, and an iced coffee for Kyle.”

“Alright I’ll see you in twenty then.”

I pocketed the phone and glanced over at Kyle who was now talking to the guy as though they’d been best of friends for years. I watched as they stood there laughing and I shook my head. After a moment’s hesitation, I walked over and stood beside Kyle. I gave the stranger a small wave but he was more focused on the conversation than on his own surroundings.

“…yeah I go up there all the time. I’ve never seen you there though. I feel like I would remember seeing someone like you.” The guy offered him a bright, warm smile and Kyle snapped his fingers twice.

“I’m not the guy you should be flirting with Carl. I’m taken remember? But my friend Eddie over there is not and we both know he’s hot…so since you won’t accept my money, then you might as well go do it for free.” Kyle said. “And don’t pretend you’re not interested because you’ve been eyeing him since you stepped into the store.”

Carl laughed as he glanced over at Eddie again and I looked at my best friend the alien. The guy could befriend a snail is he really wanted to.

“A guy who looks like that should be able to get anyone he wants. Why are you willing to pay someone to go out with him? What’s wrong with him?”

Kyle’s grin was as wide as ever as he looked at Eddie with obvious pride. “He’s beautiful isn’t he?” he sighed in satisfaction. “He’s taking a little break from men for right now.” He lied. “But I think it’s time for him to get back out there and you’re his type so…” he trailed off as he allowed his words to sink in.

While the guy watched Eddie, I watched the guy; he was huge. Almost as big as John and that was saying something. When his eyes shifted from Eddie to me, I stepped back.

“Woah big guy. He’s taken too and his man will literally kill you just for looking at him so don’t even think about it.” Kyle said, then mumbled; “He’s so damn thirsty,” under his breath so that only I could hear.

“Kyle let’s just drop this.” I said, my eyes darting from Kyle to Carl and back.

Kyle sighed. “Fine. Guess I’ll just set him up with Frankie instead.”

I rolled my eyes because there was no Frankie, and like clockwork, Carl moved past us and was already making his way over to where Eddie sat, completely oblivious to Kyle’s plotting.

“One of these days you’re gonna get yourself into some serious trouble.” I told him as we watched it all play out.

“But today is not that day my friend.” He chuckled, then rubbed his hands together like a creepy mastermind.

What happened next was the most bizarre thing I’d seen in a long time. The second…and I mean the second , Carl said the first word to Eddie, Simon, who had been completely engrossed in his conversation with the tech guy, broke off mid-sentence, and we watched as his eyes shifted to his best friend.

We were too far away to hear what they were saying and moving any closer would probably ruin everything, so we just stood there and observed. I watched as Eddie’s eyes traveled up and down Carl’s body appreciatively and no doubt, Simon’s sharp eyes didn’t miss it either.

I couldn’t understand Simon’s expression though. There was no real emotion there; no jealousy, no anger, no nothing. His intelligent eyes simply watched with an intense sort of focus that gave me goose bumps.

One thing was clear at least; Simon and Eddie weren’t in a relationship, because if they were, Eddie wouldn’t now be handing his phone to the guy in plain sight of Simon. I watched the interaction as the two men talked in a friendly, slightly flirty way and Kyle latched onto my arm and squeezed.

“Look at Simon.” He hissed and I shifted my gaze back to him. Except that his eyes weren’t on Eddie and Carl per se. Instead, his gaze was glued to Eddie’s phone which Carl held as he probably typed in his number. Still, his eyes followed the device as it was passed back to Eddie, right up to the point where Eddie stuffed it into his pocket and he blinked as if coming out of a trance.

Eddie and Carl’s conversation didn’t last very long after that, but both men looked relatively happy as they spoke. Finally, and only when their interaction seemed to be wrapping up, did Simon shift his gaze away from the two and back to the tech guy who looked very confused and abandoned. A moment later, the debate restarted as if nothing had happened.

“Well at least we’ve confirmed one thing.” Kyle said with a happy grin as Carl broke away from Eddie and went on his way. “Simon’s into Eddie.”

“Two things you mean.” I corrected.

Kyle’s brows furrowed “What else?”

“Eddie’s gay.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “That was never in question.” He said.

“But Eddie’s probably not into Simon.”

Kyle chuckled. “He is. I’m not worried about that. I just don’t get why they’re not together yet.”

“And it’s really none of our business.”

“True.” He conceded, but I could see the wheels turning in his head already and I chose not to get involved anymore than I already was. When I left for school, he’d be matchmaking on his own anyway.

“You realize you just set Eddie up with that Carl guy right?”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Gimmie a break, Simon and Eddie are legendary. Some random thirsty man like Carl couldn’t even hope to get between something like that.”

“You’re delusional.”

“No, I’m right.” He said, then finally released my arm and sashayed away. I was really going to miss the drama queen. I sighed, feeling even more depressed than I had been for the past few days.

It took another twenty-three minutes before we were finally walking out of the store with a brand-new two-thousand-dollar laptop, which to my delight, Simon purchased for me as a gift.

Though, if I was being completely honest, I’d admit that the real reason he got it for me was because Simon and I were serious gamers and the last time we were playing a game against each other online, we had to stop mid-game because my laptop decided to breathe its last breath. Of course it had pissed Simon off (though he’d never admit it) because he was convinced he’d been about to win and failed to get his chance.

So, today’s expensive purchase was pretty self-serving (for Simon, not me.) I would be lying if I said I wasn’t pretty damn excited though. The hour we’d spent in there had been worth it and that was the reason I was grinning from ear to ear as I hopped into the front seat of Nate’s truck.

Kyle was grinning for an entirely different reason as he hopped into the back and took the coffee that Nate offered. The ride to Kyle’s house was mostly silent. Kyle was caught up in one of his weird fantasies and whenever that happened it was pretty hard to pull him back out.

Nate was just naturally quiet and he still hadn’t forgiven Kyle yet so he was even quieter than usual. Fifteen minutes later we dropped Kyle off and I turned to him. One thing about Nate, despite his level-headedness, he knew how to hold a grudge. His relationship with his younger brother Simon was testament to that fact.

“You know, if you’re gonna be mad at Kyle, you should be mad at me too. Kyle’s not my guardian angel so why does he have to bear all the responsibility?” I asked and I watched as his mouth tightened. We’d had this conversation before and it hadn’t ended well the first time.

“He took you there when I explicitly told him—”

“I walked there on my own two legs. He didn’t pick me up and drag me. I made the conscious decision to go because I didn’t think it would be a big deal.” I interrupted. “It was just a stupid gay cub that people visit all the time without any trouble. How were we supposed to know that something like that would happen?”

“If you had stayed away from the place like I told you, you wouldn’t have been put in that position. You agreed with me right up until the point Kyle convinced you it was okay to go.”

“I never agreed with you though Nathan.” I said earnestly. “You didn’t want me to go because you just didn’t want me to be around other gay guys but that’s unreasonable. I should be able to go hang out with my friend even if it’s at some stupid club, without it being a problem.”

As Nathan tended to do whenever he was pissed, he went silent. I saw the way his hand tightened on the steering wheel and even from the side, the angry glint in his eyes was unmistakable.

“You just don’t trust me, that’s why.” I said quietly. “You didn’t want me to go because you thought I was going to cheat on you. And you’ve been moody about me going to college for the same reason too I bet. You’re always like this because you’ve never trusted me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Riley.” Was all he said and I turned away from him to look out my own window. Without warning, the tears built and spilled onto my cheeks and I wiped at them with the back of my hand.

I hated this. I hated feeling like I’d done something wrong when I’d done everything to show him just how committed I was to the relationship. I’d never done a thing to make him doubt me but he did anyway. And tomorrow I’d be leaving for college, which meant that I wouldn’t be able to see him whenever I wanted and just the thought of it scared me.

Going to college was what I’d wanted for so long and finally it was in my reach but I was miserable.

“Why are you crying?” he growled at me, and that just made it worse.

Before I knew it, I was sobbing into my half empty strawberry milkshake and feeling overwhelmed by just about everything; the lack of trust, how I was going to miss him, the fear of going somewhere new all alone. Everything I’d been stressed out about for the past few weeks just came spilling out in one big emotionally charged mess of tears and ugly sobbing and I couldn’t stop it.

He didn’t say a thing all the way home, and when he pulled up in the driveway and got out, I just sat there in the car and bawled. I barely even noticed it when he pulled open my door and helped me out; holding onto my arm until he opened the front door and ushered me inside.

After that he disappeared, and a few moments later, our room door slammed so hard that the hanging bulbs over the kitchen counter rattled. I stumbled until I found the couch and curled up in it and let it all out. When it was over, I just lay there in silence, completely spent.

I couldn’t say when Nate finally emerged from our room, but when I saw him next, he was kneeling on the floor in front of the couch with a steaming mug in hand.

“Here.” He said gently. “Drink this.” Then held it out to me but I just stared at it; watching the steam swirl above it without a word. I didn’t even have the energy to reach for it, and when he realized I wasn’t going to take it from him, he twisted around and set it down gently on the coffee table behind him.

When he turned back to me, I couldn’t read his expression. I had no idea if he was angry or annoyed or anything. He just knelt there staring at my hands as they fidgeted with the edge of the throw blanket that had magically appeared at some point while I’d been sobbing my heart out. We sat in silence for a long time, before he said his next words; which came out in a whisper;

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not going. I’m staying here with you.” I responded quickly and he looked up at my face; our eyes meeting.

“You’ve wanted this for a long time. You’ll regret it if you stay.” he said; his voice equally soft.

“If I go I’ll rarely get to see you.” I said. “And I don’t know anyone there. It’ll just be me in an unfamiliar place around people I don’t know.”

“You’ll see me every weekend, maybe even more than that.” He said with that tiny lift of the corner of his mouth that I liked to see. “You’ll meet new people and after a while you’ll get used to it. Everything will be fine.”

“I’ve been really happy this year. Everything’s been perfect and I feel like when I leave everything’s gonna be different.”

“Like what?”

“Kyle’s going to start hanging out with his other friends and eventually he’s going to move on. People drift apart when they go to college.” I told him seriously, but Nate was smiling.

“Kyle is obsessed with you. Trust me, he’s not going anywhere.”

“Then what about you?”

“What about me?” he asked. “You’re the one who’s doing to go off to meet people and gain independence. I should be the worried one.”

“Because you don’t trust me.” I surmised. Nate sighed.

“You don’t see yourself clearly. You never have.” He said.

“What do you mean?”

“You draw people’s attention wherever you go Riles. We’ll walk down the street and every head turns to look at you and you don’t even realize it.” He said and I shook my head at the absurdity of his statement.

“You’re wrong.” I told him.

“I’m not.” He said, his eyes filled with such certainty that I could only watch him in surprise. “Maybe I’m selfish, but I don’t like it when other guys approach you. I don’t like it when they try to flirt with you, or touch you or talk to you or even look at you and every time they do it pisses me off.”

“But—” I began and he held up his hand and I fell silent.

“I know.” He said. “It’s unreasonable and it’s not fair to you, but how I feel has nothing to do with trust. You’re one of the few people in this world who I do trust.”

I felt the warmth blossom inside me and I was smiling before I even realized it.

“So all those times you got all grumpy when you saw me around guys was because—”

“Because I’m a selfish bastard who wants you all to myself.” He said, then released a breath. “I’m really going to miss you Riles. I love having you here by my side. I love lying on the couch on a Sunday morning and looking across the hall and seeing you sitting there making your body scrubs and lip balms and all the things that make you happy.

“Really?” I blinked away tears because Nate rarely told me how he was feeling.

“Yes, and you know what else?” he asked, and I shook my head. “I’m going to miss waiting an hour for you to finish your weird Korean skincare routine every night before bed. I’m going to miss you burning the rice every single time, and I’m going to miss seeing you smile at me every time I walk through the door.”

“I’m not going.” I said again, the tears streaming down my face again as I listened to the sweetest confession I’d ever heard.

“I don’t want you to go, but I want you to go.” He said. “This is what you’ve always wanted so you have my support one hundred percent. If I didn’t have a business to run I’d come with you, but as long as you’ll have me, I’ll be there on the weekend. A four-drive is nothing.”

“And we can video chat everyday.” I said in between sniffles.

“Everyday.” He confirmed. “And I’ll bring you dinner on the weekends so you won’t completely starve.” He grinned and I gave him a watery smile.

“Okay.”

“All I need you to do, is have fun, make new friends and enjoy the experience.” Nate said. “Don’t stress too much and make sure you eat on time. You know how you get when you’re focused on something… so set an alarm or something so you’ll remember to eat.”

“I will.” I wiped my nose with the back of my sleeve.

“Be safe and call me if something happens, or even if you just want to talk. It doesn’t matter what time of day or night.”

“I’m going to cry when I get there after you leave.” I warned him and he smiled.

“I know.” Then took my face into his hands and leaned in to kiss me. When he pulled away, he said the words that rarely crossed his lips. “I love you.”

                                                                     AUTHOR’S NOTES

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS 4O-PAGE BONUS CHAPTER. THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER IN THE

SERIES AND I’M SO HAPPY THAT YOU GUY HAVE TAKEN THE TIME OUT TO ENJOY IT.

THE FIRST SEVEN CHAPTERS OF

CELL MATES 2: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES

HAVE BEEN

PUBLISHED AND WILL BE UPDATED REGULARLY.

GO CHECK IT OUT

!.

MY BOOK ‘A VAMPIRE’S MARINE’ WHICH KYLE MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER CAN BE FOUND

ON MY PROFILE, SO PLEASE GO CHECK THAT OUT AS WELL BECAUSE YOU’LL DEFINITELY ENJOY

IT!

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW TO MAKE SOME OF THE THINGS RILEY MADE IN THIS

CHAPTER, ALONG WITH  MANY  OTHER DIY PROJECTS, POETRY, SHORT STORIES, TRAVEL POSTS, KOREAN SKINCARE PRODUCTS, RECIPES ETC, FEEL FREE TO

CHECK OUT MY BLOG

:

pulledfromhercarriage.com

(just copy and paste it into your web browser, or you can find the link on my wattpad profile.

Don’t forget to follow me here on wattpad   DoUbLeZone

Also, follow me on instagram at: doublezone_books

Finally, don’t forget that Cell Mates has been published , so if you want your very own copy, you can find it on the following sites:

Amazon : ebook and paperback

itunes : ebook

Kobo : ebook

Barnes and Noble: ebook

Createspace : paperback

Thanks for your never-ending support over the years…you’ve made so many of my dreams come true. Your comments and sweet messages have always and continue to warm my heart and provide me motivation. Your purchase of my book over the years has also helped me in so many ways that you can’t even begin to imagine, so thank you. 

Thanks again for being amazing readers and I look forward to seeing you over on Cell Mates book 2 as well as on all my other works! 

Love you all and keep sweet!

-DoubleZone.

-unedited.