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

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.

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)