Chapter Eight
Matthew Whitton sat in a nearby tree watching as the lights went out in Jesse’s house. He had to find a way to get close enough to have a conversation without being shot for his troubles. He wasn’t an idiot. He’d seen the bodyguards and knew Jerry was in town with his crew. Hell, that’s why he was here after all, to get near Jesse, but for entirely different reasons.
He had to protect his old friend and stop Jerry before he had a chance to follow through on his threats. Matthew knew the reason Jerry and the rest of Jesse’s “family” wanted him to disappear. Matthew would never allow that to happen. He had the proof; all he needed was Jesse and then they could go to the authorities.
By the time Matthew knew he wasn’t alone it was already too late. A large arm wrapped around his throat and a gun pressed to the side of his head. God, he was bad at this stealthy shit. Give him a computer and internet access and he’d show you just how competent he was; but physically, not so much. He worked out but his two left feet and lack of coordination sometimes made him look like a bumbling idiot instead of the respected computer genius he was.
“Where are your weapons?” a deep voice whispered into his ear. Matthew knew he should be scared out of his mind, and on some level he was, but that deep, gruff voice and the hard-muscled body at his back was a bit distracting. I’ve lost my mind. “Weapons?” the man asked again, adding more pressure around his neck. Matthew knew he was going to be bruised, but he figured that was the least of his concerns. This could be one of Jerry’s men or one of the Sentinels; either choice would likely get him hurt. His own fear ramped up by the second as the arm kept tightening.
“No weapons,” Matthew gasped. He knew if he ever carried a weapon odds were good he’d hurt himself first, before anyone else had a chance.
The big man didn’t seem to believe him as he holstered his own weapon and began searching Matthew, never once removing his arm from around his neck. Matthew was holding on to the branch for dear life, knowing all too well how easily he could fall. He’d never been a good climber, but he had to keep tabs on Jesse somehow without getting close.
When the man seemed satisfied Matthew was unarmed, he loosened his grip on Matthew’s throat, but only slightly. “Why are you here?”
“To visit an old friend.”
“By hiding in a tree?”
“Better than being shot for my troubles by either side of this messed-up situation. I may be clumsy but I’m not stupid,” Matthew admitted easily. He figured he was already screwed; he just needed to know which group had him. He prayed it wasn’t Jerry’s, as he still hadn’t seen who the person was behind him. “Um…which side are you on?”
“You’re part of Jerry’s crew, so don’t try to act all innocent now that you’re caught.” Jerry’s crew, the thought of having anything to do with Jerry disgusted him.
“I have nothing to do with that scumbag! He can rot in hell for all I care.” Shit! He’d let his mouth run away from him again, this could still be one of Jerry’s men trying to trick him.
“What do you want with Jesse and Royce?” Instead of answering Matthew’s original question, the heavily muscled man demanded answers of his own.
Even though he was scared out of his mind by now, Matthew couldn’t divulge the truth to anyone but Jesse. “I need to speak with Jesse.”
“Why?”
“That’s between me and Jesse.”
The arm around his throat tightened yet again. “Not anymore. I’m here to make sure you won’t be getting anywhere near them. My friends are on their way, and I can assure you we’ll get it out of you.”
“Torture, great. Here I thought you were the good guys.” Matthew was desperately trying to think of a way out of this.
The man seemed to loosen his hold around Matthew’s throat. “Good guys?”
“Yeah, Sentinels. The ones protecting Jesse. Obviously you’re one of Jerry’s men. I’ve been watching you guys long enough to know you’d stoop to anything to get what you want.”
“I’m not one of those assholes. How do you know the Sentinels?”
“My mind isn’t as clumsy as my body, I can assure you.” And, as if to prove his point, Matthew lost his hold on the branch and slipped through his captor’s arms and off the limb. At the last second he managed to grab another smaller branch and was barely hanging on. His attacker was now trying to hold on to him, saving Matthew from falling roughly twenty feet to the ground.
“Hold on. I’ve got you.” The man scrambled to reach Matthew’s hand, but he was already slipping. This is going to hurt. He looked up just before he lost his grip. His eyes locked with the deep blue ones above him as his nails scraped through the bark. The last thing he saw before everything went dark were those blue eyes filled with terror.
*****
“You don’t have to go in, I can bring you a picture,” Royce suggested. “You can identify him by a picture. It’s safer.”
“If it’s Matthew, he’s my friend and for god sakes he’s unconscious. What can he do to me?” Jesse still couldn’t believe one of the Sentinels had hurt his friend, or that Matthew was watching his house in the first place.
Royce grumbled as he took Jesse’s hand and walked into the hospital room. Coop and Spider stood guard, still not trusting the new arrival. On the bed lay a man who was the grown-up version of his old friend: freckles still covered his face, his brown hair was still shaggy. All he needed was for Matthew to open his uniquely colored eyes and the picture would be complete. A large bandage was wrapped around his head; he had bruises around his neck, and a cast on his foot and ankle as machines beeped around him.
“He’s Matthew Whitton, my best friend when we were children,” Jesse confirmed. “How is he?”
“He has a slight concussion from hitting the ground and a broken ankle,” Spider explained. “They’re keeping a close eye on him but he should recover.”
Jesse looked straight at Coop because he knew the man was the one who “captured” his best friend. “How did Matthew get all the bruises around his neck and how did he fall?” He couldn’t help but feel protective of the guy. When they were little Matthew had always protected him. Jesse realized this was a strange reaction to a man he hadn’t seen in years, but Matthew had been his only friend for so long. “He’s half the size of you, Coop.”
“The bruises are from my restraining him and he fell because he lost his grip on the branch and I wasn’t fast enough to grab him,” Coop admitted. But for the first time there was no sign of his patented melt-your-pants-off grin that he flashed at everyone. Though it never worked on Jesse, he knew there had to be several broken hearts scattered across the world because of that man.
“I’m sorry, Coop. He used to protect me when we were little, so I feel as though I need to protect him now. Matthew has always been a bit clumsy. He could trip over air.” Jesse felt bad for assuming they were from a fight. Hell, Matthew didn’t look big enough to fight off anyone.
“He mentioned that, and I should have been more careful but I honestly thought he was one of Jerry’s men. Then he mentioned you and needing to talk to you, but not wanting to get hurt by Jerry’s men or us.” Coop rubbed his large hand across his forehead. “I’m just sorry he was hurt.”
“So that’s why he approached me first,” Royce said. “He was trying to avoid all the people watching over Jesse.”
“Matthew has always been smart. I remember how he rewired my dad’s truck so that every time he pushed on the brake the horn honked.” Jesse smiled as he remembered one of the few good memories he had from his childhood. There weren’t many. “Has he woken up yet?”
“The nurse has been coming in and waking him every two hours because of his concussion, but he hasn’t stayed awake long enough to answer questions,” Spider explained. “Coop will be staying with Matthew until we’re sure he’s no threat to you.”
“He’s my friend. I know he’s not here to hurt me,” Jesse assured the group.
“It’s been a lot of years, baby. You don’t know him anymore,” Royce said.
“I know it’s been years, but I just can’t see him changing into what Jerry and his friends are. People would make fun of him every time he dropped something, or tease him about his different colored eyes, and he never defended himself. But if one person said anything derogatory to me, Matthew was all over them demanding an apology,” Jesse said. “Matthew was never able to physically take on anyone, but he was smart and he always found a way to exact his revenge. He saved me by his reputation alone multiple times. Especially after he accessed one student’s private information, and threatened to reveal what he’d found if the guy or his friends ever touched me again. He did that when he was nine. I can’t imagine what he’s capable of now. We were best friends up until Matthew’s family moved out of state. I’ve always missed him. He’d been my only friend for a long time.”
“If I was your best friend, then why didn’t you ever write me back or return my calls?” Matthew asked from the bed, his voice groggy and pain filled.
Jesse went to Matthew’s bedside. “You’re going to be okay, Matthew, I promise.” Jesse’s eyes filled with tears as he looked into the eyes-- one hazel and one green eyes-- of the man who used to be just like a brother to him. “I never received any calls or letters.”
“I wondered if your parents were keeping them from you, and then when I got old enough to come back on my own, you were already gone. I’ve been looking for you for a very long time, knucklehead.” Matthew laughed softly, and Jesse smiled at the old nickname they had called each other. “Your nasty-ass parents were no help, but I’m nobody’s fool. I watched them, and every time Jerry packed to leave I followed him. Sometimes, when I found you first, Jerry would show up within the same day. I never had a chance to get to you before you were gone again.”
Jesse should have known his best friend would look for him. A small cough reminded Jesse he wasn’t alone and he immediately turned to Royce. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’d like to introduce my friend Matthew Whitton. Matthew, I’d like you to meet my partner, Royce.”
“Nice to meet you in person, Matthew,” Royce said and took Matthew’s outstretched hand.
“Sorry about the stalking, but you were my only safe way in. It’s good to meet you, Royce,” Matthew said.
“Why are you here, Matthew?” Jesse asked.
Matthew’s eyes were drooping but the smile on his face was genuine. “I often thought I wouldn’t catch up to you. I have so much to tell you.” His eyes closed even farther and Jesse knew he’d have to wait until Matthew was completely conscious before he got all his answers.
“He needs to rest. He can continue this conversation later,” Coop stated, and Matthew simply rolled his tired eyes.
“Still bossy I see. Don’t try to give me that smile of yours again. It’s wasted on me. Go find some other guy to melt to his knees. I may be gay, but you’re not my type,” Matthew announced, and Coop looked stunned. Jesse guessed Coop had never met anyone immune to his “charms” before.
Spider began laughing but covered it with a cough. Soon enough Matthew’s eyes drifted closed and Jesse took a chair to sit beside his bed. Royce did the same. Jesse knew it would be a bit before Royce trusted Matthew but that was okay; he had his friend back.
“You believe he isn’t a threat?” Royce asked. “He has nothing to do with Jerry?”
“Yes, he’s not here to hurt me,” Jesse replied.
“How can you be so sure?” Spider asked.
“I’ve been on the run for so long, trusting no one. I was forced to determine if someone was a threat within the first few minutes of meeting them. Matthew isn’t a threat to me,” Jesse assured everyone.
“We’ll see,” Royce said, and Jesse smiled at his overprotective partner. Jesse loved every bit of him and wouldn’t change a thing about the man he was planning on spending the rest of his life with.
*****
Royce wasn’t about to leave Jesse alone with Matthew until he was sure the man was on the up and up. So when Shannon from the team showed up with new information, Royce had Jesse leave the room with everyone else to get the rundown. Royce knew he was being illogical because Matthew wasn’t even conscious but he couldn’t help it.
“Well, professionally Mr. Matthew Whitton is quite the accomplished computer specialist, created and sold his first start-up before turning eighteen. Occasionally works with our government, large corporations, and other countries such as England. Nothing dirty that I could find. His entire family was killed in a vehicle accident outside San Diego when Matthew was twenty. He was the only one to survive, though barely, and spent months in hospital recovering. He works freelance now and is financially solid. The worst I could find was a speeding ticket from four years ago,” Shannon reported.
“So he’s clean so far, but I want Coop to stay with him until we’re one hundred percent sure he’s not a ploy to get close to Jesse,” Spider said.
“I agree,” Royce stated, pulling Jesse closer to him. Royce knew he was being over protective but he couldn’t help himself; this was his Jesse.
“Matthew isn’t a threat to me but if it makes you feel better, Royce, I accept the need for Coop to stay with Matthew. Did anyone think to ask Coop what he wants?” Jesse asked.
“Do you mind, Coop?” Royce asked.
“Matthew doesn’t seem to want me anywhere near him,” Coop replied.
“Well, that’s a first for most men you meet. Typically you’d be making plans to hook up by now. It’ll do you some good to be around someone who isn’t falling at your feet,” Spider said. “But I won’t force you to watch him, Coop, I can put Shannon on him until Dante and Vincent get back into town. Jake is still going to be shadowing Jesse.”
“I’ll stay with him. Lord knows he needs a keeper,” Coop said, and Spider smiled.
“Thought so,” Spider replied. Coop shook his head and walked back into Matthew’s hospital room.
Shannon left with promises of keeping in touch and Spider followed Coop back into the room. Royce was definitely sticking around to get to the bottom of why Matthew was in Brighton. This may have started as a search for an old friend, but there was definitely more to this reunion now. If Royce was sure of anything, it was that.
Hours passed as they waited for Matthew to wake again. The door squeaked open and Ms. Lucas, a veteran nurse Royce had worked with in the ER, came in. She woke Matthew, checked his vitals, and administered more medication through his IV line. “How are you feeling, Mr. Whitton?”
Matthew watched her every move. “My head’s a little fuzzy and my ankle is really sore. What did you put in my IV?”
“I’ve given you a painkiller that the doctor had ordered you receive every four hours, which should help soon. If you need anything, push the button on the call bell. I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“You’re welcome, now get some rest,” she ordered.
Nurse Lucas left the room with a friendly nod to Royce.
“So did my report come back clean?” Matthew asked, as Coop raised the head of the bed so that he could sit up. “Before my head gets any fuzzier let’s get the basics out of the way. You checked me out, yes?”
“We had to know, Matthew.” Jesse sounded unsure as he explained and Royce sensed he felt guilty that they did a background check. He wouldn’t stand for that.
“You’re essentially a stranger to us. We had to check your background. Jesse had nothing to do with it. It was all me,” Royce said, taking all the responsibility for digging into Matthew’s past.
“Good. At least we’re even now. I had you and Sentinel checked out long ago.” Matthew smiled wide and carefully adjusted his pillow. “Nice work in Columbia last November, by the way.”
Spider’s demeanor changed almost instantly. “What do you know of that mission?”
“Well firstly, I’m surprised you don’t recognize my voice.” Matthew smirked at Spider.
Spider’s face cleared. “Mouthy? Shit, you were the hacker we worked with on that one. I should have known that voice. You got us in and out of the hellhole and directly to the hostages. Why didn’t Shannon uncover that fact?”
“She undoubtedly found information about me working with the government, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve buried the specifics so far down it would take a hacker ten times more capable than myself to access it. Since one hasn’t been born yet, I’m safe. Shannon is great, don’t get me wrong. She’s kick-ass amazing, but she wouldn’t have even known where to begin looking. If certain people found out all the things I’ve done, my days would be numbered, and obviously I can’t even defend myself. So it’s best for me to hide certain aspects of my life.”
“What was our call sign?” Spider asked, obviously wanting further confirmation.
“Drift,” Matthew replied.
“Why?”
“Because there was so much cocaine involved,” Matthew told him, “it could have been drifts of snow.”
“Shit, it is you!” Coop yelled, causing Matthew to grab his head and everyone else to jump. “You saved mine and Dante’s life on the way out of that hellhole.”
“Yeah, yeah, the two of you didn’t blow up, but my head still might, not to mention my ankle. Keep it down, okay?” Matthew groaned in pain.
“Not that I want to interrupt your reunion,” Royce said, clearly frustrated, “but we need to know why he came to Brighton and why he’s been following Jesse.” It was important they get to the bottom of everything involving Jerry. “Does this have anything to do with Jerry and his family?”
“Unfortunately, it does,” Matthew said, “and Jesse’s life may be at stake.”