Who Said Witness Protection Was Boring? (Mobster Mayhem #2)

16. Matthew

16

Matthew

Kieran suggests we have lunch before we make our way to Hastings. Considering it’s just before eleven and I’ve stuffed myself full of chocolate peanuts and the pastries we picked up on the way back, I’m not exactly hungry yet, but he insists.

It’s a little strange. He’s being extra pushy about it even when I say I’d prefer to have lunch later, so eventually I give in and let him order kebabs from some place that he’s a fan of. I’ve never heard of it, and when I search, nothing comes up.

Weird.

“Hey, Ki, what did you say this place was called? Grenbo’s Grill? It doesn’t come up when I search for it,” I say, popping my head into the lounge. I went upstairs to brush my teeth and get rid of the annoying bits of raisins stuck between them.

Kieran peers at me from his laptop, one eyebrow lifted higher. “ Ki ?”

I shrug. “Short for Kieran? Like a cute nickname? I’m not as creative as you, okay? Anyway, so about this kebab place…”

He chuckles and opens his mouth to say something when a notification pings on his phone. Glancing at it, he smirks. “Speaking of that. Our food is here. Let me go get the door.”

I trail after him, frowning at his wide back. He’s changed out of the smart-casual clothes he wore for the meeting into more comfy ones. The T-shirt he’s got on is a thermal one and does a very good job of showing exactly how muscular his upper body is. The baggy shorts he has over his leggings hide his yummy ass from view, but his legs? Those calves are positively lickable. It’s a little unfair, but I let his sexiness slide because I have bigger issues right now—he’s being suspicious as fuck.

“Seriously, this is super weird. I can’t find the grill place anywhere online. Did you get the name wrong?” I insist, propping one shoulder against the wall as he unlocks the door.

My jaw drops to the floor the moment it opens. My heart tries to launch out of my chest. Because holy badass shit . Why the hell are the kebab delivery people decked out in full motorcycle gear like they are off to a race?

“Uh, Kieran…?”

He herds them and their two massive bags of food inside the house. Their suits are black, with straps and metal accents along the arm and leg sleeves. The helmets are black graphite, matching their boots, and, if I had to guess, their bikes.

Daaamn, they are so cool.

My head swims, images of me dressed like that invading my thoughts. Man, I’d be so fucking badass . The badassest guy to ever exist.

Reeling in the budding excitement, I survey the two dudes. One is tall like Kieran, and the other one is about my size. Oh my god . This will be so me one day. The bike instructor and his ‘short people can’t ride bikes’ can eat it.

My reverie sends me giggling like a schoolgirl caught stalking her crush. Then the two delivery guys begin to undress. Right there in our hallway. They even wear black underwear. It’s like a bucket of cold water has been poured on top of me. I gawk at them, blinking. What the fucking is happening right now? Why are the hot dudes stripping in front of me in the hallway?

“Matt.” Kieran’s hands cup my cheeks. My vision suddenly fills with a smiling face, and I swear to god, the proud and excited grin he’s wearing is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in the entire world. “Put this on. It’s cold. You’ll need it under the suit.”

I stare at my hands as he shoves a dark gray thermal shirt and leggings into them. I frown at the clothes and then at his still gorgeously smiling face. “I don’t compute. I thought we were having kebab, then going to Hastings.”

“We are skipping the kebab for now. And we are going to Hastings.” He points at the two naked dudes who are in the middle of putting on some of Kieran’s indoor clothes. “We’ll switch places with my friends and ride there.”

I breathe in, my heart sprinting like a rabbit about to be caught by a wolf. “ Oh my god .”

Kieran chuckles and presses his lips against my ear. “You can freak out on the way there, sweet pea. If we aren’t out of this house in five minutes, the agents outside will get suspicious, and we’ll lose our chance to go on a day trip behind the CIA’s back.” He drags a hand down my arm, sending tingling shivers across me. “Besides, I’m dying to see you wearing the suit.”

My dick jerks in interest. Say no-fucking-more. “Oh my god!”

I’m like a tornado. I get rid of my clothes and grab the undergarments. They are on me in less than thirty seconds. The suit takes me about a minute with Kieran’s help, and so do the boots. He’s very thorough, making sure everything fits comfortably. Then it’s the helmet’s turn. Before he helps me slide my head into it, he has me put on one of those neck gaiter things. It’s black like the rest of the getup. Once it’s in place, the helmet follows. It fits perfectly like it was made for me, and it smells like new. Lastly, he helps me with the gloves.

Holy fuck. This is really happening.

Pulse pounding in my ears, I lift the black-tinted visor up and sprint over to the full-size mirror attached to the bathroom door. I freeze in place and stare at myself. Fuck me. I’m so badass. I look like a real motorcycle rider. If only I had my own bike and could actually ride and if we ignored the part where my only relatives died and I got dragged into a CIA conspiracy, I’d be living the dream.

“You look hot,” Kieran rasps, his arms wrapping around my stomach as he hugs me from behind.

I can only see his helmet-clad head in the mirror, so I slip out of his embrace, put a little distance between us—but not too much, so we can both fit in the mirror—and take him in. If I thought I looked badass, standing next to him makes everything twice as impressive. It’s like a scene taken right out of my fantasies. But it’s real. And I am actually part of it.

Kieran, looking absolutely delicious, ambles over to the tall guy, while the shorter one, who was wearing the suit I put on, knocks on the top of my helmet. “I hope everything fits. Kieran gave me your measurements. You are the same size as me, but the suit takes some wearing and getting used to. It might feel a little constricting at first.”

I wiggle my fingers and roll my shoulders and stretch my arms. I can see where he’s coming from. It does feel a little strange and tight. In a new, not-yet-worn way. More importantly though, just when and how did Kieran figure out what size I am?

I turn to the guy who just spoke. He’s a cute blond with half of his head shaved. The rest of his hair is shoulder-length, if I had to guess, and tossed over the shaven part. He also has a hoop piercing on his button nose, full lips and friendly dark-brown eyes.

“This was Kieran’s idea?” I ask him, rocking back and forth because I’m finding it hard to stand still.

“Yep! He texted last night. Said it was an emergency, so Daniel”—he points at the tall guy, who’s also blond and model-looking—“my brother, and I had to get his baby serviced and ready.” At my confused expression, he tilts his head and smiles. “We ride with Kieran sometimes and run a garage. We are the only two mechanics in NY he trusts with his bike. I’m Jack, by the way.”

I take the offered hand and shake it, still struggling a little to rationalize this strange situation.

“I’m Matt.”

Kieran’s friends brought his bike. Plus, two sets of bike gear. And some kebab, because they are pretending to be food delivery guys. We aren’t going to eat the kebab, but we’ll pose as them, slip under the noses of the two agents outside and go on a wild adventure to Hastings.

And here I thought I had a screw loose. But I suppose it’s what I get for not asking exactly what Kieran had in mind when he said he had an idea about how to get us out of the house without the CIA finding out.

“So, Matt, do you ride? Is that how you know Kieran?” Jack asks with an expectant look on his face.

“Uh…” I’ve no idea how much Kieran has told them, but if I’m being asked this, then I’m pretty sure he omitted some important details. “No. But I want to. I even signed up for classes, but…” Bitterness floods my mouth just remembering it. “Things didn’t go very well.”

Jack shoots me a commiserating smile. “Ah. Instructor troubles. I feel you.” He hooks a finger over his shoulder at his brother. By the sounds of things, Kieran is briefing him on their roles as decoys for us. “Best thing is to get a small bike and find someone to give you a few pointers. Then just take your time with it. There is no such thing as ‘short people can’t ride bikes’.”

Hope blooms in my chest. It’s one thing to read about it and watch videos, but it’s different when someone who is in your exact position tells you. “How long did it take you?”

Jack hums, crossing his arms. “Longer than average, probably. But I got there eventually.” He pats me on the back. “And so will you. And if you are having trouble, just ask Kieran for help. I bet he’d be more than happy to oblige.”

I eye the person in question. I don’t really know much about him as a rider other than the fact that he is one. But if a professional instructor didn’t have the patience to deal with me, I’m not convinced he will.

“I know what you’re thinking, but trust me, all you need to do is ask him,” Jack muses, a smile flirting with his lips.

“Why do you say that?”

“I’ll let you in on a secret, but don’t tell Kieran I told you.” He leans in conspiratorially. “He doesn’t let anyone ride with him. So you must be someone real special if he’s letting you do that.”

Oh. Ooooh . My heart begins galloping, wilder than earlier. I’m buzzing again, but this time not just because of the bike stuff. I’m special to Kieran? Since when? How? In what way? Does this mean the kiss really wasn’t a blunder? When do I get a repeat? He was so stupidly cute this morning when he woke up next to me, too.

“Oh shit,” Jack huffs out, giggling like we are best friends in the middle of gossiping. “Are you blushing? Was this a secret or something? Gotta tell you guys—you aren’t any good at hiding it with all the not-so-sneaky glances he’s been throwing your way.”

I am so not blushing. But also, what? Kieran’s been ogling me? How did I miss that?

An arm snakes around my waist possessively and a second later, I find myself pressed into Kieran’s side. “Don’t even bother, Jack, this one is spoken for. Your tricks won’t work on him.”

Holy shit. Is Kieran jealous that I was talking to the cute guy? Is he about to proclaim that we are madly in love and he can’t live without me? That I am his and no one can have me? Swoon .

“Spoken for by whom?” Jack challenges, a spark burning in his eyes.

Kieran grins and knocks on the top of my helmet. “Yours truly. Besides, he’s a real menace. Don’t let his size fool you.”

I fan my face, feeling my cheeks on fire . Wow. I think I’m gonna pass out. He really did stake a claim on me in front of his friends.

Daniel, who’s now standing next to his brother, shakes his head. “Don’t fuel the fire, man, or you won’t hear the end of it.”

“I thought you were straight, Kieran,” Jack says, giving us an amused look.

Kieran shrugs. “So did I, but then my tongue ended up in Tinkerbell’s mouth over here. So I figured I wasn’t as straight as I thought I was.” He shifts his attention to me as he bends down and hands me a pair of earbuds. I put them on and let him close my visor. “We gotta go, munchkin. I’ll call up the guys once this is over and we can go for a ride, all four of us. What do you say? They are real chill and I’m sure you will get along.”

Biker friends? Hell yes, say no more. “I’d love that.”

“It’s decided then.” He rubs the area just under my hip bone. “Dan, I’ll call you guys when we head back. Thanks again for doing this.”

“No worries, man. See you when you’re back. And don’t forget to bring pizza or something. Gotta keep up the farce.”

Kieran does one final check of himself and me before we walk over to the door. He hands me the black backpack where we packed the laptop and a few other bits and pieces. “You ready to roll?”

I am, but I’m also not. “Um, yes? Just… What do I do? So, you know, we don’t appear suspicious.”

He laughs. The helmet muffles the sound, but it still surrounds me and touches me as if it’s a tangible thing. It causes warmth all over me, so when Kieran opens the door and the chilly air snakes inside my helmet from somewhere, I welcome it.

“Don’t overthink it.” He shakes my helmet to make sure it’s secured. I hear a beep. “Just act as you would normally. Pretend we are just going out on a walk. Can you hear me okay?”

“Yes. And okay. I’m going on a walk. With you. And your bike…” I zero in on the sleek machine. It’s a mix of graphite and gloss, completely black and gorgeous. We’ll look fucking sexy on it. “Fuuuuuck me. Is that a YZF? I think I’m getting a hard-on.”

He chuckles. “It’s an R6. I got it two years ago.”

“It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to sit my ass on it.”

Kieran grips the handles and tosses one leg over the seat. My mouth waters. He looks hot as shit saddling this elegant beast. I etch the image of that into my memory because it’s a fucking masterpiece of art. And in just a few seconds I’m going to be part of it.

Waving me over, he pats the back portion of the seat. “Hop on, sugar beet.”

My dick jerks to full attention, but the suit keeps it confined. Fuuuuck . I wanna climb him. Kieran, I mean. While he’s on the bike. We can make out on it, maybe rub against each other, too. And I want one of my own. I love the way the Yamaha looks, but I’m set on a Honda Cbr. With a black and white frame. It was the bike my parents rode, and I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a kid.

Shaky, I step on the passenger foot peg on this side and throw my other leg over. The seat under my ass feels luxurious and sexy, just like the rest of the bike. I wiggle a little, finding the perfect spot.

“You can hold onto me or you can use the grab rails.”

Grab rails. I’d look cooler. But hugging Kieran is also tempting. Hastings isn’t far, and I guess we’ll be stopping due to traffic here and there, so I guess I can alternate.

I coil my arms around Kieran’s waist. One of his hands rubs my fingers before settling back on the handlebars. He turns the key and the bike purrs like a panther, then roars when he twists the throttle. We jolt forward and off the driveway, speeding down the residential street. We’ve passed three intersections and four traffic lights by the time we get onto FDR Drive.

Kieran picks up speed. Five seconds later, we’re definitely past the limit. He filters through the traffic like the police are chasing us after a jailbreak. I think he’s showing off. But I don’t blame him. If I had me riding at the back, I’d want to impress, too.

The engine revs as cars blur around us. The whole bike vibrates, leaning left and right as we try to outspeed the wind. It gives us a nice push, howling and screeching to cheer us on. My hackles rise as we glide between two buses. Adrenaline pumps into my blood as Kieran tilts the bike toward the ground when the road curves. My breathing turns sporadic. Soon enough, I don’t even know where we are anymore. I feel like I’ve become a part of the bike as much as Kieran has. My heart is pounding in rhythm with the engine and I’m clutching onto the man in front of me because otherwise I’m going to fall and die.

It’s scary. But also exciting, in a nerve-wrecking way. I can’t even imagine what Kieran is feeling. He’s the one in control, the one subduing the beast. One little mistake and it could be over. One second of distraction and we’re done for.

We slow down a notch and go over a river. I think we are on the I-87 now. A group of four bikes merges with the traffic about fifteen minutes later. They keep to our right, maintaining the same speed. Like us, they also have passengers.

“Up for a race? Think you can take it?” Kieran’s voice asks in my ear, sounding both excited and determined.

I should say no. The truth is, I have a secret. One I haven’t told anyone and one that I am sure will make them laugh in my face when I tell them I want to ride. I hate going fast. To the point where I’m borderline phobic. I know I need to get over it, but that doesn’t have to happen right now, no?

“Bring it on, cowboy!” I shoot back, hugging him tighter.

“Just don’t piss your pants. Riding wet isn’t the nicest of things!”

I open my mouth to ask how he knows that when he twists the throttle and we soar ahead. I’m pretty sure the wind is still in our favor, but it feels like it’s fighting us now. Very slowly and carefully, I turn my head. Our companions are catching up fast, zooming past cars in the same mad dash we are.

It’s exhilarating. Terrifying too, but somehow my fear has turned into euphoria. I’m enjoying this. Being with Kieran. Going on a crazy adventure that can land us both in jail. It’s crazy. Everything. But it also feels right. It’s the only thing since my life took a nosedive that I feel I’m in control of. That I know is real and not a lie or omission of truth that someone is trying to feed me.

The two of us are together in this. From the start. And nothing can change that. Or break it. We are a team and it goes beyond us working together to solve this mystery. I feel it in my bones, with every fiber of my being as we flirt with death every time we approach a car that might or might not see us.

He is my person. I found him either by chance or fate. I don’t know which one it is, and I don’t care, because all that matters to me is to hold on to him and not let him go no matter where our quest takes us.