24. Kieran
24
Kieran
An alarm goes off just as the first rays of sun sneak into the cabin. I fumble for the phone and tap on the screen. It’s way too fucking early. Grumbling, I roll to the other side and snuggle closer to my man.
Except, there is no man to snuggle to.
The fuck?
“Chop, chop, partner,” Matt’s singsong voice lilts. It’s a lovely voice, but it’s way too early in the day for him to be so chirp. “It’s morning. We need to figure out what we are doing.”
A bout of déjà vu surges through me, but I am way too tired to pay it any mind right now, so I just bury my head under the pillow. “No. Too early.”
The blanket disappears off me. Cold air bites into my exposed skin, the shorts I put on doing little to hold onto the warmth.
“C’mon, Ki. The entire country is looking for us. They have our mugs on every news site! Probably on TV, too. We don’t have time to laze around.”
“Your sweetheart is right, cowboy. We can’t hide here forever,” Adrian adds.
A deep sigh rips out of me as I open my eyes. It’s cold and gloomy and shitty in the cabin, but Matt’s radiant smile kick-starts my exhausted brain like a double dose of caffeine. I reach for him and pull him in, causing him to sway a little and flop on the bed next to me. Ruffling his hair, I place a kiss on his rosy cheek. It’s not very warm, so he must’ve stepped out.
“Please, tell me there’s coffee.”
“Ready and waiting for you. Double shot with no sugar,” Matt announces with pride.
“Shit, you remembered how I like it?” I stretch after letting him go, and shove on the work clothes that have been placed for me at the foot of the bed. The light blue shirt is a little tight on me, but the gray cargo pants more or less fit, leaving ample space for my holster and gun without making it obvious I am carrying.
“Of course.”
We sit around the table in silence, sipping our drinks. Fire crackles from the other corner of the room, the heat barely reaching. At least it smells nice—like wood and pinecones. I wonder if Adrian will bring up last night. He didn’t seem to mind and he’s not being awkward this morning. Maybe he’s into that stuff? Watching others fuck? I glance Matt’s way. He doesn’t seem bothered either. I guess there is no point overthinking it then. We’ll have plenty of time to explore what we like once we aren’t in grave danger. For now, I’ll just focus on my coffee.
“So, what are we doing?” Adrian ruins the idyllic atmosphere a few minutes later.
Matt perks up, pointing his curios gaze my way. “You said you had an idea. But you never told me what it was.”
I lean back into the plastic chair. I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to get his hopes up. And then he jumped me as soon as I returned from my run and it kind of slipped my mind.
“So… I met this guy,” I start, reaching for my phone that I’ve left lying in the middle of the table.
It starts ringing.
I nearly jump out of my skin. The pale expressions of my two companions tell me they aren’t far behind either. No one is supposed to know this number!
Panic rises within me. And then I peek at the number that’s calling. It starts with +81.
Oh shit . “Speak of the devil. It’s him…”
“ Him ?” Matt watches me with confusion. “Him who ?”
I aim a shit-eating grin his way and scramble to pick up the phone. “I was starting to think you’d never call back, Kwanchai Akiyama .”
A deep voice chuckles on the other end. “I didn’t have my phone on me. And then my guys couldn’t track who the number belonged to. Said it was a burner.”
Fuck, it’s so good to hear his voice. “So, why’d you call then?”
He laughs again, exhaling as if he’s smoking. “I happened to see the news. Your headshot jiggled my memory. There are only so many people from the States who might call me on this number. And the likeliest candidate is currently a wanted man. I put two and two together, Kieran.”
He did and he still called. Which means that he’s willing to hear me out at least. “Whatever they are saying about me is not true. I had a run in with some old acquaintances of yours. The Razor Crew.”
He exhales again, but this time there is something different about it. Something tense. “You need to stay away from them. They are up to something and it’s bad. One of my father’s lieutenants tried to cut a deal with them behind our backs and Thai officials were in on it.”
Damn, this is serious and way beyond ‘some shit went down in Japan’. “They wanted to test that drug in Japan, didn’t they?”
There is a pause. “How do you know about that?”
I eye Matt and Adrian, who are watching me expectantly.
“Look. We can talk about this later. I’ve got… some information that will probably be useful to you. But before we get to that, I need to cash in that favor you owe me.”
He hums, sounding amused. “I thought that might be the case. Very well, Kieran. Let’s hear it.”
“I found out some stuff I wasn’t supposed to and now I’m in deep shit. As you can tell. I need a way out of the US, no questions asked. ASAP. Like today. For me and two more. No one can know.”
“Where—”
The kitchen window shatters with a loud bang, raining hundreds of pieces of glass. I grab Matt and push him to the floor, out of harm’s way just as a barrage of bullets destroys everything in its path. Wood and fluff from the couch fly all around us as the front door is kicked open. It rips off its hinges, crashing into the nearest column. Four men in tactical armor rush in, their assault rifles aimed at us.
“Shit! Hold up! I’ll call you back!” I throw the phone in my pocket, pressing the red button as I do so.
“CIA! Hands up! Don’t move! You are surrounded!” one of the armed men shouts, setting his gun on me.
I clasp my fingers around my own firearm. Adrian’s eyes flick to mine. A barely perceivable nod of his head as he fishes for something behind his back tells me we are on the same page.
“Kieran Stevenson, Matthew Bauer, Adrian Maston. You are under arres—”
I shoot the leftmost dude. Adian gets the one next to him. They are down before the guy even finishes speaking. I flip the table on its side and charge at the third agent, Adrian on my heels to take care of the fourth.
“Matt! Get behind the table and don’t move from there!”
“Roger, boss!”
With my Goblin King safely hidden, I let loose. How dare these peasants interrupt my lovely morning?
The two remaining CIA agents start shooting. But I’m faster. Stronger. Better. I feel rejuvenated even though I got woken up early. Bullets fly around me, hissing and screeching and breaking everything in their path. I still can’t believe I slept for the second night in a row. Like a log. Without meds. Like I have no worries or nightmares. And it’s all thanks to Matt.
So for him, I’ll turn into the apex predator. Everyone else is my prey. They stand no chance. They made the mistake of their lives by threatening my cuddle bear.
I rush at the closest agent, invincible to the bullets he directs my way, and snap his neck. How exactly I manage to do that is a bit of a blur. A haze, like that I imagine beasts suffer from when they go on a rampage. But hey, it worked; I’m not about to waste time questioning the logistics of how.
The agent’s rifle clatters to the ground. His body follows, collapsing at my feet like a sack of potatoes. My eyes lock on the last enemy. Adrian is struggling to disarm him. The agent’s special armor is full of bullet holes, but unless you aim at the head, it’s all meaningless. They have bulletproof vests.
“Need a hand?” I holler, cackling like a madman.
Adrian grunts, almost getting his eyes clawed out. “I wouldn’t say no!”
I’m on the agent in a blink, pressing on his airways. He’s a goner, but he gurgles and tries to fight me. With the two of us holding him down, it’s pointless. Ten seconds later, he goes still.
Plucking his rifle out of his death grip, I spin on my heel and duck by the door. It’s still semi-dark and that makes it hard to discern our surroundings. I spot movement by a tree about thirty feet from us, but for all I know, it could be just shadows dancing with each other.
“How many do you think there are?” Matt asks in a chirpy voice from next to me, popping his head around the door frame.
I almost have a heart-attack as I yank him so hard by the collar of his shirt that it rips. “Jesus! Why the hell are you here ? I told you to hide behind that table!”
He could’ve gotten shot taking a peek like that! And right in front of me, too. Just the thought turns my blood to ice. It’s okay, Kieran. Don’t think about it. He’s fine. But you need to sit him down and have a chat about that recklessness of his.
Matt wrinkles his nose, giving the destruction in the cabin a second of his attention. “I didn’t want to miss out on the fun?”
I gape at him with an open mouth. On the other side of the door, Adrian snorts. Matt looks between the two of us and scowls, seeming to catch up to what he just said.
“Okay, so, I think there might be something wrong with my moral compass? Big fucking deal. I’ve always been a little weird in the head.” He pouts those sinful lips. “But you love me anyway, so what’s the harm? I know I’m still a newbie when it comes to…” He flails his arms wide, at nothing in particular. “To badass stuff and killing evil agents that come after us, but I gotta start somewhere, no?” He gives the extra rifle I’ve holstered over my shoulder a lust-filled glance. “So, seeing as we have extra guns, let me try? Pretty please?”
I cannot believe my ears. “Absolutely not! You are not touching a gun until I’ve properly taught you how to use one.”
Adrian bursts out laughing. “Fuck, you two are both insane. But you are perfect for each other.”
How the fuck would he even know? But he’s not wrong. I’m perfect for Matt and he’s perfect for me. It’s why fate brought us together.
“Shut up!” I turn to my evil cutie. “I promise I’ll teach you to shoot and fight and ride and anything else you want. Just please, stay inside the house and let me take care of this. Okay?”
He doesn’t look particularly happy to be turned down, but after a moment of frowning, he nods. “Fine. But it’s a promise. And I don’t want to hear any of that nonsense about you not wanting to corrupt me or whatever. I might look like an angel, but I’m not. Plus… I don’t want to be a burden to you. I want to help you.”
Shit, why is he so amazing? What did I do to deserve him?
I kiss his head. “Okay. Deal. Now, please, go back behind the table and don’t come out until I call for you, okay?”
“Okay, but…” He smiles shyly. “Can I at least stay here? So I can watch. Or like, you know, run if we need to book it or something.”
I’m ready to shut him down, but he aims those huge green eyes at me. I just can’t say no. They are irresistible and full of love and hope.
Begrudgingly, I agree. He settles behind me, his body heat reassuring. I scope out the outside.
More of the sun has made it through the canopy, but it’s still a little difficult to see. Given that we haven’t been run down yet, I’m guessing that the agents’ threat about us being surrounded was a bluff.
A bird squawks and flies off a leafless branch that’s hanging over the car Dan got me. I follow its journey through the rifle’s scope.
It makes sense that the place isn’t brimming with police yet. If Bucks wants the formula, he needs to get it quietly and with the least number of witnesses possible. So even if he knows where we are, he wouldn’t send the force our way. Not yet, and not before he’s exhausted all his other options.
Which means…
“Deputy Director Bucks? I know you and your cronies are there!” I shout into the chilly morning and wait. I do briefly wonder how they found us when I triple-checked the car, but it’s futile to speculate. The CIA has its ways.
“Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be, Agent Stevenson!” There is no mistaking this squeaky voice. “Hand over the asset and we can cut a deal! I just want to talk!”
Tempting. If only it were that easy.
I pluck the radio off one of the closest dead agent and speak into it. “I don’t know about that, Bucks. If you just wanted to talk, you wouldn’t have sent the Black Ops kids inside. Sorry about that, by the way. You’ll need to find replacements.”
I’d have preferred to avoid killing anyone, but it was them or us. On the bright side, Matt is taking things extremely well. Or extremely worrying, depending on how you look at his enthusiasm about offing someone with a gun. It’s all about perspective and I just so happen to fall on the same side of questionable morals as him.
See? This is one more reason why we are a match made in Heaven. I don’t have to hide my psychopathic inclinations and neither does he.
“You can’t blame me for trying, agent,” Bucks comms back.
I’m pretty sure that officially I no longer work for the CIA. I would have been fired by now. Which means that Bucks is trying to get me to let my guard down. If I talked to him, he’d attempt to convince me things would work out just fine if only I hand him what he is after.
Yeah, no, buddy. I don’t think so.
I scan the surroundings through the gun’s scope again, this time switching to thermal mode. Three warm signatures pop up about twenty yards to the northeast. One of them is Bucks, and if I had to guess, the other two are Kelly and Nes. With the three of them no doubt pointing their guns at the door, there is no way we can leave it in one piece.
So I need some kind of a plan.
“Sure! I would’ve done the same!” I call out, issuing basic hand signals to Adrian in the meantime.
He squints at me, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
Are you serious?
“So, what do you say? I’ll put my gun down and you do the same. We’ll negotiate like the civilized men we are,” Bucks invites.
Yeah, right. I wasn’t born yesterday.
“Get me one of the blankets,” I hiss-whisper to Adrian, repeating the hand gestures.
He mouths an ‘ Oh’ and scurries deeper into the cabin. I keep my attention to the tree line. When there is no movement and the heat signatures stay where they are, relief flows through me. They know we have guns now. They don’t have the upper hand anymore. We are in a stalemate. Good.
“I am quite happy where I am, Bucks. We can talk like this.”
There is a pause. I think he’s weighing his options. If I was him, I’d call in more men. Maybe he’s done it already. Maybe he’s just buying time.
Adrian returns and tosses the blanket to me. Touching the wool unleashes a charge of static through my fingers. I’ll need to be really quick, or this won’t work. There is no room for mistakes. And I need Bucks distracted.
“Tell me one thing,” I say, getting in position so I’m lined up with Matt. This should skew their thermal readings a little. “What happened to my parents?”
He’s quiet for a few heartbeats in which my frantic pulse pounds in my ears. I feel the violent vibrations in my throat too, across my body. It’s like I’ve turned into a ticking bomb, ready to blow up at any moment.
“They died in an accident.”
I bunch the blanket in one hand. “We both know that’s not true!” I take a deep breath. “Why did they have to die?”
The blip takes a while to sound this time. “They knew too much.” His voice scrambles slightly. “I couldn’t allow them to become a problem. I’m sure you understand. I’d hate to lose another capable agent.”
Oh, so I am capable now? Convenient.
I whip my head back and train my eyes on Matt. He looks at me, teeth gritted and jaw tight. Before I realize what’s happening, he snags the radio from me.
“And Christine Bauer? She was one of your best agents, wasn’t she? But you had her killed anyway!” he shouts, fire burning in his gaze.
This is my chance, I think. I need to act.
“Ah, Mr. Bauer. In our line of work, sacrifices must sometimes be made. Christine wasn’t stupid. She backed me into a corner and left me with no choice. Hard decisions…”
Now !
I throw the blanket over myself and bust out of the cabin as Bucks blabbers on about duties and the greater good. I have only a few seconds before my cover is blown. One imperative guides me—to neutralize him and his two cronies before they realize what is happening and empty their magazines in me.
So I shoot first.
“Watch out!” I hear someone scream as bullets barrage me from the front.
A shadow darts to the left, but I have no time to chase after it. I duck behind a tree before I’ve turned into minced meat. Taking a breather, I check my ammo. I’m out. Shit ! Clapping my cheeks, I find my center. It’s fine. You got this. You are Rambo. You don’t need bullets to win. If you can get close to them without turning into Swiss cheese, you win. Plus, think about how badass it would look! Matt will come in his pants if you pull it off!
An image of him panting flashes in my mind. “ I couldn’t hold it, Ki. You were so fucking sexy. Rawr.”
My cock twitches in excitement, suddenly riled up. Fuuuuuck. Matt, baby, you better be watching this.
Pumped up, I peek through the rifle’s scope.
It’s busted. But I’m pretty sure I got at least one of the three men. The second ran, and currently, there is only one gun firing.
“Kieran, now!” Adrian screams when the fire ceases, pointing a laser tag at a darker shape hiding inside the brush.
I jump out of my hiding spot and charge at it. My impact with Kelly happens just as he finishes reloading. I throw my useless gun at him, skewing his aim. His discharges. Bullets crush and break branches above our heads. Sticks, leaves and needles rain on us as we roll in the wet, muddy soil.
Kelly is bigger than me. He’s got the same kind of training and I always thought he was a good sport on the couple of occasions when we sparred together. It always ended in a tie. But today, there are no rules. I don’t have to hold back. I can play dirty.
He winds up a punch to my cheek. I scramble to block it; my brain is jumbled as is. In the last moment, Kelly feints and sends a jab point-blank to my chest. The air is knocked out of my lungs, making me choke. He tries to capitalize and reaches for his gun, which is now lying to the side, but I wrap my legs around his and roll us over so I am on top of him. He grunts, thrashing under me as I try to immobilize him. His fingers get hold of the rifle.
Uh-oh. Not today, buddy.
I punch him in the face. He’s a second too slow to twist his head out of the way, and the side of his nose eats it. The nasty crack which follows raises my hackles. But that’s as far as my sympathy goes as I pummel his face with my fists.
He tries to put his hands in my way, but it’s too late. I’ve already gone berserk.
Blood trickles from his brow and nose and mouth. His eyes roll back. I keep hitting. Kelly always looked at me weirdly whenever we walked by each other. And he and Bucks always seemed tight.
“He sent you after them, didn’t he? Bucks,” I growl, squeezing Kelly’s chin and forcing him to look up.
He spits blood. “Ye…s. Please, stop.”
I lean forward, clutching my hand around his neck. “You didn’t.”
I hear the safety of a gun click behind me.
“Stop! Put your hands up and stand up very slowly!” Bucks commands, panting like he’s run a marathon.
I do as told. I might be crazy, but I’m not suicidal. I don’t want to die if I can help it.
“Now turn around. And keep your hands where I can see them.”
This is not good. I got too cocky. Too carried away channeling my inner barbarian. As a result, I missed Bucks sneaking up on me.
Fuck.
He presses the gun to my temple. Sweat rolls down my face. “I knew you’d be trouble, just like your parents.”
I swallow, my eyes transfixed on his finger as it presses on the trigger. My life flashes in front of me. Man, this is sucky. I had so much left of it. Matt will hate me for turning him into a widow before we even got married.
A glinting curved object smashes into the side of Bucks’ face with a clank. The bullet misses me, hissing by my ear ominously. Bucks shrieks in pain and staggers back, dropping the gun as his hands shoot up to his head.
My eyes zero in on the sleek object. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s ludicrous.
“Die, asshole!” Matt cries out, hitting Bucks’ head with the frying pan once more. “This is for my and Ki’s parents and for Chrissy and Gordon!”
I’m flabbergasted. Is the love of my life seriously trying to kill the man with a frying pan of all things? I fall in love with Matt all over again.
Bucks sacrifices one hand and blocks the hit, swaying as he turns on his heel and takes out a hidden knife from somewhere. He aims it directly at Matt’s throat.
Oh shit.
A surge of icy terror sobers me up. I lunge for Bucks, tasting murder. Everything slows down, like I’ve been forced into slow-motion. My movements are lagging behind, my thoughts, too. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I don’t know if I’ll make it! Bucks is too close! All it takes is one slice across Matt’s elegant neck and my murder twink will be best buddies with Satan!
Bam!
Bam, bam, bam!
Bucks loses his footing, crashing face first where Matt’s feet are. Or were. In past tense. I blink, then blink twice, then a third time. My lovely menace is gone.
I dip my gaze lower. My lips curve into a smile.
Matt is lying on the ground, frowning and panting. His eyes are livid and bright. Wondrous. Excited. Shocked. The assault rifle he just fired is a few feet to his right. Ah . The recoil must’ve caught him by surprise.
“What did I say about guns, sweet cheeks?”
He takes the hand I offer him and lets me help him up. After a glance at Bucks which lasts no more than a heartbeat, his captivating green eyes settle on me. “It didn’t look that hard. Plus, it was an emergency… I had to save you. I’m not really into necrophilia.”
Checkmate. These are all great points.
“You can spank me for punishment later,” he says, hugging me like we haven’t seen each other in a decade. “I really thought you were going to die.”
I hug him back, loving how right it feels to have him in my arms. “Thank you, Matt.” I let out a shuddering exhale. “I think I would have. So I’m not mad. But I’m still going to spank you.”
I cradle his face with both hands and seal our lips in a soft, but intense kiss. He moans and shivers, licking into my mouth. God, I’ll never get enough of him.
“Are you feeling okay?” I ask him when we pause for air.
He scowls at me. “Okay? What do you mean?”
I plant a soft kiss on his nose. “You just killed a man. A really really bad one who deserved it, sure, but still. It’s… not an easy thing to do. Or get over.”
He nuzzles my chest, his body sagging in my arms. “I’m fine. It’s like… I feel a little weird and my heart is beating like mad, but… I’m lighter, too. The man who ordered Chrissy and our parents killed is dead. It’s like this weight that I was carrying is no longer here. But… I think I might not be able to sleep tonight, so… maybe you can stay up with me and just hold me?”
“Anything you need, Matty. I’ve got you. Always.” I capture his lips again, the sweetness of his taste intoxicating.
He needs me . My lovely Matt needs me in his most vulnerable moments. He wants me to be by his side. It does funny things to my stomach. It makes my chest feel like it’s full of fluff about to explode.
Matt ended the man who took so much from us. I didn’t think this day would ever come, but together we made it happen. Our loved ones can rest in peace. I can finally move on, get on with my life, start fresh. With Matt, who already owns my heart after just a week.
It’s right. It’s exciting. It’s perfect. But I also know that killing Bucks isn’t the end of it. There are others above him that he answered to. And we’ll get to them, too. This is just the start. I don’t know how we’ll do it exactly, but I know that we will. We’ll get to the bottom of this and make all the bad guys pay for what they have done.
“I’m so glad you were the one that saved me that night. I wouldn’t have ever gotten here if not for you.”
The urge to devour Matt arises in me. I’ve never had a person complete me so perfectly. I deepen the kiss. He moans like one of those porn stars and it stirs even more heat within me. It’s how much he wants me, how much he likes kissing me. I’m going to go mad one of these days.
Things just start to get heated when my phone rings. I ignore it at first, too preoccupied with the kiss to care, but Matt breaks it off.
“Shouldn’t you answer that?”
I take the phone out of my pocket. It has miraculously survived my forest adventures with only a single crack going down its screen.
“Hey, great timing! I was just about to call—”
“We don’t have time,” Kwanchai cuts me off. “One of my associates took the liberty of tracking you down. Don’t ask how, I have no idea. I need you to go to Hazleton Regional Airport. My pilot friend is on his way from Philadelphia and should be there in less than an hour. His name is Phet Thepnakorn. He’ll be stopping by to pick up a package . When you arrive, tell the receptionist you’re with Akiyama. They’ll tell you where to go.”
I’m struck, not sure what to say. Kwanchai is really going to help us. We might just make it!
“I—Thanks. I don’t know what to say.”
He chuckles. I can hear the laugh of a second guy in the background. It sounds genuine and proud. “You can figure that out on the way here.” He hums slyly. “Oh. Just one thing, I almost forgot. I pulled a lot of strings to make this happen. Make sure the police don’t pull you over. And don’t miss the plane. There won’t be another one.”