Chapter 21
21
MATT
“Mattie, do you know that Spencer boy’s number? He might know where Eric is.”
Pulling Mom into a hug, I thank the universe for bringing him to me before I knew all of this. I know for a fact that if I knew about this before last night, we never would have happened. He would have remained my little boy to protect and not become the man I love.
“I will give Spencer a call,” I promise her while she berates me for a few more minutes about all of the ways I can find her little boy to make sure he is alright. I was planning on telling her how we met, minus the sexy bits, but today is not going to be the day.
While Mom is making some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch, I pull up my security camera feed for my living room. I have a pinhole camera on my TV since it’s the most valuable thing I own, but it also gives a good room view as an extra precaution. Eric is still sleeping on the futon, so I exit the app and send a text to Spencer. I’m still pissed at Eli, but the guys need to be aware.
LMB:
Have you checked the news today?
Spencer:
I try not to get depressed. Y?
LMB:
Does the name Rafe Dennison ring a bell?
My phone starts ringing before I can even continue. I swipe across the screen to answer and head for the front porch.
“I gotta take a phone call, Ma!” I call out before I close the door behind me.
“News better be an obit for that piece of shit,” Spencer growls out as I sit on the swing my mother put on her small porch.
“Parole hearing next month,” I tell him. There’s no reason to beat around the bush on this. It’s obvious Spencer knows about it by his recognition of the name.
“Bastard was sentenced without the possibility of parole. What the fuck?!”
“Something about Eric’s testimony in a trial recently got him the appeal.”
“Fuck!” he shouts as the sound of glass breaking comes across the line.
I just sit and listen to his breathing until he gasps.
“Daddy? ”
The voice in the background is vaguely familiar, but one thing is for certain and that is the fear behind it.
“Shit. Matt, I’m gonna have to call you back,” he says as he is attempting to calm the other person who is crying loudly in the background. “Or better yet, I’ll swing by.”
“I’ll text you when I’m back home. I’m at my mom’s for lunch. She showed me the news article.”
“Got it, yeah. That will work,” he says and I’m ready to hang up when he speaks again.
“Wait, how did you know this is dealing with Eric? Did he tell you about it?”
The crying on the other side of the phone stops and I hear a little voice ask, “Did someone hurt my Princess Eric? I’ll beat them up.” There’s what sounds like a kid impersonating a wolf followed by a giggle.
“The article named Mr. Mendleton as the victim, and I’m pretty damn sure it wasn’t talking about his piece of shit father.”
“Fuck,” Spencer whispers something to whoever he is with and then adds to me, “Hope you don’t mind company. We are going to need to have a house meeting, but I doubt Eric will want to come back home yet. Is an hour long enough to have lunch and get home?”
I hate the thought of cutting and running on my mom, but if I tell her it’s for Eric she will shove me out the door. Actually, that isn’t a bad idea. I don’t want to spring everyone on him in addition to the news. I tell Spencer that unless he hears differently from me, an hour is fine. I want to make sure that Eric has recovered from his headache and I can prepare him for the news.
“Mom?” I call out as head to the kitchen for my keys. I grab them and kiss her on the cheek. “That was Spencer and we are going to meet up with Eric to see how we can help.”
She doesn’t say anything, but hands me a couple containers holding soup and sandwiches. Leaning down, I let her give me a kiss on my cheek.
“Go take care of our little boy, Mattie.”