Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Nick
JJ caught on faster than anyone else as far as learning about cyber security; therefore, that was going to be his expertise. I was hoping each person would find their strength, but my brothers were turning out to be almost unteachable.
“Why am I getting some weird code thing?” Shep pointed to his screen.
“Because I told you to stop hitting those four keys only eleven times, and you keep clicking them.” I gritted my teeth. “How, Shep, how is this so hard? All I’m asking you to focus on is the rotation of cameras. Rotation!”
“It’s not like there’s a joystick to do it, Nick. You have me trying to program a schedule for them to spin around.”
I gripped my forehead with my hand and squeezed. The pressure was building. “I…yeah, I don’t know.” I threw my hands up in the air and walked out of the room.
In the kitchen, Mason was pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Hey, want one?”
I shook my head. “I think I need something far stronger.”
He chuckled. “It’s not noon yet.”
Just then, a chiming sound filtered through the house, indicating someone had just turned onto our lengthy driveway. I pulled out my phone to access the wildly turning cameras.
“Fucking Shep.” I moved to the front door and peeked out the window. Matt’s car was coming our way. It was Monday, so that meant he had therapy with JJ.
I walked back to the room where JJ was happily typing away, rocking his coding, a gleeful expression on his face.
“JJ, Matt’s here.”
“Oh!” I watched as he logged off properly. He stood, a little shaky after sitting too long most likely, and walked toward me. “It’s fun.”
“You know, JJ, you might be my favorite person aside from Noel.”
Shep, Gabe, and Angel collectively expressed their upset regarding my loud declaration. I smiled, patted JJ on the shoulder, and followed behind him as he went to the living room. Mason was letting Matt in as we entered.
“Hey.” JJ beamed.
Matt looked him up and down and frowned. “Are you in pain?”
JJ shrugged. “My fault. Nick is teaching us cool computer things, and I was supposed to get up and move around a bit, but I was having too much fun and forgot.”
Matt placed a bag by the door. “I think we should start with some massage, then.”
“Nice, a massage.” Mason smirked.
Matt glanced at me but focused back on JJ. “What’s hurting most right now?”
“Hips and knees, but it’s really not that bad.” JJ tried to brush it off, but Matt wasn’t having it.
“Let’s go into the other room, and I’ll check it out.”
I watched as the two of them left, Matt keeping close to JJ. JJ was getting a lot better but often pushed himself too hard. It had been a little over six months since he’d been held in a basement and practically beaten to death by a group of assassin fledglings. He’d broken both of his legs, and his head was a mess, arms too. Damn, I couldn’t even remember each injury.
The difference from where he was then and where he was now was outstanding, but he often forgot he wasn’t going to be one hundred percent overnight…Hell, he might never be.
“You ok?” Mason stood beside me.
“Yeah, just thinking how much JJ pushes himself or plays that he’s fine.”
“ Mmhmm . I told him he had to stop doing that.”
“I hope he listens.”
“I’m headed to Saintly Sweets; I’ll see you later.” Mason smiled, grabbed his keys, and walked out the door.
I had to go back into the room full of morons…I meant my brothers, and see if there was any chance they’d gotten smarter in the last few minutes.
An hour later, I called it quits with them and stopped for the day. Noel was on deck for the next unteachable lesson. I understood that not everyone could do what Noel and I could, but we were giving them basic instruction and they were struggling.
I grabbed a beer from the fridge— It was five after twelve, so there —and sat at the table, staring out the window. JJ was outside with Matt. It appeared they were doing some sort of yoga? I had no idea, but I remembered hearing Matt tell JJ once that it would help muscles, joints, and the mind.
I took a huge gulp and watched as Matt bent in ways that brought filthy thoughts to my mind. JJ was doing simpler moves, but his expression was serene, any pain he was feeling before obviously gone.
At least JJ was a hopeful apprentice in the world of computers. Maybe Mason, but he had been taking more shifts at Saintly Sweets so I could work with the others. Perhaps it was time to pull Mason in and tell Shep to stick to baking.
I was so lost in my head, I didn’t realize Matt and JJ were done and coming in through the back door of the kitchen.
“So you don’t know who is sending you the gifts?” JJ asked, and Matt shrugged.
“Not a clue.”
“Kind of creepy, no?”
Matt chuckled and followed JJ to the fridge, where he removed two bottles of water.
“A little. I gave the flowers to a neighbor and it brightened her day so not all bad, and I do love Almond Joy.”
“Well, if it escalates, you should do something.”
I sat up straighter at the shift in JJ’s tone. “What’s going on?”
How they had missed me sitting in here was beyond me, but they jumped at the sound of my voice.
“Holy shit.” JJ held the water to his forehead. “Why are you skulking?”
“I’m sitting in my kitchen enjoying a beer. How is that skulking? And before you answer that, I’ve been here for the last fifteen minutes. Don’t blame me because you’re both oblivious to your surroundings.”
JJ came to the table and sat; Matt joined at a slower pace.
“Matt has a secret admirer,” was all JJ offered.
“Is that so?” I raised a brow at Matt. “Interesting.”
“It’s not, and don’t say it like that,” JJ scolded.
“Say it like what?”
JJ wagged his finger at me. “That way. Interesting, like you really think it is, but really you want to know more because you’re super skeptical about secret admirers and think they’re all actually stalker serial killers.”
Matt’s head turned slowly toward JJ. “That was so oddly specific, I think you’re the one who believes that.”
I hooked a thumb at Matt. “What he said.”
“Nick, tell me I’m wrong? You’re one hundred percent thinking it, and yes I am too, but that’s just how my brain works.”
Now Matt was watching me. “It’s gifts.”
I nodded. “For now, I agree with JJ. If it escalates, though, or you get weird messages, you should maybe do more.”
Matt’s lips thinned, and his brow crinkled. He was hyper focusing on his bottle of water and I darted a glance at JJ, who noticed Matt’s reaction also.
“Matt, did something weird happen?” JJ spoke softly. Matt didn’t answer, so he placed his hand on his arm, and Matt jumped.
“Oh, sorry. Nothing weird, you’re both just freaking me out.”
He was lying, and when JJ looked at me he knew it too, but there wasn’t anything we could do about it. We couldn’t force our help on someone, but it could be offered.
“If we can help in any way, let us know.” There…I’d extended assistance.
Matt grinned. “I appreciate it, but you all own a bakery and do some sort of coding stuff. If it’s dangerous, I’ll call the police.”
Right, Matt knew nothing about who we really were and as much as I wanted to tell him he had no idea what we were capable of, discretion was key.
“Even if it’s maybe cameras to see who it might be, let us know.” I shot him a tight-lipped smile.
“Thanks, I actually ordered a Ring camera for my door.”
Every nerve ending in my body vibrated. While those were great to catch porch pirates and see who was ringing your doorbell, they were terrible if someone was trying to be discreet. They were visible and if this person didn’t want to be known yet, they’d simply avoid the camera. But what could I do?
“Fair enough.” I stood and dipped my chin. “Good luck—talk to you later.”
As I left the kitchen, I was hit with an unsettling feeling. Something bad was going to happen, and I wasn’t sure how to stop it.