Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Nick
I did as I was told. I watched Matt…which I would have done regardless of the vote. Something was going on. I saw some angry person show up at his door when he wasn’t there, but his landlord was there to get rid of them. I was grateful for that. Next came that guy Darnell, showing up with a stuffed bear . What the fuck was that about? Then nothing. Like, nothing at all. He didn’t leave the rest of the day or all-day Thursday, and neither did Darnell. Was that his boyfriend? I didn’t think so.
I’d done some digging and had found out they’d dated—it was brief, but it had happened. Maybe they were rekindling something. I ran the face of the angry person at his door through our recognition program. They weren’t in any police or FBI database, and I couldn’t find them anywhere. Not completely surprising.
Friday morning, I was running on coffee and energy drinks. I stepped into the kitchen, and Mason and JJ stared at me while I fixed a coffee and took a gulp.
“What?”
“When was the last time you slept?” Mason asked.
“Why?”
JJ adjusted in his seat to face me better. “Because you look like shit that was dipped in lava and steamrolled. There’s more baggage under your eyes than the Kardashians take on a summer vacation.”
“Oh, please.” I drank down the scalding hot coffee and placed the mug in the dishwasher.
“You need a break. Matt will be here today, so we can watch him for a few hours. Either sleep or go to Saintly Sweets.”
I gritted my teeth. “First you’re all like keep an eye on Matt, make sure he doesn’t speak. Which is really hard since I don’t have access to his phone or have cameras in his apartment. But I’m trying. Now you’re like, go bake?”
“Oh, please.” JJ got up and walked over to me. “We all know you can’t bake. It’s just a change of scenery.”
I glanced at Mason. “You want me gone by the time Matt gets here, huh?”
“If you’re like this, yes,” JJ didn’t hesitate to answer. “If he sees you like this, he’s definitely going to quit as my PT.”
I ran my fingers through my hair… Yeah, okay, greasy. “I’ll shower and rest, but I’m not dealing with the bakery.” I stormed off to my room.
I grabbed a towel and went to my en suite, where I showered. It felt amazing, and the hot water eased my tight muscles. I took a moment to just breathe. Why was Matt different than other people for me?
When Gabe had first come to me and my brothers to vote on helping Mason, I’d thought he was insane to be so obsessed with him. I’d even told Noel Gabe was dick-whipped and that falling for people was a weakness. Gabe was determined, and in the end I was glad we had. Mason was good people.
Then JJ’s need to help Four—same fight, only it was clear Four was a mess and needed help. Either way, JJ hadn’t buckled. Now here I was, trying to step in and save Matt from someone who sent him gifts and left notes?
This stalker hadn’t even attempted to touch Matt, but I was in deep. It was like an itch under my skin, a need to make it better.
I shut off the water, dried my hair, brushed my teeth, and wrapped the towel around my waist.
I dressed quickly and collapsed onto my bed. I wanted to work at my computer, but JJ and Mason were right. My eyes felt like sand and as soon as I surrendered to it, I fell asleep.
Knocking on my door woke me. I was confused, not knowing what time it was, what day it was. That was why naps were evil. More knocking.
“Fucking hell, come in.”
The door opened and Noel waltzed in. He scanned my room—looking for what, I had no idea—and then met my “What the fuck?” expression.
“Where have you been?”
I opened my arms. “Here, you fucking moron.”
He rolled his eyes. “I thought for sure you’d pop out when Matt was here to force your assistance on him again.”
I grabbed my phone, it was six at night. “Shit. I slept a long time.”
“You clearly needed it.” Noel sat in my desk chair and woke up my computer. I had six monitors, and all of them were currently dedicated to Matt.
“You hacked into the CCTV here but why not on Crest Avenue?”
“They aren’t working. What did Matt say, is he quitting?”
Noel spun in his chair. My brother narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. That was his “trying to figure me out” look. It was rare that we didn’t know what each other was thinking.
“Why are you so invested in Matt?”
“My gut. It’s telling me it’s gonna get bad.” I motioned to my computer. “You can see for yourself. Crazy people are coming to his door and everything.”
Noel made no move to check; he believed me. “And if I told you Matt was quitting?”
“Is he?”
“Answer me, Nick.”
“I’d keep watching him.”
He nodded. “So, nothing changes. Why does him being here affect you?” When I didn’t respond, Noel continued. “Because he’ll be here three times a week and you can personally see he’s okay, and maybe you can convince him to let us help…do I have that right?”
“Did he quit, Noel?”
“No. He said he’d stay on, but that’s all he said.”
I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Thanks.”
“Come out and eat. We ordered Chinese tonight, and it’s Gabe’s turn to pick a movie, so you know it’ll be bloody.”
“I’ll be right out.”
Noel left, and I fell against my pillow for a minute; then I was up and over to my computer. I went back to the morning and watched his Ring, the street cameras I could access, and the garage cameras. I watched as he and Darnell walked out together. Only Matt was seen in the garage—likely Darnell had parked on the street. No note, that was good.
I was curious about the time that he was here. So I watched until JJ shouted that it was time to eat. I grabbed my phone and synced it. I could only split my phone between two sections, so I’d watch two at a time.
No one said anything about my lack of involvement in the dinner conversation, and even while we watched some horror movie, nobody told me to put my phone away.
The Ring camera was hopeless; nothing happened there nor on the garage one. It went to the street one. I followed it, saw Matt’s car pull into the garage. Okay, that tracks. Then I was at the current time. Nothing happened.
I was about to shut it off for a bit, knowing he was in his apartment, when I saw a motorcycle pull up on the street. It was that fucking bagger bike.
The person kept their helmet on, looked up and down the street, grabbed something but I couldn’t see, then was out of view. Where’d they go?
Two minutes later, they got back on the bike and drove away. What was that about? I did a quick scan of the garage and the Ring. They’d never approached those areas, so what had they done?
Collectively everyone groaned, and I glanced up to see a head fly across the screen.
“Unnecessary!” JJ yelled. “She was already dead!”
They all laughed except me; I was unsettled. The person had arrived for a reason, and I couldn’t see what it was.
I wanted to drive over there, but I knew I couldn’t. If I called Matt, he might go check it out…Should I call the cops? And say what, I saw a motorcycle and a person?
I hated this. I’d have to wait and see what happened. This was bullshit.