Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY_
HAZARD
The clinking sound of glass breaking somewhere in the house wakes me with a startle.
At first, I think it must be Decaf, unable to sleep and getting himself a cup of coffee, like usual.
But for the first time in however long it’s been since he moved into my bed, when I’ve been woken, he’s still beside me. Actually snoring.
That means … Fuck. Someone’s here. In my sleep-deprived state, I jump to the worst-case scenario: they’ve found us.
I’m on my feet in no time, reaching for one of the billions of guns we have stashed under the bed. As tempting as it is to go for the automatic and just rip a fucking hole in the wall, I go the more subtle route.
I should wake Decaf, but I know him, and he’s made it clear that keeping me safe is his life purpose or whatever, so there’s no way he’ll let me go out there and handle this on my own, if at all.
While he’s more mobile and slowly recovering, he’s one fall, bullet hole, or hell, even scrape away from landing back in the hospital.
Sorry, old man, this one is mine.
I’m light on my feet crossing the room, only realizing I’m still naked when I trip over Decaf’s boxers on the floor.
My foot makes a loud thud as I fight to keep my balance, and the noise makes me freeze.
I try to hear if there’s any more movement out in the kitchen or living room, but when I don’t, I quietly reach for Decaf’s boxers so I don’t go out there completely naked and slip them on.
When I still can’t hear anything, I begin to doubt if I heard glass break at all, but then another thud echoes through the cabin, and this time, it’s not from my feet.
Okay, okay, okay, I chant in my head. This threat is real. And I need to handle it because Decaf can’t.
They couldn’t have waited a few more weeks when we’re back at full strength and have Scout back too?
The thought of it being Scout does cross my mind, but if he were on his way back to us, he would’ve messaged. Surely. I need to treat this like it’s a serious threat so I’m not taken off guard with no way to protect myself or Decaf.
I’m going to get this fucker. As long as there’s only one.
Fuck, what if there’s more than one? What if they capture me and I’m looking at losing another fingernail. Or even teeth? I like my teeth. I don’t want to look like a hockey player.
I shake off those thoughts. I need my head on straight, even if it’s impossible to think rationally this time of night. Whatever the fuck time it is.
When I hear running water from the kitchen, I open the door to the bedroom. Why they’re running the water, I have no fucking idea, but sure, come on in. Make yourself at home, Mr. Assassin.
I get down on my stomach and pull myself along the carpet, staying low so whoever’s in here can’t see me moving in the shadows.
In the darkness, I can’t see shit either, but then I hear footsteps. And they’re getting closer. I position myself behind the small dining table and get into a squatted position.
I’ve got this. I’ve totally got this. My erratic heartbeat says otherwise, but I not only want to show Decaf I can handle myself, but I want him to be secure enough not to throw himself in the way of danger to sacrifice his life for mine. Uh, again.
While I’m still trying to convince myself I’ve got this, the intruder walks past me, unaware I’m here. He’s heading toward the bedroom where Decaf is still sleeping, so without any hesitance, I stand and put the barrel of my gun to the back of his head.
“Tell me one reason why I shouldn’t shoot you dead right here and now.”
He drops something, a tub of yoghurt, I think, by the splash of cold, thick liquid on my leg. “Uh, maybe that I’m your friend? Or I thought I was.”
“What?” I step around him and flick the light on, sagging in relief the second I see Scout’s face. “Fucking hell, a heads-up would’ve been nice. We’ve been expecting you back for days now.”
“What’s going on?” A panicked Decaf scrambles out of the bedroom. Naked.
Scout’s eyes dart from him to me, down to the boxer shorts that are obviously not mine, and then back to Decaf’s naked body again.
“Now I see why you wanted the heads-up.”
I try to think of excuses. Reasons why Decaf’s naked, why I’m wearing his underwear, and how we got here, but the only thing I can think to say is, “We ran out of clean clothes, and me being me, well, I never learned to do laundry? I’m still young.
And dumb. And Decaf is injured, so he can’t be carting large loads around.
” I can’t believe I just said large loads. “Of clothes! That … is what I meant.”
Scout looks like he’s trying not to laugh, but I think the seriousness of this situation edges out his amusement.
“I don’t have the energy to deal with this tonight.
You can spin me other bullshit in the morning.
Something more believable, preferably, so I can pretend none of this happened.
You can also clean up my midnight snack you made me drop. ”
I’m too scared to look at Decaf in this moment, too nervous that I’ve fucked up, not only by not waking him to try to take down a possible intruder together, but by giving us away. Though his nakedness doesn’t help.
Decaf doesn’t seem to care about that, though. While I go into the kitchen to find some paper towel to wipe up the mess, Decaf doesn’t even move to get dressed.
He asks how the mission went, but all Scout replies with is, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you in the morning. Preferably when you’re hanging less brain.”
“Nothing you haven’t seen before,” Decaf says as Scout walks by him and I’m heading back in his direction.
I can’t help wondering if there’s something there that I’d missed before, but Decaf must read my mind because he clarifies it for me.
“I’ve pretty much seen every Mike Bravo member naked, and vice versa. Unavoidable, really.”
I finally manage to lift my head to meet his eyes, and they don’t hold any anger, but I still feel guilty for how this all went down. “I know that’s not how you wanted all of Mike Bravo to find out that we’re … that we’ve been …”
“That we’re together?” He shrugs and steps toward me. “They were going to find out anyway. Eventually. And it’s not all over yet. I can threaten Scout with keeping his mouth shut for a while.”
“With what?”
“I dunno. I’ll think of something. But bottom line is, it doesn’t matter if it will get out. Right?”
I’m still conflicted on that. On the one hand, if we’re going to make an actual effort here and make us a thing, telling the others is a given.
But maybe, just maybe, I’m still scared of what will happen if it blows up in our faces, and I’m left feeling like that abandoned little boy again.
Only, this time, with an entire audience to witness it.
“If it matters to you, I can go threaten him right now, even if he is already sleeping,” Decaf says when I don’t answer immediately.
It eases some of the nerves. “No, you’re right. It will get out eventually.”
And I just have to hope that when it does, he doesn’t freak out and leave me.