“Scott knows I sent him to the wrong house. He was going to kill me, so Lauren brought me with them. I assumed you would shoot first, ask questions later, so I volunteered to go in alone so they could stay safe. On the off chance you let me live long enough to explain, I have the coordinates where the rest of the crew is waiting. I am supposed to call if I manage to stay alive,” he says, letting the words out in one big rush, no doubt taking Riley’s threat to heart.
“Do you believe him, Liz?” Alex asks, looking at her like she is their built-in lie detector.
“I, um, I don’t know. I want to say yes. He seems genuine. And he didn’t fight. But he may know he has backup coming, so compliance is all a part of his plan,” she says, growing increasingly uncomfortable that their safety is resting on her shoulders. “Exactly who is with you?”
“A few people who helped you get Reaper back. Lauren, Neil, John, and Liam. Lauren also forced Maya to run with us. They were the ones in immediate danger because they are all high ranking and friends with at least one of you. I sent Aunt Paula apicture of his hit list, and she had them ready to evacuate within an hour,” Matt explains.
“Stay with him. If he so much as sneezes blow what few brain cells he has out of his fucking head,” Riley orders before leaving the room, typing something into his phone as he does.
They stand watch, waiting for everything to turn. Their suspensions only grow the longer nothing happens. After a minute, Riley marches back into the room, combat knife in hand, heading right for the man with his arms tied together.
Matt scrambles to his feet. Deep red blood drips down his hand from the fresh cut on his wrist thanks to Riley’s not so gentle zip tie removal. Covering his wrist, he eyes every one of them like they are going to pounce at any second. With an audible sigh, Liz walks out of the room.
She returns a minute later with a small first aid kit. No need for words, the look she gives Matt has him dropping back into his chair, looking anywhere but at her. Liz makes quick work of cleaning his cut, glaring at Riley when she sees how deep he managed to make it. He shrugs, not trying to hide the half smile tugging at his lips. Riley watches her work with a quiet intensity that sets her nerves on fire.
Two butterfly stitches and a gauze wrap later, her work is done. The rest of Matt’s rag tag team picks the best time to come stumbling into the house. It’s almost comical. Watching a group of five soldiers barrel through a single door, falling over each other, all shouting not to kill their man, Liz can’t help but smile.
Seeing everyone gathered in the small living room, even while yelling and causing a ruckus, hope swells in her chest. They have backup. Six more people to watch their backs. Six fresh sets of eyes to comb through email after email.
In less than an hour, they have gone from fighting to stay afloat to having a fighting chance. That is all she could have asked for.
CHAPTER 36
The rest of the night is spent getting the newest members of the team settled, bickering about what they are going to do with Matt. After hours of lively discussions, Lauren pulled Mikey aside, angrily whispering something to him. He refuses to tell anyone what she said, but whatever it was has him convinced to let Matt walk free.
After agreeing to a full debriefing in the morning, the team breaks up and heads to their separate rooms for some much-needed rest. Morning is going to come fast, and when it does, they all need to be prepared for what’s to come.
Finally alone, Liz watches Riley get undressed with the same intensity he had for her just hours earlier. She is practically drooling when his shirt is pulled over his head. Her eyes follow the lines of his toned body down to where his sweatpants hang deliciously low on his hips. He gives her a knowing look, stalking across the room to where she waits for him.
She may have had a rule about fucking in their friends’ house, but she has no such rule about doing it in a government safehouse. She lets her hands trail up the hard ridges of his abdomen,admiring each defined muscle. His hands grip her waist backing her to the bed, ready to pounce when there is a thunderous knock on the door. His eyes darken, refusing to tear them away from the woman in his grip. He pushes her onto the squeaky bed, appreciating how much it makes her bounce as she lands. Liz scrambles back, making plenty of room for him to join her. The door handle jiggles as another loud knock echoes in the room. Riley throws his head back with a groan. He storms to the door, ripping it open with enough force to utterly terrify whoever is stupid enough to interrupt.
A loud laugh escapes Liz, filling the room as she takes in the sight before her. All six foot something of Mikey, wearing a silk pajama set covered in images of cookies and tiny glasses of milk. A pillow tightly clutched in one arm and a blanket in the other. They make eye contact as he peers over Riley’s shoulder, a wide smile spreading on his face. He side-steps Riley who is glaring at him like he is plotting his demise. She clutches her side, stomach muscles on fire from laughing so hard.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Riley snaps. He grabs Mikey by the shoulder, pulling him back before he can climb into the bed with Liz.
“Trying to go to bed, but someone…” he says, looking Riley up and down, “is stopping me.” He tries and fails to shake off the hand holding him in place, instead just shimmying his shoulders like the saddest little dance.
“Why are you in our room? Shouldn’t you be bunking with Lauren?” Riley asks, voice dripping in annoyance.
“She’s bunking with Maya,” Mikey says, holding up one finger. “Alex and Ty are obviously together. Neil and John are sharing a room,” he continues, raising a finger with each occupied room. “You two have a room. That’s all the beds. Liam’s on the couch and Matt’s on the floor, so I’m with you, roomie,”he says, playfully ducking out of his grip and swinging his muscular arm around Riley’s shoulders.
“There are two cars sitting outside. Pick one,” Riley orders, trying to steer him back out the door. Before he can, Mikey looks at Liz. He pushes his lower lip out and furrows his brows, giving her his absolute best sad puppy dog face. It’s not the first time he has had to use it, so he knows just how well it works on her.
“It’s been so long since we have had a sleep over, darlin. You won’t let him make me sleep in the cold car, all alone, will you?” he asks, quivering his lip for dramatic effect.
“Come on, Ry. He’s our best friend. We had sleepovers all the time while you were captured, and I know you two have had to share a bed before, it’s no big deal,” Liz pleads with him, trying her best not to focus on how good he looks for fear of changing her mind. She almost caves and shoves Mikey out herself when Riley crosses his arms, making his biceps pop. He drops his head, looking defeated.
Mikey jumps into the bed like a child climbing into bed with his parents. Liz scoots herself into the middle, helping Mikey make his small section of bed. Riley shuts the light off and crawls in behind her, grumbling obscenities the entire time. He pulls her close to his chest, and she lets out a happy little moan.
“So, do you think T-Rexs are really dragons, but their wings didn’t turn into fossils like the rest of their bones?” Mikey quietly asks.
The exasperated sigh Riley lets out has them both giggling.
“Oh, for sure. There is no way a big bad dinosaur would have those dumb little arms. They would be useless, unless they had wings attached,” Liz whispers back.
“For fucks sake, will you two go to bed?” Riley begs.
“Okay, be honest, do you think giants were real?” Liz asks, ignoring Riley’s pleas for sleep.
