by Tl Reeve
Franks strolled up to them, holding a small medical bag. “Lucky for you, I can help you with both.” He pulled a bottle of water from the bag and dropped two brownish-red pills into Mateo’s hand.
Not knowing what happened to the target twisted Noah’s gut. “The guy?”
Franks didn’t hesitate in responding. “Gone.”
Noah wanted to throw up from his carelessness. He was to blame for this massive fuck up.
Asher returned to where they stood, frustration etched on their Commander’s features. “Let it go, Noah.”
Easier said than done.
“What about Mattie’s head?” Asher gestured to the cut.
“I’m just going to give him some gauze to help with the bleeding,” Franks said after he examined the cut. “Rae can do the stitches when we get back to base. She’ll do a better job than I can do in the field.”
Mateo took the offered white cloth and pressed it against his cut. He hissed. “Damn it, that hurts.”
Callahan busted through the heavy steel door, panting and holding a large sniper rifle. “Can’t find him, boss.”
Asher nodded. “We need to move out now. Cops received a call moments ago about shots being fired. They’re about six minutes out.” He then turned on his heel and made his way out the door Callahan appeared at.
Franks followed Asher, leaving Noah, Mateo, and Callahan, whom Noah knew would take up the last position as they made their way back to Ghost.
“Forgot someone,” Callahan said after Noah stepped through the door.
Glancing behind him, Noah saw Mateo standing where he’d left him. “Mattie, we need to go.”
Mateo bobbed his head in acknowledgment then ambled over to where Noah waited. “We’re going to be having a conversation about this.”
No doubt. If O’Malley’s non-stop bitchin’ in the Tac-Com about the lost perp was any indication, he’d be having a couple of conversations, where his ass was going to be raked over the coals.
Callahan gave an amused chuckle. “And this is why I’ll never get married or have a steady girl. I, seriously, don’t have the patience to deal with this high-drama bullshit.”
Chapter 3
Mateo stared at Noah the whole way to wherever they were going. Each person with him had the same kind of paint on their face, only their patterns were different. They also wore specific uniforms. Dark camo, black boots, bulletproof vests. None of it made sense. Noah worked in security—data security to be more specific.
They passed over an abandoned gated area, and Mateo had been even more confused. Weeds and overgrown shrubbery camouflaged the area as they landed a weathered helipad. Where are we? The touchdown had been smooth, if not a bit disorienting. Again, his mind spun as he questioned, once more, if he ever really knew his husband.
“We’re here,” Noah said. “Come on, let’s get that cut looked at.”
“Where is, ‘here?’” Mateo stared around the abandoned airstrip and... Base? Maybe he was dreaming. Or he’d been hit in the head too hard.
“I’ll tell you inside,” Noah answered. “Rae will be waiting for you down at medical.”
The sound of actuators and hydraulics drew Mateo’s attention as a ramp lowered, revealing a parking structure of sorts and a black on black SUV coming toward them. The vehicle stopped beside them, and the two passenger doors popped open. The team leader, or who he thought was the leader got into the front passenger seat, while the others filed into the back, along with Mateo.
Noah tucked him into his side, holding onto him tight like he thought maybe he'd lose Mateo. Well, maybe if he hadn’t lied... Mateo frowned then winced when the movement caused him to pull at the open cut at his brow. Damn, that hurts.
“Hey,” Noah whispered. “Try to relax, we’ll be to Rae shortly.”
They descended into whatever the place was and into a parking structure of sorts. A few vehicles were parked in the area, including Noah’s truck, while the remainder of the spaces were empty. Across from the spot they’d pulled into, was a door that opened the minute they exited the vehicle and started walking toward it. What is this place?
A woman stood on the other side of the entryway next to a parked golf cart. She smiled and gave Mateo a small wave. The group stopped in front of her, and the man in the lead, he thought the man’s name was Asher, wrapped his arms around her then placed a kiss on her lips. Everything had been a blur since the moment Noah showed up dressed as he was, a hand gun strapped to his thigh, looking like a freaking badass. Mateo needed a moment to clear his head and find his balance.
“Mateo, this is Rae, our resident doctor,” Noah said, introducing the woman. “She’ll get you fixed up.”
Mateo trailed behind the woman. He glanced over his shoulder as Noah got into the other golf cart, he hadn't paid attention to and drove off in the opposite direction. The look in his husband's eyes haunted Mateo. They were filled with sadness and recrimination, something he hadn't been expecting.
“So, you’re Mateo,” Rae said, getting into the cart. “It’s good to meet you.”
“Where are we exactly?” Mateo asked, easing in beside her.
“You’re in the below-ground levels of an abandoned base in Virginia,” she replied.
“So, Noah isn’t a data security guy?”
Rae chuckled and shook her head. “Not in the slightest.” She stopped the cart near a bank of elevators and got out. “We need to go to medical. It’s where I have all of my supplies.”
“Wait... I think I know you,” Mateo stated.
Rae tilted her head.
“You're the one who's been testifying before Congress and in court.” The trial had been everywhere. He'd also answered some benign questions from his students, using the situation as a teaching moment. When the case first broke, it didn't surprise Mateo. The government was corrupt. Had been for more years than he'd been alive. What did surprise him, was the fact the government—or well, a greedy senator—sanctioned an attack in a foreign country. Mateo shook his head. “How did you end up here?” Stupid question, idiot.
“Asher,” she answered. “I’m indebted to him and his team.”
“I’m so confused, and I don’t think it’s because I have a head injury.” Mateo tried to rake his fingers through his curly hair and hissed in pain. “Damn it.”
“We'll take it a question at a time.” When the elevator doors opened, they stepped inside, and Rae pressed the B7 button. “I started out as a doctor for Doctors Without Borders in Colombia. This,” —She motioned to everything— “isn't something I had planned for my life, and everything you're feeling is what I, too, felt the first time I stepped foot into this bunker.”
The elevator chimed, and they exited the car. Mateo kept pace with Rae down the long corridor to what he'd consider a small emergency room, which included a surgery suite along with some contamination chambers in case there was a fallout incident. He stepped into the room Rae showed him to and sat on the table.
“It's old world meets new technology.” Rae opened the drawer beside her then the cabinet in front of her. “This is going to hurt.” She pulled out a pair of scissors and a sterilized kit then came back to his side. “The guys don't understand why non-stick 4x4 squares are the best to use in situations like this.” She sighed. “They like to think they're tough as shit, but they scream like babies when I have to pull this gauze crap off of them.”
“Uh...”
“You don’t have to be brave with me,” she stated.
Mateo chuckled. “You have an incredible bedside manner.”
“It’s one of my better qualities,” she said with a shrug. “Okay, here we go. If you want to remove your shirt, I have some scrubs in my office you can put on when we’re done.”
Mateo frowned and winced once more. “Damn it.”
“I haven’t touched you yet,” Rae teased.
“No.” He gave a weak chuckle. “I have no clothes. I've lost my pack with my school laptop. I have tests to grade online, and
I also have a week’s worth of lessons I still need to plan. Not to mention the end of school dance, the award ceremony, and graduation.”
“Ah,” Rae said. “I’m sure Asher can figure something out.”
“Oh.” Mateo removed the tattered remains of his shirt and placed it behind him. “He’s the logistics guy then?”
“He’s the leader of their team.” Rae cut through the gauze wrapping around Mateo’s head. “He’s the one that can get things done when no one else can.” She placed the scissors on the tray next to her. “He’s also a good guy. This will hurt.”
She began to peel away the 4x4 square. Warm wetness dripped onto his thigh accompanied by the burn of tugging flesh. He grunted, sucking in a breath. Mateo's fingers curled into fists as he gripped the material of his trousers. “Fuck.”
“Almost done,” she whispered. “The worst of it is over.”
Rae tugged once more then threw the wrapping into a silver bowl. She probed the injury making sure to not push too hard at it. She then grabbed a syringe and flicked it with her thumb and forefinger to knock out the bubbles in the solution. By the second plunge of the needle, Mateo hardly felt a thing. Rae had a delicate touch to her.
“Anyway,” Rae said, dropping the needle into a red bucket beside her. “How long have you and Noah been boyfriends?”
Mateo lifted his left hand. “Married almost ten years now.”
“Oh.” Rae’s eyes widened. “Oh wow. I don’t think any of us knew. I mean, I’m still new around here, but I’m not sure Asher understood Noah’s relationship status.”
“I’m beginning to think no one did.”
Rae began stitching up his cut. “You should ask for the family wing.”
“Family wing?”
She nodded. “Yes. It's soundproof, and you'll be with us.”
He blinked. “Us?” Mateo didn’t even want to contemplate why the walls were sound proof or who’d thought it’d be a good idea to do so.
“Yes. There are two families on the floor. Asher and I are in one apartment, Johnathan and his wife Sydney, along with their two children Gabby and Rhett are in another.”
“Wait, you have kids here?”
She nodded snipping the line. “Yeah. Delivered Rhett down the hall a few months ago.” She opened a water-proof bandage and placed it next to a non-stick patch. She grabbed the tube of ointment off of her tray before picking up a swab. “I’ve also been treating Gabby while we wait for her new kidney. She applied the cream to the cut, and Mateo hissed. “Sorry. Lacerations like these are always a bitch.” She applied the bandage and small patch. “Shower as normal. Use some three-in-one ointment after each time you shower. Also, are you allergic to any medications?”
“Yes,” he answered then told her which ones.
“Great. Give me a moment to grab you a set of pills.” She exited the room and returned moments later. “Take these every six hours, it’s Keflex.” Rae went to one of the other cabinets and opened the door. She pushed a few things around until she found what she wanted and brought it back to Mateo. “This is the Ibuprofen—eight-hundred milligrams. Take it every six hours when needed. In a week, we’ll take those stitches out, then we can figure out what happens next.”
“What happens next is that I go home,” he replied. “I can’t step out of my life because of some grudge or whatever.”
No, you’re right.” Rae held out her hand until Mateo placed his into it. She stared at his wrist. “Nothing broken. The tie burn will go away in a couple of weeks. If the pain persists for more than a few days, come back and see me, and I’ll grab an x-ray.”
“It’s fine.” He retracted his wrist from her grasp.
“It’s not, Mateo,” she murmured. “Of everyone here, I understand how you are feeling. If you want to talk, I’m here for you.”
He frowned. The guy who kidnapped him had been so convincing. Mateo hadn't hesitated to help him. When he woke up in the back of the van, he almost ran his kidnapper off the road, probably would have if he hadn’t had a hood over his face. He figured it’d been when he got the nasty cut over his brow and the split lip. The second time he came to, he’d been strapped to the chair in a dark building. Mateo hadn't understood what made him special or why the guy needed him so much. In the time he'd sat there, waiting, wondering, questioning everything he knew about Noah, the guy still didn't question Mateo. He paced, muttered, and checked his watch every five seconds, it seemed.
When his phone chimed for an incoming message, Mateo had been surprised to hear Noah’s voice. Before he could say anything, the guy ripped him from the chair and used him as a shield. None of it made any sense. He supposed it wouldn’t, especially since he no idea Noah dealt in some hardcore shit.
“I really thought Noah did data security,” Mateo muttered.
“I should get some perverse kind of pleasure out of this,” Rae said. “With all the shit these guys put me through...” She shook her head as she walked away from him. When she returned, she had a scrub shirt in her hand.
“So, you haven’t been here for a long time, either?” He took the top from her. “Thanks.”
“Welcome.” She leaned against the counter. “No. I haven't. Everyone is in each other's business if you know what I mean. There are some assholes, like O'Malley, who really know how to press buttons.”
He nodded.
“I thought Asher was going to kill him a few times when I first arrived.” Rae sighed. “O’Malley has issues. A lot of them as a matter of fact, but he’s a good guy. Just needs to get his head out of his ass.”
“So, why does Asher keep him?” Mateo adjusted himself on the table. “If he has so many issues.”
“I guess because he saves lives,” Rae said.
“What about Noah?” Later he’d kick himself for sounding so desperate and maybe jealous. No, jealous was too strong of a word, left out might be better.
Rae grinned. “Noah is a sweetheart. Smart, courteous. He’s a great guy. You’re a very lucky man.”
He didn’t feel like it. Noah lied to him. Always had. When he went on business trips sometimes a week at a time, this place had been where he was. Not home with Mateo. Not doing data security. Not being a computer geek. Yet, as he sat there listening to Rae, everything about Noah made sense. Why when they were in public together, he didn’t show Mateo any kind of affection. Maybe, in his own way, Noah was keeping Mateo safe.
Only you would give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Yeah.”
“Noah had his reasons, and we might not agree with them, but promise me you’ll listen to him?”
He’d listen to his husband, then he’d ask to go home, so he could go back to work. When he gave Rae his list of things he had to do, Mateo had been telling the truth. School would be getting out soon, and this was the busiest time of the year for all of the teachers. Between testing and inputting grades into the system, he couldn’t dawdle. “Sure.”
The door to the examination room opened, and there stood Noah. He’d removed the paint from his face, but his clothes were the same. Mateo didn’t know this man. Yes, it was his husband, yet not. He raked his gaze over Noah. He always appreciated his muscular body. Always enjoyed the hard lines and the way his lover cradled Mateo’s body to his. He figured Noah had a gym fetish or had seen Mateo’s admiration and continued to go to please him.
The corner of Noah’s mouth kicked upward. The bastard. He should hate his husband. “I see Doc Rae got you fixed up.”
Mateo sniffed as he slipped off the table. “Shouldn’t have had to.”
The cocky expression on Noah’s face disappeared. “You’re absolutely right.” Noah brought one of his arms out from behind his back. “We found this while clearing the building. Thought you could use it.”
His bag with his initials emblazoned on the front—a present from Noah after he’d graduated with a Master’s in history and found his first teaching position. The well-worn leather satchel went with Mateo everywhere. It was like
a security blanket of sorts. A way to keep a piece of Noah with him, even when his husband wasn’t home. “Ev-everything’s inside still?”
Noah nodded. “Computer screen is trashed, but the hardware is still intact. Scotty and AJ are working as we speak to get the hard drive into one of our heavy-duty laptops. Your notes and paperwork from your students are still there as well. I-I couldn’t find your glasses though.”
“I can get those,” Rae said. “As long as you can tell me who your optometrist is.”
“It’s Dr. Gibbs at Virginia Beach Optical,” Mateo replied.
“Perfect. I’m sure Asher can get them expedited to you.”
Mateo let out a breath of relief. “I am still furious with you.”
Noah held up his hands. “He good to go, Doc?”
She nodded. “He is. I gave him instructions for tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll check on the stitches—see how he’s mending.”
“Thank you,” Noah said. “I appreciate it.”
“You’re both welcome, she replied then hesitated.
“Spit it out,” Noah grumbled.
“Nothing,” she stated. “Mateo, remember to keep your stitches moist.”
“I will.”
“And, Noah?”
“Yeah, Doc?” Noah glanced at her.
“Be gentle,” she said while grabbing something out of the drawer beside her. “Also, be safe.”
He cocked a brow as she closed the distance between them. “Always, Doc.” She placed several foil packets into his hands, and Noah roared with laughter before leaning into Mateo, who stared at the packaged disks in his husband’s hands. “Should you tell her, or should I?”
“Tell me what?”
“Doc, I am going to impart some words of wisdom on you.” Noah bent his head next to her ear.
Mateo already knew what Noah would say. They didn’t use protection. Due to Mateo’s work and Noah’s, which made sense now, they were always getting tested. Plus, they were married and took PrEP religiously. They also didn’t have extra-marital affairs.
