Friday Night Jamie

by Bren Christopher

  Matt said, “I want these damn things off me.” Then Nash crouched next to Swenson, and between the two of them, they managed to turn him gently just far enough to cut his wrist and leg restraints. He breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down.

  He moved one arm up slowly and tangled his hand in my hair to pull me close.

  “Don’t move!” I insisted. “You’re not supposed to move.”

  “I told you, I’ll be okay. Come here.”

  I kissed him almost hysterically. “You’re sure? You’re sure you’ll be all right?” I buried my face in his neck, shaking. “I love you, Matt. God, I was scared. I love you so much.”

  His breathing sounded labored. “Oh, baby, I love you too.” He pulled my head back to look at me with that teasing smile, despite the pain. “So this is what it takes to get you to admit it? I have to practically get killed?”

  I tried to smile back at him, tried to wipe the wetness off my face, but I couldn’t manage very well since I had to support one arm with my other hand.

  His smile faded. “Jamie, what’s wrong with your arm?”

  I looked down at it. “I think my wrist is broken.”

  This time he needed reassurance that I would be all right, and I had to kiss him again to show that I was fine.

  Then he said, “I was so impressed. You were so brave.”

  “No, you were. You were great.”

  This called for yet more frantic kissing and murmured reassurances while Swenson rolled her eyes and made little gagging noises.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The sound of the nurses’ voices as they carried out the early morning shift change woke me, and I worried that I would be discovered in Matt’s room when I should have been in my own bed down the hall.

  I had sneaked out of my room and past the nurse’s station in the middle of the night, making little noise in my cheap, hospital-provided slippers. With my right arm in a sling, it had not been easy to put on the extra gown so that I was covered front and back, but I managed despite the cast.

  Sitting in the chair next to Matt’s bed, I had gradually leaned forward to rest my head on the mattress next to his chest, careful not to touch him. His hand reached out in his sleep and tangled in my hair. He seemed to find the touch reassuring, and his hand tightened every now and then, just a little, as he murmured in his sleep. They had given him something strong for the pain, and he was in and out of consciousness.

  Not wanting to disturb him by shifting his hand, I remained still and eventually decided to risk the ire of the nurses and close my eyes again. I was only in for one night, for observation because of the bump on my head and to make sure there that no complications arose from my severely fractured wrist. Matt would be in a little longer as he had one broken rib and two more that were badly fractured. But no internal organs were punctured, and it was a matter of perhaps one more day of observation to make sure he didn’t have any blood clots or other complications.

  I remembered the fear that had lanced through me when that son of a bitch Martinez had kicked him in the side. I’d never felt anything so strong, not even when my own life was threatened. That horrible crunching noise would haunt my sleep for a long time to come.

  I had finally told him I loved him, and my stomach knotted as I wondered about the consequences of that confession. It was frightening, but I knew I couldn’t take it back. I didn’t want to take it back.

  Cradling my arm in my lap, I drifted off again.

  Much later, low voices woke me as Matt’s hand absently stroked my hair. One of the voices belonged to him, and that meant he had finally awakened. I stirred, sat up, and looked at him. His color had definitely improved, and he was smiling, although I could see it still hurt him to take a deep breath.

  “Morning, babe,” he said. “How are you feeling? How’s your arm?”

  “Hurts some, but probably not as bad as your ribs.”

  He looked beyond me, and I remembered the other voices in the room. Expecting his family to come and visit, I had hoped to at least be dressed before they got there. I shouldn’t have gone back to sleep.

  Apparently his parents hadn’t made it in from Brooklyn yet, because to my surprise, Nash and Swenson had already settled into a couple of extra chairs close to the bed. I wondered how long they had been there while I snored away, oblivious.

  Nash had a bandage on his head. He had been kept overnight for observation as well but seemed fine other than a minor concussion and a few stitches. They both seemed to be in a good mood. I guess they would be, having cracked a major money-laundering operation.

  Swenson had been busy while her partner lay in the hospital, and she let us know what had happened. The FBI had a court order to go through every account at Brooks and Stillman. The SEC had opened an investigation into the accounts as well. But they also had the complete cooperation of Ethan Brooks. He had been an unwilling participant in the operation with threats against his family as motivation. It sounded like most of the firm was not involved, and just possibly Ethan Brooks would be able to save his firm and our jobs.

  I stopped them there, just to make sure I understood correctly. “You’re saying that Ethan Brooks is not going to be arrested for anything? That he was a victim too?” I was glad to know my judgment of him had not been totally wrong.

  “Keith is confessing everything, and he knows a lot about Napier and Napier’s bosses and their whole operation. I’m not sure what the prosecutor is going to do with him, to tell you the truth. If he goes to prison, he’ll probably be killed by Napier’s cronies.”

  I winced. Despite everything, I didn’t want to see him dead. He was a user of people, but our mutual attraction had felt genuine, at least in the beginning. He just thought he could use his charm to get anything he wanted, and he had learned differently. I caught Matt looking at me, and I knew he had noticed my reaction, although I tried to cover it up quickly. He frowned, but he didn’t say anything.

  Leave it to Swenson to bring it up anyway. She sounded annoyed. “Jamie, for Christ’s sake, you can’t possibly be worried about what happens to that prick after everything he’s done to you. For that matter, he put his own aunt and uncle in danger!”

  I said, “Yes, he’s an asshole and I never want to see him again, but that doesn’t mean I want him dead in some prison yard with a homemade knife in his back.”

  “It’s possible that he might end up in a witness protection program,” Nash told me, “if his information is valuable enough. He didn’t kill anyone, after all. It was Napier and his guys who killed Eckland while they were trying to figure out who was involved in stealing from the accounts, and it was Napier who made the threats against Ethan Brooks to force him to accept the money-laundering operation. Keith just took advantage of the situation, working with Rastin to skim from the accounts.”

  I went back a little obsessively to Ethan Brooks’s involvement and the future of the firm. “But what you’re saying is that Brooks and Stillman is still in business? It’s not going to be shut down?”

  Nash shrugged. “Not by us. We have people there now, going through every computer and interviewing everyone. You’ll be interviewed as well. But the day-to-day business can carry on. So you’ll be happy to know you haven’t lost your job.”

  I nodded, feeling relieved and showing it. “At least for a while. Brooks and Stillman has been around for a long time, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see if it can survive a scandal like this.” Changing the subject, I got to ask Swenson the one question that had been nagging at me. “How did you know where we were yesterday? How could you know to come to Ethan Brooks’ house with a SWAT team?”

  She grinned rather smugly. “Because I’m good, hon. Saved your ass and the boyfriend’s, didn’t I? Not to mention my partner’s.”

  “You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?” Nash said with patient resignation.

  “Hell, no. You owe me big-time. I want Starbucks every day for at least a month. Mocha latte, no whip.” />
  “That’s what my life is worth? A mocha latte?”

  “A month of mocha lattes. You should be flattered. But I can make it a year if that would make you feel better.”

  She turned to me. “McAlister should have known we would be checking Ethan Brooks’s home periodically, in case his nephew showed up. Checking a relative’s house is routine during a manhunt. We didn’t have it staked out all the time, because we thought the car was a good lead, and we don’t have the manpower to watch everything. He was right about that. But we didn’t abandon the drive-by surveillance, either, just because we got a new lead. He was still a rookie, after all, and that was a rookie mistake. One of our agents went by and saw some unusual activity, but he couldn’t tell what was going on until we got some surveillance equipment in place, including a directional microphone. That took time, but as soon as we heard Nash’s voice, we called in SWAT.” She paused, and her smile faded. “But when we heard McAlister… Well, we couldn’t believe it. Everyone is still in shock. When one of us goes over to the dark side, it makes us all look bad.”

  I took a quick look at Matt, remembering how he had lost his place on the force. His face was carefully expressionless, but Swenson must have remembered too. She grimaced and slapped his leg lightly, then stood up. “We need to get going. Paperwork, interviews… It never ends. And my partner here is supposed to be home in bed right now.”

  After they left, I turned to Matt. “Have you heard from your parents?”

  “Yes, I talked to them, but I told them not to come and visit. I’ll probably be leaving tomorrow, if not before, so there’s no point in them making the trip.”

  My hand tightened on his. “I guess your parents will probably want you to stay with them when you leave here. But you can stay with me for a few days. I won’t be going to work this week. I’m on sick leave.” I hesitated, wondering if I had presumed too much. “I mean, if you want.”

  He smiled. “Of course I want. My left ribs are broken, and your right arm is fractured, so between the two of us, we might even be able to get dressed in the morning.”

  I looked at him anxiously. “You know I don’t have any feelings for Keith, right? Just because I don’t want him killed, doesn’t mean…”

  He squeezed my hand reassuringly. “It’s okay. I know that.”

  I gazed at the floor. I didn’t know how to bring up, but I felt I needed to clear the air. As usual, Matt was ahead of me.

  “Jamie, do you think it bothers me? What McAlister said about your mother? I only wish there was something we could do to help her.”

  I looked at him in amazement. “I thought you were a cop. That’s not a very coplike attitude.”

  He grinned. “No, it’s not, believe me. And if we were talking about anyone else, I would probably be just as cynical. But she produced you, so there must be a lot of good in her.”

  I smiled at him, then explained, “Anyway, McAlister is wrong, she’s not a…a…whore…” I had a hard time even saying it. “She only did what she had to do in order to put food on the table when my dad was in jail or just gone…who knows where. I don’t think my dad even knew about it.

  “I have asked her to come here. I’ve told her there is room for her in the apartment or that I would find a little place and pay the rent for her. I’ve even told her that she can bring him if she wants, but only if he goes into a program when he gets here.”

  “Do you think she will ever take you up on that offer? It seems like she would want to see her mother sometime.” He looked concerned. “Or do you think your father is preventing her from visiting?”

  “I don’t think he could stop her if she really wanted to come. I told her I would send her money. I’m just not sure what else I can do.”

  He lay back. I could see the weariness in his face; the morning’s activity had tired him, and I resolved to let him rest. But he added, “If they ever decide to move to the city, let me know. There are some good rehab places around here. I can help you with the arrangements.”

  I pressed his fingers gratefully, feeling touched by his offer, but afraid I would never have the opportunity to take advantage of it. I stayed in his room for the rest of the morning. After the nurses got over their annoyance that they couldn’t find me, they decided it was sweet that Matt and I were holding hands. They brought my lunch tray to his room, and I spent most of the day there until the doctor made his afternoon rounds.

  The nurse appeared at the door. “Mr. Morgan? The doctor would like to see you in your room. If everything looks okay, you’ll be discharged. Do you have someone to drive you home?”

  “Yes, I’ll call a friend.” I told Matt, “I’ll call Artie. He won’t be at work yet. He can take me home, and I’ll come back first thing in the morning. Your car is still at my building. Did you leave the keys on the table?”

  Surprised, Matt said, “You’re going to drive my car? I didn’t even know you had a license. I’ve never seen you drive. And now you’ve only got one arm.”

  “It’s an automatic. What, you don’t want me driving your car? It’s not like I could do any more damage to it. In fact, if I wrecked it, that would be an improvement.”

  “Hey, if you’re going to dis my wheels…”

  * * *

  I brought him home the next day. He moved slowly but already seemed to breathe just a little easier. We both had pain medication, and he had a contraption to blow into every couple of hours to make sure he was taking deep enough breaths to keep his lungs clear. It seemed to hurt him at first, but it got easier the more he did it.

  We were settled in and discussing whether to order pizza or Thai when we heard a knock on the door. I looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Gina, Robert, and Bobby carrying what looked like enough food for an army.

  Opening the door, I tried to take some of the bags from Gina, but she dodged around me and headed for the kitchen. Robert looked around as he entered. “Nice place.” He followed Gina and Bobby into the kitchen.

  Gina started to unpack and put full dishes away in the refrigerator as if she were moving around her own kitchen.

  “Gina, you didn’t have to do this,” Matt said. “We can manage to feed ourselves, you know.”

  Gina looked around the much too neat kitchen. “I’m sure you can. Was it going to be pizza or Chinese?”

  “Thai,” he muttered, looking a little annoyed.

  “Mama won’t want to hear that. If you won’t stay with them, you have to at least let her cook for you. You know that. This should last you a few days. I’ll put the casserole in the oven. Take it out in twenty minutes, and there’s some bread and salad. And this.” She pulled out a couple of bottles of red wine. “But just a little with dinner and only if you’re off the pain pills.”

  “Gina…” Matt sounded exasperated. “For God’s sake, I’m a grown… Oh… Are those Mama’s meatballs? She made meatballs and sauce?”

  “Of course she did. She knows they’re your favorite. Now go sit down. You look kind of pasty.”

  Matt turned and went back to the couch, giving me a glare on the way. I guess I didn’t do a very good job hiding my amusement at the siblings’ interaction.

  “Gina,” I said, “are you guys going to stay for dinner? You are more than welcome.”

  She seemed pleased at the invitation. She reached up and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “No. Thanks, but we can’t tonight. Anyway, you two need to have some quiet time to rest up, after what you’ve been through.”

  She went to Matt and gave him the same peck on the cheek. “Call me if you need anything. And don’t forget to take the casserole out of the oven.”

  The little family swept out the door as quickly as it had come in.

  We sat on the couch together after dinner with the TV on low. Nuzzling Matt’s neck, I let my one good hand wander up his shirt to play with his nipples. He let out a soft sigh and dropped his neck to the side to expose more of his throat to my kisses.

  With that encourage
ment, I moved closer and then swung my leg over to straddle his lap, careful not to lean forward against his chest. Not that I could have, anyway, with my cast between us. I looked down at it, then up at him, feeling a little frustrated.

  He smiled. “We’re a mess, aren’t we?”

  I rocked against him, feeling his hardening cock rubbing against mine. I leaned forward and buried my face in the juncture where neck met shoulder. I breathed him in deep, breathed in the musky, sexy, unique smell of my Matthew. Tasting, licking, and kissing, I made my way up to nip at his earlobe and felt him shiver. “We’ll just have to manage,” I said as I reached for his waistband.

  To my surprise, he put his hands on my hips and pressed me back so that I sat on his thighs again. His warm hands remained where they were, reminding me of the club and the first time I had felt those hands resting on my hips like they belonged there.

  I looked at him inquiringly. He said, “It’s Friday night, Jamie.”

  “So it is.” I smiled rather smugly. “It’s Friday night, I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine, and I’m about to get a dick up my ass. Everything is going exactly according to schedule.” Despite our temporary handicaps, I felt quite satisfied with the evening’s progress.

  He didn’t smile back, and I started to feel worried. “What is it?”

  He reached up to touch my face, running a thumb over my cheekbone, and said with quiet intensity, “Your Friday nights belong to me now. If you want to go dancing, I’ll take you. But no more going out to the clubs, not without me. No more going into alleys with other guys.”

  My heart hammered in my chest. I knew what he was asking, and the thought of making that commitment, with all the change it implied, still seemed a bit daunting. He sounded so serious, so…possessive. But I was finally ready for it. I could no longer conceive of a life that did not include my Matthew.

  I answered slowly, “My Friday nights belong to you. And every other night.” I paused and then added in a slightly shaky voice, “I belong to you.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. I felt incredibly nervous, but I had to ask. “And…and…you?”