by J. M. Dabney
“Once your new identity is in place, and connections are made, we’ll inform you where to meet your backup. We just have to find the right one.”
They finished discussing the details. Then he disconnected the call.
“Was that news?”
He glanced up as Alex stepped out of his room. His friend was dressed in nothing but pajama bottoms. At almost fifty, the man was in amazing shape, although, his wavy, dirty blond body hair was liberally streaked with silver. He poured Alex a mug of coffee as he tried to figure out how to explain the plan.
“Yeah, Hunter is building me a new identity and finding me backup. There’s a party in upstate New York on an isolated estate. Hunter’s working on getting me an invite.”
“Why do you need backup? I’m right fucking here, man.”
“Alex, I know that, but can you tell me you won’t lose your shit while we’re in there?”
He knew the answer Alex would give him. Yet, he waited for the man to think it through. Alex was the most level-headed man he’d met in his life, and as much as he hated not having Alex as backup, he also understood that Alex wouldn’t make it as his partner inside. Alex might not think he was very alpha male, but his best friend couldn’t play the sub/boy role.
The moment the realization hit Alex he saw the man deflate. The man fell onto one of the bar stools and buried his face in his hands, then Alex lifted his head. Alex’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
“But, man, I can’t just sit on the sidelines. You can’t leave me out of this.”
“I’ll need someone to watch my back. Be my contact on the outside. Hunter is going to send the information to me. More than likely, I’ll get Raul and Pure. Raul won’t like it, but Pure’s mine inside.”
“Raul’s going to kill you as slow as possible.”
For the first time in days, he laughed with genuine amusement. Pure was the best option. He was soft-spoken and sweet, a bit chunky, but he’d never met a more ruthless sniper. His teammate, with a little coaching, could pull off the sub routine perfectly. Firstly, they had to get Raul under control. Pure was an idiot not to see Raul’s interest because the Latino bounty hunter already acted like he’d pissed on his territory. He couldn’t have Raul growling every time Gage had to put his hands on Pure.
“He’ll have to show some control. I have to make a trip to the shop. In a week, I’m going to walk into a mansion of possible sadists with no rules, but I have to protect Pure from unwanted attention.”
“You can put—”
“I know, I’ll get a plain collar just to get through this op.”
“Do you think it’ll go that far?”
He was hoping he wouldn’t need to push Pure’s limits. Not only was Pure his teammate, but his friend as well. He wasn’t sure Pure’s vow of chastity was just about waiting for the right one or if something deeper was at play—some sort of trauma. He wouldn’t make Pure uncomfortable for anything in the world. He’d dreamed of the day he would’ve found his boy, but it was a fantasy he lived in his weak moments. How things would’ve been different if he wasn’t so damaged. If a part of him was capable of love, then maybe he would’ve felt worthy.
“Hope not, but I swear, man, I’ll find her whatever means necessary.”
“I know. All I can think is what she’s going through. Have they already touched her, is she hurt, or cold? My brain is playing out every scenario there is, and none of the endings are coming out in my baby’s favor. I gave up the Navy to spend time with her. To learn the young woman that she was so quickly growing in to. This is my fault. I should’ve told her she couldn’t—”
“Alex.” His voice was sharper than he meant it to be. “She could have easily been walking down the sidewalk in y’all’s neighborhood and been snatched. You and Margo can’t blame yourselves for this. I’m gonna run out, get what I need, and I’ll be back in an hour.”
He reluctantly left Alex to run his errand. He hated being away from his team—the disconnect was too draining. And as much as he felt as if Alex were a brother, it wasn’t the same. When he left the Navy, he’d felt adrift until he’d found Trenton Security. In Powers, he could almost pretend he was normal. He knew he’d started to pull away from his team. That was involuntary. His brain misfired, and instantly he retreated, but it was too late to pretend he didn’t feel at home with his extended family and team.
His life was a countdown to when he’d wear out his welcome. What would they say if they saw his forearms or torso—his body hair hid most of the ugliness of scar tissue. Not all of them self-inflicted. He was a landscape of stories, not all of them tragic. Some of them related his proudest moments. A teammate saved. A tragedy averted. He wasn’t broken enough not to realize that he’d done good things in his life, but as with any situation, the bad always overshadowed the good. A praise ruined by a chastisement for a silly mistake. And while he knew good and evil defined a person in the eyes of everyone else, life was about traveling a road forked and blocked. There wasn’t only one clear path, but thousands of possibilities, and all he had to do was figure out the right one for him.
They Needed Him for an Assignment
Getting called to Trenton Head Quarters in Powers was like being summoned to the principal’s office. He remembered when he rebelled and almost flunked out of his Sophomore year of college. Linus had called and told him a date and time. The man’s voice had dared him to disobey. Pelter was his boss, and he didn’t remember doing anything that would bring his dads’ wrath down on him.
Why did he feel like a kid again and ready to be grounded? He waved his keycard over the panel next to the elevator and took a deep breath as he waited for the car. The cables vibrated, and the doors clicked then smoothly opened. He hesitated for a moment before stepping inside and pushed the button for the top floor. His breathing picked up its pace, and he focused on slowing it down as he ascended.
He kept his gaze on the mirrored back wall, and the car stopped, jarring his body slightly. While he never feared that his three dads would hurt him or Pride in any way, they were so confident and capable, bringing out the best in each other. He never felt like he’d lived up to their expectations. They always told him how proud they were of everything he’d accomplished. They praised his milestones no matter how small.
“You going to hide in there all night?”
He spun on his toes to find Livingston staring at him with his usual bored expression. Liv was leaning against the wall beside the open door and his big hand barring the sliding panels from closing. The severely scarred man had made him nervous from the minute he’d met him, but he’d learned there was more to Liv than he’d let people see. Liv had changed so much since the man met his husband, Fielding. It was as if all the pieces had clicked into place for Liv when the man had claimed his boy.
“You know what’s going on and are they going to disown me?”
Liv scoffed. “Like your dads would think of getting rid of you. Linus and Pelter are waiting for you in the conference room.”
“Shit.”
“Get your ass in there. We’re on a tight timeframe.”
Those words got him moving, and as he strode down the long hallway, he darted a look into Hunter’s office to find the chair in front of the bank of monitors empty. As he closed the distance to the open door, he not only found Pelter and Linus, but also Hunter, Pure and Raul in the conference room. As soon as he entered all eyes were on him.
“Close the door,” Linus ordered.
He did as he was asked and he shoved his hands into his pockets to hide the slight tremor. “What have I done?”
“Take a seat and relax, you’re going to be here a while,” Linus said as he motioned for him to sit.
Fuck, he removed his hands from his pockets and sat in the chair directly across from the other men. His legs started bouncing under the table. Masking his nervousness proved impossible.
“Derrick, you’re one of my deputies, but per Linus’ request I’m putting you on personal
leave for you to assist in an assignment.”
“Y’all need me for an investigation?” He was shocked by the announcement. Trenton was a tight-knit team. They had a few freelancers they pulled in when they needed a stranger’s face or backup. Trust was a huge deal for the Trenton team. He was family, but they had a stringent protocol for missions. Hadn’t he asked Hunter why they hadn’t offered him a job?
“It’s a sensitive situation.” Hunter didn’t say anything else.
He observed Linus as the rough man pushed his chair backward and stood.
“Pure, open the file on the screen.”
A pretty, blonde girl, maybe early teens flashed on the flat screen. Her stats scrolled along the right side. She looked a lot younger than her fourteen years. As far as he knew, they never took on missing person or runaway cases. It may sound insensitive, but there wasn’t enough action in those situations. Trenton Crew liked to tear shit up too much.
“Almost two weeks ago, Alex Quintin’s daughter Cameron disappeared while on vacation with friends. The people she was with turned away for ten minutes, and she was gone. They assumed just typical teenager bullshit, and she’d show up later…that wasn’t the case. Dinner time came, and when she still hadn’t reappeared, they called Alex and his ex-girlfriend, Margo.”
“Does she have a history of running away?” he asked.
“Not once. On the surface, she’s a normal teenager. Honor roll. Advanced classes. No boyfriend or girlfriend. So, when she disappeared, it should’ve been a red flag. I would’ve taken out the parents that let her get taken.”
Linus didn’t even change expressions. He knew if something happened to Pride on someone else’s watch they’d never find the bodies.
“Gage and Alex have been following leads on their end while we’ve been working the electronic trail from ours. We’ve had eyes and ears in just about every auction up and down the east coast,” Hunter said.
He didn’t know Alex well, but he’d heard the man was a hell of a man to have at your six. He only knew of two occasions Alex had helped the Trenton Crew. After each one, they’d spoken highly of the man. He couldn’t imagine what Alex was going through, and he knew Gage was Alex’s best friend, which meant that Gage probably considered Cameron a niece.
“Do you need me to help investigate?”
He didn’t like how everyone’s gaze was suddenly fixed on him.
“In three days time, Gage is going to enter a private estate in the middle of nowhere. We have information that we strongly believe proves that Cameron will be at the location or someone from the party can lead us to her.”
Linus and them weren’t telling him something, and he didn’t like it. That tightening in his gut that always said something bad was coming made him nauseous. He knew the statistics. They were more likely to find her body than to discover her alive after weeks.
“Derrick,” Pelter said his name, and he turned his attention to the big man. “We’ve discussed every option, and while we assumed we’d send Pure in undercover, Pure isn’t suitable for the job.”
Pelter was an odd addition to the Trenton Crew. It was almost as if Pelter was a freelancer. He found it all odd with Pelter’s law and order philosophy. Then he realized he was the second choice and darted his gaze to Pure to find the big man staring at him with an apology in his expressive eyes.
“I’m sorry. If I knew I wouldn’t get Gage killed in there I’d do it, but what was being asked of me...I’m sorry.”
“What do I need to do?”
“You go in as Gage’s boy. His property. I don’t like it, and I fought like hell, but we have no one else.” Linus’ rage was clear in the man’s voice.
He darted a panicked look at Hunter, and he knew his dad was no happier with the decision than Linus. A protest was on the tip of his tongue because how the hell could he be in close proximity and not let his personal feelings get in the way.
He could do the job, he had no doubts about his abilities, but could he survive letting the man he loved touch him and not let it affect him?
“With a shave and messy hair, you could still pass for your late teens, early twenties, you’re lean. You’d fit the profile. Easily mingle among the others. Gage isn’t going to like it. We still haven’t informed him that Pure won’t be the one inside. Raul was supposed to act as a bodyguard, in this capacity Pure and Raul will be there to watch yours and Gage’s backs. While you’re inside, what Gage says goes, you don’t question. Either of you fucks up, and neither of you makes it out.”
Linus was clenching and relaxing his fists at regular intervals. Linus never wanted him to be a cop. Told him repeatedly to find a nice cushy office job. Said he didn’t want his son’s life to depend on the strength of a vest or that a shooter’s aim wasn’t true enough to put one between his eyes. He could take the danger. While he wasn’t trained as an undercover, he knew how to run an investigation. Except this wasn’t some by the book operation. He’d only have Gage and the Trenton team because Pelter wouldn’t be able to help. With him gone, the department would be a deputy short on an already small force.
Honesty was best, and he couldn’t live if he was at fault for someone’s death. “I’m…I don’t know if I can be helpful.”
“It’s a weekend, three days, less if we can get the information we need. All you need to do is follow all of Gage’s commands. If he says kneel, you fucking kneel.” Linus’ every word was an enraged hiss between clenched teeth.
He didn’t like the unnaturally quiet men. If he was sure of anything in life, the Trenton Crew didn’t know fuck about keeping their mouths shut. To him that proved this operation wasn’t just a simple job—a paycheck—this was about family. Before they’d adopted him, he hadn’t understood the concept of being part of something like a family unit.
Did he want someone else watching Gage? He’d worried about Gage since the man went missing. The unknown would be torturous. At least with him working as Gage’s partner, he’d know how the man was. He knew he wouldn’t be a welcomed surprise for Gage, but as apprehensive as he was about his suitability for assignment, he couldn’t say no. He could help find Cameron. He’d deal with the backlash later.
“I’ll do it.”
Hunter stood and rushed into Linus’ open arms. Pelter tossed him a file with all the information they had so far. Pure and Raul outlined the plan and assured him all of that would probably change once they were on the ground. The operation was Gage’s show. He was told what to pack by the list Gage sent to Pure. He read through it, and it appeared he wouldn’t be wearing clothes very much while he was acting as Gage’s boy.
The day at the diner came back to him, and he realized that he’d learn soon what Gage had described. He was suddenly terrified about what lines his brain and body would cross, and if he’d ever be the same when the operation ended.
Gage Would Kill Them All Later
Hunter had called to tell them that they’d procured an invite. Hunter was a genius and gave him an identity above reproach with enough truth to make lying easier. Also, the financial portfolio had made him choke with the number of zeros. Alex would front any money necessary to keep up the ruse. They were packing up their things to get ready to go wheels-up in a few hours. Their team was landing any time now, and Gage wasn’t ready.
For years, he’d lived as a civilian, making problems disappear or spinning them with Peaches to keep the Trenton team out of jail. He was still in shape, maybe a bit softer with age, but he hadn’t lost his ability to handle himself in a firefight. He had to admit before he’d stepped out of the field with the crew that he was one of the best. Decades of training had prepared him for the type of operation Linus ran.
Although, to find Cameron, he’d have to play out all his fantasies with someone he saw as only a friend. Pure would need patience, but he knew he’d have to push the other man past his fears. He didn’t know if he had it in him to be that for his friend. Not only would he need to dominate Pure, but he’d also need to ground t
he man, too. He didn’t feel as if he was ready for that responsibility.
“Gage, you ready?”
Alex asked behind him, and he placed the last of his clothes in his duffel. His fingertips stroked over the velvet of two flat, square boxes. One of them contained a necessity, Pure’s comfort, and the other was filled with Gage’s dreams and insecurities. He’d stood before the display case, a beautiful platinum chain with an ornate lock and key stood out starkly against the plain black leather. When he returned home, he’d hide the collar away with the other treasures he’d held secret for so long.
His life was filled with mysteries he was unwilling to share. His mother’s voice filled his head. As if she were close enough for him to scent her perfume she’d only worn on special occasions—when his father was away.
“Gage, honey, come in here a minute.”
“Yes, Mama.”
She patted her lap, and he didn’t complain, he’d lived for the moments they’d curl up on the couch and talk. When his father was around, contact between Gage and her was forbidden. The man didn’t want a pussy for a son.
She combed her fingers through his hair as he rested his head on her shoulder.
“You’re becoming a young man, Gage. One day you’re going to find someone special, and you have to treat them as a gift. That person deserves for you to be gentle and loving. You don’t have to be like him, Gage. Caring for someone doesn’t mean you control them or hurt them.”
“Gage, are you listening to me?”
He spun to look at Alex and realized he’d forgotten the other man was in the room. He turned back quickly to close his bag.
“Yeah, I’m tired and old.”
“You and me both. Hunter called and said that we were meeting the team at the airport, then we’ll board the private jet to head north.”
“Okay, I’ll be done in a minute.”
