Authors: K. Sterling
Chapter 15
“If a taser is closest, use it. But get to one of the guns as soon as he goes down.” Lane repeated. Aiden pulled his lips tight as he nodded.
“You keep saying that.” He said as he looked toward the sofa. There was a shotgun under it. Lane’s finger pressed under Aiden’s chin, bringing his eyes back to Lane’s.
“Tasers and pepper spray will give you time to get to a gun. When he gets back on his feet or can see again, he’s going to be pissed. Aim here.” Lane pointed at the center of his chest and Aiden’s eyes became huge as that little spot became the focus of Aiden’s entire consciousness.
What if something happens and HE’s hurt there? Why did you let him get involved?
Aiden wondered as his body became clammy cold and grey.
“Are you listening?” Lane shook Aiden’s shoulder gently and he nodded as he looked at Lane.
“I’m listening.” Aiden mumbled. Lane frowned as he stared at Aiden.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to a range and practice with the different firearms?” He asked for the fourteenth time. Aiden shook his head firmly.
“I know how to use a gun. I’ve studied ballistics extensively.” He insisted. “I don’t like the way it feels when I fire a gun. The sound is too hard and it makes my vision blur.” Aiden admitted as he put the taser back in Lane’s hands. He imagined what he felt was a milder version of what someone felt when they were tased.
Lane made Aiden watch as he hid guns and shotguns, tasters and pepper spray around the house. Tasers and pepper spray were unsettling enough. Aiden felt a swell of panic every time he held a gun but Lane insisted on seeing Aiden load the various models he stashed in each room. The finality of shooting a gun made Aiden dizzy and nauseas. In a way, you could take it back if you tased someone or sprayed them in the face with pepper spray. They would recover and go on as if it never happened. Bullets were final and permanent. While Aiden believed in a person’s right to defend themselves in their home, he didn’t want that responsibility. Mostly, he was terrified that any of the dozens of bullets, waiting in the guns scattered about the house could find their way into that spot Lane had just tapped on his chest. Aiden wouldn’t waste a second regretting it if one wound up in Burgess but it all became too scary when Lane pointed at himself.
“I don’t want to do this, Lane.”Aiden said loudly as he rushed for the stairs. Lane dropped the taser on the coffee table and followed.
“Do what?” He asked as his hand closed around Aiden’s arm, halting him. Aiden tugged but Lane only held on tighter.
“I’m getting dressed and we’re going to the station. I don’t want to stay here anymore.” He kept his eyes on the stairs, refusing to look at Lane. Then, he was pulled into Lane’s arms and warmth.
“Are you tired of me already or do all of the guns make you uncomfortable?” His lips were pressed against Aiden’s temple and his hands were sliding up and down’s Aiden’s back. Aiden shook his head.
“I’m not tired of you.” He promised. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. All I can think about right now is how every weapon in this house raises the risk that you could get hurt or die. It’s not worth it, Lane.” Aiden’s voice came out thin and gravelly. Lane laughed softly as he tilted back and found Aiden’s eyes.
“Do you remember when I asked you if you were nervous about testifying?” His eyes held Aiden’s as he waited. Aiden nodded and Lane’s grin was wide and glowed. “I do this for a living. Don’t worry about me. I’m really good at what I do, Aiden. I’m fast, I’m accurate and I’m smart. You need to see this for what it is. We’re laying a trap. If he steps into it, he’s fucked. He won’t know that there’s a shotgun under the sofa or a taser on the mantle. He’s going to assume that he has the element of surprise and he’s catching us off guard. In here, we’re in control. Out there, even at the station, we’re vulnerable.” Lane watched Aiden’s eyes as his argument ricocheted around Aiden’s brain.
“We’re in control.” Aiden whispered and Lane nodded.
Aiden felt relief bubble within him. For almost three years Jonathan Burgess had forced Aiden into a life of reacting and jumping at shadows. They weren’t playing Burgess’ game now. Aiden didn’t want Burgess in Lane’s house, or guns being fired or blood spatter patterns on Lane’s walls and floor. He shut his eyes tight, squeezing crime scene visions from Lane’s living room as he held Lane tight. Instead, he clung to Lane’s words. They were in control. Aiden wasn’t running anymore. They weren’t vulnerable. Lane was fast, accurate and smart and Aiden believed him.
The next morning, Aiden’s fingers trembled as they rubbed across his lips nervously as he stared at his email inbox. He’d only read the subject line. Aiden couldn’t bring himself to open and read the full message. He set his phone on the table and looked up at Lane as he shut the dishwasher.
“Lane.” He whispered.
Lane came around the counter and stood behind Aiden. He leaned over Aiden’s shoulder and Aiden shut his eyes as the warmth of Lane’s body seeped into his skin.
“What is it? Another text from Burgess?” Lane asked as he reached around Aiden and picked up his phone. Lane rubbed his chin against Aiden’s shoulder as he read. Aiden shook his head.
“No. I just got some very bad news.” Aiden said shakily. He felt Lane tense behind him.
“Is it this email from the lab about your results?” Lane asked carefully. Aiden grabbed the phone from Lane.
“What? No. I didn’t see that.” He murmured as he opened it and scanned it. No surprises. “Everything came up negative.” Aiden said dismissively as he went back to the inbox and stared at the email from the director. For some reason, Lane sighed in relief and Aiden swung around raised a brow in confusion as he looked at him. Lane bit his lip and shrugged.
“You said you had bad news and I saw that you had your results.” Lane explained. Aiden narrowed his eyes as he studied Lane’s face.
“What did yours say?” He asked and Lane blushed.
“I’m clean, everything’s negative. I was kind of waiting to celebrate once I knew you had your results.” He mumbled. Aiden nodded and wished he felt more like celebrating. He looked back at his phone and pointed at the email from his director.
“This one.” Aiden said and Lane focused on the screen.
Get Back Here ASAP!
“I think you need to open that.” Lane said as he stood up straight. Aiden sighed as he opened it, he knew what it would say before he read it. He’d forgot, he’d been so wrapped up in Lane and his worries about a confrontation with Burgess.
“I’m scheduled to testify at a parole hearing. I have to go.” Aiden said. He chewed on his thumbnail and hesitated before he continued. “I probably should have told the F.B.I. that I wasn’t coming back right away.” He said under his breath. Lane dropped and squatted next to Aiden. He slid a hand around Aiden’s jaw and pulled his face to his.
“You didn’t tell the F.B.I. that you were taking leave?” He asked incredulously. Aiden shrugged.
“I kind of come and go. The director doesn’t bother me too much as long as I keep up with their cases. I’m sort of freelance.” Aiden explained. Lane shook his head.
“No. You sort of don’t give a damn because you don’t need the job. But they need you so they put up with your shit.” Lane corrected. Aiden shrugged again.
“What’s the difference?” He asked. Lane’s cheeks puffed out as he stared at the ceiling.
“In your scenario you don’t piss off the Federal Government. When do you have to be there?” He asked as he stood up. Aiden frowned as he looked back at his phone.
“Um… Thursday.” He stated and Lane groaned as he went to the stairs. “What are you doing?” Aiden called after him.
“I’m going to pack, genius. We have to be in D.C. in two days.” Lane grumbled. “Unlike you, I don’t treat everything I own like it's disposable. I’m going to have to bring more than a pair of headphones.” His voice died away as he went into his room.
Aiden’s finger beat against his lip as he tried to think of what he’d need beyond his phone and headphones.
Chapter 16
Suit's everywhere. The J. Edgar Hoover Building was like a museum exhibit of decades of bad suit's. Lane shook his head as he got into the elevator with Aiden. Lane leaned against the wall and tried to gauge Aiden’s stress level. Aiden seemed refreshingly relaxed and comfortable. Lane wasn’t used to seeing him that way in public. Lane shook his head inwardly. Only Aiden would feel at home in the heart of the F.B.I..
When they left Lake Cliff, Aiden had been a wreck until they boarded the plane. Obviously, Burgess wasn’t on board so he could relax. Aiden reclined, pulled his headphones on and quickly fell asleep. Lane spent the two plus hours pretending to read. He was too aware of the rise and fall of Aiden’s chest and the occasional twitch of an arm or leg. When they landed, Aiden was surprisingly calm.
“I usually have a day or two before he finds me. Like you said, he probably doesn’t even know we’ve left Lake Cliff.” Aiden said when Lane asked him about it.
He hated that Aiden had settled into such a familiar pattern with Burgess.
No one should live like this,
Lane thought. The elevator stopped and Aiden waved Lane through the doors and directed him to a large office. When Aiden opened the door, the smell of books and new clothes greeted them. A desk was buried under books and files and the walls were lined with bags from The Gap. There was a stack of at least twenty shoe boxes. All Converse. Lane rolled his eyes before he saw the leather love seat. He frowned. It wasn’t even a full couch. Lane pictured Aiden bent and folded, trying to sleep there. The memory of Aiden blissfully sprawled on the bed in Lane’s guest room that first morning flashed and he hated Clark even more for waking Aiden up.
“I’m going to check in with the director and let him know I’m taking leave.” Aiden said as he flicked a light switch, filling the room with hard fluorescent light. Lane nodded and grabbed Aiden’s arm.
“Hey. I think you should fill him in on what’s been going on with Burgess and
request
leave. Don't burn bridges, Aiden.” Lane advised gently. Aiden’s eyes narrowed as he considered before he nodded.
“I will. I shouldn’t be gone long. I have to change and be ready to go in an hour.” Aiden said. He smiled as he gave Lane’s arm a quick squeeze before he left.
Lane watched Aiden go then whistled as he started to drift around Aiden’s office. He pulled a few of the desk’s drawers open and found nothing but McDonald’s napkins and iTunes cards. Aiden didn’t have pens, notebooks, paperclips… any of the usual office accoutrement. There was a laptop but it looked like it hadn’t been opened in months. Lane went to the bags and squatted as he reached into one and pulled out a hoodie. He raised it to his face and inhaled. He smiled as Aiden’s scent filled his nose. He shook his head as he looked in the bag and found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. These were “old” clothes.
“Can I help you?” A voice at the door pulled Lane from his reverie.
He shook his head as he rose to his feet. Lane looked at the hoodie in his hands and recalled the woman at Banana Republic and hoped he wasn’t blushing as he dropped it in the bag. Warm brown eyes met Lane’s before they swept him from head to toe, assessing. Lane was struck by the man’s penetrating yet open expression. He was handsome, in a nerdy professor sort of way.
“No, I’m good. Just waiting.” Lane explained as he stepped closer to the door and squinted as he read the I.D. badge. He couldn’t make out the words clearly but the shape of the name was enough. Paul Sloan. Lane shoved his hands in his pockets to hide their clenching as he ran his tongue over his teeth, resisting the urge to snarl.
What the hell? When did you become a caveman?
Lane wondered as he stepped back and leaned against Aiden’s desk and crossed his arms over his chest. Paul’s head tilted as his brows rose.
“I’m not sure Dr. Sharp is even here.” Sloan said as he stepped forward. His eyes went to Lane’s badge, clipped at his waist. Lane knew he wasn’t close enough to read it. Lane nodded slowly.
“He’s here. He should be back soon.” Lane watched Sloan closely and noted the slight tilting of his lips. He wanted to drive his fist into Sloan’s mouth for some odd reason. Sloan nodded as he frowned slightly.
“Good. I’m just across the hall, if I can help you with anything, Detective.” He said as he turned and strode from the room.
Shit. He had to be decent,
Lane complained as he scowled at the door.
Wait. His office is across the hall?
He wished he had found a reason to punch Sloan. Lane didn’t have long to process his unjustified hatred before Aiden returned. He smiled as entered and went to his stack of Converse boxes.
“You were right. I’m on leave for as long as I need to be. Though, I’ll be advising via email and teleconferences from time to time.” Aiden explained as he pulled the tissue from a new pair of sneakers. Lane nodded as he waited for an opening to tell Aiden about his meeting with Sloan but Aiden kept talking. “I don’t think it should take more than two hours for me to testify.” He said as his fingers bounced through the air as he counted the bags along the wall before he ducked and reached for one close to the corner. “We’ll get a hotel room somewhere. I can check reviews while I’m waiting unless you have someplace in mind.” Aiden pulled a white shirt out of the bag and started ripping off tags. Lane shook his head as he watched Lane pull out a pair of black trousers.
“I can take care of that.” Lane murmured and Aiden smiled as he draped the trousers over his arm.
“Great.” Aiden winked as he reached into the bag and pulled out a black tie. “I should have brought the skull tie. I like that one.” He said as he frowned at the tie in his hand and he turned to Lane. There was a knock at the open door and they turned. It was Sloan. Lane watched as Aiden’s eyes flicked to Sloan, then to Lane, back to Sloan and finally back to Lane. His lips pursed as he blinked rapidly. Lane knew he was trying to figure out how he was supposed to handle the situation.
Do you have a character for this?
Lane wondered as he waited. Sloan came to Aiden’s aid.
“You are back.” He said as he leaned against the door frame. Aiden nodded.
“Just for the afternoon. I have to testify and then I fly out tomorrow.” His fingers flicked nervously against his left thigh. Lane’s head tilted as he watched them. Sloan nodded absently. He was watching Aiden’s hand too. Aiden swallowed loudly as he turned to Lane. “Lane, this is Paul Sloan.” He said as he nodded unnecessarily at Paul. Lane offered a tight smile as he reached for Sloan’s hand. “Paul, this is Detective Lane West of the Lake Cliff, Illinois Police Department.” Aiden said as he watched them shake hands. Sloan’s eyes narrowed as he got a closer look at Lane’s badge.
“Lake Cliff? Isn’t that where you just…?” He blinked and his lips pulled together as he looked at Aiden.
“Yeah. We’re going back tomorrow morning.” Aiden explained and Sloan’s head lurched back in surprise. Aiden looked nervously at Lane. “Lane and I… we’re…” Aiden started to blush as his eyes searched Lane’s for some sort of explanation or description. Lane’s brows rose as he watched Aiden flounder.
“I think we’re dating.” Lane offered. Aiden’s eyes flicked to the ceiling for a moment before he shook his head.
“We haven’t actually been on a date.” He whispered and a laugh burst from Sloan’s throat. Lane really wanted to smile at the guy but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Lane sighed as he waved dismissively.
“Let’s just go with that, for now.” Lane insisted and Aiden nodded weakly. Lane winked at Aiden. “I’ll take you out tonight if that will clear up any confusion.” He announced and Aiden froze.
“We can't go out, out.” He hissed and Lane could see Paul’s curiosity peak. Aiden leaned toward Paul as he clutched his court clothes against his chest. “There’s this man. He’s been stalking me for three years. He wants to kill me.” Aiden whispered and Paul’s face paled and he blinked at Aiden in shock.
“That explains a lot.” Sloan’s hand slid across his mouth as he looked at Lane. Aiden shrugged as he slipped between Lane and Sloan.
“I’m staying with Lane until it's over and we’re dating. I have to go get ready.” Aiden said as strode from the room. Apparently, the awkwardness had passed. For Aiden. Lane frowned at the door before he frowned at Sloan. Sloan crossed his arms as he looked at Lane thoughtfully.
“You’re more than dating but Aiden wouldn’t be able to get his brain around that, let alone define it.” He said. Lane nodded as he started to get the feeling that Sloan liked Aiden a lot more than Aiden was aware of. Sloan offered his hand again. “Good. Keep him safe.” He said as he shook Lane’s hand before he took himself off.
Lane stared at the door for several minutes, trying to force himself to be a bigger man. He hadn’t made very much progress by the time Aiden returned. Lane sighed heavily as he looked at Aiden.
“I owe you an apology.” Lane admitted and Aiden looked confused. Lane rubbed the back of his neck as he grimaced. “I thought you were being a little irrational and unreasonable about Clark. I get it now. There wasn’t a minute that I didn’t want to feed Sloan his teeth while we were talking.” Lane admitted. Aiden turned and looked toward Sloan’s office.
“Did I miss something?” He asked before he turned back to Lane.
“Not really. He came in while you were gone the first time and he hung out for a moment after you went to change.” Lane said. Aiden remained perplexed.
“Paul isn’t a raging dick like Cabbot.” He pointed out and Lane agreed.
“Nope. He seems like a solid guy.” Lane admitted and Aiden looked completely lost. Lane chuckled as he held his hands up. “I still wanted to break his face. I’m sorry I wasn’t a little more understanding about Clark.” Lane said softly. Aiden was still for a few moments before he shrugged.
“You’re the one that punched him.” He pointed out. Lane laughed as he nodded.
“But you literally broke his face.” Lane countered.