“Tell me,” Mitch encouraged.
“It happened a long time ago. I was like six or seven. My oldest sister Sheila was babysitting me. I was her shadow back then; I went everywhere with her. We were driving through town to go see my dad at work. I always liked to hang out at the police station. We were close to the station, and we drove past this guy getting the shit beat out of him. I mean they were killing him. Even at six years old, I remember them kicking him in the head and one used a tire iron on him. My sister jumped out of the car, screaming for my dad. He came running outside, realized what was going on and took off across the street. He stopped that fight and took those three guys down by himself.”
“That had to be hard for a boy your age.” Mitch’s eyes were full of compassion.
“No, wait, the thing is, the guy getting the shit beat out of him, his name was Mr. Spencer, and he was the gay in town. Everybody knew him, but no one really ever talked to him. No matter how hard my dad tried, he couldn’t get the county judge to take the case seriously. Mr. Spencer spent months in the hospital recuperating, but he never was quite right after he got out. They beat him so bad he ended up in the mental institution, and the guys that attacked him just got probation. Where was the justice? Mitch, no one’s gonna have the compassion or conviction you have for those guys hanging on your wall. If you give up, it might be years before anyone really takes this seriously again. The victims and families deserve closure.”
Mitch stared at Cody for a long while. Slowly Cody saw the spark coming back in Mitch’s eyes.
“Is that the way you go about your job?” Mitch asked, maybe smiling, but probably more smirking up at him.
“Don’t make fun of me,” Cody said seriously.
“I’m not at all. You take it seriously; I do too. I just hide that side of me,” Mitch replied. “I like that about you. I like that you worry about your future, and if I could complicate your goals. It means you’re driven…I like my men driven with purpose in their lives,” Mitch said and smiled a real smile at him. Cody returned the grin and rested his head back on Mitch’s chest.
“I’ll stay on the case. You’re right, and I lost sight of the facts. Thank you for opening up like that. I needed to hear those words.”
“It’s the true reason I got into law enforcement. I remember thinking if a Texas Ranger would have seen that fight, he’d have gotten justice. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but since then I wanted to be that man.” Cody confessed it all to Mitch who kissed the top of his head.
“When I first started with the Marshals I had some guys look down on me because I was gay. They’re the reason I got this tattoo across my collarbone and wear all those silly shirts. No one has the right to judge anyone.” He ran his hand over Cody’s back in a tender caress. “Can you go back to sleep like this?” Mitch asked.
“I think so,” he answered. Actually, he was quite certain he could spend his life sleeping like this.
“Good, I think I can too,” Mitch said and reached for the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
Chapter 27
Mitch came rolling through the front doors of the main FBI building with his hands filled with perfectly folded white, orange, and pink boxes of donuts, coffee, and whatever he’d found on the shelf at the Dunkin’ Donuts down the street.
He showed his ID badge with a little help from the security guard and treated the guy with a bag of donut holes. “What’s gotten into you, man?”
“Just feelin’ good this morning.” Mitch laughed at the security guard’s lifted brows.
“Uh huh,” he said as he let Mitch through the gate. He kept that strut in his step and caught the eye of several employees he’d seen before, all were looking at him like he’d lost his mind, which wasn’t really abnormal.
He got to the elevator as the doors opened. This whole day was turning out better and better. He whistled a tune as he stepped into a completely deserted elevator and got a full shot of himself in the mirror in the back.
He caught the big grin on his face. It was probably bigger than the arms full of food he carried. Now he understood things around here a little better. He’d been in a pretty foul mood just about every day he’d walked into this building. Whatever. All those guys out there could just suck it. Maybe if one of those guys would have blown him as well as Cody had last night, he would have already lightened up some. And besides, all that deliciously sexy, hot as hell man was currently back in his hotel room, sleeping in his bed, waiting for him to return.
Mitch had a lot to be happy about.
The automated voice announced the third floor, and the elevator doors opened to a much quieter, yet still every bit as sterile, FBI work floor. Mitch skirted the cubicles and headed to the back. It was a little past ten, actually more like ten thirty, and he knew Connors would already be there working. Not necessarily waiting on him, most definitely moving full steam ahead, and he was certain Connors would be pissed off. Not necessarily because he was late, but because he hadn’t had anyone to talk to for the last half hour.
Except, as he got closer to their bank of offices, he could hear the guy’s voice. Mitch never considered that Connors might talk out loud just to hear himself speak. Was the guy in his office just talking? Brown said something at the same time as well as their assistant, Anne. Ah, the whole team had arrived. As he rounded the corner and entered the conference room, everything stopped and all eyes were on him.
“What?” Mitch asked, dropping all his goodies on the table. “I didn’t know you guys would be here. We can share these,” Mitch said, looking up.
“What?” he probed again when no one spoke.
“I think he got laid last night.” Mitch turned at the sound of Aaron Stuart’s voice. “For the record, I already guessed that when you were late.” Aaron beamed at him from the monitor as if he’d won a huge prize.
“You have insider information,” Mitch said and took a seat, grabbing for the first bag of donuts he could put his hands on. He wasn’t sure what happened to have this group here or how Connors magically accepted Aaron’s involvement with the case enough to allow him into the meeting without Mitch forcing the issue, but he didn’t question them. He didn’t want to do anything to slow their progress.
“You’re really a very handsome man,” Anne said, reaching for the coffee. She didn’t waste any time topping off her cup.
“It’s the food.” Mitch nudged the bag he opened toward her. He’d gotten a little bit of everything, but he was certain they had given him some sort of blueberry cake donut, and he wanted that thing bad.
“Nah, it’s those dimples. Who would have known how effective they could be?” Anne said and dug through the bag before pushing that one toward Brown.
“For me, I wouldn’t have ever guessed your face would smooth out. I thought the scowl was permanent,” Brown tossed out as he reached over and grabbed a bag, inspecting the contents before taking out a pastry.
“The blueberry donut’s mine.” Mitch just thought he’d throw that out there if anyone found the thing before him. Giving in to his curiosity, he finally looked at the screen and asked, “Why’s Aaron involved? I thought he gave Connors the heebie-jeebies.”
“I asked for the report he sent you earlier this week about the Secret Service members,” Connors said, ignoring the whole previous conversation with his head still stuck in the report.
“How did you know about that?” Mitch asked, looking at Aaron for the answer.
“I’m your partner, Knox. You need to run things past me; I run them past you. When you’re gathering this kind of information, I need to know.”
“Sorry, dude.” Stuart looked directly at Mitch, sporting an extreme case of bedhead. “He messaged me and asked for the same report. I got the wires crossed.”
“By the way, thank you for the gift. My son’s a huge Captain America fan,” Connors said, glancing up for the first time, looking genuinely thankful. The problem was that Mitch had no idea what the guy was talking abo
ut. Mitch slowly lost the smile as Brown began to laugh. That was when he clued in—Anne must have had his back and sent something to the boy.
“You don’t read your text messages, do you?” she asked. Mitch looked over at her. Even though it was late, he quickly turned back to Connors.
“You’re more than welcome. I was glad to do it,” Mitch said, finally taking credit for the gift he hadn’t sent.
“Oh fuck you,” Connors mumbled, burying his head back in the report.
“Did he just say a cuss word? Did the proper Agent Tyler Connors tell me to, let’s see, fuck off?”
Brown laughed, but Connors pushed away from the table and the donuts and started pacing the small room. Brown used the opportunity to grab the coffee cup left sitting between Mitch and Connors. He gave a salute as the agent sat back down.
“It’s too fucking clean! This whole fucking case is too clean. I’ve read every report you’ve done, Knox. I thought you had to be missing something. I reviewed all the investigators’ reports on each accident. I called the friends and family myself. It’s too clean. There are no mistakes. None! Now, I’ve reverted to calling in this guy,” Connors said, whipping his hand toward Aaron.
“No offense,” Mitch called toward the webcam.
“None taken,” Aaron called back. Connors never stopped his rant.
“I reviewed your files on the smaller, unknown homosexual hate crimes in the country over the last two years. I’m supposing that information came from Stuart too.” Mitch didn’t respond. “It would take years to investigate all those crimes and find the cases so clean that they fit these patterns.”
A duplicate of Mitch’s wall of pictures had also made its way to the wall of the conference room. Connors stood in front of them, staring. “Not one survivor knows anything about who attacked them, including the Greyson kid.”
“What? He’s awake?” Mitch asked.
“You seriously don’t look at your messages. I went over there last night when I couldn’t get you. He’s blacked out on everything,” Connors explained.
“Shit. I honestly didn’t expect anything different.” Mitch leaned back in his chair, staring at Connors. He ignored the phone reference. He hadn’t even heard his phone going off last night, and he certainly hadn’t checked the thing this morning.
“I’d say we need to expand our tactical team. We’re missing something,” Connors said, still staring at the pictures as though the answers were hidden within them. He stood, coming to stand beside Connors, looking over the photos.
“Do you know how many millions of case files in the FBI are worked and never solved?” Connors asked now in a much lower voice. It was a voice of defeat. Mitch knew it well. He’d had his moment last night with Cody. Mitch did the calm-down-man pat on Connors, then gripped his shoulder in a gesture of understanding.
“I get it. I swear I do, but you’re the best we’ve got. No one’s better than you. I hear that shit all the time,” Mitch said quietly, trying to add compassion to his tone. “Now come back to the table and let’s start this over.”
“I’ve got nothing,” Connors shook his head, looking straight at Mitch. “Not one single lead after a solid week’s worth of work.”
“Imagine then how I feel about working this case for the last eight months? Come on. Are you guys here for the day?” Mitch asked Brown and Anne.
“Yes,” Anne responded with a firm nod.
“Stuart, you staying or going?” Mitch asked, sitting Connors back down on his seat.
“I’m going. I’m already in enough hot water for not being at my brother’s wedding breakfast. I mean, seriously, who has a breakfast on the day of their wedding? Ring if you need me,” Stuart offered and clicked off the screen.
“I’ll get Kreed to come back and join this team, too. I’ll request him officially on Monday. We can do this, guys. There’s enough intelligence and tenacity right here to get this job done. We need to think outside the box. Think like competent, well-trained serial killers. These guys need us.” Mitch used Cody’s words from earlier as he pointed to the photo wall. He took his seat, draining the last of his coffee before taking a big bite of the donut. They had this. “All right, guys, let’s start from the beginning.”
Chapter 28
“No, I can hangout and pick you up,” Mitch said into the phone as he ran buck-naked across the hotel bedroom to grab their beer bottles left in the living room. He and Cody had gone out, but made an early night, opting for a twelve-pack and the privacy of Mitch’s hotel room for Cody’s second and final night in DC.
“I can grab a rental,” Kreed started, but Mitch cut him off, diving under the covers Cody held open. They had turned the heat off and the AC down low, needing human contact to stay warm.
“No, it’s not a problem. I’ll be there anyway,” Mitch tried to explain again.
“Why will you be at the airport?” Kreed sounded confused.
“I’ll tell you later. Text me your arrival info. Bye,” Mitch hung up the phone, tossing the cell somewhere on the bedside table. When he heard the thump, he realized he must have missed the table all together and the phone fell to the floor. He immediately descended on Cody’s perfect, smiling lips. When he decided he needed more of that instead of the beer break they’d decided on, a loud shrill scream had him looking around the room to see what had happened.
“My sister’s ringtone. Hand me my phone or she’ll just keep sending me texts.” Cody scowled, looking in the direction of the phone, and as if on command, the scream sounded again.
“She thinks she’s funny,” Cody explained, extending a hand for the phone he couldn’t quite reach.
Mitch rose, gave Cody the phone, and turned around on the bed. Screaming sisters sounded drama-filled, but he smiled and kissed the top of Cody’s head as he rested his back against Mitch. It was funny how comfortable they’d gotten. That stiff, uptight Cody he’d first met was long gone, except for sometimes in public Mitch could feel him pulling away. When Cody did turn shy, Mitch refused to let him. He was quickly learning how to handle his man.
They had about fifteen more hours together, and he sure as hell didn’t want Cody to close up on him now. He’d been intrigued with Cody Turner since the night they’d met, and now he was just plain taken with the man.
“The room gets seriously cold,” Cody said and Mitch wrapped him tighter in his arms, drawing the covers up around them as Cody worked his phone. Another scream filled the cold hotel room. That one had Mitch smiling, and he made the mistake of looking down at the cell phone as a guy’s picture filled the screen. The smile fled and Mitch’s brow narrowed.
“Who’s that?” he asked. He shouldn’t have. He shouldn’t have even looked at the phone, but, too late, he had.
“I’m not sure,” Cody answered vaguely and the phone screamed again. “Damn she can be a pain in the ass.”
Cody worked his phone until he brought up a box. Mitch’s eyes stayed glued to the screen—he shouldn’t be snooping, but he couldn’t keep himself from reading the series of messages that Cody and his sister sent back and forth. Cody shot off a quick ‘that’s enough. I’m busy and I’ll call you tomorrow’ text message.
Once he hit send, he started to put the phone away, but Mitch stopped him. “Who’s Jonathan Klive Barlett, age twenty-seven, five-eight with okay looking blue eyes?” The text screamed again before he got his answer.
“She’s such a pain in the ass,” Cody repeated, ignoring the incoming text. He silenced his phone.
“Answer the question,” Mitch pushed. He really needed to know the answer. He didn’t think Cody had a boyfriend, but had he ever asked that question? Maybe he didn’t want to know the answer after all. Cody turned in his arms, lying on his chest, then he tossed the phone on the nightstand and sighed. Mitch pulled the blankets up around them.
“Someone my sister suggested I meet,” Cody answered, his piercing blue eyes were back on Mitch, right where they should be. He liked that.
“Are you g
oing to meet him?” Mitch asked. Please say no…please say no! He didn’t want Cody hooking up with this Klive guy or any other dude for that matter.
“I don’t know. Probably not. She has terrible taste in men,” Cody said and shrugged.
“Are those the kinds of guys you usually date?” Mitch nodded toward the phone.
“Yeah, I mean, sure, sometimes. Yes. And I usually prefer to date guys more than just having a quick fuck. I mean it’s not like serious dating, but someone to hang out with until the next one comes along. I honestly haven’t dated all that much since I’ve been focused on my career,” Cody said, reaching for the Bud Light bottle on the nightstand. “I bet you’re a fuck ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, aren’t you?”
“Quit changing the subject.” Mitch’s gaze stayed trained on Cody.
“I didn’t know we were on a subject,” Cody replied after a long swallow. “Is this like an interrogation thing?” Cody asked and reached up to kiss Mitch. Cody sucked his lip in his mouth and kissed him a little longer than a standard kiss. Cody tasted like beer and pure hot sexed-up male, and that stirred Mitch’s body. Who was he kidding? His body came to life the minute Cody walked into baggage claim and hadn’t stopped since.
“No, but I’m pretty sure I’d like to be the next guy you date,” Mitch growled, rolling them over to where he ended up on top of Cody. He settled between his legs, adjusted his cock so it nestled beside Cody’s as he stared down at the cowboy. “I mean, I’m absolutely sure I want that spot.”
Cody just looked up at him with the most beautiful expression on his face, one that made Mitch shiver. He rose again, tenting the covers over them and anchored up on his elbows, holding Cody’s head in place. “What do you think?”
“I think I wasn’t expecting that. And Louisiana’s a long way away from Austin, Texas.”
Nice Guys Collection With Added Bonus Material Page 52