by Luna, David
“She loves you, too. You alright? Do you need anything?”
Braden shook his head. “I’m good, thanks.”
“OK, I’ll be in the living room with Coop discussing some of what you shared with me today. We’ll try to keep it down. If you need anything, just let me know.” Cade stood up and was about to walk back to the living room when Braden’s hand stopped him again.
Braden spoke in a low whisper. “Zavier?”
Cade crouched down again, placed his hand on the side of Braden’s face and rubbed his thumb across his cheek. “Yeah, baby?”
Sudden warmth flowed through Braden at the endearment, which made it much easier to admit what he’d been thinking. “I’m glad you came to tell me goodnight. Thank you.”
Cade rubbed his thumb over Braden’s lower lip. His eyes fell to half-mast when he heard Braden’s quick intake of breath at his touch. “You had to know I’d come check on you, right?”
Braden bit that lower lip, and looked at Cade with longing. “I had hoped.”
Cade groaned, bringing his forehead down to Braden’s temple. “You’re killing me, baby. I promise you, until I’m in this bed with you, I’ll come and tell you goodnight, every night. Alright?”
Braden smiled, grateful. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
Cade kissed his temple again. “Good. I’ll always do my best to take care of your needs, Braden. I’m learning what they are, and I promise you, I’m a quick study. Now get to sleep, you’re exhausted. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“OK, goodnight, Zavier.”
Cade watched as Braden licked his lips and just barely lifted his chin in invitation. Cade smiled, the blood in his veins thrumming as he leaned forward and captured Braden’s lips in a soft, languid kiss. With regret, he stood while brushing his hand down Braden’s arm. “Night.”
By the time Cade got back to the living room, Cooper had arrived. They stayed up well after midnight hashing out their protection detail for Braden. Cooper would be done with the Kensington job by the end of that day, and Cade was going to need his help, so the timing was perfect.
Cooper had jumped to the same conclusion as Cade, in thinking the abusive ex needed very close scrutiny. However, the video insurance Braden had was actually quite a good safety net. In the end, as a result of that video, the most likely suspect didn’t seem as likely as it had only a day before, which made both Cade and Cooper uncomfortable.
If it wasn’t one of Braden’s exes, the problem was going to be much harder to figure out. It would be more difficult to find the stalker if he was a stranger to Braden. They’d have to keep him in sight at all times and wait for the stalker to make a mistake, which would happen eventually, but might take more time than Cooper and Cade were comfortable with. Once they got Brody’s report, which would be extremely thorough, as he was worth the very high salary they were paying him, Cooper would be free to follow up on any and all leads, while Cade watched over Braden.
In the end, both Cooper and Cade decided the best way to go about covering Braden and making it look like he wasn’t being covered, would be to feign a relationship between Cade and Braden. Cade knew he wouldn’t have to be pretending much of anything, as he already felt like they were in a relationship. He knew he’d have to show some outward affection towards Braden, so that to outsiders, it would appear that they were a bit deeper into a relationship than they actually were. He’d have to explain everything to Braden in the morning, so he knew what to expect. He didn’t think there would be an issue with it, but he wasn’t about to start making moves physically with Braden in public without discussing things with him first.
Braden was just finishing making them both breakfast when Cade walked into the kitchen. He grabbed the carafe of coffee and ran his wide palm up Braden’s back and gently squeezed his neck before reaching above him to grab a coffee cup from the cabinet. “Omelet smells great. Sleep OK?”
Braden turned and smiled. “Slept great. You?”
“Yeah. Coop was here till about 12:30 or so. I checked in on you to make sure you were asleep and then conked out pretty quick after that.”
“Everything go OK with Cooper?”
“Yeah. We decided the best way for me to protect you, without it looking too obvious, is for us to act like we’re in a relationship.”
“Uh….”
“We think it’s best if I’m seen out in public with you holding your hand and being affectionate. We can do it another way, if you’re adamant that you don’t want to do that, but we think that’s the best way to go about it, so I wanted to ask you for your thoughts.”
“Umm, am I bait?”
An incredulous look passed over Cade’s features. “Jesus, Braden, no! You are not bait! The last thing I want is for you to be in danger, but the fact is, you are in danger. Right now, this guy is escalating, and I need to be on you 24/7. In order for there not to be so many questions about why I’m protecting you and who I am, we figured a relationship would be the best option. Look, frankly we don’t know what will set the guy off.”
Cade stepped into Braden’s personal space, cupped the back of his neck in his large palm, and drew them even closer. “You may think of yourself as someone who only sleeps, runs, and works, but you’re a fixture in this community. People know you, greet you, like you and gravitate towards you because you’re kind and genuine. If they think you have a protection detail, they’re gonna ask questions we may not want to answer and people, even if you know them, will talk. At least this way, they’re talking about a relationship, rather than some kind of trouble that they think you found yourself in, that’s all.”
Braden sighed in relief. “OK. That makes sense. I’m sorry I asked if I was going to be bait. I was just thinking you were trying to tip him over the edge, so he would lash out and make mistakes. I didn’t think about the fact that just having you near me might set him over the edge regardless of what we do or how we act.”
Cade didn’t back up. He remained close to Braden and kissed him on the forehead. “I don’t want to tip him over the edge so that he comes at you. What I want is to figure out who it is and put a stop to it without any impact to you at all. I’m sorry we have to do any of this. I won’t be doing anything that will make you uncomfortable. Frankly, I won’t be doing anything much different than what I do now, in the privacy of your home. I might hold your hand and touch you, but I touch you now, I can’t help myself. I just didn’t want you to be upset or confused when I started to do that in public.”
Braden, eyes on Cade’s chest, couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. “That’s fine.”
“Braden, will you look at me?”
Braden glanced up into Cade’s worried eyes, and Cade continued. “It’s obviously not fine with you. You’re upset.”
“I’m not upset; I’m fine.”
Cade slid his hands gently down Braden’s arms and clasped his hands. “Remember yesterday, when you could read me, despite my desire to hide my anger? I can read you as well Braden, and you are anything but fine.”
Huffing out a resigned sigh, Braden admitted, “It’s not what you think. It’s just that with you here, I’ve been feeling pretty secure and to be honest, even though it seems ridiculous, I haven’t been thinking much of the stalker. Hearing you talk about him lashing out just made reality come and bite me in the ass. You didn’t do anything wrong and the way you are handling everything is fine, it truly is. I guess I’m just feeling vulnerable and scared all of a sudden, and I hate it.”
Cade pulled him into his arms and rocked him. He leaned down and kissed Braden on his temple and whispered, “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and unharmed. As long as you listen to me, do as I ask, you will be safe. Please trust that I know what I’m doing. You mean a hell of a lot to me already, Braden. I’d protect you with my life, and if it came to that, I wouldn’t regret a single thing.”
Braden shook his head and laid it on Cade’s chest, clutching his shirt in his fists. “Don’t say st
uff like that. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Cade pushed his fingers through Braden’s hair and tilted his head up, forcing Braden to look at him. “I know, baby. Hopefully, it won’t come to that. But, if there’s ever a choice between me and you getting hurt, it’s going to be me every single time. I’m very good at what I do, so you’ll just have to trust me. Now it’s getting late, so let’s get out of here so you can bake me something and then kick my ass for four or five miles.”
Later that day, Jackson and Sawyer arrived and began the process of removing all remnants of the old security system from the café and reinstalling their own state of the art security software. Cade kept his eye on the work being done, but mostly stayed with Braden in the kitchen. He could tell that Braden was feeling tense, so he didn’t want to go far. Both Jackson and Sawyer were always his first choice of installation guys for this system as they’d had a part in creating it and knew it inside and out, so he knew the job would be done right the first time.
They worked incredibly well as a team with little communication with others or between themselves. The two men had grown up together and served for years with Cooper and Cade. They had a strange bond that no one could fully understand. They weren’t related, but it was almost like they had their own language like siblings might have. They did not share their past with anyone, and everyone knew not to ask questions. They were both very good men to have in your corner.
Cade trusted them implicitly. Some of that was simply because they were both good men and had your back, and some of it was a result of Sawyer’s hunches, which were legendary and eerily accurate. After several of those hunches saved the lives of those in their unit, Cade learned to never doubt them. So, when Sawyer caught his attention and summoned him over to talk to them, he went immediately.
Years prior, Sawyer had confided to Cade that the hunches were a lot like what others described as someone walking on your grave, or the feeling when you knew you were being watched. He got goose bumps and the hair on the back of his neck stood up and then an urge to take some kind of action would occur. Sawyer had told Cade that when he was a kid, the few times he ignored the instinct, things ended in disaster. Now, he always listened--and the hunches never failed him. When Cade approached he saw Sawyer rubbing the back of his neck and he knew, without a doubt, he’d be doing whatever Sawyer suggested.
“Cade, if you don’t mind, I think we need to go to Braden’s house and get started on the security there. Can you get a key from him, please?”
“Do you need me with you? We can call Cooper back.”
“Jackson and I will be fine, but I think it’s important that we finish the system here later and work on his house right now.”
“OK, let me get his keys.”
Jackson and Sawyer gathered their tools and set aside anything they had yet to finish at the café. Cade approached Braden, caressing his fingers over the back of Braden’s hand, he waited until he’d pulled out his buds and cocked his head in inquiry.
“Hey, the guys want to start getting your place wired. Can I grab your keys?”
Braden dug in his pocket, produced the keys and glanced at Cade. Braden gave him a worried frown. “Hey, you OK?”
Cade smiled, brought his hand up to the back of Braden’s neck and squeezed gently. He leaned forward and kissed him on the temple. “I’m good. Keep working, I’ll be here with you.”
Braden smiled, reassured, and put his buds back in and got back to work as Cade headed back over to his men.
“Here are his keys. Call me immediately if there are any issues. Coop texted about an hour ago and said he’d be wrapping up the Kensington job before the hour was up, so he should be here any minute.”
“We’ll be in touch. In the meantime, stay on him like a rash. My skin is crawling.”
“That goes without saying. I know I probably don’t have to ask, but you’re both armed, correct?”
“To the teeth.” A slight grin passed over Sawyer's lips, and Cade saw him giving Braden a very long, intense look, which made Cade clench his jaw. “And sir, that man right there?”
Cade’s eyes glittered dangerously and he growled. “What about him?”
“He’s meant to be yours, so take good care of him.”
Cade’s shoulders relaxed somewhat, but his tension remained as he gritted his teeth. “I intend to. Now get outta here and call me with news.”
The call came less than five minutes later. Cade wandered slowly down the hall towards the office, but kept Braden in his sight. He answered tersely. “Tell me.”
“He was here, Cade. Braden’s bedroom was broken into. His window, facing the back of the house, is busted in.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“His bedding is slashed, his room is a bit trashed, and there’s a note. We haven’t touched anything, besides looking throughout the house to make sure it was empty.”
“What does it say?”
“’You better be sleeping alone.’ It’s in black marker with exclamation points. Someone very fucked up wrote that note, Cade, and he’s angry about your presence.”
“I need you to call Vaughn. I’ll text you his number now. He should remember you. Ask him if he can help find a good local window installer, someone who will get a new window in that wall within the next two hours. I don’t care what it costs. I won’t have Braden coming home to a smashed window. I also want you to call Detective Miller, the cop we dealt with at the beginning of all this. I’ll text you his number. Call him and get him over there to do what he needs to do to get this on record, dust for prints, whatever they have to do. Braden will be working for at least two more hours, if his past schedule is anything to go by. I want new bedding and any trace of this shit gone. Actually, in addition to the new bedding, go get him a new bed, too. I don’t care if it wasn’t damaged, I don’t want him having to sleep on a bed that was touched by this fucker. Whatever type of bed he has, get the same kind but the best available. Not that he’ll feel comfortable sleeping in there tonight, regardless, but I want it cleaned up. I’m going to tell him, but not until you assure me that his room looks like new. Got me?”
“Yeah, consider it done. Coop just walked in. Do you want him to come relieve you so you can come check this out?”
“I’m not leaving his side for anything. This can be handled by the three of you. Get working on the security, so that we can sleep there tonight knowing this won’t happen again. After you’re done there, you can come back over and finish up tonight when the café is closed. Tomorrow you’ll work on Maya’s place. I want every single place he spends any real amount of time wired up with all the bells and whistles.”
“We’re on it, sir.”
Cade hung up, texted the two numbers to Sawyer and walked back into the kitchen. Braden was completely immersed in his work but had set out a big piece of coffee cake for him. Though he would normally never eat at a time like this, he found he couldn’t resist, and dug in while getting some work done. Cade kept in contact with his team over the next two hours via text. Vaughn had apparently offered to deal with the bed and new bedding as well. Cade would have to thank him later.
He received a file from Brody on both Nick and Owen. As he suspected, those two were clean. If the stalker was an ex-boyfriend of Braden’s, it was going to be the abusive one. No matter what Braden said about the evidence he had on the guy, Cade felt like that was still their best lead. He knew Brody would have a file on Eric as soon as it was possible, but he was getting impatient and edgy. The break in today had crossed a line.
Just shy of three hours later, Cade received the text that everything at Braden’s was better than he’d left it that morning, which was a good thing, as Braden was cleaning up the kitchen and shutting things down. Sawyer and Jackson were still working on the security system over there, but would be done in the next hour. When Braden took off his apron and tossed it in the laundry bin in the break room, Cade met him back there and placed a hand on his s
houlder.
“Hey, can you sit down for a minute with me? We need to talk.”
Braden looked up at him, panic in his eyes, and Cade hated like hell that he had to tell him everything. Once Braden sat, Cade crouched in front of him, as close as he could get, and looked up into Braden’s eyes as he held on to his hands. “When Sawyer and Jackson got over to your place today to begin working on your security system, they found your stalker had broken into your house.”
Braden gasped and then yanked his hands from Cade’s, pushed the chair back and got up and started pacing. Cade stood, but gave him the space he needed. Braden’s breathing got faster, more shallow, and Cade knew he was having a panic attack. Cade crowded him and stilled him by sifting his fingers into his hair and tilting his head up so that he had to meet Cade’s eyes. “Braden, you need to look at me. That’s it. Take one big, deep breath for me.”
Braden shook his head and tried to get away, his breathing labored, but Cade held on, walked him backwards to the wall, and pushed his body against Braden’s. “I’m here with you. You’re safe. Feel me with you, you are not alone. Nothing is going to happen to you. Keep your eyes on mine and take a deep breath, just one deep breath. That’s it, now another. Good, Braden, one more.”
After several minutes of breathing and calming himself, his forehead on Cade’s chest, Braden asked when Cade had found out about it. Cade told him the truth and felt him stiffen up in his arms. Cade stroked his sides and asked him if he was OK enough to hear the rest of it. Cade was proud as hell of him when he put his arms around Cade’s waist as if he was his lifeline, but whispered a yes. Cade explained everything, from the window being broken to the bedding being slashed, and the room trashed, to what the note said. He explained about the cops coming by, and the window being fixed. He told Braden that the security system was currently being installed and should be done soon, with cameras, and sensors on every egress in his home. While he told him all of this, he swayed slowly and held onto Braden tightly.