Colorado Connection (Colorado Heart Book 6) (16 page)

“There is no question in my mind. Yes, I want this. I want it badly. Don’t for a moment think I don’t want you. Your injuries don’t matter.”

“Physically, I’m limited. I’ll always be limited.”

“But your heart isn’t limited and neither is your soul.” Matthew pulled on his underwear then tugged on his jeans, zipping them before grabbing his shirt. He slid it over his head and the material fell into place before he glanced back and shot Jazz a heart-stopping grin. “I’m serious, you and I were meant to be together, and I’m not letting you get away again. You’re mine and I’m yours.”

Jazz watched as Matthew stepped outside, his voice strong and sure. He freaking loved Matthew. How had he stayed away for so long? After dressing and putting on his leg, he moved to the door and pulled it open. Matthew stood with two other guys, and both of them turned to stare at him. Their gazes were fierce and full of confidence. They were obviously military.

The one on the left stepped forward, his hand extended. “I’m Grant, and this is Roger. I think we should step into your place and then we can discuss a few things.”

Jazz nodded and smirked at the guys. “Come on in and tell me what Tex has gotten me into.”

Grant laughed. “Tex, I like the nickname.”

Jazz caught Matthew’s gaze and warmth filled him. The lost feelings he’d been living with lessened. He imagined if he were really with Matthew, they would totally disappear. He’d thought moving to Texas would fix things, but really, the only fix was Matthew in his life.

Chapter Twenty

Matthew closed the door behind them, glancing around the room, realizing neither he nor Jazz had tried to hide the evidence of their sex. It was so different from back when they were in the same unit, just trying to survive and not get separated. He moved to stand beside Jazz, wrapping a protective arm around his lover.

“Jordan, it’s nice to meet you. I know you don’t know who we are, and you’ve never heard of our organization, nor will you ever hear of them, but we know a lot about you. If you choose to be a part of our team, you’ll undergo training,” Grant said.

“What type of training?” Jazz asked.

“It will be tough. Because of your physical limitations, your training will focus on mental abilities. We know you’ve been looking into the group, Anonymous, and a few other groups on the dark web,” Roger said.

“You know that?” Jazz sounded shocked.

“It’s not hard for us to track people. Sorry, but we had to be sure about you,” Grant added.

“So, are you one of the groups I read about?” Jazz asked.

“No, few know about us, and those who do know better than to talk,” Roger said.

“What if I say no?” Jazz caught Matthew’s gaze, and his heart squeezed. He would do anything for Matthew, but these guys didn’t need to know that.

“Then we say goodbye,” Grant said. “But from what we’ve seen of your online activity, I think you’ll want to join us. The training will be tough. What we do is important, and I think you would be a great addition to the team.”

Matthew waited as Jazz looked from Roger to Grant and then to him. “I’ve been drifting since I completed physical therapy. I want to give more to my country, but I’m not able to serve.”

“We’re not officially with the government. I can’t tell you more right now. You’ll be in training for a little over a month. We’ll get your things packed and moved. You’ll live with us, and be a part of our team,” Grant said.

“What if I don’t pass training?” Jazz asked.

Matthew cupped Jazz’s chin. “There’s no way I’m losing you again. You will pass. Just work hard.”

Jazz nodded and leaned in, brushing his lips over Matthew’s. “I want to be with you again.”

“Okay, let’s start moving you out,” Roger said.

“What about my rent? I don’t have enough money to break the lease,” Jazz said.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered,” Grant said.

Jazz pursed his lips together and looked from Grant to Roger then back again. Matthew’s heart squeezed as he watched the emotions play out on Jazz’s face. Jazz was amazing and Matthew loved him. Spending the rest of their lives together would be beyond perfect.

“Trust them,” Matthew said. He was positive Jazz could pass whatever they threw at him.

“Okay, let’s pack,” Jazz said.

“It’s that easy?” Matthew thought it would be more difficult to convince Jazz to join the group. They’d been apart for so long, he'd thought for sure they would have to spend hours talking Jazz into it.

Jazz reached out and touched his arm. “I can’t be without you again. If this is what it takes to stay with you, then I'll do it. I won’t leave you again.”

Matthew nodded, following Jazz over to his dresser so they could pack. Jazz’s life wasn’t complicated, and they had finished putting things into boxes within the hour. Grant and Roger were outside, moving the rental car close so they could take the boxes to be shipped. Matthew pulled Jazz close, holding him tightly. Jazz looked tired. Matthew worried he’d worn Jazz out.

“Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” Jazz asked.

“I know it’s been hard and I know we have a lot to work through, but yes, trust them. If, for some bizarre reason, you decide not to join the group after your training, we’ll go somewhere and start over. I want to be with you, I don’t care where, but I think if we are with this group of men, we could make a real difference in the world.”

“You said we, as in if I don’t make it you’ll go with me?” Jazz looked almost afraid of what Matthew’s answer would be.

“I will never leave you unless you kick me out, and even then, I’ll fight to stay in your life.”

“So my leg and the other stuff really don’t bother you?”

He cupped Jazz’s cheeks, holding his head so they were eye to eye. “I’ll answer that question this one last time, but don’t ever ask me again. I love you, leg or not. You, not your dick—no matter what it looks like—just you. That stuff doesn’t matter. What matters is your heart and what’s in your head. Your scars don’t diminish what we have. I love you. Get it through your thick skull that you are not what has happened to your body.”

“When you say things like that it makes me feel weird inside,” Jazz whispered.

“Well, good, because I feel weird inside almost all the time when I’m with you. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

The door opened, and Grant and Roger stepped in, their smiles wide. “Let’s load up the car and we can go. We should be done here before the sun goes down and then we’ll fly out after that.”

“Where am I going?” Jazz asked.

“You’ll be headed to an undisclosed location, where you’ll receive some top-notch training. In about four weeks, you’ll be with us again and then you can meet the rest of the guys. There are safeguards we put in place, but we’ll go over those once it’s time,” Roger said.

Jazz turned to Matthew and smiled. Reaching out, he pulled Matthew into a tight hug. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

“It’s going to be tough, but you can handle it,” Matthew said.

They packed up Jazz’s personal items in the back of the rental, and Roger drove them to the shipping place. They mailed the packages to an address in Colorado Springs, that much they allowed Matthew and Jazz to know. They were flying private again, and Jazz’s flight had left before his. The goodbye was hard after just reconnecting, but he had faith Jazz would come back to him. Plus, Jazz knew Matthew would hunt him down if he ever disappeared again.

Their flight was set to board after another plane disembarked their passengers. Matthew used the restroom and stepped into the lobby as the door to the tarmac opened, admitting a group of people. The sound of the men speaking brought him up short, and he sucked in a breath. Grant and Roger were in the bathroom, otherwise he would have ducked back in there before his two dads turned around and saw him.

“Matty, is that you?” Lane asked.

“Good God, we didn’t know you were meeting us here.” Gresh walked over and pulled him into a hug, not letting go as Lane wrapped his arms around from behind.

“How did you know we’d be here?” Lane asked.

He drew in a slow breath, knowing he couldn’t tell his family what he was doing. “I…um, I…” He glanced around, still not seeing Grant or Roger. “How are you two doing?” Matthew stepped back, wondering how he would get to Colorado if Grant and Roger left him.

“Good, we’re really doing well. So tell me, Matty, how did you know?” Lane asked.

He thought about lying, thought about telling his dads he’d figured it out, but he couldn’t. “I’m actually on business.”

“Business? I didn’t know military let you travel by private jet,” Gresh said.

“Um, about that,” Matthew blew out a breath and shook his head. He should have told his family what was going on, but he really hadn’t known, and from what he understood of his new employers, they didn’t want him to share information. “Listen, I can’t really talk about it, but I’m okay. I have a flight I have to catch. I’ll—”

Roger and Grant stepped out of the bathroom and into the lobby at that exact moment, and he froze. He tried to cover his awkward pause, but it was his dads. They’d taken him in when he’d had nowhere else to turn. Lane had learned quickly how to read him, and he never could hide anything from the man.

Lane stepped forward and stuck out his hand, waiting for Grant to shake. “Hi, I’m Lane and this is Gresh, my husband. We’re Matty’s dads.” Lane tilted his head to the side and narrowed his gaze. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

Grant didn’t give away any emotions, but Matthew wondered if this would end it for him. “No, sir, I don’t think we’ve met. Matthew, our plane is ready to take off. It was nice meeting you. I’m sorry we can’t stay longer, but we have to board.”

Matthew pulled Lane and Gresh into another quick hug, kissing each of them on their cheeks before stepping away. “I’ll call and we'll talk in a few days but I have to go now.”

Lane and Gresh waved but Lane’s eyes narrowed, and Matthew knew his dad would want more of an explanation. He followed Grant and Roger to the plane, wondering how much trouble he was in. They loaded in quickly, and the pilot shut the door minutes after they'd taken their seats. Roger did a quick scan of the inside of the plane. He nodded and took his seat. During that time, Grant didn’t say anything and that had Matthew worried.

Chapter Twenty-One

Grant couldn’t believe he hadn’t studied Matthew’s family more in depth when they’d decided to bring him on. They’d done all of the background research and knew he would be a good addition. While he'd been in training, they’d gone back over his information, searching for skeletons in closets, looking for anything suspicious, going down paths few would ever go down, and they hadn’t found anything; but Lane had seen him before, and Grant knew exactly where they’d met—, well, met was a rather liberal statement—where they’d seen each other. When he’d traveled to the Bahamas to take care of Christopher Wylans, he’d run into Lane when the man had hiked away from the guest area and stumbled upon Grant’s camp. Now, he had a name to go with the face. Lane and Gresham Miller had been the couple he’d watched fuck on the beach. Holy hell, he’d gotten off on Matthew’s dads getting busy.

Grant turned and caught Matthew’s questioning gaze. He had to say something because keeping this secret from the guys at Wild Bluff would be stupid. Also, Matthew would have to be ready to answer questions. They could come up with some story to tell his dads.

“I was on a mission in the Bahamas. I ran into a guy who’d gotten off the path and walked into a restricted area. I considered killing him since he’d seen my face, but I let him go, deciding that killing an innocent civilian wouldn’t help keep us secret. The man was Lane, your father.”

“Are you serious?” Matthew asked.

“Yes. Lane recognized me.” Grant lifted his brows and pressed his lips together.

“Shit, does that mean I’m out?” Matthew asked.

“No, I mean, unless you tell your dads what you really do for us,” Grant said.

Roger leaned forward and looked from Matthew to Grant. “You going from working on an island to a ranch in Colorado isn’t a stretch.”

“We live on a ranch?” Matthew asked.

Roger smirked then nodded. “We can have part of the conversation here since the plane is clear. If you decide to walk, we’ll let you go, but you have to understand you’re not allowed to talk about us.”

Matthew nodded then met Grant’s gaze. “My dads probably won’t understand why I won’t just come home and work at Crazy Hills if I’m working on a ranch in Colorado, but I’ll just pretend to need the freedom.”

“Can you really keep this secret from them?” Grant asked.

“Yes, sir. I don’t know everything your group does, but I know being an honest person, someone who doesn’t bend to pressures of political arguments, is paramount. I won’t tell my dads what the real purpose of the ranch is. They don’t need to know what we do.”

“So, Matthew, what do you think we do?” Roger asked.

“Obviously, you do something dangerous. The man I rescued, he wasn’t in Syria for the fun of it. I would say your operations range from working around political restrictions and laws that prevent the military from doing what they need to do.”

“We work hard to never allow our personal feelings to override the decisions we make. When we’re asked to do a job, we research it thoroughly,” Grant said.

“From the amount of decision-making work required in the classes last month, I would say that skill is more important than what you do to achieve your goals.”

“Do you think you could kill someone who we decide to take out?” Roger asked.

“I’m a sharpshooter, or I was, and yes, I can pull the trigger. In the Marines, I had to make the decision without any background for the people I was shooting. I think it would be good to understand who I was killing and why.”

Grant nodded then sat back, staring up at the ceiling for a while. “It’s a difficult decision to kill someone. We put our lives in danger when we go out on missions, you saw that first hand, but we do some good by taking out the really bad guys.”

“I want to be on the side of good. I felt trapped in the military, unable to really figure out who the bad guys were. I want to have a better understanding of the missions I go out on.”

Roger nodded. “At the ranch, you’ll have access to information that can help you make decisions.”

“Once we land, you’ll be placed in the truck and driven to our facility. To keep us all safe, we’ll require you to wear a blindfold,” Grant said. Matthew nodded and didn’t look too surprised. “Once at the place, you’ll be locked in a secure room until we determine if you’re going to stay. At any point, you can leave. We won’t hold it against you, but you have to always keep our secret. We can’t have you exposing that we even exist. You’ve already signed documents stating those conditions, but you’ll need to sign a few more things.”

“I understand the need for secrecy. Don’t worry, I’ll never speak of you or your group,” Matthew said.

“Good, I would say the likelihood of you staying is high,” Grant said.

“I know it may seem silly, but I really need to have Jazz with me.” Matthew looked worried and that was the one thing Grant thought could hang them up.

Jazz would be a great addition to the team. Grant knew Jazz couldn’t go on missions and would always be a support person or he would be on cyber missions, but they needed a few people on support who knew the inner workings of their systems. Their missions in Florida and Maryland had taught him that.

The thing with Matthew’s dad knowing who he was wasn’t really an issue because Lane didn’t really know who he was. Knowing about Lane wouldn’t have changed his decision to bring Matthew on. Matthew would add a lot to their team. With Zander and Marshal injured, they were light on the physical side. They would need to bring in another person in the next year, though, someone who was in excellent physical condition. He and Marshal would have to start looking soon to fill their empty spots.

The pilot announced they would be landing soon. His discussion with Matthew hadn’t brought about any surprises. He imagined Matthew would be allowed into the main part of the house within the next few days.

*~*~*

The drive to the facility seemed odd since he was blindfolded. Once he was inside and the blindfold removed, the guy he’d rescued from Syria was in front of him, a huge smile on his face. He stepped forward and pulled Matthew into a tight hug.

“Thank you so much. You have no idea how glad I am to see you. My name is Zander, by the way.” Zander squeezed him tightly before stepping back, holding him at arm's length. “I didn’t know if I’d ever get a chance to thank you, but I’m so glad I have that chance now.”

Matthew was back in Zander’s arms, holding him tightly when another man stepped into the room and smiled. It was the guy who he’d handed Zander to a little over a month ago. The man came forward quickly and pulled him into a hug.

“Thank you, thank you so much. You gave me back my life. Thank you.”

They hugged for a long time, long enough for Grant to leave the room and come back.

“I think we can get started now,” Grant said.

Zander’s boyfriend stepped back, giving him a huge smile. “I’m Marshal, and I’ll be sitting in on this interview. Duff will too. You already met him.”

Matthew nodded and turned to Zander. “Are you going to be here too?”

Zander shook his head, and Matthew noticed he still looked thin but better. “No, I’ll be back at some point. If I don’t see you before I go to bed, I’ll make a point of stopping by in the morning.”

He nodded then turned to Grant. “I’m ready to get started when you are.”

“Okay, Duff, Marshal, Roger, take your seats. We have refreshments if you like. First, we have some more paperwork for you to go through.”

Matthew sat and started reading the pages they gave him. He signed his name at the bottom of about ten pages which detailed how he would never speak of what went on at the ranch. It took him nearly forty minutes to read everything. Once he was done going through the information, he sat back and looked at the guys.

“I can’t imagine anything that would keep me away, other than Jazz deciding not to join,” Matthew said.

Duff nodded and pulled out an envelope. “Study this and tell us what you would do.”

Matthew opened the envelope and started reading. It wasn’t hard to determine what he would have done. Really, they didn’t have much of a choice. He got up and grabbed a sandwich and a cup of tea before sitting back at the table to go over the pages again. The guys grabbed food and drinks, allowing him the chance to fully digest the information.

“It’s not that hard to figure out what to do,” Matthew said after almost an hour.

“Really?” Grant said.

“Sure, this guy isn’t just a jerk, he’s selling kids to rich men. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know he needs to be stopped. There’s a couple of paths you could take. You could cut his access to his bank accounts, but that wouldn’t do it. Obviously, the local law enforcement has decided to do nothing. That means you have to disable him. Locking a guy like this in prison wouldn’t work. No, you have to get rid of him. He lives in a compound which is surrounded by mountains. You use a sharpshooter on a hill about a mile away. When the guy goes outside to smoke his cigarettes, you take the shot.” Matthew glanced up and saw Duff, Roger, and Grant nodding.

“That’s close to what we did, but we weren’t as far away as you suggested. We set up in a tree not too far from the property. He never knew what hit him. Then we disabled his accounts and forced his property into bankruptcy. His empire fell,” Duff said.

“I have another file for you to study, but it’s getting late. How about we resume in the morning?” Grant said.

Matthew nodded and glanced around, wondering if they were going to lock him in here with no one to talk to. Matthew was surprised when the door opened and Zander stepped in. How had he known they were done for the evening?

“I brought some burgers, and we can make popcorn later. Marshal and I will keep you company until you’re tired. We have some movies we can watch or a game if you’d rather,” Zander said.

“How did you know we were done?” Matthew asked.

“I was watching for the last thirty minutes,” Zander said.

“Watching?” Matthew looked around the room, finding the places where there were likely cameras. “Oh, I should have guessed that.”

“The bedrooms for our guys don’t have cameras. Also, there are no cameras in the showers or bathrooms, but we’re fairly security conscious. Almost every acre of land is covered, and every building has surveillance,” Duff said.

Matthew understood their need for security. If someone found out about them and broke in, it could be disastrous. “A movie sounds good. Anyone else joining us?”

“I’m exhausted,” Grant said. “We’re heading to bed.”

“Mike might come in,” Zander said.

“How many guys do you have?” Matthew asked.

“We have ten men on the ranch. Duff was in charge but now takes a consulting role, so there are nine active members,” Grant said.

“That’s if you count me,” Zander said. “I’m not really active. Maybe in a few months I’ll start helping, but I…” Zander shook his head and Marshal came up behind him, giving Zander a hug.

They looked happy and that’s how he figured he and Jazz would be. Jazz may have some physical limitations, but he was a great guy and they would be together.

Roger moved to stand in front of him and stuck out his hand. “I liked your answers today and I think you’ll be a good fit for us. Watch some movies, enjoy your evening, and in the morning, we’ll bring in some breakfast. There’s coffee you can make, and sodas in the refrigerator. You’ll be locked in, but really its for your safety as well as ours. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Matthew shook his hand and nodded. “All of you have done this, spent the night in this room?”

“Yes, except Duff,” Grant said.

“Okay, I’m good with it. I’ll see you all in the morning and I look forward to meeting everyone.”

Grant, Roger and Duff left the room, leaving him standing with Marshal and Zander. The door opened again and another guy stepped in, his smile wide.

“I’m Mike, nice to meet you.” Mike stuck out his hand for a shake.

“I’m glad to be here.” Everyone seemed so nice. He could get used to this place.

“Thanks for saving Zander. I swear he’s the best of us,” Mike said.

“Hey, what about me?” Marshal asked.

“Please, you’re barely tolerable. Plus, you fart too much.” Mike laughed as he slapped Marshal’s arm.

“I only fart when you cook,” Marshal said.

“That’s why we let you cook,” Mike countered.

Marshal laughed and wrapped his arm around Mike’s neck, rubbing his head. Their banter reminded him of his unit. His heart squeezed as he thought about Bounder and Slider.

“You okay?” Zander asked.

“Yeah, just thinking of guys from my unit.”

“It hurts when they die. We’ve all lost friends. It hurts like a bitch.” Zander squeezed Matthew’s shoulder.

His thoughts turned to Jazz and Matthew wondered what he was doing at that moment. If he remembered his time at the training facility, it had started with a bang and he’d been kept busy for the entire month.

Marshal turned on the TV and someone put popcorn in the microwave. The set up was nice, a big flat panel TV with good speakers, and he didn’t have to sit in an uncomfortable plastic chair. The recliner was almost too comfortable and midway through the movie he realized he was falling asleep. He liked having the guys around so he didn’t ask them to leave, instead he dozed off and on as the movie finished.