Page 52 of Flash and Bang
Thayne took the hand Jarrett offered as he gazed at him. He was genuinely worried about something and even though it was probably something he couldn’t tell Thayne, that wasn’t going to stop Thayne from asking. He had to know. He had to understand the man he loved even if he couldn’t tell him everything from his past. Jarrett never talked about his family but if someone’s life was in danger, he had no doubt Jarrett would do the right thing and call his father if that’s what it took. “Look, I understand you probably made some enemies alongthe way and I understand you can’t tell me everything that you did in the past, but that means you need to think hard on this, Jarrett. You need to try to figure out who wants you dead because it’s pretty obvious that someone does, and if you can warn your friend, you have to call your father.”
Jarrett squeezed his hand and he gazed at him with such a serious expression, Thayne was momentarily rendered speechless. He’d only seen that expression one other time—when he’d figured out who was chasing them as they fled the man trying to kill Thayne to keep him from testifying against Mills Lang. But Virgil was dead.
“Jarrett? Do you think this is about me? Wait a minute. Do you think Mills Lang is trying to kill me again?”
Jarrett pursed his lips and frowned deeply. He finally sighed, closed his eyes and let go of Thayne’s hand. “It crossed my mind a time or two but I just don’t fuckin’ know, darlin’,” he said. “That would mean someone had knowledge of us when we were down at the border in order to get at my Jeep and that’s a fuckin’ frightening thought.” He shook his head, sounding tired as hell. When he opened his eyes again, he looked sad. “It might well be someone from my past but I sure as hell don’t know why. Themissions I went on were highly classified and if someone from my past who had knowledge of those missions is doing this, well, that’s more than a little troublesome. That means it would have to be someone very highly placed in the government. I just hope it’s not who I think it is.”
“You need to call your father as soon as possible.”
Jarrett squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then opened them to look at Thayne. “Can’t do it from this room,” Jarrett said. “Need a secure line and the hospital’s network might pick up my call.”
Thayne looked sideways at him. “To call your father? I thought you said he was a coal miner. Since when does a coal miner need a secure line to talk to his son?” Thayne smiled and then let it fall away when Jarrett didn’t smile back. In fact, he’d turned positively green.
“Naw. I told ya that in the beginnin’ when I didn’t know you, Thayne. I tell everyone that ‘cause I don’t tell anyone who he really is. The rest of what I told you about my family is true though. I do come from Turkey Knob and I have three younger brothers and my father is a homophobic asshole. I just lied about who he is ‘cause… I didn’t know you then.”
“So, are you gonna tell me who he is?” Thayneasked, reaching out and taking Jarrett’s hand again.
Jarrett sighed and blew out a long breath. “My daddy is Mark Evans, the Associate Director of Military Affairs for the CIA.”
“What?” Thayne was stunned.
“Yep. I don’t tell anyone that. Don’t think Stanger even knows that, unless someone high up gave him my unredacted file.”
“But…” Thayne didn’t really know what to say after Jarrett dropped that little bombshell.
“Anyway, I haven’t talked to him since before I left the Corps, but now it looks like I have to. If this bullshit is connected to the government, I have no choice. The thing is, it’s also crossed my mind that he might be the one tryin’ to kill me—or you—or fuck if I know, but it ain’t good.”
Damn. If the man in the SUV was connected to the government… Thayne suddenly remembered the license plate. “Jesus! I completely forgot to tell you!” He practically bounced on the bed. “When I was talking to the Highway Patrol officer, I remembered something. The license plate I got a glimpse of was a government plate.”
Jarrett suddenly sat forward, then winced and wrapped both arms around his middle as if his ribsprotested that position. “Are you sure, Thayne?”
Thayne nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! I can’t believe I forgot to tell you.” He reached up and touched his head which was pounding like hell at the moment. “I looked over my shoulder to see who hit us after the first impact—before he pushed us over—and saw the government plates. They’re very distinctive, you know.” Part of the numbers on US government plates were tiny, usually preceded by a G or Gov and some were stamped US government.
“Do you remember the numbers?” Jarrett asked.
Thayne closed his eyes and tried to picture the license plate again. The numbers were a blur. He opened his eyes and he shook his head. “No. I can’t remember, Jarrett. Dammit!”
“It’s okay.” Jarrett squeezed his hand again and his expression turned sympathetic. “You doin’ okay, Thayne? Really? You look downright peaked.” He turned his head and looked over to a chair beside his bed in the large room. “You should sit down over there or better still, get some sleep, darlin’. Don’t think I want ya out there alone, is all. I’d prefer if you stay here till mornin.”
Thayne leaned over and kissed Jarrett slowly, breathing in his scent—which at the moment was acombination of Jarrett, motor oil, dirt, and pine trees. When he leaned back, Jarrett was smiling at him, showing off those deep dimples in his fuzzy cheeks. He looked damned handsome, even with a three-day growth of scruff, bruises on his jaw and neck, and a clean bandage over the bullet graze.Damn. Even banged up the man’s a walking wet dream.
“I’ll stay here.” He glanced over to the chair. “I think that folds out into a bed.”
“You ain’t gonna get much sleep that way, Thayne, and one of us has to be on his game.” He looked down and Thayne realized he was feeling guilty, as though he brought all this down on them because of who his father was. When he glanced back up, his eyes were filled with such sadness and regret, it took Thayne’s breath away. “I’m damn sorry about all this, Thayne.”
“This is not your fault. You hear me? I want to be here. I want to be with you and I wouldn’t be comfortable anywhere else.” He leaned down and kissed Jarrett again, pouring every possible ounce of love he had into the kiss.
“Thank you,” Jarrett said, when Thayne finally pulled back.
Thayne smiled at him and stood up, letting go of Jarrett’s hand, and walking around the bed to thechair. “I’ll be right here. Just get some rest, Jarrett.” The door opened and a nurse came in. She was smiling and pushing a rolling stand with a blood-pressure cup and a digital thermometer.
“I’m Vera. You must be Mr. Evans,” she said. She was an older lady and she was wearing green scrubs with yellow ducks all over them. She looked like everyone’s grandma. “I’ll be your nurse tonight.” She glanced over at Thayne and smiled.
“I’m Jarrett’s partner,” Thayne said.
She nodded and smiled again. “How nice. We encourage family, spouses, and partners to stay overnight with their loved ones. You’re welcome to sleep here if you want.”
Thayne’s mouth dropped open and Jarrett snorted in laughter. She looked perplexed.