Hook, Line & Sinking (Completed)

32. Other Kind of Thing

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Other Kind of Thing

Curled up on Matt's bed above the Stonefish I watched as he paced the room talking on the phone with his various navy buddies. After the rest of the McLaren's had left, Thorne had set up a bed in the downstairs office, once again complaining about it not being a pull-out.

We'd all decided that with the odds being, three men (possibly four if grandpa Corenth helped) coming after me, Matt should have backup guarding me. I'd watched with a little apprehension as Matt and Thorne had taken guns out of a wall safe and set about expertly cleaning and loading them. They'd assured me they had a license for them and with their navy history ample training too but it still made me uncomfortable.

I had more questions than answers now. Who the heck was Beryl for one? Apparently the Corenth's ship was even named after this woman and it sounded like she'd met some kind of tragic end but how? It was clear that Josh had felt guilt over it, it had even been the reason why he was standing up to his brother now.

Fretting with the edge of the sheets I was lying on I tried to get a handle on how I was feeling. Scared, worried, angry. It was all a mixture inside of me I couldn't figure out. Yeah, scared these assholes were coming to hurt me, that they'd end up hurting Matt or someone else I cared about. Angry that they were such dicks they were doing this, had done this already.

Worried that I should call my dad and tell him what was going on but also scared to get him involved. I didn't want him hurt and this was all so new to him... What if it made him change his mind about the McLaren's and my involvement with Matt?

Right now it was all this undefined mess. They were a threat looming over my head but there were no tangible actions I could take to stop this, to make it go away. I lifted my hand to finger the edge of the diving blade I had strapped to my bicep. It was beautifully made and dangerous and I hated the thought that I might need it for something other than cutting rope or plastic.

Then my eyes fell on Matt again where he paced in the small enclosed space that was his studio apartment. His black shorts hung low on his hips; his tanned legs otherwise bare and muscled, the faded gray tank he wore clung to his back. Showcasing his wide shoulders and muscular arms and the black lines of his tattoo that covered him from wrist to shoulder and down beneath his shirt over one pec.

For a moment I could let everything just fade to the background while I admired how sexy he was and how much I loved having him as my boyfriend. How much he'd proven to be the right guy after all. Then my ears picked up on what he was saying, "Hey Noah, I know it's late, sorry for calling at this hour..."

I tried to figure out who Noah was; I'd heard stories about Matt and Thorne's navy buddies and couldn't place the name there. Matt had paused to listen to whatever answer Noah was giving and then he nodded, "Yeah I'm not calling to invite you for drinks actually. It's more serious."

It clicked then, the police officer Jamie had send after Matt and I, Noah Hayes. I sat up in surprise and paid closer attention. Why was Matt calling him? My movement drew his attention though and he stopped pacing to sit down next to me. "Hang on Noah, I'm putting you on speaker so Dani can hear too alright?"

The officer must have answered in the affirmative because Matt lowered his phone and pressed the button. "Listen," Matt said seriously, "There's trouble heading into town and I need backup." My eyebrows winged up, didn't he have Thorne and his brothers for that? Isn't that why he'd been hanging on the phone for over an hour talking to his various navy buddies? Did he think we needed more help?