Chapter 12

"Hello?"

"Elijah Matthews?" I was nervous, and the shaking in my voice was loud to me. I swallowed hard, lightly setting my head on the old wooden door of Elijah Matthews' apartment. Thanks to Jake again, I found out where Elijah was staying. There were a lot of talks that were calm and quiet and talks that involved fighting with Paxton, but in the end, there was little I could see that he could argue.

Unfortunately, for him he couldn't see much to argue it either.

"Who is it?" I could hear him right inside the door, so I backed up so he could see me properly out of the peephole.

"My name is Parker Stanley."

Silence.

I thought he had walked away or ignored me or maybe he was halfway back from getting a weapon. Everything I thought was a weak and feeble argument from Paxton came into my head and I closed my eyes tight, whispering to myself. "Please, Lord, do not let me die with Paxton being right. He will never forgive me or himself."

"Are you going to die?"

I screamed like a girly girl and jumped. High. With a hand over my chest, I looked at Elijah Matthews, who was trying to suppress a grin at my reaction. Good Gods, whatever I had pictured this man to look like, this was not it. He was just… Oh Gods, if I give him any more of an eye fuck, it will cheat on Paxton.

His head is shaved and his skin was lighter than most of the people in town, like mine, it was known that his and Amy's mother was a white unlike so many American Indians in the area. His hair was dirtier blonde than it was brown and his eyes were a steel gray, almost white. Prison built him up and oh, boy the total package together from head to toe… seriously I am going to get pregnant if I don't stop eye-fucking him…

I was a fish gulping for air as my brain seized and refused to kick back into gear. "Um… I am Stanley."

He apparently gave up even trying to hide his grin and was out right shaking his head as he laughed at me. "Stanley? Parker Stanley, international spy?"

I smiled and rubbed my face before holding out my hand properly. "I am sorry. It has been a pretty long few days. I am Police Chief Stanley's daughter."

Elijah nodded at me, standing up straight to shake my hand. His smile seemed to have left him some, but he stepped aside to let me into his apartment. "I know who you are, ma'am. You were only two grades below me in school." I smiled and nodded, though I didn't remember him. I am pretty sure I would have remembered.

Then again, I grew up with five meathead brothers that never let me see the light of day. I am surprised that he saw me at all and he beat me to it when I was about to say it. "I remember you because you always had three or more of your brothers with you."

I laughed nodding my head. "Yes, yes, that was me."

"What I don't know about you is why you would be here when I was tried and charged with the attempted murder of your father." His face was straight but I could see his hands twitching. He thought I was going to kill him.

I slowly set my purse down and lifted my hands in front of me, as if trying to soothe an anxious stray dog. "I know you didn't do that though."

Whatever he thought was going to come of this conversation, that was not it at all and the surprise on his face said as much. He nodded to the couch, and I walked over and sat down, watching face. He was careful not to look at me. "How?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I practiced this story over and over until I got it to where it said the point but didn't leave him guessing on some things. "I am a teacher at the high school and a man recently shadowed my class." I looked at my hands folded in my lap. "He and I had gotten close, and I noticed he was acting weird. My husband—" I rolled my eyes and waved my hand to shoo the look on Elijah's face. "It isn't what you think, this was an arranged marriage and we are best friends with benefits. It benefits us both to have a spouse, but not have a spouse—" I waved my hand again, because the more I jumbled around, the larger the smirk grew across his lips. "Dammit it's not the point, the point is you know him! I spoke to Amy to get more information on Byron and—"

"Byron?" He was no longer smirking. He was standing and his breathing had picked up to a scary rate. "You spoke to Amy?"

I was scared, shaking but trying to hold it in. How could this man scare me when I lived with five bears plus a papa bear for all these years? The answer was simple. I knew those boys inside and out and could predict their every move.

I did not know Elijah Matthews.

My voice came out quiet, yet creaky. "Yes, I drove to the hospital and spoke to her. It wasn't long, and I didn't pester her more than I had to, but I got the entire story from her."

He slowly sat down again, his head tilted to the side. "And you believed her just like that?"

This made me frown. Should I not have? Was he telling me she made it up? "Well, it's the truth, isn't it? That girl has been through so much already in her short life that I doubt there would be any point in lying about something like this." I shrugged my shoulders. "Besides, I think she knows that whatever is Byron's plan at this point directly involves both me and you."

"Forgive me, ma'am, but I don't see how."

I scrubbed my hand down my face again. If he calls me ma'am again, I might smack him. "Look, I am younger than you and you just got out of prison so the sir and ma'am thing I get, but seriously I might hit you if you ma'am me again."

He was so surprised by my random comment he started laughing. "Miss. Stanley?"

"Parker, please." I corrected him. "Okay so here is the theory. Byron knows he cannot get to your sister any longer. She is under the protection of the hospital, also he can't blow his cover because the FBI is thinking that he is dead."

This was new information to Elijah, but he nodded without comment.

"Okay, so he comes for me. He knows you are out, and he needs to use me as leverage."

Elijah stood, pacing the small living room of his studio apartment. "You are a sweet woman and obviously beautiful," Que blush. "But I don't know how you and I were ever close. How are you leverage?"

I grabbed his wrist as he paced by me so that he looked down at me. "You tried to kill my father and now you are getting revenge for being sent to prison. Using me to flush him out or just killing me instead." The light clicked in his eyes and he nodded slowly. "That is what I think he is thinking, anyway."

I realized my touch was too personal and dropped his wrist, but kept his gaze. "He is afraid of you or else he wouldn't be going through all this to keep his ass safe."

Elijah kneeled in front of me, searching my face. "Can you get me close to him?"

I sighed lightly. "If it were a week ago, I would have said yes, but I think I blew it the other day and he might be on to me knowing about him."

Elijah frowned, thinking hard. When he finally spoke, he was looking off at something out the window. "Does he know the situation between you and your husband? I mean it is basically for show?"

I shrugged a little. "I think he believes we were trying to make it work for real."

The smirk graced his lips again, and a dimple appeared. A dimple. Come on, man! "That is perfect. Can I speak with your husband?"

It was my turn to be surprised, but I nodded right away and pulled out my phone. "Yes, of course!" I found Paxton's name and hit send.

It took less than a full ring for him to answer his phone. "You were supposed to call over twenty minutes ago!"

"Hi to you too Paxton, shut up and listen." Elijah laughed and shook his head. "I have Elijah here and he knows everything and wants to help. He wants to talk to you. Can you get over here? It's like five minutes from the job site."

There was a short-muffled conversation on his end, and then he was back. "Yes, I am leaving now. I will be there in less than that."

We hung up the phone, and I nodded at Elijah. "Okay, he is on his way now."

Elijah nodded and got off the floor, sitting back on the couch next to me, seeming much more relaxed. "So, how did you get into a marriage of convenience in this day and age?"

I laughed. "Well, you remember my brother's, right?" Elijah nodded. Everyone remembers my brothers and usually for the wrong reasons. "Well, after dad got shot, they arranged the marriage so that if anything happened to the family financially, then I would always be taken care of."

He grinned. "Wow, how medieval."

I snorted. "You do not even know. I didn't even know they did it until a few months ago. Thankfully, Paxton and I were already best friends with some semi-benefits, so it really hasn't been that bad." I shrugged one shoulder. "It's worked out for my benefit because I could move out of that overbearing house and live with Paxton."

"What if there comes a time when you find someone that you really want to marry?" Elijah asked softly, watching my face. I shrugged like that wouldn't break my heart.

"I guess we will get a divorce. I don't stop him from dating and he hasn't, until recently of course, stopped me." Elijah frowned at first and then understanding dawned on him. "That was what you meant by you and Byron got close?"

I nodded looking sheepish. "I had never… had any kind of relationship and he was sweet and said all the right things. It was exciting." I looked at my hands. "It sucks to get smacked down by the first wave you encounter when it's your first time in the ocean."

Elijah's big hand touched my chin, and I looked up. "Not all men are like him. You never know, maybe you've already married the right person."

I had thought about that. I was convinced those feelings were based on high emotion and living together for so long.

That is what I am telling myself. Don't judge me.

The knock on the door made me jump. It was no doubt Paxton, but we had been so in depth with our conversation that I didn't even hear his truck pull up. Elijah and I both rose, and I stayed put while he greeted Paxton at the door and showed him inside. Paxton came to my side, kissing me on the cheek before turning to Elijah with a careful assessing gaze. "You wanted to speak to me?"

Elijah nodded and gestured for us to sit again before he walked away into the kitchenette area, only to come back with three beers and another chair. "I did. Parker here has told me the entire story, and I wanted to get your opinion on an idea I had."

Paxton took both beers and opened mine for me before handing it over to me. I smiled at his absent-minded gesture. We really knew each other too well. "Okay, so let's hear it."

"Do you think Byron would believe you two fought and then she came to him for comfort, as a friend in her eyes. Nothing that would clearly lead him on, but then have her get him somewhere where he thought they were alone?"

Paxton frowned. "You want to use her as bait?"

Elijah shrugged. "I doubt you or I could do well hiding in bushes or behind walls to wait for him and not be seen."

I watched the hard line set over Paxton's face and I knew he was already not going to agree. I had to get him comfortable with this. "What if… I didn't need to lead him anywhere?"

Both men looked at me confused and I sighed. "I mean I call him over to our place, or even here!" As my idea grew, I stood. "I could say that we fought over Paxton attacking him at the school and so I moved out to my own apartment in secret, so the brothers didn't find out."

Elijah was on his feet too nodding. "We could be in the bathroom the whole time."

Paxton was shaking his head. "Until he had to pee." He said realistically.

"It doesn't matter; we will have him for sure if that happens." Elijah argued. "Parker here will play her part really well and get that door locked behind him." He said, looking to me for confirmation. I nodded eagerly. Seriously, two enormous men in a tiny apartment going after one guy, how hard could this be?

"I got this Paxton, you two will be here the whole time, three seconds away to help me if I need it." I said, sitting next to Paxton and holding his hands.

He did not look happy about this but he no longer had the 'absolutely not' look about him. He ran a hand over his head and growled looking between me and Elijah. "You know if Parker gets hurt, I am going to have to kill you, right?"

Elijah grinned and nodded with his hands palm up in a stopping gesture. "No need for the threats, man. I would sooner kill myself then let harm come to this sweet and beautiful woman."

Encore for the blushing. Paxton looked at me and Elijah with a brow lifted and eyes narrowed. Oh, my gods, I am going to kill Elijah. I looked at him and he had an enormous grin on his face. He wanted to see what reaction he got. He was testing Paxton.

What is it about me that invokes this protectiveness in guys the instant they meet me. Hell, even Byron did it when he pretended he was gay so Sam wouldn't throw a fit. I shook my head and headed for the door. "This is happening tonight, so I suggest that both of you are ready."

With that, I left the apartment and headed back to Paxton's and my home.

It took about three hours, but I got enough things to make it convincing that I had moved into Elijah's apartment. Bonus for him, he got a free apartment cleaning. Not that it really needed it since it was only a studio and if you made a mess in one corner of the room, the entire room got cluttered.

Paxton and Elijah practiced some different scenarios for how things could go. When we all got our parts down perfect and every scenario thoroughly explored, only then did I call Byron.

"Hello?"

"Byron!" I put as much desperation and relief as I could in my voice, but it was hard because all I wanted to do was be mad at him. Yell at him. Scream at him I knew the truth, and I hated him for it.

"Parker?" he sounded surprised and almost relieved. "Where have you been, darlin'? People are worried sick about you, sweetheart."

"I know, please can you come over? I moved out of Paxton's place and into my own. I am so scared and sad, Byron." I faked weeping, making it sound over dramatic to my ears, but I got thumbs up from both Elijah and Paxton.

"Okay darlin', just give me the address." He said calmly. "Are you alone?"

"Yes, I have never been on my own, Byron. I am so scared." It's sad that bit of information was true. I gave him the address, and he said he was leaving right away. Now we wait. It was only a few moments, but it felt like weeks.

I jumped when the knock came at the door. Again.

Taking a calming breath, I swung open the door and launched myself into his arms, crying and laughing with my pretend overflow of emotions. "Oh, I heard what he did to you!" I pulled back, pulling Byron in the house with me, giving a nervous glance outside before shutting the door behind us and locking it.

Before he could have a chance to be suspicious about the locked door, I turned and faced him, letting my hands float over his face and arms, looking for injuries from his fight with Paxton. "Are you hurt?"

Byron grabbed my wrists and gently stopped my fussing with a sweet smile. Why did he have to be evil? Who couldn't obviously ugly people be the ones that do evil? Shallow, yes, but tell me that wouldn't be at least easier to find the bad guys and the good guys.

"I am fine, darlin', relax." He leaned down and kissed my lips lightly and it took my whole storage of willpower not to slap him or spit on him.

Instead, I grabbed the back of his head and kissed him hard, turning all the hate I felt into a passionate wanting. He pressed his body against mine and trapped me against the door. His tongue touched my lips and to cover a gag and prevent it from entering my mouth, I turned my head biting along his jaw.

He took the invite and kissed along my neck and I felt his hand moving up my side, slide along my collarbone and cup my neck. I froze, panic setting in. It tightened as his mouth touched my ear. "There is someone else here isn't there?"

I shook my head, and he tightened his grip making my hands fly up and claw at his grip. "Don't you fucking lie to me." He whispered into my ear. "Now, there is someone else here, isn't there?"

I nodded slowly, tears squeezing from my eyes, prying that the guys had prepared for this scenario.

"COME ON OUT!" Byron shouted. "YOUR GIRL HERE DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE."