Page 68 of Pain
Xander stumbled through the door, sweat beading down his body as he tried to catch his breath. He'd gotten home after midnight, and couldn't sleep. The images of the child sex ring they'd taken down the night before still fresh in his mind.
They'd gotten in without a problem, but what they didn't expect was children scattered throughout the complex. Even though their masks kept their identity secret, they'd had to move past the bound children to get to the adults. He tried not to make eye contact, but it was impossible. Each child had stared at him, not even one begging for help, but looking lost and as if they'd just given up on hope. The images were going to haunt him for a long time.
He'd finally given up trying to sleep and went for a run, but even after seven miles of sweating, he was still worked up. They'd been warned the sting wouldn't be an easy one. They'd expected eight kids, but what they'd found had been double that, both girls and boys. They were lucky the number of adults wasn't larger. With four, they'd already been outnumbered, but the fact they only had to inject the needle into their necks to subdue them made it easy to take them out.
Kasey had ended up struggling with one man, and had a black eye to show for it, but all in all the night had been a success. They'd isolated the adults, taking care of business where no children could see, then got out, calling the police to rescue the kids. It was a big enough sting that it had made the local news, but luckily, none of the information seemed focused on STK and what they did, only that the children had been found.
That was how Xander wanted it. How STK wanted it. They didn't want the glory. They wanted the public aware of what was being done to the children and how they could better protect their children. What STK did was happily done without any notice. Talking about the pedophile's injuries only brought them into the media, and they didn't want that. Let the perps remain nameless now that they could no longer hurt anyone.
He glanced at the clock, seeing it was just after six in the morning, wondering what time Matt and Faith would be up. The best thing for his mind was to have something else to focus on, and between Matt and Faith, they would be able to pull him from his darkened thoughts.
He'd talked to Matt a little after the sting by text, letting him know he was okay. But he'd kept it short, aware how late it was for Matt to have to be up. He'd spent the next day with Dyson and Kasey, acting like friends on vacation, just in case anyone looked into people coming into the area to try and connect them to the sting. They never left right after a job when they were out of town. They always took a day or two extra to make sure nothing pointed at them and leave an appearance of just being guys on a getaway.
He stripped his sweaty clothes off and stepped into the shower, closing his eyes as he leaned against the wall and let the water hit him. What he really needed was some good hard sex, but since Faith was back, he hadn't had a chance to hook up with Matt. He understood that, and accepted it, but it didn't help calm the building need that was settling in his balls.
He'd debated on going out and picking someone up for a night, but the thought left him feeling oddly empty. He didn't want someone he didn't know. He wanted Matt. Sex with Matt was amazing, and while it wasn't the whole of their friendship, it was a big part, one of the best parts.
His cock stirred to life as he thought about it, but he ignored it. He didn't want to use his hand. He needed more than a quick yank in the shower could give him. He needed to feel someone pressing into him, someone taking him hard, someone forcing him to give up all control and forget about everything for a while.
Frustrated, he quickly finished his shower, trying to figure out what he could do all day. He planned on dropping by Matt's with pizza later, but he didn't want to show up this early. With nothing to do and nowhere to be, he dressed, grabbed his keys, and headed to the team house. At least there, he wouldn't be alone, even if there was nothing to do other than watch movies and play video games in the basement.
It was early, but there was always someone working at the house. Bryon lived there, but even when he slept, Carter or Trenton seemed to be working. Even if Bry was still in bed, he could kick back and watch TV without bothering him.
As he pulled up in front of the house, he was shocked to find several cars there, including Matt's. His worry shot up since Matt was taking several weeks off to help Faith get back on her feet. He glanced around seeing Trenton's, Carter's, and Becca's cars there as well. Xander hurried inside, wondering what he'd missed out on, and why all of them weren't called in if it was important.
"Xander!" Faith waved the moment he opened the door.
He smiled, taking in Faith and Becca on the couch in front of the TV. "Hey, what are you doing here?" He went into the living room, sitting in a chair across from her. "I was going to come see you tonight."
"Dad said he had to come into work for a bit. He's back with the other guys. Becca and I are watching The Lego Movie." She nodded to the TV. "You're staying, right?"
Becca grinned at him, biting her lip as if holding back a snide comment.
"Of course, now that I know you're here. You should have had your dad call me," he told Faith.
"He said you didn't get back in town until late and needed to sleep."
"He's right. It was really late, but I woke up early and went for a run."
Faith made a face. "Why?"
Xander shrugged. "It helps me think better sometimes."
Faith stared at him. "Sad things?"
He nodded. "Some of them."
"Do you think running will help me?" She ignored the TV as she turned to fully face him.
"I don't know. We all have things that help us. It's just a matter of finding out what works."
"The lady yesterday, the therapist, she told me to write things down in a journal, but I don't like that idea. I don't want anyone to read what I'm thinking about all the time."
Becca raised a brow at him.
Xander ignored Becca, keeping his attention on Faith. "You'll find what works. It takes time, and it might be different things. Today a run helped me, but other times hiking helps, or even just eating ice cream."
"Dad said you like ice cream." Faith laughed.
