Page 8 of Pain
The best kind. Xander tipped his head in agreement and slapped Kasey on the back for good luck. With nothing more to do, he pulled his keys from his pocket before looking back at Bryon. "You want this guy in, don't you?"
Bryon shrugged. "It's not about what I want. It's about what the team feels is right. We'll figure it out tomorrow and go from there."
"Fair enough." Xander gave the group a wave and headed outside, focusing on the neighborhood around him.
Just like most of the perpetrators they took down, STK's home base sat in the middle of a well-off neighborhood. Kids played up and down the streets, and everyone knew everyone. To the neighbors, Bryon was just a single man with friends who like to hang out all the time. They never caused problems, and to anyone looking, everything was on the up and up. Little did they know that inside the nice two-story home was the headquarters of one of the most dangerous teams in the United States.
He smiled at the neighbor as he got into his car, wondering what people would say if they knew. Glad they didn't, Xander casually pulled out of the driveway and headed home. A good night's sleep and he'd head back to work tomorrow, ready to take another pedophile down.
CHAPTER FOUR
The sound of knocking on the door stirred Matt awake. He groaned as he sat up on the small couch where he'd finally fallen asleep. It was rare he slept, but when he did, he usually passed out without even realizing it. It was the only way. He'd learned soon after Faith was kidnapped that trying to go to sleep only meant long hours of thinking as he stared at the ceiling in the darkness.
As the pounding continued on his front door, he forced himself to stand, rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes as he stumbled to the front of the house. He peeked through the hole to see who was interrupting the first good sleep he had in over a week, sighing when he saw his best friend, Jason, looking back at him impatiently.
Matt worked the lock, then pulled the door open, turning away to head toward the kitchen without even saying hello.
"Well, aren't we cheerful today?" Jason shut the door and followed Matt.
"Fuck off. What do you want?" Matt reached for the already dirty coffee cup he'd left by the sink and poured a cup of cold coffee out of the pot. He stuck the cup in the microwave to warm before turning and looking at Jason.
"I just thought I'd check on you." Jason raised a brow. "You look like shit."
"Thanks, didn't know I needed to dress up for you." Matt rolled his eyes. "Trish called you, didn't she?"
"She's worried about you." Jason leaned against the counter. "And I am too."
"I'm fine. I mean, how do you guys expect me to be? My daughter is missing. I have no clue who has her or what is happening to her. Should I be happy and laughing?" He pulled the coffee out of the microwave, slamming the door shut harder than he meant to.
"No, but she said you aren't eating, and you've stopped answering your phone. Have you even checked your voicemail?" Jason opened the cupboard beside him and pulled out a coffee cup, pouring his own coffee without even bothering to ask.
The two of them had been friends for nearly twenty years. They'd met in junior high, in wood shop. The friendship was instant. They'd been by each other's sides through hell and back. He loved Jason like a brother, but since Faith went missing, he just couldn't bring himself to be around anyone. They all tried to comfort him. He didn't need comfort. He needed his daughter back.
Matt blew over his coffee. "I'm alive. I answer the phone when I want to talk to someone. I haven't starved to death yet. Trish is just being her usual overprotective self."
"I don't know. Looking at you, I'm kind of worried myself." Jason started the microwave to warm his own coffee.
"How should I be? Fuck, you guys think I should just pick up and move on with my life, forget she's out there somewhere?"
"No, I'm not saying that, but you can't let yourself go like this. You have to take care of yourself, so you can help Faith. Seriously, you've lost like twenty pounds and you look like you were hit by a truck."
"I am surviving the best I can." Matt walked over to the kitchen table and sat down.
"You know, I could move in for a bit if you want. Help out with stuff."
"No, I'm good." The last thing he needed was someone hanging over his shoulder all the time.
"Matt—"
"Listen, I'm okay. I appreciate you being worried, but I'm just trying to get through each day. I'm not going to kill myself off. I promise. I just need time." Matt stared at Jason as he sat down across from him.
"What's going on with work?" Jason asked.
"I'm supposed to go back Monday. I've used all my vacation and sick leave. They've offered to work with me if I need time off, but they really want me back."
"Are you going to go?"
Matt shrugged.
