Page 24 of The Dreamboat (The Portland Protectors: EHM Security #4)
CHAPTER 23
JOHN
All my life I’d heard bad things happen in threes. Was it a superstition or a wives' tale, or maybe me just looking for bad things to happen? Who knew? But we’d already had two and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Brent had been home from the hospital for less than forty-eight hours when the call came at four-thirty a.m. We were both sound asleep when the phone started ringing. I rolled over from where I was spooning him to blindly reach for it on the nightstand.
“Who in the hell is calling at this hour of the morning?”
I swiped to answer the call without looking.
“Hello?” I grumbled into the phone.
“Brent, he’s gone. He’s gone. Just like that, he’s gone,” the woman wailed on the other side of the line. Whipping the covers back, I got up out of bed. As I walked toward the living room, I pulled the phone from my head and looked at the screen. Mom.
“Mrs. Trainor? This is Commander John Langdon. Who’s gone?”
“Oh my god,” she wailed. “My husband. He’s gone. He died. Where is Brent?”
I rubbed my hand over my face in shock.
“John, what’s going on?” I heard him ask as he moved toward me.
I stood and went to him as I spoke into the phone. “Hold on, I’ll get him.”
She continued to sob as I reached out for him. The effects of the concussion still had him off balance.
“It’s your mother. She said your father has passed away.”
His brown eyes filled with tears as he took the phone from my hand. “Mom? What happened?”
I wrapped my arms around him as the sounds of her sobbing and muffled screams filled the quiet night. I couldn’t make out the words.
“I’m coming,” he said, pushing out of my arms. “I have to get a flight, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He paused, then said, “I love you, Mom. I’m on the way.”
When he removed the phone away from his ear, I took it from him and tossed it on the chair. I reached for him, but he took a step back and held up his hand.
I put my hands on my hips and looked at the floor. It killed me not to hold him and took every bit of self-control I had not to simply take what I wanted. But this wasn’t about me. He was pushing me away out of self preservation. Even though I knew I needed to give him some space, it still hurt.
“What time is it?” He asked, looking around the room.
“Four-thirty. What can I do?"
His brow was furrowed as he processed the new information. But when he looked at me with those tear-filled eyes, I couldn’t help myself. All my good intentions flew out the window in record time.
Moving to him I took him in my arms. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”
Brent let me hold him a minute, then pushed out of my arms. “I’ve got to book a flight.”
“I’m going with you.”
He looked up at me with a confused expression. “Why? You don’t need to come with me. I can do it alone.”
“No, you fucking can’t. I’m going with you and stop trying to push me away.”
I was the world's worst at taking my own advice, but for the second time in less than forty-eight hours, I experienced panic like never before. I was terrified of losing him because he’d become my world in less than a month.
“John…”
“Don’t John me. I’m your husband and I’m not letting you go bury your father alone. So stop this bullshit and let me take care of you.”
I ran my hands through my hair and fisted the ends. Seeing my frustration must have broken through to him, because this time, he came to me.
“Okay,” he whispered, hugging me to him. “You can go with me. Just don’t be alarmed by her behavior.”
I nodded and held him as tightly as I could without hurting him. “Thank you,” I whispered into his hair. “I’ll take care of everything.”
He nodded and pulled away. Picking up his phone, he sat down and watched as the screen lit up. “I’ll check flight times.”
“Okay, but don’t book anything yet. I’ll text GQ and let him know what’s going on.”
I went to the bedroom, got my phone, and called Dare. I hated to wake him up this early, but it couldn’t be helped. And when he picked up the phone on the second ring, he sounded fully awake and very on edge. I knew he was concerned about his best friend.
“Commander? What’s wrong?”
“He’s fine,” I reassured him, rubbing my temples. “But his mother just called. His father died, so we’re going to Colorado Springs.”
I heard Greer in the background mumble something before Dare responded. “Take our plane. It’ll be faster. Greer’s going to call Jason and see how soon you can leave.”
I forgot he was rich as fuck. “Okay, that would be good.”
“How is he?”
I looked up as if I could see him in the living room. “I’m not sure. I’m at a loss here on how to handle him. I guess you’d know better than I would.”
Dare huffed. “He’ll get quiet for a while, then seem like nothing is wrong. But don’t let him push you away. Give him some space, but not for too long. His parents weren’t the best after his brother died. Who knows what this will do to his mother.”
I nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
“Hold on a minute.”
I heard him talking to Greer, so I got up and looked in on him. He sat on the chair, staring out into space with his phone in his hand. The outside light picked up the reflection of the tears on his face.
It wasn’t difficult to see he was reliving something, and if I had to guess, it was when Matt died.
“Commander,” Dare said, drawing my attention back to him.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Jason can have you in the air in two hours. Go to the private terminal at PDX. Brent knows how to get there. You can leave the car parked in the lot while you’re gone.”
“Thanks, Austin. And tell Greer I appreciate it.”
“Yeah, no problem. Keep me updated on what’s going on, will you? I’ll come out for the funeral.”
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.”
“Okay, I’ll call GQ and Phantom. Talk soon.”
The call disconnected before I could thank him, and I got up to go back to Brent. He was bent over, his head in his hands. I hated to interrupt him, but it couldn’t be helped.
Walking into the room, I sat down next to him on the sofa.
“I haven’t checked flights yet.”
I put my arm around him. “That’s okay. We’re taking Greer’s plane. He’s already called the pilot. We need to be there by six-thirty.”
We sat another moment before he got up. “I need to shower and pack.”
I stayed seated on the sofa as he walked into his bedroom and closed the door.
Ninety minutes later we rolled up to the private terminal at PDX. I followed the signs as Brent stared out the window. When I parked the car, we got out and collected our bags from the back.
Brent was quiet as we walked through the small terminal. I wanted to hold his hand, but he had them both stuffed in his pockets.
We checked in at the desk where the attendant pointed us to the plane. We exited the building and made our way to the tarmac where a leer jet sat waiting. But as we walked around the front of the plane, Austin and Greer stood by the steps talking to a lady who looked to be our flight attendant.
Brent stopped and looked down at the ground. I stood and watched as Austin left Greer’s side and walked up to grab him into a hug. He held on to him and spoke quietly as they embraced. Brent shook his head as if he agreed, then pushed away from him. He wiped his face, then looked over at me.
I smiled softly and gave him a single head nod to reassure him I wasn’t upset that he’d pushed me away. If Dare could bring him comfort, then I was okay with that. Or at least I’d try to be. I was only human.
Dare came over and shook my hand. “Keep me posted. Have a good flight. Sandra will take good care of you, and you should let her. She’s Greer’s second biggest fan after me.”
I chuckled. “Okay. Will do. And let me know if anything comes up on finding the shooter.”
When the lady and Greer approached us, I reached for Brent out of habit.
“We’re ready when you are, gentlemen. Jason says we’re good to go.”
I nodded. “Thank you, ma’am.”
She laughed. “I’m Sandra. Ma’am is my mother-in-law.”
“And she’s the best at her job,” Greer added. “I wouldn’t know what to do without her.”
“Aww, Greer. The feeling is mutual.” She leaned over and patted his cheek. “I’d do anything for you and that husband of yours.”
We chuckled when Greer blushed. “Careful what you ask for. We might take you up on that someday.”
Brent looked over at me and smiled. “Ready, Commander?”
I wasn’t used to him calling me that anymore, but I’d let it go under the circumstances.
“I’m ready,” I said. And I followed him onto the plane.