Page 21 of Digital Desire

“I am not at liberty to discuss this with you. Now please move, or I will be forced to see you as hostile and act accordingly,” he responded, and the threat was clear.

“It’s fine, Alex. Just meet me at the station and find me a lawyer,” Will said as he looked at Aubrey. “I didn’t do this, Aubrey,” he stated, more worried that this would cause her to see all her fears as valid for why she wouldn’t get involved with him.

“I know you didn’t.” She smiled, and he felt the first of a thousand knots in his gut loosen. He did, however, notice that his brother was conspicuous by his absence. Had he fucked up so bad that Jack had turned his back on him for good? The thought made his shoulders sag as they dragged him down the back stairs and shoved him into a police car that was parked at the back.

“Now, we will see what happens when you visitors,” the policeman who was in charge sneered, “come to our country and interfere with things you know nothing about.”

For the first time as Will looked around, he wondered how safe his life was and thanked God he still had his watch on him and that Drew could track him through it. Whether he ended up at the station or dead in a ditch was yet to be determined.

* * *

The pounding in his head was like a bass drum as Jack pulled the pillow over his head and tried to drown out the noise that was making him feel like he wanted to puke his guts up. His mouth had fur all over the inside, and he felt like he had been sucking on a stone his gob was so dry.

What the fuck had happened last night to make him feel like this? Then he remembered Will—Eidolon—and his heart sunk. He couldn’t remember all the details, just that lots had been said in anger and he couldn’t remember much of it.

The door to his room crashed open. Jack sprung from the bed with his gun in his hand, pointing it at the door and his second in command who stood their glaring daggers at him. Jack dropped his arm and fell back on the bed, his arm over his eyes as his stomach lurched.

“Time to get the fuck up. No time to wallow in your misery. Will’s in trouble and needs our help,” Alex said as he started throwing clothes and shit at him.

Jack dropped his arm instantly and sat up, ignoring the throbbing behind his eyes and focused on Alex as he noticed the rest of his team behind him. “What do you mean in trouble?” he asked cautiously.

“Are you fuckin deaf now? Four cops just busted down Aubrey’s door and arrested him for murder.”

“Murder?” he asked confused.

“Yes. Get yourself up and showered while I make some coffee for your hungover ass,” Alex said as he threw clothes at him and walked out slamming the door. Alex wasn’t one to show his temper, so the fact that he was now was telling.

Moving into the bathroom, Jack stripped his dirty clothes from last night and stepped into a hot shower. He quickly washed the grime from his skin and shampooed his hair before rinsing and turning the shower to freezing to try and blow some of the cobwebs away.

What the hell had Will dragged them all into this time and why, even now, after everything, did he still want to run in and save his baby brother? He shivered as the cold hit him, but it had the desired effect of waking him the hell up.

He towelled off and dressed and was walking into the main part of the room when Liam let Aubrey in. They glared at each other before he dismissed her.

“Hey, asshole, don’t give me that holier than thou look. If it weren’t for you, Will would not even be here,” she spat.

Jack stopped with the mug of coffee half way to his lips. “Excuse me?” he asked with incredulity. “Was it me he flew halfway around the world to save? Was it me that walked away without a fucking word? No. So either save your hissy fit for someone who cares or stay the fuck out of my way.”

“Hey, hey let’s take it down a notch,” said Blake as he looked at Alex.

Jack didn’t need to say more, he knew he had hit his mark with his words.

* * *

Aubrey felt the weight of guilt on her shoulders at Jack’s words. Ever since Will had been dragged away by that supercilious copper, she had felt it. The knowledge that if it weren’t for her Will would be back in the UK safe, not in some Colombian jail accused of murder.

“No, Jack is right. Will is here because of me, and I’m going to make it right. Are you?” she challenged Jack.

“He’s my brother, don’t ever doubt that I will help him.”

She saw the warning there. A warning meant for her and for the first time she actually liked Jack. He might be an arrogant asshole, but he loved his sibling and she could relate to that. “Fine tell me everything.”

“Tell me everything,” they both said and then looked at each other with a frown.

“Why don’t you go first and tell me what just happened,” Jack said.

“Fine. Will and I were fast asleep when the door was smashed in, and four armed police rushed in with guns pointing at Will. They said he was under arrest for the murder of Pierre Aubin. Then he was cuffed and dragged out. One of them hit him in the head with a baton when he struggled. We saw these guys in the hallway and Alex spoke to the dickwad that arrested him.”

“Why were you in the hallway?” Jack asked, and Aubrey raised her eyebrows.