Page 8 of Operation Daddy

Fletch didn’t miss a beat. “I knew it would make you happy.”

“Oh.” Heat raced to July’s face. He melted. That was sweet. He forced himself to shake off his blush. “Well, I’ve got my coffee. Is there something else you’d like to do?”

For a moment, July thought he saw something flash in Fletch’s eyes that took his breath away. The moment passed as quickly as it had come.

July's shoulders fell again. He couldn’t have stopped the motion if he tried. He really liked Fletch. Fletch was so, so good to him and he couldn’t know how much July needed that.

Fletch brightened. “Why are you sulking? I haven’t even given any suggestions.”

July forced himself to put on a happy face. “I’m not sulking. Let’s hear that plan.”

Fletch eyed him for a moment. Obviously falling for July’s fake excitement, he clapped his hands and then rubbed them together. “I had to go downtown on an errand the other day and found this store filled with toys, costumes, and basically everything you enjoy. Come on. I’ll drive.”

He looked so proud of himself that July gathered his things and stood. “Okay.”

Fletch waited for him to cling to his arm before strolling toward his truck. He glanced over and winked. July melted again. Fletch enjoyed spending time with him. He could live with staying in the friend zone. That was all he had to offer anyhow.

Fletch’s blood ran cold as he thought of all the words July had spewed in his hysteria. Once the floodgates opened, Fletch realized how many signs he had either missed or blatantly ignored. The broken wrist. The bruises July blamed on being clumsy. Fletch had fully believed that one just based on how July drove. Fletch was torn in a way he hadn’t faced before. People did desperate things in desperate situations, but Fletch still had too many questions. None of this excused the betrayal July had heaped upon them. Now that he knew July already had a man while Fletch fell for him, that added a whole new angle to the situation. July had definitely given Fletch the impression he wanted more than friendship. How had he seen that going for him? Surely he understood that this mystery man would have killed him rather than let him leave. The memory of how July had cried when he had shown that broken wrist to Fletch still lived inside his head. He recognized now that those nonstop tears had been more than physical. Despite what July had done, he had needed them, and they had failed him.

The moment they had arrived at The PlayPen with an unconscious July, Fletch had called Henry, the boss he reported to for Beau, and cashed in a ton of sick time and vacation days for an emergency. Sometimes life was complicated, and Fletch needed to know he could look at himself in the mirror tomorrow and feel as if he had done the right thing. Maybe that judgment call was for a person who had repeatedly lied to him, but Fletch didn’t care about that now. In this case, he couldn’t walk away from the damage they had discovered once they had July on Austen’s exam table. His injuries were horrific. Whoever had done this to July had fully intended to kill him. Running with the idea that this person had left July for dead, they moved fast to fly July home. Banks had the security cut on July’s home again, and July’s car returned to the garage it belonged in. Hopefully, if this mystery person returned to make sure the job was done, they would find the house the same as Banks and Fletch had: no signs of running and an uncleaned crime scene.

Fletch had gone over a million scenarios in his head. But he kept coming back to one reality: those bruises were personal. On the flight home, July cried in his sleep, begging for his life, promising he would still love his T-Rex and swearing he would be a good boy. Every word hardened Fletch’s heart a little more with each passing mile and proved how badly he had needed Fletch in his life. This attack had definitely been domestic. The odd thing was, though, July’s house looked as if he lived alone. There had been no signs of a second person. He found it hard to believe that a man who obviously expected July to be only his wouldn’t share a home with him. Of course, he imagined all those security cameras were being monitored. It looked as if July was someone’s twenty-four-hour show. Was it the same man who had given the order to bug Leary’s home? Those security cameras matched the one July had at his place. Every thought he had left him more and more confused.

When Fletch caught his first glimpse of July across the room, enjoying his time at Leary and JJ’s engagement party, July’s entire face lit up when their gazes met. July’s gaze swept over Fletch, no doubt the rage bled from him, July’s smile faded. He was so furious by the time he reached July that he snatched July’s arms a lot harder than intended. No doubt he would leave bruises. He leaned down and spoke closely to July’s ear. “Beau would like to speak to you in his office.” Without waiting for a response, he practically dragged July behind him. Fletch didn’t know how he had expected July to react, but whatever he thought might happen didn’t. July sat where Fletch ordered, in the chair across from Beau’s desk. With his hands resting on his lap and his shoulders squared, July looked serene. His face didn’t give away a single hint of fear. July’s eyes were equally devoid of terror. He simply awaited his fate. Meanwhile, Fletch wanted to throw shit. He wanted to demand answers. Finally, Beau arrived, relieving some of Fletch’s rage. Now they would get to the bottom of this situation.

Beau sat behind his desk. His expression was every bit as expressionless as July’s. That realization punched Fletch hard. He didn’t know this person at all.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Juynad Hampton, who works for a government-run drug cartel. Do you care to tell me why you’ve been spying on Leary and JJ? Why all the cameras and listening devices?”

July didn’t flinch, nor did he respond.

Fletch couldn’t look away. July’s eyes were like ice. A different person lived inside him than the man Fletch thought he knew.

Beau released a tired-sounding sigh. “Very well. I’ll go, and you can tell me if I’m hot or cold.”

July finally spoke. “I have nothing to share with you.”

A scary chuckle rumbled under Beau’s breath. “If you want to leave here alive, you do.”

July shrugged. It was a careless gesture, as if it didn’t matter if he lived or died. “You kill me. My boss kills me. Both scenarios end with me being dead. I have no preference on who pulls the trigger.”

Fletch’s gaze bounced from July and Beau like watching a tennis match.

Beau shook his head. “He told me you were loyal. Your boss also assured me those cameras had nothing to do with me or mine. For obvious reasons, I find that hard to believe.”

July still didn’t break. “I find it hard to believe you spoke with my boss.”

Fletch couldn’t breathe. It was all true. July really worked for the government. Nothing about him was real.

Beau didn’t seem concerned, which was odd. He suddenly switched up and turned businesslike. “After a lengthy conversation with the head of your division, I was asked to send you home to be dealt with in whatever official way they deem to. I was given your division’s word that you’ll never come near my family again. That family now includes Leary. With that said, I don’t speak for anyone else’s private lives. While you will never step foot on my property again, if anyone so chooses—after learning the truth about you—to reach out to you, I won’t stop them.” Beau’s face hardened. “Heed my words, though. You will be monitored. From here on, there won’t be a single move you make I won’t know about. The only reason you’re walking out of here alive is because of my son, Banks. He pled for me to take mercy on you. Don’t mistake my giving in to him for kindness. I have no issues with killing you.” His gaze moved to Henry. “Please return him to his keeper. Take someone with you to make sure you’re not followed. I’ll have a couple of snipers in place in case Rex tries to pull anything. Get back here as quickly as possible. We have cake to eat.”

Fletch shot upright and paced the room. Beau had definitely said Rex. Was Rex his boss? Had this assault been his punishment for breaking Rex’s word about July staying away from them? He paused. His shoulders fell. He didn’t know what to think. If Rex had done this, he had to be July’s lover as well. In his sleep, July had definitely begged Rex to believe that he loved him. A rock dropped in his stomach, nearly doubling him over in pain. In Austen’s examination findings, he had found July had been involved in some very violent sexual acts either shortly before or after his injuries, if not at the same time. With the amount of damage, Austen skated over the term rape, but Fletch had a bad feeling that was exactly what happened. What had they sent July back to? The entirety of the time Fletch had spent working for Beau, he had known they were team bad guy. This was the first time Fletch truly felt like he was a cruel person. July should hate him. He had judged without knowing the entire situation. Fletch had been told July didn’t truly exist, and every moment he shared with any of them had been a lie. Now Fletch had a terrible feeling they might have been wrong. How could he face that?

A fluffy dog ran his way, pulling him from his thoughts. The dog was Leary in pajamas. He had a cute little jog, but his expression screamed terror.

He tripped and Fletch caught him before he fell. JJ was hot on Leary’s heels, looking every bit as worried.

Leary clung to Fletch’s forearms. “Where is he?”