Chapter 24

Arsen

What—and I cannot stress this enough—the fuck?

I didn’t know what kind of shady, half-assed attempt of a setup this was, but there was going to be consequences for this shit. Big ones.

They separated us. The dicks. Put me in one car and Matthew in the other. Probably did it just because they could. Good times for the boys in blue, except now Matthew was alone. All I could do was sit there and recall his wide-eyed panic as they pushed him into the back of the squad car. Gone was the flush in his cheeks from a good fuck, replaced with a vapid pallor that was equal parts worrying and rage-inducing.

Rotating in the seat, I stared out the back window at the cruiser carrying him, trying to catch even a glimpse of his silhouette.

“Keep your eyes ahead,” the asshole ordered from the driver’s seat, and I ignored him. In retaliation, he flipped on the obnoxious siren, hit the gas, and sped around not two but three cars before sliding back into traffic, silencing the siren and resuming normal speed. My jaw locked, and I fired a stare that rivaled the heat in hell at the rearview mirror.

His smirk reached his eyes.

“Don’t worry, bro,” I heard myself say. “Someday the other one will drop.”

It took him a minute, which only proved my opinion of him, but then anger smothered the smirk in his stare. “Think you’re funny, don’t you?”

No. I think I sound like Kruger.

Forgetting about the power-tripping cop, I sprawled farther into the seat and slowly, quietly worked the cell phone out of my jeans pocket. If he didn’t want me to use it, he should have cuffed my hands behind my back and confiscated it.

Using my thumb to unlock it, I flicked a glance forward to make sure he wasn’t watching me anymore. With his eyes on the road, I pulled up the text Kruger sent me before. It was nothing but an eyeball emoji.

Arsen: It’s Arsen. You need to get to the police station.

Partway through typing up more detail, a reply appeared.

Kruger: OTW. Explain.

It wasn’t lost on me that Kruger said he was on the way before asking for an explanation.

Arsen: We got pulled over. Drugs in the car. They arrested us. OTW to the station now.

Kruger: Why isn’t my brother answering my texts!

Arsen: His phone is probably still in my car.

Which meant he had no way to play any music or ASMR through the AirPods in his ears.

Kruger: Put him on the phone.

Arsen: Can’t. Put us in diff cars.

Kruger: You know I’m gonna deck you for this, right?

Arsen: Yeah. Come get him first.

“Hey. What are you doing back there?” the cop asked.

I tucked the phone between my thighs and said nothing. Less than a minute later, we pulled into the Westbrook Police Station.

My head stayed on a swivel the entire time I was escorted through the lot, waiting for the car carrying Matthew to arrive. Just as a set of headlights streaked across the pavement, I was pushed inside.

On the way past, I stuck my head into Detective Paul’s office, noting the surprise in his eyes. I held up my cuffed wrists. “Good luck with this,” I said quietly.

He cursed beneath his breath, the legs of his chair scraping when he pushed it back. I was led deeper into the building and shown a chair at a desk. Before I sat, the double doors opened, and Matthew came inside. His wild eyes bounced around, only settling when they found what he was searching for.

Me.

The second we locked eyes, relief accompanied by a whole other host of emotions flickered across his face. Ignoring the protests of my jailer, I went forward, my cuffed hands reaching out to cover his.

“No touching,” the uniformed escort snapped.

“Fuck off,” I grunted. What was he gonna do, arrest me?

Stiffening, his hand flew out to retaliate, and I snapped my eyes to his angry face. “I wouldn’t if I were you. It didn’t work well for the last guy who didn’t keep his hands to himself.”

“Bear,” Matthew whispered.

My body rotated, putting my back to the angry cop and blocking Matthew from view. “Hey, princess. How was the ride?”

He grimaced, his fingers curling around mine a little tighter.

“Come sit down,” I said, leading him to the chair I’d been told to sit in. Once he was in it, I pulled another one up beside it.

“Here,” I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket once more and opening Bluetooth. “Let’s sync your pods to my phone.”

“I said no phones,” the officer growled, stepping close to try and take it away.

“What the hell is going on out here?” Detective Paul hollered, granting us a reprieve, and I was able to link Matthew’s AirPods. After a few more taps, I turned on some ASMR.

His eyes shot to mine. “This is my favorite.”

“I know,” I answered.

“But this is…” He paused. “I haven’t heard this one before.”

“It just started,” I mused. “How do you know?”

“I’ve listened to all of Dark ASMR’s videos so much that I know them. This is new.”

The way my heart flipped over that. Totally Olympic-quality acrobatics. “Maybe he uploaded a new one tonight.”

Matthew shook his head confidently. “He uploads on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” he refuted, fingers tangled in the bracelets I’d given him, thumb rubbing over the silver button on the leather one.

I didn’t say anything because I was still trying to process the knowledge that he’d memorized all my content and knew my schedule by heart. It made me glad I’d stuck to the upload calendar I created even when I hadn’t felt like filming and editing the videos. Knowing how much he depended on routine, I wondered if missing an upload would’ve stressed him out.

Matthew’s velvety lashes fluttered, sweeping down as he listened. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and the fingers twisting in the bracelets were still. Unable to hold back, I put my cuffed hands over his.

He glanced through his lowered fringe.

“You like it that much?” I asked, the beats of my heart heavy.

“Up until I met you, this was my favorite sound.”

A low groan vibrated my throat. Being his favorite was an achievement I never knew I needed but now one I’d never be able to exist without. Knowing I’d been able to calm him even before we met filled me with satisfaction.

“Arsen?”

“What, baby?”

“How do you have this?” he asked, tapping on the phone in my hand.

“It’s mine, baby. I’m the one that makes those videos you love so much.” It was actually tomorrow’s scheduled upload.

His eyes rounded, lips parting in surprise. “Y-you’re Dark ASMR?”

“In the flesh.”

“But—“

The double doors to the station shuddered under the force with which they were shoved open. Everyone nearby gawked as Elite stormed inside.

All twelve of Matthew’s swim bros converged on the place, filing through the doors and fanning out as they rushed inside. They filled the entire entrance, crowding the hallway and spilling out into the open squad room.

Kruger was at the front, dark scowl matching the black sweats he wore. His hand curled around Jess’s, whose brown hair was pulled up on top of her head with strands falling out all over the place.

Spread out behind them were seven swimmers, all of them large and not one smiling. Three girls dotted amongst the men, all of them smaller than their counterparts and all of them worried.

I texted one, and they all showed up.

I guess this was what it meant to be Elite.

“There he is,” Kruger said, pointing to Prism. They all shifted in our direction, and Matthew stood.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, not nearly as surprised as I was.

“This is an episode of déjà vu I could live without, bro,” Kruger told him.

“Heard you needed us,” Ryan said.

Matthew glanced over his shoulder at me, his gaze dropping to my phone. I nodded.

“You shouldn’t have called them,” he told me.

“Matty.” Jess rushed forward, grabbing his arm. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He assured her, even going as far as smiling. The smile did not reach his eyes. “I think these cops might be obsessed with me,” he whispered loudly.

“That is not funny,” she said, leaning in to loop her arms around him. Even though she was hugging him, her eyes came to me. “What happened, Arsen?”

I gave her the short version. “Got pulled over. Cops found some drugs in the car.”

“This is not the time and place for a social call,” the officer who brought me in boomed over the group. “These men are under arrest, and you all need to vacate the premises.”

“Sure, bro, we’ll go,” Win said, sounding agreeable.

Jamie nodded. “As soon as you uncuff our friends so they can come with.”

Proud of themselves for tag-teaming that sentence, the bros fist-bumped.

“You know that’s not how things work around here,” Detective Paul told them.

I turned to the detective. “As I told your officers before, Matthew has nothing to do with this. I was just giving him a ride home. The drugs were in my car. You have no reason to hold him. Just release him, and I’ll stay and answer all your questions.” When my lawyer gets here.

“I’m not leaving without you,” Matthew insisted.

Stubborn.

“You were both found with drugs in your possession,” the arresting officer announced for everyone to hear.

“No,” I rebuked, flat and cold. “Neither of us was in possession of anything. You said you found them in my car.”

“You saying they set you up?” Max asked.

A disquiet rippled through the entire group. All Elite eyes collectively shifted to the two officers and one detective standing there.

“Falsely accusing an officer of the law is considered obstruction of justice,” pointed out the cop who brought Matthew.

“Setting up a politician’s son is career suicide,” I replied.

Matthew jolted, his body turning toward mine. “What did you say?”

Frowning, I reached for him. He took a step away, repeating, “What did you just say?”

I moved forward, closing the gap he’d just put between us. “I said he set us up.”

He shook his head adamantly. “No. No, that’s not what you said.”

Before I could do anything, the doors to the precinct swung in again, a rush of cool night air preceding the bodies coming inside. This time, it wasn’t twelve people. It was two.

But those two had the same impact as twelve.

Whispers swirled around the room. Bodies straightened from their desks. Phones were left to ring.

Appearing oblivious to the way he sucked oxygen from the room, my father strode down the short hallway, features smooth. Despite it being late and the fact that he had to hop on a plane to get here, he was unruffled in a navy suit, white dress shirt, and blue-checked tie. His shoes were shined within an inch of their life, his dark head had not one hair out of place, and he was freshly shaven. Beside him, Niles was dressed similarly, but his suit was brown, tie yellow, and he carried a briefcase.

“Senator Andrews.” Detective Paul spoke first, a hint of resignation in his tone. “Welcome to Westbrook Police Station. We weren’t expecting you.”

My father cut his eyes to the detective. “You’ve just arrested my son for the second time, and you weren’t expecting me?”

Honestly, I was a little surprised he’d come in person. I expected just Niles. I was glad, though. Bennett Andrews’s presence would speed things up even more.

Detective Paul cleared his throat. “Yes. Well?—”

Dad dismissed him, eyes snapping to me. “Son. Are you all right?”

“Son,” someone echoed.

I nodded. “Hey, Dad. Thanks for coming.”

Someone else whistled.

“Wait just a bro minute,” Jamie declared.

Kruger turned to me, astounded. “Dad?”

I nodded. “Everyone, this is my father, Bennett Andrews.”

“That’s Senator Andrews to all of you,” Niles said. Dude was the equivalent of a wet sock.

“Dad, this is Elite,” I introduced.

“The swimmers?” Dad surmised, and I nodded.

“You know us?” Wes seemed surprised.

Dad turned the full weight of his stare to the curly-headed swimmer.

Max stepped closer to his side.

“Of course. Elite is the best swim team in the entire state. All of you are a great pride for Virginia.”

“Funny way the law has of showing it,” Rush deadpanned.

“That’s why I’m here,” Dad said, glancing at Niles.

Niles stepped forward. “How about we get the cuffs off the senator’s son?”

Detective Paul motioned for the officer to do just that, and he did, but the set of his jaw and the glint in his eyes told me he was not happy about it. I ignored his resentment, pulling my hands free of the restraints.

Instantly, I stepped around Kruger for Matthew, who avoided looking at me altogether, choosing instead to stare at his feet. Frowning, I glanced at the handcuffs on his wrists, worrying they hurt. “These too,” I said, motioning to the officer.

At first, he ignored me, but the detective cleared his throat, and the cop came over, using the speed of a turtle in a puddle of peanut butter.

Annoyed, I snatched the set of keys right out of his hand. His eyes narrowed, and I turned my back on him to go to my boyfriend.

“Let me see,” I said quietly.

He hesitated, then lifted his hands so I could unlock the metal. The second he was able, he pulled his hands away and stepped toward Kruger.

Oh, I don’t like that.

“Hey,” I said, reaching for his wrist. “Did those hurt? Were they rough?”

“Don’t touch me,” he said, withdrawing to jam his hands in the pockets of the denim jacket.

The rebuff stung, not just my pride but my heart too. I didn’t understand why he was suddenly averse to me, not when we were like Velcro before.

“What happened?” I asked, confused as hell. It was hard to be mad, though, as I watched him try to hide in plain sight. I didn’t like the wild look in his eyes, the way they were glassing over. In mere moments, he seemed to shrink an entire size, and something a lot like fear swelled in the space around him.

Anxiety, I could understand. But fear? Why are you so afraid?

“Matty.” Jess stepped up to his side, holding out a white paper cup with a black lid snapped on the top. “Now that your hands are free, drink this.”

“You brought me a trauma latte?” he asked, staring at it.

“It’s tradition,” Jess replied.

“Tradition,” he echoed and took it instantly, lifting it to his lips.

I was mildly surprised he’d taken it, but then I realized tradition was just another word for routine. And right now, routine probably comforted him.

“We got one for you too, Arsen,” Madison said, offering an identical-looking latte to me.

“Thanks,” I said, accepting the coffee but never taking my eyes off Matthew. I was afraid I’d miss something, even a small detail that would unlock the way he was behaving.

As he sipped, Jess pushed against his side, looping her arms around his waist. He tucked one arm around her, actively avoiding my open stare.

So it’s just me he doesn’t want to touch? What the fuck?

“Now that that’s taken care of, should we get to the matter at hand?” Niles said. You’d think for as smart as he was, he’d be able to read the damn room.

“Hold on there a minute, bro,” Jamie told him. “We’re all still trying to process the fact that Arsen’s dad is a senator.”

“Go process somewhere else,” Niles said, voice pinched. “Now’s not the time.”

“It’s not a secret. Didn’t any of you know?” I mused. I mean, sure, I never went around announcing it, but we had the same last name, and I thought it was general knowledge.

Matthew made a sound, and it made something in the back of my neck tighten. Clearly, it was not general knowledge and the revelation was unwelcome.

But why?

I turned to him, but Kruger was there, blocking my view. “We’re swimmers. Not politicians,” he answered, voice curt. Something menacing flashed in his eyes. “You should have told us.”

I was getting really sick of this bro. “What does it matter?” I sniped, about to unload some of my frustration, but Kruger interrupted, invading my personal space and jamming a finger into my chest.

“You said the people around you were quality.”

Look. I knew my father was a politician who was questionable at times, but the way Kruger was acting, it was as if my dad were an outright criminal.

Hey, are you even a politician if you aren’t a criminal?

Don’t laugh at that, bro. It’s not funny.

Not only that, but I had a very bad feeling that whatever crawled up Kruger’s ass and died was the same thing that put that tortured look on Matthew’s face.

Worst first date ever.

I smacked his hand away from my chest. “Keep your hands to yourself,” I said quietly.

Niles snorted, interrupting our standoff. “As if you all didn’t know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ryan asked.

Niles seemed amused. To be honest, it was a creepy look on him. “You expect us to stand here and believe that a group of men known for who you are and what you do aren’t selective about the friends you make?”

“We aren’t like that here,” Ryan answered, being the voice for all of them. “We like people for who they are, not who they’re connected to.”

Niles laughed. “How quaint. And also very stupid. Although, I guess that would explain why you would keep this one around,” he said, pointing directly at Matthew.

Matthew stiffened, backing away from Jess and clutching the coffee so hard the lid popped off the top to teeter precariously on the lip of the mug. “What?” he asked, looking like a cornered animal desperate for an opportunity to bolt.

“I don’t know what’s going on here.” Detective Paul chimed in. “But this is not the place. We are in the middle of an arrest. I’m sure the senator has more important things to attend to than college drama, so if we could get back to the matter at hand…”

“Oh, but this pertains to the case,” Niles refuted, suddenly looking so fucking smug. His eyes slid to me, and they were practically gleeful as though he thought he had the upper hand over me for once.

“You’re a shitty lawyer, bro,” Kruger announced. “You’re fired. Rory, you better call up Coin and Coin. P needs a better rep than this clown.”

“You can’t fire me.” Niles sniffed. “And I was never repping him in the first place.”

I made a rude sound and looked at my father.

He frowned and turned to our lawyer. “Niles, what’s this about? This is not what we discussed.”

“What we discussed, Senator, is for me to do my job protecting you and anyone with your name.” He glanced at me, then back at my father. “And that’s exactly what I have done.” He spun, pinning Matthew with a stare. “Do any of these people have any idea who you really are? What you are?”

He was already pale, but Niles’s words leeched what color was left right out of him, turning his pallor ghostly. The lid on the cup gave up its fight and dropped, plopping on the ground near his feet.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Matthew said, but his voice, body language, and wary wide eyes called his words a lie.

With a rude sound, the heels of Niles’s dress shoes clipped over the floor so he could place the briefcase on a nearby desk and push the lid up. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out? You’ve been playing footsie with a senator’s son for God’s sake.” He produced a folder from the case and spun, holding it up for everyone to see. “The resources used to bury your identity are all available to me as well.”

Coffee splashed over the top of the cup, splattering Matthew’s hand and dripping onto the floor. Shoving my coffee back into Madison’s hold, I went to him, gently taking the cup from his hand and passing it to Jess. Using the hem of the beer-soaked hoodie I was wearing, I mopped up the mess on his trembling fingers.

“What’s going on?” I asked, voice for only his ears. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

Helpless. It’s the only way I could describe the way he looked just then. Helpless as his world crumbled around him.

“Arsen…” he whispered, voice trailing away.

“We’re leaving,” Kruger announced, coming over to take Matthew’s arm. “This is borderline harassment, and it’s giving me the ick. We’ll come back when Coin and Coin fly in from Chicago and deal with these BS charges then.”

“They said they’ll be here tomorrow,” Rory told the room, holding up her phone.

“You’re quality people, shrimp,” Kruger told her, then looked at me. “Unlike some people around here.”

“If you’re gonna insult me, at least tell me why,” I growled.

“If that’s the way you want to do it,” an officer spoke over us, “we can put him in lockup until his representation gets here.”

Matthew shook his head adamantly, chest rising and falling unevenly. “No closets,” he whispered. “No closets.”

Kruger cursed, but I shoved him back so hard his sneakers squeaked against the linoleum. I didn’t know what exactly was going on here, but I would be damned if anyone but me comforted Matthew right now.

Not caring we were in a crowded room, my dad was watching, and this was an utter shitshow, I palmed Matthew’s face, forcing his stare to mine. “Look at me,” I demanded.

He did, but the vacant look in his eyes was proof he probably was beyond seeing.

“You’re not going into a cell. Or a closet. I promise.” I was willing to commit crimes to keep my word. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on around here, but it doesn’t matter. We still fit.”

His eyes flickered at that. Blinking, he seemed to focus on me. “We fit,” he whispered.

“Better than ever,” I whispered back.

A stack of papers slid between us, obscuring my view of his face. “You might feel differently after seeing these,” Niles taunted.

“Get those out of my face,” I ground out, pushing away his arm and the papers. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think you know.”

“Get to the point, Niles,” my father snapped.

“John McClaren is his father,” Niles announced.

Matthew let out a pained sound, and my heart lurched even as my head spun.

No. No way.

“Oh hell no,” Kruger announced, coming forward to grab Matthew and tow him toward the door.

“You are under arrest,” Detective Paul called. “You cannot walk out of here.”

“Better get your tasers, then,” Kruger called. “Because the only way we are not leaving right now is if you make it so we can’t walk.”

The two arresting officers started forward, but all of Elite rushed to put themselves in their path.

“Your father is John McClaren?” I said, brain tripping to catch up.

Matthew stopped walking. He didn’t turn back and I couldn’t see his face, but I didn’t need to. I knew.

Fuck.

“C’mon, P,” Kruger said, trying to tug him forward.

“Who’s John McClaren?” Lars whispered to the room.

“Somebody Google it,” Win whispered.

“No!” Landry retorted. “We don’t need to know unless Prism wants us to.”

“Exactly,” Madison implored.

Despite the conversation going on around us, the thundering of my heart, and the disbelief mudding my head, my eyes stayed on the only thing that mattered. I wished I could echo the same sentiment as Madison—that I didn’t need to know.

But I did.

“We don’t have to do this now,” Kruger told Matthew.

Matthew’s shoulders hiked toward his ears, his head turned to look at his best friend, and searing jealousy burned my insides.

Look at me. Me!

“I think maybe I do,” he said.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” Max backed up Kruger.

“We got your six, bro.” Jamie agreed.

“What does that mean?” Lars wondered.

“Angel, it’s just a Jamie-ism for we got his back,” Win replied.

Matthew turned, and the look on his face silenced everyone, his eyes still refusing to meet mine. “John McClaren is a Virginia state senator. Just like him,” he told everyone, gesturing toward my dad, his aversion to him crystal-clear.

“But I thought your dad was the state senator,” Wes said, looking at me.

“Each state has two,” Rory explained.

My dad nodded. “Very good, young lady.”

Frankly, I didn’t give a damn about who knew what about the state government. That wasn’t what this was about.

“John McClaren is your father?” I repeated, completely surprised.

Matthew finally met my stare, but his dark gaze was shuttered. “Yes.”