Eagle Read online

  Eagle

  Rhyann Hunter & Ethan Dax

  Eagle

  Rhyann Hunter and Ethan Dax

  Copyright Ⓒ 2019 Rhyann Hunter, Ethan Dax & Inked Hearts Publications. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  The End….or is it?

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  I would like to dedicate this book to everyone who has ever been bullied or harassed for being different! You are beautiful just the way you are and deserve to be just as happy as everyone else. Here’s to you being the best YOU despite the Naysayers!

  - Rhyann Hunter

  I would like to dedicate this book to all the LGBTQ+ and my trans family and community we are all wonderful in our own way.

  - Ethan Dax

  Chapter One

  Eagle

  I was sitting in the office I was given when I first started working for Mrs. Dupree. I was very surprised at how spacious it was at first, but have grown quite accustomed to it after being her Personal Security Guard for the last five years. The phone rang pulling me away from the paperwork that I was trying to fill out, which I was happy for the distraction, but I wanted to get them filled out and get back to work, so I wanted to get off the phone as quickly as possible. I answered pretty gruffly.

  “Bryson here, speak quickly,” I spoke to whoever was on the other end.

  “Eagle, before I begin, I want you to know that Mrs. Dupree has had nothing but good things to say about you and the work you have been doing for her. That being said you are our best agent which is why we are pulling you off this job and putting you on another assignment,” I heard my boss, Agent Dwight Hendrickson, explain to me.

  “Dwight, you blockhead, you aren’t pulling me off of this job. It’s a cushy job for me and after the last one, where I almost got killed I deserve this one,” I demanded.

  “I know that Eagle, but this new job is right up your alley with your hand to hand combat experience, and you are the only one who is specifically trained. Besides you were asked for by name,” my boss replied.

  I sighed because he knew that once I heard that I was asked for by name I couldn’t resist the job. “Who is the unlucky bastard to ask for me by name?” I demanded.

  There was a pause on the other end of the line as I heard paper being shuffled around. Dwight was obviously looking for the answer to my question, before answering, “A Mr.Trevor Michael Matthews. He said you were recommended by a friend of his.”

  I thought about what Dwight had said and then responded, ”Fine when do I start?”

  “Tomorrow morning. The ticket is waiting for you at the Los Angeles International Airport ticket line. Your plane leaves at midnight, don’t be late,” Dwight responded and then immediately hung up.

  I didn’t have long to pack my meager belongings before the limo arrived to take me to LAX. Waiting for me in the backseat was a file folder with the breakdown of information about my next assignment. I browsed through it briefly as I figured I would have plenty of time to read through it more fully on the flight. I was finally making it to Paris. I wonder what it would be like this time of year!

  Once I was seated in First Class, I opened the file folder and began reading again. I would be working for the Matthews’ family. The son, Jorden Matthews, would actually be my assignment. The paperwork that I had on him, said that Jorden was a twenty-three-year-old male, who was in his senior year at the local university. Jorden had been in some scrapes throughout his youth, but his father was able to keep him out of jail and expunge his record so that it looked that Jorden was a well-rounded individual who was going places.

  Mr. Matthews had requested that I help Jorden learn some hand to hand techniques to help him protect himself better.. I would have to see how Jorden was physically first in order to create a program that would best fit his needs.

  When my eyes grew heavy, I asked the Flight Attendant for a pillow and a blanket and shut my eyes for a bit. I was awakened by someone shaking me awake and asking, “Sir are you alright?

  I looked around struggling to figure out where I was at first. When I realized I was on a plane, I answered, “Yes I am fine, it was just a nightmare, sorry for disturbing anyone.”

  “You were starting to yell out and I was concerned you were hurt. Which is why I woke you up,” she explained.

  “I’m fine. Once again, I’m sorry if I disturbed anyone” I responded.

  “We should be arriving at our destination in about an hour, please try to rest some more. The pilot will be coming over the intercom in forty-five minutes to put the seat belt sign on,” she spoke with a gentle smile.

  I did as she suggested and this time was nightmare free.

  Chapter Two

  Jorden

  I was sitting at my desk in my room working on some of my Christmas break work for my college classes.

  “Jorden, can you come down here please, your mother and I would like to talk to you,” my father called up the stairs.

  I sighed as I wanted to finish off what I was doing before calling back down the stairs, “Let me finish what I am doing and then I will be down, Dad,”

  “No, Jorden you need to come downstairs now this is very important,” he yells. I put my pen down and get up from my desk. Running down the stairs two at a time I am hoping this won’t take long, I saunter into my dad’s office where both he and my mom are sitting. Their conversation stops completely when I enter the room. My dad looks at me and tells me to sit down.

  At this point, I get an attitude and say, “I’d rather stand,”

  “Jorden enough with your snarky attitude, you will sit down this minute, or you will have to leave,” my dad spoke angrily.

  I finally sit down and ask, “What did you want to talk about?”

  I glared at my dad as I wait for him to talk, seeing him look over at my mom.

  When my dad looks at me, he says, “Your Mom and I have been talking about this coming Christmas and New Years’ vacation.”

  “When are we leaving and where are we going this year?” I ask in return.

  “That is what we want to talk to you about. This year we are going to be first flying to Japan. Then we will be going on a cruise to Mexico, the Panama Canal, Caribbean, Antarctica, However, these are trips that your Mother and I have been wanting to take since before you were born, and we have decided to take them now. You will be staying here to work on the schoolwork that you keep grumbling about wanting to finish.” he told me.

  I look at my dad and say angrily, “I am not coming with you this year.”

  “No, son, this is a vacation for just your mother and myself. We have hired Personal Security Guards for the whole family, and that includes you,” my father responded.

  “I don’t need a glorified babysitter watching over me. I am twenty-three years old and can take
care of myself Father,” I spoke agitatedly as I started to pace the floor.

  “Our family does have enemies who will do anything to gain the control that we have, and I will not have them use you against me in any fashion. The Personal Security Guard stays. I will argue with you no longer. He will arrive here tomorrow night just as we are leaving for our trip. Now, this is the end of this discussion,” my father said as he and my mother walked out of the office together. I stay sitting in my chair beyond mad, though I do overhear my mom asking what they will be going to see when they are in Japan. I walk to the slightly open door as it didn’t close all the way, so I could hear my dad’s response.

  “On the first day, we are going to go to Mt Fuji then on to the Oshino Ninja village and then last go to one of the five lakes, Lake Kawaguchi. On day two we will be getting on the cruise ship and heading over to Mexico where we will be going to the Chileno bay to snorkel past the famed lovers beach, sea lions colony and the rock formations of islands and then we will be snorkeling among the tropical fish in the blue water of the sea of Cortez.

  .

  Chapter Three

  Eagle

  After the plane touched down, and I had disembarked, I went into one of the many restaurants that were in the airport and order me something to eat, as it was only about twelve twenty-five in the afternoon. I wasn’t due to check-in for my assignment until two in the afternoon. I took this extra time to take another look at the file folder with the information on my assignment in it.

  Jorden, from his picture, looked interesting. If he wasn’t an assignment, he would certainly be a guy who would make me turn my head and look twice at. With his deep, soulful brown eyes, and full luscious, kissable lips Jorden was most definitely my kind of guy.

  I have been out of the closet since I was eleven when I told my grandmother that I like boys instead of girls. She, of course, said I was cursed and tried to beat it out of me with my grandfather’s belt. I went to school the next day with welts across my face and arms that were so raised that Child Protective Services was called in and I was removed from their home and have never looked back.

  Have there been times that I wished I liked girls like all of my friends? Yes, but then I wouldn’t be me, I would be just another robot following society’s version of who I should be.

  I shook my head to clear it of the thoughts I should not be having of Jorden. He is my assignment, not someone I should be thinking of making love to, let alone falling in love with. Okay, skimming down the page, my eyes stop on one essential piece of information that I did not see the first time that I skimmed through. Jorden is a transgender male. Okay, hold the phone, Jorden used to be a female? I take a look at his picture once again and look really hard at his face. Nope, there is no way this sexy young man was ever a female. No way on this big green earth was this hot, earthy, male with the “come get me” look on his face, was ever a female.

  That info had shocked me so much that I needed to move. I needed time to let it sink in. What I needed the most was a good work out, but crap where had the time gone? It was now a quarter to two and if I didn’t start moving I was going to be late, and I pride myself on being early. I grabbed everything that I had ordered and never touched, slammed it into the trash can that was situated to my left and walked out briskly towards the exit to where the taxis were waiting to pick up visitors like me. Luckily I knew how to speak French enough to let the driver know where I needed to go.

  Getting into the taxi that pulled up to the curb as soon as I walked out of the front doors, I said, “Je dois aller rapidement au 1254 Hallow Road Ave!” (I have to go quickly to 1254 Hallow Road Ave!)

  “Tout de suite monsieur,” (Immediately, Sir,) the driver responded and he pulled away as soon as the door shut.

  I thought American drivers drove like race car drivers, but they are nothing like the drivers in Paris. I felt like I was on a racetrack the entire time I was inside the taxi up until the brakes were applied when we slammed to a stop in front of the Matthew’s estate.

  “Merci pour la balade,” (Thanks for the ride,) I told the driver as I paid the fare that I owed him, then stepped out onto a stark driveway that was surrounded by immaculate flowers in fancy flower gardens or flower boxes. Everywhere I looked blooms of all colors were bursting forth. How they were protected this time of year was anyone’s guess.

  Once again as soon as I shut the door, the driver sped away as if he was in a car race and he had to be the first car to cross the finish line. I just shook my head in disbelief, and then looked up as the front doors opened and a young man came out pleading with his mother to get his Father to change his mind about the Personal Security Guard.

  “Mother please, explain to Father that I don’t need anyone to watch over me. I am old enough to take care of myself, as well as this house,” Jorden pleaded again for the umpteenth time since he was told about the trip.

  I tried to hide my smile but knew that I should let them know I was standing there, as my mother had taught me that it was rude to eavesdrop on anyone’s conversation. I walked up closer to them, and said, “Excuse me, is Mr. Matthews around?”

  “Who are you?” was the response that Jorden gave me. The picture that I had in the file did not do justice to the young man standing in front of me. I was taken aback at first but quickly recovered.

  “My name is Eagle Bryson. I have been hired by your father to be your Personal Security Guard. You are Jorden Michael Matthews, are you not?” I replied.

  “So, what if I am. I am old enough to take care of myself. I don’t need you. My father was getting ready to call you and tell you not to show up,” was his defiant answer in return.

  “Well, I did not get that call, and I am here now, so why don’t we make the best of the situation, shall we?” I answered in return.

  Jorden just looked me up and down and made a dismissive sound and walked back into the house.

  “Please, excuse my son, he is just acting like a little child right now. Hello, I am Mrs. Matthews, but you can call me Gloria,” the older lady said walking up to me with her hand extended.

  “Mrs. Matthews is your husband around, I would really like to talk to him before the two of you leave for your vacation,” I asked politely shaking her offered hand.

  “He should be out here shortly. The other guards arrived shortly before you did, so he is briefing them right now,” she informed me.

  “Other guards?” I inquired, “ I was under the impression that I was to be the only one,” I added.

  “Oh, these guards will be following my husband and me. I am not happy about it, but what can I do. My husband has made enemies that he is worried about,” she answered sadly.

  “I understand. Where may I find him then? I would like to get my orders and get settled before I start looking around the grounds,” I asked gently.

  “Oh, of course, excuse me, I am a little sad myself. I am not used to leaving my son home alone, and if what my husband says is true, I am a bit scared for him as well. You know as his mother. My husband is just inside the foyer of our home. You should find him there,” she replied absently.

  I honestly felt sorry for her. She was caught between her husband and her son both of which she loved very much, and she couldn’t say no to either of them. I nodded to her, but I’m not sure she saw my gesture, then turned and walked towards the tall, stark white door, which opened as soon as I stepped up to it.

  “Puis-je vous aider?” (Can I help you?) the butler who opened the door asked me.

  “Je m'appelle Eagle et je cherche Monsieur Matthews,”(My name is Eagle and I am looking for Mr. Matthews,) I replied.

  He just shook his head in acknowledgment and opened the door wider for me to allow me to enter and follow him.

  “Monsieur Matthews, puis-je vous présenter Monsieur Eagle est arrivé comme vous l'avez demandé,” (Mr. Matthews, may I introduce Mr. Eagle as you requested,) he announced to his employer when we got to the parlor where Mr. Matthews and two other g
entlemen were standing.

  “Eagle, thank you for coming so quickly,” Mr. Matthews came walking swiftly in my direction hands uplifted as if he was going to pull me into a hug.

  “Dwight told me that this job was urgent, so here I am,” I replied taking his hand to make sure that I would not get the hug that he had intended.

  “Right, I had told my buddy Dwight that this was very urgent. Have you met my son Jorden?” he asked me.

  “Yes, we met briefly outside when he was talking with your wife,” I informed him.

  “Wonderful, Dwight told me that you were the best in the hand to hand combat, so I really just want you to keep an eye on him when he leaves the house, and to teach him how to protect himself,” Matthews responded, slurring his words just a bit as if he had already been drinking, and it was only ten in the morning.

  “Honey, if we don’t get going we will miss our flight,” Mrs. Matthews came in and urged her husband to get a move on.

  “You are very right Gloria. Gentlemen grab your bags we must leave now. Eagle, good luck with my son. He can be a handful,” he stated and with that he walked out of the room and the house, leaving me with Jorden.

  Chapter Four

  Jorden

  When I ran back into the house after yelling at Eagle I went into my bedroom and changed into my long-sleeved workout shirt and sweatpants. I then headed down to the gym and started on the treadmill thinking about what Eagle would look like out of his suit. I started at a slow speed eventually picking up speed needing to get the image of Eagle out of my mind. When I was done on the treadmill I moved to the weights being careful of my left arm as it still giving me trouble from the surgery. Before beginning on the weights, I started to look in the mirror at my long sleeve shirt thinking if I would ever be comfortable with Eagle wearing a t-shirt to work out in. I was still self-conscious about my surgery as it was only six months ago, and I still didn’t want a lot of people to know about it. I began to lift up the weight bar over my head, then realized that I had no music playing, so I gently placed it back down. Walking over to the MP3 player on the wall, I turned on my favorite music to work out to. Then I went back to the weights and began to figure out my counts and looked at the paper that I keep my counts on. I saw that I have to do twenty more reps than I did last time to surpass my work out goal.