Our Little Nest: Book 4 of The Two Timer Series

by D. B. Watson

  “Hello,” A. J. said on Adam’s cell. Adam looked at his cell, then to the bodies, then turned and saw Jamie staring at him in shock.

  CHAPTER 36

  DEEP

  Patrick dived into the indoor heated pool. The water was inviting as he surfaced. He took a breath and dove under again, swimming to the bottom, then with his feet, he pushed upward. When he broke the surface, he swam laps. He did four complete ones before pausing.

  “I always enjoyed watching you swim,” said Yuri.

  Patrick looked around and rested eyes on Yuri standing on the diving board.

  “What do you want?”

  “Why are you cross with me?”

  “Because, like you, Adam left me to go save that—that bumpkin.”

  Yuri dropped his eyes from Patrick, remembering his pain when he told him they needed to break up. Driving him into the arms of an abuser. Yuri climbed off the diving board and walked to the side of the pool. Patrick tread in the middle.

  “Can you come out of the pool and talk to me?”

  “No,” Patrick said, diving back under the water.

  “Fine.” With a tug of his tie, he loosened it and tossed it onto a lounge chair. He disrobed from his designer suit and stripped off his briefs, walking to the edge of the pool, vaulting in.

  Patrick resurfaced just as Yuri surfaced in front of him. Patrick’s eyes locked with the brown crescent ones that he once was so in love with.

  Neither touched as Patrick tread backward, bumping into the wall of the pool.

  Yuri moved with him, raising his hand, seizing the edge of the pool. “I’ve hurt you. And I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry?”

  “My intention was not to cause you pain.”

  “So, you thought by bringing him to my parents’ party I’d fall madly in love with you again?”

  “I only want your forgiveness.”

  “If I forgive you, will you take your—boyfriend—someplace else, and tell Adam you no longer need his services?”

  “You shouldn’t feel threatened by Jamie.”

  “Threatened? I feel nothing toward him. I honestly don’t perceive what you see in him except for a charity case.”

  “I miss you, Patrick.”

  “I missed you.”

  This caused Yuri to move closer only for Patrick to avoid his touch by diving under and popping up behind Yuri.

  “But," Patrick continued, “I got over it. It took time, but I got over you. I’ve moved on and fallen in love with an amazing man.”

  “If he’s so amazing, why isn’t he here with you?”

  “Because he asked Adam to take him home.”

  “Adam drove Jamie home, but Jamie never told me he wanted to leave.”

  “He told Adam he couldn’t get in touch with you.”

  “That can’t be true.”

  “So, why did Adam leave?”

  “I don’t know. But I can show you what’s happening at the penthouse. They should be there now.”

  “How?”

  Yuri moved to the ladder and climbed out. The water slid off his muscular frame as Patrick tried to avert his eyes. Yuri grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Patrick, who was also naked, climbed the ladder and took Yuri’s offered hand to help him out. Yuri tried to help conceal his modesty only for Patrick to snatch the towel from him and cover himself.

  Patrick followed him to the lounge chair where Yuri left his cell phone. He sat and looked up at Patrick who crossed his arms as he sat beside Yuri but avoided touching him.

  Yuri opened an app that produced a live camera.

  “Here look, I have a live video feed in my apartment,” Yuri said, showing the images on his phone.

  Patrick looked over the four shots. He viewed the hallway where the elevators were, the kitchen, the library, and a bedroom where Jamie was.

  “How many cameras do you have in your place?”

  “I have one in every room except for Penny’s bedroom, and none in the bathrooms.”

  “So, this one is your bedroom?”

  “That’s right. And Jamie’s sitting on the bed unharmed.”

  “Where are your bodyguards and Penny?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You came here for a reason Yuri and I know it has something to do with me.”

  “I won’t lie about that.”

  “So, why shouldn’t I believe you had Jamie call Adam, just so you can be alone with me?”

  Yuri was about to protest when he saw the elevator door open and Adam Potter walked into view. Patrick waited for Yuri to answer him when he looked down at the screen and saw Adam. Adam moved to the staircase, where Jamie ran down to meet him.

  Patrick cringed at the blatant attempt at flirting and was about to call Adam and tell him what the little weed was doing when he noted Adam kissed Jamie. They witnessed what looked like a personal conversation between Adam and Jamie. Then their kiss grew into an intense, passionate embrace that Patrick thought Adam only shared with him. He watched as Adam picked Jamie up and carried him upstairs.

  Patrick jumped up, not wanting to see more. Yuri turned off his cell and looked up at Patrick, who was shaking and moving back toward the pool.

  “Patrick”—Yuri stammered—“I can stop it. I’ll call Jamie.” He speed dialed the number and waited for a response. The ringing repeated. Jamie never answered. Yuri lowered his cell and glanced back at Patrick, who had left.

  Patrick raced from Yuri, disgraced. Betrayed again, he said to himself. He grabbed his clothes and hurried back to his bedroom using a secret passage. He locked the door behind him. Tossed his tailored suit on his bed, dropped the shoes to the floor, and fled to his bathroom. He washed the chlorine from his hair and body fighting back tears. Once he dried off, reapplied his lotion and cologne. Patrick styled his hair and dressed in the same suit. He stood in front of a floor-length mirror, staring at his reflection with a slight disgust for the man staring back.

  “You’re so pathetic,” he said in a whisper. A knock came on his door.

  “Young sir, the dinner bell rang,” said Cora. Patrick took a deep breath, checking his eyes for redness before answering the door.

  “I’m ready,” Patrick said with a calmer, somber tone. He stepped out of his room and shut the door behind him. Cora stared at him with concern.

  “Will Detective Potter be joining you, young sir?”

  “No,” Patrick said flatly.

  “Oh, I mean, of course, young sir.”

  “Are you going back downstairs?” Patrick asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’ll walk with you.”

  “Oh, but I shouldn’t, sir.”

  “It’s okay, Cora. I could use the company.”

  As she was about to protest, they were interrupted.

  “Patrick, where did you and Adam go?” Philip asked. “Everyone is looking for you.”

  “I had gone for a swim and needed to re-dress.”

  “Well, all right, but where’s Adam?”

  “I don’t—” Patrick changed his mind. “He had to leave because of business.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. Is he coming back?”

  “I doubt it.”

  Philip caught the bitterness in Patrick’s response. Patrick noticed Cora had already left.

  “Is everything all right, Patrick?”

  “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Well, you’re acting—”

  “I’m starving,” Patrick said.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  Philip took the hint and dropped it.

  He joined Patrick downstairs just as everyone moved to the dining room.

  Drusilla looked concerned when she saw Patrick without Adam. Patrick approached, kissing his mother’s cheek. He said nothing but gave her a forced smile and took his seat across from an empty one.

  She was about to ask him about Adam when Philip kissed her cheek and
whispered into her ear.

  “Adam’s not here and Patrick doesn’t want to talk about it.”

  Drusilla wanted to comfort her son, but she respected his privacy and took her seat.

  CHAPTER 37

  ReD

  Adam disconnected his call to A. J. and stared at the dead men. Jamie stood behind him. Adam saw both men had bullet wounds in the forehead. Neither drew their weapons, which meant someone caught them off guard.

  “Adam,” Jamie said, his voice barely above a whisper. Adam turned and saw genuine horror on the young man’s face.

  “Jamie,” Adam said, taking a step toward him, only for Jamie to step back. “It’s okay,” continued Adam.

  “Did you do this?” Jamie demanded.

  “What? No!” Adam said, shocked by Jamie’s question.

  “Adam, you weren’t yourself.”

  “Why would you think I did this?”

  “Who else could have?”

  “It wasn’t me.”

  “Adam, you’d came up in the elevator. You’re tracking blood. Look at the floor.”

  Adam scanned his surroundings. He found bloody tracks leading from the elevator up the staircase. Why haven’t I noticed the tracks before? he wondered.

  “Jamie, I swear I didn’t shoot them.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  Adam tried to reflect on the beginning of his journey, to his present position.

  “Okay, I was at a party. I spent time with my boyfriend’s father.” Adam paused. “You called me to take you home. Patrick wasn’t happy about it.” The words burned into Adam’s chest. He wished he’d stayed with Patrick. Instead, he put his duty before their relationship. Again. “I parked in the garage—” His mind went blank. “After that, I can’t remember anything until I woke up on your bedroom floor.”

  Tears welled in Adam’s eyes as Jamie sat on the stairs, watching Adam.

  Adam rubbed his eyes, combing his hair back with his fingers. He needed to clear his head. Then it hit him. He glanced up at the ceiling and saw his answer in the corner.

  “Security camera.” He pointed. “Jamie, where is the room the recordings go to?”

  “In the office, in the hall.”

  “I need you to come with me.”

  “What for?”

  “The camera will show my movements.”

  “But I will have to go past them.” Jamie meant the dead Lu brothers, causing him to feel sick.

  Adam considered closing the elevator door, but he didn’t want to tamper with the crime scene further.

  “All right, stay here or go back to your room and lock the door if it’ll make you feel safe. I’ll be right back.”

  “But what if it shows you killing them?” Jamie asked in a panic.

  “I’ll call the police and allow them to do their job.”

  “But you weren’t in your right mind!” Jamie cried.

  “Two men are dead, Jamie, and someone needs to pay for the crime.”

  “But it was—” Again when Jamie tried to say who was the cause, the words escaped him.

  “It’ll be all right, Jamie. I’ll find out the truth and we’ll take it from there.” Adam turned away when Jamie called to him.

  “Wait, Adam.”

  Adam looked at him with concern.

  “I changed my mind. I want to go with you, but—I don’t want to see them. Not like that.” Jamie wasn’t close to the brothers, but he remembered they were polite to him. They had invited him to play cards with them. Jamie refused, being a brat. But Yuri joined a few of their games and had enjoyed them.

  “I can put my arm around you and block your view with my body. So long as you don’t Taser me again.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. You did the right thing. Come on, get close to me.”

  Jamie allowed Adam’s broad arm to drape across his shoulder. As promised, Adam used his upper body to block the sight of the grisly scene.

  “Mind your step,” said Adam, glancing at the floor where the footprints were so Jamie didn’t step on them. Jamie stepped over the imprint and moved with Adam to the office. All the while smelling the heavenly scent coming from him and regretting his refusal to have sex. But he knew Adam wouldn’t remember, and would hate himself for betraying Patrick.

  They entered the office. It was big enough for two people. One wall-length monitor showed several boxes on the screen of the rooms of the penthouse. Adam sat in one of the two chairs in the room while Jamie took the other. Adam studied the panel and the screens. He located what he was looking for.

  “Was I unconscious long?” he asked Jamie.

  “Only for a few minutes.”

  “Okay, here we go. I took the video back before you called me.” Adam pressed play and right away the Lu brothers were there talking to each other. One of them received a call, then both boarded the elevator.

  “They could have seen something on the cameras where they both had to go check it out.”

  The picture became distorted. The time slipped forward, showing the Lu brothers gone.

  “What the fuck?” said Adam, rewinding the footage.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Part of the recording is missing.” He rewound it and the lapse happened again. “Okay, that’s weird. Let’s keep watching.”

  The elevator door opened. Adam stepped out. He walked through the hall toward the steps, leaving the bloody footsteps. Adam clicked to the time he arrived in the garage. The angle pointed at the elevator. The image of his jeep pulling up. They couldn’t see what he was doing, but he remained in his jeep.

  “Why didn’t you get out?” asked Jamie.

  “I don’t know. Wait, I remember, I was reaching for my gun. Then—nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “I can’t remember. Let’s keep watching.”

  After a moment, they watched as Adam climbed out of his jeep and walked to the elevator. He pulled out his key card. The doors opened and there were the Lu brothers, already dead. Adam watched as he boarded the elevator, oblivious to the heinous act at his feet. He used the key card to close the door.

  After stopping the recording, Adam sat back, stunned by what he observed.

  “How the hell did I not react to that?” Adam turned to Jamie, who sat looking away from the screen but not looking at him. “Jamie, do you know something, anything that can explain what I just saw?”

  Jamie shook his head wildly, unable to speak.

  Adam grabbed his shoulders and made Jamie look at him. “Jamie, two men are dead, and I think it’s connected with your hometown. Am I right?”

  Jamie only shook his head. Adam shook him to make him lock eyes with him.

  “Damnit, Jamie, give me a straight answer.”

  “I can’t!” Jamie shouted.

  “You can’t or won’t?”

  “Please, Adam, I can’t. I just can’t.” He was near to tears when the lights went out. Out of habit, they both looked up. “Adam, what’s going—”

  Adam cut Jamie short by covering his mouth with his palm and moving close to the man’s face. “Shh,” Adam said. He removed his palm and went to the door. Jamie tried to follow, but Adam urged him with a gesture to remain seated. Unable to hear anything, Adam moved back to Jamie. “Where are the circuit breakers?” he whispered.

  “I think in the kitchen,” Jamie whispered back. Adam grabbed the younger man’s hand and pulled him to his feet toward the door.

  Adam cracked open the door and peered out. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and the area seemed to be clear. He turned to Jamie again.

  “Hold my hand and stay with me. I’m going to get us to the emergency staircase,” Adam said.

  “Okay.” Jamie tightened his grip on Adam’s hand and grabbed his forearm.

  Adam opened the door and pulled Jamie close to his body as he darted for the fire exit in the kitchen. As they moved closer, a bullet grazed Adam’s arm as it got embedded into the door, stopping them in their tr
acks. They turned and saw Penny moving toward them, holding a gun.