by D. B. Watson
“I shouldn’t say. Just go home and get some rest.”
“I agree with him. I could use sleep right now,” Ethan said.
“Good,” Adam agreed, locking up and walking them downstairs.
Ethan saw his Range Rover with front-end damage. “What the hell happened to my truck?”
Adam held the door open for Justin. “I’m not sure, but I have a guess. Just for now go home and get some sleep. I’ll help you work this out tomorrow.”
Once inside, Justin rolled down his window to talk to Adam. “Adam, I feel strange.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, Justin. We’ll work through this, okay?”
“Okay, boss.” Adam smiled and touched Justin’s cheek.
“It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back.”
Ethan started the Rover as Justin rolled the window back up. They pulled off, leaving Adam at the curb. Once Ethan turned a corner, his cell phone rang and he answered it. Justin looked for his phone but couldn’t find it.
“Ethan, I think I left my cell back at the office. Mind if we go back and get it?”
Ethan didn’t respond as he continued to listen to the caller. Justin’s muscles were sore as he yawned his exhaustion.
“Ethan, did you hear me?” Ethan brought the cell from his ear and held it out to Justin.
“You should listen to this.”
Justin hesitated as he reached for the cell.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“Adam,” was all Ethan told him.
Justin raised the cell to his ear and listened as a voice spoke.
****
Adam went to the diner and saw Yuri sitting at the counter. He walked up and saw him drinking a cup of tea.
“We’re not staying. Pay the check and meet me outside.”
Yuri tossed a ten on the counter and left. He found Adam waiting.
“Let’s get this over with. We have a long drive, and we need to make a plan.”
“My rental is just down here,” Yuri said.
“We’re taking my jeep,” Adam declared walking off, ignoring Yuri’s protest. Yuri grudgingly followed, sensing Adam was not in the mood to argue.
CHAPTER 46
Flaw
Patrick returned to his room. He messaged Cora on his cell phone, telling her to inform everyone he didn’t want to be disturbed.
He tried to take a nap, but he couldn’t stop his mind from racing. He kept building scenarios of Adam’s death. He tried to wipe his negative thoughts clean, but they kept returning. His dry throat cried for a drink that he wanted, but all he had in his room was water. His parents thought it best not to allow him to have a minibar at his disposal.
“Damnit!” Patrick shouted, sitting up in bed. “Not again. I’m not going back to destructive habits.” His cell rang, and he saw Justin’s ID.
“Why do I have his number?” Patrick sighed, and tried not to sound annoyed. “Hello.”
“Patrick, have you seen Adam?” Justin asked.
“He’s with me at my parents’.”
“It’s just, I came down with a cold, and Adam wanted me to wait at the office for a package.”
“Well, I’ll pass the message on to him.”
“Thanks.”
“Is the package important?”
“Yeah. It has a client’s sensitive information.”
“Well—I’ll go tell Adam now. You stay home and take care of yourself.”
“Thanks, Patrick, I will. Bye.”
“Goodbye.”
Patrick rose and approached his balcony doors, staring out. I can’t call Adam about this. He needs to focus on his safety.
Patrick needed to speak to his mother.
****
“Patrick, tonight’s the last night of the party. You know your father and I are leaving the country tomorrow,” Drusilla said after Patrick found her at the tennis court taking pictures.
“I’m sorry about this Mother, but I need to be there for Adam. And that means at the apartment. Please understand?”
She placed her camera on a nearby table. She reached out and placed her hand on one side of Patrick’s cheek. “I can understand. Adam better appreciate how lucky he is to have you.” She kissed him and took his arm as they walked the path back to the house.
“I feel I’m the lucky one.”
“Don’t be so down on yourself about your past relationships. We’ve all been through bumps in our life.”
“So, yours and father’s relationship had bumps?”
“Oh, heavens, yes. In fact, there was a time we almost divorced.”
“When?” Patrick gripped her hand in concern.
“Darling, don’t fret. It was long before your conception. We moved into our first home and were experiencing each other.”
“First home?”
“Yes. It was a house that Raoul found and bought for me.”
“And you almost parted because of it?”
“Everyone brings their own baggage. And sometimes the illusion’s shattered and reality sets in.”
“Shattered?”
“Patrick, there are things couples will have to come to grips with and get over if they want a stable relationship.”
“What was yours?”
“Your father is a flirt and likes attention, but I’ve come to see that he wants my approval when he does it. He likes it when I watch.”
“Did he cheat on you?”
“Never, he just likes to flirt.”
“What was Father’s?”
She grinned. “I farted.” They both laughed.
“So that was it?” asked Patrick.
“Apparently that was all it took to knock him out of his fantasy. He didn’t believe women farted. He sat astonished, looking at me as I didn’t miss a beat reading my magazine. I turned to him and said I had broccoli at lunch. Then he farted, and we burst out laughing.”
“Both of you are weird,” Patrick giggled.
“Who’s weird?” asked Raoul, walking up to them holding his tennis racket. He laid a kiss on his wife’s lips first, then kissed Patrick’s cheek.
“Our son who dresses like a female superhero says we’re weird,” Drusilla answered.
“What’s wrong with being weird?” Raoul asked.
“Nothing.” Patrick responded by hugging his father, who returned his son’s affection.
“Raoul. Patrick wants to go home to wait for Adam.”
“Does he?”
“It’s important, Father; I need your support.”
“And you have it. Go be with Adam.”
Stunned by his father’s response he could only say, “Thank you for understanding, Father.” Patrick hugged and kissed his parents and turned to leave when he stopped and spun back to them. “Oh, I have news. Adam and I bought a house, and we signed the papers today. I’ll have you both over when you get back. Bye,” he said, leaving his parents speechless.
****
Patrick’s parents offered their driver to take him home. Patrick declined, taking a cab instead.
While he waited for it to arrive, he contemplated over what his mother told him. True, he and Adam had flaws. His flaw was being dreadful in the kitchen. He wanted to stop being such a catastrophe and a burden on Adam. Adam helped him master washing dishes, so the next thing must be cooking. He knew little about shopping for groceries and preparing a meal.
Now that they had a house, Patrick understood he had to step up as more than a partner. When he moved into his condo by the docks, he only had to call people to handle decorating. He supervised the style he wanted, but for the actual labor he hired people, and Poe handled the cleaning and cooking and ordering takeout.
Patrick pulled out his cell and tried to call Adam to tell him about where he’d be, but his call bumped to voicemail. Not taking that as anything to worry about, Patrick texted Adam his change in plans and said he would be at the apartment waiting for his return. After pressing send, Patrick became more co
nfident in his decision of going home.
****
The cab pulled up to the front of the building. Patrick climbed out and unlocked the front door for the driver to carry his bags inside.
Patrick tipped the man, then locked the door behind him. He checked the elevator, finding it locked. He forgot how to unlock it. Adam always did it for him. Patrick looked at his bags and the stairs and knew he couldn’t carry them up by himself. He was done in, and only wanted a shower and a nap.
He grabbed the smallest bag and climbed the flights. Patrick staggered up the last flight of stairs to the apartment, leaving the door unlocked.
He headed for their bedroom. Patrick only wanted to collapse onto the bed but wanted a shower more. He shed his clothes and walked into the bathroom.
The warm water eased the tension from his shoulder and legs as he massaged Adam’s body wash across his skin. After exiting the shower, he tugged on another of Adam’s tee shirts with nothing underneath. Patrick loved the scent on his skin, reminding him of Adam. Memories flooded his mind, recharging his body—reminding him he hadn’t eaten. He entered the kitchen; he noticed his favorite mug with his brand of tea inside with a sticky note attached that read: Have a cup of tea and think of me. Adam. Patrick blushed as his soul beamed. Adam, how did you foresee I would come home?
Patrick grabbed his cell and texted Adam. He noted Adam hadn’t sent a response from his last text. It didn’t matter. Patrick sent another text: I love, love, love you. I’ll wait up for you. His emotions overwhelmed him, and he wanted to cry. Patrick pulled his sentiment back and turned on the burner to heat the water. He checked the fridge, finding two eggs, and a frozen turkey in the freezer.
He wasn’t in the mood to go out to eat, so he ordered a veggie pizza instead. He returned to the bedroom to put on a pair of jeans to receive the package and his pizza.
CHAPTER 47
cElL
Adam played the radio while he kept his eyes on the road. Yuri sat with his eyes closed, bundled up in his coat because of the missing window replaced with plastic. Adam had turned up the heat, but with the speed he was going, it did little to no help.
“I should stop for gas,” Adam said, checking his gas gauge. Yuri opened his eyes and sighed.
“Wouldn’t it be best to wait until we reach the town?” Yuri asked.
“No,” Adam said flatly.
“If you only allowed me to take my car, we wouldn’t have to stop.”
Adam found Yuri’s tone a tad condescending and he looked at him.
“Well, you also could have done this by yourself.”
“You’re saying you don’t want to help?”
“I never said that. I prefer doing things my way. Driving my jeep relaxes me.”
“Was your partner pleased with you leaving him?”
“That really isn’t any of your business. But I am wondering, how did you know where to find me?”
“Your assistant told me where you would be.”
“And the Valdez’s guards allowed you to pass because you needed to talk to me?”
“I assume you already deduced my connection with the Valdezes.”
“How are you connected with Patrick?”
Yuri never made eye contact as he tried to think over his answer before responding.
“I’ve known the Valdez family for years. I met Patrick while he was overseas.”
Adam waited to hear more, but Yuri wasn’t forthcoming. He gritted his teeth and clenched the steering wheel. Part of him wanted answers, and another part of him didn’t want any.
Why didn’t Patrick say he knew Yuri when he told him who he worked for? he wondered. Was there a past relationship and did it end badly? Was Yuri planning to rekindle his and Patrick’s fling? But then, where did Jamie come in? Then it hit Adam. In small ways, Jamie resembled Patrick—minus Patrick’s lush, touchable, auburn curls; Jamie had blond sun-kissed locks. Patrick’s creamy, kissable, mocha skin to Jamie’s sun-touched fair skin. Was Jamie Patrick’s replacement? He would have to talk to Patrick when he got back.
He pulled into the rest stop gas station and stopped behind an eighteen-wheeler whose driver stood outside his truck’s cad, talking on his cell.
Adam climbed out, glancing at the trucker who seemed deep in his conversation. He checked if the pump took his card when he spotted a sign saying, “Card machine down, please come inside.” Adam looked back at Yuri, who climbed out to stretch his legs. “I’ll be back, I have to pay inside.”
“Can you get me a water?” Yuri asked. Adam nodded and walked off.
Yuri moved around, eyeing the truck driver, who was still talking on his cell. Yuri’s thoughts were about Patrick, whom he’d left believing they’d slept together. Yuri realized now that Adam knew about his relationship with the Valdezes. He needed to settle things with Patrick to make sure he didn’t confess to Adam about something that never happened. Only he didn’t have his cell phone, and didn’t want to ask Adam to loan him his.
Adam returned and tossed a bottle of water to Yuri, who caught it with one hand. He opened it and nearly drained it.
“I need a painkiller, I have a headache,” Yuri said, lying.
“They sell them inside,” noted Adam.
“Good, I’ll be right back.”
Adam filled his tank while Yuri walked back to the station, seeing the truck driver going in.
Entering, Yuri eyed the truck driver filling a cup the size of half a gallon with a soft drink. He moved to the counter, eyeing a medium-built woman, late twenties early thirties, reading a magazine. Her hair was tied to one side in a ponytail as she chewed on a straw. When Yuri walked up, she raised her eyes from her reading and grinned at the heavenly face. She sat up and gave Yuri her full attention.
“Well, it must be my lucky day,” she said.
Yuri flashed his perfect grin at her as he combed back his fallen locks with his fingers.
“Why is it so lucky?” he asked.
“Well,” she started, glancing out the window toward Adam, whom she’d just served. “I don’t get many cute men through here. Are you two an item?”
Yuri glanced out at Adam and found it odd that the woman would confuse them as a couple. Yuri primed his hair, clothes, and style, where Adam found his own in—denim.
“No, we’re—associates.”
“So, where are you and your—associate—going?”
“To WillowMoss.” Yuri watched as the woman’s expression changed from flirtatious to what he perceived to be distress.
“Did I say something to upset you?” Yuri asked.
She glanced around and her eyes landed on the truck driver, who stopped filling his cup. Yuri realized she wasn’t looking at him anymore. He turned and locked eyes with the man behind him.
The truck driver smiled and grabbed a lid and straw for his drink and walked out. Yuri, puzzled by the man’s behavior, turned back to the woman, who had returned to her magazine, ignoring Yuri.
“Do you sell prepaid phones?”
“No,” she said in a monotone. Yuri had no clue what happened to her once-charming behavior, but he decided not to push it as he left and returned to Adam’s jeep.
Adam sat behind the wheel, checking his cell for any messages from Patrick, finding none. He sent Patrick a sexted message promising he’d perform as soon as he got back. He glanced up when Yuri walked up, just as the truck driver started up his rig. Yuri climbed into the passenger side, lost in thought.
“Ready to go?” asked Adam.
Yuri stared at the semi in front of them, then looked at Adam.
“What is wrong with WillowMoss?”
“I can’t honestly say,” Adam said, feeling the tug on his throat like someone tightening a collar. “Just—follow my lead. We’ll find Jamie and get the hell out of there.”
Adam started his engine and pulled around the eighteen-wheeler. The driver watched until they were on their way before following them.
****
Seth Hug
e enjoyed a relaxing evening at home listening to classical music and drinking a glass of whisky when a call came through on his landline. He sat with his eyes closed as the ringing echoed around him. A young man came running from the kitchen into the room, answering the phone on the fourth ring.
