Page 8 of It's Never Not Been You

“The fact that he was dating a man back in Coralship doesn’t mean shit, Casp,” I finally replied. “Things aren’t that simple anymore.”

When Caspian and Troy had barged into my office earlier, it’d been with Bernie’s full background reports on both Madison and Pierce Edleman. Once he’d been able to get Pierce’s name, he’d been able to track Madison to Coralship, North Dakota. Honestly, that’s the first place that I should have checked when she’d gone missing. I’d always known about Madison’s Aunt Sheryl, and had I not been losing my fucking mind, then I probably would have remembered her and that she lived on a ranch in North Dakota.

“According to those reports, he was more than just dating the guy,” Caspian replied. “They were in love, living together, and the whole deal.” He leaned back in his seat, taking the glass of whatever that Troy had poured for him. “My guess is that the man isn’t confused by his sexuality at all.”

“Yeah, no relationship lasts that long if you’re just experimenting,” Troy added as he took the seat next to Caspian.

I looked between the two fools. “Because you two know so much about being a bisexual man?”

Troy grinned again. “My dick only gets hard for my wife.”

“Yeah, I can’t say that I’ve ever gotten excited in a locker room,” Caspian remarked.

“Yeah, well, if Bernie can produce a report showing that Pierce Edleman has never dated a woman, then I’ll relax,” I told them both. “Until then, nothing is certain where he’s concerned.”

“Christ on The Cross, Rad,” Caspian drawled out. “His relationship with Rex Clarkson lasted almost seven years. Years, Raddix. That’s about as gay as you get.”

I eyed my brother over the folder in my hands. “Which just means that he was in love with the man, not that he’s not bisexual.”

“Dude, you really do make life harder than it needs to be,” Troy grumbled before finishing off his glass of whatever he was drinking.

“As an attorney, I think that you’d appreciate my due diligence,” I retorted.

“Okay,” Caspian said as he leaned forward in his seat. “Let’s say that they are dating. What then? What’s the plan, Raddix? Are you just going to show up at their place, kick his ass, then kidnap Madison?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” I answered as I looked back down at the report.

“You do know that I’m a corporate attorney and not a criminal one, right?” Troy asked, mirth lacing each word.

“That’s a horrible plan, Raddix,” Caspian remarked unnecessarily. “How in the fuck is beating up her boyfriend and kidnapping her supposed to make Madison forgive your stupidity?”

“Because it won’t come to that,” I told them both as I looked back up at them. “There’s no way that Madison has moved on.” I shook my head. “She’s a forever type of girl.”

“Denial,” Troy sighed. “It’s a motherfucker.”

“Will you shut the hell up?” I growled. “You’re not helping.”

“I’m plenty of help,” he lied. “I do nothing but help people.”

“One of these days, Valerie’s going to realize that she can do better,” I informed him.

“Oh, she already knows that,” he replied, taking no offense whatsoever.

“Raddix, focus,” Caspian ordered.

“And Lilibeth is going to realize the same thing about you,” I retorted, needing to take my unhappiness out on someone.

“She realized it the day she met me,” he huffed. “She’s making the sacrifice because I keep her happy in the bedroom.”

“Right?” Troy snorted.

I looked at both of them. “Get out.”

“Rude,” Troy grumbled as he stood up from his seat, setting his empty tumbler on the edge of my desk. “It’s not our fault that you’re an idiot.”

Caspian finished his drink before setting the empty glass next to Troy’s. “I’ll get Bernie to find out more about Pierce Edleman,” he offered tiredly. “Would you like to know what kind of crayons he used in kindergarten, or is that too far back?”

I eyed my brother. “The hospital that his mother gave birth to him in should do it.”

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