Page 68 of Rescued

Sighing, I press the phone harder against my ear, knowing what I have to ask next but dreading it all the same. “Adam, did, uh…” I grimace,the words sticking in my throat. “Uh, did something happen between you two? Something Kaufman might have…objected to?”

The silence that follows is so sharp it cuts. I close my eyes, already bracing for the fallout. Adam sucks in a startled breath, and the weight of the pause that follows is crushing. When he finally speaks, his voice is tense with irritation. “I know why you’re asking that, Gabe, and if things were different, I’d tell you to mind your own fucking business. I’m still not sure that’s not the best thing to do.”

Shit. That’s not good.“Look, Adam, I really don’t want to pry—“mostly—”but if this was Kaufman, I would think something had to set him off. He’s never gone that insane in all these years, and it couldn’t have been something Mika or I did because we were gone. I’m sorry to have to ask, and sorrier still to push you to answer, but we really need to know what happened in case there’s some tie-in, so we can figure this out.”

Adam exhales a long, resigned sigh, and guilt claws at me. I don’t want to push him into talking about something private, but there’s no way around it.

“I know you’re right, Gabe,” Adam says quietly. “It’s just, well, I’ve never been the type to discuss my personal life.”

“I understand, Adam. I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t necessary.”

“I know,” he says again, his voice heavy. “If it’ll help nail the son of a bitch who did this to Todd, I’ll do whatever I have to.” Another sigh filters through the line. “So, uh. Well, I knew Todd was…interested.” He lets out a bitter laugh that’s hard to hear. “God, that sounds so fucking juvenile.”

I stay silent, knowing Adam doesn’t want or need me to comment.

“Alright, short and sweet,” Adam says, the words rushing out as if he’s ripping off a Band-Aid. “I’ve been attracted to Todd for a long time. I knew it was mutual. The problem was—and maybe still is, I don’t fucking know—the problem was that he seemed determined to stay in the closet. So, I didn’t let him know how I felt. Not when I’d seen him…out on dates. With women.”

The bitterness in Adam’s voice cuts deep, and I wish I didn’t have to drag this out of him. Before I can respond, Mika walks into the room. He checks the phone, then looks at me, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s Adam, right?”he asks, sliding closer. Not that he needs to, to listen in. He can hear everything quite clearly from the doorway with his wolfy hearing.

I nod absently, keeping my attention on the phone as Adam continues.

“I won’t be a secret, Gabe. I can’t. It goes against my personal beliefs. As long as Todd was keeping that door shut…” Adam’s voice trails off before he sighs. “Anyways, I went by your place the morning Todd was attacked. Uh, I told him I needed to check on a couple of the dogs, but, you know, I went because I couldn’tnotgo. Does that make sense?”

Oh yeah, I get that. Finding someone so irresistible that it drives you out of your own head? Been there.I grunt my agreement, reaching over to grab one of Mika’s denim-clad thighs. I let my fingers squeeze, and I smirk as Mika gives me a warning glance, his eyes flickering with something deeper.

Adam continues, his words coming faster now. “We, uh, no, I confronted him, I guess. Trying to make him—to get him to acknowledge what was between us, is between us. He wanted me to give us a shot, but keep it quiet, and I wanted him to give us a shot because I think he’s just…he’s it for me. But we both wanted it our way. The arguing got pretty loud, then…”

He stops, hesitating, and I figure I can help him out. Sort of.

“Then you went from fighting to fucking, so to speak?”Whoops.My lack of tact strikes again.

Mika tugs my hair in reproach, his startled glance saying it all. Adam lets out a strangled laugh that somehow still sounds bitter.

“No, not exactly. I mean, it didn’t get that far. We didn’t…well, we didn’t fuck. Nothing more than kissing and groping, sadly. I realized what I was doing and stopped. Told Todd to call me when he decided to be honest with himself, with everyone, and when he felt that I was worth doing that for. Then I left in a blur of self-righteous indignation.Fuck.”

“Hey, Adam, I get not wanting to pretend. I also understand Todd’s fears, which, as you saw from his parents’ reactions, are pretty well-founded.” My tone softens as I squeeze Mika’s ass hard, earning myself a small growl. My cock perks up at the sound, but I push the distraction aside, focusing on the call. “I don’t know who was right or wrong, but if you love someone, you find a way to make it work. So, after you left, did you see or hear from Todd the rest of the day?”

“No. The next time I saw him, he was lying in a pool of blood.” Adam’s voice cracks with pain, the sound thickening as he continues. “I decided to stop by and either compromise or make him agree to do things my way. Probably more the latter. When I got out of my truck, the dogs were barking like crazy, so I went around to the kennels. And he was just lying there, looking so damn broken, Gabe.” This time, Adam doesn’t try to hold back the sob that tears through him.

Beside me, Mika stiffens. “Babe, ask him why he called from Todd’s phone. Why not his own? Where was Todd’s phone?”

Shit. We completely forgot about Todd’s cell phone. “Adam, Mika wants to know why you used Todd’s cell phone and where you found it.” I can almost hear the wheels spinning in Adam’s head as he realizes how crucial that detail might be.

There’s a string of creative curses on the other end of the line before Adam answers. “I left my phone in the truck, charging. The battery had died earlier. When I found Todd, his phone was lying about ten feet away from him, flipped open. I grabbed it without thinking and started calling EMS. You think there might be something useful on there?”

I exchange a glance with Mika. “Could be. If it was open, maybe whoever did this was using it, or Todd managed to call or record something before they attacked him.”

Mika’s expression is grim.“We need that phone. There could be a trail there—texts, calls, something that gives us a lead.”

“Where’s the phone now?” I ask, watching Mika grab the truck keys and gesture for me to wrap up the call.

“It’s here, in my pocket,” Adam answers. I can hear him fumbling around, then he curses. “Shit! It’s dead. I don’t have the charger for it.”

Mika’s voice filters through our link, calm but urgent.“Tell him we’re coming to get the phone. We’ll stop at the store and grab a charger. We need to check Todd’s calls and messages. Kaufman should have already looked at that call list and any texts.”

I smack my forehead, annoyed at myself for not thinking about Todd’s phone sooner. “Adam, we’re on our way to get it,” I relay. “We’ll pick up a charger, too. Just hold tight.”

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