“Shall we start?” Nick asked.
“I’ve got a better idea,” Connor said.
They used the crowbars in the end. Connor was able to figure out the code to Ben’s office—it was, like his house, Connor’s birthday. Significant to Ben because of the success of his experiment, not the birth of his son. But Arthur’s door remained shut despite several attempts at the code, so they turned to force. Connor and Nick strained together to get the door jimmied open while Laurence investigated the outer confines of the lab. Adonis followed him, his face concentrated as he, too, made a thorough examination, having heard Connor tell the others his idea.
The door gave with a loud creak, and Connor fell back into Nick, who groaned when his body cushioned Connor’s from the floor.
“Ugh, ow.” Connor rolled off him, rubbing his arm.
Nick glared. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did my ribs injure your elbow?”
“Don’t be so cross, Nick,” Connor taunted.
“Don’t fight!” Laurence called over his shoulder. “Oh—you opened it.” He trotted back to them and peeked into the office. “Huh.” He let out a disappointing sniffle. “There’s nothing in this one either.”
Connor surveyed the room lined wall to wall with equipment and books until his eyes settled on the desk covered in papers at the far end of the room. Like Ben’s office, there was an abandoned cup of coffee on the table. The papers, so close, called to Connor. The look Laurence and Nick cast his way said they were curious, too.
He squashed that curiosity in resolve: he didn’t want to read about what they’d done to him. No. He would let it rest. Connor took a definite step back from the lab. “Let’s go, then. Water will fry the electrics better than we can smash them.”
Connor paused at the elevator to talk to Adonis. “If it hurts your tail come up to the surface and let me know. We can come back down with the crowbars.”
Adonis snorted.
Connor’s lips twitched upward in amusement. Whether it stung his tail or not, Connor had every confidence that Adonis would destroy the lab. “Remember just to weaken it,” Connor cautioned. “Keep your distance and let the ocean break it. Even you would be hurt if the current pulled you in when it gives way.”
Adonis nodded.
Connor went up the elevator with Nick and Laurence, and they left the building by the main entrance and walked to the ocean, staying well clear of the building. Connor thought there would be guards assigned to the lab to keep people out, but they hadn’t even needed secrecy to come here. Cessair’s assets were in dispute, his shareholders all in competition as Austin remained gone. Like Connor was to Ben, Austin was the sole beneficiary of Cessair’s assets. If, that was, he ever came out of hiding… Connor suspected Austin would stay missing until Cessair’s body was recovered and his identity confirmed beyond any doubt.
“Look!” Laurence pointed to the edge of the waterline. Connor watched as the building tipped toward the ocean. There was the sound of creaking metal and shattering glass, and then an almighty wave of water was thrown into the air as the building collapsed into the ocean. Worry pierced Connor’s heart as he watched the rubble fall.
“Adonis?” Connor called, stepping closer to the water’s edge.
Hardly a second later, Adonis’s face emerged from the water ocean with a proud look.
“Cool!” Laurence said.
“Come on, let’s get home before Dad does,” Nick said. “He’ll know it was us if we’re not there.” Trevor had driven to the next town to pick up planks of wood. They’d started construction on the new dock outside the house they’d found: there wasn’t enough room in the little cottage for all of them, but Trevor had set his mind to expanding it, and Connor knew that it wouldn’t be long before there was room for each of Trevor’s sons. Including Connor.
“He’ll know it was me either way,” Connor said.
“But he won’t assumeourinvolvement,” Nick pointed out wryly.
“We can blame Adonis,” Laurence piped up.
“Laurence, I will make sure Trevor is aware the entire thing was your idea if you even hint at such a thing,” Connor threatened. Adonis was still picking fights with Trevor regularly. Though they were all used to it by now, he still envisioned a future where he didn’t need to mediate between the two of them… if Adonis would stop thinking that Trevor was trying to steal Connor away from him. If Adonis had been human, Connor would have gotten irritated by such fantasies, but he found the patience to reassure Adonis each time that he would not be stolen. Connor was fairly certain from what he’d gleaned from Adonis that his species’ social structure was causing the tensions, and that, Connor reckoned, could be reasoned out of him by spending more time together. He’d show Adonis there was nothing to fear. Eventually.
“We’ll meet you at the house,” Connor told Adonis.
He stepped away, but Adonis’s hand shot out and fastened firmly to Connor’s ankle.
“Come,” Adonis requested.
“He’ll be all wet,” Nick objected.
“Connor.” Adonis stared up at Connor.
Connor met those dark blue eyes and saw the want in them. Adonis, quite like Connor, had gotten used to being around each other constantly. Connor saw no reason he couldn’t indulge Adonis’s request. “I’ll meet you guys at the house,” he said over his shoulder. He dug out his phone and tossed it to Nick, who he trusted more than Laurence not to go through it. He’d only find a series of messages from old classmates that Connor had finally unblocked and reached out to. Tabs open of the media coverage concerning his case: his set up had been on the front page of every newspaper since the truth had been leaked.
