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“You all killed Gareth Brody. You might not have wanted a war, kid, but I think you just started one.”
Adam studied Nick in the darkness, his eyes full of wary uncertainty. Nick wondered if this was the wtf coming home to set up shop.
Adam frowned. “And the studio . . . if the police come knocking, you expect me to tell them we left before anything happened? That we had no idea?” His voice was level, even.
Nick shifted on the step to look at him. “I don’t expect you to do anything, Adam. You don’t need to keep my secrets.” He sighed, resigned. “I know what I am. I know what happened. If you want to tell the cops everything, I can’t stop you.”
Adam nodded.
And that could mean anything.
“Okay,” Nick said softly. “I don’t want—” He hesitated. “I’ll leave.”
He waited for Adam to protest. Adam didn’t.
Nick stood and opened the sliding door. His voice was rough now. This was a thousand times worse than when they’d been caught by Hunter. “Thanks for taking care of Quinn,” he said.
Then he didn’t wait for a response. He slid the door closed and walked through the apartment to the front door.
Follow me. Please. Follow me.
Adam didn’t. Nick made it up the steps of the apartment building, through the locked front door, and across the parking lot.
But when he pressed the button on the car door clicker, Adam’s voice stopped him.
“Nick. Stop. Wait.”
Nick turned. Adam was jogging across the stretch of pavement to catch up with him.
Nick wasn’t sure what he expected. A kiss, a plea to stay, a hug, for god’s sake.
But Adam stopped and said, “Why didn’t you tell me the truth about Tyler?”
Nick frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Quinn told me that when you were younger, Tyler used to beat the crap out of you. That Gabriel used to stop him.”
Oh.
Nick leaned against the car and memorized the asphalt. “I didn’t lie to you. Tyler is an ass**le.” But he couldn’t say it with the vitriol he usually saved for Tyler Morgan.
Adam didn’t say anything.
Nick glanced up, then quickly away, feeling the weight of Adam’s eyes, knowing he needed to offer more of an answer. “I never told you because I was embarrassed.” Another hesitation. “And because I didn’t want to diminish what had happened to you.”
“I wish I’d known.” Adam hesitated. “And what happens to you doesn’t diminish anything that happens to me.”
“It’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”
Adam moved closer, and Nick froze. “It is a big deal. All of this is a big deal. If you’re in danger—if someone is threatening you—” He broke off and swore. “Damn it, Nick. If this is going to work, you have to trust me to care about you back.”
If this is going to work. Nick stared at him.
But Adam still looked agitated. “You made it sound like—I thought it was some stupid family rivalry. I yelled at you at the studio, and I would have—I should have told him to get the hell out of there.” He put his hands on Nick’s face, warm and strong and secure.
But then he shook his head. “I’m so pissed that you thought you had to sit there with him.”
Nick put his hands over Adam’s and held them there. “No.
