Home in His Eyes [Cade Creek 15] (The Stormy Glenn ManLove Collection)

by Stormy Glenn

  The man stopped on the sidewalk and stared at Mike.

  “Hey, man, good to see you.” Mike clapped Gus on the back, carefully steering him back toward his store. Through gritted teeth and the smile on his face, he whispered, “Armed men in the cafe. You need to get off the street.”

  When Gus started to turn, Mike tightened his grip on the man’s shoulder. “Don’t look.”

  “Right.”

  “I’ve already called the sheriff and he’s on his way. I just didn’t want you to walk into a hostage situation.”

  Gus’s eyes were a little rounder than they had been when Mike walked up. “Yeah, thanks.”

  “You’d better get out of here, get inside. If this thing goes south, the less people on the street, the better.”

  “I’ll keep the doors locked at the store, but if you need to, you can send people there.”

  “Good idea. If anyone comes into the store, try and keep them there.”

  “Will do.”

  Mike patted Gus on the back again and then waved as the man walked off. Once Gus was safely behind the doors of his shop. As Mike turned back toward the coffee shop, he prayed to god this didn’t go south. He did not want to be involved in another gun battle. He was still recovering from the last one. He didn’t need more holes in his body.

  That would really suck.

  Chapter Four

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Adam glanced over at Elliot. “Did your brother tell you what happened?”

  Elliot nodded before walking over to sit on the wicker loveseat next to Adam. “He said you ran into Mike at the bar, and you two seemed to know each other.”

  “I’m not sure that’s true anymore,” Adam replied. “I used to think I knew Michael, but now…hell, I didn’t even call him Mike. I called him Michael.”

  “How’d you meet him?”

  “He came in to the clinic where I was interning to ask me some questions.”

  “Was he the reason you left the city?”

  Adam nodded. There was no reason to lie. That cat had not only left the bag, it had left the atmosphere. “I thought he was dead, Elliot. When he didn’t come home and I couldn’t reach him by phone, I filed a missing person’s report. The police came to my door and told me he had been killed in a shooting.”

  “He was shot, if that helps.”

  Adam sniffled when his eyes watered and his nose began to run. He let out a nervous chuckle as he wiped at his nose. “Not really.” He didn’t want Michael…Mike…to be hurt, even if he did feel betrayed by the man. “I just thought…I thought we had something together, something real, and now I know it was all in my head.”

  “Jonny said he was an ass at the Rusty Nail.”

  “He didn’t used to be.” The Mike he had met last night wasn’t someone he recognized. “He was everything I wanted in a guy, you know. He was sweet, considerate, romantic. Do you know, on our first date, he brought me flowers? Flowers. And not roses either. He brought me forget-me-nots. He said he didn’t want me to forget him.”

  As if that could ever happen.

  “You still have them, don’t you?’

  Adam ducked his head when his face flushed. He did still have them. He had pressed them and then framed them. It might seem girly to most, but he’d never had anyone bring him flowers before.

  Adam brushed at the tears gathering in his eyes as his heart broke all over again. “It was almost better thinking he was dead than thinking it was all just some game to him.”

  Elliot wrapped an arm around Adam’s shoulder and gave him a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry, Adam.”

  “Why can’t I find someone like Mitch?”

  Elliot chuckled. “Because that particular farmer belongs to me.”

  Adam leaned his head against Elliot’s shoulder as he smiled. He wasn’t really interested in Mitch. Never had been. The man was more like a brother to him than anything. But Adam was interested in having the type of relationship Mitch and Elliot had.

  He just wasn’t sure it was in the cards for him.

  Adam jerked when the front door slammed open, and Jonny came barreling out, pulling on his paramedic vest as he ran.

  “Where’s the fire?” Elliot shouted.

  “It’s all hands on deck,” Jonny said. “Mike called the sheriff to report a hostage situation at Kapheri’s Koffee Korner.”

  Shit!

  Adam jumped up and raced after Jonny. “I’m going with you.”

  He barely got in the truck and got the door closed before the vehicle was peeling out of the driveway.

  “I don’t have time to argue with you.”

  “I may only be a vet, but I know more than basic first aid. You might need an extra hand.”

  And Adam was desperate to make sure Mike was okay.

  “Do you know what happened?”

  Jonny shook his head. “Agnes called and said it was all hands on deck, but she did tell me to steer clear of the coffee shop. All I know is that Mike called the sheriff directly and told him that armed men had rushed the coffee shop and there were hostages inside. I don’t know any more than that.”

  That was enough.

  Adam was pretty sure he held his breath the entire drive into town. He also held on to the dashboard. By the time the town came into view, Adam was ready to toss his cookies, and he didn’t think it was all his nerves. Jonny drove like a maniac.

  He was anxious. He could feel fear crawling through him at an alarming rate. It made him jumpy. There was a heavy weight on his chest as if something large was sitting on it. Not a good sensation.

  “Can’t this thing go any faster?”

  Jonny shot him a look.

  Adam shrugged. He knew he sounded insane, especially considering they were entering the town limits. It was never a good idea to drive fast through Cade Creek and not because the sheriff would kick anyone’s ass who did. There were just too many chances of someone being hurt in a senseless accident.

  Jonny didn’t drive any faster, which was probably a good thing. When they drove into town, there was a roadblock of cars just a block from the town center. Jonny pulled off to the side of the road and turned to look at Adam.

  “This is where you get out. I have to go up to the hospital and get my ambulance.”

  “You’ll be back, though, right?”

  “Yeah, I shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.” Jonny nodded to where several men were huddled around the hatch of the sheriff’s SUV. “Try and stay out of their way.”

  “I will,” Adam said as he climbed out of the vehicle.

  “And don’t get shot,” were Jonny’s parting words of wisdom as he drove off.

  Adam wasn’t planning on it.

  He walked over as close to the small group of men as he could get and then started searching faces for Mike. It was stupid to be worried over a man who had betrayed him, but Adam couldn’t help how he felt.

  When Adam spotted Mike standing near the corner of one of the brick buildings, his relief was so great, his knees went weak. He leaned up against the nearest car and just breathed as he watched Mike and one of the deputies talking.

  He was alive and apparently unhurt. Considering less than twenty-four hours ago he had thought Mike was dead, seeing him unharmed was both a blessing and a curse. Adam was grateful Mike was okay, but, oh man, he wanted to punch the guy.

  Adam kept back from all of the action. He didn’t want to get in the way. He also didn’t want to lose sight of Mike. Just because Mike had betrayed him and made what they had together seem like crap didn’t mean Adam could shut off his emotions.

  He was still crazy about the guy. He just didn’t like him very much, or at least, he didn’t like this new version of the man he had fallen in love with.

  The sound of a gun going off sent everyone running for cover. Adam crouched down behind the car he had been leaning against. When he peeked around the hood, he found Mike looking directly at him.

  The dark frown on the man’s fa
ce clearly said he wasn’t happy about Adam’s presence. Well, so the fuck what? He didn’t have to be happy about it. Adam wasn’t there for Mike.

  Really.

  Adam’s heart climbed into his throat when Mike drew his gun and then disappeared around the corner, the deputy following after him. He wanted to run after the man, but he knew he’d just be in the way.

  The waiting was hell, especially when he heard another gunshot, the screech of tires, and a loud crash. He wasn’t alone when he ran to the edge of the building and looked around the corner and down the street.

  The SUV had hit a tree in the park. Mike and the deputy stood behind the vehicle, pointing their guns at the occupants, slowly moving up each side of the SUV. When the doors opened and two people stumbled out, Adam thought it was over.

  He started to breathe again until he heard another gunshot. The back window shattered a mere moment before Mike dropped to the pavement. Adam took off running, ignoring the shouts for him to stop.

  When the guy from the driver’s side hurried over and then started to reach for Mike’s gun, Adam put on a burst of speed and plowed into the man, slamming him down onto the pavement. He heard the man grunt as they landed. He didn’t take the time to over think things. He just scrambled for the gun.

  Adam kept his finger off the trigger as he rolled onto his back and pointed the gun at the man. “Freeze or you’re a dead man.”

  Mike lifted his head at the clear warning. His jaw dropped when he saw Adam on the ground just a few feet from him, a gun held tightly in his hands.

  Well, shit. This wasn’t going to end well.

  Mike clapped a hand on his injured arm and struggled to sit up. “Adam, give me the gun.”

  Adam’s hands were shaking. His face was pale, his eyes wild. He did not need to be holding a gun.

  Mike pushed to his feet and stumbled over to Adam. He used the gentlest voice he had when he spoke to Adam. He didn’t want to spook him. “Come on, Adam. Give me the gun.”

  “He was going to hurt you.”

  “But he didn’t,” Mike said. He ignored the bullet hole in his arm. Now was probably not the time to bring it up. “Give me the gun, baby.”

  “He shot you!”

  “No, he didn’t. He—” Mike’s head snapped up when he realized the shot had come from inside the vehicle. Ignoring his shoulder, and Adam’s shock, Mike ripped the gun out of Adam’s hands and aimed it at the SUV. “Get out of the vehicle, or I’ll fill it full of lead!”

  The backdoor opened.

  “Toss the gun out.”

  As soon as the gun hit the ground, Mike stepped over and kicked it away. “Now, get out of the vehicle slowly. Hands first.”

  Two hands appeared, followed slowly by a body. Mike waited until the man had fully stepped outside of the vehicle before ordering him to lie down on the ground. By the time the man was stretched out next to his friend, the others had arrived.

  Mike stood over the two men on the ground until they were handcuffed and being led away by deputies. He handed his gun over to the sheriff before sitting down on a bench next to the sidewalk.

  “Can I look at your wound?”

  Mike glanced up to see Adam standing next to him. He was kind of surprised the man was even talking to him. He didn’t want to burst whatever bubble he was floating in, so he leaned back and dropped his hand, allowing Adam to look at his injury.

  Adam’s heady scent surrounded him when the man leaned over to get a better look at his wound. Mike closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. It had been so long since he’d smelled that particular fragrance. It was a combination of man, musk, and some alluring scent Mike couldn’t quite identify. But he knew that smell well. He had spent hours just inhaling Adam’s sweet scent.

  He never thought to smell it again.

  “It’s just a flesh wound,” Adam said after probing the wound for a moment. “The bullet went all the way through. The doctor will probably want to stitch you up a little, but you should be good as new in a couple of weeks.”

  Mike opened his eyes when Adam leaned away from him. He started to reach for Adam to pull him back, but at the last second remembered that he didn’t have that right. He fisted his hands and dropped them to his sides instead.

  “Thank you for taking a look at me,” he said as he climbed to his feet. “I guess I’d better find the paramedics and get up to the hospital.”

  Adam chewed on his bottom lip as if he was indecisive about something. “Do you need any help?”

  Mike almost lied, but decided that wasn’t how he wanted things between them. “No, I’m good, Adam. Thank you.”

  Adam’s smile was weak.

  Mike’s heart ached as he watched the man turn and walk away. He wanted nothing more than to ask Adam to stay with him. He couldn’t, and he knew that. Adam had made his choice, and it wasn’t Mike.

  Mike got up and headed back to the staging ground where everyone had gathered to deal with the hostage situation. He was pretty sure there would be an ambulance there, and he really did need to get to the hospital. His head was starting to swim.

  “Mike?” someone called out. “Are you okay? Do you need help?”

  “I have him, Sheriff.”

  Mike felt an arm wrap around his waist. He frowned when he glanced over and found that that arm belonged to Adam. “What—”

  “Stubborn ass fool,” Adam whispered loud enough for Mike to hear him. His arm tightened when Mike stumbled. “If you needed help, you should have taken it when I offered.”

  Mike wanted to argue, but that woozy feeling in his head was becoming a full-scale tornado. “I think I’d better sit down.”

  “Just a couple more steps, Mike.”

  Mike knew he never would have made it those last few steps to the gurney if Adam hadn’t been there. He was too caught up in the care and concern he could hear in Adam’s voice to think about the fact that he was bleeding all over the place. He never thought to hear that tone from Adam.

  Jonny was there to help Mike into the ambulance when they reached the back doors. The man sent Adam a deep frown when he climbed into the ambulance and sat down on the bench next to the gurney. “Adam—”

  “I’m going.” Adam’s sharp tone brooked no argument.

  Mike wasn’t sure what was happening or why Adam was sticking around now that he was receiving medical treatment, but he liked that the man clasped his hand. He wasn’t sure why Adam grimaced when Jonny cut his shirt away until he saw the man glancing at the scars on his skin.

  “Not pretty, are they?”

  “You really got shot?”

  “Yeah, I got caught in the crossfire when we were rescuing Race from his asshole ex.”

  Adam’s eyes flickered up to his. “It wasn’t a drive-by shooting?”

  Mike frowned. “Drive-by shooting?”

  “The detectives who came by the house said you had been killed in a drive-by shooting.”

  Wait.

  “Someone really came by your place and told you I had been killed?”

  “Yes.”

  Well, that didn’t make sense.

  “When?”

  “A couple of weeks after you went on that business trip.”

  It hadn’t been a business trip exactly, more like an assignment. He had been sent to talk to Race about his ex, who was believed to be selling drugs. Mike just hadn’t been able to tell Adam that.

  “So, until last night you really thought I was dead?”

  Adam blanched, but nodded.

  “Then why leave that letter for me?”

  This time, it was Adam who frowned. “What letter?”

  Chapter Five

  Adam was confused. “What letter, Mike?” he asked again.

  “Answer something for me first.”

  “Okay.”

  “Why didn’t you return my phone calls?”

  Adam was really starting to feel as if he had fallen down the rabbit hole. “What phone calls?”

  “I called your p
hone every day, at least two or three times a day, for almost a month after I left. I even sent text messages. You never returned a single one of them.”

  Something suspiciously like tears flooded Adam’s eyes. “I never got your messages, Mike. I lost my phone right after you left.”

  He would have sold his soul to hear from Mike, especially after he had been told the man was dead. He had spent night after night in bed crying, wishing to hear the man’s voice just one more time.

  “When did you lose your phone, Adam?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “It just does. Please, answer my question.”

  Adam sighed as he thought back to when he had last seen his phone or at least when he realized it was missing. “I guess it was right around the time I was told you were dead.”

  “You guess?”

  “I wasn’t really paying attention to my lost phone, Mike. I had just been told the man I loved was dead. I could have cared less what happened to the damn phone.”

  Mike froze, just staring up at him.

  “You loved me?”

  Oops.

  Adam pressed his lips together as he glanced away from the hope in Mike’s blue eyes. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to go there. He wasn’t sure he would ever be ready to go there. He had almost been destroyed when he thought Mike was dead, then angered when he thought the man just didn’t care. He wasn’t sure he was ready to put himself out there like that again.

  “Adam?” Mike called out.

  Adam plastered a smile on his face—one he didn’t really feel—and patted Mike’s hand as he turned to look back at the man. “This can wait. Let’s get you up to the hospital and get you fixed up, okay?”

  “We will finish this conversation, Adam.”

  Adam had no doubt.

  When he tried to move his hand, Mike tightened his fingers, keeping him there. Adam didn’t fight to get away very hard, not when he was really where he wanted to be. He just didn’t know what that meant.

  He had no idea what was going on, and that left him feeling unsettled. He had never heard from Mike again after the man left to go on his “business trip,” and now the man was saying he had tried more than once to get ahold of him. It upended everything Adam thought he knew and threw it into chaos.