by Stormy Glenn
When the ambulance came to a stop and the back doors opened, Adam tried to tug his hand away. Mike wouldn’t let him. Adam rolled his eyes and climbed out as the gurney was lowered to the ground.
They were wheeled directly into a cubicle in the back of the emergency room. When the doctor and a couple of nurses came rushing into the room, Adam moved to the head of the bed, trying to stay out of the way.
When the doctor gave him a pointed look, Adam shrugged. “You tell him to let go.”
The doctor shook his head and went back to work.
It didn’t take long to treat Mike and sew him up, but by the time they began bandaging his arm, the man’s eyelids were starting to droop. Adam knew they must have put something in the antibiotics they shot him full of. The second Adam felt Mike’s hand go lax, he pulled away and started for the door.
“You leaving?”
Damn.
Adam drew in a heavy breath and slowly turned to face Mike. He had been hoping the guy was asleep. Apparently, luck wasn’t with him. Considering luck hadn’t been with him for the last six months, that didn’t surprise him.
“I need to get back to the farm. I’ve been away long enough as it is.”
Granted, it had only been a few hours, but baby foals had to be fed often. Kind of like newborn babies. They also needed lots of attention. Adam was pretty sure the colt had bonded with him as he had been totally hands-on for the first few days of his life. He wanted to make sure the little guy knew Adam was still around to care for him.
“I’ll go with you.” Everyone started yelling when Mike swung his legs over the edge of the exam bed and started to get up.
Adam rolled his eyes again—something he was pretty sure was going to be a regular occurrence around Mike—and walked over to one of the chairs in the corner. He pulled out his phone as he sat down and sent Elliot a text, asking him to feed the foal. It looked like he was going to be delayed.
He still had to figure out a name for the little guy.
Adam glanced up. “What would you name a newborn colt?”
Mike’s eyebrows rose. “A newborn what?”
“Colt,” Adam said. “You know, a baby horse.”
“Oh.” Mike frowned.
“Cato,” the doctor said. “It means all-knowing.” He smiled as he glanced at Adam. “It’s Latin.”
Cato worked.
Adam went back to his phone, typing out another message to Elliot, telling him he had named the colt Cato. Elliot thought it was a good name for a colt, one that Cato would have to grow into. It would give him something to work for.
“Okay, you know the routine,” the doctor said. “Same as last time. Keep it clean and dry. If you notice any redness—”
“I know, Doc,” Mike said.
Adam grimaced. “I hate that you know that.”
“Hazards of the job, Adam.”
“And just what job would that be, Mike?” Adam asked. “What exactly is it that you do?”
Mike’s eyes darted to the doctor.
Oh right, secret agent stuff.
Adam rolled his eyes again. “I’ll be seeing you, Mike.”
He wasn’t about to stick around and listen to Mike lie to him again. He was done with that. As Mike had said… Been there, done that, bought the damn T-shirt.
He was going home.
Adam waved to Sammy as he walked out of the emergency room. He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to get back to the farm, but he knew he’d run into someone who could give him a ride. At the very least, he could call his brother.
“Adam!”
Adam knew that voice, and he wasn’t about to stop.
“Adam.”
Nope. Not even going to turn his head to look.
“Damn it, Adam, stop.”
Adam stopped simply because he knew Mike wasn’t going to give up until he did. Still, when the man stepped in front of him, Adam took a step back. Mike was way too alluring for his peace of mind. He knew he could easily fall under the man’s spell and have his heart broken all over again, and it hadn’t fully repaired from the last time.
“What do you want, Mike?”
“I want you to stop treating me like the bad guy here.”
Adam’s eyebrows rose swiftly. “And what? You think I am?”
“No, but someone is.”
Adam’s eyebrows drew together, his frown deepening. “What are you talking about?”
Had Mike cracked?
Mike’s lips thinned as he glanced around. He grabbed Adam’s hand and drew him to a cement bench seat close to the pathway. Adam watched him warily as he sat down next to the man.
“Okay, look, this has to stay between us, okay?”
Adam nodded.
“When I told you I worked in law enforcement, I wasn’t lying to you. I do work in law enforcement. I’m a DEA agent.”
“But I thought you—” Adam snapped his lips closed. He was clearly an idiot. He thought Mike was a police officer.
“I know, baby, and I didn’t dissuade you from thinking that. I wasn’t in a position where I could tell you the truth.”
“Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”
“I had hoped to at some point. I had actually planned to ask my boss for permission to tell you after I got back from my last mission, only…”
“Only, you didn’t come back.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“The mission went south and I got shot. I tried to reach you while I was recovering here in the hospital. I called and left messages, texted you, everything I could think of to reach you. All I got back was a letter delivered to my apartment telling me you wanted nothing to do with me now that you knew what I was and to never contact you again.”
“I had no idea what you were until you told me.”
“It was in the letter, Adam, so I thought you knew.”
“That’s the letter you were talking about?”
Mike nodded.
“I didn’t send it, Mike.”
“And I didn’t die, Adam.”
Wait…Mike was trying to tell him something. Adam just had to put the pieces together. If he had never told Mike to leave, and Mike had never died… “Why would someone do that?”
Mike’s jaw clenched for a moment before he said, “I don’t know, baby, but I’m going to find out.”
“Don’t you think you’d better heal up first?”
Mike chuckled. “That might not be a bad idea either.”
“I think the sheriff wants to talk to you first.” When Mike frowned at him, Adam pointed to the tall man standing by the emergency room doors. “He probably needs a statement about the shooting or something.”
Mike huffed a deep sigh when he glanced toward the sheriff. “Yeah, more than likely.”
Adam stood and then helped Mike to his feet. The guy wasn’t unsteady, but he was injured. “What’d you do to your hand?” It was also bandaged.
“Oh, this?” Mike lifted his hand. “Broke a beer bottle by accident. Had to have a few stitches.”
“Do you get injured a lot?”
“Not until lately.”
“Maybe it’s dangerous to be around you.”
Mike stepped closer, close enough for Adam to feel the man’s breath on his face. “Oh, it could get very dangerous.”
Adam’s whole body came to life when Mike leaned in to kiss him. Waves of electrifying pleasure started at his lips and shot down until it reached his toes. When the tip of Mike’s tongue darted out, sliding across Adam’s lower lip, Adam opened for him, allowing Mike to invade his mouth. Mike plunged in, sweeping through and leaving his senses on fire.
Kissing the man was such a simple act, yet Adam’s heart beat faster, harder, and bursting through his veins, a pleasure in and of itself. He felt his cock swell and pulse as took the kiss deeper.
Only the sound of someone clearing their throat broke them apart, reminding them that they were not alone. Adam flushed as he stepped back out of Mi
ke’s embrace. He couldn’t believe he had been ready to throw himself at Mike right there in front of the hospital. In front of the sheriff.
“Oh yeah.” Adam swallowed hard. “Very dangerous.”
Chapter Six
Mike ached, and not just from the injuries he’d sustained. His cock was so hard he was afraid it was going to break off. It had been months since he had felt Adam’s body pressed against his, months since he had felt even one iota of desire for anyone.
It was nice to know the equipment still worked.
“Will you come with me?” Mike asked. A kiss, no matter how good it was, didn’t mean Adam was giving in. “I’m sure the sheriff needs to talk to you, too.”
“I didn’t really see anything,” Adam insisted.
“You actually probably saw more than you think. Eyewitnesses usually don’t know what they saw until much later.”
Adam squinted at Mike. “That might actually make sense, but damned if I know how.”
Mike grinned as he wrapped an arm around Adam’s waist. “Come on, let’s go see what John wants, and then you and I have a little more talking to do.”
Adam’s eyebrows lifted. “We do?”
“Oh yes. We most certainly do.” Mike felt they might have started walking down the same path together again, but he wanted to be sure. His superiors could go fuck themselves. He was telling Adam everything.
“Sheriff.” He gave the man a nod when they reached him.
“How’s the arm, Mike?”
“Could be worse, I suppose. I can still feel it.” And it hurt like hell. The local the doctor had given him was quickly wearing off. He knew in the next couple of hours, he was going to be close to screaming at the pain.
“We’re still trying to identify the shooters, but from what we’ve been able to put together, we think they were here for Kapheri.”
Mike frowned. “Kapheri?”
“Doesn’t he do investments or something while Brandon runs the coffee shop?” Adam asked. “If I remember correctly, he’s mostly retired.”
“He is.” The sheriff nodded. “He still has a few business contacts here and there, but he’s been mostly retired since him and Brandon got together. He wanted to spend more time with Brandon and hated the business trips that took him away from home so he cut back. It’s not like the man can’t afford it. He might be as rich as Jonah Cade.”
“Were they after his money?” Ransom was always a possibility when money was involved.
“I think it’s supposed to look that way, but…” John shook his head. “It doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“Sheriff?”
“It’s nothing I can put my finger on, but it feels almost too much like a stick-up, you know?”
“Something can seem too much like a robbery?” Adam asked.
Mike knew where the sheriff was coming from. “It was made to look like a robbery in every way, almost as if they were trying to hide their true purpose.”
“Exactly,” the sheriff replied. “And who comes to Cade Creek to rob someone anyway? That’s what the city is for.”
There was that. Cade Creek was pretty small. There wasn’t a lot of crime beyond the occasional cow tipping and bar brawl. Big city crime wasn’t huge here. Which begged the question, why would someone drive all the way out from the city to rob someplace unless they were there for more?
“If you need help tracking their identities down, give me a call. I still have a few connections.” Even if he was on leave.
“Dorian is looking into it for me.”
Even as a former DEA Agent, Dorian James had more connections than Mike did, so Mike could understand that. Still, he felt the need to do a little digging himself. It wasn’t the wound he was angry about as much as it was that Adam had been put in danger.
“I’ll nose around a bit through some back channels I have and see if there’s anything in the wind.”
Sheriff Riley snickered. “Now, you sound like Bear.”
“Bear?”
“Bear Black. He was Dorian’s second-in-command when they were running with the Dirty Dozen.”
Mike was pretty sure he remembered him. “He runs that motorcycle shop on the east side of town now, right?”
The sheriff nodded. “Yeah, him and Dorian opened it up after they got out.”
Maybe that was something he should look into, although motorcycles weren’t his thing. He wasn’t sure what was. He had been going full bore in the agency since his early twenties. He didn’t spend a lot of time doing other stuff.
“Do you need an official statement from us or something, Sheriff?” Mike asked.
“I do.” John’s eyes went to Mike’s bandaged arm. “Are you up for it?”
“I’d rather get it over and done with so you can get on with your investigation.” And then he hoped to be able to take Adam home so they could talk. He might let Adam out sometime in the next year or so.
“Why don’t we head over to my office,” John suggested. “I can take your statement there and then have one of my deputies drive you home.”
Considering his car was still out at the Rusty Nail, he could use the ride. “That’d be good.”
Mike made sure he kept his arm wrapped around Adam’s waist as they followed the sheriff to his vehicle. He almost danced a jig when Adam didn’t move away from him. The ride to the sheriff’s office was relatively short. It was just a couple of blocks away.
When they drove past the park in the center of town, the flurry of activity had slowed, but was still going on. Mike watched as they drove by, trying to pick out anything he might have missed. Beyond the silver SUV still parked in front of the coffee shop, there was nothing.
“Sheriff, did you run the plates on the SUV?”
The man nodded. “It was reported stolen in the city two days ago.”
Figures.
“They always are.”
“Right?” John chuckled. “We’d probably never catch these idiots if they drove their own cars.”
The ache in his arm really started to hit Mike hard by the time they arrived at the station and he gave his statement. He was ready to go home and take something for the pain, but he didn’t want to give up on the time he was spending with Adam. He was afraid if he let the guy out of his sight, he’d disappear again.
“Is there anything else you need from us?” he asked when he was all done.
“No, this should do it.” John held up the statements Mike and Adam had given. “If I need anything else, I’m pretty sure I can find you.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could keep me updated if you find anything out. This whole situation doesn’t sit well in my gut.”
John grew serious, the set of his jaw grim. “No, it doesn’t sit well with me either.”
Mike knew they were still thinking about how much the simple robbery felt as if it wasn’t so simple. It wasn’t one specific thing either of them could put their finger on, but the niggling thought that something was off wouldn’t go away.
“Let’s get you that ride home,” John said.
“Actually, my car is out at the Rusty Nail. If I could get a ride out there, that’d be great.”
“Sure.” John’s gaze went to Adam. “Do you need a ride home, too, Adam?”
“I’ll need someone to drive my car,” Mike said quickly before Adam could answer. He didn’t want the man to have an opportunity to leave his side. “I was hoping your deputy could drop us off at the bar and Adam could drive me home.”
Adam raised an eyebrow. There was no doubt he knew exactly what Mike was doing. The question was, what was he going to do about it? Mike blew out a breath when Adam finally—after several agonizing moments—looked at the sheriff.
“If you can get us to Mike’s car,” Adam said, “I’ll drive him home.”
If the sheriff was surprised, he didn’t show it. He just called over one of his deputies. “Eddie, I need you to drive Mike and Adam out to Harvey’s place so Mike can get his car.”
&n
bsp; “Sure thing, boss.”
Mike vaguely remembered seeing this deputy around town, but he couldn’t remember his name. He held out his hand. “I’m Mike Ryan.”
“Eddie Fletcher,” the deputy said as he shook Mike’s hand.
“Fletcher.” He knew that name. “Any relation to Gus Fletcher?”
Eddie grinned. “Cousin.”
“Good guy.”
Eddie continued to smile, but there was a glint of something in his eyes that said not all was as it seemed. Mike was too tired to pursue whatever it was. He hurt. He was exhausted. And he was hungry. He just wanted to go home and cuddle with Adam.
Assuming he could get Adam to stay.
When they headed for the door, Mike settled his hand in the middle of Adam’s back. He wanted the man to feel his presence, to know he was there. Touch was the best way to do that.
Mike had sat in the back of a police vehicle often enough when on a mission, but it was weird sitting when he wasn’t undercover. He really didn’t like the fact that Adam had been forced to sit in the back of a squad car. Adam should never be demoralized like that.
“You can sit up front with Eddie if you wish.”
Adam’s face was unreadable. “I’m okay.”
“I don’t mind, really.”
Adam’s eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t want to sit with me?”
Crap.
“I want nothing more than to sit with you. I just don’t like you sitting in the back of a cop car like some common criminal.”
Adam’s lips twitched. “It’s been months, Mike. For all you know, I could be a criminal.”
“I’ll strip search you when my arm isn’t throbbing.”
Probably not the answer he should have given, but the twinkle that came to Adam’s hazel’s eyes was worth it.
“We’ll see.”
Well, it wasn’t a no. That was something.
Mike reached down between them and curled his fingers around Adam’s. The man jerked in surprise, but he didn’t pull his hand away. Mike could understand Adam’s surprise. When they had been together before, he hadn’t been into public displays. Most men weren’t.
This time was different. After being without Adam for so long, plus thinking he would never have another chance with the man, he knew he was fighting for his life here. He’d pull out all the stops to make sure Adam knew how important he was.