Chapter Thirty-Six
Troy
I’m silent as Wes disappears.
Regret chokes me as I stand there, focused on Rigby’s gun. When Wes’s footsteps fade, I’m able to relax some, more as Rigby drops his hand to his side. Not that I’m completely convinced Rigby still won’t shoot me.
At least Wes is safe.
Adam was picking up dinner when I texted him that I was here. From the ramen place Wes likes. Rigby doesn’t need to know Adam is on his way. With luck, Adam will find Wes in the parking lot and get him out of here. Rigby never needs to know.
“For someone who claims to love you, he certainly didn’t take much coaxing to leave.”
Lightning cracks across my chest. “Did he tell you that?”
Rigby doesn’t answer me. The way he looks as if he ate something nasty makes me believe it’s true.
Which is fucking amazing. Especially considering Adam and I worried the whole “we need to talk” text was a breakup thing.
Extra especially after Wes went and stayed with his brother for three days. We were planning to track him down if he stayed gone much longer, but every day has been torture.
But this? Showing up and finding Rigby pointing a gun at Wes? Almost killed me.
“You don’t know him,” I tell Rigby. “You have no room to judge.”
Wes is the guy who took care of his mother when she couldn’t get out of bed. He’s the person who tried, in his own misguided way, to get his brother back on the road to happiness even while his own marriage was falling apart. Who offered himself up to protect a coworker he didn’t know that well.
Honestly? “He’s a hundred times the man you are. I’m fucking glad he ran.”
Rigby lets out an impatient sigh. “You and Adam struggled to stay afloat for too long. You deserve someone who can take care of you. He can’t do that the way I can.”
There’s no way to explain it to a man who’s used to getting anything he wants if he only pays enough money. Wanting Wes was never had anything to do with dollars.
“It doesn’t matter,” I tell him. “I said I’d go with you if you let him go. Let’s get out of here.”
The longer we stay, the more likely it is that someone else could come by. Some innocent employee could get caught in the crossfire. Wes could decide to come back.
If I have to choose between Wes gone and Wes dead, I’ll choose the one that keeps him alive.
“Where’s Adam, really?” Rigby doesn’t move, holding his ground in the entrance to this weird dumpster enclosure.
I’m trying to run through my options without being obvious. If I make a break for it, maybe I can get past him and get to the employee entrance or get lost in the expansive parking lot before he shoots me.
I could run toward the guest lot, which has cameras. But what if someone else gets shot? I could wait him out until hopefully he puts the gun away, then I could attack. Rigby’s fit for a guy his age, bulkier than I am, but I think I could take him.
It’s funny. I’ve spent so much of my life certain my mental health would lead me down a dark road I couldn’t return from, and now here I am desperate to live so I can go home and eat ramen with the two men I love.
Clarity comes in the strangest moments, doesn’t it?
From standing here alone, my muscles are so knotted I’m aching. Never mind how my nipples could cut glass. It’s cold as penguin testicles.
“Rigby, I already told you where Adam is.”
“You mentioned some time ago that Adam hasn’t spoken to his family in years.
You honestly expect me to believe there was a sudden reconciliation?
” He steps closer, stopping a couple of feet away.
From here I can see the look on his face, which I’m betting is the same look he gets when the hotel restaurant brings him the wrong order.
Choosing my words carefully, I try, “You know how it is with family.”
“That’s not an answer. Even if it were true, there’s no way Adam would go back to Miami without you. You see? I know you both. Years of conversation and sensual lovemaking?—”
Ew. Ew. It was definitely not that. Every time the man put his mouth on me I fought to not cringe.
“—are far more important than a few weeks with a man who’s likely using you as an experiment.”
Fuck. Rigby may as well have slid a knife between my ribs and twisted. I can see it now, how Wes came home after one conversation with Rigby questioning everything. Asshole’s sure got a knack for warping reality and making it sound true.
Probably a big help when making business deals to screw over homeowners or whatever it is he actually does. I’ve never really paid close attention.
Rigby takes a step closer. “You know I’m right.”
“I’m sure you’re used to being right.” It would be easier to agree with him. All I really want is to leave, but that’s not happening now. I made a bargain for Wes’s safety, and what’s keeping me in place is not knowing what might happen I don’t comply.
One of the things I wanted to tell Wes was that I talked to Ravi earlier. His boyfriend has Rigby on his hit list. Someone tried to traffic Ravi a while back, and Liam’s pretty sure Rigby was involved.
If I can distract him, maybe I can get a message to Liam.
If I can do it carefully. Brennan made it clear we needed to proceed with caution around this guy, and if someone makes Brennan cautious? That’s not something I should ignore.
“Well.” I edge toward the parking lot, giving Rigby the same impatient look I give Adam when he’s not ready to go somewhere on time. “Time to go, right? Wes left. I stayed. Let’s go back inside. Up to your room or something.”
If we can get inside the hotel, it should be easier to get away from him. He can’t shoot me in there. Too many people.
Rigby glances around. “We’re waiting for Adam.”
“I already told you he’s not coming.”
“And I already told you I know you both too well. The two of you barely shower by yourselves. Since you aren’t with him, he must be on his way.”
Fucking dog with a bone, this guy. His accuracy makes my skin crawl.
He closes the gap between us, close enough to run his manicured fingers over the lingering tender spots on my jaw. It’s not swollen anymore. The bruises have faded. But the guys who took us got me pretty good. Chewing still hurts sometimes.
My instinct is to recoil. For all the times I’ve had sex with men I didn’t know and didn’t even like. For all the times I’ve had sex with this particular man I didn’t really like. It was something Adam and I got used to, because we had no choice.
Now? Now, we’ve chosen Wes. And Rigby doesn’t get to touch me anymore. I take a step back. And then another.
“Don’t. Still hurts.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Rigby says. I’d swear he means it, too. “They weren’t supposed to take you. I wasn’t aware how serious things were between the three of you before then.”
I’m sorry, but did he say what I think he said? I’m tempted to check my ear for wax. “Are you telling me you were behind us getting fucking kidnapped?”
Rigby holds up his hands. That pricey beige sweater he’s wearing seems all wrong when we’re standing next to dumpsters and he’s holding a weapon.
Would he shoot me if I shoved him into one of them to get his off-white wardrobe all dirty?
“It was an accident. They were only supposed to take Wes. I sincerely do apologize.”
Holy fuck. How did we not realize this guy is maximum-strength psychotic? A chilly breeze blows, and I can’t stop shivering.
“You’re saying you’re the one running some freaky illegal porn-on-demand business?”
“I prefer to use the term ‘bespoke.’”
“Your guys almost killed Adam. Aimed a gun at me. Told me to make Wes scream w—” I cut myself off. Fuck this guy. He doesn’t get to see how much doing what I did to Wes wrecked me, even after knowing he didn’t hate it.
Anyway, it’s not effective to threaten a guy who has a gun if you don’t have one yourself. If he didn’t look so comfortable holding the damn thing, maybe, but that’s an if for another lifetime.
“Trust me, I’d like to have a word with my men about that.
” Rigby pulls a face. “Especially since the three of you only seemed to get closer afterward. But something tells me that since the three of you got away and I haven’t been able to reach any of my employees since, you’ve already taken care of making sure that mistake won’t be made again. ”
“You’re fucking right it won’t.” In spite of the pure horror of this shit, my chest swells. We protected Wes.
My phone buzzes frantically in my pocket. Ordinarily I’d say it’s bad form to check your messages in front of a megalomaniac holding an expensive, engraved Colt, but I’m starting to think Rigby won’t kill me. Not if he wants me. I hope.
Besides, it’s probably Adam. I need to try and tell him to stay the hell away from here until I can convince Rigby we should leave.
“Something wrong with Adam?” Rigby asks when I unlock the phone. But the steady buzz of messages isn’t from Adam at all.
Wes: Back up
Wes: Back up
Wes: Back up
Wes: Back up
Wes: Back up
Wes: Back up
Wes: Back up
Wes: NOW
Out in the parking lot there’s a squeal of tires. Headlights.
It isn’t until I take several healthy steps backward and Rigby looks like he’s still trying to figure out why there are high-beams barreling toward us that I fully grasp what’s happening.
“Wes, don’t.” Not that he’ll hear my horrified whisper.
But he keeps coming. I can’t stop him.
It’s a blurry mess when Wes’s bumper plows into Rigby, bouncing off one of the massive dumpsters. The next thing I know, Rigby’s pinned and sightless, half of him sprawled across the hood of Wes’s car.
Blood all over those pretentious fucking clothes of his.
“Holy shit,” I breathe. Then I realize Wes is half slumped over his steering wheel. “Wes.”
He groans when I throw open the door. His airbag deployed and his face is a mess. There’s blood coming from his nose, but he’s moving. Still wearing his seat belt.
“Did I get him?” Wes is groggy and uncoordinated. Can’t seem to figure out how to undo his buckle.
“Did you—are you fucking kidding me? What were you thinking? You could’ve killed yourself.”
“S’okay.” He reaches up through the open car door, caressing my cheek with his palm. “You’re okay. I…thought he might kill you.” Then he passes out again.
“Fuck.” I shoot a text to Brennan.
Troy: SOS
Troy: Going to need a doctor. And your lake house.
Who fucking cares if this means owing Brennan a lifetime of favors. That’s a problem for later.
Then I call Adam.
“There you are,” he says when he answers. “I’ve been waiting by the employee exit.”
“Get over to the dumpsters. Fast.”
I reach into Wes’s car to turn off the ignition.
“Pull the car around,” I tell Adam when he runs up. “You need to get Wes to Brennan’s doctor. I’ll take care of the body.”
Adam’s eyes widen when he takes in the scene. “What the hell happened?”
I nod to Rigby’s body, then to the gun, which I snatch and stuff into the back of my pants.
“He was trying to keep Wes away from us. Liam thinks he was in business with whoever tried to take Ravi awhile back. He’s the one who had us kidnapped.
I told Wes to get out of here and instead he ran Rigby the fuck over. ”
Adam’s mouth drops open. “I can’t believe he did that.”
“Rigby, he said Wes loves us.” My eyes burn. Maybe that shouldn’t be relevant right now, but it is to me. It just fucking is.
Adam smiles slightly. “Then maybe I can.”
He runs for the parking lot, pulling the Mustang up a few minutes later. “Not exactly the best car to transport an injured person, but it’s what we’ve got,” he says when he jumps out.
At that moment, Wes groans. We extract him from the car as gently as we can and move him to the Mustang’s passenger seat.
“Careful,” I tell Adam. Even though I know he will be.
“It would be better if we could call an ambulance.” Adam shakes his head. “We’re not supposed to move him.”
“If we don’t move literally all of this as fast as possible, we’re fucked. Wes especially for being behind the wheel.”
“I know.” Adam nods. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him.”
It hurts to swallow. “I know. Help me get the body into Wes’s trunk. I’ll take care of the rest.” I gesture to the bloody scene.
After we handle Rigby, I give a quick kiss to Adam and place a gentle one on Wes’s forehead. “Be careful.”
There’s blood on my shirt, so I strip it off and stuff it into the trunk with Rigby’s body.
“Fuck, it’s too cold for this,” I mutter.
Then I sprint for the hotel. I need some of that fucking enzyme cleaner Wes is always talking about.
Or some bleach. Anything to wash away the blood on the ground or at least make it so a crime lab can’t tell who it came from.
Thanks to us following Wes around like lost puppies these past few weeks, I know there’s a room close by where they keep linens and cleaning stuff.
My lungs burn as I approach the building. I need to get in and out fast, before anyone notices what’s going on back here. Before anyone sees me. I’ve never tried to clean up a crime scene before, but then again, Wes never killed someone before.
Jesus. The reality almost stops me cold.
Wes killed someone for us. Wes loves us. So I’m going to do this for him.
Then I’m going to pin his ass down and make sure he knows we love him back, and that he’s never allowed to leave again.