Adam shivered at my words and straightened in his seat.
“Phantom, it’s not a big deal. Like I said, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. I should have expected it would start again,” he said softly.
I tilted my head to the side and looked at him. “None of this is normal. How long has this been going on? And who isshe?”
“Too fucking long,” Cole interjected angrily. “I can’t believe this is still happening. She’s fucking nuts.”
“Cole,” Adam pleaded, “please stop worrying about this. It’s not a big deal.”
He laughed humorlessly. “You wait until I tell Mom that. She might just show up at your door.”
Adam groaned. “Please don’t tell her. It’s nothing. Don’t worry her like that.”
I was confused. “Adam, look at me. Who is Cole referring to? And start from the beginning.”
He let out an exhausted breath before replying, “My mother. He kinda hates her.”
Cole could not contain his rage any longer. “Damn right I hate her and so should you, asshole! She wasted your money and stole your shit only to go running back to that scumbag boyfriend of hers!” He was beside himself.
I leaned forward and put my hand on his thigh. “You’re gonna have to start from the beginning, Rockstar. Why does she want money from you?”
He shifted in his chair, almost appearing uncomfortable. When he looked me in the eye and spoke, I heard him say the last thing I expected. “Because she’s a drug addict.”
Adam let me see a momentary glimpse of his pain, and as he held my gaze, my heart broke. I couldn’t imagine how he must have felt. My chest tightened, and all I wanted to do was reach for him and wrap him in my arms to protect him.
Getting control of myself, I looked away, then glanced down at the paper. The handwriting was distinct, and the peculiar features could help to determine if it was written by a male or female. “How long has this been going on?”
Cole growled, drawing Adam’s attention. “My foster brother here is quite protective.”
“You know we don’t see you as afosteranything, asshole. Mom and Dad love you as much as they love me. And if you say it’s not the same, I’m calling her right now to prove it. I swear I’ll do it.” He waved his phone at him in emphasis, making us all chuckle.
“Hang on, I know, I know. And who knows what would have happened to me without you and them?” Adam sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, visibly distressed. He didn’t speak, and his eyes became distant.
Jesse broke in with his own questions. “How long has this been going on?”
He reluctantly turned his attention to GQ. “About five years. It started as phone calls every couple of months, and when I stopped answering them, she started texting. When we moved to Portland, they stopped for a while. Now they’re just random notes taped to the door of my apartment.”
I looked into his green eyes, hoping he’d tell me the truth. “How many other notes?”
Adam stared back at me. “Two. They’re different, though. She’s never come right out and threatened me like this one, just more gaslighting than anything.”
Jesse let out a heavy sigh. “Were you ever going to tell us? We can’t protect you if we don’t know what’s going on. Phone calls and texts are one thing, but now they’ve followed you to a new city and found out where you live. This is an entirely different situation. Doesn’t matter who it is. There’s no way to know what they’ll do next if you don’t cooperate.”
Cole threw his hands in the air, clearly frustrated at his best friend. “That’s what I said! Maybe you should come stay with Patrick and me.”
Adam shook his head and laughed. “No way. I’m not listening to the two of you fuck. Or fight. That would be torture. I’ll be fine. You’re all blowing this out of proportion. I’ll just go back to ignoring them like I’ve always done.”
Aidan leaned forward. “It doesn’t work like that anymore. Your safety is our number one priority. But you’ve got to tell us so we can do our jobs.”
Adam rolled his beautiful eyes and sighed, then focused his gaze on me. “There’s nothing to worry about, Phantom, and I don’t need protection. I’m not leaving my apartment because it’s not that serious. It's just my mother.”
I put my hand on his knee to get his attention. His gaze immediately found mine. “What is she holding over your head?”
He stared at me as if he didn’t want to elaborate. Each second felt longer than the last, as my imagination conjured up every worst-case scenario I could think of from my time in the service.
“Come on, Rockstar—I can’t protect you if I don’t know what’s going on.”
He looked at Cole, who inclined his head as my heart thumped wildly in my chest.
