“Good morning!”
Adam grunted at the loud voice interrupting his peaceful sleep. Beside him, Tasha groaned.
“Rise and shine!”
This had to be a joke, a really sick joke. Adam lifted his head and peered at Cain from where he stood at the end of Adam’s bed.
“Seriously, Cain,” he grumbled.
“I was just in the neighborhood,” Cain said, dropping down on the side of the bed.
“Right.” Adam wasn’t buying that.
“Make him go away,” Tasha mumbled.
Adam smiled before he noticed that half of Tasha’s body was in full view. He growled before yanking the blanket over her.
“Oh, come now,” Cain said. “I wasn’t even looking. Emily would scratch my eyes out.”
“Yes, she would,” Adam replied. “And if you don’t leave us alone, I’m going to tell her.”
“It’s not my fault the two of you weren’t properly clothed when I arrived.”
Adam shook his head, but sat up. “What are you doing here?”
“Funny story,” Cain said, but the look on his face held worry not amusement. “I’d just gotten to my dad’s last night when I overheard him telling Tony that you’ve picked your Enforcer.”
Well, shit, Adam had wanted to be the one to tell him. “Cain—”
“I knew something must be wrong,” Cain said. “There is no way that you’re going to trust that guy.”
“I do,” Adam told him. “This is what we need.”
“What are you thinking?” Cain shouted.
Tasha popped up. “No.” She pointed at Cain. “You listen to Adam and let him explain. He needs your support.”
Cain frowned.
“You are his best friend, aren’t you?” she asked, with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes,” Cain hissed. “Damn it.”
Adam couldn’t help but grin. Tasha was a force and she wasn’t going to allow anyone, not even his best friend, to give him shit.
“Now go downstairs to talk about this. Someone kept me up half the night,” Tasha said before plopping back down, then yanking the blankets over her head.
“Go start the coffee,” Adam told Cain.
His best friend nodded before rising, then walking out. Adam turned back to Tasha and pulled the blanket off her face. “Thank you.”
She opened his eyes while smiling. “You’re welcome. You’ve got to stand by your decision. I like Larry and he needs a Pack.”
“I agree,” Adam said. “He won’t be going anywhere and I know Cain will come around.”
“Give me a kiss.” She lifted her head to accept it as he lowered his head.
Adam swept his tongue inside her mouth, needing a taste of her. He pulled back, then brushed the hair off her forehead. She was absolutely the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. “Get some more sleep.”
“Okay.”
Adam was more than amused when she rolled over. It was true that he’d kept her up late. He felt pretty damn good about that. He just couldn’t get enough of her. But he couldn’t bask this morning, since his best friend had decided to show up. He groaned when he rolled out of bed. A pair of jeans lay over a chair, so he grabbed them and slipped them on before heading toward the door. He grabbed his cell phone off the dresser as he passed and shoved it into his back pocket.
He took one last look at Tasha bundled up in the blankets before exiting the room. It was a good thing that his body temperature ran hot, since there was a definite chill to the air. Adam rubbed his arms but didn’t want to go back to his room and risk waking Tasha again.
It was early so he didn’t hear anyone else moving around. Except for the big pissed-off shifter in the kitchen. Adam padded down the stairs, running what he wanted to say through his mind. It was important that Cain backed him up here and Adam knew that his best friend would eventually see things his way.
Adam pushed through the swinging door of the kitchen and spotted Cain sitting at the island staring into a mug of coffee. He strolled over to the coffeemaker, then poured a cup.
“Talk,” Cain demanded.
Adam leaned against the counter across from him and sipped. Cain needed to calm down before they could have a rational conversation. He didn’t smell Emily in the house, so Cain had come alone. That wasn’t going to help. At least Emily could make Cain listen most of the time. It appeared Adam was on his own.
“Fine!” Cain held up his hands. “Can you tell me what you were thinking inviting that man into your Pack? As your Enforcer?”
“That man,” Adam said calmly, “saved your mate.”
Cain snorted. “If he’d told us what he suspected, Emily wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place.”
“Cain.” Adam was tired of this same argument. “We don’t know that. If he’d told us, there would have been questions. Brent would have gotten a head start and he might have actually killed Emily. Larry didn’t know that Brent was headed to your Pack. He only suspected that Brent was responsible.”
“He could have called once he got close,” Cain argued. “Tony could have gotten her away.”
“Tony and Emily were in their wolf form,” Adam reminded him.
Cain slammed his hand on the counter. “She could have died.”
Adam set his mug behind him before pushing away from the counter. He reached out and covered Cain’s palm with his, offering his friend comfort. “You can’t go on blaming Larry for what could have happened. The important thing is nothing did happen to Emily. You have to let this go.”
“I know,” Cain said softly. “But when it comes to Emily, I can’t think rationally.”
“If it’s any consolidation, I would do things differently if I could.”
Adam and Cain both jumped.
Larry stood just inside the doorway. “I know you’re angry at me, but I did do what I thought was best at the time.”
“Cain,” Adam warned as his best friend stood slowly. He did not want a confrontation in the middle of his kitchen.
“She still has nightmares,” Cain whispered. “Even running anywhere near the spot where Brent went after her causes her to lose control.”
“If I could have put it together sooner, I might have been able to stop Brent from leaving. Or talked to you guys. He’d already taken off when I realized something wasn’t right about him.”
“Cain.” Adam stepped up behind his friend and clasped Cain’s shoulder. “It’s not his fault.”
Larry stepped forward. “I made a mistake, but Adam is giving me another chance and I really want to be a part of his Pack. I want a home for once in my life.”
If anyone could understand second chances, it had to be Cain. He’d screwed things up with Emily so badly when they were younger no one thought that she’d ever forgive him. She had, giving Cain a second chance, and they’d found love together.
“You have to protect Adam,” Cain said. “He’s my best friend. You can’t be an Enforcer if you don’t trust the people around you.”
Larry nodded. “I know. And I’m trying.”
Cain nodded, then turned to Adam. “He’s a good choice.”
“I know.” Adam was so damn relieved.
“So…” Cain rubbed his hands together. “How’re you going to do this?”
Adam laughed. “You two sit down and I’ll make us some breakfast while we talk.”
“Sure,” Cain said, then surprised both Adam and Larry when he threw his arm around Larry’s neck and towed him toward the island. Cain pushed Larry onto one of the stools before sitting beside him. “Make us breakfast, Alpha.”
“Eggs and bacon?” Adam asked as he headed toward the fridge. “While I’m doing this, we need to catch Larry up on what the Council is doing.”
“The Alpha Council?” Larry asked. “What do they have to with anything?”
Adam waved his hand toward Cain to take over the conversation.
Cain sighed. “I barely understand this shit and you want me to explain it to someone else?”
“Your brother is involved,” Adam pointed out.
“Make him explain,” Cain countered.
Adam turned and glared. “Is Tony here right now? No! Because he doesn’t break into people’s houses at the ass crack of dawn and wake them up.”
“So!” Cain turned to Larry. “How would you feel about all the shifters announcing themselves to the world?”
“What?” Larry exclaimed. “That’s a terrible idea.”
Cain chuckled. “Yeah, that was my first response, too.”
“Keep explaining,” Adam ordered as he started cooking.
“The number of shifters who have been killed because of hunting has doubled in recent years. Even with stiffer penalties for illegal hunting, it’s not doing any good. We’ve had entire Packs wiped out.”
“Jesus,” Larry muttered. “I never thought about that.”
“We’ve always managed to hide ourselves away from humans. We’ve lost a lot of shifters, of every species, because of it and now the Council is working with representatives of the other species for a solution,” Cain said.
Adam didn’t know why Cain had been reluctant to talk about it. He was actually explaining quite well.
“The best solution is announcing that shifters really do exist. Hope that by some of us coming forward, we can protect those of us left,” Cain said.
“Some of us?” Larry asked.
“It won’t be mandatory that any Pack goes public,” Cain said. “That was decided very early on.”
“A Pack will get to decide whether or not they want to be involved. If they want to remain in secret, we’ll all continue to hide them,” Adam shared. He plated the food before carrying two over to Cain and Larry.
“What are you, we, going to do?” Larry asked.
“I don’t know,” Adam confessed. “It’s something that will be discussed with the inner circle, then decided.”
“Speaking of the inner circle,” Cain said. “Have you decided how many you’ll chose?”
Adam grinned. “I bet it’s driving you crazy not knowing.”
“Just tell me!” Cain demanded.
Adam grabbed his own dish and set it down on the island so he was standing across from Cain and Larry. He took a large bite of eggs.
Cain growled.
Larry laughed.
“I hate you both,” Cain complained.
“No, you don’t,” Adam said with a grin. “So far it’s me, Larry, Mable and James.”
“Okay.” Cain nodded before biting off a piece of bacon. “You need at least two more, but four more would be better.”
“I want to wait until I introduce the Pack to Larry before I decide on any of the others,” Adam said.
It was quiet for several moments before Larry cleared his throat. “Because you don’t know who will accept me and who won’t.”
Adam didn’t know what to say to that, since it was exactly the reason.
“Hey, man”—Cain clasped Larry’s shoulder—“we’ll get them to come around.”
“And I have a plan,” Adam told them.
“What?” Cain and Larry asked at the same time.
“How long can you stay?” Adam asked Cain.
“As long as you need me,” Cain replied. “Emily’s got a few days off so she’s staying with the Pack. She wants to get started on the remodel of the house.”
“She doesn’t need you for that?” Larry questioned.
Cain laughed. “Since she pushed me out the door this morning,” he said, “I think she wants me gone. We kept arguing about different shades of the same fucking color.”
“So now she gets to decide,” Larry pointed out.
“Ah.” Cain waved his hand. “She has better taste than I do, anyway.”
“Why were you arguing in the first place?” Larry asked.
“Because I could.” Cain grinned.
“I see how much trouble you’re going to be.” Larry shook his head. “The rumors about you are obviously true.”
“I’m not crazy,” Cain said. “My mama had me tested.”
Adam snorted coffee at Cain’s repeated line from a television show. Cain loved using that line.
“What’s your plan?” Larry asked ignoring Cain.
“We’re going to throw a party!” Adam exclaimed.
“What?” Larry frowned. “How does that help?”
“Everyone loves a party,” Cain announced.
“But how is that going to help the Pack accept me?”
“All anyone knows about you is that you were Riker’s second in command. And that you stopped Brent and the attacks.” Adam leaned toward him. “We’re going to show everyone who you are on the inside. The man who stood in front of his Pack and took Riker’s abuse so they didn’t have to. The shifter who is strong enough to protect them, no matter what the Council decides.”
“I will,” Larry said. “I swear I will protect the Pack with my life.”
“That’s how I know you’re who we need,” Adam said. “So…are you in?”
Larry glanced from Adam to Cain and back to Adam. “I’m in.”
“Yes!” Adam pumped his fist in the air.
Cain was grinning. “So when are we going to have this party?”
“Tomorrow,” Adam said. “We’ll have a barbecue, music, games, all kinds of fun. When the sun sets, we’ll go on a run. The full Pack.”
“Brilliant!” Cain applauded. “Bring the Pack close together again. It’s what they need while cementing Larry’s position.”
Adam nodded.
“Are you sure?” Larry rubbed his hand on his jeans. “I could meet them in smaller groups.”
“By having a celebration, we’re showing them that the Alpha has already accepted you. If we take it too slowly, the Pack will wonder why,” Cain told him.
“I guess,” Larry replied. “It’s just a lot of people to meet at once.”
“Hey, I’ll be by your side,” Adam promised.
“Me, too,” Cain added.
Larry peered at Cain. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a punishment.”
Adam was so happy and relieved that he ignored Cain flipping Larry off and finished his food. Larry had accepted quicker than Adam had thought he would, so already he was ahead. Now if he could get the rest of his Pack behind the idea, everything would work out perfectly.
A knock sounded on the back door and Adam glanced up. Hector stood on the other side and waved.
“That’s my cue,” Larry said as he rose. “I promised Hector I would run him through some more training. He really wants to learn.”
Adam beamed. Hector was a good kid and was going to be a true a benefit to the Pack when he was a little more seasoned.
“Cool!” Cain clapped his hands together and stood. “I’ll come with you. It was a long drive and I could use some exercise.”
Larry peered over at Adam.
“It’s fine, just don’t let him near anything sharp.”
“Sure, boss,” Larry replied before heading to the door with Cain following behind.
Adam waited until they were gone and the door was closed behind him before he looked around the kitchen. He had a lot to do to get ready for the party tomorrow. He pulled a pad of paper and pen from a drawer. Food. Laura could get help from some of the Pack and handle that. He’d put her in charge there. Music. Some of the young men had a band and they liked to play for everyone. He’d ask them to provide the entertainment. Games. The children would need something to do while the adults visited. Mabel had two kids so hopefully she had some ideas. Set Up. He, Larry, Cain and Tasha could handle putting out the tables and chairs. Security. He’d put James and Hector in charge of making sure the get-together was safe for everyone to attend. They would double the guards around the Alpha house so the Pack could see he was serious about their safety.
Now he just needed to get the word out to everyone. They had a phone tree in place in case of Pack problems that came up. He would dig that out and put it back into operation.
Satisfied, Adam set down the pen before glancing out of the back door. Larry and Cain were hard at work, teaching Hector. He had at least an hour before they would be done. That gave him some time he could spend with Tasha.
Yeah, she deserved a much better wakeup call than what Cain had provided. Adam would make sure she came downstairs with a smile on her face.
Adam strode out of the kitchen, heading toward the stairs when his cell rang. He sighed before reaching back into his pocket and yanking out the ringing device. He didn’t recognize the number, but with as many calls as had been coming in lately, that wasn’t unusual any longer.
“Hello?” Adam answered.
“Alpha White. This is Austin Winters. I’m the Alpha of the southwest Colorado territory.”
“Yes, hello.” Adam had heard all about Austin and the small Pack he led. Austin’s territory boarded Riker’s and he was taking in a lot of the shifters who were escaping Riker. When Larry had made his break with the Pack, Riker’s entire world had started to crumble. Austin had opened his door to the scared shifters, but he’d also invited trouble when Riker had found out. Adam had even heard that the Council had sent some of their own guards to help Austin. “I hope you’re okay.”
Austin’s warm laugh traveled over the line. “It’s not been easy but with some help everyone is safe and settling in. Riker has disappeared. That’s why I’m calling.”
“About Riker?” Adam clarified.
“Word has gotten around that Riker’s second in command, Larry, has joined your Pack.”
“Yes,” Adam confirmed. “He’s mine. Larry’s accepted the position of our Enforcer.”
“Good,” Austin said. “I’m glad he’s ended up somewhere where he’ll be appreciated. The shifters who have joined my Pack all speak very highly of him.”
“He’s a good man,” Adam said. “He’ll not only be appreciated, but he’ll also find a home here, and family.”
“I hope so,” Austin replied. “But you should know that Riker is looking for him. From what my new members are telling me, Riker has been searching for Larry and, as soon as Riker finds him, he plans on killing him. Riker has lost everything. The Council have orders for his arrest. He will do anything he can to take Larry down with him.”
“Shit!” This was not what his Pack needed.
“I spoke to the Council. They sent four guards to me. I asked two of them if they’d help Larry and they agreed. With your permission, I can have them leave right away.”
“Hold on.” Adam had stopped in the middle of the hallway, but this wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have in the open. He hurried to his office door and threw it open before slamming it shut behind him. He flipped on the light, then jogged to his desk so he could sit. “Sorry, can you give me their names?”
“Kurt Moore and Clint Price.”
“Wait.” Adam recognized the names. “Aren’t those the two guards who’d attended the meeting at Riker’s when we were searching for Brent?”
“Yes. The Council thought since they’d met Riker and already knew his scent, it would make it easier to track him. They haven’t had any luck, but they are smart and can help keep your Pack safe if Riker does come there.”
“Send them,” Adam said. “We’ll take all the help we can get. I won’t let Larry deal with this on his own. He’s mine and we will protect him.”
“Great.” Austin sounded relieved. “I know you’re a new Alpha, but I have to say that this conversation leads me to believe you’ll be a great one. You barely know Larry.”
Pride burst through Adam at another Alpha’s compliment. He wasn’t doing this for recognition, though. This would be for Larry. It was time that his Enforcer had someone who’d fight for him. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“I’ll have Kurt and Clint leave right away. They should be there sometime late this evening.”
They could do this. Adam would be able to keep not only Larry safe but everyone in his Pack. With the Council’s help, no one would hurt anyone else who was his again. “I’ll make sure everything is ready for their arrival.”
“If you need anything else, just let me know,” Austin said. “Anything.”
He couldn’t believe how much support he was getting. The Packs all around the country were really showing that they cared about one another. It made Adam think that no matter what the Council decided, they were all going to be all right. “Thank you, Alpha Winters. And if you’re ever in the area, we’d love to host you and your mate.”
“Not mated yet,” Austin said. “But once I’m sure my Pack’s okay, I might take you up on your offer. Take care now.”
“You, too.” Adam hit the End button on the phone screen before he dropped the cell onto the desk. He had to go and tell Larry what was happening. He was even happier that Cain was there and could assist also, but Larry was who he was worried about.
“Fuck!” Adam slammed down his fist. Just as things were working out, something had to screw it up. No, he wasn’t going to let anything mess up his plans. Adam stood, picked up his phone, then headed off to find his Enforcer. There was no telling where Riker was and they needed to put together a plan. More guards and a twenty-four-hour watch.
As he walked down the hall, he heard noise in the kitchen. Shit, he’d left a mess for Laura and never even thought about cleaning it up. She was not going to be happy. Instead of going through the kitchen, he took the coward’s way out and exited through the back door in the hall.
Cain, Larry and Hector were still working out, but Adam could hear the laughter and playfulness. God, he didn’t want to interrupt them, but he had no choice.
Larry was the first one who spotted him. “Hey, Adam.”
He tried to smile but knew he’d failed when Larry sprinted to him.
“What’s wrong?” Larry asked.
Cain and Hector were by Larry’s side instantly.
“It’s okay,” Adam said. He gripped his Enforcer’s shoulder. “We need to talk.”
“Something’s happened,” Larry said.
“Yes,” Adam admitted. “And now we’re going to deal with it. Together. You are part of this Pack.”
“Okay,” Larry agreed.
* * * *
“We have to cancel the party.” Larry jumped to his feet. “I have to leave.”
“No!” everyone shouted at him.
Tasha was relieved when Adam grabbed Larry’s arm and stopped his movements. She, Adam, Larry, Laura, Cain, James, Hector and Mabel were all sitting in the study where Adam had just told them that Riker was looking for Larry. She could understand Larry’s reaction, but he wouldn’t be safe on his own. He needed to stay with the Pack.
“I can’t put everyone in danger,” Larry stated.
“You aren’t,” Adam told him.
The disbelief on Larry’s face was evident. “I haven’t been a part of this Pack for twenty-four hours and already we have a crazy Alpha after us. You’re bringing in guards from the Council.”
“To keep you safe, to keep everyone safe,” Adam said. “You’re not leaving.”
Larry turned and peered at the rest of them. Tasha had the feeling that he expected someone in the room to agree with him not Adam.
She stood. “Our Alpha is right. You are part of this Pack and we protect our own.”
“You don’t even know me,” Larry ground out.
Tasha smiled. “Think about it this way. If anyone else in the room was going through what you are right now—had their old Alpha hunting them—would you send them off on their own?”
Larry shook his head.
“But you expect us to?” she pressed.
“It’s…it’s not the same thing.”
God, whatever had happened to this poor shifter had really messed with his head. She glanced at Adam to see if he wanted her to continue. She was hoping that since it wasn’t Adam but a member of the Pack, Larry would realize they wanted him here. Adam gave her a small nod so she stepped forward, closer to Larry.
“Even if you weren’t part of this Pack, we wouldn’t let you face Riker alone,” she told him.
“She’s right,” Cain added. “If you were just passing through town and stopped in our territory, we wouldn’t let you leave without helping you.”
Larry sighed. “I appreciate you all. I really do, but I feel so bad. I just don’t want anyone hurt because of me.”
“Just because you left doesn’t mean Riker won’t attack someone here, thinking you’re either still here or to punish us for wanting you as part of this Pack,” Tasha told him. “At least if you stick around you can help protect the Pack.”
“Yeah, yes.” Larry was nodding now. “But we should still cancel the barbecue tomorrow.”
“We’re not canceling,” Adam stated firmly.
Tasha looked over at Adam. She actually agreed somewhat with Larry on this point.
“What?” he asked her.
She glanced around the room. Adam stepped closer and grasped her chin gently. “I want your honest opinion. It’s important to me.”
“I don’t disagree,” she told him. “We could postpone a couple of days.”
“We don’t even know if Riker is here yet,” Adam said. “If we wait to have the party, he might actually be here. I think we should proceed, but with caution. We need to show the Pack that we’ll stand together. We’ll have every inch of the territory under guard.”
“We’ll also have help from the Council representatives,” Cain added.
Larry sighed. “If they agree we should still have the get-together. I’ll do it.”
When Adam grinned, it made him look much younger and even more handsome. Tasha loved seeing that expression on his face.
“Well,” Laura said. “We should get started organizing.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Larry had turned to Laura.
Tasha couldn’t miss the attraction that was sparking between Larry and Laura. Laura blushed slightly as she leaned toward Larry. She also had Larry’s full attention.
“Not right now,” Laura said quietly. “I need to make lists of what food we want and assign the dishes to some of the Pack.”
“Well, if you need any help just let me know. I won’t claim to be a great cook, but I can chop and stir,” Larry offered.
“Okay.” Laura giggled.
Tasha leaned against Adam when he slipped his arm around her waist. She peeped up at him and found Adam smiling over at Larry and Laura. It seemed she didn’t need to ask Adam what he thought about the potential couple.
“Can I look at your guard roster?” Cain asked James.
“Sure.” James stood. “I left my laptop in the car. I can go grab it.”
“What can I do?” Hector questioned.
“Get every guard that is not currently on duty here,” Adam stated. “I want to talk to them right now.”
“I’ll help Laura,” Mabel said.
“Good.” Adam turned to Tasha. “Can I see you for a minute in my office?”
“Sure,” she agreed quickly. Tasha didn’t know what he needed to say privately, but she hoped she could help.
He didn’t release her hand as he drew her down the hall. Tasha didn’t say anything until they were inside his office with the door closed.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “What can I do?”
“Come here.” Adam lowered his head until his lips brushed hers.
Tasha rose onto her tiptoes while wrapping her arms around his neck. She loved the way he embraced her tightly. It was as if he couldn’t get close enough. She felt the same way.
He tasted like coffee with a hint of bacon. She moaned while pressing harder against his body. Adam ran his hands down her back until he cupped her ass. He lifted her so Tasha brought her legs up and around his waist. He started to walk, but she didn’t care where he was taking her. She simply wanted more.
“I just need to feel you for a few minutes,” he whispered against her mouth.
Tasha nodded. She’d give him anything. They’d promised each other that they’d let go of their insecurities and it seemed to be working. She wanted to remind him what he was fighting so hard for. Adam deserved someone who looked out for his needs and Tasha wanted that to be her. She wanted to claim him.
It was too soon. She knew that in her mind, but she’d already begun to fall for him. Even before she’d gone to him for help finding Crystal, she’d had feelings for him. When Adam had turned out to be intelligent and kind, her heart had been lost.
Adam laid her gently on the couch but Tasha didn’t release her hold on him. Instead, she pulled him down on top of her so that they were completely connected. He ran his lips down her chin and across her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access.
“You smell so good,” he murmured.
Tasha laughed. “I smell like you.” It was true. Adam had woken her up and she hadn’t had time for a shower before he was ushering her downstairs and into the study.
“Good.” It was growled.
Tasha pushed up the back of his shirt so she could get her palms on his flesh. He was hot to the touch.
“More,” Adam ordered. “Touch me more.”
She didn’t know exactly what he needed so she scraped her nails down his back. He hissed and bucked against her. His cock was hard as he rubbed against her thigh. Oh, she needed him just as much. Growing desperate, she yanked on the back of his jeans.
A loud banging had them breaking apart.
“Fuck,” Adam said, laying his forehead against hers. “I got carried away.”
Tasha nodded. “Me, too.”
“Whatever you’re doing you need to hurry up!” Cain called through the door. “We’re waiting on you.”
Adam kissed her again, but this time he kept it chaste. He pulled himself up off the couch before offering his hand. Tasha placed her palm in his and allowed him to help her up.
“Sorry.” He chuckled.
“I’m not,” she told him. “It might not be everything I wanted, but it will get me through until we can be alone again.”
“Tonight, I promise,” he told her.
“You’re on.”
“Adam!” Cain yelled.
“I’m coming!” Adam shouted back.
“TMI,” Cain teased.
“I’m gonna kill him one day,” Adam said. “No one will blame me, either.”
Tasha shook her head. “Come on, I’m going to see what else needs to be done for tomorrow.”
“Thanks for helping,” Adam told her.
“Of course.” She cupped his face. “It’ll be great.”
“I hope so,” Adam said. “I really hope so.”