A ringing from inside his pocket drew him back from the brink of a complete meltdown. He didn’t need to see the screen to know who it was, and even as he considered ignoring it, he jerked the phone out, knowing he wouldn’t dare. Whirling around to face his unwanted prisoners, he placed a finger over his lips, shaking his head in warning at the same time.

He depressed the button that would answer the call, but remained silent, unwilling to be the one who spoke first.

‘Adam?’

‘I’m here.’ Even to his own ears, he sounded weak and pathetic, not at all how he knew the rest of the world saw him. His face paled as another horrendous thought occurred to him. Would the girls recognize him from the few times he’d been unable to dodge the media after a game? He didn’t have time to dwell on this new concern because Alex was talking again.

‘I’m just checking to make sure you’re all right.’

‘I’m here,’ he repeated.

‘Everything’s going to be all right. I’ve already got everything all figured out.’

It was the calm, cajoling tone that reignited Adam’s panic. ‘You said you just had to talk to him! To convince him to hand over whatever he’d found out. That’s all. Why’d you have to go and kill anyone?’ Despite knowing how it made him look, he couldn’t reel in the whimper that escaped.

‘Adam, you need to calm down, do you hear me? We’re in the clear. Trust me.’ A long pause followed, then: ‘Do you have classes tomorrow?’

Confused by the question, Adam nodded once, then remembered Alex couldn’t see him. ‘Yes.’

‘If you haven’t got your emotions under control by morning, you need to stay home, and I’ll check on you in the evening after I get off work. Okay?’

Of course, Alex would be able to return to work as if they hadn’t just murdered two people.

A low groan rumbled from deep inside Adam’s chest. ‘Why’d you shoot that lady? You went too far this time. I don’t know how you think you’re getting us out of it.’

Alex hissed out an exasperated sigh. ‘I had no choice. You understand, right?’

Adam knew the rage his next words would cause, but he said them anyway. ‘You slaughtered that man. It was a bit of overkill there, so to speak, wouldn’t you say?’