Kisses and Revenge (3 page)

With a hard crash, Adam smashed the phone against the counter, splintering it into hundreds of pieces. Not sure what was going on, Leslie ran over to him and placed her hand on his back. Shuddering breaths were followed by sounds that reminded her of someone trying to keep themselves from crying.

"What happened?" she asked, not really sure what she should say or do. She had never seen Adam like this before, and it bothered her.

"I have to get up to the hospital and quick. That was Warren," Adam started to explain, pushing away from the counter so he could go and get dressed. "He said my parents were in accident. He said they are ..."

Adam didn't need to finish his sentence for Leslie to know what he was saying. Racing after him, she went to get dressed too. For how much of a trickster his brother could be, Warren would never lie about something like that. Already Leslie could feel her heart breaking for her husband, even if he wasn't ready to admit it. Adam's parents were dead.

Chapter Three

Leslie clung to Adam's hand as they made their way into the hospital. Already friends and other family members were lining the hall and filling the waiting room, wanting to know what happened. The entire trip to the hospital, Adam had been silent, gripping to the steering wheel as he weaved through the traffic. It was eerie to Leslie to see her husband so cold and silent, and it made her uncomfortable, but she understood why he was that way. She was sure if she had been in his shoes, she would clam up as well.

Now he walked with a stern look and a rigid back. At the end of the hall, his brother Warren leaned against the wall biting on the end of his fingernail. Warren, like Adam, had the inky black hair and crystal blue eyes. They would look like twins if not for the fact Warren kept his hair a bit longer and wild. He also kept to a fairly regular and rigorous workout schedule. Warren knew he was hot and flaunted it; even the way he leaned against the wall of the hospital put his sex appeal on display. Warren was only two years younger than Adam, but he acted like he was still in high school most of the time.

"Hey, what is going on?" Adam asked as they reached him. Warren pushed off the wall and shook his head, his eyes dark with despair.

"The ambulance brought them in about twenty minutes ago. When I talked to the police, they said they were both killed on impact. Somehow, Dad lost control of the car, and they turned into a semi truck. They are doing a fuck-ton of paperwork, but they are waiting on you to identify them. Apparently, you are the one down as the emergency contact. I only know because I was on the phone with Mom when it happened," Warren explained, the depressing sound in his voice breaking Leslie's heart.

She felt Adam squeeze tightly to her hand, and then he nodded. "Who do I need to talk to about all of this?"

Warren pointed to one of the doctors at the counter nearby, and Adam let go of her hand to walk toward him. Leslie stayed behind with Warren, knowing that when Adam left her like that he needed time to handle things on his own. She crossed her arms over her chest fighting the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. They were still so young, too young for something like this to happen. Her brain was having trouble piecing it all together. No one deserved to go out that way.

"You said you were on the phone with your mom when it happened?" Leslie asked, turning toward Warren. He looked up at her, his eyes peeking out from the fall of his hair in front of his face.

"Yeah, I had called to ... well, it doesn't matter. Anyway, she was giving me some sort of lecture then she screamed and started calling out Dad's name. The next thing I knew, there were loud crunching noises and car horns blaring. I knew instantly. I heard everything, the fucking phone wasn't even destroyed," Warren answered. The hard look he gave her made her heart sink, and he headed toward his brother.

Leslie felt helpless for what to do to help them. She was certain their anniversary would never be the same again. More people came into the hospital; the word of Mr. Finn's accident had obviously spread quickly. The Finns owned SkyFinn Marketing Corporation, one of the fastest growing marketing and sales companies in the United States. Adam's father, Gregory Finn, had started the company right out of college and happened to get some great deals starting off. By the time the boys were in high school, they were a powerful family. It had made Warren spoiled, but Adam had always appreciated where his family's life started. However, it was the family's famous name that had the waiting room filling up with people.

She was just about to go and join the growing mass of people when she heard Adam call out for her. Turning, she saw his outstretched hand and shining eyes. He was holding on to his composure, but just barely. Rushing toward him, she clasped her hand in his and moved in close for a moment, kissing his cheek and nuzzling into him so he would understand she was there for him. It was important to her that she supported him as much as possible.

"I have to go back and officially identify them and then make the final decision about what to do next. Leslie, I don't know how to do this. I thought I had another twenty years at least." Leslie could sense Adam's resolve fraying at the seams and knew he would find it hard to actually make the tough decisions he faced in the coming days. Squeezing his hand, she gave him the best smile she could under the circumstances and led the way toward the room the doctor was standing by.

"Don't worry; I am going to be here for you the whole time. You won't have to face this alone. I swear it to you," Leslie whispered just before they stepped over the threshold and into the room his parents lay.

To say the sight of his parents was horrific was an understatement of extreme proportions. Both of Adam's parents had been mutilated beyond recognition by the accident, and Leslie found herself closing her eyes and turning away from the sight. She was sure the image of them lying on the gurney in a bloody heap would forever be imprinted into her mind. Adam showed greater strength as he looked the bodies over before finally identifying them. A nurse came over with paperwork for him to sign. A medical examiner would be called in to perform an autopsy so the cause of death could officially be determined. Nothing Adam had found out told him why his father's car had lost control, and Leslie was sure he agreed to the test in hopes of getting an answer. Not that it mattered. No amount of tests would bring his parents back.

"I need to get out of here. This was not how I intended to spend our anniversary," Adam breathed out, squeezing tightly to Leslie's hand before pulling her from the room.

As guilty as it made her feel, Leslie was more than happy to be pulled from the room and out into the hallway. The air seemed cleaner there, and she felt she could breathe better. Warren stood close, watching them with curious eyes. Adam's little brother wanted answers, and Leslie couldn't blame him.

"What did the doctors say? Do they know what happened?" Warren asked, a sense of panic in his eyes.

"They are going to do an autopsy, and the police are doing a full investigation, unfortunately there isn't much else we can do at the moment. I need to get out of here. There is no point hanging around in the hospital. They aren't going to suddenly wake up. Go home, Warren, and we can get together in a little while to start making arrangements." Adam's voice held a tension Leslie was sure would crack at any moment. Keeping a tight hold on her hand, he began to walk out of the hospital.

"Don't shut me out of this. I know I'm not all perfect like you, but they were my parents too," Warren called from behind them. Leslie was shocked to hear those words. Warren and Adam had always been so close, even if he did have a tendency to goof off a lot. He was young and single, and that was what young and single men did.

Adam stopped and turned to look at his brother. There was a confused look on his face as he examined the man they were sure was grieving just as deeply. "I would never keep you out of something like this. Come by later tonight. I just need some time to let this sink in for a moment. I'm not pushing you away; I'm just trying to make sense of this all."

With another tug, Leslie found herself being dragged out of the hospital. Adam made long, sure strides, nearly running from the building and back to the car. The moment they were safely inside, the dam broke, and Adam began to sob uncontrollably. Leslie reached out for him, pulling him into her and holding him as he cried. Her own eyes began to leak with the overwhelming emotion. She could not imagine what her husband was feeling and was sure she never wanted to find out. Losing someone close to you was hard, but this wasn't just losing someone close. His parents were gone, and nothing and no one could ever bring them back.

For nearly twenty minutes, Leslie and Adam sat in the car while he cried, trying to get the release so he could compose himself. When he finally managed to calm down enough to breathe, Leslie handed him some old fast food napkins they kept in the glove compartment and let him clean himself up. She had no words for him, no secret advice. All she could do was be the best wife she could be and hope it was enough.

***

A horde of people dressed in different arrays of black and gray mingled about in the parlor of the Finn house. The funeral had been a massive affair, and the following reception was no less extravagant. No matter how hard Adam had tried, he could not keep it a small intimate gathering. At least the wake before the funeral had only been family. Leslie had seen just how important it was to her husband to have that time alone with his brother and other members of their close family.

People from all over the country had come to see the Finns off to their next life, bringing with them more food than any family could possibly consume. Leslie had heard of the tradition of bringing food to the families of someone who died, but she had not expected the overabundance they had received. It was a sight she was sure Adam's mother would have loved to see, and for a moment, she found herself smiling at the thought.

"Hey, what are you doing out here all on your own?" Warren asked as he took a seat next to her on the porch swing that was hung up outside of the master bedroom. With the large number of guests, Leslie had found the need to escape for a few moments, and the master bedroom was the only place no one was willing to go.

"It was getting a bit stuffy in there. I just needed a few minutes to breathe. Adam understands those people, but I don't think I ever will. It fascinates me sometimes how easily he can talk to people," Leslie answered, smiling when Warren handed her a glass of wine.

"Well, he will need to be able to talk to them. Those are the people who will be working with him for the rest of his life. The lawyer said Adam gets the company and just about everything else. I was left one of the cars and some cash, but nothing like Adam. Guess it sucks being the bad kid now and then," Warren answered, but his face was calm and caring, not matching his words which came off callous.

"You know Adam isn't going to keep you out of it. He will make sure you are just as big a part of things as he is. I think it is just because you party so much and haven't seemed to figure out what you want to do when you grown up," Leslie offered, trying to keep the mood light. Things were already too serious as it was.

Warren shrugged and sat back, putting his arm behind her on the back of the swing, but not necessarily around her. "I don't know. Adam has always gotten everything he wanted, and I have always gotten in trouble. I guess it just comes with me being the wild one. Can't go around acting like a fool and expect people to treat you like they give a damn."

They both chuckled at that, and Warren finished off what was left in his wine glass. All through their teenage years Warren had gotten into all sorts of trouble. He played hard and wild, and had the worst reputation in school, but that was part of what made him so lovable. Beyond his bad boy image, he had a heart of gold, and Leslie knew he was only joking around with his words. Warren had never done without in all of his life. "Oh yes, you were such a bad kid. Maybe a little too wild and horny, but I wouldn't say you were a bad kid. Besides, you brought it all on yourself."

"Ain't that the damn truth? And I loved every moment of it." Warren smiled back to her then patted his knees before standing up. "It's hard to believe they are gone. I mean one second I was talking to them and the next I was screaming into empty space. I'm thinking I'm going to have nightmares about it for a long time."

Leslie felt the pain in his words and stood to comfort him. For the last couple of nights, Warren had been staying with them while the two brothers made all of the arrangements for the funeral. It had helped Adam immensely to have his brother around, but Leslie hadn't even thought about how hard it would be on Warren. He had always taken life so lightly that the idea of him being in any sort of extreme pain was hard to fathom. Pulling him into her arms, she held him tightly to her and felt a shudder rake down his body, but he didn't cry. He just held onto her for a moment before letting her go.

"I will be all right. Just take care of Adam. He takes life too seriously, and he is going to have a hard time moving on from this. I have plenty of distraction in life." Warren walked off of the patio then and headed back for the reception, passing by Adam along the way.

When Adam came into her view, Leslie smiled and reached out for him. He had fallen apart a couple of times, but for the most part had managed to stay strong. His firm arms wrapped around her, and they swayed for a moment locked in a comforting embrace. "I love you so much, Leslie. I don't think I could have gotten through all of this without you. I want to go home. Warren is going to stay here and take care of the place. Right now, I want to be in our home with our things and my woman. I'm tired of dealing with all these snobs and gold diggers. I just want to get lost in you and pretend all of this isn't happening, even if it is just for a couple of hours."

Even with the seriousness of the situation, she felt her body reacting to his words. He always had that effect on her no matter the situation, and that moment was no different. "Well then, let's get out of here. As you said, Warren can handle the rest of this. We won't have to worry about him going hungry either. There is enough food here to feed the army."

Adam gave her a half smile then walked her around the house, preferring to not weave through the crowd of people again. Leslie felt a stirring of excitement in the pit of her stomach, and she had a strong feeling they were going to live in a fantasy world for a while. With the company at stake, Adam's life was only going to get harder, and he was going to need more of their private moments to keep his head on straight.