I was sure of it. “Go check your computer, if he could even get on it.”
“You sure?” Logan eyed Adam.
If the prick made a move, I’d have the perfect excuse to hit him.
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
When he left, Adam began shaking his head. “I didn’t plant anything. I swear, Mason.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because my dad—”
“No, he wouldn’t.” I raised my voice. “Your dad would never hire goons to come in here and rough us up if we got in their way. If he did that, it’d be war between my dad and yours. It’d hurt his case, and if you’re actually here because of his case, you know that too. All roads lead back somewhere. Trust me. My dad would hire the best to find that trail, and he’d use that information against your father. That’s what I’d do.”
Adam started to protest, saw I wasn’t going to budge, and started laughing instead.
This one had a ring of truth to it. My shoulders relaxed. Finally we were going to get somewhere.
“Fine,” Adam bit out, rolling his eyes. “I fucking hate you guys. Yeah, I came here to plant something, but I didn’t want to plant it on Nate or Logan. I was looking for your room. I assumed it would be upstairs.”
“What was it?”
“A virus. I was going to load it on your computer.”
“Is it on you?”
He nodded. “My right pocket.”
“The cops searched you. They didn’t take it?”
“They did. But they put it back. Why wouldn’t they? It’s not drugs or a weapon.”
I didn’t move.
He arched an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to grab it?”
“I’ll get to it.” I had more questions. “What does the virus do?”
“It’s just a bug. It gives me access to everything you have and you’d never know. Your emails. Your school account. Papers even. Your social media. Anything you opened on your computer, I’d have a back door into it.”
“What were you going to do with that information?”
“Anything I wanted. I wanted to make your life hell.”
Logan was coming back down the stairs, and Adam looked up.
“I believe your threat, that you’re going to law school to torture me.” He focused on me again. “You’ve already made my life hell. You did it in high school, and you’ll continue to do it as we get older. We’re going to be competitors. No matter where you look, it’s always you against me. I wanted to start early and get as much dirt on you as possible.”
Logan narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t say anything. This was still my show.
Nate came down the stairs too. “I couldn’t find anything,” he said.
I motioned to Adam. “Strip him. I want to know what he might have on him.”
Adam looked at Logan and Nate, his hands up. “Come on, guys—”
They grabbed him, and he was soon standing mostly naked in our living room, holding a pillow in front of him. Logan went through his pants, pulling the pockets inside out. Nate searched the shirt. They dropped keys, the flash drive, and change on one of the tables.
Logan held up a condom. “Really? Were you planning on raping someone?” He tossed it on the table. “And please say yes. I want any excuse to beat the shit out of you.”
Adam shivered from the cold. He clutched the pillow closer. “No. That’s just, you never know. I was going to drive to see Becky after this.”
“Ah. That’s so sweet. You were going to rape your ex-fiancée instead?”
“No! Shut up,” he barked at Logan. “I wasn’t going to—no rape. Nothing like that. She loves me, and I thought I could get her to take me back. That’s all. I swear.”
Nate tossed the shirt on the floor. “I can’t find anything.”
I gestured to Adam’s socks and shoes. “Take ’em off.”
“What? Are you joking?”
“Please.” Still holding Adam’s pants, Logan put his hands together in a prayer. “Pretty please, refuse us. Give us that excuse.”
“I’m buck naked.” Adam looked at his underwear lying on the floor, and his shirt on top of it. “My socks and shoes are all I have.”
“Give them now.”
Adam scowled, but Logan and Nate started to advance, and he backed against the wall. “Okay. Okay! I’ll do it. Hold on.” He held one hand up to stop their advance and began to toe off his shoes. One by one, he kicked them toward his pile of clothes, followed by his socks. He kept the pillow in front of him the whole time. When he was done, he said, “There. Happy?”