Page 42 of Come Back to Me

I know it’s not much, but I wanted you to know I’m thinking of you both.

T xo

Cody

Earlier That Day

Opening my window as I turn east outside the Seven Cs’ gates, I drive down Clemens Lane then merge onto the highway, the bar the MC is renovating my destination.

Mrs. Abelman told me that I wouldn’t hear the end of it until I handed out a warning to the Rabid Wolves, and she was (as she usually is) right.

The gossip about the closing of old Riddle’s feed store—a building that had been vacant since I was a kid—first reached my ears around the time Tee made the permanent move to Pigeon Creek. The headache that is the Rabid Wolves’ MC has been plaguing me ever since, but if I receive one more complaint about their throttles,I’llbe throttling someone.

“Korhonen, this is dispatch.”

The crackle of my radio has me grimacing. “Go ahead, dispatch.”

“Marty wants to know where you are, sir. Says you should be here by now.”

“Is he checking up on me?”

“No.”

I grunt my disbelief—Marty’s my second-in-command, and as eager as he is, I feel like I’m corralling a puppy, not a grown-ass man. “Heading to Riddle’s feed store.”

There’s a pause. “Is that wise, sir?”

“No harm done with a conversation, Sally-Anne.”

“Fair. There was more activity than usual last night. Three complaints this morning alone.”

I rub the back of my neck. “Noise disturbance or something else?”

“Noise. That’s a positive, isn’t it, sir?”

“Better for them to be noisy than to have murdered someone, yeah,” is my wry retort.

She clears her throat. “Marty’s sending backup.”

“Tell him not to bother. I’m almost there and I intend on keeping this friendly.”

“You tell him,” Sally-Anne hisses over the radio. “I’ve just… No! Marty, goddammit.”

“This is Marty. I should be with you, sir.”

“What message does it send if I need backup for a friendly conversation?” I ask lightly. “I’m keeping this nice and easy, Marty. Just a simple chat. Even so, I’m armed.”

“They’re bikers, sir! Scum!”

“And? Did a patrol car drive by last night?”

“Yes, sir. Reports show activity is mainly after nine in the evening with a small number of... Oh.”

“Yes, Marty. Only a couple are around at this time of the day. I’ll keep you updated. Korhonen out.”

Rocking my hat forward on my head, I push my skull into the headrest. With my playlist on shuffle, it’s back to being just me, the open road, and my scanner.

Some days, I could keep on driving. Carry on and on, not stop until I hit my limit and need to sleep.

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