Page 31 of Salvation

Nodding, I say, “Thank you.” He exits the car and Max looks over at me with a question. I debate for a minute and then ask Hope, “Is it alright for Max to stay or would you rather he get out?”

Sighing, she plays with the straps on her backpack purse. “He can stay. You’ll need to tell him what I tell you anyway.”

I nod again. “Okay, so what was in the package, Hope?”

Her eyes are wide as she looks out the window at the doors to the shelter. She looks back at me. “Pictures… Three of them. One of you leaving here. One of you and me in an intimate embrace… at your house by the pool… and one of… Luke and I out front.” She points to the shelter. “There were photos of you and Luke here. Someone is watching this place, Gabrial.”

My lips are tightly pressed together to hold in my rage. Someone followed Hope and me to my private residence and spied on us. They took photos of the two of us in my gated, protected backyard. This is no amateur. I have security. High tech security and men who patrol my grounds. Whoever did this is dangerous.

The only question is… What the fuck do they want?

Max is cussing under his breath as well. I ask Hope, “What else? Was that it? Was there anything else in the package?”

She nods again. “Yes, there was something else. A note.

“I think it was a threat…”

My rage overtakes me, and I punch the back of the leather seat in front of me. Then, I punch it a few more times, wailing on it with both fists. My hair is flying around my face as I try to get my rage under control.

Hope gasps as I pummel on the seats in a desperate attempt to alleviate some of the rage racing through my veins.

Who is threatening Hope? Who is threatening the woman I love?

Is this because of me? Is this my doing?

Is her association with me putting her in danger?

Smoothing my hair down as best I can, I exhale and stare out of the window before looking at Hope. She’s watching me warily.

She can’t be afraid of me…

I would never lift a hand to her, to any woman. She has to know that.

Taking a deep breath, I exhale slowly and look at her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uneasy. I hope you know I would never harm you, Hope. I could never harm you.”

She smiles sadly. “I know that Gabrial.” Her hand covers mine and it burns as her skin touches the open skin of my knuckles. I look down with a start.

I’m bleeding. I busted my hands up. I didn’t even realize it. Looking from my hands to the seat back, I see the splattered and smeared blood. I remove my hands from under Hope’s.

I don’t want my dirty blood to tarnish her. She grimaces as if she understands my way of thinking.

Max hands me a clean handkerchief and I wrap it around the worst of my wounds. I’ll need to take care of that as soon as possible. I don’t like to look unpresentable.

Looking back at her, I ask her the question that is roaring through my head over and over, “What did the note say?”

Looking straight at me, she recites it.

“A woman who loves two men.

One cop.

One criminal.

Opposite sides of the same coin.

Love can be a weakness…”

Love can be a weakness?

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