Page 60 of Hold On

His phone beeped with a message from Col.Are U ok? Got everything U need?

Fine thanksDominic typed back.

Want us to bring U something 2 eat?

No thanks.

Theo says can U make fire?

Never tried.

He’s offering to come and rub 2 sticks together. I’ve said no. He’d be there all night until he managed it.

Dominic smiled.See you tomorrow.Then he called Merlene Thomas. Something else that needed to be done.

“Hello?”

“Mrs Thomas, it’s Dominic.” He almost added Col’s brother but she’d know who he was.

“Oh. Is Col all right?”

“Yes. He’s fine. I wondered if I could come and see you and Mr Thomas.”

Dominic didn’t like the long pause before she answered. “When were you thinking of?”

“Tomorrow after lunch?”

“All right. You know where we live? Of course you do. You wrote to Col.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Thank you.”

Dominic curled up on the mattress trying not to think because all thinking did was worry him.

Ren was looking forward to seeing Dominic this morning, though he’d told himself not to be too optimistic about him turning up, right until the point that he saw a familiar figure walking into the field. Ren had been heading for the food tent and changed direction to meet him.

“You’re keen.” Ren smiled.

“I thought I might cadge a cup of coffee.”

“Theo and Col stopped catering for you?”

“I’ve moved out.”

Ren gaped at him. “Where are you staying? Can I move in too?”

“I’ve pitched Theo’s tent near the river.”

What the hell?“Why on earth would you give up their place for a tent?”

“I told Theo’s father and his partner about Miran Kilic, that I was worried he might come after me, or after anyone who knew me. I didn’t want that to happen. It applies to you too. I don’t want to put you in any danger. Or your brother.”

“Oh God.” Had he even thoughthemight be putting Dominic in danger? Levan thought he was dead but if he discovered he wasn’t… Ren wanted to ask if Dominic was worrying unnecessarily but that somehow seemed cruel. The guywasworried and that was all that mattered. But now Ren felt even guiltier about keeping Dominic in the dark about his own past.

“The marquess is going to increase security and see what he can find out about Kilic. I don’t know how or what he’ll do but he said he has connections so…”

“Right.” What connections could a peer of the realm have that would tell him anything about gangs operating in the UK? But Ren had already made enquiries. The Kilics were a Turkish criminal family running an operation out of Brixton, in the south of London, and into drugs, prostitution, people smuggling and armed robbery. They sounded delightful. But they were a close-knit family left devastated by the death of the youngest of four sons. Ren knew what these families were like. It was possible that Miran would come after Dominic, or rather he’d send someone, and although there was no chatter to suggest that, Ren’s contact’s source was still listening.

He decided not to tell Dominic. He’d only add to his worries. This was a chance for Ren to tell Dominic a little more of his story, but he chickened out of that too, and not just for his own sake. Dominic had enough on his plate.

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