Page 58 of Hold On

Dominic didn’t like the idea of being tracked but he could see the sense in it and nodded.

“Leave this with us,” the marquess said. “Try not to worry too much. Maybe all we need to do is make Kilic understand we know about his threat. But tell Theo and Col.”

The wordwegave Dominic more hope than he thought he deserved.

Chapter Nine

Dominic returned to the stable block. Now he’d started to think about Kilic, the more worried he was becoming. Would Theo and Col agree to move into the main house? Maybe he ought to buy a tent and set up somewhere near but not too near the dig site. A tent could be useful if he had to live rough for a while, though he’d have to hide that from his Offender Manager. He’d need Theo or Col to drive him into town so he could buy a tent and whatever other paraphernalia he’d require for camping.

When Dominic walked in, the pair were cuddling on the couch.

Theo jumped to his feet. “You’re still in one piece! Did my father give you a job?”

“I was offered one, but there’s something I have to talk to you about.”

“That sounds ominous.” Col bit his lip.

Dominic dropped onto a chair opposite his brother. Theo sat next to Col and took his hand.

“Thank you for letting me stay here. You’ve both been kind and generous but I probably should have never taken you up on your offer. I let my heart rule my head.”

“But—” Col began.

“Wait, Col. You need to listen. I’m going to tell you why me being here is a bad idea. As I was leaving Marsden, my Offender Supervisor said he was passing on a message from the brother of the guy I killed. Miran Kilic said he’d be seeing me.”

“Oh shit.” Col leaned forward, his arms on his knees, his eyes wide, Theo still clinging to his hand.

“I don’t know whether the threat is real or made up but I can’t pretend it didn’t happen. I shouldn’t have let you bring me here… Yeah, well, the marquess is going to look into it, take on extra security, but I’m going to stay in a tent near the dig site. You’ll be safer without me living with you. I really think you’d be better off in the main house for a while if you’d consider that.”

Col and Theo glanced at each other.

“I’m sorry,” Dominic said.

“It’s not your fault.” Col groaned. “It’s not fair.”

“Even if Kilic finds out you’re at Asquith, he won’t know you’re staying in the stable block,” Theo said.

“He would if Trevor Norton told him. Norton saw exactly where I was. He might well be a decent man but if his family is threatened, what’s he going to say?”

Col muttered inaudibly.

“I really am sorry.” Dominic wanted to give him a hug but he stayed where he was. “James said we should put location trackers on our phones, just in case. I think it’s a good idea.”

“Have you told the police?” Col asked.

“It might be nothing and I’m wary of stirring up anything that might reveal where I’m staying. I said I’d give Theo’s father a week to see what he can find out. So…can you help me put a tracker on my phone and show me how it works? And then if one of you would drive me to a place where I can buy a tent?”

“I’ve got a tent you can borrow,” Theo said. “And an inflatable mattress and a sleeping bag. I did a scout badge at school. Well, I didn’t actually get it. I had a bit of a panic. There was this terrible noise in the middle of the night. I thought someone was being attacked. I woke everyone up. We went off armed with spades. Of course, now I know foxes make an awful racket, but I didn’t know that then. We found two foxes and they were sort of stuck together and I wanted to pull them apart. I thought they must have got caught up in barbed wire.”

Dominic couldn’t help smiling.

“I got bitten. Had to go for a tetanus shot and I decided sleeping outdoors wasn’t for me. But I did fall in love with foxes. Oh God. Too much. Sorry.”

“I’d love to borrow your tent and other things. Thank you.”

Col downloaded tracking apps to their phones, then sat next to Dominic and showed him how it worked. Theo went off to get everything together from where it had been stored above the garage.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you straight away,” Dominic said. “I should have done. I should never have come here.”

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