Page 31 of Come Back To Me

I raise my eyebrows higher, silently asking him for more details.

He sighs. “Security camera picked him up leaving it out front.”

“Do you have any idea who sent him?” Travis asks.

“No,” he says flatly. I study his face—so does Travis, trying to gauge if he’s lying. “We don’t know who ordered the threat or why, but the timing before we go into business is suspicious.”

Agreed.

“He said, ‘we’regiven instructions’. Suggests there might be more,” Travis points out.

Vincent’s eyes flit between us both. “We need to work out where these men will come from then, before a threat turns into the real fucking thing and someone ends up dying. We have a huge deal to lock down. We need this done.” Vincent speaks so flatly, but it’s true.

But if he’d actually been in the barn or cut the man up for answers himself, he would have seen the tattoo I saw and know that this man was released from prison purposely to make a threat. I go to mention it but hold back, thinking better of it.

“We’ll look into it,” I say instead. I see Travis’ eyes look at me sharpish. I give him a nod signalling we’re leaving. “Have your men look into it. See what we both come up with.”

After an afternoon of work, we pull up at the clubhouse just after 8pm. Placing my helmet on the bars, I run my hand through my hair, then look down at my hands and my clothes. There’s blood splattered on the toes of my boots; crimson lined under the edge of my nails.

“You alright?” Travis asks.

I look up and put my hands in my pockets.

Wiping the top of his bald head, he then puts on his hat, and we walk to the door. “Yeah, bud, I’m fine,” I reply.

Travis stops in his tracks. “I’m not convinced.”

I stop, my hand pausing before pushing the door open. “What makes you say that?”

He sniffs then scratches at his beard. “Switched to the old you pretty quick earlier.”

That’s why he huffed back at the barn? “Meaning…?”

“Meaning, I’ve not witnessed that old version of you for a while now.”

Right. Since I’ve been with Mads. There’s silence. “And…?” Fuck, is he going to make me drag his point out of him?

“And don’t forget who you are now, that’s all I’m saying.”

I think on that for a second as I turn to look at him properly. “How do you suppose I do my job—as your leader, if I don’t go back to that?”

“As myleader,” he starts with a lightness to his voice. He’s not trying to piss me off. “You’re fucking ruthless and doing a stellar job of filling them boots you’ve stepped into. But as my mate, I like the new version of you. The one that gives a shit whether he’ll see tomorrow.”

I look down, not finding any words. All I do is pat his back and offer up a smile.

Travis slaps mine, understanding that now Jack’s gone, heismy only voice of reason besides Mads.

Pushing open the door, both of us freeze.Holy Shit.“What was that you were saying about not forgetting who you are?”

Chapter Nine

TRAVIS

“Give me your gun.” I look at Dean who’s frozen on the spot. I nudge him without looking at him. “Dean, your gun. Fucking give it to me, now.”

Eventually, he drags his eyes off the one person who’s capable of bringing out the worst in me.Fuck’s sake, I’ll get it myself then.I push my hand to where I know he’s carrying it.

“What the fuck, Travis?” Dean says sharply, knocking my hand away. “Don’t be a dick.”

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