Travis’s eyes narrow, and he sets his glass down with a deliberate clink.
“I hate being lied to, Miles,” Travis snaps, his voice low, cutting. “You wanna tell me what you were doing with Kyle Knox today? All cozy, letting him get close?”
I freeze, my heart lurching.
“What are you talking about?” But then it hits me—his spying mission. He was at the office. Damn it, how did I not notice. My face burns, a mix of shock and anger flaring. “You werethere? You snuck into Knox & Rain?”
“Damn right I did,” Travis snaps back, standing, towering over me. “Went in as a professor, got a good look around. Saw you and Knox, heads together, him touching your arm, you not pulling away. Looked real intimate, Miles. Care to explain?”
I stomp my foot, fury bubbling over.
“Youspiedon me? And you think I’m—what, betraying you? Flirting with that sleaze for fun?” My voice rises, and I’m shaking, my hands balled into fists. “I hated every second of that, Travis! Kyle was being his usual slimy self, leaning in, acting all charming. I played along because I could tell he was hiding something, trying to manipulate me. I wasworkinghim, trying to get answers, just like you told me to!”
Travis’s jaw ticks, but he doesn’t back down.
“Looked pretty convincing from where I was standing,” he says, hands folded across his chest.
“That’s because I’m good at my job!” I shout, stepping closer, my chest heaving. “I’ve been through it all with you—your rules, your tracker, your spankings—and you still don’t trust me? If that’s how it is, you might as well kill me now, because I’m done playing your suspect!”
Travis’s eyes flash, and for a split second, I think I’ve pushed too far.
He steps forward, closing the distance, and my breath catches, fear and adrenaline spiking.
But instead of anger, his hands cup my face, and he kisses me.
Hard, deep, like he’s pouring everything into it—anger, want, something raw and real. My body lights up, every nerve singing with delight, overwhelming passion flooding me.
I kiss him back, my hands gripping his shirt, pulling him closer. Travis’s lips are firm, tasting faintly of whisky, and the world narrows to this moment, this heat, this connection I’ve been fighting since he buckled my seatbelt.
We pull back, breathless, his forehead resting against mine.
His eyes are softer now, but there’s a storm behind them.
“I’m sorry,” Travis says, his voice rough. “I fucked up. Saw you with Knox, and it… got to me. My feelings for you, they’re clouding my judgment. I can’t afford that, but I can’t stop it either.”
My heart’s singing, joy and relief crashing through me like a wave.
“Travis,” I whisper, my voice shaky. “I’m not against you. I’m in this, whateverthisis. But we have to work together. No more spying, without telling me first. No more doubting me.”
Travis nods, his thumb brushing my cheek.
“From here on out, we’re a team,” Travis says. “You and me, we get to the bottom of this—Knox, the cartel, the threat. All of it.”
I smile, my chest light despite the weight of what’s ahead.
“Good. Because I need to tell you what Kyle said before I forget. It’s about Obsidian Ventures…”
Travis’s eyes sharpen, and he pulls me to the couch, sitting us down. “Go. Every detail.”
I take a deep breath, my mind racing back to that slimy conversation.
“Kyle cornered me at my desk,” I begin. “All smiles, asking about my progress on some old cases. But he kept steering it to Obsidian Ventures, saying they’re a ‘priority client’ and I should leave their files alone. He was too casual, like he was testing me. When I pushed back, asking why they’re so important, he got cagey, said it’s ‘above my pay grade’ and laughed it off. But his eyes—they were nervous. He touched my arm, leaned in, like he was trying to charm me into dropping it. I played along, smiled, nodded, but I could tell he was hiding something big.”
Travis’s jaw tightens, and he leans forward, elbows on his knees.
“Obsidian Ventures is a front,” Travis says, his voice serious and full of intent. “Cole’s intel links them to the new Los Lobos cartel. Kyle’s in deep, and if he’s warning you off, it means he knows you’re digging. You’re a threat to them, Miles.”
My stomach twists, the screenshots on my phone suddenly feeling like a ticking bomb.
