Dex and Gage have a silent conversation that starts to piss me off until Gage turns to me. “Viktor Orlov.” I know bits and pieces from when I picked up Nina, Viktor’s wife, from them that day. “The whole time she was gone, he didn’t make any more moves against her. Thought Jay would take care of her, so he didn’t have to. He’s on the move now, though.”
“Do you think he’s here?” I ask. I don’t know if he’s in Abbs Valley or watching from somewhere else. Either way, I don’t like it.
“If he is,” Dex says, cracking his neck, “We’ll find him.”
I don’t doubt that, but they aren’t freezing me out. “I’m in.”
Gage frowns. “You realize we aren’t fucking arresting him, right?”
“No shit,” I say harshly. “I can’t arrest anyone anymore. Remember?”
“You need to think about what you’re saying. We’re going to kill him. Badly,” Gage replies, standing up from the couch.
“I am thinking,” I say, standing up too. “That asshole touched Les. No way you fuckers are leaving me out.” It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve killed someone in cold blood. I might have been a cop for the past seven years, but I did work for Luca Poletti once upon a time.
Dex sits back in his chair, looking me up and down. “He’s killed before,” he says calmly. He knew me from those days. “Let him make up his mind.” Dex looks at Gage. “We have bigger problems. Like, what are we going to tell Les?”
“You can’t keep this from her,” I throw in. She would kill us all.
Dex looks ready to argue; Gage lifts his hand. “He’s right. We can’t hide shit from her.”
“She’s not ready to know he’s back, Gage,” Dex argues.
“Leaving her out of the fucking loop leaves her in more danger,” Gage argues back. He’s right. Les needs to know everything going on, so she’s prepared.
“Gage is right,” Holden says softly, turning in his chair to look at us.
“Ha!” Gage says, pointing at Holden. “I’m right.”
Dex rolls his eyes. “That’s one person who agrees.”
I shrug. “I agree with Gage.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Dex mutters at Gage’s smug look. I’m guessing many people don’t agree with him. “You can’t stay here,” he tells me.
I run my fingers through my hair. “I’ll figure it out.” I have money to get anything I want, but I know Jay is watching my every move.
“He got smart. He’s bouncing the signal everywhere, so I can’t pin it down,” Holden says, snapping his laptop closed.
“So, that’s it?” I ask, looking between them.
“I said he got smart. I’m still better,” Holden says, standing up.
“Get your shit and come with us. You can figure out where to go later,” Gage says, gesturing to the back of the house.
I lift a brow. “You want me to come to your house?”
“Where else are you going to go, dickhead? Get your shit for a few days and let’s go.”
He has me there. Jay’s watching my accounts, he set my fucking truck on fire, and he’s watching my apartment. I don’t have a choice.
I gather some clothes, essentials, and my nonpolice department Glock. Shoving the Glock into the back of my jeans, I push everything else into the bag.
“Don’t worry.” Gage grins when I walk back to the living room. “Ryder’s not home.” I don’t want to admit the relief that gives me that I don’t have to face him until he finishes that sentence. “But Micah’s there.”
He slaps me on the back, laughing his way out the door. If anyone hates me more than Ryder for my relationship with Les, it’s Micah. I’d rather face Ryder. Les probably doesn’t know about the fight we got into after we broke up. Micah and I beat the shit out of each other. Then he pressed a Glock to my forehead, telling me if I ever stepped foot near her again, he would make sure no one recognized me.
As soon as my feet hit the sidewalk in front of Gage’s Range Rover, I stall, the hair on my neck standing on end.
