Page 59 of The Loves We Lost

“Then next time I’m here, I’ll take you to a range or a field or something and show you. For now, safety off and shoot. On the kitchen table are four things: two trackers and two panicbuttons. The panic button alert comes through to Vex. It’s an hour’s drive, but someone will get here as quickly as they can. I’ll always come, but if someone is closer, they may get here first. The code to know I sent them isFortune. The tracker should be on you and Avery every time you leave the house. Stick it in her pocket.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Just promise me you’ll look after you and Avery while I’m gone.”

“I promise.” The words come out on a sob.

Miles brushes his lips across mine softly. “My girls,” he says wistfully, before turning and marching out of the house.

21

BATES

It’s a scorcher of a day when I pull into the clubhouse two days later. I see the first gate is wide open. The second one isn’t. And there isn’t a prospect in sight. Impatiently, I sound the horn on my bike as it grumbles beneath me.

There was enough of a breeze while riding to keep me cool, but now I’m sweating.

“Fuck my life,” I mutter. This gate system Spark authorized is going to be the fucking death of me. I get why an inner and outer gate makes sense, but if we can’t operate the thing, we might as well not have it.

It also reminds of the look on Vi’s face when she was trapped between them as those fuckers shot at her. I wonder what my little girl has done today. I saw from their trackers that they never left the house. Or maybe they left the house without them.

That thought makes my stomach flip.

Impatiently, I sound my horn a second time, and one of the prospects, Heath, comes running from the garage side of the clubhouse. “Sorry. Clutch said he’d look at my bike, and I was just riding it into the shop.”

“Should have got here earlier so you didn’t abandon your position. Look after your bike on your own time. Not ours.”

“It was only a minute, Bates.”

“Only a minutecan get someone killed. What if I’m being followed here and end up pinned against the gate? What if we arrange an exchange and the buyer doesn’t wait because we’re late? What if you’re meant to go on the count of fucking three and you’re a minute late? What then, fucker?”

I’m tempted to get off the bike and live up to my enforcer role with a little physical encouragement.

“Don’t just stand there,” Clutch says, coming up behind Heath. “Open the gate.”

I tip my head at my vice president.

“Should have asked if he was working before telling him to get his bike.”

“Fair enough, but he also needs to know that he can’t abandon his post unless he gets a direct order. Lesson learned.”

“Sorry again,” Heath says.

“Yeah, well, you talk back to me like that again while you’re a prospect, and I’ll kick you out of this club so fast, you won’t have time to collect your fucking bike.”

I drive into the lot once the gate opens and park next to Niro’s machine.

The clubhouse is too warm too. “Why the hell isn’t the air-con on?” I ask Niro when I see him propped up against the bar, drinking an ice-cold beer.

“There’s a guy here servicing the units, so it’s switched off,” Niro said.

“He couldn’t do it in morning when it’s cooler and we’re all in bed?”

“Apparently not. You want a beer?”

“Sure.” I nod.

“What can I get you?” Noah says as he pops his head up from behind the bar, where it appears he’s been loading the fridge.