Page 34 of Tone Deaf

Dom

As I watch my boyfriend drive off, I silently berate myself for being a giant dick. Would it have killed me to explain who Rick was before I left the hospital? Or put Leo on speaker so Pen could hear our plans for getting Callum’s mother to a safe place before whoever’s after Brian comes back?

Then again, it appears I have a habit of assuming that Pen will wait until later for his inquisition. Yet when the time comes for answers, I deflect. When he asked about Rick, I deflected. Tonight? I didn’t even deflect about Leo, I was just plain rude and condescending.

Now I guess he is done with waiting. Pen has every right to ask those questions of a boyfriend. It’s my insecurities that are keeping me from explaining myself. Or talking about my past with the military and my career with the U.S. Marshals. Hell, I even avoided his enquiry about my scar.

Shit. I’m a real prize, aren’t I? I’ve also been assuming a lot lately, and as Pen pointed out, he’s getting the blunt end of a rawdeal. If running away from me is his only option, then I need to fix things between us before I lose him for good. But how?

I turn around and realize that we had an audience. I stride over to Tobias and get into his face. “Why did you let him leave?”

“Back, the fuck, up,” Tobias seethes, straightening to his full height. He might be a few inches taller than me, but I’m far from intimidated.

“I asked you a fucking question.” I don’t move, but John gets between us, arms out and splitting the space.

“Come on. We need to have cool heads to think,” John says in his calm demeanor, which I usually appreciate but is irritating the hell out of me right now. “We have someone coming after Callum. And the focus is on Brian. Let’s put our energy toward that.”

Fig approaches and says, “If you want, I can trail Pen.”

“No. He’ll be back tomorrow,” Tobias relays quietly. “Get the guys to start packing things up. Most of us are heading out in an hour.”

“Most?” Fig and I ask in unison, but I can’t hide the irritation in my voice.

Tobias looks from me to Fig. “You two and Jordan will stay here with Callum. And once I get the okay with Dean, some of his men will also remain here. The rest of us will head to another secure location.” Then Tobias turns to me. “Dom, we need to talk, alone.”

“Fine,” I bark.

“Do I need to be there to referee?” John asks, looking between Tobias and me.

I shake my head, and so does Tobias.

“We’re good,” Tobias relays and walks farther down the driveway until everyone disperses. I follow until Tobias turns and glares at me. “You’re losing your shit, Rossetti. I need you to keep a cool head—just like John advised.”

“I’m trying but when I see my teammate?—”

“Let’s be clear, Pen is more than your teammate. You know that, I know that... the whole goddamn team and the band know that. You’re emotional. We all see it.”

“What the fuck would you have me do?”

“Damn it, Dom, you’re usually the one with the unruffled demeanor. But right now, you look half-cocked.”

I rake my fingers through my short hair, scratching my scalp, frustrated and fucking annoyed. “Well, I can’t help the way I feel.”

“What Ineedto know is why did Pen feel he had to leave? It can’t be because of Callum.”

This isn’t what I expected Tobias to say. I assumed he’d be pissed that Pen and I are together—and wanting Callum as our third. Our entire situation—our relationship as a couple and a possible and a possible throuple, is open for everyone to gawk at, and I don’t like it. I’d prefer privacy but it’s apparently a little too late.

I blow out a heavy breath. “I’m keeping shit too close to the vest,” I finally admit.

“I get it. Can’t say as I’m surprised. But there’s nothing you can do about that until Pen comes back. Right now? This isn’t the time to fucking lose your cool. Keep in mind what’s going on around here.” Tobias’s eyes narrow on me as he makes a circular motion with his index finger, and suddenly my entire body is on alert.

“What is it?”

Tobias lowers his voice to an almost whisper. “John found some listening devices. He destroyed the ones he found, but he doesn’t think he found them all. So from now on, be very careful when you speak inside the house. If it’s at all related to any information on Callum’s case, take it outside, and away from the house.”

“You think whoever attacked Callum and is coming after Brian might have placed them?”

“I can’t be too sure who placed them or when, but I’m leaning toward it. And John agrees.”