Page 39 of Tone Deaf
“All this is twisting my guts around,” I say. I feel sorry for Lyric. He didn’t ask for this. “I’m going to go pack,” I announce as I get up from the sofa.
“Take only what you need,” Dom replies, more earnest than before.
I shrug. “I didn’t bring much, anyway.” On my way to the bedroom, I turn and ask, “Will I be able to talk to my mum?”
“No. We can’t take the chance just yet,” Dom throws in, then comes close to whisper the plan for my mother.
After finding out that my mum has been taken to a safe house, I let out a breath and lean against the wall. “Why is this happening to me? And to her?” I cover my face with both hands and slowly shake my head. “I’m exhausted.”
“Cal—”
“No, Dom. I’ve been holding my tongue for way too long. I’m tired. I was literally beaten up, then shot at and tackled, and now I’m being moved about like I’m some damn chess piece.” I close my eyes to stem the tears that are threatening.
“Baby.” I feel Dom move to my left and take my hand. Then a solid presence presses gently on my right side—Pen. Dom continues, “I promise—like I promised Pen, all will be explained once we get to San Fran. Please, bear it a little longer.”
I open my eyes and study the men who snared my attention all those months ago. From the day each one of them started working for Warrior Black, they have been there for me. They kept me safe through everything that happened with Danny’s stalker and Connor’s psycho uncle. And now they are trying to keep me safe from Brian.
Pen cups my cheeks and turns my face his way. “If I can wait for Dom’s explanation, you can too.” He then leans in and gives me a chaste kiss. His lips are warm and gentle, and full of promise. Full of hope that all this will be behind us soon.
“Okay,” I whisper, and kiss him back. And then turn to Dom. “What do you need me to do?”
“Just gather your things. We will handle everything else, including locking up.”
“And I’ll talk to Lyric,” Pen says, which eases my mind. Pen can have a gentle touch when talking to others, whereas Dom almost always comes at you like a blunt object.
Within a matter of an hour, we leave my mountain home and head to San Fran. Or so I thought.
Chapter Sixteen
Pen
After Dean’s men thoroughly check all the vehicles for trackers, we get on the road. Dom, Callum, Lyric and I are in the Suburban Tobias rented for us. Jordan, Fig and Joel hop into the vehicle I took earlier, and the rest of Dean’s men are in the Explorer they had brought.
Not fifteen minutes from the house Dom begins to explain to Callum and Lyric that we aren’t heading to San Francisco. Instead, we’ll be driving to Tobias’s lake house in Bear Lake, California.
“I don’t understand why you didn’t say that back at the house?” Lyric asks, confusion across his face.
“We didn’t want to tell you the truth in case there were more bugs in that place than what security had found,” I explain.
“Lyric,” Callum says sullenly, his eyes dropping to his lap, “we’re not going to San Francisco because they are separating me from the rest of the band, so that whoever is after me, doesn’t hurt my friends.”
Lyric gasps. “Is that true?” he questions, his eyes sliding to the back of Dom’s head and then back to me. “Is it?”
“Yes,” Dom says as he gets on I-70, heading west.
Lyric leans forward between the front seats. “Then why didn’t I get a choice about coming? I shouldn’t be forced to be involved in this, especially if my life is in danger. I want out!” He turns and looks at me. “Callum, I’m sorry, but I can’t go with you.” Lyric’s frantic pleading pulls at my heart. I don’t blame him for wanting to get away from us. I wouldn’t go either.
“You’re right,” Callum says somberly. He faces Dom and me. “I don’t want him involved. Is there a way we can drop him off somewhere safe?”
“Are you sure?” I ask Lyric, hoping the nurse will change his mind on Callum’s behalf.
“I’m positive.” He straightens in the back seat, pulling his shoulder purse over his head. “There,” he points to a Starbucks logo on a highway sign. “Drop me off there and I can get a ride back.”
“Get on the radio and let the rest know we’re stopping to drop off Lyric,” Dom says to me.
I notify the rest of the caravan of what we’re doing, and we agree that everyone else will continue on. It’s a long drive—we’ll catch up to them eventually.
Dom exits the highway near the town of Northern Evergreen and pulls into the Starbucks lot.