Page 32 of When the Smoke Clears

“I know,” he says. “I spoke with Luke. He was just here.”

I exhale shakily, grateful I don’t have to relive it all aloud. Thankful I don’t have to see Luke again tonight.

“Is this the first time you’ve been threatened like this?” Gabe asks.

Tears spill over again, hot and sharp, and I manage a slight shake of my head.

“Whoever sent this text is capable of murder, Isla.” His voice is quiet, serious. “Do you have any idea who sent it?”

I shake my head again.

“Is this related to why you left Wildhaven ten years ago?”

“I can’t talk about that.”

“You have to tell Luke.”

My head jerks up, eyes darting toward the door like I’m already mapping an escape route. “I can’t, Gabe. This was a bad idea. I need to leave.”

He wraps his hand gently around my wrist. “Okay,” he says carefully. “I won’t tell him about the text. But he knows something’s going on with you.”

I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. “He does?”

“Yeah,” Gabe says softly. “We talked about it earlier.”

My head tips back, surprise cracking through me.

“This is Wildhaven, Isla. If something’s going on with you, Luke’s going to use whatever means he has to get to the bottom of it.”

A tightness gathers in my chest. “What means are those?”

He grins, a small, wry thing. “Cyber warfare, remember. I may or may not be pretty good at computer hacking.”

For the first time in what feels like forever, the tightness in my chest eases just enough to let a small smile slip through.

The words tumble out before I can stop them. “I can’t go through this again. I can’t hurt him.”

“Or,” Gabe says, leaning forward, expression firm, “you can stay and fight to get your life back. With help this time.”

“Fight who?” I fling my hands up. “I have no idea who sent this text.”

“We figure it out then.”

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table.

“We already know a few things,” he continues. “You’ve lived peacefully for ten years. The moment you come back here, the threats return.”

“What am I going to do?” I let my head fall onto my folded arms on the table, relishing the cool surface against my skin.

He inhales deeply, considering his words. “Come back to my place.”

My head snaps up, eyes as wide as saucers.

He holds his hands up in surrender, chuckling. “So I can keep you safe. And so I can check out your phone, see if we can trace whoever sent that message.”

He has a point. The thought of going back to the inn alone makes every nerve in my body scream, and I’m stuck in Wildhaven at least for the night.

“Okay,” I say, reluctant but resigned. “But you can’t tell Luke about any of this.”