Page 39 of When the Smoke Clears

CHAPTER 10

LUKE

“Open the door, Gabe!” My knuckles thud against the wood harder than intended, a dull vibration traveling up my arm like a warning shot.

The door swings open. Gabe leans against the frame, a mug of coffee steaming in his hand, smirk already in place. “Hey, buddy.”

I shoulder past him, the urgency snapping under my skin like live wires. “Thanks for calling me last night when you ditched the bar with Isla. Really appreciate the heads up.”

Gabe glances at the floor before meeting my stare. I clock the hesitation—guilt brushed with stubbornness.

“I figured you’d hear about it this morning,” he says. “I needed more information from her first.”

“And did you get it?”

“A sliver.” He huffs out a breath. “That girl is locked down tighter than a damn vault.”

I drag a hand through my hair. “So what’s going on? Why was she shaken up last night?”

“I gave her my word, I'd keep it between us until she speaks to you.”

My laugh is sharp. “What the fuck, man? I reach out for help, and now you’re shutting me out?”

“That’s not what I’m doing,” he says, maddeningly calm. “She barely trusts anyone. If I betray that, she’ll never talk.”

“Oh, that’s precious. Maybe you two can get matching BFF necklaces.”

Gabe watches me unravel with that infuriating half-smile.

“What?” I snap.

“Nothing,” he says, smirk deepening.

I scan the room for any sign of Isla. “Where is she?”

“Relax. She’s on the patio playing with Hannibal.”

“Great,” I mutter. “She’s catching rabies.”

“He only bites bad guys,” Gabe jokes, moving toward the kitchen. He grabs another mug.

I follow. “That ferret is a menace, and I’m 90% sure he’s not even legal.”

That little rodent gives me the creeps—a fact that Gabe deems hilarious.

He hands me coffee with a smirk. I raise it. “Do I look like someone who needs caffeine?”

Before he can fire back⁠—

“What is going on here?”

Every time I hear her voice, something in me forgets to brace for impact. It’s smooth and silky, and it envelops me like a satin blanket, despite my current irritated state.

I turn as she steps through the door, the small ferret wrapped around her neck like a deadly, furry scarf.

“Why is Luke here?” Isla demands, eyes sharp and narrowed.

Gabe and I exchange the same silent look we’ve exchanged our entire lives—wordless communication, useless in situations involving women.