Chapter 20 Rory #2
Dev’s gaze flicked between Maxwell and me, his expression shifting from casual interest to something sharper. His eyes lingered on how close I was sitting to Maxwell, then tracked back to our faces with the sort of look that suggested he was piecing together a puzzle.
“So,” he said slowly, drawing out the word. “Are you two… getting along better these days?”
A prickle shot across my neck. I could feel Maxwell tense, probably picking up on my sudden spike of anxiety.
The last thing I needed was Dev finding out that I’d accidentally forced this upon poor Maxwell.
He’d probably laugh himself sick. “Just don’t scare him off by suggesting you move in together,” the Dev in my mind cruelly sneered, even though I knew Dev wasn’t actually like that.
“Well,” I said, sliding off the chair arm and putting some distance between Maxwell and myself. “Are we going to this building, then?”
A sharp pang of something from Maxwell. Shit. Was he hurt? Had I fucked up, once again? He adjusted his glasses, not meeting my eyes.
“We could go find it, spy from a safe distance. Set up cameras. Armed, taking precautions. Look for tyre marks around the area, footprints. They’ll definitely have their own cameras, so we’ll need to be careful. We could bring hiking gear, pretend to be hikers.”
I managed a grin. “I’m sure I could muster up a vaguely hiking-appropriate outfit.”
“Dev should stay behind, though,” Maxwell said, glancing his way. “He can’t risk being seen anywhere near there.”
I looked to Dev, who’d gone very still. He didn’t jump in with an argument—perhaps he agreed. Perhaps he was having flashbacks of whatever horrible things had happened to him in that place.
The idea of spending time alone with Maxwell in the wilderness sent an entirely inappropriate thrill through me.
“There’s a tiny tent in the cupboard,” Maxwell continued. “We can bring that for the full hiking effect.”
My stomach did a little flip. Did he actually want the two of us to camp out there tonight? Together? In a tent?
“But… who’ll stand guard over Dev?” I asked. “We can’t leave him like this!”
Dev not so subtly rattled his handcuff, Freddy squeaking as if in agreement. “Maybe Rory should stay here with me, in case his family comes round to evict me,” he said quietly. “Maxwell could go set up the camera and snoop about a bit?”
The bond between Maxwell and me surged with intense shared panic at the idea of being separated.
“No,” Maxwell all but shouted, making Dev flinch. Then he calmly added, “I promised Kit I wouldn’t let him out of my sight.”
Dev scowled at him.
“And there’s no way I trust Maxwell to investigate without me,” I added, though it sounded weak.
We all stared at each other in uncomfortable silence.
“The solution is simple,” I said finally. “We need Isla to come here and babysit.”
Maxwell scowled at me. “Rory, I said no.”
Something hot and spiky flared inside me. “Why don’t you trust me on this?” I fought to keep my teeth from grinding together. “I’ve told you, her and Uncle Alex aren’t like the others. And we need more hands on deck here!”
“Rory isn’t stupid,” Dev snarled, shooting Maxwell a disgusted look. “Why aren’t you listening to him? If he thinks it’s a good idea, then you need to at least consider it.”
Maxwell went completely still, his gaze locked onto Dev’s face.
The air crackled with tension as they stared at each other—Maxwell’s expression carefully blank, Dev’s openly challenging.
Through our bond, I felt Maxwell’s emotions churning: frustration, protectiveness, and conflict. Like he was wrestling with himself.
Dev didn’t back down, meeting Maxwell’s stare with the sort of stubborn defiance I remembered from our relationship. The same look he’d get when I’d ask him to spend less time working, or when I’d skirt around the topic of where our relationship was heading.
The seconds ticked by. The only movement from Maxwell was the rise and fall of his chest. I could practically see him weighing options, calculating risks.
“Fine,” he said eventually, the word sharp as broken glass. “But they’re not staying here, where Callum can find them stupidly easily. Is there anywhere in town they can stay?”
“There’s a large BnB on the outskirts of town that might work. It has a steady stream of tourists, so they won’t stick out.”
He sprang to his feet so quickly the movement was almost violent, armchair scraping against the floor. “Call Isla, then.”
The words were tossed back over his shoulder as he stalked out of the room, his footsteps heavy on the cottage floorboards. A door slammed—possibly the back door. Had he gone out to smoke? Though I hadn’t seen him do that since I threw up from the smell.
Dev raised his eyebrows at me. “So, he’s still a dick, then, I take it?”
I opened my mouth to make a joke, then, despite the distance between us, Maxwell’s raw worry slammed into me. He wasn’t simply being difficult—he was terrified. Of losing control, of making the wrong decision, of something happening to me.
I’d just have to pray I’d made the right call.