Chapter 87

Gavin’s POV

“Were you ever going to tell me that Erin is back in your life?” Tyler asked, following Gavin to his office across the packhouse.

“There’s nothing to tell, she’s married,” Gavin muttered.

He knew that her marriage wasn’t real, but he wasn’t sure what else to say to Tyler. It was clear that Erin had made her decision and her decision was not Gavin.

As much as that hurt him to realize, he had something much bigger to worry about.

He stared down at the picture that Tyler had presented to him. Somebody from the Slayer organization had given it to him to give to Gavin. They were cowardly and didn’t want to face Gavin themselves, so they sent the only person that Gavin truly trusted to do it for them.

“I have to be honest,” Tyler said, sitting across from Gavin’s desk in a chair. “I was surprised when I saw a vampire standing at my door. My first instinct was to fight. But he didn’t attack me.”

“Did he say anything?” Gavin asked, still eyeing the picture with discomfort.

The picture contained his parents in their home. The home that nobody was supposed to know about except for Gavin and a couple of the guards that were stationed in that area to keep them safe. Besides that, nobody should know that his parents were there.

But considering a Slayer had the picture and sent it to him, that meant that the leader of their organization knew where his parents were.

That meant his parents were in serious trouble.

His parent’s lives were already being threatened by a woman that Gavin can’t seem to get rid of. Somebody who grew to be more powerful than anyone he has ever met. She has connections all around the world and can get things done easily and quickly.

It worried him the kind of power she had. Because she had so much power over his family and those he loves, it meant that she had power over him as well and that didn’t sit right with Gavin.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Erin didn’t want to be with Gavin; at least for right now. If this woman knew that he was still smitten over Erin, there would be hell to pay.

Not that he wouldn’t do anything in his power to keep Erin safe; but this woman was crazy and he worried for the safety of everyone around him.

He can’t be everywhere at once.

His stomach formed a tight knot the more he thought about it.

But now he was being threatened by the leader of the Slayers. What could they possibly want with Gavin and his family?

“I need to move their location,” Gavin spoke that part out loud before he could stop himself.

“Why didn’t you tell me you and your family were in trouble?” Tyler asked, raising his brows. “Why are they after you?”

That was a loaded question; something Gavin wasn’t sure the answer to.

“I’m not sure,” he answered. “But once I find out, I’m going to tear them apart.”

…

Erin’s POV

He completely brushed me off. My heart ached when I left Gavin’s house. I knew I shouldn’t have let that bother me as it did, but I couldn’t help it.

I was incredibly sad that he wouldn’t even spare me a moment to talk.

I had to admit that I was shocked when I saw Tyler standing in the middle of the packhouse though. It made me wonder if there was something seriously wrong when I got there. But I brushed the thought out of my head and returned home.

I didn’t want Henry to see the sorrow on my face when I entered the house, so I kept my head low, but he was sitting in the living room with Theo and they both turned to look at me as soon as I walked in.

“Did you tell him?” Theo asked.

“I told him that Susanna is still a danger,” I explained. “And then I left.”

“He didn’t say anything?” Henry asked, raising his brows.

I didn’t want to talk about this anymore.

“No,” I answered, and I left it at that.

Theo and Henry exchanged odd looks before looking back at me.

“So, we are going to remain undercover for right now,” Henry explained. “We’ll go back to work as usual, so nobody suspects anything. But we are going to do what we can to investigate the Slayer organization and find out what opens the portal to their realm.”

I nodded in understanding. It’ll be good to return to work, even if it meant dealing with nasty coworkers. But I had to admit that I missed Kelsey and I knew she was probably worried about me. I told her that I would keep her updated on my “illness” and I haven’t.

I was feeling guilty about that.

“I have a client meeting tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll be gone for a while,” Henry continued.

“I’m returning to the headquarters, but we will keep one another updated,” Theo said, eyeing me carefully. “Next time you go rogue like that… I won’t go easy on you.”

…

Henry was already gone the next morning by the time I woke up. He was acting distant and a little cold toward me and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of Gavin.

I replayed the moment back in my mind of when Gavin proposed to me in the forest.

Did Henry overhear that?

I declined him, of course, but I wondered if Henry could still see the love I had for Gavin and I wondered if that bothered him.

Of course, it bothered him.

Henny has made it clear how he felt about me, even if I don’t reciprocate the same feelings.

I went into the bathroom and stared around my pale face; I looked like I had aged a thousand years in such a short time. I brushed my fingers through my hair and sighed as I stripped off my clothing and stepped into the waiting shower.

The hot water felt nice on my cold flesh; I closed my eyes and allowed the water to soak through my hair. I breathed in the hot steam, and I could feel my body relaxing already. I was trying hard not to think too much about things I can’t control.

Once I was done in the shower, I grabbed the towel that hung on the wall nearby and wrapped myself in it. I grabbed another towel and began to dry my hair.

My hair lay lazily around my shoulders in a wet mess. I threw it up in its regular bun before grabbing my work uniform.

Today was my first day back at work and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous.

I got to work a few minutes before the restaurant opened and I was immediately greeted by Kelsey with a broad smile.

“I’ve been so worried,” she said as I approached her. “You promised you’d update me on your condition.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been all over the place lately. But I’m back now and better than ever.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.”

I smiled in return as I grabbed a tray of dirty dishes, left over from the night before, and went toward the back sink to clean them. Just as I reached the back area, my foot snagged on something and went falling to the ground with a THUD!

Then, I heard chuckling.