Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 123

CHAPTER 77 1

CHAPTER 77-1

The box sat on the office counter for nearly ten minutes before anyone touched it and that probably seemed ridiculous.

After all, it was just a cardboard package. A plain brown box with shipping labels and tape and

nothing about it looked threatening or looked dangerous.

Yet every person standing in the office seemed uncomfortable. Maybe because of everything that had happened. Maybe because anonymous deliveries rarely brought good news.

Or maybe because instinct was warning all of us that something wasn’t right.

Mia stood beside the filing cabinet with her arms folded as Jace remained near the door and I

stared at the box.

“We can’t stand here forever.” I said and Jace nodded.

“No.” Jace said.

“Then let’s find out what’s inside.” I said and his eyes remained fixed on the package.

“Carefully.” Jace said and I almost smiled.

“That’s usually how boxes work.” I said but the joke didn’t land.

Nobody was in a joking mood so I reached for a utility knife from the desk drawer. The office seemed strangely quiet as I cut through the tape.

The sound felt unnaturally loud and the final strip separated so I set the knife down and I slowly

lifted the lid. Nothing exploded. Nothing jumped out. Nothing happened.

The box simply sat there.

For several seconds I stared inside without understanding what I was seeing and then my heart

stopped.

Not literally. But close enough because I recognized the object immediately. A mechanic’s glove. Old. Worn and stained. But also familiar. Painfully familiar.

My hand moved before I could stop it and I reached into the box and lifted the glove. The leather felt rough beneath my fingertips and the stitching had partially worn away near the thumb.

Several old grease stains marked the palm where a small tear sat near one finger.

I knew every inch of it because I had seen it thousands of times and my throat tightened.

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CHAPTER 77 )

“Oh my God.” I said and Jace immediately stepped closer.

“What?” Jace asked as I stared at the glove.

“It’s Uncle Will’s.” I said and the room fell silent.

“What do you mean?” Mia asked.

“I mean this belonged to him.” I said as I turned the glove over.

The initials were still there. Small faded letters written years ago. W.L. Will Lawson.

There was absolutely no mistake and no possibility of confusion. This was his and the realization

sent a cold shiver down my spine because Uncle Will had been dead for years. And this glove

wasn’t supposed to be here. And Jace watched my expression carefully.

“You’re sure?” Jace asked and I nodded immediately.

“Positive.” I said.

The glove trembled slightly in my hand. Not because I doubted what it was but because I

understood what it meant.

Someone had access to Uncle Will’s belongings. Someone had deliberately chosen this specific item. Someone had placed it in a box and sent it to me.

The question was why and I looked back inside but the box was empty. Completely empty. Only one glove and nothing else. No note. No explanation. No message. Just silence.

Which somehow felt worse.

“Where was the glove originally?” Mia asked and I looked up.

“In a storage box.” I said.

“At the garage?” She asked.

“Yes.” I said as my stomach twisted.

The answer arrived instantly. The break in. The office search. The missing journal pages. The fire.

The surveillance. All of it suddenly felt connected.

I lowered myself into a chair as my heart continued pounding.

“Someone took it.” I said as Jace’s expression darkened.

“What?” He asked.

“Someone searched through Uncle Will’s things.” I said as I looked at the glove again.

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