Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 204

CHAPTER 119-2

“Then I’ll help.” He satd and we spent the next hour cleaning.

I wiped down the desk, sorted paperwork, emptied the trash, and cleaned the shelves while Jace vacuumed the floor and moved furniture so Derek could check beneath everything.

It was strangely comforting.

There was something reassuring about doing ordinary work after a day that had been anything but ordinary.

At one point, Jace found an old coffee cup behind a stack of paperwork and he held it up.

“How long has this been here?” He asked as I looked at it.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want answered.” I said and he laughed.

“That’s disgusting.” He said.

“You weren’t complaining when you were drinking coffee out of it.” I said.

“I didn’t know it was ancient.” He said and I smiled.

“Now you do.” I said.

We finished cleaning just after sunset, and when we locked the garage, I felt a little better.

Not completely safe. Not yet. But better.

We walked upstairs to the apartment, and for once, neither of us talked about Victor.

When we reached the kitchen, I opened the refrigerator.

“What do you want for dinner?” I asked as Jace removed his jacket.

“Something normal.” He said and I smiled.

“That’s not very specific.” I said.

“Whatever you want.” He said.

“Pizza?” I asked.

“That’s not cooking.” He said.

“Then pasta.” I said.

“That works.” He said.

I tied my hair back and started preparing dinner while Jace noticed the kitchen cupboard hanging slightly crooked as he walked over.

“That needs fixing.” He said as I glanced at him.

CHAPTER 19.

Right now?” I asked.

“It’s annoying me.” He said and I laughed.

“You’ve got a problem” I said.

“I know.” He said.

He grabbed a screwdriver from the drawer and started tightening the hinges.

I filled a pot with water, chopped vegetables, and put pasta on the stove while he worked.

Chaith

The kitchen filled with the smell of garlic and herbs, and for the first time in weeks, everything felt ordinary.

“Do you remember when we used to argue about whose turn it was to cook?” I asked and Jace smiled.

“You usually won.” He said.

“I did.” I said.

“You still do.” He said and I laughed.

“Because I’m better.” I said as he shook his head.

“You’re impossible.” He said.

“Yet you’re still here.” I said.

“That’s because I like you.” He said.

“Only like me?” I asked and he looked over his shoulder.

“You know what I mean.” He said and I smiled.

He finished the cupboard and then turned his attention to the kitchen tap.

“It’s leaking.” He said as I looked at it.

“It has been doing that for days.” I said.

“And you didn’t tell me?” He asked.

“I forgot.” I said as he sighed.

“How do you forget a leaking tap?” He asked.

“I had other things going on.” I said.

He replaced the washer, tightened the fitting, and turned the water back on. Nothing leaked and I smiled.

“You fixed it.” I said.

“I did.” He said.

“You’re useful.” I said.

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CHAPTER 119.

I’ve always been useful.” He said.

“Don’t get too proud.” I said and he laughed.

Dinner was simple, but it tasted better than anything I’d eaten in days

We sat at the kitchen table, and we talked about the garage, the new workshop space, the customers waiting for restorations, and whether we should repaint the office.

We talked about nothing important. And somehow, that made it important.

Claim

For a little while, there were no threats. There were no missing pages. There were no mysterious strangers. There were no Black Reapers. There was only dinner and laughter.

Across town, Charlotte sat inside her car while Victor stood beside the passenger door.

She had agreed to meet him because he had told her it was important.

She hadn’t expected him to place a photograph on the seat and Charlotte looked down.

It was a picture of Lawson Customs. Then Victor placed another beside it. The clubhouse. Then another. Paige. And Charlotte stared at him.

“What is this?” Charlotte asked.

“You should recognize them.” He asked.

“I do.” She said and Victor looked at her.

“The listening device.” Victor said as her face changed.

“What about it?” She asked.

“I planted it.” He said and Charlotte stared at him.

“You?” She asked.

“Yes.” He said.

“You never told me.” She said.

“I didn’t need to.” He said as her stomach tightened.

“But I was already getting information.” She said and Victor smiled.

“Not enough.” Victor said and Charlotte looked at the photographs.

“You used me.” She said.

“I used what you could give me.” He said and she felt something inside her crack.

“I thought we were working together.” She said and Victor laughed quietly.

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