“If we leave now, we can probably get him at the office,” Dante growls.

“Better call Uncle Oran and warn him,” I say. “If you just show up there and grab his employee, he’s going to be startled.”

“Yeah, I will,” Cal says.

“We’ll get the contract details out of Josh, so we can call off the hit,” Dante assures me. “I don’t care if I have to pull out every fucking fingernail and tooth in his body.”

“I doubt it will come to that,” I say. “He’s kind of a little bitch.”

“It won’t take long,” Cal says. “You can start packing your bag to come home again.”

My heart gives a little lurch in my chest.

I glance quickly over at Raylan, to see his expression. His face is still, but a muscle jumps at the corner of his jaw.

I had almost forgotten that I’d be going back to Chicago once we’d figured out who the fuck was trying to kill me. As soon as Cal and Dante get Josh, they’ll be able to wring the details of the hit out of him. Then they can call back the marker. The Djinn is just a hitman for hire—he doesn’t have any grudge against me.

The idea of being free of that shroud is certainly appealing. I want to be able to go where I like and do what I like again, without worrying about some boogeyman popping out at me.

But on the other hand . . . I’m not entirely excited to leave the ranch. I was actually enjoying myself here.

Still, Cal’s waiting to hear my response. So I lick my dry lips and say, “Yeah. I’m excited to come home. I missed you guys.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as it’s done,” Cal says.

He hangs up without actually saying goodbye, like he’s in a movie. Aida always teases him about that. “Too busy and important to waste half a second, Mr. Alderman?”

I don’t mind. I’m impatient, too. And I don’t care about little formalities.

I’m much more concerned with the strange tension between Raylan and me. It started with our disagreement over Josh. And now it seems to have expanded to fill the whole space of the kitchen.

“I’m sure Dante and Callum will handle it,” Raylan says, as if he’s reassuring me.

“I know,” I reply.

I don’t think that’s what either of us is actually worried about, but it’s the easiest thing to address.

Raylan hesitates. His blue eyes search my face, as if he’s trying to read me like he usually does, but for once he’s coming up blank.

“Do you want to go back?” he asks me.

“Well . . . I have to,” I say. “I’ve already missed so much work. And with Josh gone . . . I know it sounds stupid, because apparently he’s a treacherous asshole, but he did handle a huge workload. Somebody’s got to pick up the slack. Not to mention it’s pretty clear who’s getting the partnership now.”