Page 38 of Callum

I turn my attention to Kyler, who is now holding Rosalind’s knife defensively in front of her body. “I am going to kill you for torturing her.”

It isn’t a threat but a fact, and I can see it reflected back at me in Kyler’s fucked up eyes. She won’t go down without a fight, and neither will I. My gaze stays locked on the Silent Killer as I begin backing toward the forest’s edge. Grant straightens to his full height, turning toward Ginetta with a vicious scowl.

“If you continue to come after Rosalind, you will have to answer to me.”

“I’m not—”

“You know better than to lie to me,” he turns toward the spot where I’ve melted into the shadows. My gun is still raised, and I’ve pulled a second from the holster at my waist, eyes locked on the women behind him as he walks away. Grant stops just before crossing the tree line, turning to look Ginetta in the eyes one more time. “You don’t want to be on my bad side, Ginny.”

—

“We have to move her.”

“I’m on it,” Grant pulls his phone from the pocket of his slacks, the screen lighting up to show an amused look on his face. He taps out a number, raising the phone to his ear before the soft ringing sound can be heard through the speaker.

“We need a safe house,” he says in lieu of a hello. I barely hear Merrick’s clipped response over my feet crashing through the thick underbrush of the woods. I can see the trees thinning ahead, the outline of my Range Rover becoming more evident with each step forward.

“Make it one. And you owe me a thousand bucks.” Merrick’s muffled curse makes Grant huff out a laugh. “He called her ‘my Rosalind’.”

“Alright,” I snap, stepping through the last line of trees. “That’s enough.”

“Sorry, Merrick. Callum says I have to go.” They share another laugh before Grant hangs up the phone, spinning to face me. “He’ll have one within the hour. Theo can do the sweep and stock before you get there.”

“Good.”

“Callum, wait.” Grant stops next to my Range Rover, his eyes running the length of the car before landing on me. “I have information about the baby.”

My heart stops, blood rushing to my head and pooling in my ears. I have to take a deep breath before asking, “What did you find?”

“Rosalind was accounted for every minute of the last three years,” he starts, slowly picking through his thoughts. I want to grab his shoulders and shake the words out of him. “But she was missing for six months, about three and a half years ago.”

“What does that mean?”

Grant sighs, leaning against the car so he can look out at the forest behind us. “It means she would have had the baby three years ago. In the fall, as far as I can tell. Right about seven months after you left Forest Falls.”

Everything slows as I think over what that means. “It was mine.”

“Most likely,” Grant agrees, his gaze now trained on my face. “But that doesn’t mean anything if we can’t find them. It’s been years. The baby could be anywhere. You need to prepare yourself for that.”

“She wouldn’t have sold them into that life.”

Grant nods, already having come to that conclusion himself. “I’ll start by looking at legal adoptions around that time.”

“What if she…” I can’t say it. I can’t put words to the worst thought in my head.

“Rosalind wouldn’t have allowed anyone to touch that baby,” Grant stands, leaning toward me until I am forced to look at him. “You know that. You know she would never allow anyone to hurt a child.”

I know that.

I know she wouldn’t allow an innocent child to be harmed.

But I also know she would do anything for the GiGi’s.

“Find them, Grant.”

“I’m going to.” It’s a promise, one he will keep. No one believes in the power of Family as much as Grant. We are stronger together. We are better when we have each other to lean on. We are more efficient, more ruthless, more powerful.

He will find my kid if it’s the last thing he does.

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