Page 46 of Callum

“Unlikely.” She still isn’t looking at me, and I hate it. I hate what she’s been through. I hate that she shouldered the loss of our daughter alone.

I hate that I wasn’t here for her.

“Rosalind, I—”

“I’m hungry,” she cuts through my apology with ruthless efficiency. She knows I won’t be able to ignore her asking for food, even knowing it’s just a ploy to get out of having this conversation with me.

“What would you like? We have eggs and bacon, or I could make pancakes?”

“Cereal.”

My eyes narrow on her, but she doesn’t flinch. “Cereal?”

“Yeah, we have some in the cabinet.”

She must have seen the box of sugary bullshit that Theo left. I’m not sure when she even had a chance to go through the kitchen, but I know she chose that cereal on purpose. “It will tear up your stomach. You haven’t eaten enough recently.”

“I want the cereal, Callum.”

“You can’t have it, Red. How about pancakes?”

“How about you take your pancakes and shove them up your ass?”

Oh, it’s going to be a long fucking morning.

—

“Consigliere.”

Theo’s voice is amused, and I know he’s thinking of the call we had last night. I’d been in the middle of ripping him a new one for hiding condoms and lube in every single room of the safe house when I’d gotten the alert that Rosalind’s window was open.

I’d hung up without an explanation, but it doesn’t sound as if he was all that worried about my wellbeing.

“Have you found a use for the kitchen condoms yet?”

Why is he like this? “Fuck you, Theo.”

“That is certainly one use for them, but you’re not my type, Doc.” He laughs loudly, and I have to stop myself from laughing with him. It’s annoying how easily the Grady brothers can pull you out of a shitty mood.

“I’m calling about Family Business, Theodore.”

“My apologies, sir.” Theo’s tone changes instantly, and I appreciate his ability to swing so easily between the two sides of himself. “What can I do?”

“I need you to watch Rosalind while I go…” my eyes dart to the couch in the living room. Rosalind is sitting on the far side, eating her bowl of brightly colored cereal and watching reruns of The X-Files. She’s wearing one of my T-shirts, and I itch to claim her in ways I haven’t wanted in a long time. It’s like she’s trying to torture me. “While I’m out tonight.”

Theo clears his throat, and I feel my heart sink. “I’m on a Run, Consigliere. I won’t be back until tomorrow.”

Fuck. We hadn’t expected the Father to call me to his Table this quickly, so no one had thought to pull Theo from the rotation.

“One of my men is still in Forest Falls,” Theo hesitates, and my sunken heart settles into my gut. “He’s new, but he’s…trustworthy.”

“Trustworthy enough to keep her presence a secret?”

“I believe so.”

“Can he also be trusted to keep his hands to himself?”

Theo doesn’t answer, but I don’t have any other options. The number of people inside the MacAlisters who can be trusted not to go running to the Father is limited to my brothers and Theo’s team. If he says the kid is trustworthy, then I have to believe that.

---