Page 68 of Callum

“Theo called to ask if something happened at Church because you still weren’t home, and he couldn’t get ahold of you. How would you categorize someone who doesn’t show up where they’re supposed to be and isn’t responding to calls or texts?”

Well, he has me there. “I’m fine.”

“You’re covered in blood,” Maddock points at my chest, where Malik’s blood is splattered all over my dress shirt from when I carried him inside.

“I was assisting with an emergency surgery,” stepping away from the door to the hall, I lower my voice. “On Malik Danner.”

“What?” Grant’s in my space before the words are entirely out of my mouth. “What happened?”

“He was shot at the Balkirk border. It must have happened early this morning since he wasn’t at Church. The damage was extensive, but Anita works fast. She’s damn impressive.”

“I know,” Grant exchanges a look with Maddock that says he knows more about this than he’s letting on. “Is he going to be okay?”

I quickly fill them in on everything that has happened since I arrived, including Malik’s surgery and Dane leaving his post. The minute I finish, Maddock pulls out his phone, dialing a number as he walks toward the front door. It has started to snow, but nothing is sticking to the ground yet.

“Mads will make sure he doesn’t get in trouble. Did he get someone to cover for him, or have we been down this whole time?”

“I’m not sure,” I admit, rolling out my neck. I need a goddamn massage. Preferably one that ends with a beautiful redhead in my lap.

Fuck. Rosalind.

“Did Theo mention—”

“Rosalind is fine,” Grant rolls his eyes at my question. “She’s the one who was worried about you. Theo wasn’t going to call, but she threatened to, and I quote, ‘pull off his nuts and suffocate him with his ball skin’.”

We’re still laughing at Rosalind’s creativity when Maddock comes back inside, his face grave. “It’s too goddamn cold out there.”

“What did Mateo say?”

“They were about to send a search party for Malik when the kid radioed he was going out. They posted someone at his stand, then added another to Malik’s. I guess the kid…Dane?” I nod at the question but don’t interrupt. “Didn’t check in again, so they pulled up the footage and saw him speeding away. They’ve been trying to call him since.”

“Why do we have newbies on the border?”

Grant and Maddock exchange a look that I do not appreciate. “Tell me. Now.”

“There’s been an uptick of,” Maddock clears his throat, his head tipping from one side to the other as if he isn’t sure what word will best describe what he’s trying to convey. “Incidents at the border.”

“An uptick since when?” Neither of them responds. “Since fucking when?”

“Since we threatened the GiGi’s.”

“Mother fucker!” The skin splits over my knuckles as my hand connects with the side of the shelf next to me. Several boxes of medical tape spill across the floor at my feet. “He’s after her.”

“We have it handled.”

“I’m so fucking sick of people saying that to me.” I snap, pointing at Grant. Blood drips from my hand, and I curse at the sight of it splattering across my shoe. Maddock reaches over the shelf behind him, grabbing a roll of gauze that he tosses at my head. “Have any of them gotten through?”

“We didn’t think so until,” Maddock nods toward the hall. I follow his gaze, the realization sinking into my bones.

Rosalind is in danger.

“We have to move her.”

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Grant steps toward me, carefully taking the gauze out of my shaking hand. He wraps my knuckles twice before grabbing the medical tape off the ground. It’s shoddy work, but it will have to do for now. “You’re going to go to her. Double around so you know you’re not followed. Send Theo to the Warehouse, then it’s radio silence. Do you understand? No one in, no one out.”

“Understood.”

“Callum,” a hand squeezes against the back of my neck, pulling my attention to Grant’s face. He looks every inch the Mafia Don he was raised to be. “Tell her what we talked about earlier. Take this time to get your heads on straight, and make a game plan. This is coming to our doorstep, and I need you both to be ready.”

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