Page 77 of Callum

He doesn’t answer me, keeping his attention on JJ. “That was three days ago, so there’s no telling where the Grim Reaper might have skittered off to by now.”

“Grim doesn’t skitter,” Rosalind snaps, bringing the conversation to a halt. When my eyes meet hers, she has the good sense to look apologetic, but it won’t be enough.

The list is getting long, kitten.

“I’ll start in the mountains and work my way out.” JJ shakes Grant’s hand, then mine, before nodding to Rosalind behind me. He doesn’t reach toward her, something that I appreciate. I would hate to kill the only man who might be able to find my daughter.

—

I don’t speak to Rosalind the entire way home, despite her attempts to entice me into conversation. She gives up halfway to the house and settles into the silence. Her knee bounces against the seat, and I try to hide my smile at her nervous energy. She has no idea what’s coming for her, but she knows enough to be anxious about it.

She follows me into the house, her quiet steps right behind mine. I walk around the couch, and she follows until I turn to look at her. Rosalind stops immediately, her hands nervously twisting in the front of her shirt.

I move into the living room, pulling one of the knives I bought Rosalind from the drawer beneath the TV. I hold in a soft laugh when I see the condoms, lube, and honest-to-God blindfold that Theo left in the drawer. The giant freak is the opposite of a kleptomaniac. He’s whatever you call a person who can’t help themselves from leaving gifts behind. Except his “gifts” are always oddly specific and sexual in nature.

I let my hand hover over the blindfold before picking it up, slipping the soft silk into my pocket. The TV stand isn’t attached to the wall and slides easily across the carpet when I pull it into the center of the room. I don’t look at Rosalind as I move everything into place, but I can feel the tension building in her muscles. My kitten is too intelligent to think my silence is due to a lack of knowing what to say to her.

“I’m sorry, Callum.”

“On your knees, Red.”

Rosalind sucks in a breath at the name, tension radiating from every part of her. “Callum, plea—”

“On. Your. Knees,” I repeat, finally letting my gaze meet hers across the room. Rosalind drops to her knees, keeping her eyes on mine. “Tell me about your day.”

Confusion flits across her face, but I don’t give her further direction. She briefly worries her bottom lip between her teeth before taking a deep breath. “We had pancakes for breakfast and watched TV for a while. Then we made lunch, and I—”

“Do you think that’s what I was asking for?”

I can see the blush creeping up her cheeks from here, and I want so desperately to be able to run my fingers against the heated skin. “No, Callum.”

“Then give me what I’m asking for, Red.”

“I handcuffed you to the bedroom door,” she whispers, and I nod once so she knows she’s on the right path. “I tried to leave without you. I didn’t wait for you to let me out of the car, and I walked into the Warehouse before you.” I can’t help the small chuckle at that being on her list. I’ve never cared if she opens her own doors or walks in front of me. I would happily follow her to the ends of the Earth if that’s what she wanted, and she knows it.

She’s trying to avoid the coming fight, but killing time will only make it worse for her.

“I didn’t tell you I knew about JJ and the 714 from my time with Dodge.” My eyes narrow at the name, and I see the moment she realizes she’s out of time. “I’ve been keeping secrets for the GiGi’s.”

“Does keeping secrets from me seem like behavior that deserves to be rewarded?”

Rosalind shakes her head. “No, Callum.”

“No, Red. It isn’t.” My gaze falls to the knife still held tightly in my hand. I spin the blade between my fingers, testing the weight in the same way I’ve watched Rosalind do a thousand times. When I look up again, she’s watching me with a curious look in her eyes. “Crawl to me.”

She doesn’t have to be told twice, her body instantly lurching forward as she presses to her hands and knees. Her hips sway as she moves across the room, those vibrant green eyes locked on my face.

My kitten has always looked good on her knees, but this is something else entirely. I shift my hips, trying to relieve some of the pressure on my painfully hard cock.

Rosalind comes to a stop at my feet, sitting so pretty as she waits for me to tell her what’s next. “Do you remember how to say no to me?”

“Yes, Callum.”

“How do you say no, kitten?”

“I say red, Callum.”

I let myself laugh at that. The irony of Rosalind’s safe word being the name she used while she was fucking all those other men isn’t lost on me. “Give me your hand.”

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