Page 86 of Callum

Yes, you idiot. You decided to keep Rosalind the moment you saw her bleeding all over your dining room rug with her head held high, and you fucking know it.

“Breathe in, kitten.”

She doesn’t scream this time but simply grits her teeth and growls through the pain. The moment the metal cools, I drop everything and reach for her. She’s in my arms, her head against my chest as soft sobs leave her lips.

“You did so well.” My hands run along her back, soothing the hurt out of her. “You did so well for me, kitten.”

It isn’t long before she pulls away, looking down at her freshly ruined skin. My painfully hard cock throbs when she presses her fingers against the bottom of the first burn.

There’s no going back now. Rosalind is wearing my initials in her skin, forever marking her as mine.

And I will die before I let anyone else take what’s mine again.

Twenty-Four: This or That

ROSALIND

“I went into the mountains. Ended up near Blue River.” Callum’s fingers run along my arm, a small smile playing on his face. Goosebumps chase his hand across my bicep, sending a shiver down my spine.

“I can’t believe you committed to the Mountain Man bit.”

Callum snorts, his smile growing wider. “You have no idea.”

Hair fans across my bare back as I roll onto my stomach to face him. “Why does that sound like you grew an ill-advised beard and only ate deer meat for four straight years?”

“Because I grew an ill-advised beard and only ate deer meat for four straight years.”

His laughter is contagious, but I scrunch my nose against the mental image of him wearing checkered flannel and carrying an ax. “I can’t imagine you in anything but suits.”

He raises a brow at me, looking down his naked torso at the drawstring of his joggers. “I’m wearing sweatpants right now.”

“That doesn’t count.”

“Why not?”

A wicked smile tugs at my lips. “Because you’re taking them off.”

“Am I?”

“You are.”

—

“It’s been three days,” I huff, flipping my head over to wrap a towel around the soaking locks. “Why haven’t we heard anything?”

Callum shrugs, but I can see the tightness in his shoulders. “JJ said it could take time.”

An awkward silence descends between us. I’m not sure what to say, and it doesn’t seem like he is either. I don’t know that there is anything you can say. “I just want her home.”

“I know, kitten,” Callum reaches for me, pulling my back into his chest. His chin rests against my shoulder, a small huff of air tickling my neck. “Me too.”

We stay like that for a long time before Callum speaks again. “We’re going to have to get a bigger house.”

“What?”

“Our house is technically two bedrooms, but the office isn’t big enough for a kid. Plus, I think our daughter deserves a backyard to play in, don’t you?”

“I don’t…I’m not…” my voice trails off, unsure what’s happening here.

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