Page 25 of Savage Obsession

“Kris?”

“It was Baz,” he concedes.

“It might have been urgent.”

“Do I look like I give a fuck?”

“Well, I do.” Baz and I got off on the wrong foot, but I came to have a grudging respect for the man, and I know Kris trusted him absolutely. “You worked together for years, that has to mean something.”

“You’d have thought so, wouldn’t you. Until he decided he had better things to do.”

“You could at least talk to him,” I insist. In my experience, true friends are precious and not to be thrown away on a whim. “You had a disagreement, that’s all. You could sort it out.”

“He disobeyed a direct order.”

“So? He had good reason. A reason you should understand now.” Yesterday, I shared my news with Kris. He’s going to be a father himself. He was thrilled. “I know parenthood is new to you. To me, too, but?—”

“Okay, okay,” he growls. “If he phones back, I’ll answer.”

“And you’ll listen to what he has to say?”

“I always listen, mala mysz.”

“Hmm.” I settle back down and snuggle up to his side. “Thank you.”

Ten minutes later, Kris’s phone trills again. I sit up in the bed and nudge him.

“Okay, okay. I hear it.” He reaches for the device on the bedside table and hits the green button. “Kaminski.”

“Is it him?” I whisper.

Kris nods and puts the call on speaker without my asking him.

“Boss?” Baz’s voice is uncharacteristically hesitant. “That you?”

“Who else? I haven’t changed my number. Janey’s here, and you’re on speaker, so mind your language.”

“Thanks for taking my call. I wasn’t sure if you would.”

“You have Janey to thank for that. Apparently, she’s your cheerleader now.”

“I appreciate that. Kris, I… I need your help. And Janey’s.”

“Is this to do with your missing daughter?” I butt in. “What’s her name?”

“Lily,” he replies.

“What is it you need from us?”

He takes a deep breath, then, “I need to speak to Casey Savage, to ask her to help me hack into some CCTV. I need to track where Lily went, and?—”

“Oh, yes. Right,” I interrupt the conversation. “Obviously. Do you want her number? She’s probably in the US right now.”

“That’d be great, but I’m not sure she’d take a call from me. I wondered if you might…”

“You want me to phone her? Yes, of course I will. We’re overdue a chat anyway. Do you want me to get her to call you?”

The relief in his tone is unmistakable. “That would be cool. I can’t thank you enough.”

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