Page 34 of Bound By Secrets

A tear trickles down my cheek as I think about the years of abuse that I’ve experienced. I think about Callum with his missing finger, and Connor with his troubled mind. Kat swipes the tear away as the warm, salty wetness drips towards my lips.

“What if I can get you some evidence?” Colin begins to shake his head, but I ignore him and continue. “My brothers can get you information on his business dealings, and they’ll most likely have dirt on my Uncle Paul as well. I’ll get you evidence of everything else.” Kat’s hand tightens around mine and Colin’s eyes are filled with uncertainty and pity.

“Callie, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Nate’s soft voice filters across the room.

I don’t look at him, I can’t. I don’t want to know if he and Brad would look at me differently now that they know something is going on with my family. I stare intensely at Colin, willing him to let me help.

“If I help, then it’ll get you what you need to put him away. Then I can see my mum again, she can come home.” His eyes hold mine. He’s hesitant to agree with me, but after a few moments, he reluctantly nods.

“Be careful though, Calliope. I don’t want you getting hurt.” His caring words have my heart crumbling a little, I draw my lips into a tight-lipped smile and then lean across the table, tentatively wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders and his hand comes to rest on my back.

“I’m already broken beyond repair, Mr Johnson. I’ll be fine, and if not, I can handle it.”

Chapter Eighteen

Ryker

Fuck.

What am I doing?

“Come on, come on. Pick up,” I mutter, pacing back and forth whilst scrubbing my bloodied hand on my black jeans. I need to get them clean. The thick, gloopy feel of blood is making me jittery, and my stomach keeps churning.

Sweat trickles down the side of my face as I heave and empty most of my stomach’s contents onto the floor. The ringing from my phone continues in the background before the three beeps sound, and Johnny’s voice filters through the speaker, telling me to leave a message and call back later. I end the call, quickly pressing his number again, praying he will answer. My eyes flit over to the slumped body tied to a metal chair in the middle of the derelict shed. Despite taking my anger out on him already, my blood boils, rage and fury coursing through my veins.

“Why have you called me half a dozen times, Ryker? What’s going on?” Johnny’s angry shout draws my attention back to the phone and away from the bleeding, unconscious figure.

“Johnny, I need you to come home. Like, right the fuck now!” My voice is shaky but firm. My sane thoughts infiltrate my mind, making me question everything I've done in the past few hours. Johnny says something on the other end of the phone, but my mind doesn’t register it.

Have I done the right thing?

“Just come home and meet me in the shed! I have information for you and I think I’ve done something really fucking stupid…” Johnny groans in frustration before ending the call.

I place my phone on the wooden crate beside me and stalk over to my captive. My eyes scan his blood-stained face, and although my stomach rolls at the sight, I can’t help but smirk, enjoying the fact that I caused him pain and knocked him out. I kick his shin multiple times till he sucks in a sharp breath, and his head lolls from one side to the other.

“Time to wake up motherfucker, I’m not done with you yet.”

Chapter Nineteen

Brad

After Callie’s awkward hug with Colin, she sits motionless at the table, her hand still clasped in Kat’s, mindlessly staring into nothingness. A crease has formed between her brows, and a pensive expression has taken over her face.

Sophie clasps Colin’s shoulder and he turns to her, his face filled with guilt and turmoil. She motions towards the living room and they both quietly leave the kitchen.

I peer over at Nate to gauge his reaction to everything that has happened, but his gaze is solely focused on Callie. I look over to Kat and I’m surprised to see her staring back at me with a watery sheen across her eyes.

Kat knows a lot more about this whole situation than I do because she doesn’t seem to be the slightest bit confused. She just looks dejected. We all sit here for a few minutes in complete and utter silence until Callie stands up and mentions something about going to lunch as she rushes out of the house. Nate and I exchange confused glances whilst Kat gets up and hurries after Callie.

Thirty minutes later, here we are, sitting on a worn faux leather seat in a cosy little diner that Callie chose on the outskirts of town.

The ride over here was quiet. Kat focused on driving while flicking cautious glances toward Callie. Callie turned the radio on and stared down at her blank phone for the whole journey. Meanwhile, Nate and I just sat in the back of the car, staring out the windows. Questions were buzzing around in my head after the whole debacle in the kitchen, but I didn’t want to pry into Callie’s life when she clearly wasn’t up for sharing much with us.

“Hello, my loves. What can I get for you?” The gentle, comforting voice pulls my focus from the mysterious brunette who had surprisingly sat down next to me to the little old lady who has propped herself against our booth. I shouldn’t call her old; she only looks about fifty, but I’m only twenty-one, so I guess she is old to me.

She arches a brow and then taps her pen against the notepad she’s holding. “Don’t keep an old girl waiting, I can’t stand here for as long as I used to.” She says, letting out a husky chuckle.

“Sorry, Ruth. Uh, I’ll just have a portion of fries and a banana milkshake, please.” My head whips around, shocked that Callie has finally spoken. My eyes assess her, relaxed posture, soft, gentle eyes and that little smile tugging at her lips. Phew, okay, she seems alright at the moment, thank God.

---