Page 27 of Call Back

Chapter 6

I was startledawake by a ringing cell phone.

“Bennett,” Brady’s voice barked in the darkness. He listened for several long seconds before saying, “I’ll be right there.” He sat up and pushed back the covers.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, still groggy from sleep.

“I got called in to handle a case.” He hesitated and then leaned over me. “I know you’re supposed to work for Ava Milton today, but ask her if you can put it off.”

I sat up, feeling anxious as I faced him in the darkness. “Why?”

“This case I’m headed to . . . I’d just feel better if you were locked up in my apartment.”

“Is there something I should know?”

He paused. “No.”

“Like I told you, Brady, I’m not weak. I can handle whatever you tell me.”

“I know, but after everything you’ve been through . . . just hang out here today.”

“What’s going on? First you asked me to stay away from Bill James. Now you want me to spend the day in your apartment. You owe me some kind of explanation.”

“Just trust me.”

“That might have worked with all your previous girlfriends, but it won’t fly with me. While your concern is sweet, I’m a big girl and can handle myself.” I gave him a slight shove. “Now go do your job. We’ll talk about this later.”

He looked torn. “Will you check in with me when you leave? And a couple of times throughout the day?”

“Brady, what happened? What kind of case are you headed to?”

“I can’t tell you, but if you won’t stay here all day, please promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I promise. Now go.”

Brady got out of bed and headed into his bathroom. I reached for my phone on the nightstand, only to realize I’d left it in my purse.

Moving in here, staying with him, it had made me stupid. So had my desire to pretend that my world was anything less than a nightmare. I needed to move out, but if Brady’s case had him spooked, it had me even more spooked.

I was in the living room, looking for my purse, when Brady emerged from the bedroom wearing a frown.

“I’m sorry I woke you. It’s four, so you still have a chance to get a few hours’ sleep.”

“I’ll go back to bed, but I realized I never charged my phone.” I offered him a smile as I dug it out of my purse. “It needs to be charged if you want me to check in with you. And don’t apologize for going to do your job. It’s important.”

“Full disclosure,” he said, stepping in front of me, “this happens more often than you might like.”

“I can live with it. Now go.”

He gave me a kiss and headed for the door. “Lock the deadbolt after I leave and call me on my cell if you come across anything suspicious today. Anything at all.”

I closed the door behind him and locked the doorknob and the deadbolt before lifting my phone with a shaky hand. There was a text waiting for me on the home screen. My legs gave out and I collapsed onto the floor when I read the message from a blocked number—a text that had been sent about an hour before by my stalker.

You’ve been a very bad girl, Magnolia.

What did that mean? It took several tries to send a response.

I haven’t told anyone.

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