Page 56 of Whiskey's Redemption

Circe

“Hello, love. I have news for you. Oh, and I miss you.”

“Circe, I need you,” Carli whispers into the phone.

“What’s going on, Car? You don’t whisper when you can scream. What’s happened?”

“Are you alone?” Again, whispering.

Walking into our hospital room, I’m totally alone. Wyatt is off getting rehab right now, so I shouldn’t be bothered.

“Yeah, I am. Car?”

“I’m hiding in the bathroom of a restaurant because I’m scared.”

Now she’s freaking me out. “Carli, call the cops. Call out for someone to help you. There has to be someone—”

“No!” she yells, then quiets again. “No. Only you. Can you leave your racer? Would Wyatt let you out of his sight?”

What the fuck is going on? “Carli, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Where to start? Fuck.” Going quiet, I hear the door of the bathroom open and someone call out her name. “I’m here. Yep. All peachy. I’ll be out in a few minutes. Thanks, Kano.”

Well, that makes me feel better. Her sister is with her.

Coming back on the line, Carli still sounds panicked. “This is one of those times when you need to toss it down with a girl in the hall in an expensive dress. Get me?” Yeah, I do. Smiling to myself, I’m reminded of how great it was.

“Will you tell me what’s going on? I need more than just a fist fight requirement to get away from Wyatt. You know that.”

She’s silent for a long time before she huffs out, “Fine. You know I’ve been sick for a few weeks?”

Wondering where this is going, I say, “Yeah?”

“Well, I’m eating like a pig today, and my sisters pipe up that I might be...ya know. Carrying something with a crown on it.”

“OH FUCK!” I yell out, then cover my mouth quickly. Last thing I need is someone coming to see what’s going on.

“Yeah, that’s about it. Circe, I need you.”

“Have you talked to Jami—”

“No! And you are not telling him. Got it?”

Blowing out a heavy breath, I pace the space. “Carli, Wyatt’s not letting me out of his sight without a reason. There’s gotta be something good to get me to Japan, lover. I mean, shit, we have Marca’sfuneral tomorrow.”

Pushing out a breath and making ticking sounds, I can imagine what Carli is thinking right now. Her life was turned upside down. She’s head of a crime cartel because she had to, to save her sisters from servitude, and now she’s possibly pregnant.

“Tell him I was kidnapped by trolls. Tell him I was sold into the skin trade for my sexy body.” I can imagine her looking herself over. “Okay, maybe not a sexy body soon if it’s true, but you get the jist. I need you.”

“Okay, got it. You need help. Let me see what I can work out. I’ll send you the details once I do.”

“Nope. Not waiting on commercial shit. I’ll send a jet over. They’d be there in, like, fifteen hours at the most. I’ll text you the address, the runway, and the access to get through without that pesky customs stuff. Just get to the plane and get here.”

“Fine. I’ll get something worked out with Wyatt. But, you know he’s going to want the truth. I have to. And I won’t be able to get out of the funeral at all. So, get ready for Whiskey, too. There’s no way he’d—”

“Nope. Promise me it’s only you. No Crowns.”

Without arguing further, I tell her what I can without lying. “I’m on it, Carli.”

“Thanks, lover. See you soon.”

I hang up the phone. “Oh, the shit has hit the fan.”

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