Page 36 of Cautious

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you comfortable.” I lift her into my arms and carry her to the couch closest to us, laying her down and covering her up with the throw from the back of it.

“I’ll grab you some water and call the boys. Will you be okay for a few minutes?”

She nods and burrows down under the fleecy material. I place one last kiss on her forehead and head to the kitchen, pulling out my phone and sending out a mass text to everyone but Aiden, knowing they will be here as soon as they can be.

Next, I dial Wade. The phone rings four times before he answers with a gruff voice.

“If she kicked your ass out, you likely deserved it. Now I’m in bed with my wife. What do you want?” It seems like Callie managed to charm Wade, as well as his wife.

“There’s a situation with Callie. What do you know about Christian Baylor?” I hear him hiss before movement and some murmuring. I hear a door close and assume he’s moved somewhere he can talk.

“Christian Baylor is as dirty as they come, and yet nothing ever sticks because he’s a slippery fucker with friends in all the right places. Is Callie mixed up with him?” he asks, his voice alert now.

“He spotted her at a charity event and decided he wanted her. And I’m not talking for a quick fuck, either. I’m talking marriage, the whole shebang. He wasn’t bothered in the least that Calliewasn’t interested. He attacked her fiancé, Wade. He left the man so broken he killed himself, and the police did fucking nothing. He stalked her, had her jumping at shadows before he attacked her too.”

Wade curses as I take a deep breath. Running my free hand through my hair, I glance at the doorway before continuing with my voice a touch lower.

“He dragged her down an alleyway, smashed her face into a brick wall, and shoved his hand down her pants. She was fucking lucky to get away. If it wasn’t for a couple of homeless guys that stepped in, this could have all ended very differently.”

I pace across the small space, trying to burn off some of my anger because that’s not what she needs from me right now.

“She ran to escape him and ended up here in Tempest. But I don’t think she realized how far his reach is or the level of his obsession with her.”

“Fuck,” Wade spits out. “It’s likely not even about making Callie his wife anymore. That would have just given him a misconceived sense of ownership over her. Now he’ll want to make her pay for defying him. ‘No’ is not a word he’s familiar with, and he won’t accept it from a slip of a girl like Callie. I’ll do some digging and see what I can find out. I assume you and the boys will do around-the-clock protection. Do you have enough hands spare with your caseload? If not, I might be able to get the captain to swing for a couple of drive-bys.”

“I couldn’t care less how many cases we have. When your woman is in trouble, your schedule becomes surprisingly clear, but I appreciate the offer. I’ve gotta go. I don’t want to leave her alone while she’s so spooked. I’ll call you when I’ve got more to go on.”

Hanging up without saying goodbye, I shove my phone in my pocket before snagging a bottle of water from the refrigerator and heading back to Callie. I stand in the doorway for a moment,watching her. She looks so small lying there with her knees pulled up tight as she hugs herself for comfort. I want to smash something, but she needs me to fix shit, not break it.

I make my way over to her, then sit on the floor near her head and tuck the loose tendril of hair that has fallen over her cheek behind her ear. “Boys will be here soon,” I tell her gently.

“I’m scared, Blake,” she admits.

I stand and lift her onto my lap once more, blanket and all, and hold her tightly. “I’ll protect you, Callie.” And I will with my last breath if necessary.

“I know you will, but who will protect you?”

Callie

Leaning on Blake’s shoulder with my eyes closed, I listen to the guys talking about my stalker and what they are going to do to keep me safe.

They listened to my story intently as I told it again, each becoming visibly angry when I got to the parts about Danny and me being attacked and the lack of help I received from the police. I told them my mother delivered the message before leaving, having heard it from Christian himself, as they run in the same circles. Anytime they asked me anything else about her, I redirected it. I can’t deal with that whole situation right now, and after everything she’s done, she’s as good as dead to me.

I thought about spilling it all, telling everyone about her involvement, but my mother’s words echo in my mind. Haunted by the way this played out once before, I’m reluctant to tell Blake the truth about her, especially since he can’t seem to accept my version of events regarding my father’s so-called abuse. If I tell him what she’s like and he questions her, would she be able to convince him I’m crazy like she has everyone else? Or worse, that I was truly engaged to Christian and I had simply gotten cold feet before the wedding?

It’s something she would do. Lying is as simple as breathing to her, and I’m not willing to take the chance of losing Blake or any of these guys because of my mother’s manipulative ways.

I open my eyes when I hear Blake call my name. Lifting my head to look at him, I realize everyone is quietly staring at me.

“What?” I question, making Marcus chuckle.

“Did we lose you there for a little bit?”

I flip him off, making him laugh. “Fuck you, Popeye, it’s been a long day.”

He sobers at that, making me feel bad.

“Sorry, I’m just grumpy. Ignore me. Anyway, what did I miss?” I apologize to him. None of this is their fault—my nerves are just frayed.

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