Page 22 of Callen's Captive
He scrubbed his face. Hell, her good intentions were going to be the death of her. “You can’t take on an organization the size of the WSSO by yourself.”
“Why not?” she said, with an air of defiance he’d come to know so well in a short period of time.
“They have the resources to—”
“Which is why I take their resources away. Bit by bit.”
She wasn’t getting it. She didn’t see how they’d catch up with her eventually, no matter what she did to them. “And how long can you keep running from them?”
“As long as I have to. Look, Callen, this is my fight, not yours. You can leave now, no hard feelings. Okay?”
Before she could sling her backpack over her shoulder, he took it from her and shouldered it. “We’re better, stronger together, Kate.”
“This isn’t your fight.”
“You keep saying that, but that’s not your call. I’m a shifter. It’s my people they want to wipe off the face of the Earth. My family, my friends—”
“That doesn’t mean we should team up.”
“It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t either. How about a trial run?”
Blade would be laughing at him, and Damien would be rolling his eyes. Callen didn’t team up with people. He gave orders to the shifters who worked for him or he took orders from Damien and Hayden. He worked alongside Frank or Blade as needed, but that was always temporary, with a clear sense of who was in charge, namely him.
“Are you sure about this? I’m not going to roll over and do what you say because you’re the one saying it. I’m all for logic, but I’m not a pushover.”
“I can see that.”
“Never mind, this is a bad idea.” She reached for her pack, but he twisted out of her reach.
“Hand it over?”
“Or what? How are you going to take me down?” he asked. That’s when she turned and walked away, leaving the pack with him. He hadn’t expected that. He jogged to catch up, feeling every rib protest along the way.
“Here, Princess.” He held the pack out for her. “I’m not going to force you into doing something you don’t want, and I won’t steal your last possessions from you.”
She stopped cold. “I don’t let people in easily, Callen.”
He suspected telling him that had cost her.
“I’m not like a shampoo you try and then decide you’ll go back to your favorite brand if it doesn’t work out,” she mumbled.
He nudged her head up with a finger beneath her chin. Once he had her attention, he rubbed his hand over his bald head. “I don’t exactly use a lot of shampoo, but I’m brand loyal, if that helps.”
As she laughed, all the tension in her drained away. He’d have to remember to make her laugh more.
“Is that a ‘yes’ then? We team up for a while?” He flashed her his best smile.
She turned away, staring off into the parking lot. When she turned back, she was biting her lower lip. “Please don’t hurt me.”
Hurt her?“Princess, that’s the last thing I’d ever do.”
Her smile was tight. Whatever she’d been through in life, he was sure this wasn’t easy for her.
“Trial run, huh? I guess another day or so until you’re fully healed won’t hurt.”
It wasn’t the answer he was hoping for, but it wasn’t an outright ‘no’ either. He’d take what he could get for now. He slid his hand around hers, and her eyes met his, curious.
Blade would be cheering him on at the sight of him holding her hand, as if they were a couple. Callen couldn’t deny that holding her brought a peace he hadn’t really known before. Hell, he hoped Blade, Frank, and Anna had made it back okay, especially after what Callen had done to Blade.
