Page 42 of Callum
“Because we weren’t close, and you were already doing this massive favor for me, so I didn’t want to ask for another.” Again, she lifted a shoulder. “And they’re just text messages.”
“Abusive texts can escalate quickly. As soon as the perp isn’t satisfied just texting anymore, they elevate. Do you know who might be behind them?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have any enemies.” She laughed. “Unless you call my sister an enemy, but it’s not really her style to text from a random number. She’d just call me a whore to my face in a roundabout way.”
“Tomorrow, I want you to come to Blue Halo so I can see if I can trace the number to its owner.”
She was shaking her head before he finished. “You’ve already done so much for me. I don’t want it to take up too much of your time.”
“It won’t. I’m good with technology.” And no way was he just going to ignore this. This woman washis, and he took care of what belonged to him.
* * *
Fiona gotto the bottom of the page before realizing she hadn’t taken in a single word. Not one. Zilch. And it wasn’t like she was reading a boring story. This was a Lee Child book. He was one of the best thriller writers in the world.
Argh. She couldn’t concentrate and there was one blaring reason for that…Callum. Or the lack of Callum. It was almost bedtime, and all she could think about since leaving his place earlier today was that her house felt entirely too quiet and just a smidge too empty.
It was silly. She’d see him again tomorrow, for freaking sake. The man had basically ordered her to go to Blue Halo so he could trace that number, because not only was he perfect, but he was bossy when it came to her protection.
Sigh. She usually loved her own company, but one weekend away with Callum and suddenly she needed him with her? She closed her book with a thud and set it on the coffee table. What she really needed was an early night. Either that, or a good Callum detox.
When her phone rang from the coffee table, she just about leapt for it, desperate for a distraction that would actually, you know, distract her.
She smiled when she saw Stacey’s name on the screen. “Hey.”
“You left without saying goodbye.”
Crap. She had. “Sorry. I was beyond ready to leave and all but ran out of the hotel. Although Amanda and my parents were in the reception area when I got down there, so I couldn’t avoid them.”
“How was the goodbye? Did sister dearest give you a hug?”
“Nope. I got a tight smile and some side-eye. A pretty narrow escape.”
“No Freddie?”
She nibbled her lip. She told her cousin everything, so there was no harm in telling her this. “No, but there’s something I should tell you.”
“Ooh, gossip. Tell me.”
“Freddie came to my hotel room last night and kissed me.”
Stacey gasped. “No, he didn’t!”
“Oh, he did. And he told me that he thinks he made a mistake and only married Amanda because she told him she was pregnant.”
“Oh my fucking God! What did you do?”
She rose from the couch and moved into her bedroom. “Well, I was a second from kneeing him where the sun don’t shine when Callum came out and threw him into the wall.”
“Oh, Callum. He’s such a big, sexy protector.”
She was about to pull out a pajama top but stopped when she saw the T-shirt from Callum on her dresser. Sheshouldwash it and give it back, but…there was no harm in wearing it one more time, right?
She tugged it on. And man… It still smelled of him and the hotel. This was not the Callum detox she needed.
“Are you going to tell Amanda?” Stacey asked.
Well, that would be the normal thing to do. “I would if I thought she’d believe me, but you know my sister. She’ll twist it around and find some way to make it my fault. She’ll say I encouraged him to come to my room and initiated the kiss.”
