Page 105 of Callum
Like her feet had a mind of their own, Fiona tried to move away from Callum.
“Fiona—”
She turned to look at him, his arm still firmly around her waist. “I need to talk to her.”
His chest moved up and down, then his jaw ground before he reluctantly moved forward with her.
“You,” Olivia growled. “They were supposed to fuckingkill you!”
There was so much hate in her voice that each word hit harder. But Fiona’s voice was surprisingly calm. “You could have just come to me, explained things and asked for help.”
Olivia laughed, the sound filled with scorn and bitterness. “I came to Cradle Mountain thinking I’d find a woman who’d experienced the same shit life I had. You know what I found instead? The sister who was giveneverythingI wasn’t. Opportunity. Love. Privilege. You got it all, and I gotnothing!”
“That wasn’t my doing.”
“You think that changes anything? No. It wasmyturn to have it all.”
Tears pressed to Fiona’s eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. Instead, she shifted further into Callum’s embrace. “I would have loved you. And I would have helped you. I wish you’d chosen differently.”
Then Fiona walked away from the sister she’d never known, the sister she neverwouldknow, ignoring her curses and angry shouts, understanding with everything she was, that if their situations had been reversed, she would have chosen differently.
CHAPTER33
Callum’s fingers tightened around the glass as he listened to Fiona in the bedroom. They were both still coming to terms with everything that had happened last night.
Paramedics had checked Fiona out thoroughly. She had another damn concussion, but other than that, she was fine. He’d wanted to go to the hospital, but she’d argued that she wanted to go home, for the night to just be over.
Seeing her surrounded by those men, the muzzle of a gun pressed to her head…
His chest tightened, and he had to physically force the air into his lungs. He’d never experienced that kind of fear in his life. The panic and rage and every other hell that could be experienced, all at one time.
He set the full glass of water onto the counter and grabbed the pain meds as memories of the night before continued to torment him. He’d been too far away when he’d taken that first shot—so deep in the woods, he shouldn’t have hit his target. But he’d taken it because he’d had to. Becausenotshooting would have meant certain death for her.
He lifted the pills and moved to the stairs.
When he reached the bedroom, he found Fiona sitting in bed, sheets around her waist and phone to her ear. She looked so sad, and he fucking hated that. She was talking to her mother, telling her about Freddie and Stacey.
He set the pain meds and water onto the bedside table and sat on the edge of the mattress.
“I need to go,” Fiona said quietly. “I love you too, Mom. Bye.”
He wrapped his fingers around her thigh over the top of the sheet. “How’d it go?” He’d tried like hell not to listen to the entire conversation, but it had been hard.
She nibbled her bottom lip. “They’re in shock. They’re going to check in on Amanda today.”
“And did you decide what to do about Stacey?”
He tried to keep the anger out of his voice, but it was damn hard.
Fiona blew out a breath. “I know you want me to press charges against her for those texts.”
Fuck, yes, he did. The woman had put Fiona through a shitload of emotional and psychological trauma. She should pay for that.
“But I just can’t.” She touched his chest. “Please understand. The family knows what she did, and I know my parents will rally against her.”
It still didn’t feel enough to him, but he could see the conflict in Fiona’s eyes. The hurt.
Everyone in Fiona’s life had gone about everything the wrong way. Olivia. Freddie. Amanda and Stacey. Hell, even her parents should have told her about the circumstances of her coming into their life.
