Page 114 of Shattered Melodies

As I waited for his response, I couldn’t help but wonder how Caleb was handling things outside. The uncertainty was maddening. But one thing was clear – things were about to change, big time. And whoever had leaked my location was going to regret it. I’d make damn sure of that.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the muffled sounds of the commotion outside. I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to do something, anything. Before I could second-guess myself, I hit Jimmy’s number on speed dial. The phone rang once, twice, three times. Come on, pick up, pick up.

“Liam?” Jimmy’s voice came through, tinged with concern. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a fucking shit show, Jimmy,” I blurted out, the words tumbling over each other in their rush to escape. “There’s a whole pack of reporters outside the ranch. They know I’m here. Well, they suspect Corey King is here. Same difference.”

“Fuck,” Jimmy breathed. I could almost see him pinching the bridge of his nose, the way he always did when things got complicated. “How bad is it?”

I let out a humorless laugh. “Bad enough that Caleb’s out there right now, trying to fend them off. His dad too.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Then, “Do you need me there?”

For a moment, I was tempted. Having Jimmy here, with his level head and PR expertise, would be a godsend. But then I thought of Caleb, of how he was out there right now, fighting my battles for me.

“No,” I said, surprising myself with the firmness in my voice. “No, Caleb’s handling it.”

“You sure?” Jimmy asked, skepticism clear in his tone. “This is big, Liam.”

“I know, I know,” I cut him off, running a hand through my hair. “But I trust Caleb.”

I could practically hear Jimmy’s eyebrows raising. “Us? Sounds like things are getting serious with cowboy Casanova.”

“Not the time, Jimmy,” I growled, but I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. Leave it to Jimmy to find humor in the situation. “Look, I need you to do something for me.”

“Name it,” he said, all business now.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “I need you to find out who’s been leaking this information. Someone’s been talking, and I want to know who.”

“Consider it done,” Jimmy said without hesitation. “I’ll put some feelers out, see what I can dig up. Anyone you suspect?”

I thought about it for a moment. “No one specific. But it has to be someone who knows I’m here.”

“Alright, I’m on it,” Jimmy assured me. “In the meantime, lay low. Don’t confirm or deny anything. Let Caleb handle the wolves for now.”

“Yeah, okay,” I agreed, even as every fiber of my being itched to do something, anything. “Keep me posted, yeah?”

“Will do. And Liam?” Jimmy’s voice softened. “Be careful.”

I swallowed hard, memories of sleepless nights and panic attacks flashing through my mind. “I remember. Thanks, Jimmy.”

As I hung up, I felt a strange mix of emotions swirling in my gut. Anger at whoever had leaked my location, fear of what this could mean for my carefully constructed life, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for Caleb and Jimmy.

I resumed my pacing, this time with renewed purpose. My mind raced with possibilities. Who could have talked? Was it someone at the ranch? One of Caleb’s friends? Or had I slipped up somewhere along the way?

“Get it together, Liam,” I muttered to myself. “You’ve dealt with worse than this.”

But had I? This was everything I’d been running from, everything I’d been trying to escape. And now it was here, on my doorstep, threatening to tear down the walls I’d built around myself.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost missed the sound of the door opening. I whirled around, my heart leaping into my throat.

Caleb strode in, looking tired but relieved. “They’re gone,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “For now, at least.”

“What? How?” I sputtered, my brain struggling to catch up.

“Jake showed up,” Caleb explained, a hint of disbelief in his voice. “Used his sheriff authority to clear them out. Said they were trespassing on private property.”

I blinked, trying to process this information. “Jake? As in Jake Thompson?”

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