Page 54 of Law Of Love

I should've been on a high—because Kaleb and I had kissed. Instead, the fact that the police couldn't give a shit about my missing father was filling my head, snatching any joy away from me and directing my train of thought to a more pessimistic place.

I’d never seen him so worked up, though, and I mentally gave Hannah some props for knowing exactly how the grumpy bodyguard would react to my fake date. It was as if she had a microscope into his mind. Perhaps psychology in the male brain was actually her calling.

“Do you think my dad was calling from a burner phone?”

“It's hard to tell. They should have been able to pinpoint which radio tower he was connected to.” Kaleb swallowed, his own phone buzzing for what was probably the tenth or eleventh time in the past ten minutes. He was having an intense conversation with someone.

I inhaled deeply, pulling my knees to my chest and focusing back on the wall behind the TV, dragging my bottom lip into my mouth and biting it harshly. The taste of iron filled my mouth, but I revelled in it. The pungent flavour was distracting.

“Hello?” Kaleb said into his phone, his voice gravelly. The call lasted no more than fifteen seconds—with Kaleb not saying much—and I watched as he stood, running his hand through his hair.

“What is it?” I asked, pulling my blanket further up my body.

“It was my chief,” he muttered, his eyes hard. “The police need backup for a raid about thirty minutes from here.”

My breath hitched. All it would take was one bullet to lodge itself in the wrong part of his body, and he wouldn’t make it out of there alive, but I kept my face as neutral as I could. Worrying wasn’t going to stop him from getting hurt.

“My mom and Jackie should be back soon,” I said, attempting to swallow my anxiety, the feeling thick in my throat.

“Invite over your chirpy friend,” Kaleb instructed, nodding to my phone, and I scoffed.

“Hannah?”

“You’re not staying here alone, especially not like this.” His face softened as he gazed at my deflated form. “I'm texting Brent the login details for the cameras outside. He'll get a notification whenever it picks up movement.”

I kind of wanted to be alone, but I also knew that wouldn't help. Sitting by myself and sulking wasn't going to conjure up my dad beside me, and it wasn't going to convince the police to actually give a crap about the case, either.

“I'm not leaving until Hannah's here.” Kaleb looked at me expectedly, and I rolled my eyes, sending her a quick message.

“There. Happy?”

“Somewhat.” He smiled before disappearing upstairs.

Hannah made it over in record time, barrelling through the door with an armful of snacks, her mouth snapping shut once she noticed Kaleb descending the steps.

I’d never seen him in his raid uniform before—black combat boots like usual, dark cargo pants, and a matching top. Over the top was a bulky vest, the straps velcroed together tightly, his gun hanging from his waistband.

But, as sexy as he looked, he was also menacing.

“Please be careful,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself.

“I always am. Keep everything locked. Call Brent if you need anything. I asked him to leave the bar, so he's just around the corner if anything happens. Don't answer the door to anyone, and you have the app on your phone, so you’ll get a notification if the cameras detect someone outside.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Zach had been radio silent since Kaleb had broken his nose, and Will had no clue where I lived—not that he would come after me, anyway.

Our goodbye wasn't awkward, but it also wasn't not awkward. Hannah was mimicking a statue in the room's corner, trying not to make a noise, but I knew that even if Kaleb and I were alone, we wouldn’t know how to leave it.

Mere hours ago, I was moaning against his lips while his hard cock pressed against me, but that ballgame now felt worlds away.

My stomach dropped as I watched him leave. It wasn’t going to be the last time I saw him. He was going to come home in one piece. He was a trained shooter—a good one.

“Did you hear about Zach?” Hannah asked me with a mouthful of popcorn, causing me to turn to her with a frown as I stress ate myself through an entire box of red liquorice.

“No?”

“Apparently, he got kicked out of college.”

“Really? Why?”

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