Page 22 of Callow

“I’m okay,” Daphne said, but her eyes were looking watery again.

“You don’t look okay,” I said, reaching up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear.

“I’m not hurt,” she clarified.

“Okay. Alright. That’s good. What happened?” I asked.

It was then I heard a throat clearing, making me get to my feet and whip around.

There was Callow.

I swear he looked even more handsome than before.

Until, of course, my gaze panned down to see blood dripping down his arm into what was a small puddle on the floor.

“Oh, my God,” I said, nerves jangling. “What happened? What’s going on?” I asked, not sure who to look to at that moment.

There was a movement at the corner of my vision, making me turn to see a woman with black shoulder-length hair, rich umber skin, and deep green lipstick standing there.

“How about I hang with Daphne for a couple minutes so you two can talk?” she suggested, but stayed in the doorway in case I told her to fuck off.

“This is Cali,” Callow introduced her.

My gaze slid to his, seeing something heavy in his light blue eyes.

When I looked over at Daphne, she gave me a slight nod for her consent.

“Okay,” I agreed, nodding at Cali. “Thank you,” I added.

Callow moved away from the counter then moved out of the kitchen after Cali moved in, leaving me to follow him as I heard my daughter greet the woman.

I followed Callow into the common room, out the back door, around an in-ground swimming pool, then over toward a set of picnic tables.

Callow sat on top of one, his arm hanging over the side, so the blood could drop onto the ground instead of the wood.

“Callow, what the hell is going on?” I asked, belly sloshing around, making me regret those peanut butter cups I’d eaten.

“Some of my brothers and I were… heading to work,” he said, watching my face.

“Work,” I repeated. “Arms dealing,” I said, watching his brows go up ever so slightly.

“Yes," he confirmed.

“Okay,” I agreed, deciding I was just going to have to wrap my head around that whole thing later. “How is my daughter involved in that?”

“Daphne cut class today and was hanging out at the ice cream place,” he told me, and I had to pretend it didn’t make me queasy that he knew more about my kid’s whereabouts than I did right then. “I don’t know if she was alone or not. But she saw me driving past, then followed me across the highway.”

“Jesus,” I hissed, deciding I needed to go over my list of therapists again and just pick one already.

“The problem was she interrupted a… deal,” Callow told me.

An arms deal.

My daughter got in the middle of an actual crime.

“I put her in the back of the SUV. But just a few minutes later, the whole situation went sideways. There was shooting,” he said, making my gaze go back to his arm.

“You were shot?”

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