Page 105 of Callan

He didn’t want to pull me into something that could negatively affect me or my life.

Although that ship has sailed.

“Got it.”

Carmen’s victorious voice rings out in the other room.

She bursts into the living room, her arm extended.

“Unlock it for me.”

“Why would I do that?”

The man’s hands grip the back of my neck like pliers.

Yelping, I crouch and elbow him.

“Fucking bitch.”

He’s quick to lunge at me, and I stand zero chance of winning this battle when Carmen barks at him.

“Leave her the fuck alone,” she growls, slapping his back. “I don’t need a dead body,” she adds, her eyes stormy and dark.

“Unlock your damn phone, or I’ll take it with me and have someone do it for me.”

“Tell your brute to take his hands off me.”

“You heard her,” she says to him.

He takes his paws off me.

I grab my phone, punch in my passcode, and hand it to her.

“There’s nothing on it. I told you I don’t have his information.”

She swipes a finger down the screen and checks names and numbers.

There’s not that much to check. It’s mostly business phone numbers. People I have interviewed with. Kayla’s name. Her parents. That’s pretty much it.

Oh, and Quinn. Again, I don’t know why I’m keeping his information on my phone.

I’ve never talked to him since we broke up.

“Please don’t mess with those phone numbers. I’m looking for a job, and I’ve received calls from several companies,” I say while her finger goes down the line.

Some of those phone numbers have been added to my list––if I thought I’d need them later––but most are just phone numbers with no designation.

“What is this?” she asks, zeroing in on one of them.

I tip my eyes and ponder what she’s pointing to.

I don’t remember that number… Oh, wait. That’s Beverly. How the fuck did she spot her very number?

And why did I think it was a good ideato haveit on my phone after talking to her from his phone?

Before I can give her an explanation, Beverly’s phone rings at the other end of the line.

My heart beats in my throat.

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