Page 218 of Callan

“I think you are. And I don’t know what kind of job you thought you’d get and who you expected to work for, but I have a big problem with that.”

He flicks his finger at my cleavage.

“Oh. Bite me,” I say, seeing right through his strategy. “If you think I’m falling for this.”

I yank myself out of his grip and turn around, making another attempt at escaping.

I almost unlock the door when he shuts it and locks it again, spins me and shoves me against the wooden plane and comes to me like a mad wolf.

“Listen to me closely…” he says quietly, one arm propped against the door, his free hand brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “I truly regret that this happened. I had no idea you were talking with my people… for a job. I‘ghosted’you because there were some things I needed to work on.”

“Like your tan,” I interrupt him, and his thumb seals my lips with firm pressure.

“This is serious, Mackenzie,” he says, and he couldn’t sound more serious even if he tried. “I wasn’t supposed to be seen anywhere near you. Not after that night.”

“Exactly. But they’ve already seen you. And who calls the shots? You are the big boss.”

His lips slightly soften and tilt into a smile, which prompts me to continue.

“This is serious, Callan. You left me. And now I’m out of a job and have no money. And you can’t be seen with me. That is my life going to hell.”

His finger presses against my lips again, his smirk vanishing.

“And you think this is your biggest problem,” he says, his voice the bearer of bad news. “You have no idea what you have gotten yourself in.”

“Oh, I think I do.”

“No, you don’t. And stop thinking you have all the answers and start learning something for a change,” he says in a silent voice.

“I’ve learned a lot, Callan. I know a lot about you.”

He slowly nods.

“Exactly. And do you think your problem lies in not being able to work for me? Things are way worse than that.”

“How?”

His eyes narrow, and a smile flickers through his lashes as if his anger dissolves in some dark pleasure.

“I can’t let you walk out of this office. You’re no longer a free woman, Mackenzie.”

My heart flips.

“What?”

“You heard that right. You know too damn much. And even if you’re loyal to me, the people who are after me have their methods to extract information from people like you.”

“What are you saying?”

“I can’t let you go,” he says, stern and firm and also downcast. “It’s either that or I’ll have to kill you. And we both knowthatis not the better option.”

35

CALLAN

A shiver goes through her,and tears push to the edge of her lashes.

It breaks my heart that it all came to this.

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