Page 185 of They Are Mine

“You don’t know me yet.”

“Oh, pretty little lunatic,” he murmurs. And his voice is fucking liquid heat. “I will.”

“Give me your phone,” I say.

He doesn’t hesitate. Just unlocks it and hands it over.

Fuck.

I wasn’t expecting that.

I curl my fingers around it, staring at the screen for half a second too long, thrown by the fact that he trusts me already.

He watches me with lazy curiosity. “How do you usually get the phones?”

“Depends,” I say, flicking through his messages. “Sometimes I get them while they sleep. Sometimes I give them something to make them sleep.”

Callum grins. “Shit, baby.”

I ignore him, scrolling, digging.

No desperate ex-girlfriend. No obsessive texts. No emotional baggage disguised as ‘just checking in.’

Promising.

“Do you have a pain-in-the-ass ex?” I ask. “Because as you saw, that can get messy, and I’ve got enough messy to deal with right now.”

“Nope.” He leans back, stretching like a satisfied cat. “Presently, you’re the only pain in the ass I have my eyes on.”

I glance up. “I’m not a pain in the ass. If you only knew how perfect I am.”

His smile flickers, like he’s already calling bullshit.

“You’ll worship me. And see, that’s why this is so wrong. I need to feel that. Or I’m just not going to work as hard for you.” I sigh, setting his phone down. “That’s not really fair to you.”

His grin widens, sharp as a blade. “Maybe I’ll worship you because you’re just fuckin’ batshit crazy, and I’m into that. You don’t gotta impress me with fake shit.”

I narrow my eyes. “That’s a line of bullshit.”

“Is it?” he asks.

I exhale sharply, frustrated. “How the fuck would I know? Men say whatever they think you want to hear. That’s why I do all the research before they even know I’m watching.”

Callum hums, tilting his head like he’s reading between my words.

Then, voice smooth as sin, he says, “Someone really fucked you up, huh?”

I laugh. “I already have a therapist in my collection. Try again.”

That grin. That dangerous, knowing grin. “You just looking for a bad boy now?”

I tap my nails against the table. “Maybe.” My eyes flick up to meet his, testing. “Maybe I need someone to help me with the problem I created when that bitch put her hands on Orion.”

His smile slowly fades.

A different kind of interest sparks in his eyes. “Orion. One of your men, I take it?”

“Yes. You’ll meet them at your introductory dinner if you meet the criteria.”

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