Page 10 of Tainted Blood

“What?” My hands wrapped violently around the steering wheel until the leather crunched under my fingers.

Connor nods in the passenger seat. “Yes. I thought he wasn’t acting like himself, but after hearing John speak a few words, she doesn’t seem so bad.”

My mouth falls open, I loosen my grip on the wheel, and I whip my gaze at my brother. “He’s speaking?”

“Not a lot, but more than he’s ever said. He said Jack’s name, and he even tried to say my name.” I’m shocked into silence and driving on autopilot because the news is crazy and wonderful. “I know. I was in disbelief until I heard it. So, if Jack wants to marry her, I’m all good.”

“I can’t believe it,” I whisper, still stuck in amazement.

“Trust me, you’ll be surprised.”

Now my anxiousness to see John has doubled. I can’t wait to hear him say something. “Slow down, Ian. I’d like to make it there in one piece.” I look at my speedometer, and I’m doing ninety. I drop my speed to a safer limit, so I don’t get pulled over or in an accident.

We reached the tarmac, and I pulled up next to my brother’s security team’s vehicle. We nod to them and then waited for our family to disembark. My brothers and this new chick will ride with us, while the other team can ride behind us.

When I see my little brother, I do my best not to pull him into my arms. My heart nearly beats out of my chest to see him.

“Holy fuck, it’s true.” My eyes fill with tears. I’m so damn glad Jack never gave up.

“Little man is back,” Connor chuckles, fighting his own tears. He reaches out and rubs his hand. It’s what he’s always done. We all know he can’t be touched without his permission or he’ll freak out, but my heart is racing to wrap my arms around him.

I finally notice the woman my brother wants to marry, and she’s beautiful, but I know her. She and I met before and the way we met was interesting. I do my best not to laugh, but instead, I enter my protective mode and press my hand to the small of her back, leading her to the vehicle. I wonder if Jack knows who she truly is.

As I learn about the situation with Nora and how John ended up in her hands, I wonder if it’s wise for me to bring Callie into my life. Still, I can’t just let her go. Maybe I’ll keep an eye on her until I’m sure things are settled and then I’ll claim her completely.

When we return to the estate my temper’s a bit hot. I want Callie in my life, and yet I have to wait. My brothers are sure that something is going on with my bastard father, and I still haven’t given up the idea that he was involved with my brother’s kidnapping. Something isn’t adding up, but we all agree to just focus on the present and enjoy John’s company.

We all pull up to Jack’s house, and Connor and I decide to give them some time alone while we hang out with our little brother. It’s so damn cool to see him play freely.

“E-on, E-on,” he says, setting a car in my hand. I can’t stop myself, and I lift him up into my arms and hug him tightly.

He lets me keep him like that, and Connor snaps a photo. “You two look like twins.”

I smile, and then John pushes on my chest to be let go. I set him down, and he goes back to his toys. I’m doing my best not to cry. Fuck, I don’t know when I became this emotional.

“Send it to me.”

Connor does, and I save it as my screensaver. Things are looking up. All I need now is to find my runaway woman and watch her from a distance.

Three hours later I’m home in bed, thinking about my woman. Hopefully soon she’ll be joining me here.

Chapter Six

Ian

July 2014

It has been a month since I saw Callie, and I haven’t been able to get a bead on her whereabouts. I hope to hell she wasn’t from out of town. Her accent was a mix of Chicago with New York. Maybe she’s from Boston.

My contact is trying to find her, but it seems like she’s been wiped clean from all databases, or at least the ones I could get access to, so I need to bring in the big guns. I’m about to head home after another search for her and those lousy friends. I refuse to give up, so I call in a favor and use our favorite tech guy, hoping he can crack the secret of her location. “Hey—I need you to find someone for me.”

“Okay, lay it on me.”

“Female, twenties, brunette, about five foot six or seven, caramel eyes and goes by the name Callie. My search has turned up nothing. And don’t bother doing a facial recognition search. It’s fucking pointless. For some reason, there is no way to trace her, or the images from the club aren’t crisp enough to make a match with all the damn colorful strobe lights.”

“Okay, I’ll get to work on it right now and call you back when I have something concrete.”

As I’m pulling into the estate, I see my father exiting. Frankly, I don’t give a fuck if he leaves and never comes back, but I would never get that lucky. As our vehicles pass each other, I turn my head and give him a cold stare.

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