Page 18 of Dangers of Love

Something was wrong.

Eoin had made some poor decisions in the past when it came to handling things between us, but he wouldn’t just completely blow off all communication like that, especially not right in the middle of a conversation this serious. No, my gut said something had happened to keep him from responding, and I didn’t think it was as simple as the battery in his phone dying or lack of cell coverage in the area.

Based on what I’d heard and Eoin’s text about the agency having a job, I was fairly certain that he was with at least one, probably more, of Cain’s men. Which meant the agency would know at least a little more than I did.

After a quick search online to find the agency’s phone number, I placed the call. With each ring, my heart fell a little further. After five rings, the call went to an answering service, but I didn’t bother leaving a message. Either everyone from the agency had been with Eoin, or whatever had happened had called them away from the office. I was a little surprised that the landline hadn’t been forwarded to someone’s cell phone, but that wasn’t really forefront in my mind.

I needed to get ahold of someone from the agency, and while I remembered being introduced to the other guys, I didn’t have any information that could help me contact one of them. Except for Cain, I realized suddenly. Freedom had to have called him to hire his team to get me, and I doubted she hadn’t gotten every possible number she could use to reach him.

Dammit.

I really didn’t want to talk to her, but my need to find Eoin outweighed my family issues.

“Aline!”

The worry in Freedom’s voice was almost enough to make me feel guilty for how long I’d shut her out. Almost.

“I’m so glad–”

“I need Cain’s phone number,” I cut in.

Silence for two beats before she asked, “What?”

“Cain. Military guy. Your ex. Came to Iran to save me.” My tone was harsh, clipped, sounding nothing like me. It didn’t bother me the way I knew it should have, but personal analysis had to take a back seat right now.

“I know who he is.” Freedom’s voice was tight. “Why do you want his number? I think we have more important things to discuss.”

“Actually, we don’t,” I snapped. “I’m not calling to talk to you about what’s going on between us. Something happened to Eoin, and I can’t get ahold of him. No one’s answering at the agency either.”

“Eoin.”

It was amazing how much Freedom could say with just his name.

“Are you going to help me or not?” A sharp pain made me look down, and I saw four half-moon marks in the palm of my hand. “I can figure it out on my own, but you’d save me a lot of time if you just give me what I need.”

A few seconds of silence passed, and then, just before I was ready to hang up and try something else, she rattled off nine numbers. I repeated them back.

“Yes, that’s it,” Freedom said. “Am I going to hear from you again?”

“Yes,” I admitted, “but I can’t say when.”

“All right.” Another brief pause. “I hope Eoin’s okay.”

She ended the call before I could respond, and I was relieved that she’d done it. I couldn’t handle one more confusing thing for me to deal with right now. Not when I was already struggling with a probable pregnancyandwhatever had happened to child’s father.

My hands were shaking as I dialed the number Freedom had given me, and I sank down onto the closest chair without remembering when I’d come into the kitchen. If I was going to hear bad news, I didn’t trust my legs to hold me.

“Aline?”

“Cain?” My heart gave an unsteady thud, and I closed my eyes.

“First off, he’s more or less okay.”

A rush of air went out of me. That wasn’t exactly what I’d wanted to hear, but it was better than so many other alternatives.

“We were on our way to meet a client, and our SUV was hit,” Cain continued. “Eoin hit his head pretty hard, but he’s conscious. The medics are taking him to the hospital for tests though, to make sure.”

“Okay.” My mind raced, all sorts of awful possibilities piling up one after the other.

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