Page 83 of Callum
Callum nudged Aidan’s shoulder. “You all set for the engagement party?”
Aidan laughed. “Well, I’m responsible for drinks. Pretty sure I’m nailing it with the beer and wine.”
“Anything we can do to help?” Jason asked.
“Nope. Those women are a well-oiled machine. Watching them plan a party is almost scary. I think they could join the Special Forces and organize a raid better than any of us.”
Callum’s smile widened as Mila ran into the room. Blake lifted his daughter into his arms. “Hey, baby girl. The women get too boring for you?”
“Mama said I had to ask you if I could have a hot chocolate.” She yawned. “It’s to help me stay awake.”
Callum’s heart fucking melted at the exchange. The two of them were damn cute. On instinct, he swung his gaze to Fiona in the living room. She sat cross-legged on the couch, smiling at something Courtney was saying.
A week had passed since they’d learned the truth about her birth mother and sister. Every day seemed to help her come to terms with it a bit more. She’d even had a few long chats with her parents on the phone.
The text messages had continued, each one as awful as the last. He fucking hated it.
When her eyes met his, his gut tightened. Because this woman owned him. Without even trying, she’d claimed him, and in return, he’d claimed her. Forgotten how to damn well survive without her.
One side of his mouth lifted, and he winked. Her smile softened and widened. Then Grace touched her arm and said something, pulling her gaze away from him. Still, he didn’t look away. Because as well as falling for this woman over the last few weeks, he’d also become scared as hell of losing her. At the danger they were largely blind to, with no idea where Olivia was at the moment.
“How’s she doing?” Flynn asked quietly.
Callum forced his attention to his friend. “Well, considering.”
Damn well. The woman was as strong as they came.
Flynn nodded as he watched the women also. “No more news on the sister?”
“I found her apartment in Salinas. She left without paying rent and hasn’t used a credit card or any form of ID since.”
“So she had a fake ID made and ran with cash?” Flynn guessed.
“That’s what I’m thinking. With her past, it’s not a stretch to think she’d know people who could do that for her.”
“We’ll find her,” Flynn said quietly, his hand going to Callum’s shoulder. “A person can only stay hidden for so long.”
Callum nodded, fingers tightening around his beer. They would, but he could only hope they did so before she made another play for Fiona. His gaze shifted back to her, only to find her looking at her phone. The carefree expression on her face was gone, and in its place, unease. Strain.
He straightened. What was she looking at? Was it another message from the unknown number?
He started toward her but stopped when his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out to see Tyler’s name on the screen. Dammit. He had to take this.
He moved into the hall. “Tyler. What did you find?”
“Nothing that will tell us where she is. But I can see why she left. She owes some bad people a lot of money down here.”
Callum’s brows tugged together. “How much?”
“More than she’d be able to repay. She apparently took the loan, then up and disappeared on them. They’re not happy.”
Shit. He ran a hand through his hair.
“One thing I found interesting,” Tyler continued, “is the timing of her disappearance. It was right after the incident in the bar with Levi. Remember how that story went viral on social media? Hell, the story was even picked up by a couple of major news stations.”
Callum let that sink in. “You think Olivia saw Fiona, saw that they look the same, and figured it out.”
It wasn’t a question. Still, Tyler answered. “Yep.”
