“Jaxon.”
Callen shakes his head and chuckles. “Man, whatever that kid has said is bullshit. I ain’t done shit to him.”
See? Cocky.
I nod, keeping my facial expression blank as anger simmer beneath the surface. “Do you know what I hate more than bullies, Callen?”
“What’s that, boss?” he asks, draining the rest of his beer.
“Liars.” I hold his stare, daring him to lie to my face again.
When he doesn’t say anything, I try a different angle. “Do you like your job, Callen?”
He dips his chin in a nod.
“Good. If you want to keep your job, I suggest you keep your shitty comments to yourself. This is your final warning. Got it?”
“Got it, boss.”
“And you’ll apologise to Jax first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Will do,” he responds right as Jace returns with three fresh beers. I take mine and gesture it at the two of them in a cheers before chugging the entire thing and saying my goodbyes.
I only came out tonight to have that conversation, and now that it’s done, I don’t plan on sticking around.
I pull out my phone as I push through the doors of The Boot and step out into the frigid night. Heavy rain, that had been drowned out by the noise from the bar, falls like a sheet and I make a run for my truck, my head tucked low.
I climb inside right as the sky lights up and a deafening boom of thunder rattles the windows.
My phone vibrates in my hand, my sister’s name flashing across the screen.
“Hello?”
“Oh, thank God, you answered.” Comes my sister’s breathless, panic-stricken voice. “I’ve tried calling everyone, but none of them are answering their damn phones.”
My brow creases as I turn the key in the ignition and flick the window wipers on. “What’s wrong, Bells?”
“I stayed late at the café to work on some new recipes, and the storm started. The power went out while I was mid baking, which in itself, is a disaster, but then the roof sprang a leak so now I’m sitting here in the dark watching a bucket fill with water.”
“Shit. Do you need me to come there and take a look? I’m outside The Boot so I can be there in five.”
“No, no. Don’t worry about me. Justin is on his way to help me with that.”
My teeth grind at the sound of that fuckweed’s name. I thought Noah had been exaggerating when he told me that Justin Thompson was making a move on my sister, but after the other night and her mentioning him so casually now, leads me to believe there was some merit to Noah’s concerns.
Justin and his brother, Sam, have been nothing but a problem for us since we were teenagers. The pair grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth, and they took every opportunity to flaunt that when growing up. The Calloway brothers didn’t grow up poor, they made an honest living from an honest business, and they have always remained humble, no matter the amount they have in the bank. Whereas the Thompson’s made their money from theirsleaze ball father’s publishing company. The man has gone through six assistants in the last year alone, and every single one has filed an inappropriate behaviour in the workplace claim against him.
So yeah, the fact my sister is dating one of them doesn’t sit right with me.
“Okay. So why are you calling me?” I ask, more confused than ever.
“Because Daisy is home alone and I can’t leave. It’s currently raining in my kitchen, Killian.”
Her words slowly sink in, followed quickly by worry.
Shit.
“I’m on my way there now.”
