Who—?
“It’s Caleb. You’re safe.”
Fudge freaking buckets. I screwed up.
“Ca—Caleb?”
“Yes, Caleb,” that soothing deep voice confirmed. “I’ll help you figure it out and get safe from whoever that fucker is and whatever he plans to do to you.”
She inhaled a shaky breath. It was sweet that he wanted to help. But it was safer for everyone, including him, if he stayed out of it. “You can’t. He keeps finding me.”
“Okay, it sounds like there is something you are doing which is helping him?—”
She shrank back from Caleb’s hand as it smoothed her hair back from her face. “This isn’t my fault. It’s not?—”
Caleb put one finger to her lips. “I know it’s not your fault. What I mean is he must have some way of tracking you, which you haven’t figured out yet.” He stroked his finger down her cheek. “I’ll help you find out what it is and make sure it stops happening.”
She decided right then that Caleb was going to find someone to love and make her feel coddled, protected, loved, and safe at some point in the future. It was a crying shame that that woman wouldn’t be her. “Why? Why do you want to help me?”
“Because a pretty woman shouldn’t have to run from everything and everyone she knows just to be safe.”
Is he for real?
He can’t be.
Knights in shining armor are for fairytales, and we all know my story is filled with a beast and not a dashing knight.
“Hold tight for a minute.” Trev interrupted any words she might have been able to scramble together. “They’re circling around. I’m gonna call in backup.”
“Just Kace, Trev,” Caleb ordered and pulled a face. “Let the others keep on partying.”
“Not on your life, asshole. I’m not having Nem pissed at me because I didn’t follow protocol.” Trev’s annoyance was more than obvious in his tone. “You’ll just have to deal.”
“Shit,” Caleb whispered softly.
She didn’t want to be the reason he was upset or angry; she couldn’t figure out which he was. “What’s wrong?” she asked softly enough that she hoped Trev wouldn’t hear.
“I don’t normally ask for assistance outside of work.” He leaned forward and peered out the window. “I don’t normally need it.”
Ugh, now she felt like she was putting him out. She didn’t want to do that. Remembering he’d said to only reach out to one, her curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, “So why Kace?”
“He’s my brother.” He scratched the side of his head, then scrubbed his palm over his scalp. “He doesn’t count.”
“And the rest of us are your brothers in arms.” Trev was back on the phone again. “We all fucking count, asshole.”
She didn’t understand what exactly was going on between the two men, but she nodded as if she did. “I can walk from here.” She put her hand on the door handle.
“No,” both Caleb and Trev barked.
“Stay put, and let us help you.” Caleb reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers. Funny how it didn’t feel like she was trapped when it was him and not Janek or John, as he preferred to be called on this side of the Atlantic, holding her hand.
“Backup is on route, ETA ten minutes,” Trev supplied. “Stay in place until then.”
Ten minutes. She could do ten minutes, right? She swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut tight. “O—okay.”
“We’re going to help you figure this out,” Caleb promised again. “We’ll make sure it’s safe for you to live without looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.”
Oh, how she wished she could believe him. But she knew better. Her stupidity would get them all killed. She could not allow that to happen. She would disappear again before she’d allow that to happen.
