Argos and Toto took their places on either side of her chair and folded themselves to face Callum and Alicia.They pinned their sharp gazes on Callum as if he were the boogeyman come to harm their home.
“Stay,” Alicia commanded.
They didn’t move a muscle.The dogs had hearts of gold and more smarts than she’d ever come across.Grace scratched behind Toto’s ear.
Callum assessed their hyperfocus and slowly set his glass on the coaster.“They look like a friendly bunch.”
Alicia added a slice of lemon to her tea.“They are to my friends.”
“Maybe we’ll be buddies by the end of the night.”
“Maybe,” Alicia said doubtfully.“Grace?”
“What more am I supposed to say?”The shock of seeing him—of macing him—had faded, and she was even readjusting to the way he made her insides spin.Good thing she had a handle on that.He’d barely acted as if he’d known she was alive for most of her life.All the while, she’d beenveryaware of him.If this had been any other situation, she might have dreamed that he could be her white knight.But nothing and no one could outrun Dominic Marino.“I’m safe here, Callum.What do you need to know so that you don’t start a five-alarm panic with my brother?”
He snorted.“Think you did that all by yourself.”
Argos rumbled with a quiet growl.
“Easy.”Grace petted his head.
Callum eyed the two dogs and then Sherlock.“For discussion’s sake, let’s agree that you’re safe here for the time being.The bigger problem is that you’re hiding and that, in theory, Dominic knows your location.”
“I’m always going to hide from Dominic.That’s par for the course.I’ve accepted it.Now that he’s out of prison, I have to stay clear of him even more.”
“That doesn’t work for me, Grace.It wouldn’t work for your family if they truly knew what was going on.”
“What do you mean?They’ve known.I explained the risks of staying alive on my own and existing in witness protection where he could find me.”
He held out a hand as though she had presented his case for him.“Do you even hear yourself?”
“I’ve got it handled.”
“Bullshit.Hell, half the time you can’t even look me in the eye.”
“Maybe you should leave, Cal.There’s not much for you to do here.”
“I can’t leave you like this.I won’t.”
“Sure, you can.”
“Then I won’t for Hayden, who hired me to assess, locate, and if needed, protect you.The first two objectives are met.Done.Finished.But we’re not anywhere near the third.There is so much mess to clean up—”
“I didn’t make a mess that needs cleaning up.This is my life!”
“You need help.”
“Alicia helps.I have friends like Alicia.Places I can go.I’ve built a system to protect myself.”
“He found you at the grocery store.He’ll find you again.I found you, and if you seriously think Dominic wants tocollectyou as if you’re some ornamental belonging of his, then this is a problem that needs a long-term solution.”
She twisted the black tourmaline stones on her bracelet.
“He’s not wrong,” Alicia said quietly.
Grace turned to her friend, surprised by the sharp feeling of disloyalty.Alicia would never mean to hurt her, and she would never betray Grace’s confidence, but the idea of her siding with Callum hurt.
Alicia shrugged.“Well, he’s not.”
