“He’s fine, and he did.”
“What?No.”But Callum hadn’t had his personal phone on him while on assignment and had dropped into bed the moment he returned home.The ringer was likely off, and he didn’t bother to check his personal phone that morning.“Viv, what the hell is going on?”
“Hayden contacted Titan Group—Jared Westin—” she gave him a sharp look, “when he couldn’t get you.”
Jared Westin owned Titan Group and was the tip-top tier of the Titan hierarchy.Dread settled on his shoulders.“Why?”
She tapped her red nails against the polished wood three times, as if carefully constructing what she might say next.“Hayden connected with Jared, Jared with me.I have already spoken with Dean, and now you and I are talking.”
His heartbeat thumped in his ears.
“This has been like a complicated game of telephone, and what I’m about to tell you will hurt.”
“Vivian.What?”
“Grace Willoughby was supposed to be in witness protection.She was asked to testify against Marino.”
The news hit him like a lead pipe.Grace had filed for divorce after Marino had been arrested.Marino’s trial had been in the news and prosecutors never seemed to lack witnesses, even as some backed out for fear of retribution.Dominic Marino was nothing if not a wealthy narcissist who never thought he would be prosecuted.The so-called Crypto King didn’t bother to hide his tracks.
“She’s in witness protection?”Callum asked, unsteady as possibilities he couldn’t fathom raced in his head.
“No.”Vivian clasped her hands and rested them on her desk.The uncertain cloud still hung over her expression but was tinged with concern.“She was supposed to testify.Another witness died—they were murdered, if we’re being blunt—and she called it off.She was scared.Scared of testifying.Scared of living as Marino’s ex-wife.Scared.Grace slipped from contact with the federal marshals and vanished.Then there was the fire.”
None of this made sense.He blinked, as though he might be able to refocus the conversation.“What are you telling me?Is she alive?”
“Hale—Callum, look, she’s not dead.And she’s in trouble.She needs help.”
His thoughts turned to putty.Pain squeezed the back of his throat, and he could hear his heartbeat thundering behind his sternum.“I don’t understand.”
Vivian pressed her lips together and waited until he steadied his breathing.She met his gaze.“Her dad, stepmom, and Hayden have always known she’s alive.”
His confusion about Grace faltered as the situation reorganized in his head.Hayden called.Hayden knew.Callum couldn’t form words, and Vivian grimaced as though understanding the profound betrayal.
“I understand you are close to the family.”
His pulse picked up.His body tensed.He would take a swing at Hayden if the man walked into the room.Callum pushed out of his chair and paced the space in front of Vivian’s desk.He replayed every conversation.Every emotion.Every lie Hayden had told him.Callum wanted to beat his fist against his chest to lessen the pain filling his lungs.
Instead, he ran a hand over his face.“Yeah.Thought I was.”
Vivian waited until he stopped pacing.He stopped behind a chair and gripped its back until he might rip through the fabric.She waited until he remembered to breathe and let go of the chair.“You want some water?”
Callum shook his head and collapsed into the chair again.“I’m good.”
“Hayden wanted to talk to you himself, but you know how it goes.He’s off the grid and has a time-sensitive problem that couldn’t wait for him to talk to you about it.”
“What is the damn problem?”
“Hayden received a voicemail from Grace.”
“She’s alive and leaving voicemails.Got it.”
“Rein it in, Hale.Now.”
His molars ground.“I’m calm.”
“Yeah, clearly.”She let out a breath, shoulders dropping.“It’s fucked.I agree.But that’s the situation, and you’ve got to pull it together.”
Callum ran a hand over the back of his neck.His heartbeat still raced.“All right.Graceleft a voicemail.What’d it say?”
