“I don’t want to wait another six weeks to see you either, but we have to talk to Ridley, Julian, and Butcher. We don’t want to lead my stalker here.”
“I don’t want you doing the rodeo. This person is associated with it. I don’t want to endanger you or the baby.”
CHAPTER 12
ANDI
Nervously,I pull at my dress, making sure it falls just right. I can’t believe this is happening. After our phone call two days ago, Callum insisted on coming here, stating we’d discuss the Vegas rodeo appearance.
My mom still hasn’t cancelled it, and honestly, I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m nervous about Callum, though. I’ve changed a lot since he last saw me.
My face is rounder, and my boobs are bigger. My mom and Jon were shocked when they found out I was pregnant. On the bright side, my mom is even starting to consider it might be too dangerous for me to go to Vegas.
“Stop fidgeting, Andi. He’s not going to care about how you look.” Butcher’s voice breaks through my thoughts.
Ty went to the airport to pick up Callum and Ria. As usual, Butcher is by my side.
“Besides, he saw you the other day and wasn’t angry or upset with you. Didn’t you say he planned this?” Butcher waves his hand up and down my body.
“Yeah. But how would you feel if you were in his shoes?” I ask, needing a guy’s perspective.
“Ha!” He scoffs. “Not ever happening to me. I’m not getting a girl or having kids.”
“How do you know that? You could fall in love tomorrow, for all you know. I bet you just jinxed yourself.”
“Nope. I know. No woman could ever love me, and I would never put a woman in danger that way.”
I turn from watching the road to look at him, confused.
“What do you mean by danger?”
“I have many enemies out there. Some I know about, and a lot I don’t. It happens in my profession.”
The only thing he’s ever told me is that he has assignments. So far, he hasn’t gone on any, and I can’t help but wonder what he really does.
“What do you do?” I ask as I sit on the swing he and Ty set up for me a couple of months ago.
“It’s better if you never know. But after all these months, I’ll tell you. I’m a professional.”
“What kind of professional?”
He chuckles. “Sister, I’m hired to take care of problems.”
His words wash over me for a moment, then it hits me.
“Oh my God.”
“Yep. I work for a company that used to not let operatives walk away. But under our new leadership, we’ve been able to make changes. Not for me, though. I’ve got a reputation that makes it very difficult to just leave. They’d send someone like me or better to make me disappear, and I’d never want a family to get in the crosshairs.”
“Are there a lot of people like you?”
“More than you know. My organization isn’t the only one. We’re one of the tops in the United States, but there are others. Several years ago, one of our founders broke off and created his own team. Them, I wouldn’t want to cross. I know a couple of them, and they’re good at what they do.”
“Do women this, or is it only men?”
His laughter is deep and dark, just like him. Butcher is handsome, but there’s a darkness to him that goes beyond his nearly black eyes. His auburn hair is short and spiky on top. He’s tall and muscular, but not like Callum, who’s built with cut muscle. Butcher is long and lean, like a runner. He always has a gun on him, and he’s usually serious.
“Some of the best operatives I know are women, but you’d never know it if you met them. The look and act like most women.” He pauses, as if thinking. “There is one I do know. She’s like a freaking robot. I’ve never seen her show real emotion, except with her sisters and her true friends.”
