“You okay?” I lean down to ask. She’s taller with her heels so I don’t have to go as far to speak into her ear. Noah’s gone to prowl around the edges of the room.
Callie looks up, eyes wide, lips parted. Fuck, I want to kiss that mouth. I want to own it. I want to pull her in my arms and protect her from the world. I want to take her far away from this place, and I almost pull her back down that hallway right then and there, but someone says her name.
“Callie? What are you doing here?”
Her head whips around. “Jake?” She takes a few steps toward the man standing five feet from us.
Her brother. The one who referred Callie to me, even though I’ve never had direct contact with him. I’ve been wanting to meet the man who didn’t do nearly enough to protect his sister.
“Looking for Shane. Obviously.” Callie crosses her arms on her chest and glares at her brother.
“Shane’s not here.” Jake’s a big dude, and he’s the physical opposite of Callie with his light hair and blue eyes. The look on his face is exasperated, but there’s also a layer of fear, and a hint of concern.
I step up next to Callie. Jake glances over at me.
“My brother knows where Shane is and won’t tell me,” she says to me without taking her eyes off him.
“That’s shitty. I’m Wes.” I don’t hold my hand out, and I don’t offer other pleasantries.
Jake narrows his eyes at me.
“Wes is helping me find Shane. You’re the one who connected us.” Callie throws her hands up at Jake, who is staring at me. “Hello?”
“You’re Hawk?” Jake finally says.
I nod and watch a bunch of different emotions fly across his face. Regret, probably. Fear for his sister, maybe. Suspicion, definitely. And with good reason. He’s got no idea I’ve been in his apartment many times to set up cameras, leave an apple pie, watch his sister fucking sleep.
He’s got no clue how to protect Callie from the world.
“I’m Jake. And I don’t know where Shane is.”
He totally knows where Shane is. This man is not a good liar.
Callie steps forward and starts badgering him with questions. About Shane, about the club, about their father, and interestingly, about an inheritance. I’m assuming it has to do with her father. An inheritance might make all this more interesting. Divorce, siblings, and money will heighten emotions for sure.
Noah appears to my right, finished with his lap around the room.
“Any luck?” Noah and I pored over pictures of Shane so we’d recognize him, along with Jones, who Callie explained to me is her father’s replacement and Shane’s new boss. Jones is a tall, muscular man in his fifties. Both men are fairly good-looking, which says nothing about their character.
Noah shakes his head. “I didn’t see him, but they might know.” He nods to the far corner of the room, where a group of men linger, smoking and drinking around a tall table.
I nod once. “Stay with Callie?”
“Yup. Who the fuck is the guy?” Noah asks, looking atJake, who is listening to his sister whisper angrily at him. His cheeks are flushed, and he looks like he’s getting a serious lecture. Callie is waving her finger, poking him in the chest every few seconds. She’s furious, and it’s fucking hot. Her brother, to his credit, looks shamed and like he actually cares. He could just walk away, but he’s standing there taking it.
“Her brother. Don’t fucking trust him.”
I step away. At least I can trustmybrother to look after my girl.
Wait—my girl? She’s not my girl.
For fuck’s sake, I’ve already mentally claimed her?
I head to the corner just as there’s a huge uproar from the crowd. In the ring, one of the fighters goes down hard on his chest. It’s the bigger guy, but he’s immediately back up on his hands and knees, blood dripping from his nose onto the mat as the smaller dude dances around him.
I hate places like this. They’re not safe for us. We’re better flying under the radar and staying far from the underbelly of Boston.
The men look up from the table and stop talking as I approach, all watching me with deep suspicion.
