“Okay.”
He heard the caution in her voice and hated it. He took her hand, trying to offer comfort and swirled his thumb over the soft skin between her thumb and forefinger. Her eyes held apprehension but also trust and the lingering edges of desire.
All he wanted to do was kiss her and forget about the rest, but he couldn’t, not yet. “The woman in your flat was Tina Pugh.”
Callie gasped, and moisture hit her eyes in a second. “Oh no, poor Tina. Was it quick?”
It was a question most people asked in some variation. Was it quick? Did they suffer? Most people didn’t want to know the truth.
He answered her as honestly as he could. “It was quick in the end.”
“But not the beginning?” she asked.
He should have known she was too smart to fall for his evasion. “No, sunshine, it wasn’t.”
“You find them, Reid, and when you do, make them suffer for hurting her,” she said the words with venom for her friend.
He swept a lock of her blonde hair from her cheek. “I will, sunshine, I promise.” Callie nodded, accepting him at his word. “There’s more.”
“Oh?”
“I want us to go to Hereford until this is settled. I can protect you better there, and things are too hot down here. I know you have commitments, and we can sort those, but this is best way I can protect you.”
“Okay, I’m happy to follow your lead.”
Reid was slightly shocked by her easy acquiescence. “Really?”
“I’m not an idiot, Reid. People are dying. I won’t have anyone else hurt because of me. If you think Hereford is best, I’ll cancel my commitments and do what I’m told.”
“But this could hurt your career.”
“My career is important but not more important than innocent people getting hurt. That could have been Flynn or Briar or Sophia that are lying dead. I won’t risk it.”
“Good, now let’s go downstairs and see your surprise. Then we can eat before we get on the road.”
He kissed her forehead, holding the kiss longer than usual as he inhaled the scent of peaches which he’d come to associate with her. This woman surprised him at every turn, and it was slowly melting all his barriers.
With his hand on her back, he guided her down the stairs. Reid never got the chance to show her the surprise before the surprise jumped all over her, licking her face and neck. Reid had never been jealous of a dog until now.
Fucking lucky mutt.
Chapter Nine
As Callie ate the last piece of bacon on her plate, she sat back and looked at the three men at the table. They were all protectors, robust, handsome and ready to take a bullet for anyone they deemed to be under their care. Right now, that was her. Liam was a huge flirt, but she sensed it was all for show, to protect himself or hide the real man beneath, who was more vulnerable than he liked to admit.
Then there was Mitch, who was the calm, cool unshakeable one. He didn’t talk a lot, but what he did say was either relaxed and funny or completely serious depending on the topic. When he spoke about work, it was serious but other than that, it was as if nothing fazed him. She would bet he could walk into any situation and instantly adapt.
Her eyes landed on Reid who was absently stroking Bono’s head as her beloved dog sat by his side. Reid was the one she couldn’t figure out. He was a protector, and the way he talked about his sisters and mom made her smile. There was no doubt he loved them and would do anything for them. She knew from Clay his sister had been sick, and how worried Reid had been for her.
Her heart ached for him. To be so far away and not know what was happening, made her realise how Clay must feel. The attraction between her and Reid was palpable, but she didn’t know if he was prepared to take it any further. He wanted her, of that she was sure, but did he want more than a roll in the sheets? That was the question she couldn’t figure out the answer to.
While she had been in New York, Ernesto, the photographer who had taken the shot of her and Reid, had sent her the proofs. To say the photograph was hot was an understatement. The chemistry between them practically burned the screen. In fact, he’d looked at her as if she was the only woman in the world. It made her hot all over and yearn for something she wasn’t sure she could have with him.
Turning her attention away from her sad love life and what may or may not happen with her and Reid, she concentrated on the here and now. “What happens now?”
Reid tipped his head and regarded her, giving her question serious consideration. “Now we head to Hereford. The best idea is to get on the road tonight while we still have the advantage of nobody knowing where we are.”
“I’ll need to have Mel put out a press release regarding what happened at my apartment. It’s only a matter of time before the press gets hold of it and links it to me.”
Reid nodded as he sat back in his chair that was way too small for a man his size. “Fine but keep the details out of it. We don’t want anyone to know who it was, or what exactly happened.” He turned to Mitch. “Can you check with Brant if it’s okay to release something? We need to make sure the family has informed before we do anything.”
Mitch nodded. “Yeah, I can call him now.” He stood and walked toward the back door, Bono on his heels.
“We also need you to have Sophia cancel your commitments. Are there any that can’t be rescheduled?”
“I have a video shoot for my new fragrance but not until the end of next month.”
Reid nodded. “Hopefully we’ll be done by then.” His jaw was hard as he said the words and Callie wondered what had pissed him off.
“I’m sorry to be putting you all to this trouble. Please tell your boss that I’ll pay for your time.”
“The fuck you will.” He stood from his chair and walked to the sink with his plate, the water splashing suds at him as he dumped the plate in.
She stood and walked towards him, standing beside him as he looked out the back window and off into the night. “Reid, I’m taking up three of his men.”
He slowly turned his gaze to her, and she saw heat and desire burning in his eyes but also something else she couldn’t place. “Clay is my oldest friend and has saved my ass more times than I can count over the years. I need to do this for him.” He paused for a second. “And for you, sunshine.”
Callie heard the door close behind her and guessed Liam had left the room. Reid angled himself so he was fully facing her and lifted his hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her skin tingled where his fingers brushed against her. “I’ve never met anyone like you.” His words were spoken softly as if he was surprised by his own admission. “You care about everyone you meet. You make people smile or laugh and never let the tension get to you. Even now, with everything that’s happening to you, you still care about others.”
“Kirk,” she said his name as a plea, his words making her heart and body ache for him.
“Let me do this, Callie. Let me protect you and keep you safe.”
Callie watched the emotions play over his face. He needed to do this for whatever reason, and she needed him. Because despite what he thought, she was scared, and she didn’t trust any man as much as she trusted him. It made her wonder how she was going to let him go when all this was over. “Okay, but I want to pay for Liam and Mitch’s time.”