Callum leaned against Aidan’s kitchen island. His team stood around him, pizza and beer in hand, while the women sat in the living room with cocktails. Everyone was here tonight bar Tyler, who was in Salinas, California, searching for any information he could get on Olivia. It was the last town where Callum had found a record of Fiona’s twin living. Tyler was there to ask questions. Find out what they could about the woman.
As for him, he just wanted to be present with the rest of his friends and have a night off the threats. And more than that, give Fiona a night off.
“It was fine,” Liam said, giving them a recount of his date. “There were definitely lulls in the conversation during dinner, but she was nice.”
“How’d you say you met her?” Logan asked.
Liam lifted his beer to his mouth. “Grocery store. She bumped me from behind. We started talking, she asked me out, she was cute and sweet, so I said yes.”
“Second date?” Callum asked.
“I don’t think so.”
Not a surprise. Liam rarely dated, and when he did, the relationships didn’t last long. Callum wasn’t sure what kind of woman it would take to lock the guy down, but whoever it was, he hadn’t found her.
Callum nudged Aidan’s shoulder. “You all set for the engagement party?”
Aidan laughed. “Well, I’m responsible for drinks. Pretty sure I’m nailing it with the beer and wine.”
“Anything we can do to help?” Jason asked.
“Nope. Those women are a well-oiled machine. Watching them plan a party is almost scary. I think they could join the Special Forces and organize a raid better than any of us.”
Callum’s smile widened as Mila ran into the room. Blake lifted his daughter into his arms. “Hey, baby girl. The women get too boring for you?”
“Mama said I had to ask you if I could have a hot chocolate.” She yawned. “It’s to help me stay awake.”
Callum’s heart fucking melted at the exchange. The two of them were damn cute. On instinct, he swung his gaze to Fiona in the living room. She sat cross-legged on the couch, smiling at something Courtney was saying.
A week had passed since they’d learned the truth about her birth mother and sister. Every day seemed to help her come to terms with it a bit more. She’d even had a few long chats with her parents on the phone.
The text messages had continued, each one as awful as the last. He fucking hated it.
When her eyes met his, his gut tightened. Because this woman owned him. Without even trying, she’d claimed him, and in return, he’d claimed her. Forgotten how to damn well survive without her.
One side of his mouth lifted, and he winked. Her smile softened and widened. Then Grace touched her arm and said something, pulling her gaze away from him. Still, he didn’t look away. Because as well as falling for this woman over the last few weeks, he’d also become scared as hell of losing her. At the danger they were largely blind to, with no idea where Olivia was at the moment.
“How’s she doing?” Flynn asked quietly.
Callum forced his attention to his friend. “Well, considering.”
Damn well. The woman was as strong as they came.
Flynn nodded as he watched the women also. “No more news on the sister?”
“I found her apartment in Salinas. She left without paying rent and hasn’t used a credit card or any form of ID since.”
“So she had a fake ID made and ran with cash?” Flynn guessed.
“That’s what I’m thinking. With her past, it’s not a stretch to think she’d know people who could do that for her.”
“We’ll find her,” Flynn said quietly, his hand going to Callum’s shoulder. “A person can only stay hidden for so long.”
Callum nodded, fingers tightening around his beer. They would, but he could only hope they did so before she made another play for Fiona. His gaze shifted back to her, only to find her looking at her phone. The carefree expression on her face was gone, and in its place, unease. Strain.
He straightened. What was she looking at? Was it another message from the unknown number?
He started toward her but stopped when his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out to see Tyler’s name on the screen. Dammit. He had to take this.
He moved into the hall. “Tyler. What did you find?”
“Nothing that will tell us where she is. But I can see why she left. She owes some bad people a lot of money down here.”
Callum’s brows tugged together. “How much?”
“More than she’d be able to repay. She apparently took the loan, then up and disappeared on them. They’re not happy.”
Shit. He ran a hand through his hair.
“One thing I found interesting,” Tyler continued, “is the timing of her disappearance. It was right after the incident in the bar with Levi. Remember how that story went viral on social media? Hell, the story was even picked up by a couple of major news stations.”
Callum let that sink in. “You think Olivia saw Fiona, saw that they look the same, and figured it out.”
It wasn’t a question. Still, Tyler answered. “Yep.”
He blew out a long breath. “Okay. Thanks for going down there and investigating. You doing okay?”
“Yeah, wore a semi-disguise and blended in as much as I could.”
“Watch your back.”
“Always.”
He hung up, letting the information sink in. Olivia had needed an out from her problems, and when she’d learned about Fiona, her sister had become that out. Now she was here, in Cradle Mountain, impersonating Fiona, while dangerous people were looking for her. It all put a sour fucking taste in his mouth.
Fiona tried to smile at the women who spoke around her. This was her first time meeting all the partners of the Blue Halo men, and they were wonderful. Friendly. Kind. Welcoming. Grace, Courtney, Carina, Cassie, and Emerson. There was also Willow, who had a gorgeous daughter named Mila. She’d been enjoying her night…then the messages from her sister had started.
Is Freddie with you?
Where is he?
Tell him to get his ass the hell home!
The women were talking about Cassie and Aidan’s upcoming engagement party. Everything had been organized, and now they were discussing outfits, Cassie currently describing her tight white dress, which was shoulder-less and knee-length.
“You’re going to look amazing,” Carina said with a smile on her face.
Fiona’s phone vibrated again.
Amanda: I’m not kidding around, Fiona. I want him home. Now!
Good God, had the woman not understood Fiona’s last words to her?
Fiona: Stop! He’s not here. Leave me alone. I have enough to deal with.
Seconds after she hit send, her phone vibrated and Amanda’s name came onto the screen.
She was calling her now?
She gritted her teeth, debating what to do. Her sister was clearly spiraling, and there was every chance if she didn’t answer, the woman would either call her parents and harass them, or she might actually drive down here.
Nope, she did not want that, so it was time to take this outside. She could feel eyes on her as she walked to the back door, primarily Callum’s from the kitchen, but also a few others. She stepped outside onto the deck, then finally answered.
“Amanda—”
“Is he there? He is, isn’t he? He’s with you!”
She closed her eyes, praying for just a shred of calm. “He’s not here.”
“But he’s still there in Cradle Mountain, isn’t he?”
“I don’t know.”
“What have you said to him? How are you keeping him there?”
She massaged her forehead, where a tension headache throbbed from behind her eyes. “I have been very clear with Freddie that things between him and me are over. It’s him who’s been persistent about wanting me back.”
“You’re lying!”
Fiona clenched the phone so tightly her hand shook. When she spoke, her voice was tired. “This is the last time I’m telling you this, Amanda. We’re done. I can’t do this anymore. Freddie cheated on me with you. You took what used to be mine. Something you’ve never shown a shred of remorse for. I was a mess, so I moved away, and I’ve moved on. I can’t control his actions any more than you can. I honestly don’t know what you want from me.”
“What I want from you is to get the hell out of my life.”
Amanda’s words sliced like a knife across her skin. “Because I’m not really your sister?”
“Because you were their damn miracle child left on their fucking doorstep, and from that point on, I became irrelevant.”
“That’s not true. Mom and Dad have always loved us equally.”
“They shouldn’t have! I’m their child, not you!”
Her breath cut short.
“You came into my life, uprooted me from my home, made me leave everything I knew. I had to lie to people about who you were. And you became Mom and Dad’s whole world. The golden child. Good at everything. Kind to everyone. And I was almost insignificant to them, when I was their own flesh and blood!”
She’d been right. This woman, the older sister who grew up and was supposed to love her, didn’t because of simple jealousy.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Have you been texting me from a burner phone? Calling me a whore and telling me to stay away from what’s yours?”
“What? No. But if someone else has, I’m not surprised.”
Fiona’s jaw dropped at the ugliness of her sister’s words. The utter lack of empathy. She straightened her spine as the hurt twisted into anger. As the years of unfair treatment and blatant hate smacked her right in the face.
“You will stop all contact with me. I will be civil while in the company of our parents, but other than that, we won’t speak. I don’t want Freddie, and we both know he’s a cheating asshole and a scumbag, so anything he does is solely on him and between the two of you, seeing as you were dumb enough to marry him. I will not allow you to hurt me anymore. Stay away from me.”
She hung up and pulled in a breath so deep her lungs ached. A part of her yearned for a sister who loved her. Who would show her kindness and affection. But that was never going to happen. And it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Amanda.
“Are you okay?”
She whipped around so fast she almost lost her balance. “Callum. I didn’t hear you come out. How long have you been standing there?”
He took a small step forward, his fingers circling her hips. “I didn’t want you to be outside on your own.”
Long enough to hear everything.
She swallowed. “So you know I have one sister I grew up with who hates me enough to think I deserve being called a whore, and a biological sister who has been impersonating me and tried to…I don’t know. Hurt me? Take me?”
Man, that sounded even worse out loud than in her head. Maybe she would have been better off with brothers.
Callum lowered his head. “They have some deep issues. Both of them. Their inability to love and be good people has nothing to do with you.”
She knew that. Still, it was hard to accept. He reached up and swiped a tear from her cheek with the rough pad of his thumb. She hadn’t even realized she was crying.
“Freddie isn’t home.”
Callum’s eyes steeled. “I heard.”
Had he remained in Cradle Mountain this entire time? Or had he gone home, then left again? What the hell was he doing?
“My team will do a search for him.”
“And if you find him?”
His eyes narrowed. “We’ll make sure he leaves.”
God, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the finer details of that plan. She sighed and leaned her head on his chest. “Sometimes I just feel like running away with you.”
A kiss pressed to the top of her head, and she felt it swirl right down to her chest. “Anytime, anywhere, honey. You’re all I need.”
