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“Okay.” Her response was subdued, and he was even more driven to find the person who was doing this to her and pound them into the ground for causing her this pain.
As soon as he was parked safely away, he called Alliez. The male voice that answered wasn’t typical, but cut down the time needed to explain anyway.
“Ox, it’s Growler. I’ve got a situation at Astrid’s house.”
“I’m listening.” Curt and straight to the point, Growler liked that about his boss.
Quickly, he relayed everything that had happened in the last thirty minutes. “It could be nothing, but everything in me is telling me it’s not.”
“Always trust the gut. I’m on it. Angel is out on a job, but Irish is here. I’m going to send him out. I’ll speak to Cass about the footage and then head your way.”
“Roger that. Once we hang up, I’ll call the police and appraise them of the situation as well.”
“I’ll text you a number. Ask for Captain Doherty. He’s one cop you can trust, and one I’ve dealt with a lot. He’ll get the ball rolling with his team.”
“Will do.”
“Hang tight, Growler.”
The line went dead. Growler could feel Astrid watching him. He took her hand to let her know that he hadn’t forgotten about her again. Hadn’t forgotten that she was worried. Hadn’t forgotten that her home could, potentially, blow up.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The flashing lights were starting to get to Astrid.
She sat in the SUV and watched as Callum, Ox, the police and God knew who else, discuss the situation. From what she’d been able to work out, with limited communication, was that the parcel hadn’t been a bomb, but there had been something in it that wasn’t a range of saucepans for her to endorse either.
Tired of waiting, she assumed it was more than safe enough for her to get out, given the fact that everyone was milling around in groups.
Marching over to the group of men, she tapped Callum on the shoulder. “What’s happening?” she demanded. In the short walk from the car to the group, a full head of anger had steamed to life. “I think I mentioned, this is my house, my life so, you know, it would be really nice if y’all included me in this conversation.”
Astrid didn’t care if she was being rude. Didn’t care if she stepped on toes she shouldn’t. Just because she was a woman didn’t mean she was going to fall apart if someone told her something bad.
She’d faced her father withering away to nothing from ALS. She’d had hard, emotionally draining conversations with his caregivers at his assisted living facility. She could deal with a conversation about a potential danger dumped on her doorstep.
None of the men in the group spoke, but Astrid thought she saw a spark of admiration in the intense blue gaze of a man she hadn’t met before, but knew he was part of Alliez as Callum had greeted with a slap on the back. Ox, she noted, stepped away, along with the two police officers who’d been standing around.
“You got this, Growler?” Intense blue eyes spoke, and Callum’s eyebrow rose in surprise as if this was the first time he’d heard the guy speak.
“I do.”
Blue eyes nodded, then walked away.
“Who was that?” Astrid asked, as he headed toward a vehicle similar to the one she and Callum now drove around in. He walked with purpose, but like his eyes, he gave off intense stay away vibes.
“Irish, he works at Alliez.”
“Right.” The anger that propelled her forward and had her demanding answers, appeared to have disappeared and left in its place, was uncertainty and…tiredness. “Can I go inside?” she asked, needing the familiarity of her things to normalize her life. Although that was impossible.
“In a few minutes. The police are finishing up with what they need to do.”
“Are you going to tell me what was in the box?” Astrid wrapped her arms around her waist as the wind picked up and swirled around her. A shiver wracked her, and she wished she had a jacket. She hadn’t taken one to the studio because she didn’t think it would be necessary, and she certainly hadn’t expected to be standing outside hours after she’d finished taping her show.
Callum pulled her into his chest, his arms providing the comfort and warmth she craved. “I’m sorry, Comet. This isn’t what you need today.”
Astrid scoffed loudly. “You got that. Just when I thought things had gone quiet and perhaps I was safe, it gets thrown in my face.”
“I know. I promise I’ll explain everything to you when I get inside. I’m not being evasive because I don’t think you can handle it. I just don’t want to start and then get called away. Do you trust me to do that?”
