Page 264 of The Defiant Curse

She went there.

“I’m good, Callen James. I miss and love you.”

Having her talk to him, he felt a million times better.

“Oh, Angel, I miss you,” he said. “I’ve missed seeing that smile of yours. How’s the castle? Am I a dead man?” he asked, not sure what her reaction would be.

She laughed.

“Is Christopher there with you?”

In the background, she heard laughter. It was Gene, so that told her that Chris was absolutely there.

“Yes,” he finally said, knowing they were both dead men over the castle. “I’m here, Sweetness.”

She went there.

“I owe you an apology or ten. First, I’m sorry for just walking away and making you worry. I just needed to put space between myself and everyone as I thought this out.”

He was worried.

“You’re coming back, right?” Callen asked. “Because I’ll give up my life here and come to you. I’ll quit being a writer, an agent, and anything else if it means you or that. I love you, Elizabeth. I will do whatever it takes.”

She reassured him.

“I’m good. We are even better than good. I am coming back, but I’m taking some time, CJ. I’m tired. I’m burned out, and if I’m going to be what everyone needs, I have to have a mental health break.”

Well, that was more than okay. They knew that was the case from overhearing the conversation last night between Ethan and Gene.

“Absolutely, Elizabeth. Take one. I want the best for you.”

“Me too,” Chris said. “We love you.”

She was aware, and she wanted them to know that was beyond appreciated.

“I know, my loves. I love you guys, Gene, and my whole family. I’ve decided that I’m staying until after Gryphen and Ian’s wedding. I’ll work from here, but I’m taking the next two weeks off as my vacation. I need food, sleep, and to not be eyeball deep in organs.”

No one argued that.

They’d each taken breaks when they needed them. Only, Elizabeth never got one. As the wife and mother, she was on duty twenty-four-seven.

“Next, I need to apologize for how I reacted about this castle. I love it here. It’s amazing.”

There was dead silence.

Until she wasn’t.

“Oh, no. She’s had a break with reality,” Callen stated. “Did she just tell us that she loves a haunted castle?”

Oh, well, he had no freaking clue.

But Ethan did.

“As a heads-up, this is what happened just today,” he said, telling them both about the little ghost war going on where they buried Oison’s bones.

Gene stopped them.

“Wait. Did you just say ‘on your way to dig up a body’ in that sentence?” he asked.