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Finally.
And I don’t like what I hear. I don’t like it at all.
“What do you mean the surveillance video is missing?”
“I don’t understand myself, Mr. Steel.”
“For God’s sake, for the amount we pay you…” Anger stampedes through me. “Someone got into my house, put a safe-deposit box key in my bathroom. I want to know who the fuck it was.”
“I’ve questioned everyone. The material just seems to have disappeared.”
“I don’t buy that. You find out, or we’re taking our business elsewhere.”
“Absolutely, Mr. Steel, and I don’t blame you. I’m pretty damned pissed myself.”
“You’re not half as pissed as I am. You find that surveillance tape, or you’ll wish you had.”
I throw my phone across the room to end the call.
Every cell in my body is jumping. Fucking jumping. Anger and tension and pure madness rage through my body. It’s a good thing Callie’s not here, or I’d be fucking her senseless, using her body to ease this tension.
I don’t want to do that to her. Not ever.
When Dale feels like this, he goes to his basement and kicks and punches that martial arts dummy of his. I understand my brother so much better now.
I was always jovial Donny. Nothing ever got to me. Sure, two months of my life were pure torture, but that’s in the past. Why let it bother me in the present?
Now my present sucks, and I don’t know where to turn.
I could go over to Dale’s house, go down to his basement gym—except he’s probably moved all of it to the new place by now.
The guesthouse should be mine by now. It’s taking him and Ashley too damned long to get the hell out. I need a place. I need a place so I can scream at the top of my lungs if I feel like it. Fuck my girlfriend whenever I feel like it.
Uncle Joe and Brock would be doing front crawl laps right now. Maybe that’s what I should do. I’m already in my room, so I shed my clothes in seconds, slide on a pair of swim trunks, and head out to the backyard, luckily avoiding Dad and the temporary maid.
Mom is busy with Aunt Marj in the kitchen, and I manage to sneak by them as well.
Fred and Ginger pant around my feet, and I give them each a quick pet on the head, but that’s it.
I’m on a one-track mission.
I want to get in that damned pool, and I want to start swimming.
It helped that night at Uncle Joe’s, and it will help now.
It has to.
Because tonight I have to turn on the fucking charm and be jovial Donny Steel again.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CALLIE
Maddie hitched a ride to the ranch from college with Brianna Steel, so I’m hanging out with her at the party when we first arrive. Rory came over early to help Jesse and the band set up, and Donny is hanging close to his father. So is Dale.
I feel a little like a fish out of water, though I shouldn’t, as I’m secretly engaged to a Steel.
Donny and I decided not to make the announcement tonight. Tonight is about Talon. About how lucky we are that we still have him.
