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Her voice stiffens, taking on a somber quality that breaks my heart. “Yes. I’ll do that when we hang up. But what about you?”
“Me? What about me?”
“Are you going to stay safe?”
She still cares about me. Maybe I have a chance to earn my sister back one day.
“Yes. Don’t worry. I’m well-protected. I work for a security company named Redleg Security and am surrounded by former military special operatives. Thank you for caring about me,” my voice cracks, “even though I don’t deserve it.”
“I’ve never stopped caring for you, Mia. And I never will.”
Once we disconnect, I sit in silence for a heavy minute or two. I cup my cell phone, squeezing it tightly and running my thumb along the smooth back. It’s not her. But it’s the closest thing I have, and right now, I want to hug her.
If something happens to her again because of me, I won’t survive it.
Wait. What am I thinking?
I work for a company with dozens of bodyguards at our disposal.
My feet carry me swiftly to the door, and I yank it open. Cal falls into my office, stumbling a few steps before setting himself to rights.
“Oh my farking gosh!” I squeal. “Were you leaning on my door?”
His smile is wide and sexy, his brilliant white teeth shining. “Yeah. Not my smartest moment, I admit.”
“I knew all your brains were in your tush.”
He laughs and wraps his arms around me, pulling me close. “Farking gosh? Tush?Why the hell do you talk like that here in the office and cuss like a sailor at home?”
Home.
I love the sound of that.
Redleg has quickly become something resembling home. But more than that, Calismy home.
“My first boss, before I worked at the company, wasPollyanna Perfect. She marked me down on my performance reviews for what she calledlocker room talk.” I roll my eyes for emphasis.
And also because I love rolling my eyes. It’s the best way to express an emotion while expending the least amount of energy possible. It’s the bird finger of facial expressions. Huge fan.
“Are you okay?” Cal asks, his voice tender, much like his touch, as he runs his palms soothingly over my back.
He gives good hugs.
“Yes. It was hard, but I’ll be okay. I spoke with Portia and warned her. She’s contacting Claire for me since she didn’t answer my call.”
“I’m sorry.”
He presses my forehead onto his shoulder, where it meets his neck, and hugs me tightly. I lean into his touch and inhale deeply, letting his scent soothe me.
Once again, he supports me effortlessly. He doesn’t try to fix it or offer platitudes. If I asked for advice or help, he’d deliver instantly. Yet he instinctively knows this is a time for a comforting embrace and nothing more.
How did I get so lucky to find him?
I pull away a few seconds later. “Cal, do you think Big Al would agree to send someone to protect them for the day? They live outside of Orlando. Is that too much to ask?”
He grins. “It’s not too much to ask. In fact, he asked for your sisters’ addresses as soon as he saw the message on the tablet. That’s one of the things I needed to ask you.”
“He did?”
