AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ve got you. I’m so sorry. God, Catie. I’m so sorry.” He fisted a hand in my hair and plastered the other flat between my shoulder blades.
With my face pressed against his solar plexus, relief surged through me.Safe.
Callan spun so my back was fully toward the four men still on the dock. “Just keep looking at the house, Catie-belle.” His whispered words, his lips against my temple, were a balm. “James, call the police. I want that man arrested.”
“Arrested?” the man challenged. “What the fuck for?”
“Let’s start with trespassing, you dickhead,” Callan shouted.
“You don’t own the lake,” the guy jeered.
“Yeah, actually he does,” James retorted. “Plus, the minute you climbed up that ladder, you sealed your fate, you dumb chucklefuck.”
I wanted to turn around to see what was happening, but Callan cupped his hand on the back of my head holding me still. “Nah, baby. You don’t need to see this.”
James was low-key laughing as he approached. “I grabbed the memory card.” He passed it off to Callan.
“Thanks, brother.” Callan slipped the small black card into his back pocket.
“That’s stealing,” the pap called.
James tossed his head back and laughed. “That’s some pretty fucking funny shit, buddy.”
In the distance, sirens sounded. Behind me, the guards were dragging the man up the dock.
“Go around the side by the garages,” James instructed. “Not through the house. No use giving that dummy a tour.”
“Callan,” I whispered sharply. “I think he was in the woods for a while taking pictures. At least five minutes’ worth.”
“Did you check his phone?” Callan shifted, pulling me closer and keeping my face from view as the guards marched the intruder past us.
“Ah, good point.” James stopped the other men. “Let’s see it.” He extended his arm and wiggled his fingers.
The intruder shrugged and winged his arms out against the hold the guards had on him. “Hey!”
He danced a little as the first security man patted his jeans, then retrieved an iPhone from his front right pocket. The guard held it in front of the man’s face to unlock the device. He handed it to James.
Callan watched closely as James tapped the screen. Since my head was turned his direction, I was able to watch him navigate through several different screens. “I’d say more than five minutes, judging by the time stamps.” His face was grim, but he kept the screen from Callan’s view. And mine. “Delete, delete, delete. And now they’re gone from his deleted files. You got an iCloud backup going?”
The photographer stayed silent. I could have cut the belligerence with a knife.
“Ah, here it is. Let’s just erase the last full day.”
“Don’t! There are other photos, not of her. That’s ten K worth of income for me.”
“Too damn bad, you fucking vulture.” Vehemence deepened Callan’s normally melodious voice. “Get him out of here.”
The sirens grew louder. They had to be at the gate by now.
As they frog-marched the intruder away across the lawn, with James following, I plucked the back of Callan’s shirt. “I don’t think it will matter. He knew my name. Well, my married name. He called me Catie Brinker. He found me here, at your house. It won’t take any time at all and that video will be all over the internet.” I pushed away from his chest. “I can’t stay here. This will just be bad press for you, when you’re in the middle of a new release and tour.”
“Catie—”
I took one giant step back. “I’ll just get my stuff. Naomi can pick me up. I can… I don’t know. I can leave town. I’ll go back to Oklahoma and—”
“Red, you get that idea right out of your mind.” Callan gripped my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to meet his gaze. “That video isn’t going to surface. Archer has it under control. Our attorneys have contacted your ex and slapped him and that piece of work he married—and he traded down in my opinion—with a cease and desist. If it gets out, from them especially, well, it won’t be good.”
“How do you know?” I searched his face, trying to find the chink in his explanation. “Nothing is that easy.”
