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He grins at me.
Crash lifts his head, growling.
"I'll give you eggs, too, buddy," I promise, laughing. He's getting a little spoiled.
He ignores me and jumps to his feet, his hackles rising. I watch, not understanding as he starts to pace in restless circles, barking and growling.
"Crash?"
A hint of wood smoke wafts toward me, seeming to come from nowhere.
"Bella."
I jerk my gaze up to Callum, his sharp tone cutting through the confusion in my mind.
"Take my cell and go to the panic room," he orders me, his face a grim mask. He smells it too.
Cold dread sinks its claws in deep, turning my blood to ice. Something is wrong. Seriously wrong.
"Go," he says, shoving his phone into my hand. "Call 911, then call Cormac."
"Callum," I whisper, shaking as he pulls a gun from his waistband.
"Go," he growls.
I bolt down the hall, terror pounding like the strike of a gong in my chest. Crash follows behind me, still growling. I run into Cormac's office, heading straight for the closet.
As soon as I'm inside the panic room, I set the phone down and heave the door closed before cranking the wheel to lock it into place. It works like a bank vault. There is no opening it from the other side without the code.
The panic room is small but comfortable. It's bulletproof, fireproof, tamper proof. If someone is out there, they aren't getting inside, not without a whole lot of time and equipment.
I grab Callum’s phone from the floor and scurry to the small sofa. Crash climbs up with me, as if sensing that I need him close. I wrap one arm around his body, trying not to sob as I hit the button to light up Callum’s screen.
He doesn't have a lock on the phone.
It takes three tries before I manage to dial 911.
"I need help!" I cry as soon as the dispatcher answers. "I think someone is on the property, trying to burn the house down."
"I understand, ma'am. What's the address?"
My heart sinks. Cormac told me everything from codes to the panic rooms to the lock on the gun safe, but the giant jerk forgot to give me the address.
"I don't know," I sob, trying to remember the numbers on the mailbox. "221 County Road 74, I think. It's Cormac Carmichael's house."
"Okay, good," the dispatcher says. "That's good. We know the place. What's your name?"
"Bella."
"Can you tell me what happened, Bella?"
"I witnessed a murder back home. Now someone is on the property and Cormac isn't here."
"You're there alone?"
"Callum," I rasp. "Callum is here."
"Good." The dispatcher sounds relieved. Does everyone know everyone in this town? "Are you in a safe room, Bella?"
