control so she cut it short. “Look, I’m going to let you go. Drive safe. I’ll text you the address so you can plug it into your GPS.”
“Sounds good. See you tonight.”
“Bye, Cal. And, Cal... Thanks.”
“You got it. Trust me. It’s my pleasure. We’re going to make this a bang-up birthday.” She disconnected the call.
Julie stared at the black screen of her phone. Nothing beat the friendship of a best pal. Cal had always been there for her, helping her pick up the pieces when things in her life fell apart. She’d have to do something extra special for her, something that would really take her by surprise. Cal deserved it.
But as the seconds passed, her chest got heavy. She’d gotten her hopes up with this man. She would have sworn he was the one for her. Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes and remembered the devastation on his face, the heartbreak in his eyes. How did he think she felt? God, what was she supposed to do? Just forgive him like it didn’t matter that he’d slept with her when he’d been working for the Nepalis, when he’d been paid to watch her, when he’d lied to her about his profession?
She wasn’t an idiot. She knew everything he’d been doing had been about keeping her safe, but he’d done the one thing that hurt her most. So did she risk her safety and leave with Cal?
Her throat tightened, her chest constricted, but she’d be damned before she cried any tears.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Why didn’t you tell her about me?” Allen asked. He wasn’t sure if he was pissed or not, but he wanted to hear Carrie Ann’s excuse.
“I’m keeping you a surprise, remember? For her birthday. Wasn’t that the plan?”
“I guess. It sounded like something was wrong. What’s up? Is she upset?” Frustration and anger already were making his stomach twist. This trip was more brutal than he’d anticipated, but he’d kill anyone who upset Julie.
“The dickwad she came up here with did something. I don’t know what. She wouldn’t tell me.”
“So we’re kind of saving the day. I like that.” It would be the first of many times where he’d save the day for her. She wouldn’t ever want to be without him.
“Feeling like a hero, are you?” Cal’s smirk mocked him.
“Why do you do that? Why take something said out of kindness and make fun of it?”
She glanced at him. “Wow, taking a shot to the kidneys, eh?”
“I’m serious. There’s like this rage in you, but you only let it out in little venomous spurts. It’s not especially attractive.” The killer look she gave him was meant to scare him, but it didn’t. “Fine. Be that way. You know, when we met, you seemed really happy and very focused, but the real you needs a little refining, if you don’t mind me saying.”
Carrie Ann’s killer look turned into a low chuckle as she set her sights back to the road. “Al, you crack me up. You really do.”
He didn’t like her tone at all. He’d given her every last chance to be halfway decent to him and she’d only gotten nastier and nastier. Fine. He could make the trip home with Julie all alone, and that was fine. In fact, once Carrie Ann had her little accident—whatever he decided it would be—Julie would be glad to have a shoulder to cry on. Meeting under such difficult circumstances would bond them in a way that nothing else could. Perfect.
The closer they got to their destination, the quicker the time ran out on Carrie Ann’s life.
“How is this surprise going to work anyway?” he asked. Maybe if he knew her plan, he’d be able to make one of his own.
“I guess we still need to figure that out, don’t we?” Carrie Ann said with a nod. “You should probably stay in the car when I pull up. I’ll go in first so I know what’s going on. Then I’ll give you a sign and bring you in.” Her cell phone beeped. “That’s probably Julie texting me the address. She is efficient, I’ll give her that.” She hit a button on her phone and activated the car’s Bluetooth. “Call Drew,” she said. A few seconds later a phone rang. Voice mail told the caller to leave a message after the tone. “Drew, it’s me,” Carrie Ann said. “I told you I’d get the address. So don’t worry. I’m on my way there now. Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.”