Her phone vibrated in her pocket. “Excuse me.” She slipped it out, finding a text from Teague. Three little words, but every cell in her body cried out in warning that something was terribly wrong.
I need you.
It was tempting—too tempting—to act like he was talking in a physical way, but instinct said that wasn’t the case. Something had gone terribly wrong. She typed out a quick reply. Where and when?
His answer confirmed her worry was founded. My parents’ home. Now. Callie pushed to her feet. “I’ve got to go.”
“Is something wrong?”
Yes! She made an effort to keep her voice calm and her body relaxed, even though all she wanted to do was tear out of the room and rush to Teague’s side. “I don’t know.”
Papa nodded. “Take Micah and one of the other men with you.”
“I will.” It wouldn’t slow her down much, and the added safety was necessary, even if only to get her to Teague’s side without interruption. She pressed a kiss to the top of her father’s head and strode from the room. It took seconds to grab her purse and text Micah to meet her in the garage. He was there before she was, dangling the keys from the SUV from his fingers.
“Do you want to drive, or should I?”
She was so rattled, it was entirely possible she’d end up wrecking the damn car. “It’d be best of you do. But, Micah, drive fast.”
He nodded and opened the door for her. Another man, one of the new recruits whose name she couldn’t quite place, slipped silently into the backseat. No one said a word as Micah pulled out of the garage and onto the street.
Callie took a deep breath. “To the O’Malleys’.” She kept checking her phone, but there was nothing new from Teague. She resisted the urge to text him again and ask what was going on. Barely. She’d find out soon enough.
That wasn’t nearly as much of a comfort as she’d have liked it to be.
She shouldn’t be remotely surprised that the O’Malleys’ home was on Beacon Hill. They might not be able have a legitimate claim as Boston’s elite, but they certainly reeked of new money parading as old money. Still…
She stepped out of the SUV, unable to stop herself from feeling intimidated. The front door towered over her, seemingly ready to gobble her up the moment she missed a step, the tree-lined street giving every brownstone an aura of hushed secrecy. She tried to dismiss the feeling as pure fancy, but she couldn’t quite shake it. She looked at Micah.
He frowned. “Don’t even think about it. We’re going in with you.”
It might be cowardly to feel the level of gratitude flowing through her at his words, but she had no idea what she was walking into. She didn’t think she’d be in danger from anyone in the O’Malley family, but she couldn’t be sure. And, because she couldn’t be sure, she allowed Micah and the other man to fall in behind her as she climbed the steps to the massive door and raised her hand to knock.
It opened before she made contact. Considering the sheer size of the house and how it brought to mind old money, she half expected to see a butler. But it was Keira who stood there, her hazel eyes bloodshot and her face red and swollen from crying. “Callie.”
That was all the warning she got before the girl threw herself into Callie’s arms. She looked over her head at Micah, who shrugged. Apparently he was done helping. She smoothed down Keira’s dark hair, trying to breathe around the stranglehold she had on her ribs. “I’m here. What’s going on?”
“It’s so horrible.” Her body shook. “It’s Devlin. He’s…”
She didn’t need to finish the sentence for Callie to understand. She knew this grief, recognized it on an intimate level. Shock nearly sent her to her knees. No. Oh no, no, no. She hugged the girl tight. “I’m so terribly sorry.”
Keira only cried harder, her entire body a giant clench as she lifted her head. It only took one look in her eyes to realize this was surface reaction. There was a part of the girl who hadn’t caught up with the news yet and, when it truly hit, the results would be devastating. And it could happen at any time. Callie gently guided her into the house. “Where is everyone?”
“The living room.” She sniffed.
“Can you show me?”
“Yeah.” Keira straightened her shoulders, and Callie could