“So if you find his killer, it will put a stop to this?”
“That’s what they claim. I don’t know if I believe them, but I’ll do whatever it takes to save Carrigan.”
She crossed to him and wrapped her arms around him. “She’ll be safe, Teague. I promise.”
They seemed to be making a whole hell of a lot of promises that neither one of them were capable of keeping. That didn’t stop him from hugging her close and kissing her forehead. “I’ve got to go.”
“I understand. Go. I’ll shower and call a cab.”
She started to step back, but he wasn’t ready to let go of her yet. He couldn’t shake the feeling that if he walked away now, it would be the last time he ever saw her. Teague grimaced. All the bad shit that had happened lately was skewing his perspective. Callie would go back to the Sheridan residence, where she was as safe as she could be. He cupped her face. “Don’t make any stops along the way.”
Her smile was as bittersweet as the feeling taking up residence in his chest. “Go take care of your family, Teague. I’ll do what I have to.”
He kissed her. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Definitely.”
He walked back into the bedroom, threw on a shirt, and grabbed his keys. “Call me when you get home safely.”
“I will.”
There was something off in her tone. He hesitated, searching her face, but all he saw was a soul-dragging sadness that mirrored what he’d felt for the last twenty-four hours. A small voice warned that this was a mistake, that he should drive her home himself, but with the clock ticking down, he couldn’t afford the wasted time. No matter how much he wanted to. “Be safe.” He kissed her one last time and walked out the door.
* * *
Callie took her time dressing. She moved on autopilot as she called a cab and waited for it to arrive. All the while her thoughts circled in upon themselves. She kept coming back to one hard truth.
I am the only one who can save her.
If she turned herself in, it would put a stop to everything. No one else in Teague’s family would be hurt. He’d never be put in a position where he had to choose between her and them. Callie climbed into the cab and closed her eyes as it lurched into motion. It might kill her father to lose her. That was one of the many factors that had bought her silence on this. But Papa’s feelings weren’t enough to hold her back now. There were too many people at risk. What was one life when weighed against five? Or ten? Or twenty? Not enough.
Not even when it was hers.
“Ma’am?”
She opened her eyes to find the cabbie parked out in front of her house. She must be more out of it than she’d thought, because time wasn’t passing correctly. She paid him and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The air was clean and brisk and made her think of home. This was the house she’d grown up in. All her good memories were rooted here, and no small amount of bad ones, too.
And this was the last time she’d walk through the door.
It was tempting to get back in the cab and go straight to the Hallorans. Too tempting. She couldn’t do it, though. She’d been a coward this entire time. If she was going to step up, she was going to do it right. She would say her good-byes. She would face the firing squad wearing something other than the clothes she’d had on yesterday. And she would do it with her spine straight and head held high.
It took entirely too little time to shower and change, but she refused to linger in her room. If she stopped moving, she’d falter, and that was unacceptable. She made her way down to her father’s office, mentally preparing herself and going over what she’d say. She was so focused on the impending confrontation that it took longer than she’d like to admit to realize the room was empty.
There was no time to search for Papa.
She sighed and circled around the desk to write him a note. The pen was heavy in her hand, but she forced the words out. They weren’t the right ones, but there were no right words for this situation.
Papa, I am so terribly sorry. I was the one who killed Brendan Halloran. This war is my fault, and it has gone on far too