Reid - Maddie Wade Page 0,38

say those things, so she didn’t sound ungrateful, but the truth was, she did hate salad, she wanted to stay in one place for more than two weeks, and to see her parents for Christmas.

“No, she’s right. I do say those things, so I don’t look like a bitch.”

“Why hide how you feel?” Pax asked gently.

“I have the life girls dream of. I’ve watched girls literally starve themselves to death to get where I am, and yet for me, it came easy.”

“But you don’t like it now?”

Evelyn handed her a mug of coffee as they moved to the couches. Callie sat and thought about the question. Did she still like modelling? It allowed her opportunities that she would never have had otherwise but did she love it? The answer was no. She was tired and ready to do something else. For the first time, she wanted to share her secret project with these three women she’d just met, and yet who seemed to know her already.

“No, I’m tired of travelling. I want to eat bacon sandwiches and cupcakes when I like without the glare of those around me or the paparazzi taking pictures and judging my food belly. I want to do something for someone else other than me.”

“Firstly, I don’t believe you only do things for you. Reid has excellent taste and wouldn’t be so taken with you if you were a selfish bitch.”

Evelyn nodded as Pax spoke.

“Second, it doesn’t make you a bitch to want something different. We’ve all been there, and life isn’t that simple. What you’re going through with this stalker means you’re re-evaluating things and what’s important.”

“I guess,” Callie replied.

“No, Pax is right. You get one life, and you need to make it count. I spent too long believing I didn’t deserve a good life and I nearly lost the one good thing I ever had. Don’t do the same.” Roz’s eyes were passionate as she spoke, and Callie could see the pain behind her words.

“Why are you helping me? You don’t know me.” Callie couldn’t fathom these strangers wanting to help her.

“Because you mean something to Reid and Reid is family to me,” Pax replied, and the others nodded.

Callie smiled, at the thought she meant something to the incredible man who was protecting her. “You think?”

Roz rolled her eyes, and Pax snorted, while Evelyn laughed. “Oh, sugar, he’s head over ass for you. He just doesn’t know it yet, and for the record, so are you.” Evelyn spoke with a Southern accent, and Callie blinked at the transformation in her voice.

“Now, enough boring stuff.” Roz leaned in closer a wicked grin on her face. “What’s Reid like in the sack?”

Callie let out a laugh she felt in her toes. In a matter of an hour, she seemed to have found her girl squad, a group of women who got her for her, and she liked it. In fact, she loved it.

Chapter Thirteen

Reid settled back against the chair, his arms crossed over his chest, tension in his muscled shoulders as he waited for Jack to start the meeting. They were waiting on Lopez to finish a call and then he could get moving on this case.

Everything about it was personal. The fact Callie was involved, Gunner’s involvement in all of it. Anger surged in his belly. It wasn’t helped by the guilt he was carrying because he hadn’t spoken to Clay yet. His desire for Callie had him questioning every ounce of restraint he thought he had.

The woman was like his personal Kryptonite, but even that thought which should have made him angry, made him smile. She did that, she made him smile, made him happy, and if he didn’t know better, he’d say he was half in love with his sunshine. That was crazy, though, who fell in love after only a couple of weeks?

His eyes immediately flew to Alex who was seated opposite him next to Jack. No, he and Evelyn had a long history dating back years. Next, they went to Blake. He and Pax had been quick but surely not only a month?

The door behind him opened and Lopez strode in, a stack of print outs in his hand. He set them down beside Jack, who scanned them as the residual chatter in the room died down. Every member of Eidolon was in the building apart from Mitch who was still in London—the amount of skill and deadly killers in the room was unheard of.

Jack looked up, his face an ice-cold