Reid - Maddie Wade Page 0,71
you. He emails me every week for an update.”
“Is he doing okay now?”
“Yes, but it’s always around the corner for him, the fight is never ending.”
“Do you think he’d speak to me?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll ask.”
Reid shrugged. “All this time I thought I was like him. That I wasn’t good enough, that I flaked on you when you needed me.”
His mom looked up at him. “You are the best man I know, and any woman would be lucky to have you.”
He chuckled. “I think you’re biased.”
“Nonsense, now tell me about the woman who put the pain in your eyes.”
Reid had told his mother everything; then he’d listened as she lamented his idiotic behaviour, and told him to fix it, which was why he’d jumped the first flight home. He’d taken a flight into Heathrow so he was closer to Callie and he wouldn’t leave until he’d had his say and convinced her she was the love of his life.
Pulling into the underground car parking, he rushed from the car, not caring if he got a ticket for not having a parking permit.
As he raced to the front entrance his phone rang. He glanced at it and saw Lopez’s name on the screen. He was about to cancel the call when he noticed he had fifteen missed calls, some from Lopez, some from Jack, and his throat seized, the cold hand of pure terror washing over him.
“Lopez.”
“Thank fuck. Callie has a second stalker. We found the evidence this morning.”
“Who?” His gut twisted in fear.
“Claude Monet.”
“Fuck.” Reid headed straight to the concierge, he needed to get to Callie now.
“We found a second property in his sister’s name. Jack and Liam raided it ten minutes ago.”
“Why wasn’t I told? Forget it, doesn’t matter.”
“Reid, he has a room full of pictures of her. Some were taken from inside her apartment as well as other things, like some of her underwear.”
“Goddammit.”
“It gets worse. I have him on camera arriving at Callie’s place thirty minutes ago.”
“I’m here, I need to go. Find Clay and get him here. Tell him what’s going on and that I’m going in.”
Jack came on the line. “Goddammit, Reid, do not go in unarmed or alone.”
“No choice, I love her.” Reid hung up.
The concierge looked up at him. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I need access to Calista Lundholm’s floor right now.” He flashed the ID badge he’d used before and prayed it still worked.
“That access pass has been revoked.”
Part of Reid was happy, the other part incensed. “Listen to me, you know I was guarding her and right this moment she’s in her apartment alone with a stalker. If you don’t let me up and something happens to her, there won’t be a hole you can hide in that I won’t find you.”
The man blanched and quickly typed on his screen before nodding. “It’ll work now.”
Reid nodded and called from the lift as the man watched. “Call the police.”
Then the doors closed, and he began his ascent. His weapon was locked in his glove box, and his knife was in his trunk. All he had was himself and his wits to get her out of this unharmed and God help that motherfucker if he’d touched her.
As he stepped out onto the floor, the door to the fire exit opened, and he braced for impact, relaxing slightly as Clay stepped through.
“We have a plan?”
His friend walked to him as if this was another job, as if he was in charge as he had been. To any other person, Clay would look relaxed, but Reid knew his friend and saw the tension in him. Yet Clay was looking to him to fix this, and he felt the weight of that on his shoulders, but also the olive branch it was. His attention never wavered, and Reid was bolstered by the confidence Clay had in him.
“Can you get onto the balcony from the room below?”
“Yes.”
“Do it. I don’t have weapons on me, do you?”
“Knife.”
“That will have to do until the police get here. I’m not waiting though. I’m going to see if I can brazen my way inside.”
“Good luck,” Clay said then he was gone, and Reid prayed for more than luck.
Lifting his hand, he knocked hard on her door. “Callie, it’s me. Let me in, we need to talk.” He put a slur in his words hoping if he sounded drunk, Claude would underestimate him.
He waited and heard nothing, so despite the almost paralysing fear in his belly, he knocked again, louder this