Southern Chance - Natasha Madison Page 0,25
reaches for it. Kallie just takes another gulp, and I want to tell her that it’s enough.
“Oh, for the love of everything,” Charlotte says, getting up and taking the bottle from Kallie. “Sit,” she tells her and then looks at the blonde. “Olivia, honey, why don’t you start at the beginning?” Charlotte then looks at me. “Can I get you something to drink? Some tea maybe?”
“He isn’t going to be here long enough to drink anything,” Kallie says, sitting down, and I see that she’s wearing the same overalls she used to wear when we went riding. The same overalls I pulled down over her hips in the barn.
“Well, my ex-fiancé,” Olivia starts to talk, and I look at her and try not to make my eyes go to Kallie, “was just charged with insider trading, and he stole a fuck ton of money from investors.”
“Okay,” I say, not seeing the issue. “Well, he stole from people he shouldn’t steal from.” She looks at me, wiggling her eyebrows.
“I always knew he was shady,” Kallie says, and I avoid looking at her.
“Jesus,” Casey says, grabbing the bottle from his mother and taking his own gulp. “Why didn’t you tell us this?”
“How was I supposed to tell you guys this?” Kallie says. “Listen, they don’t know anything about me.”
“How can you be so stupid?” I say, and all eyes swing to me. Casey looks like he’s going to charge me, and Billy looks like he is going to shoot me in the foot, but still. “You live with her?” I ask her, and she avoids my eyes. “Mature,” I mumble.
“You don’t know me,” Olivia says. “I’m Olivia.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say.
“Oh, I don’t like you,” she says, and I throw my hands up. “You aren’t a nice person.” Kallie sits beside her and laughs.
“They live together,” Casey then says.
“So if you live together, chances are people know your name,” I inform her. Kallie finally looks at me, and I see now it’s starting to click. “And if they know who you are, then they will know everything about you.”
I look at Billy and Casey. “If they know her name, they know where she grew up.”
“Fuck,” Casey says, “he’s right.”
“If they know where she is, they know where to find her.” I shake my head. “I’m going to get eyes on the ground.”
“She’s safe if she’s here,” Casey says. “I have the whole farm wired.”
“I’m going to get the boys to patrol the area more,” I say. “The good news is nothing happens in this town without someone seeing.”
“At least that works in our favor,” Charlotte says.
“I’m going to set up a couple of things,” I say. “I’ll call you later.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Casey says, and I nod, turning and walking out of the door. I’m almost to my truck when I hear the front door open and close. I don’t know why I think it’s Kallie, but I also don’t know why I’m disappointed when I turn around and see Casey walking toward me.
“What now?” I say.
“This going to be a problem for you?” he asks, and I wait for him to say something else. “You are too close.”
“I stopped caring when she cut me from her life,” I say. Opening the driver’s door to my truck, I get in, starting it, and then look at him. “I have a job to do, and if I have to protect her, I will. Not because I care, but because it’s my job.”
“Good to know,” he says and turns back and walks into the house. I pull out and feel eyes on my truck, but when I turn back, there is no one there.
Chapter Ten
Kallie
The door closes, and I finally get up and go upstairs. My father calls my name, but I ignore him and slam my door. I don’t want to do it, but I go to the window anyway, and I see him standing out there talking to Casey. I put my hand on my stomach and watch him get in the truck and leave. It’s the same look he had eight years ago when he followed me home, and Casey sent him away.
But he didn’t leave like he is now. No, instead he parked at the entrance of the farm and waited.
“You have to talk to him,” my mother said when she walked into the room. I was standing there in the dress I had picked out for prom. A dress I had taken extra care in picking out because