Callum leads me over to a car. He walks around it, looking underneath and all around for something. When he’s satisfied, he pulls me several steps back before remote starting. When nothing happens, he pulls me to the car, loading me in the passenger seat instead of the back where I usually sit.
As soon as we are outside the compound, Callum speaks.
“Tell me everything you know.”
“It’s not much. I overheard him talking to Romeo a couple weeks ago. He said something about Killian no longer being around. Romeo was concerned that there weren’t many who were not loyal to Killian. He was also talking about Johnny Walsh and whatever he was doing for us against the Yakuza. He mentioned he might use to me to spy on Haruaki as well, but he hasn’t approached me about that yet.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all of this?”
“I told Kai and then stuff happened and I guess I forgot. Kai said he was handling it.”
His eyes lock on mine for a moment before focusing back on the road.
“You trusted Kai? Haruaki? Your family’s enemy with knowledge from a private conversation in which your father admitted he was going against the Yakuza?” he says with zero emotion.
“Yep. That’s the gist of it.”
“Why did you trust him over me?”
I glance over at him and see it clear as day, I hurt him.
“It’s not that I trust him more than you, but Kai hasn’t given me a reason not to trust him. He makes me feel safe,” I say honestly.
He scoffs. “What if the boy is playing you?”
I shake my head. “He’s not a boy. Kai’s a man and we both know it. A damn good man, but even if in the end it turns out he is playing me, then I’ll take it as a lesson learned. For the record, though? My gut tells me that this is real. What I have with him is real. I truly and honestly believe that if it came down to it, he would protect me at all costs. That’s why I trusted him with this information and why I trust him to continue to do whatever he is doing because I believe it is in my best interest.”
He’s quiet for many minutes.
I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out, seeing Kai’s name.
“I’m going to take this. It’s him. It’s not that I don’t trustyou,Callum. It’s that I trust him too.”
I don’t give him a chance to respond. I answer the phone.
“Hey, Kai.”
“Princess,” he growls. “Where the hell is he taking you?”
“I honestly don’t know, but I’m fine. Callum will protect me.”
“He better. I’m on my way. Kenji is tailing you now.”
I glance at Callum. “Kai wants to meet us. If he does, are you going to hurt him?”
Callum widens his eyes at me. “Meet us? Why the fuck would he do that?”
Kai only growls louder. “Put me on speaker.”
I do as he asks. “You’re on speaker.”
“Listen here, Callum. You took my woman out of her home in the evening hours, which seemed to be by force from what my eyes and ears tell me. I’m going to come meet you to make sure there isn’t a single piece of her hair out of place. Then and only then I will decide if I plan to end your life for touching her.”
Callum smirks. “You think you can take me, kid?”
“I know I can and I will. Now where the fuck are you taking her?”
“You really trust him? You trust he will keep you safe?” Callum asks me.
