‘make your call’ he grunts before stepping back to give me some privacy.
I pick up the receiver, holding it to my ear as my finger hovers near the push buttons, ready to ring the office and get my brother or Callan to come and collect me.
As I go to push the first button, I stall, closing my eyes, knowing I don’t want to deal with Gage or Callan and their mockery about me getting arrested. Instead, I instinctively dial someone else, clutching the phone tightly as it rings at the other end.
I’m about to hang up when a breathless voice finally comes through the speaker.
‘Hello?’ Tessa calls through uncertainly.
‘Hey, it’s me’ I reply, thankful I memorised her cell number.
‘Caleb?’ she blurts out in surprise, ‘this isn’t your cell or the office, where are you?’ I can hear the worry creeping into her voice and it warms me.
‘I’m at the police station’ I admit softly.
‘What?’ Her voice echoes through the phone and I damn well hope that she’s not in a class right now. F*ck, I didn’t even think about the fact she could be in a lecture or something.
‘Caleb, what the hell is going on? Why are you at the police station? Are you OK? Did something happen?’ she demands.
I sigh deeply, rubbing my forehead with my thumb and forefinger, trying to relieve the headache that’s brewing. ‘I got into a fight at the gym, the other guy wants to press charges even though he started it. I need someone to come down here and pick me up so I can get out of here.’
The line goes silent for a second before her sweet voice floats down the connection to me, ‘I’ll be right there’ she murmurs before saying goodbye and hanging up.
Replacing the receiver, I turn back to the officer who raises an eyebrow, ‘girlfriend not to happy to find out your in the slammer’ he grunts.
I shake my head, not even bothering to explain who Tessa is, ‘she’s coming down now’
The officer nods, turning to lead me out the front where I collect my belongings and take a seat in the waiting area.
It’s twenty minutes before the door is pushed open and a frazzled woman stumbles inside, her eyes scanning the area before landing on me. Making her way toward me, Tessa rakes her gaze over my body as though she’s checking me for injuries.
‘Are you OK?’ she asks nervously as I stand up and meet her halfway.
‘Yeah, im fine, but ready to get the hell out of here’ I reply, taking her elbow and steering her back toward the door.
Once outside, Tessa takes the lead, making her way toward the small car pack out front that she’s managed to find a space for her car. Unlocking the doors, she opens the driver’s side, hesitating as she leans against the side and looks at me.
‘Are you sure you are OK?’ she asks worriedly.
I nod, opening the passenger side door, ‘yeah, I’m sure’ I reply, ‘I just really want to go get my SUV, my stuff from the gym, and go home.’
Nodding, she slides into the driver’s seat, as I’m climbing in on my own side, I glance around the parking lot quickly, my gaze falling on the bulky frame of the man from the gym. He sneers openly at me just as a small convertible pulls up with the redhead behind the wheel. Muscles gaze flicks to Tessa in the passenger seat before moving back to me, a smirk crawling across his face, and slides into the car, Red accelerating away quickly as I watch them go.
‘Ready?’ Tessa calls from inside the car as I hurriedly slide into the passenger seat and nod, reaching over her to fasten her belt before doing my own.
Hali’s POV
I sit at the kitchen table, my oversized cardigan wrapped around me as I nurse a mug of strong coffee. I shift slightly in my chair as images of the naked man upstairs haunt me. I said I didn’t see anything, I wanted not to look, but I couldn’t help it, it was all right there in front of me and there was a LOT to try and avoid.
My pulse quickens as the muscular torso of Gage’s finely toned body teases me, that eight pack of abs followed by the deep v pointing straight to the promised land.
‘My God’ I whimper, clenching my eyes closed tightly, which does nothing to help my issue because now I can just see everything clearer.
I hear the soft thump of his feet as he walks down the stairs and into the kitchen. I keep my eyes on the darkness outside, avoiding the inevitable moment where I’ll have to face the soldier again.
‘Umm, I’ll just put these in the wash and then I’ll make us some breakfast’ his deep, rumbling voice tells me from behind me.
I nod quickly, bringing my cup to my lips to take a sip so I don’t have to reply.
Moments later, and the refrigerator door opens then the quiet sizzle of a frying pan informs me that Gage is cooking again. I peek over, drinking in the sight of him, my gaze trailing down from the taut shoulders, to the tapered waist to finally the steel like ass that fills out his jeans in a way that makes me want to moan out loud.
Placing the breakfast onto two plates, I have just enough time to aver my gaze, trying to cover up how I was openly ogling the man before he turns to face me, walking over and sliding the plate in front of me.
I inhale the scent of the light, fluffy omelette in front of me, my mouth watering as my stomach grumbles loudly. Pressing a hand to my stomach, I glance up at the soldier, hoping he didn’t hear the aggressive sound.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.