“No,” Sawyer replied tightly, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Not a word.”
“Me neither.” Liam slouched in the front passenger seat and tossed his head back and forth. “I never saw a ring, either.”
Callie was married.
Wasn’t that just a fucked up turn of events? I wouldn’t pretend to understand her motivations, and it didn’t change the enjoyment I felt spending time with her but she had told me that she belonged to no one.
I hoped it was an unhappy marriage. But if it was, then why did he have the power to move her mother?
The new facility was incredible, and the security was infinitely tighter. None of us were willing to name-drop, and since we weren’t allowed in, we had to guess whether or not Callie was even here.
“This place looks fucking expensive,” Liam said with a low whistle.
Indeed, it did. It was far more than Callie could afford, I knew that much. A place like this was for people who had oceans of cash, and Callie definitely didn’t.
“What now?” I asked, leaning forward. “Do we go back to the office and see if she is there?”
A weak plan, but we were out of ideas.
Or so I thought.
“She has a best friend,” Sawyer said, starting to drive again. “Bianca. She tells that girl everything. Can you call her?”
“How the fuck am I supposed to do that?” Liam snorts.
“My phone. Her number is in there.”
“You have the number of her best friend?” I asked, eyes wide.
“You don’t?” Sawyer met my gaze in the wing mirror, his eyes slightly challenging.
Touche.
“Hi, hello, I’m sorry,” Liam said into the phone. “You don’t know me but my name is Liam Hall. I’m trying to get in touch with Callie Everheart, and I have it on good authority that you’re her best friend? She didn’t turn up for work and she isn’t answering her phone. We’re pretty worried.”
Liam fell silent as the voice on the other end buzzed, then he made several listening noises. Sawyer slowed the car down at a junction and we waited to see if Bianca had anything that could help us.
“That’s amazing,” Liam finally said. “Thank you so much.”
“Well?” Sawyer barked.
“Dude, let me hang up the damn phone.” Liam tossed the mobile back to Sawyer. “Bianca says there’s a cafe Callie likes to go to when she’s feeling low. It’s the only place she can think of that Callie would go if she’s skipping work.”
“Did she say anything else?” I asked, settling back in my seat as Liam entered the cafe’s address into the GPS.
“Only that she knew who I was and wasn’t going to ask how I got her number. Which, by the way, how did you get her number?” Liam eyed Sawyer.
After a beat of silence, he answered. “Emergency contact.”
“I’m sure that’s a violation.” I snorted in amusement.
“I don’t care.” Sawyer’s voice tightened. “As soon as you suggested something was wrong with her, I took all necessary steps to ensure that we would have the best chance of finding her.”
“Also you sent flowers to her mom last year?” Liam drives his elbow lightly into Sawyer’s ribs. “Just how long were you smitten with this girl?”
“You’ve known her for five minutes,” Sawyer snapped. “And look how quickly you fell for her. Both of you. Do you really have to ask?”
He had a point. There was some gravitational pull around Callie that made it impossible to stay away. So impossible that I broke all my usual habits and fucked her in the bathroom of a club. I’m usually a wine, dine and fuck on silks kind of guy.