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The quaint little cafe was tucked just off an alley and very much out of the way of everything else. Regular foot traffic was minimal and I was certain I’d walked past here several times and never noticed the place. It was quiet and soft, with light green cloth over the tables and daisies dotted around in flower pots.
More flowers hung from the ceiling, and the floral scent, which mingled with the scent of baking and coffee, made me feel as if we’d teleported miles away from New York City. We were somewhere else, somewhere soft and quiet.
I could see why Callie came here if she wasn’t feeling great. Despite the calmness, every table was filled with someone. People with their heads together whispering quietly or writing their life stories on laptops with headphones drowning out even the most peaceful of noises.
We spotted Callie immediately. She was hunched over her table away at the back, absently stirring the drink in front of her. Judging by the stains around the edge of the cooled drink, she had barely touched it.
“Callie,” Liam said as we reached her.
Her head snapped up. Her brown hair spilled over her shoulder like silk as her eyes widened and her lips parted.
“What..?”
“Come with me, Callie,” Sawyer said, his tone clear.
That was not a request.
19
CALLIE
They came for me.
I hadn’t intentionally lost track of time but with everything that was going on, I had slipped into a quiet daze. I retreated to the one place I felt safe, a cafe that no one knew about, and mulled over what Eli was asking for me while weighing up the risks to everyone around me.
And to my heart.
I hadn’t come any closer to a decision when Sawyer, Liam and Kane appeared. Everything became infinitely harder the moment I saw them. They tracked me down because they were so concerned about me and brought me straight to Sawyer’s penthouse, not caring about my attempts to dissuade them.
It was as clean-cut as he was.
Gleaming surfaces were everywhere, from the kitchen near the stairs to the coffee table in the lounge and even the windows overlooking the city. The white and black decor was fitting for a man who seemed so completely unwavering—would he remain that way after I betrayed him?
If I betrayed him?
Seeing all three of them together for me was more intense than I ever could have imagined. There was something as exciting as it was nerve-wracking to sit on Sawyer’s white leather couch and stare up at the three of them.
I was in trouble. I could tell by the firm lines of each mouth and the low pull of each brow.
My lips parted, an apology hovering on the tip of my tongue but before I could speak, Sawyer spoke up first.
“Callie. You’ve been acting differently.”
A strong urge to deny it surged up quickly, but I kept it inside.
“For a few weeks now, actually. I thought I had given you an outlet and a way for you to relax and find your focus point once more but it seems I was wrong. Well, we think we know why you’ve been acting differently.”
My heart began to pound violently, rattling against my ribs as if they were bars of a cage.
Did they know? Did they know about Eli? Did they know I was being forced to be a rat to keep my mother safe and in good health?
I didn’t even question how they found out, and as much as it terrified me, there was something almost relieving about it. I didn’t have to betray their trust if they already knew about it all, right?
Was I getting fired? Arrested?
Fuck, I hadn’t even considered the legal implications if I was caught giving away company secrets.
I curled my hands together tightly and fought to keep my attention on Sawyer’s blue eyes.
