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I had taken a risk introducing them properly but at the time it felt right. Everything about Callie felt right. How could she just be… gone?
“I think she’s trying to leave,” Sawyer said, crossing over to his desk. In one smooth motion, he picked up his suit jacket and slid it on. “But I’m not going to let her.”
A bead of hope rose up in my chest, so I focused on it rather than the budding upset that was knotting just under my ribs. We were losing the patent, and I didn’t want to lose Callie, either. She was the one normal thing in my life that was bright and warm.
I needed her. I loved her.
“What are you going to do?”
“We’re going to find her,” Sawyer said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe it should be, but my mind was still entangled with lawsuits, lawyers and theft. “I have to find her. She was struggling. I saw it and I accepted her excuses because I was distracted. I should have pressed deeper. I should have made her tell me the truth.”
His voice tilted slightly and one hand curled into a fist. It struck me then, what Sawyer really meant. He liked her. He liked her a lot and he was punishing himself for not paying closer attention.
“You like her,” I said slowly. “She’s not just fun for you. You actually like her.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes. “So do you, or you wouldn’t be standing here fretting that you brought a woman into your daughter’s life who you want to keep around.”
He was so direct and on point that it almost took my breath away. It was too easy to forget just how observant Sawyer would be when he wanted to be. So, we both liked her—more than liked it. Knowing I might not see her ever again made my chest ache like something heavy was weighing down my ribcage.
“So, we’re going to get her.”
“We are? But we have a call with the lawyers in twent?—”
“Liam.” Sawyer moved in front of me and fixed me with his calming stare. “Do you want to stay here and chat with lawyers, or do you want to come with me to find Callie and sort this bullshit once and for all.”
“Callie,” I answered immediately. “But I have Marie with me. I won’t just abandon her.”
“Bring her.” Sawyer moved to the door. “It might help. The more people Callie sees that love her, the better chance we might have at getting to the truth.”
“Okay. I’ll call Bianca. Whatever’s going on, Callie wants us to help her for a reason.”
“A good place to start.” Sawyer strode out of his office and right to Callie’s desk while I pulled out my phone and dialed Bianca’s number. I watched Marie lift her head and beam up at her Uncle, then she slid from the chair and set her tablet down while nodding vigorously.
Unfortunately, Bianca didn’t answer by the time we reached the elevator, so I sent her a text instead, asking her if we could meet because it was urgent.
By the time we reached the ground floor, Bianca replied with an apology that she had been showering when I called, so she had been unable to answer.
“Uncle Sawyer?” Marie said, gripping his hand and swinging it back and forth as we walked.
“Yes, my dear?”
“Do you think it’s possible for elephants to fly?”
“Fly?”
“Yeah, they have those massive ears and bumblebees can fly with a big butt so why can’t elephants?” Marie asked innocently.
I snorted with amusement, halfway through typing out a reply to Bianca when I walked into Sawyer’s back. Grunting, I stumbled backward and bit back a curse that rose.
“Sawyer?”
Peering around his shoulder, my chest squeezed once more. Kane stood in front of us, a black sedan parked behind him. I hadn’t given him much thought about it with how quickly we left the office, but he had been included in the email. It was only right that he was concerned, too.
“Sawyer.” Kane’s eyes darted down to Marie, and suddenly, I was extra relieved that she was there. They wouldn’t get into a pissing contest in front of my daughter.
“Kane.”
“You both got the email, I trust?” Kane's words had a slight hint of nerves as if he was expecting to be sent away. If it was any other situation, then maybe he would be, but that would be too selfish of us. Callie cared for Kane, and we couldn’t dictate that for her.
