Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
CALLIE
I left the school early for my appointment with Mr. Davidson.
The law office smells like leather and dust. I clutch the retainer check in my sweaty palm, the retainer fee that took every last dollar from the savings account I barely started.
My shoes squeak against the polished floor as I approach the receptionist’s desk.
“I’m here to see Mr. Davidson.” My hands shake a little. I never thought I’d be the kind of person who needed a lawyer, but here we are.
The red head behind the desk glances up. She’s vaguely familiar, a few years older than me. “Welcome in, Mr. Davidson is with another client right now, but you can wait over there. Can I get you anything?”
“No.” I shake my head and head to the small waiting area, settling into the uncomfortable chair that probably cost more than my monthly rent back in the city.
My leg bounces as I stare at the motivational posters on the wall.
A picture of balanced scales. Stupid quotes about law being the great equalizer.
As if we don’t all know the law is fucked. Right and wrong don’t always translate to law.
The office door swings open. I rise, plastering on my best smile.
Theo strolls out like he owns the damn place, a familiar charming grin plastered across his face. My blood freezes in my veins. How did he know I’d be here? I try to take a breath, but I don’t know if I can breathe.
“Hello, Callie.” His voice drips with false sweetness as his skeezy gaze rakes over my outfit, unrightfully possessive.
“What are you doing here?” My voice cracks, and I clutch the check until my knuckles turn white.
He spreads his hands. “Just visiting.”
“No, I mean here,” I say, this time a little stronger. “What are you doing here?”
“Same thing you are, sweetheart. Business.” He exhales and glances at his watch, like he has better things to do than torment me. Which is a lie. We both know this is his favorite pastime. “I hired Mr. Davidson to handle something for me.”
My eyebrows slam together. Why would he do that?
Mr. Davidson appears in his doorway. He’s exactly what you’d expect from a small-town lawyer. Gray hair, kind eyes. Unlike Theo who is clearly a snake.
“Callie?” Mr. Davidson glances between Theo and me, confusion creasing his weathered face.
“The one and only,” Theo says with a scoff. “I’m actually suing her as well.” Theo glances at me then sends a can you believe her look toward Mr. Davidson.
“Actually, I was here to meet with you about that,” I tell Mr. Davidson, doing my best to control my anger. It’s not his fault Theo is an asshole.
“Oh dear.” He fidgets with his glasses, clearly uncomfortable. “Theo has already retained my services. . .” He trails off. The rest left unsaid.
And now I can’t help you. A stone drops into the pit of my stomach. The check slips from my fingers and flutters to the floor. Theo bends to pick it up, winking at me as he rises.
“Sorry, Cal.” He holds my check between two fingers like it’s contaminated. “Guess you’ll have to find someone else to help you steal my art.”
Rage burns through me, and I take a step toward him, snatching the check. “You son of a bitch.”
“My, my. That language.” He tsks like I’m a naughty child. “Didn’t your mother teach you better?”
“Don’t you fucking talk about my mom,” I growl, hands shaking. I ball them into fists. “How much did you pay him?”
“Enough. You always were terrible at thinking ahead, weren’t you? Still that silly little girl who thinks she can run away from her problems.”
The words bitch slap me. Past me was an idiot for telling him anything. I thought I was confiding in my boyfriend, but now he knows exactly where to aim to hurt me. My past, my mistakes, my insecurities. Theo collects them like trophies.
“I’m sorry, Callie.” Mr. Davidson’s voice is genuinely apologetic. “I can give you some referrals to other attorneys in the county, but—”
“That’s okay,” I say quickly. Theo would only go after them too.
I spin on my heel and storm out. The late afternoon sun blinds me as I burst through the office doors.
My SUV waits in the parking lot, but it feels miles away as the door opens behind me.
I fumble with my keys, my hands still trembling with rage and humiliation.
“Running away again?” Theo’s voice follows me across the asphalt.
Pressing the fob as I reach the driver’s side, breath heaving out of me, I fight the scream building in my throat. I yank the door open.
“You know, I’ve been eyeing some property up by Sawmill Creek.”
My face scrunches and I glance at him. “What are you talking about?” There’s only one piece of property that’s by Sawmill Creek and as far as I know, the Williams brothers aren’t selling.
“I was thinking about paying a visit to my future house and wanted to invite you, but maybe you’ve already been there. It’s a cute little house with blue siding.”
My hackles rise. How does he know where I’ve been? I don’t like it. He knows too much. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but the Williams property isn’t for sale.”
Theo shrugs and sticks his hands in his pockets. “Tax liens are fascinating, maybe you should look them up.” His eyes are so cold and calculating, soulless.
Some people think evil appears with horns and hooves. I can’t help thinking evil shows up in pretty packages. Theo is the ideal man, but his teeth are razor sharp and he’s practically salivating at the thought of taking something from my men. Giddy at the prospect of ruining more lives.
“Fuck you, Theo. Go bother someone else.”
“Did you forget that you belong to me, Callie?”
When my guys say that, I love it, but the unhinged, practically feral possessiveness in Theo’s voice makes me want to throw up. He doesn’t say it with love. He says it with ownership.
“You’re wrong.” I slide into my seat, glaring at him.
“I was never yours.” My heart always belonged to the Williams brothers.
I slam the door, lock it, and crank the engine right as Theo appears in front of my car.
He plants both hands on the hood and leans forward, that goddamn smirk still plastered across his face.
“Get out of my way.”
“No.”
God, I fucking hate him. I rev the engine in warning, hoping it’ll scare him.
“You can’t run me over, Callie.” His voice is taunting. “You’re already in enough trouble as it is.”
Yeah no thanks to you, asshole. Running him over might be worth it. My foot hovers over the gas pedal. The engine purrs beneath me, all that barely contained power waiting to be unleashed. One quick press and all my problems would disappear in a spray of blood and twisted metal.
“Do it.” Theo’s irises glint in challenge. “I dare you.”
I rev the engine again. Picture him flat as a pancake on the concrete. The sound echoes off the brick buildings.
“We both know you don’t have the balls,” Theo shouts.
He’s right, but I wish I did.
I slam the car into reverse instead of into drive.
As much as I hate him, I’m not a murderer.
The tires scream across the asphalt as I hop the curb and tear down the road, leaving Theo very much alive.
I watch him straighten his tie in my rearview mirror before lifting his hand to blow me a kiss.
The gesture makes me want to vomit and I curse myself for being so predictable that he could retain the same lawyer I was going to use.
Gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles are white as snow, I race toward the men I know will keep me safe.
By the time I park outside the Williams house, my hands have stopped shaking. The familiar sight of the blue siding and wraparound porch usually calms me, but today it has panic spiking through my chest. Theo’s words echo in my head.
Tax liens.
What the hell does that even mean?
The groceries I had ordered for delivery are sitting on the porch. The plan to make dinner for the guys suddenly seems trivial compared to everything else. My feet crunch on the gravel driveway as I make my way up the porch steps and pick up the paper bag.
Do they even know about the liens?
I let myself inside, the screen door banging shut behind me.
The house is empty. Knox had to run by the shop before he went to meet up with Brax and Jax to help Linc move into his new apartment.
I’ll be alone for a bit. Snooping is bad.
I really shouldn’t. But I have to know what Theo was talking about.
Setting the groceries on the kitchen counter, I follow the pull toward the small office.
The door stands ajar, and I push it open wider.
Their dad used to spend hours here, bent over paperwork with his readers perched on his nose.
The worn wooden desk still holds his presence somehow, even though it’s been years since he passed.
A lump lodges in my throat. I should have been here when he died.
There’s a lot I missed out on because I ran, but unlike Theo said, I’m not running anymore.
Papers cover every inch of the desk. I step closer, my pulse quickening as red text catches my eye.
OVERDUE BALANCE.
PAST DUE.
FINAL NOTICE.
The words blur together as I shift through the pile, my stomach dropping with each envelope I examine.
Most are marked paid with Knox’s careful handwriting, but several remain untouched. Property taxes. Mortgage payments. Late payment notices for Brax’s student loan. The numbers swimming on the page make me dizzy. There’s so much debt. How does one man accumulate this much?
That’s a dumb question. The whole world likes to take advantage of people from small towns. Telling us we can live the same way as those trust fund babies from the city until we’re mortgaged and leveraged beyond our means. Mom and Dad almost fell into the same trap.
“What are you doing?”
Knox’s voice from the doorway makes me jump, guilt skittering up my spine like spiders. I spin around, heat flooding my cheeks.
“I was just.” I gesture helplessly at the papers. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”