Chapter 5
five
CALLAN
Ineed to drag my arse out of bed and get ready for work. Knox won’t be showing up to the distillery. At least, he better not.
I’m lying in bed, staring at the ceiling as I think about last night. I hate that my first reaction was anger. Not at her. Never at her. Still, the fact that she’s been dealing with an abusive boyfriend alone? Yeah, that flips a switch in me. It was like some primal, protective instinct kicked in.
I’m worried because I know myself. I can be a lot without meaning to. I push too hard when I’m just trying to help. I don’t want to do that to her. What I do want is to take even a fraction of the weight off her shoulders.
Before finding out, having her on the back of my bike was something I never imagined happening. I relished the way the vibrations of the engine thrummed through her body, her arms locked tight around my waist while her thighs were snug against mine…
Christ. Nope. Not going there.
It’s not like that for her. Not after everything she’s been through.
She just got out of an abusive relationship, for god’s sake.
The last thing she needs is me being a selfish asshole, letting my brain short-circuit over the way her body fits against mine.
Or how good she smells. Or how her hand felt in mine.
Or how I’ve wanted to kiss the hell out of her from the moment I met her months ago.
Christ. I shove the thoughts aside and get out of bed.
After getting ready and throwing on jeans and a T-shirt, I grab my leather jacket.
I’ll take the bike to work today. The cooler temps don’t bother me, especially not when I’m chasing that sharp kind of freedom only the road can offer.
There’s something about the engine’s low growl and the wind ripping past that strips everything else away.
God knows I could use that today.
The crisp air bites as I head outside to the detached garage, that flicker of anticipation sparking to life. As soon as I swing the door open, the familiar scent of oil and leather hits me.
I grab my helmet off the hook, slide it on, and throw my leg over the bike. I twist the key and the engine rumbles to life, powerful and loud. Just the way I like it.
I take the scenic route, veering onto the winding road that hugs the riverbank. The water’s restless today, its surface rippling with an energy that matches the unsteady rhythm of my pulse.
Rivers have always had this odd way of settling me, though.
Maybe because I see a bit of myself in them.
The way they move, relentless and unyielding, carving their path no matter how many twists, turns, or obstacles try to get in the way.
There’s a kind of defiance in it. A refusal to be anything but what they are.
I get that.
I have enough time to swing by the café and check in on my sister, Lucy. Ever since she took over for Mum, she’s been running the place like a pro. Still, I can’t help but worry. She’s got this habit of putting everyone else first, working herself into the ground to make sure everything’s perfect.
The bell above the door jingles as I step inside, and Lucy’s face lights up with that impossibly sweet smile of hers. It’s the kind that could thaw even the iciest bastard.
It doesn’t last, though. Her eyes scan over me, and just like that, the warmth vanishes. Her smile falters, replaced by a deadpan stare.
“You rode that death trap over here?” she says flatly. “Great. Now I can’t even send you off with a coffee to go!”
I chuckle, shoving my hands deep in my pockets. “Sorry, sis. It was a death trap kind of morning.”
She rolls her eyes, but it takes all of two seconds for her to switch into little-sister mode, leaning on the counter with that cheeky, all-knowing smile. “Come on, don’t hold back. You know I’ll get it out of you eventually. What happened last night?”
I shake my head, exhaling through my nose. “Aye, fine. I took Bree out after the party.”
Her eyes shine with that same curiosity I’ve seen from her my entire life. “Uh huh, and?”
“And…nothing,” I shrug. “She needed cheering up, and I think I managed that.”
The teasing fades, and she studies me with that unnerving little sister intuition she’s had since we were kids. “Something’s wrong,” she says, her voice softer now. “What happened?”
I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair. “Bree’s been having a really…rough time. I won’t say more than that. It’s her story to tell. She hasn’t even told Jules. I really think she needs someone to talk to, Lou. And that someone isn’t me.”
The truth stings the second it’s out.
I’m not soft enough. Not careful enough for what she’s dealing with. Last night, all I wanted was to take her away, keep her close, and make damn sure the bastard who hurt her never got the chance again.
And then I saw it. The fear in her eyes when my anger slipped through. I’m not the guy who yells, who clenches his fists like he’s one wrong word away from swinging. But I was right there. Teetering.
And it’ll probably happen again, because the thought of someone hurting her, touching her, scaring her… It twists something inside of me, and suddenly, all the calm I’ve worked for evaporates.
She nods, sympathy etched into every line of her face. “Poor thing. How long is she staying?”
“Not long. I’m taking her back to the airport tomorrow afternoon.”
Lucy gives a thoughtful hum. “I’ll reach out to her, all right? We talk sometimes. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”
That stubborn look crosses her face. The one that says the decision’s already made, and there’s no point in arguing.
I chuckle, shaking my head. “You don’t have to do that, Lou.”
“I know,” she says, quieter this time. “But someone needs to look out for her, too. She deserves to know someone cares, don’t you think?”
There hasn’t been a single day in my life I haven’t been grateful for my little sister’s big heart. “You’re the best, you know that?”
Her grin is back in an instant. Smug little thing. “I know. Now go on, get out of here.”
“Aye, I’m going. Promise me you’ll take a break soon, yeah?”
She waves me off. “I’ll think about it.”
I glance back as I head for the door. She’s already deep in conversation with another customer, that same bright smile glued to her face, like the world couldn’t possibly throw anything her way that would make her flinch.
I make a mental note to swing by later and make sure she actually takes that break, even if I have to drag her out of here myself.