Shadow of Sin(46)
“I’m listening.”
The need to knock the arrogance out of the man nearly had him crushing his phone. All things in good time. “You’d better be, asshole, because the time for games is over.”
Let the fun begin.
Chapter 11
Caleb stared blindly at the ballgame, his feet propped on the coffee table next to his laptop—which also sat ignored.
He hated this part. The waiting. The time between plan and action where there was nothing to do. He’d pulled all the strings he’d had to pull to rush the ballistics, but still no word. Alec had made all the arrangements for the benefit and Brandon had finished up their last training session for a few weeks. Joe and Amanda were with Samantha and he was … waiting, ping-ponging between lust and worry.
The fact that Joe was with Samantha quieted the worry, but there was only one cure for his lust and she was currently off gallivanting around Austin.
In the past, Caleb had never minded being alone. Now, however, his home seemed empty without Samantha’s vibrant personality and sharp wit to drive him crazy. That mouth of hers had the ability to render him stupid. Whether she was arguing with him or sucking his brain out his cock, she left him with the insane need to chain her to his side—where she’d be safe and no other man could touch her.
Caleb shook his head and took a swig of his beer. Samantha would bust a nut if she knew the possessiveness of his thoughts. Good thing he hadn’t planned on sharing.
Caleb’s phone went off and he grinned when Joe’s number came up on his caller ID.
“What’ve they done now?” he asked in way of greeting. “Wait, let me guess. They made you sit across the restaurant so they could girl talk?”
“If I pretend to know what you’re talking about, will you take a look at the picture I just sent to your phone?”
“Hang on, let me grab my iPad so I can actually see the damned thing.” Caleb docked his phone and activated the house speaker. He grabbed his iPad and, with a few swipes, pulled up the photo. He recognized the man standing on the sidewalk in front of the Driskill Hotel. “That’s Vincent, but I don’t recognize the woman with him. When was this taken?”
“Just now. I’ve had eyes on him for the last half hour. Would you show it to Samantha and see if she knows who the woman is before I send it to Alec?”
“Why don’t you show it to her?” Caleb closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath as a thought occurred. “Please tell me Amanda and Samantha are with you.”
Silence.
“Joe?”
“Goddamn those women. Mandy is supposed to be with you.”
“Yeah, well, she isn’t. They left here over an hour ago.”
“And you just let them go?”
Caleb growled. “I didn’t let them do anything.” If anyone knew how hard-headed and stubborn those women could be, it should be Joe. “They told me you were waiting downstairs to take them to lunch.”
“The bloom off the rose yet, buddy? Your sweet little sister would con the hide off a deer if it meant pulling one over on you. I swear, I’m going to paddle Mandy’s ass when I get my hands on her. Hang tight. Call you back.”
Caleb felt like doing a little paddling of his own. He should’ve known better, he thought as the line went dead. Samantha was reckless and impulsive, but he’d assumed she’d have a little more respect for him now that they were … whatever the hell they were doing.
He couldn’t even call her.
Why hadn’t he replaced her fucking phone? Because he’d believed she’d not be out of his sight, that’s why.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He’d about paced a hole in the floor in the fifteen minutes it took Joe to call back. Longest fifteen minutes of his life.
“You got ’em?” Caleb barked out.
“Yep. I’m going to guess they had an argument because Mandy decided to do a little window shopping—which she rarely does—and she’s not talking about what happened—also a rarity. She’s with me, and she said Sam never left the building. They only went to the café, and Amanda warned security ahead of time. Sam’s probably still there.”
Caleb sent up a silent prayer. “Lemme talk to Amanda.”
“Not a chance. Worry about your own girl; you’re not ripping into mine. Listen Caleb, I recognize that tone and I can’t say that I blame you. I’m sportin’ a few gray hairs myself, right about now. But they weren’t careless. All the same, you’ll understand when I say we aren’t coming up. Good luck, buddy.”
Joe hung up.
It helped to know she’d used her head this time, but even that hadn’t been enough to soften the blow of finding out they’d lied to him.