The Marriage Contract(68)

Small mercies, though it didn’t reassure her as much as she’d like. If Carrigan was safe, then she was incredibly selfish to abandon them like this when it was her idea that they come here in the first place. She took a deep breath, and wrinkled her nose at the overwhelming scent of sweat and alcohol. “Let’s get out of here.” Both women nodded, so she led the way through the front door and hailed a cab.

The silence pounded against her ears much the same way the music had. She shook her head. “That was fun.”

Keira grinned. “The funnest. I’ll have to blackmail Carrigan into bringing me along next time she goes.”

“Keira.” Sloan sighed and typed away at her phone. “I let her know we left.” She seemed to sink into the worn seat of the cab, as if it had taken all her energy to get through the night and now she was done.

The rest of the ride passed quickly, Keira filling the silence with chatter about the songs and the club and the men she’d been far too interested in for Callie’s state of mind. She knew the girl was eighteen and legally an adult, but she couldn’t shake the protectiveness. Keira was just so fresh faced and young in a way Callie hadn’t felt in too many years to count, despite not being that much older than her. Innocence was something to be protected in their world because it came around so rarely.

The sisters poured out of the cab and stopped before shutting the door. Keira smiled. “I’m glad my brother is marrying you. You two are good for each other.”

It didn’t matter that she’d come up with that decision after a night of their barely talking—it still made Callie’s chest warm. “Thank you.”

Keira danced away, singing the last song they’d danced to. Sloan hesitated. “She’s right. Teague takes too much responsibility for everyone around him. He needs someone to look after him as much as he looks after all of us.”

The warmth in her chest spread, quickly doused by reality. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will.” And then Sloan was gone, following her younger sister into the house.

Callie rattled off the address to her home and sat back, feeling like she’d just lied through her teeth. She did want to keep Teague from danger, but it was her fault that he was in danger to begin with. Worse, he was looking for her and didn’t even know it. She rubbed a hand over her chest, but it did nothing to stop the ache starting there. Last night they’d shared something. They’d talked—really talked—and he’d brought her to heights she hadn’t thought possible and held her afterward like she was the most precious thing he’d ever possessed.

And she was lying to him.

The cab stopped on her street and she paid the driver before stepping out into the night. The cool air felt heavenly on her heated skin, but her reprieve that had come from the dancing was over now, and her worries were all too eager to come crashing back in. She still had no idea what she was going to do, and every day that flew by brought the increased risk of someone getting killed because she was too much of a coward to turn herself over to the Hallorans.

She dialed her phone before she could think better of it. It barely rang twice before Teague picked up. “Hey, angel. How are things going with my sisters? They haven’t made you reconsider saying yes at the altar, have they?”

“No.” She laughed a little. If she were any less selfish, she’d tell him the truth and accept the consequences, but she couldn’t make herself give Teague up. She could pretend it was because she didn’t want to hurt him, but it wasn’t the truth. If he knew what she’d done, he’d never look at her the same, and she couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing that wonderful combination of heat and caring in his eyes. “I just dropped Sloan and Keira off safely at home.”

“Did you have fun?”

It said something that he didn’t ask where Carrigan was. Maybe she was paranoid to be worried about the woman—none of her actual family seemed that concerned. “Yeah, I actually did.”

“Good.” The noise in the background almost drowned out the approval in his voice.

“Where are you?” The question was out before she could think better of it.

“Down at a pub with my brothers.” He hesitated. “I didn’t realize how much I needed this time with them until I got it.”

She’d known he cared for her—he’d have to be a liar of exceptional proportions to treat her the way he did and not care—but she appreciated each small vulnerability he revealed almost more than the outstanding sex. Because he was allowing her inside, and she’d been around him enough to know he didn’t do that with just anyone. Callie smiled. “I’m glad you’re getting it, then. Go have fun. You need it.”