He didn’t.
Because his brother was right. Aiden had known the risks in putting Teague forward as a candidate to marry Callie, and he’d still gone ahead with the plan. Maybe their father had been the deciding factor, but Aiden had supported him. He bore the guilt for that. Hell, they all bore guilt over this. If Teague had been faster with the investigation, maybe he could have stopped them from killing Devlin. If Aiden hadn’t helped orchestrate an O’Malley-Sheridan alliance...If anyone had stopped to think that Victor Halloran might not take the insult lying down…If, if, if...
No one could go back in time and save Devlin, no matter how much they all wanted to.
But they could save Carrigan.
“I’ll be home in twenty.”
“Good.”
Teague hung up and turned to find Callie standing in the doorway on the bedroom, dressed in only his sheet. The concern on her face said she’d heard enough to be worried. “What’s going on?”
It was tempting to tell her that nothing was wrong and keep her from worrying, but she deserved to know. She was as much a part of this as he was. “Carrigan’s been taken by the Hallorans.”
She went pale. “Have they…?”
“She’s alive.” Aiden hadn’t said what kind of condition she was in, and Teague had been afraid to ask. He knew the reputation the Hallorans had as well as the next man. The thought of his sister in their hands…Fuck. He’d failed Devlin. He wouldn’t fail Carrigan. “I’m going to save her. I have to.”
Callie nodded. “Of course. If they haven’t…They must want something.”
“The identity of Brendan’s killer.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “They gave us twenty-four hours to do damn near the impossible.”
If anything, she got paler. “So if you find his killer, it will put a stop to this?”
“That’s what they claim. I don’t know if I believe them, but I’ll do whatever it takes to save Carrigan.”
She crossed to him and wrapped her arms around him. “She’ll be safe, Teague. I promise.”
They seemed to be making a whole hell of a lot of promises that neither one of them were capable of keeping. That didn’t stop him from hugging her close and kissing her forehead. “I’ve got to go.”
“I understand. Go. I’ll shower and call a cab.”
She started to step back, but he wasn’t ready to let go of her yet. He couldn’t shake the feeling that if he walked away now, it would be the last time he ever saw her. Teague grimaced. All the bad shit that had happened lately was skewing his perspective. Callie would go back to the Sheridan residence, where she was as safe as she could be. He cupped her face. “Don’t make any stops along the way.”
Her smile was as bittersweet as the feeling taking up residence in his chest. “Go take care of your family, Teague. I’ll do what I have to.”
He kissed her. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Definitely.”
He walked back into the bedroom, threw on a shirt, and grabbed his keys. “Call me when you get home safely.”
“I will.”
There was something off in her tone. He hesitated, searching her face, but all he saw was a soul-dragging sadness that mirrored what he’d felt for the last twenty-four hours. A small voice warned that this was a mistake, that he should drive her home himself, but with the clock ticking down, he couldn’t afford the wasted time. No matter how much he wanted to. “Be safe.” He kissed her one last time and walked out the door.
Callie took her time dressing. She moved on autopilot as she called a cab and waited for it to arrive. All the while her thoughts circled in upon themselves. She kept coming back to one hard truth.
I am the only one who can save her.
If she turned herself in, it would put a stop to everything. No one else in Teague’s family would be hurt. He’d never be put in a position where he had to choose between her and them. Callie climbed into the cab and closed her eyes as it lurched into motion. It might kill her father to lose her. That was one of the many factors that had bought her silence on this. But Papa’s feelings weren’t enough to hold her back now. There were too many people at risk. What was one life when weighed against five? Or ten? Or twenty? Not enough.
Not even when it was hers.
“Ma’am?”
She opened her eyes to find the cabbie parked out in front of her house. She must be more out of it than she’d thought, because time wasn’t passing correctly. She paid him and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The air was clean and brisk and made her think of home. This was the house she’d grown up in. All her good memories were rooted here, and no small amount of bad ones, too.