CHAPTER 15

THE BASTARDS HAD FILLED THE house with gas. The smell hit Callum full force as soon as he was through the front door. His eyes stung and he had to fight the urge to cough as he made his way along the hall to the kitchen. He wanted to get his prisoner out of there before the place blew. It was a courtesy these guys hadn’t afforded Isobel and her kids. It was obvious they’d intended to get rid of them from the moment they’d set foot on her property.

As he passed, Callum scanned the living room, gun in hand. There was no sign of life, and the gas bottle from the heater was sitting with its valve wide open. Holding his breath, he barely made it to the kitchen. The house was filling up fast. As soon as he opened the kitchen door, he knew trying to get his prisoner out wasn’t going to be possible. Time had run out. Gas from the oven had filled the room, and a small incendiary device sat in the middle of the kitchen table. There was a crude timer attached to the device.

With ten seconds on the clock.

Callum turned and ran for the front door. He propelled himself through the house and hit the night air just as the device went off. Gas ignited. A blast ripped through the building. It hit Callum square in the back, lifted him from his feet and propelled him across the yard. He landed hard beside Isobel’s overgrown bushes.

For a second, Callum lay there, gasping for air. He felt like his whole body had taken a beating, but at least his legs were still in place and seemed to function. With effort, he rolled over to lie on his back. A minute. That was all he needed. A minute to catch his breath, and then he would check on Isobel and the kids. At least they were safe in his house and not in the inferno before him. There was nothing to save from Isobel’s home. The whole structure had been blown to bits, and what little was left was now ablaze.

“Callum!”

His name came at him as though he was hearing it under water. He turned his head to see Isobel fall to her knees beside him. Callum groaned. So much for her being safe in his house. The woman really needed to be vaccinated against stupidity.

“Are you okay?” Her hands roamed his chest, presumably looking for injuries. “Of course you aren’t okay. You just got blown up!” Her voice went up an octave at the end, taking it into the realm only dogs could hear.

“I’m fine.” It came out as a croak, which irritated his throat and set off a hacking cough. The gas had done a number on him.

“You’re not fine.” She lifted her phone. “I’m calling an ambulance. And the police. I should have called them in months ago. I’m an idiot. I’m going to get everyone killed, including the only man who’s ever fought for me.”

“No.” Callum took the phone from her hands. “No cops. We need to regroup. We need to know where we stand. I have someone coming to help. We’ll wait until we know more before involving the cops.”

Isobel placed a palm on each of his cheeks and leaned down until her face was above his. “Callum, there’s no keeping this from the police. The whole of Arness will have heard that explosion. The cops will come anyway. We should get in there first. I’ll tell them the dead guy was self-defence. Better yet, let’s not mention him at all. Maybe they’ll think the intruders killed each other.”

Callum felt strength return to his remaining limbs. “There are no intruders. They’re gone. Just like we need to be.” He fought to sit up, scanning the area around the house. No sign of a body, just as he’d expected. “They took the guy I killed with them.”

“Why would they do that?”

“The same reason they took the other guy. They don’t want anyone to know they were here.”

She scowled at him. “Well, they shouldn’t have left him on the beach in the first place. That’s just bloody irresponsible. You can’t wander around leaving dead bodies where you please. And if they wanted to be covert, blowing up a building isn’t the way to do it. Even I know that!” She was shaking, her pupils dilated and her skin pale. She was struggling with shock.

He had to get her somewhere warm and safe. He had to get her to his house. “We need to get out of here.” Callum climbed to his feet, somewhat ungracefully, with Isobel hovering over him.

“You’re bleeding!” She lunged for him, pulling his shirt up to get at the wound.

A strange tenderness unfurled inside Callum. He covered her hands with his. “It’s nothing. We’ll deal with it at the house.” She searched his eyes, desperate for reassurance. For once, Callum didn’t hesitate in giving it. “It’s nothing. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Callum couldn’t resist pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly, aware of how right she felt against him. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. They clung to each other, and Callum wasn’t sure who was giving comfort to whom.

“It’s okay,” he said as he stroked her back. “It’s the adrenalin making you shiver. It’ll pass.”

He wanted to stand there forever, revelling in the comfort of her soft body, reassuring himself that she was still alive. Still with him. But he couldn’t. Already he could hear sirens and voices in the distance. He kissed her hair. “We have to go, sweetheart.”

She nodded, and he felt her take a deep breath, pulling herself together. Callum wondered how many times over the years she’d had to do exactly that. How many blows could one woman take before she stopped bouncing back? He really didn’t want to know. The thought of Isobel losing her courage, and drive, was too much to contemplate.

“I’m ready.” She stepped away from him, leaving him cold without her.

Callum took her hand. He told himself she needed the connection, but deep down, he knew he needed it almost as much she did. They headed for the path into the trees between Isobel’s property and his.

“I can’t believe what I saw,” Isobel said as they ran.

“There was a lot of gas in the house,” Callum said.

“Not the house. The way you took that guy apart. I’ve never seen anything like it. All that power and precision. It was amazing.” The last word came out on a sigh that made Callum stumble.

“Your body is amazing,” she continued. “The way your muscles move when you fight. All that strength.” Her teeth pressed into her bottom lip, and Callum stifled a groan. “I haven’t even seen you without a shirt yet.”

That was it. He’d had enough. “Stop talking and run.”

“You practice that martial arts stuff, don’t you? Do you do it shirtless? Can I watch?”

He did groan this time. “You’re having a reaction to the adrenalin. You needed it to help save your life. Now it’s looking for an outlet. Ignore it. It will pass.”

“Maybe it would pass faster if we both got naked and spent five minutes working it off? We can spare five minutes, right? I mean, the kids are safe. Right?”

“Woman, I’m beginning to think your default setting is recklessly horny.”

“It’s my curse,” Isobel agreed. “But it seems to be worse when I’m around you.”

“Stop.” Callum’s jeans were getting tight and it was becoming hard to run. “Don’t say another word.”

He glared at her to get the message home, and she smiled sweetly. At least she stopped talking.

Callum led her through his house to a door at the back of the kitchen that she’d assumed led to a pantry. It didn’t. It hid a set of stairs that led under the house.

“Oh, is this your granddad’s famous bunker?” There weren’t many houses in the area that had basements, and the McKay one was particularly well known, because old man McKay had spent years fighting with the council over it. He’d needed planning permission to turn it into a bomb shelter, or something like that. The place had become an urban myth around Arness, with everyone wondering what exactly lay under the old man’s house.

Isobel felt jittery. She was aware that she was fidgeting a lot, but she couldn’t seem to stop. Every inch of her skin felt hypersensitive. Her blood seemed to fizzle in her veins. There was too much energy in her body. She felt as if she’d explode if she didn’t get rid of it. And the only way she wanted to do that was with the man at her side. He was driving her crazy. The scent of him, so masculine and musky. The way his body moved. The ripple of his muscles. She wanted to feel the rough rasp of his stubble against her skin. She wanted to bite into those strong muscles. She wanted to feel him moving inside her until she couldn’t think from needing him.

“Will you stop it?” he growled as he stalked down the stairs in front of her. He hadn’t even looked around. He couldn’t possibly know what she was thinking. And she didn’t care if he did anyway. Her mind was on other things. Mainly the way his butter-soft jeans cupped his firm backside. Damn it, her mouth was actually watering.

Callum spun to face her, and Isobel walked right into him. Because she was on the step above him, she could almost look him straight in the eyes. She licked her lips. If she didn’t taste him soon, she was going to go insane.

“Woman. Your kids are through the door at the bottom of the stairs. They need comfort. Even I can figure that out. You need to focus and stop thinking about sex.”

Oh my goodness, that rumbling voice set off mini-orgasms. She closed her eyes and moaned.

“Hell,” Callum muttered. “You’re killing me.”

She couldn’t think. Her brain was hazy. She rocked towards him, breathing him deep. Callum clenched his jaw and let out a stream of curses.

“Just one little taste,” Isobel whispered.

She saw the hesitation and then the angry resolve. “One of us has to be sensible. I can’t believe it’s me.”

He spun on his heels and strode down the rest of the steps, leaving Isobel feeling somewhat desperate. She blinked several times and tried to clear her mind. He was right. She needed to focus. She could do this. She could.

Callum pressed a code into the keypad on a box beside the door. There was a click, and he tugged the door open. The very thick, reinforced door. Once through the doorway, Isobel was confronted with a long and narrow living area, with four doors equally spaced on the left-hand side of the room and another door on the far wall. The walls were painted white and the floors were wood. The lighting was soft and almost made her forget that she was in a basement.

They were standing in a compact kitchen, which flowed into a dining area. There was a seating area at the far end of the room, complete with large leather sofa and a massive TV. Jack had been sitting watching TV, and must have jumped up when the door opened. While Callum started rummaging through the kitchen cupboards, Isobel rushed to her son and wrapped him in a tight hug, whether he liked it or not.

“Are you okay? Where’s Sophie?” She ran her hands over his shoulders and arms, searching for injuries.

“I’m good. Sophie’s in bed.” He cocked his head towards one of the doors on the left-hand wall.

When Isobel opened it, she found a small bedroom. It had a freestanding closet, a dresser, a chair and a set of bunk beds. Sophie was out cold on the top bunk. Isobel stroked her daughter’s hair before closing the door quietly behind her. She turned to find Callum going through the largest medical kit she’d ever seen.

“Why do you need all that gear?” she said. “Is it in case you get stuck in here during a nuclear winter?”

Callum looked at her like she was nuts, before turning to Jack. “I need you to call your aunts. Tell them you’re all fine and that you’re here. But ask them not to rush over. I want them to spread the word that your mum took you two away for a few days and you weren’t in the house when it blew.”

“The house blew up?” Jack’s jaw fell.

“You didn’t hear it?” Callum said, attention still on the medical kit.

“I was down here, in the bunker, putting Sophie to bed.”

“It isn’t a bunker. It’s a…granny flat.” He seemed pleased at that description.

Jack shared a smile with his mum. It was definitely a bunker.

“Did Sophie go to sleep okay?” Callum pulled out some sterile wipes, tugged up his shirt and started dabbing at the wound on his side.

Isobel rushed over and took it out of his hand. “I’ll do it.” There was a deep gash along the line of his bottom rib. It was still bleeding a little, and there was dirt embedded in it. “You need a shower. This needs to be washed out properly.”

“There are clean cloths under the sink,” Callum said. “See if you can get the dirt out here.”

Isobel wasn’t happy with that plan, but she went searching for a cloth, listening to Callum and Jack as she ran it under the tap.

“Sophie,” Callum said. “She okay?”

“I told her Mum was with you.” Jack smirked. “She seemed to think that made Mum safe, so she went to sleep. What happened at the house? What do you mean it blew up?”

“The intruders filled the house with gas. There isn’t anything left of it.” Callum paused, as though unsure of how to say anything else. “I’m sorry,” he said at last.

“Yeah, me too.” Jack looked a little lost. “I’ll go upstairs and call the three witches.”

“You can do it from here.” Callum nodded to the old-style phone on the wall. “Use the landline. I need to go up and get a change of clothes and deal with this wound.”

Jack nodded and headed for the phone. He stopped when he saw it. “Dial? It has a dial? When were you born? The Stone Age?”

Callum grunted and gathered up his medical supplies.

“I’ll come with you,” Isobel said. “Help clean you up.”

“What?” Jack dropped the phone receiver, and it dangled by its spiral cord.

Isobel felt her cheeks burn. “I don’t mean shower with him. I mean bandage his wound.”

Jack frowned and looked like he didn’t quite believe her. Whatever. She grabbed the rest of the medical kit and looked at Callum. “You coming?”

With a shake of his head, he followed her. They went straight to the master bedroom, with its en suite. Isobel put the kit on the dresser before walking over to Callum. Wet cloth in hand, she tugged up his shirt.

Callum’s hand covered hers, and she stilled.

“I don’t need help,” he said. “It’s stopped bleeding.”

“Let me take care of it.” Let me take care of you.

She hated to see him injured. She hated even more that she was the cause of it. If she hadn’t dragged him into her mess, he would have been safe at home instead of dealing with the intruders at her place. The thought of the intruders reminded Isobel of watching Callum fight, and her mind turned to darker, sultrier places.

Slowly, Callum released her hand. She reminded herself that she wasn’t there to gawk at his perfect abs, she was there to clean out his wound, but as soon as she saw the tattoo around his belly button, that thought flew out the window. Suddenly, the gash on his side wasn’t the most interesting part of him.

“You have a tattoo?”

“Several,” Callum said.

“Oh.” She was distracted, her attention firmly on the tribal design that curved over his stomach and framed his belly button. She traced it with her fingertips and watched his muscles ripple under her touch. “Does it mean something?”

He cleared his throat. “Not that one.”

Isobel tore her eyes away from the black ink. “Where are the other ones?”

He stared at her, and she felt herself falling into the depths of his eyes. Slowly, his eyes not leaving hers, Callum continued to lift his shirt. There was a Celtic knot emblazoned on his pec, done in the same black ink as the tattoo on his stomach.

“Take off your shirt, Callum.” Isobel was the one giving orders for a change.

“This isn’t a good idea,” Callum said, but he sounded needy, uncertain.

“What isn’t?” She dropped the wet cloth and leaned in to swirl her tongue around the curves of the Celtic knot.

He cursed and ripped off the shirt. Isobel’s hands were on him before the shirt hit the floor. All that hot, smooth skin covering firm muscle—he was a work of art. She traced the ridges and valleys of his stomach.

“I want to memorise this with my tongue,” she said.

Callum groaned as his fingers worked into her hair and tightened. “I need to tell you something.”

“Tell me later.” She twirled her tongue around a hard nipple and then bit down hard.

“It’s important.”

“Later.” Nothing was more important that tasting this gorgeous man.

He cursed, and the grip in her hair tightened, pulling her away from his chest and angling her face up to his. His lips met hers with a furious clash. All of his strength, all his ability was poured into the kiss. She felt him reach behind her and heard the click of the lock. After that, all that registered was Callum. His tongue plundered her mouth, spearing in and out, making her thighs press together. She pressed her fingernails into his shoulders, hard enough to leave marks. She needed him. She ached for him. She wanted to taste him, inhale him into her soul. She wanted to feel his weight over her and feel his hard length inside her. She wanted all of it.

His stubble rasped at her chin as he deepened the kiss. He was feeding on her, their gasps and moans melding into a symphony of unadulterated desire. She pressed her palm flat in the middle of his chest, feeling the soft hairs against her smooth skin. She wanted to feel them rub against her breasts. She wanted to feel his skin against every inch of her skin.

Desperate, she pressed her hand down his body and over the bulge in the front of his jeans. She moaned into his mouth as the heel of her hand rubbed at him, feeling the firmness press back. She’d imagined going slower this time. Learning his body. Luxuriating in all that muscle and hot, hot skin. But that would have to wait. She needed him now. Desperately needed him.

Frantically, she popped the button of his jeans and unzipped him. She tugged at the waistband of his underpants, freeing the smooth crown of his cock. Callum ripped his lips from hers and let out a stream of curses.

“Slow down,” he ordered as he tightened his grip in her hair.

That wasn’t going to happen. Isobel wrapped her hand around his length and stroked, luxuriating in the size of him. She wanted to touch him like this for hours. She wanted to wrap her lips around him and suck and lick until he begged for mercy. But most of all, she wanted him inside her. She was empty, desperately empty, and only Callum could fill her.

Her hand still holding him, she licked and kissed and bit at his chest, tasting the salt and musk of him on her tongue. She walked forward, making him back up towards the bed. She needed him now. She was past waiting. The need that had been building since she’d kissed him in her living room hours earlier had reached explosive proportions, and there was only one thing that could give her relief.

The back of Callum’s knees hit the bed and his balance teetered. Isobel gave him a hard shove and watched him fly back onto the bed. He was perfection. Broad shoulders, tattoos, washboard abs and a smattering of hair. And underneath it all, poking out of his jeans, was her prize.

Isobel didn’t wait a second. She ripped off her jeans and underwear and climbed on top of him. Her mouth slammed onto his as she felt the head of his cock slide through the swollen and wet lips of her sex. She clenched and groaned at the stark empty feeling inside her. She couldn’t wait a second more. Wrapping her fist around him, she positioned him where she needed him to be and sank onto him.

Callum ripped his mouth from hers. “Condom.”

“In a second.” He felt too good. Too, too good.

She felt Callum root around in his pocket.

“Up,” he ordered as he brought the square packet to his teeth and ripped.

“Just a little longer.” She ground down on him.

He wrapped his hand in her hair and tugged her down to look in his eyes. The look on his face was a mixture of amusement, need and something else. Something soft. Something she was scared to name.

“Woman, focus. You don’t want to get pregnant.”

For a second, she was lost in his eyes, the feel of him inside her overwhelming. In that moment, nothing else mattered other than being with Callum. Than feeling Callum. Than knowing him.

“Crazy woman,” he muttered, then tugged her face down and slammed his mouth on hers. One taste. One touch. She was lost. She melted into him, boneless and at his mercy.

“No sense,” he mumbled against her lips, and then she felt his fingers grasp her hips and he lifted her off him and onto the bed beside him.

“No.” Isobel climbed right back on top of him. This time, he was sheathed. It felt different, less intimate, but definitely safer.

Isobel whined her complaint, aware deep inside of her that she was acting insane.

“Move, darlin’, move.” Callum’s dark order brought her right back into the moment.

This was what she needed. Perfection. Nothing felt like Callum. Nothing. Her hips moved as she ground herself down on him, keeping up a relentless pace. He clenched her hips, but didn’t try to take over. Isobel sat back, her fingers raking over his abs.

Luscious green eyes stared up at her, and she found she couldn’t look away. He was perfection. Brutal strength and raw masculinity. Her body was on fire. Sparks of electricity ran across her skin, from her fingers to her toes. She moved faster, circling her hips every time she pressed down on him.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Her head fell back and the chants became more desperate. She felt as though she was floating away, leaving her body and everything else behind. Wave after wave of sensation rippled through her. She felt him thicken inside her. His panting grew more desperate. She felt his muscles tense beneath her as she roared towards the precipice.

“Callum,” she wailed as she flew over the edge.

She collapsed on top of him as he arched up to meet her. His hips moved, once, twice, before he grunted his own release. Shocks rippled through Isobel as she floated back down to earth. She was limp. Sated. Replete.

Callum’s arms wrapped around her as she lay on top of him. Her face pressed into the curve of his neck. “If we ever manage to do this with foreplay, I’m going to die,” he said.

Isobel started to laugh, and felt his chest move under hers. He kissed her head.

“You need to move. I have to deal with this condom.”

Isobel moaned, pressing her forehead into him. “I can’t believe I forgot again.”

She struggled to sit up and climbed off him. She was still wearing her sweatshirt and bra, and Callum still had his jeans on. But at least he’d managed to remember to protect them. It was almost as though she wanted to get pregnant. She looked at Callum to find him watching her.

“I lose my mind around you,” she confessed.

He stroked his hand over her hair. “It isn’t only you. I haven’t forgotten to glove up since I was a teenager. I blame you. You need to stop jumping me. I can’t think straight.”

“Me?” She climbed off the bed. “This insanity is all your fault. Stop…” She waved a hand at him to signify everything that was Callum. “Stop being you!”

For a second he looked stunned, and then he burst out laughing. Isobel was so shocked by the sound that she almost forgot she was mad at herself. And then something else occurred to her.

“Are you clean?” she asked as her stomach lurched.

Callum grinned at her. Why he suddenly thought this was funny, she had no idea. Because it wasn’t funny. Not at all.

“Sexually. Are you clean?” She pointed at him. “Do you have any sexually transmitted diseases?”

“Woman, these are the things you ask before you jump a man.”

Isobel lifted her jeans and underwear and glared at him. “I’m being serious. Are you clean?”

“Aye. Are you?” He cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Of course I am! I don’t have sex. Ever. The last man I slept with was my ex-husband. Before that, it was Jack’s father.” She waved her jeans at him. “I am the most responsible person I know. I don’t take chances. I can’t afford risk. I’m a mother. And then you come along! And every sensible thought in my head disappears. Seriously! Why is that? It’s like I want to sabotage my life. Well, what’s left of my life.” She pointed at him. “You mess with my mind. You…you…seducer of common sense, you!” She stomped towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her on Callum’s laughter.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that bruise on your side,” Callum called after her.

“Idiot,” Isobel muttered as she ran the shower. And she wasn’t talking about Callum. Teenagers had more sense than she did. She’d almost had unprotected sex. Again. She shook her head in disgust and squealed when the door opened behind her.

“Do you mind? I’m trying to shower here.” She wasn’t. She was standing in the middle of his bathroom, castigating herself while wearing a sweatshirt and nothing on the bottom.

“Let me see.” Before she could stop him, he reached out and tugged up her sweatshirt, exposing the bruise.

Isobel didn’t look at it. She was of the firm belief that if you couldn’t see something, it didn’t hurt. Instead, she stared at Callum’s illegally hot bare chest and tried to come up with a way to immunise herself against the sight. She shivered when he gently traced the mark Ray had left.

“Punch to the ribs. Looks like the guy wore rings.” Callum looked up at her. “You need an x-ray.”

“It’s fine. Just bruised.” She hoped.

“Who did it?” His voice was soft, but Isobel wasn’t fooled.

“That’s got nothing to do with you. I only asked you to help with the body. Now that the body is gone, you don’t need to be involved at all. You can call your team and tell them we don’t need the help anymore.” It made her sick to give him the out, but it was the decent thing to do. She hadn’t invited him in to fix her life. She was pretty sure that wasn’t even possible anyway.

“This isn’t over. The body might be gone, but you’re on the radar of some seriously bad people. People who tried to kill you tonight,” he said evenly.

“And they probably think they succeeded, which means we’re safe.”

“As soon as you surface again, they’ll know they didn’t get you, and that safety will come crashing down.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I only asked for help with the body. The rest has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m in this until it’s finished. You need my protection even more than you did when you asked for my help.”

“Fine, do what you like.” She threw up her hands and took a step back. “Now get out. I want to shower.”

“Not until you’ve told me who hurt you.”

“It’s not your problem.”

“I’m making it my problem.”

“What are you going to do? Pull my fingernails until I give up the information? Go away and let me shower in peace.”

Callum’s eyes narrowed. “I think I’ll just call your sisters and ask them who hit you.”

“They don’t know.”

“I bet they could make an accurate guess.”

“Why do you insist in knowing this? Are you so dead set on making all of my problems your problems? Haven’t I complicated your life enough? You don’t need to know who did this. I’m handling it.”

His palm slid over her hip and down to rest over her lower abdomen. “This makes your problems my problems.”

“You don’t even know if there is a baby. Why are you even waiting around to find out? Why aren’t you running as fast as you can?” She held her arms wide. “I mean, look at me. I’m in my thirties with a teenager and a toddler. I have a crappy job that I probably lost today because I couldn’t keep my problems out of my workplace. I don’t have a house. Or belongings. I don’t even have a change of clothes. And on top of all that, I don’t have the sense to have protected sex.”

“You aren’t the only one that made that mistake. I didn’t protect you.”

His willingness to taking responsibility for his part in their mess melted her frustration, but she had to make him see reality. “Callum, think about this logically. What will you do if there is a baby?”

“I’ll take responsibility for it.”

“And what does that mean exactly?”

His eyes shifted, looking around the room. When he looked back at her, there was only resolve in his face. “I’ll look after you and our child.”

Her heart actually melted, and part of her soul jumped towards him, desperate to have him look after her. Desperate for a partner to help raise her family. Desperate for a role model for her son. But she’d done this before. She’d married Rob thinking he’d be a nice, stable influence on Jack, thinking he’d never leave her and that she’d live a content, perhaps a little boring, life with the man. She wasn’t making that mistake again.

“You’re obviously a good guy, Callum. And I appreciate that your honour won’t let you walk away. But it wouldn’t just be me and the baby. It’s Sophie and Jack too. It’s my three sisters and my crappy life. You don’t want that.” She snorted. “Heck, there are days when even I don’t want it. Don’t worry, I’m sure there isn’t a baby. But if there is, and you want to be a part of things, I’ll let you contribute and I’ll make sure it spends time with you too. Now, I really need to get cleaned up.”

“We’ll talk about the baby later. Right now, I need you to tell me who hit you.”

“You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

He just stared at her.

“Fine.” She was worn out by everything, including Callum. “The loan shark paid me a visit today. He wants the balance of what’s owed to him by the weekend. Or…” Her eyes went wide. There were things Callum really didn’t need to know, and tiredness was making her talk without thinking. She hurried on, hoping he didn’t notice the slip. “One of his guys, Ray, reinforced the message with his fist. So there you have it. Can I shower now?”

“Or what? You started to say something and stopped. Tell me the rest. Now.”

Isobel almost went breathless at the sight of him. This was the Callum who’d fought circles around the guy outside her house. This Callum was brutal, deadly and unstoppable. And although she knew he’d never hurt her—not physically, anyway—she also knew he would never stop until he got what he wanted.

“If I don’t have the money, I get to repay the loan on my back.” There. She’d said it. She’d even said it as evenly as possible, in the hope she wouldn’t betray just how horrifying that thought was.

Callum stilled and his fingers tightened at her nape. “Name. I need his name.”

“Eddie Granger.”

“Home base?”

“He works out of Glasgow.”

Callum nodded. Curtly. As though making a decision. “He won’t be a problem for you again. Him or this Ray guy.”

He dropped his hand and turned to leave. Isobel reached out for him, grasping his bicep. When he looked back, she could see the barely-contained rage burning deep inside of him.

“You can’t kill him. They’ll put you in jail.” She was terrified that was exactly what he had planned. “I don’t want you getting into trouble because of me.”

His face softened slightly. “I know other ways to deal with this. Trust me.” He glanced at her belly. “It’s the least I can do. Now get showered and catch some sleep. Use one of the bedrooms in the basement. They’re more secure. I’ve taken the middle one, but the other two are there for you and the kids. I’ll talk to you later.”

Isobel wanted to ask him what he planned to do, but he was already gone, leaving her shivering at the loss of his heat.