Filed to story: Crushing on My Enemy Stepbrother
I didn’t tell Tessa about the photo last night, not wanting to freak her out. I need to put some time into finding out who this person is and exactly what they want. Are they after me or is this a threat to Tessa? Will the person who took this photo use her as a way to get to me? Is this what the gift was about? Looking to see if I ran straight to her, tried to protect her, telling them that she’s important to me. That’s why I’ve said nothing, not to Tessa, not to my brother, no one. If someone is watching me, if this is a way to get to me, I need to make sure everyone goes about their normal day to try and keep Tessa safe.
I look up as Iris comes in to tell me she’s leaving, checking as always that I don’t need anything before waving and shutting my door.
My head returns to the job on my desk, the one I’ve been staring at all day unseeingly. It’s an upcoming job for a senator who is making a speech to garner supporters. He has had some particular backlash about a bill he’s supporting, not everyone is open to change, and we are expecting protests.
After twenty minutes of staring unseeingly at the page, I Lean back in my chair. I reach for the phone on my desk, dialling Lincoln’s cell phone so I can double check he has everything before just signing off his plan and shooting back it over to his encrypted email.
‘Yo’ Lincoln gruff voice comes from the speaker.
‘It’s Caleb’ I reply, not bothering with pleasantries, Lincoln is like me, doesn’t see the need for excessive words.
‘What’s up?’ he asks, and I hear the pop of a bottle cap, f*cker is already home with a beer.
‘Hindleson job’ I grunt, ‘how many bodies do you think you’ll need in your team?’
Lincoln huffs, pausing for what I assume is a mouthful of beer, ‘six would be good, four would be manageable’ he responds, ‘now tell me how many I have so I can figure out how to get a six man job done with half the bodies.’
I chuckle, the man knows me so well, ‘Yeah I got three man’ I admit, ‘Del is still out after that knife to the leg, Callie’s girlfriend is due any day so she’s not taking jobs that might get her injured as, and I quote, she’s not missing her kid’s birth for and dick. Paul and Vihaan have the dignitary flying in who wants extra cover on top of his own men and we’ve also got the Akkineni party that is demanding a full detail as the asshole isn’t bringing any of his own.’
Lincoln laughs dryly, ‘I’ll make it work, am I getting the new guy?’
‘Yeah, I’m sending you Hallick’ I reply, ‘guys got good aim, built like a brick shit house and doesn’t want to talk to anyone, he’s perfect for you.’
Our oldest employee grunts, ‘good, can’t stand the chatty ones, give them to Vihaan, he loves talking, it might even shut him up having someone who talks back.’
I bark out a laugh, ‘one of us has to have people skills’ I say.
‘We got Gage and Callan for that’ Lincoln grumbles, ‘don’t need no more joviality in this job.’ He clicks his tongue, his voice dropping, becoming stern, ‘what’s this new guy’s deal, heard from a couple of the lads he’s a bit prickly.’
I rub the scruff on my chin as I sigh, ‘the man is ex forces’ I admit roughly, ‘got captured, think it fucked with his head a bit. Callan says he’s a good guy and can keep his shit even with his past, so he gets a chance.’
Lincoln huffs out a breath down the line, ‘I hope he can man, maybe we should run a dummy job, see how he does?’
I nod, even though the man on the other end can’t see me, sometimes we hire time at an old army base that’s now run by a company that sets up replica scenarios. Some suits hire it out as team building, but there are companies like ours who use it as a way to test new recruits on how they would handle a job going bad.
‘I’ll set it up’ I reply frowning as my cell phone starts to buzz in my pocket. Fishing out the electronic, my chest tightens as Tessa’s name flashes across the screen. She never rings me, not since the security code call, if she needs to ask something, she texts me now.
‘Linc, I got to go, my other phone is ringing’ I mutter worriedly, hastily saying goodbye before dropping the receiver into its cradle.
Pressing the accept button, I lift the cell to my ear, ‘Tessa?’ I bark, more aggression than I meant to as visions of the photo I received surface once again.
‘Umm, hello? Is this Tessa’s uhh . . boyfriend?’ a male voice asks hesitantly.
‘what?’ I growl, his words throwing me off slightly.
‘Caleb? The name she kept saying was Caleb and you were the only Caleb listed in her contacts’ the voice continues.
‘Yes, I’m Caleb’ I reply sharply, ‘where is Tessa? Why do you have her phone?’
A relieved breath comes through the receiver, ‘oh good, umm she’s fine. . . I think . . . well she’s conscious so, you know . . ‘
‘What the f*ck happened!’ I yell, gripping the cell tightly as my door slams open and my brother and best friend fall into the room, staring at me worriedly.
‘She was in a car accident’ the voice mutters, ‘well not really an accident as this SUV just ran her off the road and then drove off. I can’t believe they didn’t stop after they hit her! It was a hell of a thump, the driver couldn’t have not realised . . well unless they were drunk maybe . . ‘
‘Where is Tessa?’ I snap in panic, trying to somehow focus this idiot on the phone, ‘give her the phone, I need to speak to her right now!’
‘She’s with the police officer, umm, I’ll try and get to the squad car, hold on.’ I can hear the crunching of gravel and assume the guy on the phone is walking up the side of the road.
‘What’s going on? What happened to Tessa?’ Gage hisses, his face filled with concern.
‘Some sort of car accident’ I mutter distractedly, my nails digging into my hand as fear courses though me. ‘Someone hit her car and drove off, this guy is going to give her the phone.’
‘If he’s giving her the phone, she’s OK Cale, stay calm’ Gage murmurs as Callan nods, taking seats across from me and waiting silently as what feels like an age passes.