“Sonofabitch! Why didn’t she tell me?”

“Probably because she knew you’d react like this?” Matt asks. His eyes are hard and his face taut. He’s in cop mode.

“Are she and the girls alone tonight?” Will asks.

“No, they’re at her parent's house.”

“I bet having a constant babysitter is starting to piss her off,” Pop mutters.

“It is,” I nod and rub my hand over my forehead. “But it’s necessary. We don’t know what the hell is going on.” I focus on Isaac again, anger coursing through my body along with a touch of fear that makes me even angrier. “Don’t you do back ground checks on your people?”

“Of course,” he spits out. “He could just be a creepy kid who has a crush on her.”

“Or he could be a fucking gangster who’s trying to get close enough to kill her!” I shout back at him.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t run the are you a motherfucking gangster report on him,” Isaac bites out sarcastically.

“I’m going to kick your ass,” I mutter and reach for my phone, needing to hear her voice, to assure that she and the girls are safe.

It rings four times and then goes to voice mail, so I leave a message asking her to call me and then text her.

Please call me back ASAP.

“No answer,” I mutter.

“Call her parents’ place,” Matt suggests.

“Already dialing,” I say and listen to their phone ring twice before her mother picks up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Eloise, this is Caleb. Can I please speak with Brynna?”

“Oh, she and the girls left about an hour ago,” she replies and all of the hairs on my body stand on end. “Her dad gave them a ride home.”

“I told her to wait there for me and I’d pick them up on my way home.”

Matt’s eyes narrow and Isaac and Will lean forward as Pop stands and starts dialing his house phone.

“I’ll try her cell again,” he mutters.

“She said that the girls were tired, and she was fine, and they’d just wait for you at home.”

“When did they leave?” I ask.

“About an hour ago,” she repeats.

“Still no answer,” Pop announces and hangs up the phone.

“Thanks, Eloise. I’ll try her cell.” I don’t want to frighten Brynna’s mom, so I keep my voice light and then end the call. “Shit.”

“Where is she?” Will asks.

“Eloise says she took the girls home about an hour ago.”

“But she’s not answering her cell?” Matt asks.

“No, I’m leaving.” I grab my coat. “I’m gonna go spank her ass,” I mutter under my breath as I head for the door.

“Let us know when you find her,” Pop demands.

I nod as I leave, intent on getting back to Bryn’s as soon as I can. I swallow hard, trying to keep the fear at bay, and dial her cell again.

After the fourth ring it goes to her voice mail again, and this time my message isn’t as calm.

“Answer your fucking phone, Brynna.”

I hang up and toss the phone in the seat as I speed through Seattle back to the Alki neighborhood and to my girls.

My girls.

I slam out of my car and unlock the front door, punching in the code for the alarm system and move quickly through the downstairs to the kitchen. Brynna’s purse is lying on the kitchen table, so I head for the stairs, climbing them three at a time. I stop by the twins’ room first. Their door is slightly ajar and the nightlight is glowing. They are both sound asleep in their beds.

I pull their door closed quietly and march down to Brynna’s room where the door is also slightly ajar, push my way inside and latch the door shut, locking it behind me.

“Brynna.” My voice is hard, but not loud enough to carry down the hall to wake the girls.

She sits up abruptly, blinking at me. “Caleb?”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask and cross my arms over my chest, looming over her.

“I live here.” She frowns and reaches over to turn on the lamp on the bedside table.

“I told you to wait for me at your parents’ house,” I remind her, my teeth gritted. I want to throttle her and kiss the hell out of her all at once. She’s tousled, her hair falling in waves around her face. Her skin is glowing, void of makeup.

She’s stunning.

“Where is your cell?”

“In my purse.”

I curse under my breath and pace about the room, unable to calm the hell down.

“I couldn’t reach you.”

“Caleb, I don’t need a babysitter twenty-four-seven.” She scowls and sits up straighter. “We are fine.”

“You don’t fucking get it,” I mutter and push my hands through my hair. “Someone could hurt you! All three of you!”

“Well they haven’t!” She sets her chin and glares at me. Damn, I want to spank the hell out of her. She jumps out of bed and starts to move around me toward the door. “I need to check on my daughters.”

“I already did.” I grip her arm in my hand and pull her to a stop next to me. “They’re sleeping.”

“I don’t think I want you to touch me right now.” She pulls her arm away and backs up, glaring at me.

“But you apparently don’t mind having Levi put his hands on you at work.”

She scowls and retreats further, crossing her arms over her chest. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Isaac told me all about Levi coming on to you.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “Is this a damn pissing contest?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, ignoring her jab.

“Because it was nothing!” She gestures wildly with her hands and pushes them through her hair as she paces around the bedroom. “He’s harmless.”

“He clearly has an issue with cops, and he put his hands on you.” My voice is low and hard and my hands are itching to reach out for her. “That’s not harmless.”

“He’s nothing,” she insists.

“I need to be able to trust you.” Her eyes widen with surprise and hurt and my gut clenches.

Her jaw drops before she balls her hands into fists in frustration, whispers angrily under her breath and inhales sharply.

“You can trust me.” She stops in front of me, inches from me, looking up at me in exasperation and hurt. “I’m not a child. I can take care of me and my kids.”