Rage (Benson Security 3)

“Sophie,” Isobel said, “I told you not to go into Callum’s room. Put that chair back at once.” She looked back at Callum. “I’m sorry. I should have been watching her better.”

“Jaffie likes the pram,” Sophie shouted, muffled through the helmet.

“It isn’t a pram, it’s a wheelchair.” Isobel rushed over to her daughter.

“Peese?” Sophie said.

Isobel hesitated. What harm would there be in letting her play with the wheelchair? Callum had obviously been injured at some point and had needed it, but he didn’t need it now. She looked down at her daughter’s large, pleading eyes, the only part that could be seen thought the helmet, and bit at her bottom lip. Her kids had nothing left—surely Callum would understand if she wanted to play with the chair?

Isobel turned and gave him the same pleading look as her daughter. “I’m sorry she went into your room, but can she play with the chair? I promise to make sure she doesn’t damage it. It’s clear you don’t need it—would it really matter if she used it as a pram for a while?”

A strange look passed between Callum and Ryan.

“I promise not to let her cover it with stickers,” Isobel said.

Ryan stared at Callum, clearly trying to communicate something that was lost on Isobel.

Callum took a deep breath. “There’s something I need to tell you…”

“Callum,” Elle shouted down the stairs. “I need you right now. You need to see this.”

Ryan shook his head, as though telling Callum not to do something.

“I’ll be right up,” Callum shouted. “We’ll talk later,” he said to Isobel, before heading up the stairs.

“Can she use the chair?” Isobel called after him.

“Aye,” he said, but he didn’t sound pleased about it.

“Need cookie,” Sophie shouted as she aimed the chair towards the table.

Isobel looked at Ryan. “Maybe she shouldn’t play with it. Does it have sentimental value for Callum?”

“Something like that,” Ryan said, then followed his boss up the stairs.

CHAPTER 19

“YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD HER,” Ryan said as he stopped beside Callum. “It’s going to be worse when she finds out.”

Callum didn’t say anything, because what could he say? Ryan was right.

They went through the door at the top of the stairs, and Ryan put a hand on Callum’s arm to stop him.

“You need to tell her before she finds out some other way,” Ryan said. “It’s my experience that when you’re missing a body part, or two, women like to know that kind of thing.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Callum felt the rage that was always present surge forward, trying to break free.

Ryan was unperturbed. “Look, I know you don’t like to talk about personal stuff, or emotion, or, well, anything, but this is serious. You can’t wait until you’re getting into bed with her again and go, ‘By the way my legs are metal.’” He froze. “Oh, dude, tell me you weren’t just planning to drop your jeans and shout ‘surprise’?”

Callum clenched his fists and fought the urge to lash out. Ryan took a step back. “You want to hit me now, I can see that, but it doesn’t change the fact that you need to come clean with your woman.”

“She isn’t my woman,” Callum said through his teeth.

“She’s carrying your baby, dude. That’s about as attached as you can get.”

“Stop calling me dude. What are you, twelve?”

“I don’t think he’s even that mature,” Rachel said as she came up beside them.