Where the hell was he?
Lifting my phone, I was about to send him yet another text, when a message popped up on the screen.
Cali: So bored. I heard you are back in town. Let’s have lunch!!!
Me: When and where?
Cali: Um, now. I’m hungry. There’s a diner near my apartment. Meet me there.
The address to the diner popped up next, and I shot one last glare around the empty office before walking back to the elevators. In front of Eduard’s desk, I paused. “Tell your boss that I was here.”
He didn’t stop typing. “Maybe next time, make an appointment.”
“I’ll be sure and mention to him you suggested that,” I told the man with a sweet smile. “It was great to finally meet you, Eduard. Maybe update your résumé while you’re busy tapping away.”
His head snapped around at my subtle threat to his job, and his gaze finally took me in. “Miss Nova,” he gasped. “I…I apologize. I didn’t realize—”
“Save it. Just tell your boss I was here.” I turned on my heel and stepped into the elevator, Pietro shooting the personal assistant a smirk as he followed.
Downstairs, my driver was still parked in front of the building, and I called out the address to the diner before lifting the divider so I could have a private moment. The last text I’d gotten from Ryan was more than twenty-four hours ago. Other than when I’d been avoiding him right after my birthday, we hadn’t ever gone that long without some form of communication. There were five other texts I’d sent from the day before that had gone unanswered, as well as the three from earlier.
What the fuck was going on?
He wouldn’t ignore me on purpose. My stomach twisted with worry for him. There had to be a reason he wasn’t responding to my texts. I needed to see him, to set eyes on him and know for sure that he was okay. But he was obviously working on something important, and I didn’t want to bother him or put him in more danger by just showing up wherever he was.
For all of two seconds, I considered
asking Anya what was going on, but she didn’t get involved with her husband’s or son’s work unless they requested her input on something. She was of the mind-set that the less she knew, the better for everyone involved, and she’d tried to instill that in me as well. The less I knew about what Ryan was up to, the less danger I would be in.
And to her, keeping me safe was the best thing for Ryan’s well-being. It was what she’d beaten into my head over and over on every trip to Paris. I was Ryan’s heart, his sanity. I was more essential to him and his future than anything or anyone could ever hope to be. By teaching me everything she knew to protect myself, we were both protecting Ryan as well.
Twenty minutes later, Pietro was escorting me inside a diner. The smell of greasy food made my stomach growl, and I realized I hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before. It had only been Samara and me with Zia and Anya since everyone else was either busy or too tired to eat with us. Zayne was in Chicago, Zariah had her own house on the compound, and the twins were “interning” with their father. Ciana had gotten home from work complaining of a headache and had gone straight to bed.
I spotted Cali sitting in a back corner booth. Seeing me, she waved before motioning me over. I wanted some alone time with her to catch up—and to talk about what was going on with her and my brother—so I asked Pietro to take a seat several tables away. Since the place wasn’t overly crowded, he gave in, grabbing a laminated menu while I joined my friend.
Cali stood as I neared and wrapped me in a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you,” she whispered, eyeballing Pietro over my shoulder. “Did you have to bring the muscle, though?”
I grimaced. “It’s either bring the muscle or not leave the house,” I told her, pushing her back into her side of the booth before taking my own seat. “You look great, by the way. Definitely better than the last time I laid eyes on you in the flesh.”
She touched the side of her face that had been swollen and bruised when I’d seen her the summer before. “You would be surprised by the changes that happen when you’re no longer living with an abusive, sadistic monster.”
“I can only imagine.” A waitress came over, asking if we were ready. Cali ordered for both of us, sticking with burgers and fries, claiming they were the best she’d eaten in the city so far.
“I worked here until my roommate got me the job at the club,” Cali said as she picked up her glass of cherry cola the waitress had brought back for both of us before promising our food would be out shortly.
“I’m going to assume you make bank at that place,” I commented. “Or you wouldn’t be fighting my brother so hard on continuing to work there.”
The older girl rolled her eyes. “I make plenty to cover my bills and have enough left over for a little nest egg in case of emergencies. Your brother just wants me to be his kept woman. He says he only wants to spoil and take care of me. I don’t consider it taking care of so much as wanting to control me. I’ve lived that life, Nova. Never having a penny of my own. Having to rely on some man to provide everything. Beholden to him for every meal, every piece of clothing. I’m never going back to it. If he can’t handle me working, he knows where the door is. No one is forcing him to stick around.”
“What if you had a different job?” I asked cautiously. Ryan had mentioned that he’d offered to give Cali—or as they knew her, Lis—a job at the office, and he’d suggested I bring it up to her. I was sure he’d meant for me to wait, but he didn’t know that I was well acquainted with my brother’s girlfriend already.
I only had two secrets from Ryan, and Cali was one of them.
“I don’t need a different job. I’m fine right where I am.” She crossed her arms over her chest, her jaw popping. The whole pose reminded me of Garret, and I had to bite back my smile. She was picking up his mannerisms already. It was adorable, but I knew better than to mention it.
“What if the job offered better pay and benefits like health care?” I sweetened the deal.
“I’d say your brother is using you to try to control me.” But she was sitting up straighter, her head leaned ever so slightly closer to me. “But I might be interested in hearing you out since you mentioned health care.”