Shattered (The Protectors 11)

Caleb set the plate in the sink. “You don’t think it was my dad?” he asked. He almost looked hopeful.

“Honestly, it could be both of them. We won’t know unless we do some digging. But I need Ronan’s help with that. He’s got resources that I don’t.”

“What will you do if you find out it’s one or both of them?” Caleb asked.

I dropped my eyes. “We’ll deal with that when we know for sure,” I said.

Caleb appeared in front of me and gently grabbed my face and forced me to look at him. “What will you do?”

I held his gaze. “We’ll make sure they can’t hurt you or anyone else ever again.”

Caleb settled on one of the benches that were on either side of the small table. “He’s my father, Jace,” he whispered.

I knelt in front of him and cupped his cheek. “Your safety, Eli’s… that will always come first. You understand that, right? That man isn’t your father anymore, Caleb. He stopped being that the moment he touched you and your brother.”

Caleb managed a nod. “Does that mean we’re going back to Seattle?”

“I think we have to. You’re due back there next week for the pre-trial hearing.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t tell the prosecutor about the letter. He’s going to be so mad.”

“No, he won’t. He’ll understand, Caleb. We all do. And people will believe you. Your father is desperate to keep you from talking. He’ll say anything at this point.”

And do anything.

But I kept that part to myself.

“Promise me things won’t change, Jace. Promise me that everything you said last night—”

“I promise, Caleb. I meant every word. I’m not going anywhere.”

He pushed into my arms. I stood, taking him with me. “I need to make the call,” I said.

“Okay.”

“Everything will be okay, Caleb. I know I said those words to you before—”

“I believe you.”

I relaxed and kissed him. I released him and went to my room to get my regular phone, since I wasn’t worried about hiding our location anymore. I returned to the kitchen and sat down. I watched Caleb moving around the kitchen as I waited for the phone to power on and find a signal. I couldn’t help but think how nice it was just to have him there, puttering around. I had no clue what was going to happen next in terms of our relationship, but I wasn’t having even a single doubt. I loved him more than I feared losing him. I’d just have to figure out how to keep him safe. I’d do better by him than I had Maggie.

My phone beeped in my hand, a surefire sign it had found a signal. Message after message began appearing on the screen. Most, not surprisingly, were from Mav. I sighed because I knew I had a lot of bridges to repair, starting with him. He wasn’t going to like that Caleb and I were together. He hadn’t said as much, but I knew he didn’t think I was good enough for the young man he considered a brother.

I skimmed the messages just to make sure there was nothing of importance. That was when I noticed a message from a number I didn’t recognize.

A foreign number.

I stilled for all of two seconds, then frantically opened it.

Treptower Park. Friday, 3pm.

“What the hell?” I whispered. My heart began racing as I dialed the number.

“Jace?” Caleb said. “Everything okay?”

I didn’t answer him because someone picked up at that precise moment. My German wasn’t great, but I was able to get enough information from the woman speaking on the other end to determine that she did in fact live in Berlin and that her phone had been stolen two days earlier. I ignored her question about who I was and hung up.

“What is it?” Caleb asked, his voice filled with concern.

“Someone texted me from Germany,” I said. “They used a stolen phone to do it. They put down the name of a park and Friday, three p.m. in the message.”

“This Friday?” Caleb asked. “That’s the day after tomorrow.”

I nodded. My fingers were shaking as I looked up the name of the park. It, too, was in Berlin.

“It has to be Maggie,” I said. “It has to be. She’s the only one over there who would know my cell phone number.”

So why hadn’t she called? Or left a better message?

Fear consumed me as I jumped to my feet. “I need to go. I need to go!”

“Jace, calm down,” Caleb said as he grabbed my arms. “Take a breath and just talk to me. Tell me what needs to happen.”

“Have to get back to Dalton’s. Find a flight…”

“Okay, how do I come with you? I don’t have a passport.”

“Caleb…”

“Jace, just answer the damn question. And don’t tell me no, because I need to come with you. I know Mav can do shit like make up fake passports because I’ve seen it, so you must know someone!”