Capturing Callie by Avery Gale Read Free Book Online Page B

she’d quietly added, “Well, you know, I’ve been there and I know how hard it is…and I’d like to help someone else like Kat and Jenna helped me.”
    By the time he returned to the bathroom, Jace had sutured two of the deepest lacerations and gotten Callie changed into a clean shirt. Jace told him that he’d used topical anesthetic on her hand but didn’t want to give her anything orally until she’d eaten. “Callie, tell Master Ian when you last ate.” Jace was in Dom-mode, so Ian already knew he wasn’t going to like the answer.
    “Um…well, I didn’t exactly say when, Master Jace.” Her eyes darted between the two of them, and Ian felt his muscles tense. “What I said was that I didn’t remember. That’s not as bad…not really, because it could mean I just have a poor memory.” Ian took a couple of deep breaths and counted to ten—twice. This was a real hot-point for him, and Jace knew it. When he crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow, she quickly looked at the floor. “Okay, okay, don’t have a stroke. I ate a package of ramen noodles for lunch yesterday. It’s not payday yet and I…well, I’m out of money, okay?”
    Ian was seeing red—literally. He wanted to put his fist through the wall because she was living in a hole-in-the wall apartment, in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city, with no heat or hot water, and she was not eating because she couldn’t afford it while her sister was happily accepting help she didn’t need. He wasn’t prepared to tell Callie everything he knew about her “sister dearest” just yet, so he was going to have to temper his response.
    “Come along, pet. We’re going to get some decent food in you so you can take some pain medication, which you are no doubt going to need very soon. Then I’m going to start a tally of all the swats you have coming as soon as you are feeling a bit more settled.” When he saw her apprehension, he gave her a mock glare before looking at Jace and asking, “Do we have any poster board? Perhaps some of that butcher’s paper that comes on a long roll? I have a feeling I’m going to need a large piece of paper for this tally.” Her giggle was probably the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard, and he was glad his words had hit their mark and lightened the mood a bit.

Chapter 7
     
    Callie had been relieved when Ian and Jace had backed away from their previously intense moods. Ian had seemed to relax more and more with each bite she’d eaten, and truthfully, she’d eaten more than she’d wanted just because it had seemed to make him so happy. They had denied her any more wine, citing the medication they intended to give her, but she knew they were worried she’d have another meltdown as well. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, I know better than to drink. It always sends me ass over teakettle. I’m going to have to keep my wits about me if I’m going to get this story and survive this next month with my heart intact.
    As soon as she had eaten, Jace stepped forward and handed her a small glass of juice and a couple of painkillers, and she didn’t hesitate to down them both because her hand was really starting to throb. It was only after she’d swallowed the pills that she’d noticed both men facing her with stern expressions. “What?”
    Jace surprised her by pulling her roughly to her feet and then giving her a sharp slap on the ass. “Watch your tone, sweetness. You are already racking up more punishment points than you can pay off comfortably in a month. Personally I think Master Ian should renegotiate and keep you until you are even up—hell, he’d get to keep you forever. Now, why on earth would you take two pills from a man you barely know without so much as even inquiring as to what they contained?”
    Callie was surprised by his suddenly stern demeanor and stuttered her answer. “Well, I mean, you said you were going to give me a painkiller, right? That’s what I took, right? That was like