Free Capturing Callie by Avery Gale

had never received any of the money or even known what their mom had done.”
    Mitch could tell that Ian was seeing red already, and he knew his friend was going to like the rest of the story even less. Ian asked, “Do you know who these men are?”
    “Yes. You aren’t going to fucking believe this, one of them is the son of a prominent US Senator and is currently being heavily vetted for a prestigious appointment within the State Department.” Mitch looked at both men and just waited. Grant Westmore was the only son of John and Nanette Westmore. They were definitely one of Washington’s power couples. John Westmore was well known for his ability to “tie up loose ends” and word on the street was that anyone who managed to get in his way was likely to mysteriously disappear.
    It was Jace who responded first. “Fucking Grant Westmore? That little weasel has been put on a pedestal so high he probably gets nosebleeds. How much danger is Callie in?” Ian and Mitch both shook their heads. Leave it to Jace to sum everything up in three sentences and capture the entire essence of the situation.
    Mitch wasn’t about to hedge. He laid it all out. “Well, you know the kind of clout Nan Westmore’s family yields. Hell, her father was one of the most corrupt senators this country has ever elected, and his connections to organized crime are legendary. But it’s Senator Westmore who concerns me the most. He has been known to refer to his son’s rape of a young woman five years younger than he was as his ‘son’s wild night with the local slut.’ And it seems he’s been on a campaign to smear Callie for some time. He’s leaving nothing to chance, he has made sure no one in the hotel industry will hire her despite the fact she was top in her class and the reports from her internship practically glow in the fucking dark. The old bastard has essentially blackballed her career, making her a victim yet again. Oh, and Grant’s partner in crime died in a very strange automobile accident less than a year ago. No witnesses, brake failure, convenient timing, you get the idea.”
    Waiting a few seconds for the information to sink in, Mitch watched as Ian McGregor clenched and unclenched his fists in a show of frustration that Mitch had rarely seen, despite having worked with the man on several very demanding projects. Mitch continued, “The amazing thing is—despite the fact she seems to know what’s happening to her career-wise, she has a remarkable work ethic and record. She is genuinely well liked by all of her coworkers, even though most of them wish she’d stand up for herself with her boss. Seems the ass hat takes great pleasure in bullying her. Personally I think he’s on the good senator’s payroll. Too bad whoever owns that rag doesn’t can his happy ass.” He looked up at Ian and grinned. Oh yeah, my friend, I’m betting the dick-twit, as Rissa would say, will be out within the hour.
    “Honestly, I’m worried she’s going to be the victim of a random mugging gone bad in that nasty-assed neighborhood where she lives. Christ, guys, have you seen the squalor she’s been living in? And that sister of hers is a real piece of work, too. She isn’t and never has been a student at any university in the United States, and if my math is correct, she’s taken in excess of thirty thousand dollars from her sister in the past several years in assistance for her fictional college education, prom dresses, etc. Just FYI, Alex and Zach said they are setting up a lottery drawing to see which of us gets to go kick her ass.”
    Ian and Jace hadn’t said much up to this point, but Ian finally said, “Tell them Jace already won that opportunity. He’ll be heading out in a couple of weeks. If I wasn’t worried about how heartbroken Callie would be if anything happened to her sister, we’d just let Senator Westmore’s goons have at her because I’m sure that she’s on his list as well.” Mitch knew exactly what Ian had