Chapter 61: Allies.

CALEB The next morning, Brielle basically ran out of the house after making breakfast. Something about an important class to attend. I didn't feel like going out, so I stayed in my home office, going over files and emails Jessica had left for me. It'd been an hour and I was so absorbed in my work that I didn't notice Kyle walk into the office. 'Hey." He said quietly. I looked up from my desktop, and motioned for him to sit. 'Feeling okay? Nice of you to just waltz in here." I said, a playful glint in my voice. 'Feeling a lot better to say the least. And what's so strange about me coming in here?" He looked around my office, nodding. 'Brielle told me Uncle Kelly contacted you. What was it about?" He leaned forward, gazing at me. My fingers stopped in their frantic movement on the keyboard. Shit. Brielle was beside me when I got the notification of the meeting invite, and I didn't think it was a problem because she was basically my sister, but I didn't think she'd be so quick to tell Kyle. My fingers resumed their periodic tapping as I composed my thoughts. 'Nothing too special. Just a simple quest. You know how Uncle Kelly can be. He's retiring too." I added, watching his expression. His eyebrows gave his thoughts away so quickly. 'That's absurd." He said, stroking his chin. 'I know right?" 'Who's gonna take over everything then? Has he decided?' He looked a bit flustered. 'He said he's gonna organize some sort of challenge or test to decide. Our five cousins were there, including Harry. They all asked about you." He snorted. 'Oh please. Spare me the details." I laughed. Kyle didn't get along very well with them. In fact, he didn't get along well with anyone. Those who did get along with him, had one or two things to complain about. He was a handful. 'Just saying. And Uncle Kelly would like it if you came." My smile turned into a smirk. 'Of course. Who am I to miss it?" I and Kyle spoke for a little while longer, and I felt a bit relieved. I felt I should have told him about the scroll, but that would have to wait. The eeriness that had surrounded Kyle was gone now, replaced by a warmer, more Kyle-ish aura. ********** 'I'll be returning to Henley next week. Make arrangements." I said to Jessica over the phone. I had finally decided to go to the office. It seemed everyone missed me, even Margaret. She hugged me for what seemed like hours, before letting go and giving me a knowing look. The look was so sharp I had to shake my head twice to get rid of the image. 'What is it?" I asked when I couldn't take it anymore. 'You know what it is. You vanish for weeks and return unannounced, keeping that stoic face. What's going on Caleb?" I snorted. 'There's no woman, Margaret. Get a rest." I said, smiling past her. She humped loudly, stomping her feet across the halls. This woman. I nestled into my office, getting ready for the day. Business proposals, designs, spams, invitation letters, all kinds of documents were sprawled around my desk. I took a deep breath and got to work, making calls, signing agreements, and trashing proposals that didn't look feasible enough. This was what I loved. Getting absorbed in work. Around 1pm, I left the office for a lunch break with Kyle at The Casa Hub. 'Can you believe her? Women can be so ridiculous." He said, looking out the window of my car as I drove. 'Don't be so hard on her. She feared for the safety of herself and her children." I remarked. Julia returned the night before, with their two children, begging. Kyle wasn't at home when she came, so Brielle took her in. He wasn't happy with the development. 'So, what do you want to do now?" 'I don't know, take them back. How would you have felt in that situation?" I wasn't an expert on relationships, but I really felt like he needed to give the woman a break. 'Please. I'm still mad at her." He said, and I laughed, turning back to focus on the road. I glanced outside, vibing silently to the music blaring through the speakers. Just then, I spotted a familiar silhouette walking a little too quickly. 'Eyes on the road, Caleb." Kyle said, placing his hands on the dashboard. We had approached a red light, and traffic was building up. I braked, and glanced back to the silhouette. Tall, brown hair, pale blue eyes. She was walking briskly at first, then moved to half running. I looked behind her. There were three men in hoodies, marching effortlessly with her pace. She was in heels, and she could fall anytime. Something grabbed my chest and squeezed hard. Why did I feel like helping this woman? The light had turned yellow, and the cars began to hum in anticipation. I glanced back at her. 'Fuck it…." I said, shortly before dashing out of the car. 'Caleb! The fuck are you going?" I heard Kyle call as I left the passenger's door. I didn't even look back. I placed myself between her and the three men, following her pace slowly. She was breathing erratically, which meant she knew what was going on, and was scared as hell. I recognized her frame, I just couldn't place my hands on where I had met her. The men began to walk faster as she inched closer to a more crowded area. I walked faster too. The woman glanced back, looking over me and directly at the three men. Rookie mistake. They were now aware that she knew they were behind her, and started walking even faster, weaving through the increasing crowd. I caught up to the woman, holding her by the shoulder and pulling her close. I immediately whispered, 'Relax. I'm not here to hurt you. There are three men following you, am I right?" Her tense muscles relaxed, and I looked down at her arm. She had a knife with her. Smart, but not effective. 'Yes. How did you know?" She asked as we crossed the street. 'You're walking incredibly fast, it's Wednesday afternoon." She shrugged. 'Fair enough. So what do you want? And how am I sure you're not with them?" I scanned the surroundings. They were still behind us, so I told her to play along, and placed my fingers in hers. 'Stop walking so fast." I said, looking up at her face. She glanced up at me at the same time, and I suddenly felt so stupid. Ain't no fucking way. 'Cynthia?"