WHISPERS IN THE DARK

Chapter Eighteen

"Hurry up, Callie! We're going to be late!" Naomi's voice echoes through the hallway as she rushes past my bedroom. With only four days left before her wedding, she's become quite the bridezilla.

I step out of my room and head towards the front door, where Naomi, Steph, Leigh, Ryan, and Cole are waiting for me. "Ready to go riding?" Steph asks, her smile wide as Naomi eagerly ushers us out.

"Why are we heading towards Mal's house?" I ask, noticing our direction.

"Because he has a barn full of horses we can ride," Naomi replies with a wink, linking her arm with mine. Great, I think as we approach the farmhouse.

We walk through the barn and stop at the gate leading to the indoor arena. I spot Mal cantering around the arena on the beautiful grey horse he was petting the other day. "That's our mother's horse. Only Maliki and she can ride her; she'd throw anyone else," he chuckles as we watch Mal stop beside Marcus.

Mal dismounts and walks over to us. "The horses are tacked up and ready. Warm up in here, then we can take them out into the woods," he says, pointing to the far corner where more horses await with stable hands.

I approach a large, dark brown horse. "Hello, handsome," I whisper, running my hand down his face. "This is De-Ville," the stable hand says with a smile. I repeat the name and then mount the horse.

We start with a walk around the arena while Mal explains the plan to the others. "Good boy," I whisper to De-Ville as we transition to a trot. Soon, we're cantering around the arena, a smile plastered on my face.

Growing up, I took riding lessons and competed in show jumping before giving it up after meeting Callan. I'm jolted from my thoughts when Naomi canters up beside me. "Ready to go?" she asks, nodding towards the rest of the group making their way out of the arena.

I nod and bring De-Ville back to a walk, joining the group as we head into the woods. After a few hours of riding and chasing each other through fields, we return. It's around lunchtime, and I'm starving. "I can't wait to eat," Naomi groans as she trots beside me.

As the red barns come into view, I shout, "Last one to the barn has to untack all the horses!" and gallop towards it. "Hey, that's cheating!" I hear Leigh and Steph yell as the sound of hooves follows.

"Coles it!" Ryan laughs as we hand the horses back to the stable hands. We laugh and walk out of the barn. "Lunch is at my place today," Mal tells me as I pass the path to his house.

I stop and turn to him. "Thanks, but I have other plans," I smile before heading towards my car.

After a quick shower and change, I grab my phone and gun before jumping into my car. My father questioned why I didn't want a driver, but I just wanted to drive myself.

Thirty minutes later, I park in the lot of a dingy diner off the motorway. The door chimes as I enter and spot the person I'm meeting. I order a coffee and make my way to their table.

"Callie, it's been too long. I've missed you," they say as I take a seat.

I smile before the waitress arrives with our coffee. We order cheeseburgers and fries, which the waitress says will be ready soon.

"He knows," I groan, resting my head on the table. "How bad did he take it?"

"Terrible," I reply, sitting back up as the waitress brings our food.

I pick at my fries and say, "There's been nothing since we locked Luca up. And with Dom and Callan in hiding, I think we should go back to business as usual and regroup if anything happens."

They nod in agreement.

We finish our meal in silence, say our goodbyes, and head outside. "Callie," my friend calls as I'm about to leave. I turn back. "You know I'll always back you 100 percent. Maybe he's just someone who doesn't know how to trust you."