Now that she wasn’t distracted, Callie could finally take a moment to admire the scene before her. The deep colors of maroon and cream complemented each other well. And though all the ladies looked marvelous in each of their cream-colored gowns, nothing took away from how radiant Millicent looked in her maroon one.Guards stood at every door, some were sanctioned, while most were personal guards of some of the high-profile guests in attendance—Raleigh and Soren included.Callie and Vin made their way to the happy couple to tell them about Callie’s performance, just in time for the wait staff to come in and clear the plates.Millicent met Callie’s gaze and the bride’s face was aglow with expectation. She crossed the room, her arm around her husband’s.“Callie, dearest,” the bride greeted, expression obvious that she was waiting for a positive response. “Have you decided to sing for us?”Callie offered a small smile, trying to contain her nerves. “I have. I hope one song would be alrigh

“Be sure to visit us again, Callie,” said Millie while giving Callie one of her fiercest hugs. “You have my number now, so if you need anything—anything at all, just give me a call, alright?”“Of course,” replied Callie. “I wish you and Wyatt only happy days to come. And hopefully to see you again soon.”With a final kiss on her cheek, Millie finally let her go reluctantly. The woman turned to her husband and embraced him before stepping back into the hotel lobby.“Are you ready to go?” asked Vin after he’d closed the trunk of the car. “We have a long way to travel today.”Vin opened the door for her, and Callie got in with a grateful smile. He circled the front and once he was inside, Callie asked, “Are we going home today?”There it was again.Home.There was something about the way Callie referred to Vin’s home as hers as well. His chest swelled with emotion as he reached over Callie’s body to buckle her seatbelt, then his own.“We have one more stop, Songbird,” he replied with a s

As the final notes of Callie’s song faded, she caught Vin’s eyes in the rearview mirror.“What?” Callie asked, careful not to wake the little one. “What?” she repeated with a quiet giggle when Vin merely smiled at her, no words spoken. His eyes though, betrayed his actions because they shone with curiosity.“Nothing, Songbird,” he replied smoothly. “I am merely in awe once again of your voice. I’m happy.”Callie’s cheeks bloomed with pink at the compliment. She doubted she would ever get used to Vin doling out compliments like that.“I think I owe you more than just a couple of songs now,” Callie replied bashfully. “Would you care to listen to one more?”She wouldn’t lie. Singing at Millie’s wedding reception brought her confidence back. Though she was not in perfect shape, she was pleased still with how her voice sounded and she knew that with a few more hours of practice, she’d be able to go back to the way she was.Callie graced Vin with another performance albeit a quieter one, an

As requested, Callie talked to Vin about moving to somewhere smaller and quieter for the next night, and it took a while to convince him to say yes.There was heavy planning involved. Vin had specifically chosen each of the hotels they stayed at for security reasons. He needed somewhere that he could count on the security for him and Callie. Picking a smaller hotel, with little security didn’t sit right with him.But after multiple requests from Callie, Vin finally relented albeit reluctantly.He tried to make arrangements as best as he could, but he still felt uneasy without at least Raleigh or Soren with them.“We’ll leave this afternoon. It should give us enough time to arrive and get settled in before nightfall,” said Vin as they all shared a lovely lunch.Callie beamed at him.“Thank you! It means a lot to me, Vin. It means a lot to both of us.”She turned her eyes to Liam, smiling excitedly when he returned her enthusiasm and thanked Vin as well.“You both play by my rules, alri

Vin’s hand immediately went to his holster, cursing when he felt nothing. He’d left his gun at the hotel, not expecting anything like this to happen.He stalked toward the car, Callie’s assailants too busy with her to notice him, and just in time for her to kick one of them to the ground.“Good girl,” he said under his breath. “Keep struggling.”Callie fell to the ground hard, surprised, but she kept yelling for Vin, begging him to come save her.“I’ve got you songbird. I’m coming.”Vin swooped in with a finesse that only he could muster, knocking out the man who held onto Callie’s arms, with one strike to the neck.The crime lord yanked the man’s gun from him, thankful that it was equipped with a silencer.He didn’t think twice, just shot the man Callie had downed. One bullet shot clean through each leg.“Fuck!” the man yelled, screaming in pain, bleeding all over the dirty concrete. “Who the fuck are you? The fuck? Leave us alone!”Vin stooped to his level, grabbing the man by his h