Callum: Trillionaire Shifter Club Book Four

CALLUM

Trillionaire
Shifter Club: Book Four

Rosette
Bolter

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CHAPTER ONE

He had promised her the world. Yet,
she’d been left with nothing…

Less than
nothing.

Weeks ago it
happened. She’d stopped counting the days by now. Stopped checking her phone
for messages. Stopped whispering his name under her breath. She couldn’t bear
it now. It had been so long she wasn’t even sure it happened.

“It probably
didn’t,” Ava said sullenly, pushing the trolley of boxes. “I probably made it
all up. In my stupid little head.”

This wasn’t
exactly turning out to be a good day for Ava.

She currently
worked as a floor supervisor inside a dress factory, a job that seemed less
distinguished every year that went by. She and four of the other supervisors
took orders from the factory manager, who in turn reported to the company
director, who then – well, it just kept going on and on. Everyone was stressed
out. Especially at this time of year.

Tonight Ava
was working by herself, cleaning up after the day’s crew who had all been let
out at five pm. It was now six thirty and Ava could see that there was at least
another three hours worth of work for her to get through, unless she wanted to
come back here and finish it on the weekend, which she definitely didn’t want
to do.

Outside, as
the sun fell behind the clouds and a dense winter’s chill gripped the city, Ava
envisaged the crowds of people swarming the streets. Everyone was dressed up,
out and about. With their friends and families. A couple of Ava’s friends had
wanted her to join in for the new year’s celebration, but Ava somewhat
selfishly declined. She’d thought that by being out there with everyone and
seeing how happy they were, that it would remind her of how she’d felt when she
met him. And how it was over so quickly.

No.

No, being
here in this maze of tables and piles upon piles of clothes, this was where she
belonged tonight. She didn’t deserve happiness. She didn’t even deserve the
memory of it. Perhaps when it passed, so would her pain. And that name would
never leave her lips again.

There was one
thing, however.

One thing
that could pull Ava out of the sandpit she’d created for herself.

And that very
thing, just so happened to be…

Right around
the corner…

CHAPTER TWO

“I found him.”

Ava’s whole
body stiffened and she stopped wheeling the trolley. She didn’t turn at first,
unsure if the voice had come from her own mind.

“I found your
boy, Callum. I know where he is.”

Now she
turned.

Standing
twenty feet away, dressed up to perfection, was her best friend Ruby Wittrock.
Grinning cheekily.

“What are you
doing here?” Ava asked, ignoring Ruby’s statement. “How did you get in?”

“The front’s
still open,” Ruby replied. “You must have forgotten to lock up.”

“Someone
forgot,” Ava muttered. She left her trolley and walked over. “So you’re here to
break me out then?”

“That’s what
I do,” Ruby beamed. “That’s what friends are for.”

“Yeah, yeah,
yeah.”

Ava felt her
eyes twitch. She wondered if Ruby was going to say his name again.

Or if Ava
would have to mention it first.

“So?”

“So, I found
him,” Ruby repeated. “I found Callum.”

“How? Where?”

“It’s a long
story,” Ruby said. “But we sort of have to get going now. If you want to see
him tonight that is.”

Ava shook her
head.

“What are you
thinking?” Ruby asked.

“I’m
thinking, ‘Would you lie to me about this?’”

“And what did
you come up with?”

“I don’t
know. Probably.”

“I’m not
lying,” Ruby insisted. “Why would I lie? You know I’ve been saying you just
have to get over him and find someone else. Why would I try and … bring him up
again?”

“Well, you’re
not really painting a clear picture for me,” Ava said. “You should expand a
little I think if you want me to go anywhere.”

“Okay,” Ruby
sighed. “Well, let’s just say Kirsten and I got the three of us passes to one
of the elitist parties in town tonight. And Callum’s apparently going to be
there.”

“Is it … at
the –”

“No,” Ruby
said firmly. “Somewhere else this time.”

Ava
hesitated. She could see the excitement in her friend’s eyes, and she appreciated
that it was New Year’s Eve and there was a crazy and wild Ava inside who wanted
to be let out…

But still…

No.

“What’s that
look for?” Ruby asked. “I thought you’d be super pumped for this.”

“What’s going
to happen?” Ava muttered. “So what if he is there? Am I just going to … let him
do his thing for me again? And then what? Spend another seven weeks wondering
if I’m ever going to hear from him again.”

Ruby frowned.

“That’s not
to mention, he’ll probably have a date with him there. How am I supposed to feel
then? Am I just … going to have to stand there through it all … and watch them
together?”

“Shit,” Ruby
muttered. “Jesus. Shit…”

“Yeah.”

“I just –
you’ve never been that way about a guy before. I thought maybe there was more
to it with him not calling you or whatever. I thought you guys could work it
out.”

“I was a
fucking one night stand and that’s all.”

Ava could
feel the tears coming. Hot and bubbling and bursting out and around everywhere
–

She turned
and went back to her trolley.

“Ava,” Ruby
called after her. “I feel terrible now. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s
alright. Go and have a good time. I have a lot of work to keep me company
anyway.”

“Just you
wait. Just you wait right here. I’m coming back for you.”

And by the
time Ava turned around again, her friend was gone.

Without a
trace.

“Callum…” she
whispered to herself, and wiped her cheek.

 
CHAPTER
THREE

“Ava,” Callum whispered under his
breath. “Ava, my darling, my precious…”

And it was as
if they were there again. Together, as they once met.

Him at one
side of the table. Her at the other.

The glasses
between them. The reflecting lights changing colors.

From blue to
purple.

Purple to
pink.

Pink to blue.

The noise in
the background remained just that. He held her gaze and she did not look away.

“Please don’t
do that,” she said.

“Do what?”

“Make fun of
my name.”

“I wasn’t
making fun of it,” Callum said. “I was just seeing how it sounded.”

“Well, now
you know.”

Callum
smiled. “I’m sorry. Your defenses are up. They needn’t be. I have no intention
of creating any awkwardness between us. You have no obligation to show interest
in me either.”

“Well that’s
a relief,” Ava replied sarcastically.

“I don’t
think it’s a huge deal for either of us really,” Callum said. “You’ve been
paired up with strangers before, I’m sure. Some you liked, some you didn’t. All
that really matters though is that you have a lovely evening. I won’t get in
the way of that.”

Ava
swallowed. Her newfound companion was proving to have a rather peculiar way of
speaking. If he wasn’t so damn good looking, her defenses would be disarmed.

At present,
they remained.

“Do you come
here often? To meet new people?” she asked.

“No,” Callum
replied. “This is my first time here.”

“But … you’re
one of them, right?”

“One of who?”

She
hesitated. “The shifters.”

“Oh yes,”
Callum said. “I’m a wolf actually. Which mightn’t have the best reputation in
certain areas –”

“Are you a
trillionaire as well then?”

“On that
note, I will disappoint you. Yes. In truth, I think there are only a handful of
those ‘trillionaire’ shifters. Naming the club as they have unfairly raises the
bar for the rest of us.” He paused. “On the other hand, to a woman who
delegates her in interest by the virtue of a person’s networth, I am hardly put
out by the notion of disappointing her.”

He leaned
forward. “You’re not one of those, are you, Ava?”

“No,” she
said.

“And what
brings you here tonight, then?”

“My friend
Ruby. She’s going through a shifter phase. I personally don’t see what the big
deal is though. I’m sure shifters can be just as big of assholes as regular
men.”

“I won’t deny
that,” Callum grinned.

“So why now
then?” Ava pressed. “If you haven’t been here before, why are you here now?”

“Why is
anyone?” he replied. “Recent breakup. Thought she was the one and all that.”

“How recent?”

“Three days.”

“Well, don’t
you think you should take some space? Instead of using someone here as a
rebound?”

“I’m not
using anyone,” Callum stated. “I have no interest in flings or casual sex. I
believe only in the finest, purest of loves, and I believe no one is complete
until they find it.”

“But what
about –?”

“She’s
already wasted enough of my life,” Callum interrupted. “I won’t have her waste
anymore.”

His eyes
moved past Ava as two figures approached from behind.

She glanced
over her shoulder.

“Good evening
Ms. Armadale, Mr. Ren,” a young man greeted them. “My name’s Declan, and I’m
overseeing things here tonight. Sorry we weren’t able to speak sooner, there’s
just so many people.”

“I was told
Bane was in charge of things here these days,” Callum replied.

“Oh, I’m
sorry, forgive me,” Declan gushed. “Of course, Bane is in charge of things.
He’s upstairs if you need to speak with him. I’m just overseeing couples in
this area, which is strictly a dating zone. So … can our waiter offer you more
champagne?”

“Yes please,”
Callum said.

The waiter
refilled their glasses.

“How is my
friend getting on?” Ava asked Declan. “Do you know?”

“That’s … Ms.
Wittrock? Yes, she’s … oh yes, she’s mingling with a few of our guests over
there.”

Ava stood up
to check.

Ruby was
surrounded by an array of suitors.

“If anything
happens to her, you report to me at once,” Ava said. “And… Don’t let her go
home with any of them.”

“I’ll do my
best to keep you up to speed,” Declan said. “Now would you like anything else?”

“Yes,” Callum
replied. “Some privacy.”

“Well, we
have many varieties of suites and bedrooms, if that is –”

“I just meant
from you,” Callum said.

“Oh,” Declan
exclaimed. “Of course, of course. Back to it then.”

He bowed his
head and moved away.

Ava took
another look at Ruby. She seemed fine for now.

“How is this
going then?” Callum asked.

She turned
back to him. “Excuse me?”

“How are we
doing?”

“Fine,” she
said picking up her glass. She sipped it.

“So are you
enjoying my company so far? Or are you just pretending to because you don’t
want to hurt my feelings?”

Ava put down
the glass slowly.

As he said
these words to her, she felt something move in the air. A pathway opened. A
door was unlocked. She was looking at him now, not as just another stranger in
the room, but as the true man he had revealed to her. An honest, caring, and
kind individual.

It was the
first time all night she’d been truly afraid.

Of losing the
moment.

“I’m not
pretending,” Ava said. “Are you?”