86|Remnants Of His Past—Part 1

Austin didn't have business calls to make like he'd told Marybeth. He simply wanted to sit in the silence of his living room and compartmentalise his feelings over his confrontation with Willem.

Marybeth said it had hurt her to see him like that, being berated by the bastard like he was some damn child. She'd never know how much sitting still and taking the old fool's abuse had destroyed his soul. It took all his self-control to not pull out his gun and shoot the bastard dead. But he'd promised to humble himself and take whatever irrational rants were thrown at him because the last thing he wanted was for her to see him at his absolute worst—

His phone rang on the coffee table, breaking through his rage-filled thoughts. But he was so emotionally exhausted he couldn't bring himself to pick it up.

When it rang for the second time in the space of a few seconds, he figured it had to be important, so he reluctantly answered.

He was glad he did when he heard Rawlings on the other end. "I ma