by Cheri Marie
Idiot.
My radio interrupts the silence with blaring rudeness, startling me back to the present. I listen as the dispatcher calls out that a drunken brawl has been reported near my location and I respond that I have the call. Turning on my red and blues, I place my car in drive and proceed to do my job.
Chapter 5
Camryn
After running into Owen again, the rest of the day seemed to go by so slowly, but I’m finally off work. I make my way to the locker room to change into something more comfortable than my work clothes. My mind is going a million miles an hour as I replay my encounter with Owen over and over again. So many things I’ve wanted to say to him since the day I left, but I can’t bring myself to tell him now. I need to clear my head. I need to be able to focus on figuring out MacKenzie’s case. Sliding into the driver's seat of my car, I make my way towards the only place that helps me calm down and refocus.
The sun is starting to set as I pull into the park on the waterfront. A couple of families are scattered throughout the play area as I quietly make my way over to the edge of the water and take a seat on the seawall. I close my eyes for a few minutes, listening to the waves crash against the rocks below my feet. The steady flow of the waves drowns out the sound of everything else around me, allowing me to just be. I sigh, taking in a deep breath of the ocean air and let myself relax as I imagine all the stress of the day being washed out to sea with the waves.
When I open my eyes, I pick up my phone and hit the little email icon. Scrolling through the folders in my email, I come to the one that’s labeled ‘O’. Every single email that Owen has sent me over the last nine years sits in that folder. Scrolling all the way to the first email he sent, I read each one from the beginning. In every email, he’s begging me to reach out and let him know I’m okay, but I never did. Because I knew that just a simple reply to say ‘I’m okay’ wouldn’t be enough for him. And with the risk of being distracted, then and even now, I can’t let him back in, I won’t.
I can’t stop the tears. They dam up quickly and overflow to run down my cheeks to soak my shirt. It’s been a long time since I just let myself cry, to feel. I sit there on the wall, letting the tears flow until the sun finally sets on the horizon. I close out of my emails, sticking my phone in my pocket and get to my feet.
On my way home, I think about the future. I can’t have a future unless I solve the past. I can only think of one way to do that. I’ve run out of options, and finding the information on Donnely’s gang has finally given me a break, a break I have been looking for nonstop for almost nine years. I have some work to do. I know what I need to do, I just need to find the right person to help me do it.
Pulling onto my street, I see Devon’s car parked outside my building. Devon. ‘Why didn’t I think of him in the first place?’ He knows everyone that comes into Skylines; he could tell me if any of Donnely’s gang hangs out there. Hurriedly, I make my way out of my car and into my building.
Throwing open the door to my apartment, eager to speak to Devon about a plan I have, I find myself staring at a half-naked Remi engulfed in Devon’s arms.
“Fuck! Cam!” Remington quickly pulls away from Devon and grabs a throw pillow from the couch to awkwardly cover herself.
“Oh! Remi, I’m so sorry!” I turn my back to the two of them so they can get decent.
“It’s a good thing you didn’t come barging in any later… you would have seen more than you could handle.” Devon laughs.
“Devon. I’m so sorry, but I am glad you’re here. I need you.”
“I needed him, but you put a stop to that real quick.”
“You can turn around now, Cam. What did you need me for?”
I turn around to face the now clothed couple. I’m sure my face is revealing how embarrassed I am. I do my best to wipe the vision of my best friend leaning over her boyfriend in a very obvious position of him about to receive a blow job. Wringing my hands in front of me, I clear my throat, trying to decide how to approach what I want to ask Devon to do.
“So, uhm, you know pretty much everyone that comes into the club, right?”
“Pretty much, why?”
“I… I need you to introduce me to Donnely’s right-hand man. The guy that deals with all the business.”
“What? No, absolutely not!”
“Devon, please. I think they have my sister… at the very least they know what happened to her.”
“Do you know what they will do to me if I introduce you and they find out that you’re a fucking FBI agent?”
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t a dire situation. Mac has been missing for over eight years and this is the first and only break I’ve been able to find in her case.” I choke back the tears that threaten. “Please?”
Devon looks at Remington then back to me. “Fuck.” Sighing heavily, he gives in. “Fine, come to the club Friday night. Richy is guaranteed to be there. I’ll point him out to you but then you’re on your own. That’s the best I can do, even that is putting me at risk.”
“Thank you, Devon.” I run over to him and give him a hug. “You won’t regret this. I promise.”
Chapter 6
Owen
The past week has been a bitch. How I managed to get the weekend off, I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell not going to question it. When I sign off my shift on Friday morning, I’ll be set for a three-day weekend.
I call Grant to see if he would like to get a couple of beers later tonight to discuss a case we’re both working on. Grant Malone is older and he’s more like a mentor to me, but he’s been a big help to me since I came to Sunnyville. Not only has he shown me the ropes of being a beat cop, he’s also helping me with trying out for detective.
Arriving at Skylines a little early, I find a corner booth so Grant and I can talk with a little bit of privacy. I ask the waitress for a beer and sit back to glance around the bar. I had heard that some of Donnely’s gang had started hanging out here.
My eyes roam over the patrons, not really recognizing anyone, then I see her. In the far corner with none other than Murphy O’Hare stands Camryn. She is dressed in leather pants that leaves nothing to the imagination, and an off the shoulder blouse that shows more cleavage than what should be legal. Watching her lean up against O’Hare, I have a feeling rise up in me that I haven’t felt in a long time. I can’t tell if it is anger or jealousy, but whichever it is, I don’t like it.
Before I can stand up from my booth, Grant arrives, and just in time.
“Whoa, boy. Where are you headed in such a tizzy?” Grant follows my eyes over to where Camryn stands in the corner.
“Is that her?”
“Yeah, that’s Cam.”
Grant knows about my relationship with Camryn, or rather, lack thereof. He also knows that I’ve been searching for her for a long time. When I called him earlier to ask him to meet me, I had told him that it was in regards to a lost cause. With that, he knew I was referring to Camryn.
The waitress shows up with my beer and Grant orders one for himself.
“Don’t go getting yourself all riled up, O. Just sit back and watch for a bit. Let’s see what she’s up to.”
“But she’s with O’Hare.”
“What do you think she’s up to? You know her...or rather, you knew her.”
“I have no fucking clue, but if she’s with them, it can’t be good.”
“So, about the informant we have in with the gang, is this going to be a problem?”
“Shit. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I just saw her here tonight. I can’t have her blow this case for us. We’ve worked too damn hard to get this far.” I take a big swig of my beer, finishing it off and waving to the waitress for another.
“But you also can’t go barging over there demanding she come with you and start a fight with O’Hare because you know that shit is not going to end well either. Just keep your cool and wait for an opportunity to present itself.”
“You’re right,” I admit, throwi
ng back my beer and chugging down half of it.
“I’ll tell you what, if you can control yourself, I’ll put you on stakeout here. Undercover, of course.” Grant takes a swig of his beer before continuing. “You have to give me a few days to get the paperwork in order, but I think this will work out for us.”
“Yes, of course. Work out for us in what way?” I’m not sure where he is headed with this.
“Well, with our contact in the gang, and you keeping an eye on your girlfriend over there...” He nods his head in Cam’s directions. “I think we can finally get ahead on this case.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
“Good, like I said, give me a few days to get things in order. I’ll let you know when it’s good to go. O, this is not something to get emotionally involved in. This is a case, nothing more. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Yes, Grant, I understand. It’s always been a case to me,” I lie.
“I have to get home. I’ll talk to you soon.” He looks back over at Camryn in the corner with O’Hare and another member of Donnely’s gang. “I’d advise you to drink up and head home yourself before you get into more trouble than you can handle.”
“On my way out after this beer.” I salute him with my beer before chugging half of it down.
After Grant leaves, I finish my beer and start to head out, but as the waitress walks by, I decide to order one more round.
“What can I get you, sweetheart? Another beer?” The waitress asks with a flirty smile.
“No, I think I’ll have a shot of tequila this round, babe.” I smile back at her and give her a wink.
“One shot of tequila coming up, hot stuff.” The waitress walks away with a little extra swing in her hips.
Settling back into the booth, I watch Camryn flirt and laugh with the men in the other corner. O’Hare’s hands roaming up and down her thighs like he owns her has my blood boiling. I have to talk myself down a few times from walking over there and knocking his block off. It doesn’t help matters that she acts like she’s really enjoying it. Maybe I don’t know her, maybe I never knew her.
The Camryn I knew would never act the way she’s acting. She’s shooting shots of something and seductively dancing up against Murphy O’Hare. Murphy is a big man. He stands over six feet and weighs at least two-thirty, two-fifty, maybe. He isn’t a man that’s hard to miss with his shock of bright red, curly hair that he wears back in a ponytail. He always has a woman around, but none of them are in Camryn’s league. Camryn is beyond beautiful. The women that O’Hare keeps around are usually drugged out on something.
I can’t watch any more of this. I wave the waitress over and pay my tab, leaving her a nice tip. Who knows, I may be able to use her for information later on. Always thinking like a cop.
I walk out of the bar with more questions than I had when I walked in. This is not going to be an easy case to work. But it’s one that I have to take, for Camryn’s sake.
Chapter 7
Camryn
“Barrett!” Director O’Leary’s voice booms through the office as she walks straight to my desk. “Barrett!”
“Yes, ma’am?” I stand as she approaches.
“Would you like to explain this?” she says, waiving a handful of papers in the air.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s my request for a leave of absence.” I stand straight but I feel like my knees are about to buckle underneath me.
“I see that. I’m asking you to explain it.” She waves her hand with the papers towards her office and I comply with her silent command.
Director O’Leary follows me into her office, slamming the door before waving for me to have a seat.
“What’s going on with you, Barrett?” She sits in her seat behind her desk.
“I just need some time off, Director.”
“For?”
“Personal reasons.” I fidget with one of the buttons on my blouse, keeping my eyes averted from her hard stare.
“Personal reasons? Are you sick?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Hmmm. You’re not sick. What else could be considered personal reasons, Camryn?”
“I just need some time, Director. I need to get my mind in order.” Which isn’t a complete lie.
“Your mind in order? Is this about your sister?”
“Yes, and no.” I look up at her, hoping she can see the hurt in my eyes. “I need to get things straightened out. All I can think about is Mac, and I can’t do my job effectively if I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing.”
The Director looks at me for a long minute before she sighs and lowers her head, throwing the papers on her desk. I sit there waiting for her to speak.
“All right, Camryn. You have your time off. Take as long as you need, but if I find out that you are going out on your own and delving into your sister’s case, I’ll give you a leave of absence that you won’t like. Follow me?”
“Yes, Director. Loud and clear.”
“Good. Pack up your stuff and head home. As of now, you’re on personal leave.”
“Thank you, Director.” I stand to leave her office.
“And Barrett?” I turn back to look at her. “Be careful and don’t get yourself killed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Go, before I change my mind.”
I walk out of her office and over to my desk to pack up my files.
I’ve spent just about every night for the last three weeks at Skylines, meeting up with several of Murphy O’Hare’s men. They think I’m a new chick in town looking to be a gang banger. I’ve fed them stories about how my old man used to be the head of a gang on the east coast, that is until he got caught trafficking guns, drugs, and girls. I know some things about how gangs work, and I knew that they would do some checking on my story. All I had to do was input some information in a few public databases that I knew they would most likely use to follow up on my information. Everything came back as being true, as far as they could tell, and I was in.
Trying to keep their hands off me is the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with so far. Richy’s meaty hands are disgusting. They’re always sweaty, and always pulling at me. As long as I can keep the flirting going, letting him paw at me, and keeping him half-drunk, I should be okay.
Richy is Murphy O’Hare’s right-hand man. If O’Hare needs something done, he has Richy do it. If O’Hare knows something, so does Richy. So, in my way of thinking, I can get closer to O’Hare by going through Richy.
Devon has agreed to supply the alcohol when I’m buying, but the men pay when they order. He’s been a big help to me. I’ll have to remind myself when this is all over to thank him with a night out on the town for him and Remington.
Glancing at myself in the bathroom mirror at the club, I tuck in my sleeveless tank, making sure to pull it down a little further in the front to show more cleavage. I turn to look at myself, liking what I see with the tight leather pants showing all my curves. I freshen up my dark burgundy lipstick and smudge my eyeliner just a little. I blow myself a kiss at the image in the mirror and head back out to the bar to do some more role-playing.
As I turn the corner and enter the hallway, I collide into what seems like a brick wall. Before I can register what has happened, I feel strong hands grabbing me by my shoulders to keep me from falling. Grateful for the catch, I look up to say sorry for the collision, and thank you for the catch. My eyes meet the all too familiar ones of the man that haunted my dreams for the past eight years. Owen’s eyes recognize mine at the same time and he lets go of my shoulders as if the touch of my skin burns him.
“Cammie.” The sound of Owen’s voice is raspy as he says my name.
“Owen, what are you doing here?”
He cocks a brow. “Last time I checked it was a public place. Besides, I could ask you the same.”
He takes notice of my outfit, and I can tell by the look on his face that he doesn’t care for it.
“Like you said, ‘it’s a public place’.”
&n
bsp; “Yeah. Well, if you’ll excuse me.” He looks towards the men’s bathroom.
“Sure. Nice running into you, O.” It comes out before I can stop it, but I realize that I mean it.
“See ya, Cam.” Owen murmurs and continues to the men’s room.
I take a last glance to where Owen disappeared through the doorway, then turn my attention back to the men in the usual corner of Skylines. I’m really not feeling this tonight. I start towards the door that leads out of the club but one of O’Hare’s men sees me before I make it out the door.
“Anya!”
Fuck. I thought I ditched him.
Chapter 8
Owen
It’s been weeks since I saw Camryn at Skylines. And fuck if she hadn’t run into me - literally. I’ve been trying everything in my power to find an address for her, but I’ve come up with nothing. That’s why when the Chief gave me and my partner the okay to go into Skylines undercover, I quickly jumped to it in hopes of running into her there again.
Doing my best to blend in with the crowd that hangs out at Skylines, I pull on a pair of white distressed jeans, black Timberlands, and a black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to my elbows.
Meeting my partner, Barden, at the bar, we make our way inside and find a spot where we can see the entire club. My eyes scan the crowd looking for any sign of Donnely’s gang and that's when I spot Richy Boese’, one of Donnely’s errand bitches, making out with a woman in VIP. I shake my head at her poor taste in men; she must be one of those women with daddy issues. I continue to scan the bar, waiting for Richy or any of the other guys that I’m sure are here to make a move.