“Why do Graysen and Camden do what he tells them?”
“Graysen’s always been his lapdog, but Camden… I don’t know why he’s listening now.”
“Hey, did Aiden ever tell you who was in that picture?”
“I don’t think so… hold on.” I hear rustling. “Yeah, shit. He text me last night. Says it’s John’s sister. You think she could have had something to do with it?”
I open my mouth to say no, but a quiet “Maybe” slips out. “I’m gonna call John and ask him about it,” I say. “Call you later? Maybe tonight. Oh, the time difference. What time is it there?”
“Almost six. I’ll be up a while.”
“Okay, I’ll call you later then.”
“Hayley,” Nick rasps before I can hang up. “Tell me you believe there’s a way out of this. I know it, but I need you to too.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “I want to.”
“I will get you out of this, okay? You trust me?”
“I trust you,” I breathe.
“See you soon then, baby.”
I hang up and wait a few seconds to calm down before dialing John.
“Hey, Hayley, this is a nice surprise. Everything okay? Colt and I stopped by, but Nora said Camden was showing you around California.”
“I broke into your office,” I say. “And I wanted to ask you about a picture I saw.”
“Ah… okay.” He laughs lightly. “Are kids supposed to tell on themselves?” When I don’t say anything he says, “So, what about this picture?”
“It was in your filing cabinet and… Aiden says the woman in the photo is your sister.”
John sighs. “That would be Maria.”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“It was… the day you were taken. We had lunch.” My stomach tightens at his words and there’s a beat of silence. “Do you… did seeing her bring back a memory?”
“Maybe. Not really. I don’t know.” I let out an aggravated sigh, mad that I can’t remember more than I do.
“Hey, it’s okay. That was a long time ago. Don’t push yourself.”
“I… it’s stupid, but I think the person who took me had red nails, and she had red nails in the photo, so I just thought…”
“That’s not stupid, honey. You’re not stupid. My sister wasn’t in my life much until I had money. She had a drug problem and ran with the wrong crowd. I couldn’t help her; my money couldn’t help her. I heard she died of a drug overdose about a year after you were stolen from us.”
Silence. I don’t know what to say. I’m awkward in situations like this. “I… that sucks.” I pull the phone away from my ear and cringe. That sucks? Really? I couldn’t have thought of anything better? I rack my brain and nope, “That sucks” is the only thing that comes to mind.
“We weren’t close, but it still hurt to lose her. I’ll contact the investigator and tell him, but I don’t know how helpful it’ll be since she’s not around to question.”
“Yeah, no worries. But I’m getting ready to head out,” I lie, afraid he’ll dig into the Camden situation or I’ll say something else insensitive.
“Okay, Hayley. Call me whenever you need to. I’m here.”
“Thanks.” I end the call, not entirely convinced his sister didn’t have something to do with me being taken, but I don’t plan on digging. I never was one to walk backward.
Chapter 32
After hours of searching the house, a thirty-minute phone call with Nick, and more hours of searching but ultimately finding nothing, I’m in bed reading the comments on the photo I posted earlier. So many posts claim I was able to tame the “bad boy” and we’re a perfect couple.
A message from Camden flashes across my screen telling me to come to his room, and I guess he realizes I have my phone. Not ready to give it up, I ignore him, but a few minutes later he sends another text, this one threatening to break my door down if I don’t listen.
I take my time, throwing sweats on over my sleep shorts and a hoodie over my shirt. I peek into the hall and can see his bedroom door is cracked, soft light spilling out. I creep toward his door and then count to a hundred slowly in my head because fuck him.
Placing my palm on the white door, I take a deep breath and push. “What the?” My eyes nearly pop out of my damn head, and my jaw drops.
Camden’s standing next to his bed, completely naked, with his cock down a girl’s throat. She’s on her knees and naked as well. He has her wavy brown hair in his hand as he slams in and out of her mouth.
His eyes meet mine and a slow smirk creeps over his face. “Have a seat on the chair, Anna.” The girl doesn’t stop what she’s doing even knowing they aren’t alone anymore.
“Why am I here?” I say, trying to sound bored.
“Anna,” he growls. “Don’t be a bad girl. I don’t want to punish you.” His gaze moves to the chair directly across from him. “Sit.”
“You’re fucking psycho, Camden.” I move over to the chair, pulling up my book app. I’m not going to watch him get his dick sucked. I see movement out of my periphery, and I hear and feel him moving closer, but I don’t look up. Maybe if I ignore him, he’ll leave me alone.
My phone is plucked from my fingers. I look up into angry blue eyes, and then notice the girl’s face and she turns and clears her throat. That’s creepy.
Brown hair.
Dark blue eyes.
Tan skin.
Pierced nose.
Petite.
At first glance, she looks almost identical to me. A slow smile pulls at her full lips as Camden walks back to her, and then she resumes her task like a hungry baby bird, not paying attention to me at all.
“You can go now, Anna.” I get up and head for the door, but he says, “To the closet. That’s where you’ll be sleeping from now on.”
I turn around and glare, keeping my eyes on his and not at what’s going on below. “You want me to sleep in your closet?”
“My closet or my bed. You pick.”
Shaking my head, I open the closet door. There’s a twin size air mattress set up with a pillow and blanket. I settle in, and it’s comfortable as long as I don’t move too much. A tiny bit of soft light seeps in through the bottom of the door.
I’m just drifting off when loud pornographic moans come from the other side of the door along with a rhythmic banging. Fucking Camden. Better her than me.
Chapter 33
“Over three million reactions already,” Camden says, walking into the kitchen where I’m eating an apple. “Looks like people are happy for us.” He takes a swig from the bottle of whiskey in his hand and then holds it out to me.
I shake my head. It’s not even noon. He’s been drinking all day every day since his dad left four days ago. A bang from the front of the house has our eyes locking for a second.
“Where the fuck is he?”
Aiden’s voice seems to come from every direction. He sounds pissed. He must have seen the engagement post Camden posted an hour ago. Aiden and Casey both tear into the kitchen looking angry as fuck. I hold my breath. This isn’t going to end well.
“Come to cong—”
Aiden swings, nailing Camden across the face. Camden stumbles back, laughing, blood dripping from his mouth. Aiden swings again and Camden falls to the floor, the glass bottle clanking against the tile but not breaking.
“You motherfucker! You piece of shit,” Aiden spits and then whirls around to face me. “Why didn’t you tell me? You think I wouldn’t take your side?”
“My side?” I ask and then my eyes widen. “Nick told you?” Anger, betrayal, relief, dread. So many emotions bombard me at once. I can see the same emotions on Aiden’s face. I almost feel guilty, but I had no choice. If he didn’t completely shut down at anything negative spoken of Nora, and I felt I could trust him to help without letting her know he knew, I would have told him.
I had no choice.
“Of course he fucking told me, Hayley. I wish you would have.”
I shift in the seat. “I couldn’t tell you. If you tell Nora you know, my—”
“I know you think she’ll hurt your dad or your sister, but I won’t let her. She’ll listen to me. I wish you would have trusted me.”
I don’t have anything to say to that. He’s letting his emotions control him instead of thinking logically. He refuses to see Nora for what she really is, and he’s going to cause one of my family members to suffer when he tells her he knows.
“Get the fuck out. You have five minutes,” Aiden snaps as Camden gets to his feet with the help of the kitchen island.
“That’s not up to you, Aiden,” Camden slurs.
Aiden looks at Casey and then they’re both moving, grabbing Camden, and hauling him out of the kitchen. I hear the front door slam and a second later Aiden and Casey are back. If they think they’re helping, they’re not. What they’re doing will have negative consequences for me. I just hope Camden’s too drunk to remember this.
“Are you okay?” Aiden asks, eyeing me. “Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine, Aiden,” I say, my tone flat.
“Keep the doors locked. Security’s been informed that Camden isn’t allowed inside. We’re going to the spa to talk to Mom. I’ll get this shit straightened out.”
“Okay,” I say, not really caring what he says because once he’s gone, his words leave with him. They don’t hold any real value or meaning. He’s going to make things worse with Nora. Camden will threaten my sister, I’ll tell security Camden is allowed inside, and things will go back to the way they were.
“Maybe she should come with us,” Casey says. “Nick didn’t want her here alone.”
“All the guards are back. She isn’t alone.” Aiden’s gaze slides to me. “Call Nick. He’s a fucking mess.”
I watch them leave, wait a few minutes, and then head out to the garage where Camden’s in his car asleep, the bottle of whiskey next to him. I pocket his keys. As much as I’d like him to fuck himself up in a car accident, I don’t want his drunk ass to hurt anyone else.
I move to the front of the house, and it doesn’t take long to find a security guard.
“Forget what Aiden said,” I tell him and his eyes narrow. “I’m in charge of the house until John returns, and Camden is allowed inside.”
“But—”
“I am Princess Anna Westling. Do you not take orders from me?” I say, trying to add authority to my voice, but I feel so drained. I have zero fight left in me.
He nods. “Yes, Miss Westling.”
“Good. You’re dismissed. Leave the property and tell any other guards to leave too.”
“Miss—”
I sigh. “Do you want to keep your job?”
He dips his chin. “Please, let me know when we should return.”
I watch him walk down to the edge of the property where a small security shack sits next to a row of black cars and then I head back inside and move upstairs. My phone’s under Camden’s mattress. It takes a minute to power on. I dial Nick’s number and wait.
“You okay?”
“You told Aiden,” I say with no emotion because I’m not mad at him. He’s done more for me in the past few weeks than most have done in my lifetime.
“What am I doing here, Hayley? I’m fucking useless.”
“My sist—”
“She’s busy with school. She won’t let me into her dorm. I’m at this fucking hotel all the damn time. You’ve given up, Hayley. Camden announced a fucking engagement! It was either get on a plane myself, or tell goddamn Aiden.”
“Telling him won’t make this any better,” I say, leaving Camden’s room and moving to mine.
“Maybe it will.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“I don’t know.” There’s a pause. “Can you talk to your dad? Maybe if he went to a safe place, Tilly would come back.”
“She won’t,” I say, knowing my sister would never do anything to put our father’s life in danger. “They’ll threaten his life no matter where he is and my sister will listen, and I’ll do the same to protect her life. Find me something on Nora or the Anderson family. That’s the only way out.”
“Fuck!” Nick curses.
“Come back,” I say, sinking onto my bed that I haven’t slept on since Camden set up the air mattress in his closet.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Tilly isn’t going to change her mind and she won’t let you help her. You’re right, you aren’t doing anything there.” He won’t be able to help me either but I’m a weak bitch right now and I need him. I’m selfish. I should tell him to fuck off. I should make him forget about me. Coming here will only hurt him more, especially when Aiden fails to convince Nora, and I marry Camden.
“I’m booking a ticket now.” His voice is distant, like I’m on speakerphone. “Looking for the earliest flight. Nothing for today. There we go. Got one leaving in the morning.”
“I’ll see you soon then. Gonna call Tilly and tell her. Thanks, Nick, for staying there as long as you did.”
“I’d do anything for you. I’ll get you out of this. See you soon.”
He hangs up and I dial my sister, but it goes straight to voicemail. She’s been avoiding my calls. I think she feels guilty about choosing Dad over me, and maybe I’m a little pissed off at her and hope she feels that way.
Chapter 34
Feeling groggy, I grab my phone to check the time. I slept for two hours. How the fuck could I even sleep after what happened today? I must be becoming immune to fucked-up shit. I’ve been sleeping hard for days when I never used to be able to sleep for more than a few hours at a time.
I head downstairs to the kitchen but the fridge is looking bare. When Nora left for the spa, the maids and chef left too. I should go grocery shopping.
I drain the last bit of orange juice and then make a cinnamon raisin bagel in the toaster. I’m spreading a generous amount of butter on it when the door slams.
Not caring and waiting for whoever the hell it is to make their way here, I drop down to a stool and take a bite of the warm, buttery bagel. I hear quick footsteps. Probably someone to bring bad news. It’s always bad news or threats which I guess are bad news. A manic laugh bubbles up my throat.
Aiden comes into view, face red and normally gelled hair hanging loose. “She’s saying you’re not Anna. She thinks she’s doing a good deed or some shit by sending a con to the Andersons. She thinks she’s getting one over on them. She is fucking nuts!” With his face twisted in anger, he tugs at his hair. “Pack your shit. We’re leaving. You can stay at our place. I’m done with her.”
He says he’s done with her, but he’s just mad. Aiden loves his mom, flaws and all. “I can’t leave,” I say.
“What do you mean you can’t leave?”
I wipe my buttery lips with a napkin. “First off, I didn’t tell you because Nora threatened my father if you found out, so thanks for letting her know you know. Second, until Nora or the Andersons say there isn’t a marriage, there is going to be a marriage. You can’t stop it.”
“You leave!” Aiden shouts. “Just fucking leave! Come stay with me.”
“Leaving changes nothing. My sister’s in England with Camden’s brother. Alexander threatened to break her fucking legs. What aren’t you understanding?”
Aiden’s nostrils flare but he doesn’t say anything.
I push away the plate with the bagel that I don’t have an appetite for anymore. “Just go, Aiden. There’s nothing you can do.”
He scoffs. “So, Nick was right, you’re giving up.”
“Blackmail is the only way. Do you have something I can use?”
Aiden glances at Casey and then they’re both moving toward me. I barely have enough time to scoot off the seat before Casey has my arms and Aiden wraps his arms around me from behind. I buck against Aiden as Casey zip-ties my wrists.
“What the fuck?!” I shriek.
“I’m sorry!” Aiden shouts. “You can’t stay here.”
>
As I’m lifted in the air, I jerk my head back, connecting with Aiden’s nose.
“Fuck!” he curses but doesn’t let go, so I do it again.
This time he drops me on my feet. I dart to the side, avoiding Casey’s arms.
Aiden holds his nose.
“Don’t you think I’ve been forced to do enough?” I growl. “You’d be like everyone else if you took me against my will.”
“I’m supposed to leave you here with Camden?” He wipes his nose but there’s no blood.
I clench my jaw. “It’s my choice.”
“This is fucked-up.” Aiden runs his fingers through his hair, gaze slicing to Casey who only shrugs with sad eyes.
“I hate the phrase ‘it is what it is’ but right now, it fits. Go home, go to school, take care of Liv, and if you can think of anything I can use on Nora, let me know.” I like that he cares about me, but he’s handling it the wrong way. I hold my wrists up in the air. “Unfucking tie me.”
Casey steps up, not looking me in the eye as he uses a small pocketknife to cut the plastic.
“I just got you back and now it feels like I’m losing you all over again,” Aiden says, his eyes tearing up.
“Nice to see everyone,” Camden slurs as he staggers past, his whiskey bottle grasped tightly in his hand. “Goodnight.”
Aiden and Casey look confused as they watch Camden sway back and forth, his feet dragging against the floor as he makes his way into the living room. I, on the other hand, am used to it. I doubt Camden even remembers Aiden hitting him.
“As you can see, Camden isn’t a threat to me,” I say, crossing my arms. “He’s been drunk out of his mind for days, barely even acknowledging me. So go. I know you guys have been doing a lot with Liv. Go take care of her.”
“Camden’s been doing the opposite of what Alexander wants for years. Why agree to marry Hayley?” Casey asks. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“I don’t know,” Aiden says absently. “Maybe he’s worried about getting cut off.” He shakes his head and takes a step toward me. “Come back with us. Camden won’t even notice you’re gone.”
Amorevolous: (Savage Princess book 2) Page 19