If anyone could convince her, she had no doubt that it would be Griffin. And as he hooked his legs over hers, Cami let go of her past insecurities. Griffin's touch was a soothing balm to her battered soul. All she had to do was trust him.
It seemed like such an easy thing to allow, but there was still a small part of her that wanted to remain aloof and untouched.
Chapter 19
The dawn came faster than Griffin would have liked and his heart sank as he rolled out of the bed, leaving Cami to continue sleeping alone.
Leaving was the last thing he wanted to do, but there were things he needed to get done before he could leave for Breaker's Point. He'd lain awake for hours after Cami had finally drifted off to sleep, his mind going back and forth as he remembered everything she had told him.
She needed someone who could protect her, someone she could rely on, and Griffin knew that because of everything that had happened with Black Special, the money they owed Elijah Scott, and Steve’s, he wasn't in a position to properly give her everything she needed.
Everything she deserved.
Griffin pushed up from the bed and grabbed his clothes, hastily tugging them on as silently as he could. If he woke her now she would have too many questions for him, and he wouldn't have the answers.
She was fragile. She pretended to be tough, to be strong, and in some ways Cami was the strongest person he'd ever met. Facing her stepfather the way she had and her fierce loyalty and protection of Sophie was all admirable. She needed someone as strong as she was, and Griffin knew there was only one thing he could do to prove himself to her.
He crept from the room and headed down the stairs. In the kitchen he found a scrap of paper to write on, and left a note telling Cami he would be back later requesting that she pack. She would need to be ready with Sophie when he returned.
The urge to go back up the stairs and climb into bed next to Cami was practically overwhelming, and it took all of his strength just to open the door and leave.
Sitting in the car, he stared up at the house and gripped the steering wheel. No matter what happened, he would come back for her. He'd made a promise and he intended to keep it.
There had been a time when Griffin's word meant nothing at all. But there was something about Cami that made him want to be a better man, made him want to stand up and be counted. And he would be that guy, but first he needed to secure their future.
* * *
Griffin parked the car outside the motel Spike was staying in and killed the engine.
From where he sat he could still see the lights on in his bandmate's room, and his heart sank.
Riley had been right: Spike would never change; he would simply continue to drag them all down with him. Black Special would be nothing but a laughing stock, and Griffin wanted no part in it anymore.
He couldn't sit around and watch the band he'd poured his heart and soul into destroy itself because one man couldn't find the will to give up his addictions and for once think of others instead of himself.
Pulling the keys from the ignition, Griffin climbed from the car and made his way towards the room where Spike was staying. The low, heavy beat of music thrummed against Griffin's body as he moved closer to the door.
He'd been friends with Spike for a long time, and in many ways the success Black Special had managed to achieve had been the worst possible thing for Spike.
Griffin reached the door and banged his fist against the centre of it, the sound swallowed by the heavy bass of the music Spike was playing in the room.
Without waiting for Spike to answer, Griffin tried the door handle and was relieved to find it swing open without issue. The thought of standing outside his bandmate's door half the morning as he waited for him to hear the knocking wasn't exactly high on Griffin's agenda.
Spike stood with his back to the door, his body pinning a woman against the wall, and Griffin cringed as he realised her hands were stuck down the front of Spike's tight jeans.
Griffin wrinkled his nose as he stepped into the room and headed straight for the iPod that sat connected to a set of speakers in the corner. The room smelled of sex and sweat, and Griffin's eyes burned as the smoke from the weed Spike had been smoking hit him squarely in the face.
Slamming his thumb over the pause button, Griffin folded his arms across his chest and he waited for Spike to realise the difference in the noise levels.
Griffin's stomach turned as the wet sounds of Spike's make-out session assaulted his ears and he cleared his throat in an attempt to draw his attention.
Max stumbled out of the bathroom; his drunken hands fumbling as he tried to tuck himself back into his jeans might have been funny at one point, but Griffin was no longer in the mood.
"Hey, what the hell happened to the music…" Max said, his voice a slurred mess as he tripped over his own feet and sprawled face down across Spike's bed.
Griffin cringed as Leslie, the woman who'd thrown herself at him in the bar, followed Max out of the bathroom, her already too short dress hiked up around her waist.
Spike groaned and punched the wall, his body visibly shuddering as he continued to jerk against the woman at the wall.
"Spike!" Griffin shouted. He'd already seen far too much, and he contemplated storming from the room and leaving them all to pick up the pieces of what he intended to do.
Spike shot him a look over his shoulder and grinned, his eyes a little too bright and wide, and Griffin knew without a doubt that whatever Spike was taking wasn't the same as everyone else in the room.
"Griffin, I didn't think you'd gotten my message after what happened with Elijah Scott. We were just having a little send-off for Steve." His voice was hoarse as he pulled away from the brunette, ripping her hands from the front of his trousers.
She stumbled and moaned, her frustration at being dismissed evident on her face as she made a grab at Spike once more. He knocked her arms aside and she tumbled to the floor, her knees buckling beneath her as she slid down against the wall.
"That's not why I'm here," Griffin said, his voice low and serious as he kept his gaze firmly trained on Spike.
"Evidently, you're way too sober for all of this. Let me get you a drink and then…"
Griffin cut him off with a wave of his hand, his disgust for his bandmates making what had been a difficult decision now so much easier.
"I'm not interested, Spike. We spoke about the drinking and the drugs already. For Christ's sake, Max just got out of rehab! Before the tour started, he was clean and sober, but five minutes in your company and he's back to this…" Griffin gestured to Max on the bed, the sound of his snoring filling the small motel room.
"Pull the stick out of your ass, Griffin. You're not exactly all high and mighty yourself. You've got your issues too, so don't come here passing judgement on the rest of us," Spike said, his voice filled with anger as he grabbed a packet of cigarettes from the dresser and jammed one into his mouth before pulling a lighter from his pocket.
"That's part of the reason I'm here. I wanted you to know before it hits the headlines. I'm done with the band. It's all yours. I won't look for any sort of compensation for any work I've done."
Spike's mouth dropped open and Griffin knew he'd caught him completely by surprise. Leaving the band was definitely the last thing Spike had expected of him, and Griffin couldn't help but feel a little bit of satisfaction knowing he wasn't as predictable as Spike had always thought him to be.
"This is that bitch's doing, isn't it? She turned you against us, your brothers. She must be really good in bed; proper little whore, I bet."
Anger bubbled in Griffin's veins as Spike's words hit home. He knew it was just anger speaking, that Spike was upset and lashing out in the only way he knew how, but Griffin would have given anything to cross the room and punch his lights out for talking about Cami like that.
"I'm not done," Griffin said, his voice betraying the effort it took to keep his calm.
"What else can you possibly tell me tha
t I would want to hear right now?" Spike asked, narrowing his eyes as he studied Griffin.
"I'm going to the cops." Griffin let out a long breath; the relief was a cathartic experience and his body felt suddenly lighter.
"To the cops? About what?" The colour slowly drained from Spike’s face.
"About everything that happened with Steve and what I know about the situation. I'm starting over, Spike, and I won't have that hanging over my head. There's too much at stake for me to take that risk anymore."
"You're crazy, they'll arrest you."
Griffin shook his head. "They won't. I've already spoken to my lawyer; he's confident that with my full cooperation over everything I know about Elijah Scott, a deal can be struck with the DA."
"And what does Camille think of all of this? Because she's as much a part of it as you and me." There was an edge in Spike’s voice as he said her name.
"You leave Cami out of this. What happened that night was our fault, not hers."
"The cops won't see it like that. And what about me, Griffin? What do you think the cops will do when they hear the part I played in all of this, what I did to hide the body."
"Spike, you're more than welcome to come with me and tell your side of the story. If you get out ahead of it like I am then they won't touch you. They'll go after Elijah, the one who caused this mess."
Spike turned away and Griffin watched as he lifted his fists to his face, the tension evidence in his shoulders all Griffin needed to know about how Spike was feeling over the situation.
"You think that because her stepfather was a bad dude that the cops will just let her off the hook? She's not like you, Griffin. She doesn't have a fancy lawyer to argue in her corner and get her out of Dodge."
Griffin stiffened as Spike's words sank in. It wasn't possible; how the hell could he have found out about Cami's stepfather? Griffin was fairly certain that he was the only one who knew the truth. Cami wouldn't have lied to him about something so important.
"How the hell do you know about her stepfather?" Griffin asked, his hands curling into fists by his sides as he watched Spike turn back towards him.
The grin on his bandmate's face was almost enough to make Griffin lunge across the room to wipe off his smug expression.
"You're not the only one with contacts, Griffin, and, well, as soon as Steve's body turned up and we had this secret we needed to keep, I had her checked out. The pieces were pretty easy to put together. She didn't look like the type to just kidnap a little kid for no real reason."
Griffin shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"What, so you could feel sorry for her and start acting all chivalrous, just like you are now? No, thank you. It was something I thought was best kept hidden. And anyway, I can't imagine she'd have been too thrilled if I'd blabbed to you. It might have made her want to run again."
Griffin knew Spike was probably right. There was no way Cami would have felt safe and secure if she thought for a second that Spike had checked into her past. She'd be pretty pissed if she even knew that Stuart had discovered her secret, and Griffin couldn't blame her.
It was her tale to tell, and only if she wanted to. Having her hand forced by people who couldn't keep their noses out of her business wasn't a pleasant thought.
"And I do all of this for you, and this is how you repay me?" Spike asked, the bitterness returning to his tone.
"I told you that you're more than welcome to come with me if you want. The cops are closing in, and it'll only be a matter of time before they find something that'll land us in hot water, instead of Elijah and his gang."
Spike shook his head and took a long drag on the cigarette he held, which by now was almost burned out.
"I can't, Griffin. I can't take that risk."
Griffin nodded and started towards the door. "I'm sorry it ended up this way, Spike. I'll do my best to keep your name out of it, but I wanted you to know what my plan was…"
"What are you going to tell them about the body?"
Griffin shrugged his shoulders. "The only thing I can tell them is the truth. I don't know where it is, so there’s not much I can say about that."
"So you're not going to tell them about me?" Spike asked, his face a mask of confusion.
"I told you that I'll try and keep your name out of it, but I'm not going to make any promises. I'd much prefer if you came with me, and we can put all of this behind us once and for all. Are you really prepared to live your life constantly looking over your shoulder?"
Spike shrugged. "What can I say, Griffin? I guess I'm just not like you. I don't hang my friends out to dry."
"I'm sorry you see it that way," Griffin said as he stepped out through the door. "Good luck, Spike. I really hope it all works out the way you want it to."
"Fuck you!" Spike shouted after him, and Griffin ducked as a heavy glass bottle came sailing past his head. It hit the ground with a crash, glass splintering across the ground in every direction.
Griffin didn't look back as he made his way down to the car. There was no point and, besides, he could feel Spike's rage-filled gaze boring holes into his back. Turning around would only confirm his suspicions, and Griffin didn't need it.
He could understand a part of Spike's anger. There was no doubting the fact that he was taking it as a betrayal of their friendship, but Griffin had no other choice but to do it. He wasn't Spike, and he certainly wasn't prepared to live his life waiting for the cops to inevitably catch up to him. A life like that wasn't a life worth living. And as far as Griffin was concerned, for the first time in a long time he now had a reason to really start living. And that reason was Cami.
Chapter 20
Cami couldn't stop a wide smile from creeping across her face as she stared into the closet. Not even twenty-four hours had passed since she had been doing exactly the same thing, but her feelings were much different now.
She felt lighter than she had in a very long time, which she knew was because she'd finally told Griffin the truth. It had felt right to let him in on the secrets she'd kept buried inside for so long.
The sound of the doorbell made her pause, her breath catching in the back of her throat as she waited for it to ring again. Griffin was back sooner than she'd expected; his note had made it sound as though he wouldn't return for her until later that evening.
Cami jumped as the ringing echoed through the house once more, and she dumped the pile of T-shirts she'd been carrying onto the bed before heading for the stairs.
Pulling open the front door, her heart came to a shuddering halt as Spike grinned at her before pushing his way inside. He shoved past Cami, ramming her against the wall. She winced as her back slammed into the corner of the hallway table.
She followed him further into the house, leaving the door open behind them. Cami had no intentions of letting him stay for very long.
"It's cute. Much cosier than I expected from you," Spike said, his words little more than a sneer as his eyes slid around the room before coming back to settle on Cami.
The moment his gaze found her, Cami wished he would resume looking around the room. His eyes raked over her from head to toe, leaving her blood frozen like ice in her veins.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Not very polite, now are we? I thought I'd have at least gotten an offer of a drink. After all, you offered the last member of Black Special who visited you much more than just some lousy alcohol."
Cami gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists by her sides.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I want you out of my house."
Spike grinned and dropped onto the couch, spreading his wiry form out to take up as much space as possible.
"You and I need to have a little chat, come to a mutually beneficial deal."
Cami stared at him as though he'd just grown a second head. There had to be some sort of mistake; why the hell would Spike be offering her a deal of any sort? It just didn't make any sense.
/>
"I don't know what you mean," Cami said, lowering her voice in an attempt to appear calmer than she really was.
"Of course you do. The cops are sniffing around asking all sorts of questions and you're a liability."
"I've said I won't say anything, and I mean it. The last thing I want or need is the cops poking their noses into my life."
Spike grinned at her mockingly.
"Oh I know all about you and your little secret. You see, Griffin came to see me this morning."
Spike's words left a bitter taste in the back of Cami's throat and her eyes widened as she tried to absorb what he was saying.
"That's not possible," she said, her voice hoarse with emotion.
She'd never have believed that Griffin would betray her, and yet here was Spike, sitting on her couch and claiming to know the truth.
"You don't need to worry. Your precious little Griffin didn't tell me about your little problem with your stepfather. He was just as surprised as you are when he found out that I knew. You see, Camille, I didn't trust you. I didn't believe that you would keep your mouth shut."
"I gave you my word," Cami said, her voice growing choked with the tears that gathered at the back of her throat.
"But I don't know you, and your word means nothing to me. So I did a little digging. I had to know that you wouldn't renege on the deal, and so I found out about your past…"
"What has that got to do with anything that’s happening now?" Cami struggled to push back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of Spike. He was an asshole, and she'd dealt with far worse in her life than some lowlife like him.
"Griffin is going to the cops and he's going to tell them everything. He thinks he's on some sort of crusade to save you. That you'll live happily ever after if he can just clear up this mess."
Breaker's Point Bad Boy Billionaires Boxset Page 47