by Avery Gale
Cam had tried unsuccessfully to convince his friend that getting himself into trouble wasn’t going to help, but Carl had been beyond the point where he would listen to reason. Cam still remembered the wild look in Carl’s eyes as he’d vowed he would “take care of it”. And take care of it he had. The Headmaster was beaten so badly late that night he’d resigned and left the school the next morning. The two men who had pressed their obese bodies against Cam’s as they handcuffed him to the large rings set in the rock walls of the subbasement had suffered similar fates. All three men had been gone before noon the next day. None had identified their attacker, convinced of the promises of further retribution if they talked to anyone about what had happened.
Carl had never admitted being responsible, but there had never been any doubt in Cam’s mind who had evened the score for him. He’d spent the last two weeks of that school term in the infirmary battling a series of infections. Most of the time he’d been too delirious with fever to complete the schoolwork his teachers had delivered each afternoon, and the nurses always marveled that despite the fact he was so ill, Cam’s work had always been completed by the next morning. Most days Cameron hadn’t even remembered Carl sneaking into his room and working all night to complete both sets of homework, but his friend’s handwriting had been unmistakable. He would have been forced to repeat his freshman year if it hadn’t been for Carl Phillips’ unwavering friendship.
Realizing he’d been lost in his memories, Cam smiled, “I’m sorry, pet, I was thinking back to our freshman year. I was even more stubborn then if you can imagine that.” Her smile warmed his heart as he went on to tell her some of the antics he been involved in and how those had been handled by the staff at St. Andrew’s. Between Cam and Carl, they’d remembered so many stories he’d found himself laughing right along with her when she’d shaken her head and said she hoped their daughter didn’t inherit her father’s lack of respect for authority. But she’d shed several tears when they’d told her about the caning that had landed him in the school’s infirmary.
“We didn’t see each other during that first summer, but when we returned to school in September our friendship was even stronger than it had been when we’d parted the previous June,” Cameron paused because this was the point of the story when everything changed. One touch had changed both of their lives forever.
When Cam felt like his throat was closing, Carl continued the story. “CeCe, things had already started to change at the end of our freshman year. Cam doesn’t remember a lot from those last two weeks because the fever he battled often made him so delirious he barely knew his own name. He’s forgotten so much of that time, but it really never mattered because after we came back as sophomores our relationship changed very quickly.”
Cameron watched as understanding dawned in Cecelia’s dark eyes. He hadn’t even known he was holding his breath until he realized her expression was one of compassion, not condemnation. He saw her reach for Carl’s hand at the same time she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “You two had a physical relationship, didn’t you? Is that what you have been so worried about telling me?” When Cam nodded, she shook her head indicating his worry had been unnecessary. “I don’t know whether to tell you how hot the idea is or to pout because you thought I’d condemn you.”
Carl leaned his head back and laughed out loud before pulling her hand up to press kisses against her knuckles. “You are absolutely enchanting, CeCe. It’s no wonder Tobi and Gracie speak so highly of you.” She blushed a deep crimson as he pulled her forward, kissing her chastely on the lips. “Your reaction doesn’t particularly surprise me though, hell, I don’t know you well enough to know what to expect, but you intrigue me. I’ll admit I also feel like a giant cement block has been lifted from my chest, and I’m sure Cam is going to say the same thing once he finds his tongue again.” Carl’s words seemed to kick Cam’s brain back into gear and he pulled his beautiful wife in for a plundering kiss that was meant as a promise as much as it was an expression of gratitude. Her unconditional love and acceptance were gifts straight from heaven, and he promised himself he’d make sure she knew just how grateful he was.
Cam didn’t pull back from her lips until his brain was screaming for oxygen. Once he’d finally caught his breath, he said, “You never cease to amaze me, pet. Your capacity for love and understanding are most likely going to get you nominated for sainthood one day.” When she laughed he nodded once before setting her on her feet. “I need to make a couple of phone calls and then we need to head to the airport. We aren’t flying commercial, but that doesn’t mean I want to keep the pilot waiting. Your luggage is already onboard the jet, love, so all you need to do is head back to the locker room and dress. Carl will accompany you.” When she looked surprised, he smiled, “Let’s not forget we’re dealing with a security issue and you will not be out of sight until we’re convinced you are no longer in danger. I agree that Dark Desires should be a safe haven for you, but I’m not willing to bet your life on it.” He knew she had changed in the smaller staff lounge rather than the larger locker room members used, but that still didn’t mean she would be safe from harm if someone really was intent on hurting her.
As soon as he was alone, Cam braced his hands along the edge of his desk, and tried to calm his racing heart. She knew. She knew the truth and she hadn’t called him a freak or a pervert like the school officials and his parents had done. His parents had allowed him to stay in their home long enough for him to join the military and ship out. The night before he left for boot camp was the last time he’d slept under their roof. In fact, he hadn’t seen either of them personally in years. They’d sent their regrets when he and Cecelia had gotten married, and they had conveniently been out of the country when Chloe was born.
Picking up the phone, Cam called Fischer asking him to make the appropriate arrangements to move Lara into the penthouse and gave the man a head’s up about the harassment she’d endured at the employment agency. He could have sworn he’d heard the man growl. Fischer assured him they would make sure she was moved in immediately and that he’d address the issue of transparency with her. Cam wasn’t surprised to hear that his second in command and his brother would both be accompanying her. His team had deliberately put the word out that he and Cecelia would be enjoying an extended vacation and their daughter was in the care of family members. Anyone doing even a minimal amount of research would discover Cam’s favorite escape, and that was exactly what they were hoping for.
Cam had known Fischer was interested in the young woman he’d hired, but he’d said he needed to wait for his brother to arrive before acting on it. One night after the club closed, he and Fischer had shared a few drinks and Cam had confessed his envy of Fischer’s gift. His friend had rotated his bottle of Utopia in slow circles making a design in the condensation that reminded Cam of a game he’d had as a kid, but he couldn’t remember the name.
“Spirograph,” Fischer’s tone hadn’t been mocking, but it was easy to read his expression. “See? It isn’t just about hearing what people are thinking, often the biggest challenge is not completing their sentences for them or answering the questions floating around in their minds. And the quickest way to scare off a woman is to let her know you can hear her thoughts.” Cam had been stunned as the truth of Fischer’s words sank in. He had never considered how difficult life might be when you could hear what people were thinking, he’d only seen the advantages. After that night, he’d had a sincere appreciation for how challenging working at Dark Desires had to have been for the man he’d grown to respect and considered more of a friend than an employee.
Remembering Fischer explaining his grandmother’s prediction that the right woman’s thoughts wouldn’t be an open door, Cam couldn’t help but wonder if Lara was the one. Now that he thought back, Fischer had always taken a keen interest in the beautiful young sub. He’d warned off several Doms who had expressed an interest in her even though he’d never topped her himself that Cam was aware of. The fact F
ischer had waited for Peter, and they were both going to be spending time with her, made Cam smile. I hope it works out, even if it costs me a nanny. Fischer deserves the happiness I’ve found with Cecelia.
His second call was to his contact on the island. Juan answered on the first ring and Cam had to hold back his chuckle. He’d discovered that one of the unseen perks of having money was that people tended to answer your phone calls—God he hated voice mail and swore it had been invented by Satan himself. Fuck me, I’m starting to sound like my dad. His father’s hatred for all things electronic had earned the old man many eye rolls from those around him—behind his back of course because crossing the man who signed the checks wasn’t ever smart. Makes me wonder how many times I’ve been on the receiving end of those same looks of impatience.
Chapter Nine
“Juan, is everything in order?” No need for preliminaries and he needed to wrap this up before Cecelia and Carl returned.
“Señor Barnes, good to hear from you. We will have everything ready to show Dr. Barnes, no worries. The sisters are very excited to meet her, they have been researching on the internet—they have all gotten smartphones now, so they are always researching everything. Mother Mary and baby Jesus, they are making Father Joseph crazy with this.”
“Juan, while I appreciate Father Joseph’s problem, that isn’t why I called. I just needed to know if you would have everything ready for Cecelia’s tour. I want her to see the potential, but she needs to know how much you need her as well.” Cam understood what he was requesting would require a delicate balancing act, and Juan really didn’t know his wife well even though they had met a few times, but he hoped the man could pull this off.
The casual tone was gone from the man’s tone when he replied, “Señor Barnes, we need your wife’s skills as a surgeon more than I can begin to tell you. There are three young children at the clinic as we speak who might one day be able to walk if they had the proper treatment. But our doctor is old, he does what he can but he doesn’t have your wife’s expertise,” Juan paused but Cam knew he wasn’t finished, so he simply waited, “One of those children is my niece, Mr. Barnes. I assure you I will do everything I can to convince your wife that her skills are needed. We will be ready, sir. Our children—they are our future. I promise you we will be ready.”
He heard Juan take a calming breath before he added, “And Mr. Barnes, this is a small island, everyone knows there are men working on your home.” Juan paused and Cam could practically feel the local leader searching for the right words. “Your wife will be safe here, sir. No strangers will be on the island that I do not know about. We look out for our own.”
Cam felt as if the final weight had been lifted from his chest, knowing the people on the island would be watching out for Cecelia was a huge relief. In his experience, small communities were often the safest simply because strangers stood out so quickly, so knowing the locals would be on the alert would amp up their security exponentially. “Thank you, Juan. I can’t tell you how pleased I am. We’ll see you in three days.” Disconnecting the call, Cam looked around his office and smiled. His plan had taken a big hit when the threats to his family started, but he was starting to wonder if the Universe hadn’t thrown him that curve in order to bring Carl back into his life. In the end it didn’t matter, his first responsibility was his family. Their physical safety and comfort, as well as their emotional wellbeing, were all that mattered.
*****
CeCe looked at Cam as they entered the elevator in what had to be the most opulent looking building she’d ever seen. She hadn’t recognized the name on the front, but considering her husband’s former life, it probably wouldn’t have mattered if she had. One of the things she’d learned was when it came to Cameron’s former life, very little was what it first seemed. She couldn’t help but wonder who had provided them a place to stay for the first couple of days. The man who’d met them at the door hadn’t given any indication who had arranged things, he’d merely asked for their identification. When he was finally convinced they were in fact the contacts he was supposed to meet, he’d escorted them to the elevator and upstairs.
Looking out of the glass backed elevator, CeCe wondered how secure it was even if the view was spectacular. “Dr. Barnes, I can practically hear that brilliant mind of yours whirling with questions. But first of all, let me explain the windows which are showcasing one of the most beautiful views in the city are in fact bulletproof one-way mirrors. The glass is specially treated to hide heat signatures as well. In the case of an attempted security breach, this elevator automatically descends into a subbasement safe room. The only place on earth you might be safer would be Fort Knox, but I wouldn’t bet on that.”
She didn’t even ask how he’d known she was thinking about the glass, he was obviously some sort of well-trained security expert and God knew that was certainly not her area of expertise. She simply smiled and nodded, “Thank you. I was curious and I appreciate your explanation.” As they exited the elevator, she noticed Cam and Carl worked together effortlessly to position themselves at her sides just as they had done since the three of them had left Dark Desires together hours earlier. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until she glanced at her watch.
“Pet, I know you are exhausted, but you really need to eat something before you rest.” Cam was looking at her, his concern for her wellbeing was one of the things she loved the most about their lifestyle. CeCe knew his words had been spoken with love, but they were still a command so she simply nodded.
Since she didn’t know the man leading them down the hall she was careful to keep her whispered, “Yes, Master,” quiet enough only the two men at her sides could have heard her. As soon as they entered the condo, the smell of food washed over her and her stomach growled in response. “Oh my God in heaven, is that lasagna I smell? And garlic bread?” This time all three men laughed. “Because if it is, somebody is racking up points like a champ.” When she rounded the corner and saw Tobi West across the room, she screamed and ran straight into her friend’s open arms. CeCe wasn’t sure why she was crying—whether it was fatigue or hunger, but she was thrilled to see her friend nonetheless.
“Hey, why the tears, girlfriend? Oh hell, you don’t think I cooked this do you? Because I assure you I did not, and I can prove it.” CeCe pulled back and looked at Tobi in question. “Seriously, did you see fire trucks outside?” CeCe had forgotten about all the harrowing tales she’d heard about Tobi’s culinary attempts, and just as quickly her tears were replaced by a bout of giggles.
Behind her she heard Kyle West’s voice, “It always amazes me how quickly women can switch gears, it is truly remarkable. And I heard your curse word, kitten. That will cost you five later.” CeCe didn’t know Kyle well, but the gleam of mischief in his eye told her Tobi had nothing to fear from his promised punishment. Turning to CeCe, he smiled warmly, “We’re glad you are here. Your Master felt you might enjoy having a companion and since none of the well-behaved submissives were available, I brought Tobi.” His grin told her he was teasing his spirited wife and CeCe couldn’t hold back her laugh.
“Hey! Don’t laugh at him, it only encourages him to be snarly.” When he growled something to her about additional punishment, she grinned, “Promises, promises…all the time with the promises.” When he swatted her soundly on her curvy ass, she yelped and then turned into his arms and stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss against his lips. The love between them was easy to see and CeCe wondered if their ménage relationship suffered when Tobi traveled with just one of her husbands. Tobi turned back to her and grinned, “Come on, we need to feed you so you can rest a bit before we go shopping.”
CeCe knew she had to look as confused as she felt when Kyle laughed, “Our lovely wife isn’t always good about explaining herself very well, my brother and I tease her about speaking in shorthand. And it’s one of the many reasons it takes two of us to keep up with her. The security team didn’t want to have you out on the busy streets in broad
daylight—that would draw more attention than we are interested in at this point.” At this point? What does that mean? Are they planning to draw attention at some point in the future? Cecelia’s mind was racing with questions when she suddenly realized Kyle had stopped speaking.
Looking around she realized she was now sitting on a sofa with Tobi at her side. Her friend’s arm was wrapped around her shoulders and Carl was kneeling in front of her holding her hands in his. She felt shudders moving through her and had no idea what had happened. “Sweetness, look at me.” When she focused on his face she hated the concern she saw reflected in his blue eyes. “You back with us now?” She nodded and he pulled her to her feet, “Let’s get you fed and rested before we finish this conversation.” Walking toward a large table that was already set, he whispered against her ear, “Remember that you don’t have to go out later if you don’t want to, Cam and I will be perfectly happy to keep you entertained here.”
CeCe appreciated his attempt to break the ice—damn her little “checking out” moment had sure thrown a bucket of ice water on her reunion with her friend. But to her credit, Tobi seemed concerned, but not overly worried. “Come on, girlfriend, I worked my fingers to the bone on this meal.” When several of the men surrounding them laughed, Tobi’s mock outrage helped CeCe relax after the tension that had pervaded the group moments earlier. “What? Do you know how many different restaurants I had to call to find just what you all wanted—and one that would deliver since none of you wanted to give up your keys? I was definitely having a George Jetson moment, I’m telling you for sure.” CeCe burst out laughing—God she loved Tobi. The woman’s ability to lighten a moment was something to behold and their mutual friend, Gracie, swore it had saved them both more times than she could count.