Camden's Redemption

by L. P. Dover

  “I don’t know if there’s anything I can do. All of the evidence is pointing to him. Once this goes to court, it’s out of my hands.”

  “How long do we have?”

  Mason got to his feet and shrugged. “I don’t know yet, it hasn’t been announced. But I’m heading back to California tomorrow. I wanted to make sure you got home safely before I left.”

  “Camden left, didn’t he?”

  “Yes,” he answered, glancing down at the ground.

  “When is he coming back? Or better yet, is he coming back?”

  Mason gave me his full attention. “He wants to come back. The only reason he left was to keep you safe. Surely you know that, right? He blames himself for what happened.”

  I would blame myself too if the situation was reversed. It still didn’t change the fact I wanted to be with him, to make sure he was okay. “What if this goes on for months, Mason? Or even years? Is he just going to up and leave me like this?”

  Releasing a heavy sigh, he knelt down beside me. “I know this isn’t what you want, B. Jameson loves you and it’s hard on him too. He thinks it’s for the best that you two stay apart until this is all over; even if it takes a long time.”

  “What gives him the right to make this decision without me?” Angrily, I shook my head. “I’m going to find him. As soon as I can get out of here, I’m flying to California.”

  “I’m sorry, but you won’t find him,” he said, getting to his feet.

  That infuriated me even more. I was trained by the best undercover detective in the country. He should know better than to tell me I couldn’t do something. “You wanna bet?” I snapped.

  “Look, I don’t like doing this to you, B. You’re not going to find him because I made sure he was untraceable; his phone, addresses . . . everything.” He may have taken away my chances of finding Camden, but one way or another I was going to figure it out. Mason opened the door and stopped, his gaze weary. “It’ll be over soon, kiddo. You two will see each other again. I promise.”

  As soon as he left, Jason and Gabe strolled back in. “You okay?” Jason asked.

  I flung the covers off my body and got to my feet. My side screamed in agony, but I had to get out of there. “No,” I replied. “Find the doctor for me. I’m ready to get the fuck out of here.”

  Two Weeks Later

  I HAD SO many phone calls, messages, and flowers during my healing period and never once did Camden check in on me. My parents did though, which was a shock. I didn’t think they would care, but they surprised me by calling every day. Maybe they were starting to come around, but it was too soon to tell. All I knew was, my heart broke more and more with each passing day.

  My wound was almost completely healed and I could finally breathe and move around without looking like an old woman. Mason wasn’t lying when he said he made Camden untraceable. I couldn’t find shit anywhere on him. Even the files I had on him were gone when I got home. It was as if Camden didn’t exist. Mason may be smart, but he wasn’t smart enough. I had another plan. The chances of it working were slim to none, but it was a chance I had to take.

  I was currently standing in the doorway of my house, waving goodbye to Gabe and Jason. They were on their way to Vegas for the weekend, and after two straight weeks of waiting on me hand and foot, they deserved the break. What they didn’t know was how I’d planned my own flight to leave two hours after them. There was just one stop I had to make before heading to the airport.

  I had visited numerous criminals in our prison, but never one with whom I’d had a connection. I told myself I wouldn’t come down to face him, but I had to look in his eyes. Blake could be a dick, but he was honorable when it came to the law. If Mason had doubts about him, I had to see it for myself.

  The room they had me waiting in was stark white and bright, with various tables for inmates to sit at and visit with their loved ones. There was no one else visiting at this time, except me. It wasn’t long before I saw him, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, trudging down the hall. When a guard opened the door, Blake’s eyes went wide.

  I got to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest. He hurried over considerably fast for having shackled feet. “Thank God you’re here. I’ve asked to see you about a million fucking times.” His eyes were shadowed and dark, like he hadn’t slept in days.

  “I’m not supposed to be here,” I said to him.

  Eyes blazing, he growled low, “It wasn’t me, Brooke. You have to believe that. I may hate the guy for having you, but I would never kill the son of a bitch. And I’m not working for Scar. I don’t even know the bastard.”

  “They’re finding evidence on you, Blake. The gun, the boots. Now they’re looking deeper to see your connections. No one saw you the morning of the shooting. You don’t have an alibi.”

  He huffed and shook his head. “I was at home.”

  “Alone?”

  “Yes,” he snapped. “I was a little hungover, but I was there. I’ve been alone for the past few weeks. I wanted to get you back and I couldn’t go fucking someone else, now could I? I was trying to be a better person.”

  “Where was your car? Was it in the garage or out in your driveway?”

  Furrowing his brows, he averted his gaze, deep in thought. “It was out in the driveway. I pulled it out of the garage so I could take my dirt bike apart and clean it. Luke was there. He can vouch for that.”

  Blake had a lot of expensive toys and if there was one thing that annoyed the shit out of me, it was his over protectiveness of the things he loved. “Blake,” I gasped. “Do you still use the security camera out by your garage?”

  “Yeah, why?” And then it dawned on him. “Holy shit.” Eyes wide, a determined smile broke across his face. “Brooke you’re a fucking genius. Whoever put that rifle in my trunk probably put it in there while I was at home.”

  “Does anyone other than me know you have the cameras?”

  He shook his head. “No. And the only way you can see the footage is through my laptop. I have the camera connected to it. There’s a program I use. You can view clips all the way back to when I had it installed.”

  “Where’s your laptop?”

  “At home on my desk, unless they confiscated it.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think they did, but I’ll go there and find out. Is there a way to get in?”

  “There’s a key on the back porch, inside an empty oil can.”

  The guard opened the door. “Time’s up.”

  Blake grabbed my hand before the guard could reach him. “I promise I’m innocent, Brooke. I would never dream of hurting you. You have to believe me.”

  I’d seen the faces of cold blooded murderers and Blake wasn’t one of them. “I believe you. If I don’t get the proof, I don’t know what else I can do.”

  “You trying is good enough for me. Whoever is doing this is good. If Mason can’t crack it, I don’t hold out much hope. Be careful out there.”

  Nodding, I got up and watched them pull him out the door. I had two more hours before my flight took off for California; there was still time.

  “I FEEL SORRY for the bag you’re beating on,” Gabriella teased.

  Now that I was back, Gabby and Pax refused to let me live like a recluse. I’d spent every day with them, training. It felt good to get back to my life, but there was a whole part missing. Sweat dripped down my face so I took off my gloves and wiped it off. “Sorry. Been a little stressed.”

  Gabby rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why don’t you just call her for Christ’s sake? I never thought the day would come when I’d seen you sprung over a girl. She’s probably going out of her mind not being able to talk to you.”

  “Yeah, being pissed at me. I left her, Gabby. Right after she took a bullet for me, I left. I’m pretty sure I made the biggest mistake of my fucking life.”

  She grabbed my chin, hard. “You did it to keep her safe. She’s not going to hate you. She’ll be mad, of course, but if she loves you
like you say she does she’ll forgive you. I still don’t see what the harm in calling her is.”

  Throwing my gloves on the floor, I sat down on the weight bench and hung my head. “Because I know once I hear her voice I won’t be able to resist. If she tells me to come back to her, I’d go in a heartbeat.”

  “Welcome to the club, Jameson,” Paxton shouted from across the room.

  Gabby lifted her brows and turned to him, crossing her arms. “You better watch it, Emerson. I’m not afraid to fight you.”

  Pax chuckled and lifted his weights. “Don’t tease me, woman. I can’t fight you with an audience. I don’t think Jameson wants to see your ass get pounded, if you know what I mean.”

  “All right, I’m out of here. Same time tomorrow?” I asked.

  “Yep, and be prepared to spar. I got some newbies coming over I want you to help me train. I think it’ll be good for you to get back in the UFC.”

  “If they’ll even let me back in,” I mumbled.

  Gabby linked her arm with mine and walked with me to my car. “You’ll get back in, Cam. And speaking of which, what are you going to do about a coach?”

  Opening the door to my highly missed sports car, I threw my bag in the back. “I don’t know. Danny is out of the question unless I move to the mountains. I have to find someone else.”

  “I have a suggestion,” she replied with a sly smile.

  “I should have known better. Who?”

  “You can train with us. My brother doesn’t train me every day because he knows I have Paxton, but at least we can help you get back in the game.”

  Sighing, I leaned up against my car. “But you guys have your own training to concentrate on. Why would you put yourself out for me?”

  Lifting up on her toes, she put her arms around my neck. “Because believe it or not, we care about you. And I want to help. Now say yes before I lose my temper.”

  I returned the hug. “Okay, fine, you win. Do you always get your way?”

  She let me go and winked. “Most of the time. Which is why I’m going to ask you to do something else for me.”

  “What?”

  “After all of this is over and you don’t have to worry about someone trying to kill you, I want you to go see Ryley. If you’re joining the UFC again, you’re going to be fighting against him. It doesn’t need to be with bad blood.”

  I knew the time would come for me to confront my brother at some point. And I would have to make the first move. “I’ll go see him as soon as it’s safe,” I told her.

  “Promise?”

  “I promise. I just hope he doesn’t try to kill me.”

  THE TIME FELT later than it actually was, but that’s what happens when you fly across three time zones. According to the GPS, I had one mile left until my final destination. My stomach was in knots and I had no clue what I was going to say when I got there. For all I knew, they would probably throw me out on my ass. Their driveway was long and desolate, surrounded by beautiful blossoming trees. The edge of the driveway neared and beyond that was a large, rustic cabin. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed there were cars out front. I took a gamble driving all that way and having them not be at home.

  Taking a deep breath, I parked the car and slowly walked up the front steps. The sound of a child’s laugh echoed from the back yard and then I heard his voice. It was so much like Camden’s, I froze. Instead of knocking on the door, I walked around the house to the backyard. Ryley and Ashleigh had their backs to me, with their twins each in a swing. They had to be about five months old now.

  My heart stopped when Ryley glanced over and saw me. He was the exact replica of Camden, minus the scar. I never knew Camden without it. It was strange seeing what he would look like if he didn’t have it.

  “Can I help you?” he asked, narrowing his gaze. Ashleigh kept pushing the babies, but kept a wary eye on me as Ryley approached.

  I held out my hand and smiled, hoping what I was about to do wasn’t a mistake. “Ryley Jameson, I’m Brooklyn Avery.” He shook my hand and waited for me to continue. “I’m really sorry to barge in on you like this, but I work with Mason Bradley. I’m the undercover agent who’s been keeping watch over your brother.”

  His eyes went wide. “So you’re her? I’ve heard about you, but I didn’t know your name. Come, let’s go inside.” I nodded and waited on him while he spoke to Ashleigh, whispering something in her ear. Afterward, she turned to me and smiled. Hopefully, that was a good sign. Ryley led me up the back steps and opened the door for me to go inside.

  “Thank you for speaking with me, Ryley.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, closing the door. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  “No, thank you.” He nodded over to the couch and I took a seat while he took the chair opposite me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him, but it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t my Camden. “It’s strange being around you. It’s uncanny how much you and Camden look alike. Well, except for his scar. I watched him for months before we became friends.”

  “I heard you took a bullet for him. Can I ask you why?”

  “Did Mason tell you?”

  He shook his head. “No, Gabby did. For the past couple of weeks, she and Pax have been spending time with him. Apparently, he’s not doing so well. She says he misses you. I have to say that surprises me.”

  Averting my gaze, I tried to keep from tearing up. “I didn’t know you kept up with him.”

  “He’s my brother, Brooklyn. As much as I hate him for what he’s done, I can’t help but love him. When I found out what happened, it scared the shit out of me. I realized I didn’t want to lose him. I have you to thank for that.”

  “You’re welcome. He’s changed since I’ve been with him,” I responded honestly. “I know about the horrible things he did to you and your wife, but ever since he’s been on the run, I’ve seen a different side to him. I can feel his guilt and see it in his eyes. He wants to make things right.”

  Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not going to be easy to forgive him. Don’t get me wrong, I hear what you’re saying, but I have to see it for myself.”

  “I understand. It took me a while to see the good in him too. Now it’s all I can see.” I paused and bit my lip. “Never mind, I take that back. He still has a raging temper.”

  Ryley’s eyes went wide and he laughed. “That’s Camden for you. Has he told you he loves you?”

  Smiling, I looked down at my clasped hands and nodded. I would do anything to hear him say it to me again. When I looked up, he seemed shocked. “Does he not usually say that?”

  He shook his head. “Never. I don’t think I’ve ever heard those words come out of his mouth. I have to say I’m intrigued. But you didn’t come all this way to chitchat. What’s going on?”

  Clearing my throat, I shifted in my seat. “Like I said before, I need your help. I don’t know where he is and I was hoping you could give me some idea as to where you think he would be. I know he loves the beach, but California has a lot of those.”

  “You’re an undercover cop. Can’t you just look it up somewhere?”

  I huffed and envisioned Mason. I really wanted to kick his ass for making things difficult. “Normally, I could, but Mason made sure to make him untraceable. Camden left to keep me safe, but all he’s doing is making things worse. I have to find him.”

  “And what are you going to do when you find him?” he asked curiously.

  “Probably beat the shit out of him for making that kind of decision without me.”

  Ryley tilted his head back and barked out a laugh. “Now I can see why he likes you. He’s never been able to find a girl who’d put him in his place. If I give you this information and something happens to you, my brother will never forgive me.”

  “Who said he has to know?” I countered with a smile.

  He shook his head and chuckled. “I think you and my wife would get along perfectly.” Reaching over the coffee table, he grabbed the small no
tepad that had a list of groceries on the first page and flipped to the next page. It made me wonder if Camden would ever be domesticated like his brother and settle down to have a family.

  Ripping off a page underneath the list, Ryley scribbled a few things down and handed it to me. “That’s the address to his Malibu estate. I don’t know if he’ll be at that specific spot, but I do know if he’s hanging out with Gabby and Pax, he’ll be in the area. It’s a start.”

  I looked down at the paper and then back over to him. “Thank you, Ryley. I was nervous as hell coming out here like this.” Slowly, I got to my feet and took a deep breath. Mission accomplished.

  Ryley got up and followed me to the door. “I’m surprised you’re out here at all. You were shot only two weeks ago.”

  “What can I say? I’m pissed off and impatient. I just want to find him. The guy they have arrested for the crime is my ex. I know he hates Camden, but there’s no way he’s connected to Scar. If Mason believed he was guilty, he’d let Camden go free. He’s just as skeptical as I am.”

  Ryley opened the door for me and I stepped out onto the porch, turning back to face him. He shrugged and leaned against the frame. “You’d be surprised about the things people keep hidden. Sometimes the closest ones to us are the enemies.”

  “That’s what makes this even harder. Mason thinks it’s one of the guys in my department. I don’t know how anyone could get past him; especially one connected to Scar. But I’m hoping to have some answers soon. But again, thank you,” I said, starting down the porch steps.

  “Be careful out there,” he called.

  I opened my car door and smiled. “I will. Hopefully, when all of this is over, you and Camden can work things out. He needs you back.”

  Nodding, a sad smile splayed across his face before he shut the door. Once in the car, I entered in the address to the GPS and waited for it to calculate. I had another four hour drive ahead of me. If I hurried, I could get there by late afternoon. I just hoped and prayed he was there.