by Renee Roman
“But you aren’t because you know it’s true.”
They discussed the pros and cons of different scenarios because Liv understood that was how she functioned. Logically. Methodically. Which was why Sarah threw her into a tailspin. Nothing about their situation was logical.
A short time later, she was standing at the door. A large bag of food and a few photos Liv had printed, framed, and carefully wrapped sat on the floor next to her feet. Liv pulled her in for a fierce hug.
“Stop being so damn stubborn and let Sarah in.” She kissed her cheek and pushed her roughly away. “You keep in touch, you hear me?”
Cam studied Liv’s weathered face. There was something new there and it wasn’t anything she’d ever seen before, but it disappeared when Liv looked at her again.
“Why do I feel like this is good-bye?” She fought against the unshed tears burning in her eyes. What was Liv doing? What in her actions told Cam things between them had shifted? Was Liv severing ties with her so she would let Sarah take her place? Panic churned inside her head, making her stomach queasy.
Liv shook her head. “That’s never gonna happen. What is going to happen is you’re going to take that step forward you should have taken ages ago.” She trailed her hand along Cam’s cheek and Cam leaned into it. “Maybe I should have pushed you harder.” Liv shared a lopsided smile. “Ah, well, we’ve all made mistakes, but it’s not one I regret.” Liv gathered the photos and handed them to her. “Now you get out there and do what you do. Be careful.”
“I will.” She bent to pick up the bag, but for some reason her feet wouldn’t move. “Liv…”
Liv didn’t give her an opportunity to finish. “Make sure you bring Sarah by. I need to meet the woman who finally got in here.” She tapped the area over Cam’s heart.
“You know I will, if it ever happens.” Liv seemed sure about Cam’s future. She wished she shared her certainty.
Chapter Sixteen
Sarah sat on the couch flipping channels but not seeing anything. It had been almost a week since she’d left Cam’s place and she hadn’t heard from her. She chewed her bottom lip, worrying her rash reaction had been a huge mistake. It wasn’t only about the money—well, part of her reaction was about the money, but it was just as much about her and Cam. Was there something between them? She got up and poured a glass of wine from the near empty bottle she’d opened the night they’d argued. She brought the glass to her lips and closed her eyes hoping she’d find solace, but what she saw was the look on Cam’s face the second before she’d stormed out.
She carried her glass back to the couch and plopped down, nearly sloshing the wine over the rim. Pinching the bridge of her nose only gave her momentary relief from the pressure that had started a few hours ago. Thank God she didn’t get migraines. This was just a tension headache and would be gone if she took a couple of aspirin. The type of pain Cam had displayed the night in the hotel had been bad enough to debilitate her, and she got the feeling Cam rarely let anything stop her.
Sarah picked up her cell for the hundredth time and stared at the screen. It was an ongoing debate in her head whether she should call Cam and apologize or leave well enough alone. She scrolled through her contacts and stopped at the familiar number before sighing and tossing the phone face down on the table. The next thing she knew, she could hear a tiny voice, and it sounded like they were saying her name. She picked up the phone and gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she read who was on the other line.
“Hello? Hello? Sarah?”
Sarah cringed before placing the cell phone against her ear. She hadn’t meant to dial Cam’s number. Or had she?
“Cam?”
“Yeah. I’ve been yelling to you for a while. You okay?” Cam asked.
“I’m fine.” Sarah braced herself and pushed on. “Since I have you on the phone, I need to apologize for blowing up like I did.” She waited, thinking Cam might not let her off the hook for her bad behavior.
“Apology accepted, but I have a confession. I haven’t been totally honest with you and I’d like to. Be honest, I mean.” Cam sounded flustered.
“Are you going to piss me off again?” Sarah hoped Cam could hear she was teasing and was relieved when she heard Cam chuckle.
“I’ll try not to.”
“Good. Do you want to come over?”
“Now?” Cam sounded surprised.
She looked at the clock. It was after ten in the evening. Being Friday, she didn’t have to get up in the morning and she hoped the same was true for Cam. “I’ve got nowhere to be, but if it’s not good…”
“I’ll be there in twenty.”
The line went dead and Sarah smiled. That was before she realized she looked a wreck and the house was a mess. She hadn’t done much the last few days except work and mope. She ran to her bedroom, picking up discarded clothes along the way. She didn’t have time for a shower, but at least she could brush her hair and put on something without holes all over it. Why am I even worried?
Twenty-five minutes later, the doorbell rang, and she shook her shoulders to help dispel the dread that had built since the phone call. She was ready for whatever Cam wanted to tell her. At least, that’s what she kept mumbling as she went to answer the door.
* * *
The quiet street added to her anxiety. Cam had never been one to back down, but each second that ticked by challenged her nerves, and she wondered if it was too late to change her mind. She pressed the small circle and heard the chime inside.
“Hi. Come in.”
Cam had wanted to bring alcohol. Something, anything, to help her relax so she could tell Sarah the truth. She owed her that much. Instead, she’d brought some of the cookies Liv had packed up for her, and she shoved the container at Sarah.
“What’s this?”
Cam shrugged. Still nervous. Still unsure what she was going to say. “Cookies.”
“Are you trying to sweeten me up?” Sarah laughed, a light sound that loosened the knot in Cam’s stomach a bit.
“You don’t need sweetening up, you already are.” Embarrassment coursed through her. Christ. Could she be any lamer? This wasn’t how she’d wanted to start baring her soul. Now that it was out, there wasn’t anything she could do to take it back.
“Aww.” Sarah studied her for a long time before reaching out. “Come on. Let’s not stand here all awkward. What can I get you to drink?”
“Whiskey. Straight up?” Cam said it like a joke, but she wouldn’t turn it down if Sarah offered some.
“Sorry, no such animal in the house. I have beer, wine, tea, coffee, and milk.” Sarah pointed to the cookies, smiling.
She shoved her hands in her pockets. “Coffee would be great.” Cam had been living on the stuff and she wondered when the ulcer she was sure the acid was causing would let itself be known.
“Coming right up.”
While Sarah was busy at the counter, she studied Sarah’s backside. She was wearing silky-looking lounge pants that hugged the cheeks of her ass, and the smooth dark blue T-shirt revealed she wasn’t wearing a bra. The resulting flare of heat in her lower belly wasn’t unpleasant, but her timing sucked. Sarah turned, and Cam averted her eyes to the container she’d brought as though it was the most interesting thing in the kitchen, which it wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
“It will be a few minutes. I hope you don’t mind decaf. It’s a little late for high test.”
“That’s fine. I probably don’t need any more caffeine.” She forced a small smile.
“Why don’t we sit. I’m sure you didn’t come all this way for coffee.”
Cam moved to the couch and Sarah sat next to her. She wished she hadn’t. Being so close was going to make it all the more difficult to confess what was going on. Just get on with it already. She inhaled deeply, then let it out in a whoosh. Here goes.
“I’ve found him.” She winced. So much for preplanning. “Your brother.” Sarah’s eyes got huge, but she stayed quiet. “He’s a cop.”
>
“That’s fantastic.” Sarah’s excitement was palpable. Until she must have noticed something in Cam’s expression that said otherwise. “Why do I have the feeling you aren’t as happy by the discovery as I am?”
“It’s complicated. I haven’t actually met him.”
“Do you usually?” Sarah asked.
“Not unless a client requests it.”
“Which I haven’t.” Sarah ducked her head to see her eyes.
“No.” She was finding it even more difficult to explain the why behind her behavior to Sarah, then she remembered Liv’s words. Thankfully, Sarah let it go and moved on.
“Okay. So, when do I get to meet him?” The coffee pot beeped. “Wait. Let me get that. I don’t want to miss any of the details.”
Cam chewed her cheek. Sarah was expecting her to have answers. Her struggle continued as she decided if she should do her job and not worry about what happened once she relayed everything about Brace Archer. But her stomach gurgled, warning her that nothing good would come from their meeting. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to tell Sarah his name, though she knew ethically she had to, and that made her gut twist even more.
Sarah brought a tray to the coffee table and handed Cam a steaming mug. She took her time fixing it to just the right color. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sarah watching her. She finally met her intense stare.
“Here’s the thing. He isn’t a very good cop.” Well, that part was true. Maybe if she didn’t press too much, Cam could actually keep most of the details from Sarah.
“I don’t care if he’s good at his job. I just want to know him. What’s his name? Where does he live?”
She weighed her options. Surely Sarah would become angry again if she withheld information she’d paid for, and rightly so. Maybe she could reason with her and convince Sarah to let her find out more before she made contact. Yeah, right.
“I don’t know if he’s good at being a cop, I just know…”
“For Christ’s sake, Cam, just fucking tell me.”
The now familiar fire in Sarah’s eyes made Cam want to see if it carried over into the bedroom. This wasn’t the time to fantasize about what most likely would never happen once their conversation was over.
“He’s dirty.” There. She’d said it.
“You mean ill-kempt?”
Cam stood and began pacing. This conversation was proving even more difficult than she thought. She stopped moving and faced Sarah.
“No. I mean he’s dealing drugs under the cover of his badge.”
Sarah sat back, a look of comprehension crossing her face. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m afraid I am.”
Sarah looked down at the contents of her mug before fixing Cam with a hopeful expression. “Maybe your source isn’t reliable?”
“I wish that was the case, but I spoke with another officer in his department. He was adamant.”
“There has to be a logical explanation. Maybe this officer has a vendetta or something against my brother.”
Cam sat next to her. “I don’t think so. Your brother doesn’t appear to have too many friends on the force.”
Sarah took up pacing over the worn rug that ran the length of the living room. She stopped abruptly. “This is rather convenient.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“You haven’t wanted to find him from the beginning, have you? Why, Cam? Why can’t you just do what I hired you to do?”
“Sarah, please. Let me dig a little deeper. Make a few more inquiries and see where they lead. Then you can make an informed decision about whether you want to meet him or know anything else.”
“To what end? So you can tell me to forget I have a sibling and I can go on feeling alone?”
“You wouldn’t be alone if you contacted Mr. White.”
“Did you investigate him, too?” Sarah’s gaze bored into hers. She wasn’t going to let this go without a fight, if ever.
“Not yet…”
“Then spill it, Stark,” Sarah said with her hands on her hips in defiance.
“I’m concerned about what he might do if his secret got out.”
“Well, it’s not much of a secret if his buddies know it, so what’s the harm of me meeting him?” Sarah ran her hand through her hair. The tussled look made her even more appealing. “What difference does it even make to you anyway? And why would he assume I even knew about the drugs, if that’s true? I’m not asking to be his business partner.” She collapsed onto the couch.
Cam took her hand in both of hers. “I know it might seem illogical, but I think you’re better off with all the information I can give you. I want you to be safe.” Cam rubbed the back of Sarah’s hand. “Please. Let me do more digging.” She hoped her plea for more time would work because she couldn’t stand the thought of anyone going after Sarah. Sarah wasn’t the one who should pay for her snooping. Cam would deal with whatever fate had in store for her.
Sarah looked at their joined hands. Cam’s impassioned plea awoke her hopes Cam had feelings for her beyond the scope of a client. She dared to think about the attraction between them, and there wasn’t anything cocky about the way Cam begged her for more time. As she stared, she recognized worry in Cam’s eyes, and that made her hesitate. Cam didn’t appear to be the type to worry about much, and if she was this concerned about her meeting her brother, maybe she shouldn’t be so gung ho either. Still, this was her twin they were talking about. And even though she hadn’t specifically asked, Cam had her birth father’s information. If he wanted to know her, surely her brother would want to know about her, too. She couldn’t fathom anyone who wouldn’t want that kind of information. Still, she’d waited this long…
“How long?”
“What?” Cam’s surprise registered in her voice, and Sarah tried to not laugh.
“How long do you want me to wait?”
“Two weeks. No…three. Give me three weeks, then I’ll tell you everything I have on your brother. I won’t hold anything back, and you can do what you want with the information. Just…let me make sure you have everything you need to make your decision, okay? And then you can get pissed and break my door again if you want to.”
Sarah was close to giggling. It seemed for the first time since she’d met Cam she had the upper hand, and she had to admit she rather liked it.
“Fine. If you really want a face-to-face with him first, I won’t ask you not to.”
Cam finally released her hand and sat back; her relief clear as her expression relaxed. “Good.” She ran her hands through her long, dark strands as if to settle herself. “Thank you.”
“I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for me. If you’re worried about what you’ve discovered so far, I should be, too. You know how important finding him is, but I guess a few more weeks won’t kill me.” Cam frowned. Maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words. “In the meantime, I’ll think about meeting my birth father.”
Cam brightened. “Great,” she said, but continued to fidget.
“What now?” Sarah was beginning to lose her patience.
“I’ll run his name in the morning, just to be sure he doesn’t have a record or anything.” Cam shyly smiled.
She almost hated to admit she was okay with Cam being cautious. “Let me heat up your coffee and I’ll share whatever’s in that container.” Sarah tipped her head toward the tray.
“Sure.” Cam handed her the mug.
She was disappointed at the delay, but there was a heavy weight on her chest that had nothing to do with Cam and everything that had to do with her brother.
Chapter Seventeen
Cam stopped her rapid-fire typing. She was transcribing handwritten notes into the Peters file, and the part regarding her conversation with Officer Barnes brought her up short. She hadn’t remembered him saying the word “ruthless,” but there it was, and since she’d gone back to her car and immediately made notes on what they’d discussed, Cam believed he�
�d said it. Gooseflesh rose along her exposed arms.
“You bastard.” Cam pointed to the screen. This was why she didn’t want Sarah anywhere near Brace Archer. He obviously didn’t give a shit about his parents finding out about the drugs, or if he did, maybe he thought Daddy’s money could get him out of any situation. She would bet her reputation on their not knowing what their son was up to. Cam considered using them as leverage until she stopped and thought it over. No. Brace didn’t look like the type to take well to a warning, and it would likely just piss him off. No telling what he would do then. Cam had to tread lightly. She wasn’t the only one involved, and Sarah had put her faith in Cam. She had to gather everything she could so Sarah could come to the same conclusion she had—Brace Archer was dangerous.
She’d only begun to scratch the surface of what she was sure was a closet full of skeletons belonging to Archer. Uncovering them would require poking the bear. With a big stick. She’d have to try to get more from Barnes, but in the meantime she’d let Archer know she was investigating him on his sister’s behalf. Of course, she wasn’t about to reveal any details about her client, and doubted he’d have the wherewithal to even begin to look for Sarah. She was counting on it. The news of Sarah’s existence would either cause him to get reckless or, if her current information was bogus, he’d be as excited as Sarah was at the prospect of having a sibling. Cam believed that was the least likely scenario. However, she did enjoy a challenge and got off on the hunt. She wasn’t a fool who took unnecessary chances, but there were cases out there that deserved to be solved, and those were the ones that made her blood race, especially when those being hunted deserved to be taken down.
This one had turned personal, though. Sarah had become personal. She probably didn’t feel the same about Cam, no matter how much she’d been floored by her agreeing to wait for a complete picture of Brace. That alone spoke volumes, and although Sarah hadn’t apologized for storming out of the office, Cam had the impression she regretted it.