by Imogen Wells
There’s something about those two that has my alarm bells ringing, but I can’t put my finger on what.
Twenty-Two
Blue
I drag myself from the bed and the warmth of the woman wrapped around me. A woman who is burrowing deeper under my skin every day. After a quick shower, I throw some clothes in my bag before grabbing a pen and paper to leave a message for Cam. I place the note on the pillow beside her, watching as her chest rises and falls with every breath. This has to be the soppiest shit I’ve ever done. Sully will rip me a new one and tell me that I’m pussy whipped if he ever finds out about this. I run a hand down my face, I’m so fucking screwed, and before I can change my mind, I lean over and plant a soft kiss to her head.
Stepping out of the lift, Scott and Russ are waiting for me. After a quick run through of their duties over the next 48 hours, I’m on my way.
Scott has been with us from the start, he’s one of the best men we have, but he wears a permanent scowl, giving off a ‘don’t fuck’ with me vibe that lesser men would run from.
Russ is newer, joining us three years ago. Him and Scott are polar opposites, but equally good at what they do, and I know that Cam will be safe. As long as she does as she’s told.
As I near London, I begin to feel on edge. Something doesn’t feel right, but I can’t figure out what it is. I brush it off as worry over Cam’s safety, putting aside what is happening between us, she’s still a job, her safety is my responsibility. And as I pull up to Sully’s London home, I push my concerns away and focus on what I’m here for. The quicker I get this over with, the quicker I can get back. To Cam.
Like me, Sully has a couple of homes, one here, as most of our business is here, and his main home in Peterborough where he lives with Max, his son. After a quick catch up, we turn our focus to Jamie’s attack.
Sully tells me that after Scott returned to the hotel there was no sign of the pissed owner of the car that blocked him in, no surprise at all, and no sign of the car either. As he wasn’t a guest at the hotel, finding him is going to be difficult, but it goes some way to confirm our suspicions that he is linked to Jamie’s attack. Sully is waiting for CCTV footage from the hotel and the car park, but I won’t hold my breath. If this is Sean’s work, like we suspect, then he’s not stupid enough to leave even a crumb of evidence. Hence the reason this fucker has managed to avoid arrest for so long.
Sully managed to get a rush on the blood at the house and forensics confirmed that it was Jamie and Russ’, no unknown DNA found. They are still working on the clothes they were both wearing and any fingerprints they managed to pull.
Jamie gave her statement to the police late yesterday, and it matches what she told me and Cam at the hospital. It’s pretty vague right now, which is to be expected after a head injury, but hopefully, in time, she’ll remember more.
Russ says he was driving back from a bar a few streets away, when Scott called him, that’s why he was so close by. No doubt getting his dick wet. When he arrived, he felt something was off and headed round the back to find the back door open and glass on the floor. When he entered the house, he found Jamie in the kitchen, covered in blood and unconscious. Rushing to get to her and slipping on the blood, he cut his hand as he landed, which is why there was so much of his blood on and around Jamie.
“Are you all set for tonight?” Sully asks, as he makes another cup of tea for us both.
“Yeah,” I say, just as Sully turns, placing a cup on the counter in front of me.
“You don’t sound so sure. What’s the problem?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t know.” I shake my head, rubbing a hand over the scruff on my chin. “It’s nothing. I hope it’s nothing. Fuck!” I slam my hand on the counter, as that feeling in my gut returns. “Something isn’t sitting right. I don’t know if it’s tonight or—”
“Or what, man?” Sully glares at me, searching my face, which I try to keep impassive, but this man knows me. Probably better than I do myself. “Shit, Ryder! You fucked her, didn’t you?” I drop my head on a sigh. “I knew it. I knew it that first day at my house.” He stands from his stool, swiping his hand out in frustration and pacing the kitchen. “I can’t believe you’d be so fucking stupid. There are a million other women you could have had suck your dick, instead you pick a client. And not just any client, but an emotionally broken woman with more baggage than a fucking cruise liner. She’s damaged, man, —”
I fly from my stool, rounding the counter and grabbing the front of Sully’s shirt in my clenched fist, shoving him back against the cupboards behind him, my face an inch from his. “Shut your fucking mouth! Don’t you dare fucking talk about her like that, you don’t know a fucking thing about her.” His eyes widen in shock at my outburst, hands up in surrender. “Cam’s not broken, Sully, she’s a fucking warrior. You’ve seen her file, don’t be so fucking judgemental. Anyone that can survive what she has and still be standing, fighting, has bigger balls than you and me together.” I let go of Sully, dropping my hands at my side. The rage at his words burns away turning to ash on my tongue. “I’ve seen her scars, Sully. The ones she wears on her skin are bad, but I can tell you they are nothing compared to the ones she carries inside. I’ve seen that haunted look behind her eyes before, seen the taint such a loss leaves on the soul. It might dim over time, but it never leaves, Sully,” I tell him, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck.
“I’m sorry, Ry. I guess I just assumed she was another screw, but I couldn’t have been more wrong, could I?” I hear the unspoken question. I know he’s asking me the question I keep trying not to think about.
“You have no idea, Sully.” I slump back onto my stool, running my finger over the rim of my cup. “This woman has crawled under my skin, wriggled into a heart I thought was iron clad, impenetrable. And now I have no fucking clue what I’m meant to do.” I look up at him, “How do I tell her, Sully? She’s going to fucking hate me, man.”
“I wish I had the answers for you, I really do.” He joins me back at the counter, hands braced on the top. “I think that you should hold off on telling her,” I pin my eyes on him, frowning, he holds his hands up, “just hear me out. If you tell her now, she could freak out and run, we can’t afford that when we’ve worked so hard on this job.”
“Fuck the job, Sully!”
“No, Ryder. Right now, that’s where your focus has to be, it’s also what’s going to keep her safe. If she runs, how long do you think it will be before he finds her, huh? You need to keep your head in the game, not think with you heart, or your dick,” he mutters that last part, clearly not wanting to rile me up again.
I give a reluctant nod, knowing that what he’s saying is true, but it doesn’t stop that niggling guilt deep in my heart that this is all going to blow up when she finds out the truth. This conversation has done fuck all to relieve the unease rippling through me about this shipment either.
“Okay, so let’s talk about tonight. Do you want me to call in Dean? He can be here in a couple of hours.” He pulls his phone from his pocket ready to dial on my say so.
“Nah, leave him be. We need him where he is more than I need the help. Cam will be fine, she has Scott and Russ with her, and I told them to call Seb if there’s any problems,” I tell him, not sure who I’m trying to convince more.
We spend the next couple of hours going over the details of the meet and mapping out the best vantage point. Sully makes lunch, and we leave the work chat behind in favour of more personal matters. Sully tells me that Max is doing better at school now since he started seeing the counsellor.
When Max first started school, he began having nightmares and wetting the bed. According to the counsellor it can be related to anxiety and trauma, and in Max’s case starting school brought forth questions about his mum. Sully has always made sure to talk about Sam to Max, ensuring that he knew who his mum was, but another boy in his class, whose mum knew Sam, was overheard by the boy talking about how Sam died after giving b
irth, and had asked Max about it. Max became withdrawn and that’s when the nightmares and bed wetting started. The school spoke to the boy and his mother, and it was clear there wasn’t anything malicious in it, just an inquisitive child.
Sully heads off to call Max around 4pm, and I make use of the time to check in with Scott. Scott tells me that he and Russ are at the hospital while Cam visits Jamie. Happy that everything is in hand, I drop a message to Seb giving him a heads-up that he may get a call. Needing to keep my mind busy and wanting to be as prepared as possible, I decide to go and do a drive-by of the container yard.
After driving past a couple of times, not wanting to risk looking too suspicious, I drive back to Sully’s. When I arrive, the house is dark, and Sully’s car is missing from the drive, so I let myself in. I’m only in the house for ten minutes when headlights flash through the front window, casting shadows on the dimly lit room.
“Blue, where you at man? I’ve got dinner,” Sully calls, as he steps through the front door.
I head out and meet him as he’s crossing the hall towards the kitchen. I don’t need to ask what he bought, the smell permeates the air as he passes me, and I begin to salivate like one of Pavlov’s dogs.
“Is that what I think it is?” I drool, as I follow behind him. He nods, placing the bag on the counter before grabbing a couple of plates. I waste no time in pulling out the cartons sporting the logo of my favourite Thai restaurant.
We eat in silence, and after we are done, I head off up to my room hoping that a full belly will help me get a couple of hours shut eye before I need to leave later. I plug my phone into the charger beside my bed and, rather optimistically, set my alarm for midnight before laying down.
After finally falling asleep, for what feels like only minutes, a persistent ringing pulls me from my dream, drawing me back into consciousness. Throwing a hand out and blindly searching for the culprit of the incessant noise. I latch onto my phone, and cracking one eye open, I turn the alarm off and am surprised to find I slept for so long.
Rolling over and dropping the phone beside me on the bed, I fold my arm across my eyes for a few seconds giving my brain time to catch up. Images of Cam riding me flick through my mind and explain the hard-on I’m sporting.
Rising from the bed, I head to the bathroom for a shower. A fucking ice cold one or I’ll be jerking off like a hormonal teenager.
Twenty-Three
Camryn
Someone is holding my arms from behind, there are hands on my body, the pain is unbearable, then I’m on the floor with my arms held above my head. I’m thrashing and screaming; my legs are trapped, and I can’t escape. My fists fly, but I can’t seem to hit anything, then suddenly I’m falling.
Opening my eyes, it takes me a minute to figure out where I am. Slowly sitting up, I realise the sheet is wrapped tightly around my legs, and I’m on the floor of Ryder’s bedroom. I start untangling my legs as the last vestiges of my nightmare ebb away. I haven’t had a nightmare about that night for a long time but knowing that Sean is close is no doubt the reason.
Climbing to my feet, I grab the sheet from the floor and throw it onto the bed, and as I do a piece of paper flutters on the pillow next to mine. Reaching over I snatch it up, apprehension trickles through me as I unfold it, but relief floods my body when I see it’s from Ryder.
Cam,
Stay out of trouble. Spend time with your friend. Go to work. Most importantly, do as your told! If you don’t, be ready to have your backside tanned when I return.
Ryder
“Bossy bastard.” But it brings a smile to my face, and my pussy pulses at the thought of Ryder spanking me, which is a complete surprise. Given what I’ve been through the idea of a man laying his hands on me that way shouldn’t turn me on, it should repulse me. Actually, there are a lot of things that Ryder does that should have me running in the other direction, including the aura of danger that exudes from him, but I find myself drawn to him more and more. No accounting for craziness.
After I’ve showered and gotten dressed, I head to the kitchen for a cup of tea and hopefully something to eat, my stomach rumbling in agreement. I put the kettle on just as my phone vibrates in my back pocket, pulling it out I see a message from an unknown number.
Unknown: Cam, it’s Scott. We are downstairs when you’re ready to go to the hospital.
Short and to the point. Typical Scott, that man never says anything more than he needs to. I text him back to tell him I’ll be down shortly, then finish making the tea and hunt for something to eat.
When I make it downstairs an hour later, Scott and Russ are standing like two sentinels outside the lift. Russ greats me warmly with a smile, asking how Jamie is. We fall in step alongside each other as we walk to the car, I tell him that Jamie will be fine thanks to him, and I’m sorry he got hurt looking out for my friend.
“Don’t worry about it, Cam, it’s my job. I’m just glad I got there when I did,” he says, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze as he steps forward to open the car door for me.
I slide into the back seat while Scott gets in the driver’s side, and Russ hurries round to jump in the passenger side. Russ tells me about some girl he’s been seeing, and in an effort to bring Scott into the conversation I ask him if he has a girlfriend.
“No,” he grunts, from the front seat.
Leaning forward between the two fronts seats and turning to Russ I ask, “Is he always this grumpy?” Russ chuckles, and Scott side eyes me, his faced pinched in a scowl. I’m starting to wonder if this guy even knows how to smile.
“Nah, but with no girlfriend he’s got blue balls.” Russ replies, putting a hand up to hide his smile. Scott’s only reaction is a small growl, and I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up and spills from my lips. How the hell Russ works with this guy is beyond me.
“Well, I guess girls don’t like the broody, silent type after all,” I say, shrugging and sitting back in my seat. I catch Scott’s gaze in the rear-view mirror, and he winks.
“Sure they do, you like the boss just fine.” And I watch as his lip curls into an almost grin.
“Holy shit! He speaks,” I gasp, clutching my chest before I burst out laughing.
When we pull up, Russ jumps out, opening my door for me, and we head inside while Scott goes to park the car. Russ’ phone rings just as we exit the lift, pulling out his phone and checking who’s calling before he motions for me to continue as he answers the call. As I walk away, I hear him say ‘all good, boss’ and then ‘at the hospital’, I roll my eyes at the fact it’s probably Ryder checking up on me. I continue to Jamie’s new room on a ward on the second floor now she’s awake.
As I push the door, it opens and I start to fall forward, but a hand reaches out grabbing my arm from behind and stopping me. I spin round, wrenching my arm free as my heart beats wildly in my chest and my breath hitches.
“Get your fuck—Scott.” I heave in a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart and stop the panic rising up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you.” He gives me a quick nod before stepping back and taking up his position outside the door. I look to the nurse who opened the door apologetically, she offers me a small smile as she passes me.
“Jesus, Cam. You sure know how to make an entrance,” Jamie exclaims from her place on the bed, as I stand inside the door. “Are you coming in or you just going to stand there all day?” She chuckles as I turn my gaze her way.
With my heart still beating double time, I stride towards her, looking her over as I make my way to the chair beside her bed. Glad to see that she’s looking more herself today. Her left eye is still swollen shut, and the bruising on her face is more pronounced, but she looks more alert and in slightly less pain. Dropping my bag to the floor, I collapse into the seat. My nightmare has really done a number on me today, and I feel like I’m flying in the damn wind. Avoiding the elephant in the room, I ask her how she’s feeling.
“I’m
okay, Cam,” she says, a hint of sorrow in her voice. “Don’t look at me like that, and don’t you dare start that apology shit with me again. I told you yesterday this is not your fault.” I go to interrupt, to rebuke her for not hating me like she should for what I’ve put her through. “Stop. It’s not up for discussion,” she orders, pointing a finger at me. “Now, how about you give a girl something nice to talk about. Where’s that sexy as sin man of yours?” Her face lights up at the thought of what gossip I might have for her, and what sort of friend would I be if I didn’t give her what she wants.
“First off, he’s not my man,” Jamie just scoffs at that bullshit statement, “and secondly, he’s in London for a couple of days, so I’m stuck with Tweedledee and Tweedledum out there.” My nose scrunching in displeasure and pointing a thumb over my shoulder indicating to Scott and Russ. Jamie laughs but pulls up short when pain shoots through her ribs.
“Fuck! No more funny stuff, it hurts like a bitch to laugh,” she says, with a grimace. I wince along with her.
“Yeah, I know it does,” I say quietly. I keep my head down, not wanting to see pity in her eyes as I continue to talk. “The first time it happened I thought I was going to die every time I took a breath.”
I let the words flow, and I don’t stop until it’s all out there. My heart feels ten times lighter, and the relief is indescribable. When I finally look at Jamie, I don’t see pity, I just see the love of a good friend. She thanks me for trusting her with my truth, and as the tears well in my eyes, I climb onto her bed and hug her as best I can, while the tears fall.
When the nurse comes in a while later, I take that as my cue to step out to the bathroom. Scott is still where I left him earlier and follows me as I make my way to the toilet, the one Ryder cornered me in the other day.