Page 31 of Red, White, and BearCat Blue

But I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t ask him if he’d fucking repainted the office now. It was too late. If I dared say something that stupid, he’d know I’d double-crossed him, and he’d kill me before Mars got to me. Then, worst of all, they’d kill Mom.

“I’ve got it,” I said quietly, praying Mars would understand.

“What?” Josiah asked, coming around the desk. “You’ve got what?”

I cleared my throat, feeling the grips on my biceps increase. “I’ve got it. You just want to make it easier for me to see her.”

Josiah stopped, and I gazed up at him. He cocked his head before nodding slowly. “That’s right. I plan on moving her because if I’m asking you to relocate, of course, I must relocate her as well.” He reached out and patted me on the shoulder as I heard Mars again. “I know how close the two of you are, dear boy.” The implied threat freaked me out.

“Use your bloody word, come on,” Mars said in my ear.

“I’ve got it, thanks,” I said slowly, looking right at Josiah even though I was directing every slow word at Mars.

Josiah nodded, patting my shoulder again before jerking his chin at his two goons. They dropped their hands, releasing my biceps instantly. “Good. I’m so glad we’re clear on that.”

“T-thanks,” I stammered, narrowing my eyes at him. “When is this going to happen?”

Josiah shrugged. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

Fucking tomorrow? I tried not to panic as I lifted my chin. “Well, I’ve got packing to do then.”

“Yesss,” he said, hissing the word like a fucking viper. “Of course you do, Cam, and since you’re not feeling very good, you really should go lie down. Get some rest. Since you’re unwell, I’ll give you another day to recuperate. My men will be at your apartment the day after tomorrow to pick you up. Don’t worry about your belongings. We’ll have those picked up. Just make sure to mark the boxes you want to take with you. Don’t worry about your furniture. Your new place comes fully furnished. Your mother will be relocated in a few days. I’ll let you know where she’ll be staying.” He held up his hand as if he were being magnanimous. “No worries about the cost of the relocation. I’m handling all of that at my expense.”

Big…fucking…whoop. How generous. I was seething. I shook out my arms, still gripping the envelope tightly in my fist, ruing the day I ever got into bed with this psycho. “I’m going then.”

“You do that,” Josiah said, pivoting on his heel and returning to his desk chair as I slowly walked to the door and threw it open, exiting the office on shaky legs, still vibrating with rage. I was caught in the snake’s trap, and with the FBI involved, this wasn’t ending anytime soon. How in the hell was I going to get out of it?

Chapter Eight

MARS

I waited impatiently for Cam as he walked toward the car and away from Josiah Sterling. My heart was still thundering in my chest as he silently climbed into the backseat and slid down. I’d felt nothing but horror as I’d listened to that gobshite tell Cam he’d be what amounted to forced labor, working for Sterling stealing cars or whatever else he had planned for him. The moment he’d said he was relocating Cam’s mother to California—giving him no say in it—I knew Cam was at his mercy. Sterling had the power over their life and death, and I was bloody ropable. I wasn’t about to let it happen.

I turned in my seat but he wasn’t looking at me, just staring out the window. I wanted to tell him everything would be all right, but I couldn’t promise that. Sighing deeply, I turned back and started the car, driving away before switching on my lights. I drove us in silence for several miles, making turns in and out of residential and commercial neighborhoods to lose any kind of tail the way Cam had done. No one seemed to be following, but you can’t be too careful. Then I headed back out onto the Strip and in the direction of his apartment.

Mickey twisted in his seat and said to Cam, “You weren’t kidding. Sterling is a serious asshole.”

I watched Cam in the rearview mirror as he nodded, still looking out the window. “I told you,” he finally said. When his hand came between our seats, I saw he was holding the earwigs tucked into their foam lined box.

Mickey took them. “Thanks.”

“I’m really sorry I couldn’t get him to come out.”

“It’s not a problem,” Mickey said. “It’s more important that you’re safe.”

“Where are we going?”

I flicked a glance in the rearview mirror and met his haunted, blue eyes. “I was going to drive ya home, but I’m not so sure it’s a good idea now.”

He shook his head and right before I was forced to look back at the road, his eyes flooded with tears as he broke eye contact. I silently cursed myself for feeling scared, but for the first time in ages, I was. I had to keep Cam safe but at the same time, he was in a dodgy and dangerous situation which would take some real thought.

We needed a bit of a debrief with Candy, and we had to stay outside Josiah’s grasp until we worked out how to help Cam and his mum. Taking him back to the apartment exposed him too much with Sterling’s thugs lurking about. I didn’t worry about our own safety so much as Cam’s. Being seen with him wouldn’t be good for him or his mum. When a red, neon, diner sign close to his apartment building caught my eye, I turned into the car park.

“What are you doing?” Cam asked as I parked. “I have to go pack my things. You heard Josiah. His men are coming to move me to L.A.”

I shut off the car and turned around to look at him. “We need to talk, Cam.”

He stared at me with the most hopeless expression. “I don’t know what to do. If I cross him, he’s gonna hurt my mom.” His eyes filled with devastation again as he broke eye contact and looked back out the window.