Page 60 of His Pet

His arms tighten even further, making it hard to breathe. “Fuck, Justin. You’re something else. I suppose you should know what’s going on, though. There’s this detective. He’s been after me for a while, trying to get me to rat out my customers’ secrets, but he never succeeded.”

A detective. A week ago, such information would make me leap with joy. It would have meant a chance at freedom. Now it fills me with dread. Cameron can’t go to jail. “What happened?”

“He faked some evidence that I’d been his informant for a while and leaked the intel.”

“Oh my god.” My dread was definitely justified. I can only imagine what the underworld does to people who work with the police. “Are you in danger?” Am I in danger? If they kill Cameron, I’ll follow shortly after. Or worse, I’ll end up in some human trafficking hell or cut up for my barely functional organs. I’m calling no on all those options. “What’s the plan?”

Cameron sighs into my hair. “I’ve talked to some people, trying to convince them it’s all a scam. Some believed me, most didn’t. I’ve called in some favors to keep the main families from taking me out, but my clients…”

No one wants to get tattooed by a rat. “Damn. And the phone call?” I ask carefully, noting the tension in his frame. I don’t want him to lash out, but talking it through seems to be taking some weight off his shoulders. Besides, he said the phone call might have been good news.

“Rossi wants to meet. He’s…important.”

Translation: some sort of mafia leader. Most of my knowledge about organized crime comes from movies and TV shows, but I’m not entirely clueless. “If he wanted you dead, he’d just send his henchmen after you, right?”

“Henchmen?” Cameron snorts. “He isn’t a supervillain. But yes, he likely doesn’t want to meet just to threaten me. He refused to even hear me out before, so I wonder what changed. Maybe Sin has gotten through to him.”

I remember that name. “The person who called you.” The one who made the phone ring over and over until I grabbed it and then… I shake my head, determined not to dwell on the past. “Are they a friend?”

Just like I expected, Cameron shakes his head. “I wouldn’t call her a friend, but we’ve had each other’s backs for a while.”

So she is a friend, only they can’t afford to call it that. In their world, friendship is probably a sign of weakness.

I look around the spacious living room and wonder how often, if ever, Cameron has someone over. The sectional could easily seat a dozen people, if not more, but I doubt he’s ever had so many visitors. Maybe for one of those high society impersonal parties. That I could imagine. But simply hanging out, watching a game, drinking a beer and eating junk food? I doubt Cameron has people in his life to do that with.

Which is why he’s so set on the idea of having a pet. Of course. How did I not connect the dots before? I’m not here because Cameron wanted to have someone to fuck constantly at his beck and call. It might be part of the reason, but not the whole truth. What Cameron needed was a companion. Someone to watch TV with, to chat with. To complain to when he had a shitty day at work.

Cameron Matthews was lonely, and his solution was to have someone kidnapped.

It’s wrong. It’s horrifying. But…

I guess there are worse reasons for a kidnapping.

“What are you thinking about?” Cameron pokes my cheek. “You’ve got some really sketchy expression going on.”

“Um…” I scramble for something appropriate to say. Asking Cameron if he was lonely before I came along wouldn’t go over well. “I was thinking about your friend. I mean, your not-quite-a-friend. Who is she?”

Cameron looks at me suspiciously. Does he think I’m fishing for information to give to the police once I escape? He must be wary of my sudden change of heart, and he’s right to be. Who accepts a lifetime of captivity that easily?

“I’m sorry.” I sigh. How do I convince him I’m being genuine? I guess I’ll have to be patient. “I didn’t mean to pry. I just wanted to know more about you.”

He places a hand on my throat, squeezing lightly. “If this is a trick…”

I’m sure he meant it to sound like a threat, but I hear the fear and vulnerability behind the words. He’s afraid to get hurt. My big bad captor is afraid to trust me not because I could get him in jail, but because he doesn’t want to get his heart broken. I feel for him. When he punished me without even hearing me out, it wasn’t just the cane that hurt.

I look him in the eyes. “No tricks.”

His fingers flex on my neck. For a moment, it looks like he’s going to push me away, but then his grip relaxes a fraction. His thumb caresses my skin. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

I chuckle. “I feel like we’ve been here before.”

Cameron’s teeth flash white as he grins. “Yeah. Now, I could tell you all about Sin, but…” He hesitates, his smile slipping as he studies my expression. “Maybe it would be better if you saw for yourself. She’s quite something.”

Saw for myself? “You mean…”