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67
Camdyn
Ithought being Willow’s hero was my destiny. That I’d save her from another calamity, and she’d open her heart to me again. For months, my only lifeline between the woman I cherish and me was a fucking pin drop from her cellphone. I held tight to our link. I’d have fallen apart without it. When I set eyes on her for the first time in months, I knew who the true hero was.
“You saved Jamie, Lo.” I’ve got a one-track brain while assessing her for damage. I hadn’t noticed the baby bump. While her eyelashes flutter upward, our eyes connect. I form a coherent thought. “You’re fucking pregnant...”
“Not now,” she murmurs, moving past me with purpose to my mother and Nolan, who’s in slacks and a button-up, his badge on display.
“Hi, Mrs. MacKenzie and Mr. Mac—” She stops, tilting her head. The badge catches Willow’s eye. I remember she hadn’t met my dad. He was on the road when she came by.
In a subtle Scottish accent, Nolan stops her. “Captain Nolan Campbell. Looks like you’ve got everything covered tonight.”
“Yes. Jamie agrees to be 5150’d,” Willow shares. “Please transport him now, before he changes his mind.”
Nolan glances at my mom. Willow’s eyebrow lifts, shocked by the power exchange. All those years ago, as a detective, Nolan went against LAPD protocol when saving Jamie. Loyal to Clan MacKenzie, he never received credit for breaking a high-stake case. His loyalty is still unwavering as he awaits Mom’s decision.
“Jamie,” Mom looks him over. Although she’s the leader of a Scottish Crime syndicate, Mom has one weakness, Jamie MacKenzie. “You’re bleeding?”
“Jamie,” Willow speaks assertively, two heads shorter than my brother. “You promised yourself.”
He groans, “I’ll go.”
“That settles it. Seems a good idea, aye,” Mom huffs. “Nolan, I’ll be accompanying you and me son.”
“Camdyn, there’s a truck in the lot.” Nolan nears me, eyes flickering to Willow.
I flex my fingers to stop myself from stepping to Willow and hugging her. “She’s having my baby. She can hear this.”
Mom sucks in air. “A wee bairn?”
The faintest congratulatory smile flits across Nolan’s face. Then his scrutiny falls on Jamie. “The truck’s registered to Hector Valenzuela of Barstow, California.”
My brother’s face falls to the ground. “I got a ride with our cousin to San Bernardino. Took a bus to Barstow and pretended to be a runaway foster kid—like River that one time.”
Firmly, Nolan inquires, “What happened, Jamie?”
He mutters, “I stole the truck. I had to get closer to Willow.”
“Where’s Hector?” Nolan’s fatherly stare pierces through him.
Jamie slides his hand over his forearm, whispering, “Little Brody had a couple of bodies hacked up at headquarters a few weeks back. What were a couple more limbs?”
Willow tenses in my arm. I let the dominant part of me lead for the first time since she told me ‘no,’ swooping an arm around her. A sick feeling of relief permeates the moment. She doesn’t deny my touch.
Jamie takes Willow’s hands, also sensing her discomfort. “Hector didn’t have any family. He was old.”
“Jamie, that doesn’t justify your actions.” She gasps. “You’ll be more accountable, starting now?”
He gives a somber nod. “Nolan, I changed the decal on the truck. It was an easy mission.”
The cop frowns. “Well, he’s not a missing person, so he may not have had family, which brings us back to—”
“Me.” I step up. “I’ll drop the truck off. I can’t chop it tonight, though.”
“That’ll have to do, son,” Mom agrees. “Hurry back, take care of your lassie, and clean up this mess. I’ll be taking Jamie to get checked in. In a day or two, I’ll be coming to see ye, Willow. Now, I gather you are the reason for Tatum’s sudden inquisitiveness. I take it you will tell me anything the bairn needs in the meantime, aye?”
“Mom, we can’t force Willow to have either one of us in her life.” I stand before Willow. This is one instance where my mom could order me about, but she places an arm around Jamie. The two of them disappear along the side of the house.
