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“I get it, Donovan is not a guy you want on your radar. I can’t tell you too much, you know how it is, but we have something in the works to bring him down. I can have some extra guys brought in to watch Jamie, if you want?”
He shakes his head. “No, I have my own guys. When Jamie is released, she can come home with us, but what about Camryn, she’s more than wel—”
“She’s with me,” I state, the territorial tone a dead giveaway, and I wish I could have hidden it better. “It’s my job to protect her, and that’s what I’ll do,” I add, and it’s the lamest attempt to cover up my true feelings, hiding behind my job. My fucking mask is sliding off my face like snow in an avalanche. Dom chuckles, which he tries to cover with a cough.
“How did you know it was Sean? Cam’s been pretty tight lipped about him, barely even mentioning his name till recently.”
“Jamie told me, said you mentioned the name Sean, and well, she’s a smart girl, put two and two together. I wish you’d come to me first; you know I can get information. I could have helped. I still can if you need it.” He seems genuine, I guess having your daughter in the sights of a man like Sean Donovan will do that to you.
“Thanks, Dom, and I’ll call if there’s anything,” I say, with a head nod.
“Right, okay then, I best get back with this food and drink. You coming?” Rising from his chair and placing it back under the table.
“No, I have some calls to make, I’ll catch up with you later.” I wave my phone to emphasise my point. He spins back towards the food counter and joins the queue that’s now formed.
Dom seemed a bit put out by my brush off of his offer to help, and whilst I believe he’s being sincere, I can’t afford for him to fuck this up by tipping the wrong person off while digging around for information. That man knows a lot of people, some of them worse than Donovan. But he could prove useful, so I won’t write him off completely. Better to keep all options open.
I stay in the cafeteria, drink another disgusting cup of dish water and even manage something that just passes for a sandwich. Going over what Scott said it’s likely that someone drew Jamie away from work intentionally, their motive obviously to cut Cam off, isolate her, fuck with her head. They did a pretty fucking good job of that if what went down between us earlier is any indication. I can’t wait for the shit fit she’s going to throw when I tell her that she’s coming to stay with me.
With Jamie staying with her dad, maybe Sean will think his tactics are working, although, I’ve no doubt he knows I’m here. It’s probably fucking with his head that I’m so close to his girl. That pleases the beast inside me, getting under his skin and bringing him down, has my beast purring like a damn cat.
My phone vibrates on the table, a message from Scott pops up on the screen. He’s at the ICU waiting for me, I send a quick reply telling him I’m on my way. Scott is outside the lift when I step out, an envelope in his hand. Handing it to me, he tells me its Russ’ statement, and he and Russ are heading back to the hotel. Scott’s eyes flick over my shoulder quickly before coming back to me, a tingle running down my spine. I don’t need to look to know it’s Cam, I can fucking feel her. Obviously as keen as me to avoid each other, Scott tells me she went the other way. When I tell him that Cam will be moving in with me temporarily, the hard-faced bastard actually cracks a smile, which I wipe off his smug face in the next second.
“I have to go back to London for a day or two, I got a tip off about a new shipment coming in, and I need to check it out, so you and Russ are on babysitting duty.” I don’t even try to hide my smile. “One of you is to be with her at all times, you don’t let her out of your sight. Seb is close by if you need him. I’ll be leaving in the morning, so be at mine at 6am.” He nods, getting in the lift just as it arrives.
Now I need to go find my startled little deer and break the news to her. This should be fucking fun. I’m not keen to leave Cam, but this is important. The tip off was anonymous, but with all the whispers Sully has heard recently it makes sense.
I head off in the direction Cam went, and as I round the corner, I see her slip inside a door on the left. I wait outside for her, and as the door begins to open, I quickly pull it open and shove her back inside closing and locking the door behind me.
“For fucks sake, Ryder, you scared the crap out of me!” I stalk towards her, and she backs up as I invade her space. I watch as the shutters come down, and she lifts her chin with defiant eyes staring back at me.
“Shhh, Bambi,” I whisper, putting a finger to my lips. Cam’s eyes spark with fire, as I cage her in against the wall.
“You’re a dick, do you know that? Normal people would just wait outside, not scare the living crap out of someone and lock them in a toilet with them.”
“I’ve heard that once or twice before, and we both know that I’m far from normal, so let’s skip the bitching. How’s Jamie?” I ask, as I lean in, running my nose down her neck and taking in the sweet smell of vanilla that’s always on her skin.
“She’s awake, I left her with the nurse,” she says, as a shiver runs across her skin, and that has my dick taking notice. Now is not the time, and certainly not in some skanky hospital toilet, no matter how much my dick tries to convince me otherwise.
“Good. Let’s go talk to her, find out what she remembers.” I say, taking her hand and pulling her behind me, down the corridor back to Jamie’s room.
Twenty
Camryn
This man infuriates me like no one else ever has. Scares the shit out me, sniffs me like a fucking dog, and then drags me behind him like a petulant child. I’m still angry with him for what happened outside, not because of what he said, we both know he was right about that. But more because he wasright, and he called me out on it.
I hate liars but isn’t that what I’ve been doing since the day I ran from Sean? Lying to everyone that knows me, lying about who I really am, and lying to myself. That one hurts more than anything else.
I don’t know why I thought I could just up and leave, change my identity and live a normal life. I don’t want to live a life where I’m always looking over my shoulder, never able to settle anywhere for too long for fear that Sean will find me.
I should have walked away from Jamie that morning on the streets, then none of this would have happened. But I didn’t and I can’t change that now. It wouldn’t have saved Tyler, and if it wasn’t Jamie it would have been someone else. There was always going to be a big red target on the back of anyone that came into my sphere. Did I intentionally set out to hurt Jamie? No fucking way. I need to stop blaming myself and realise that the person to blame for all this shit, is Sean-fucking-Donovan. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, it’s just a shame it always comes too fucking late.
When we enter Jamie’s room, there’s no sign of her parents, but Jamie is sitting up, although a little awkwardly and in obvious pain. Jamie begins to laugh as she sees Ryder dragging me into the room, then winces as the pain from her broken ribs takes hold, stopping her instantly. Despite endeavouring not to blame myself, the guilt still tries to take the reins, and I’m unable to stop the memory that looking at her brings.
“You fucking stupid bitch!What have I told you before, huh? Keep your fucking stupid cunt of a mouth shut unless I speak to you. Dumb bitch!” He swiped his hand out, catching me across the cheek so hard my head whipped to the side. Before I even had a chance to recover, his fist landed in my stomach, buckling my knees and bringing me to the floor. With one hand on the floor and the other cradling my stomach, I tried to heave in the breath that my lungs screamed out for. His hand gripped my hair, yanking my head back. His eyes, normally a dark brown, were almost black as the rage consumed him, bored into mine. I smelt the whiskey on his breath, and it almost made me gag as he screamed in my face. The hold on my hair was so tight, my neck pulled back so far that I was sure he was going to break it. That would have been a blessing he’d never give me.
As he continued his assault on me, I drifted into my special place, shutting out the pain, thinking of happier times, and my beautiful daughter. I don’t know how long it lasted, time seemed to slow, it was almost like I was watching from outside of my body. I watched as he rained down hit after hit, and when I collapsed to the floor the kicking started. I remember my ribs were on fire, and my breaths shallow as I tried to get enough air into them. When he was spent, he spat on me before walking away and leaving me there.
