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“Cam? Blue left.” I roll my head along the cupboard until I’m looking at her. I guess she must see surprise or shock in my eyes and adds, “He didn’t want to, trust me. I practically had to force him out the door,” she says, rolling her eyes, “But you’ve been sat here for almost an hour…”
“An hour? I’ve been sat here for an hour?” I ask incredulously, she just nods in reply. “I’m sorry, Jamie.”
“What on earth are you apologising for?”
“For everything. Freaking out on you, bringing shit to your door.”Fucking your life up, putting you in possible danger. But I don’t voice those because I’m a fucking coward. Jamie just tuts like it’s no big deal but it is. She thinks it’s no big deal because that’s what I’ve let her think. What’s she going to say when all my secrets poor out of the bulging closet? The doors are already straining at the seams, lie upon lie, secret upon secret, and they will all come crashing out. Like a tsunami they will consume and destroy everything in its path.
I help Jamie lock up, and without another word between us we go our separate ways. I’m not sure how I feel about that; part of me thinks it’s probably for the best, but then the other part is sad for the loss of a friendship. One that has kept me tethered and sane.
Six
Blue
Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! I slam my hand on the steering wheel. And again, when that doesn’t even touch the aggression flowing through my body right now. I don’t know what I’m angrier at; the fact that I scared the shit out of her, or the fact that I even care that much. Yeah, that makes me sound like a complete arsehole, but why change the habit of a lifetime, right? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely devoid of emotion or feeling, but I don’t get these feelings. What is it about this fucking woman that has me twisted up like the cords of a rope?
From the moment I met her, and at that point she was a target for the next notch on my man-whore bedpost, there was something different, something appealing about her, and she hasn’t left my mind since.
When Rick finally filled me in on exactly who she was it just fuelled the fire already burning within me. A fire I’ve not felt since…Well, let’s just say in a long time. I don’t have time for relationships or romantic shit, and there sure ain’t no white picket fence and 2.4 children in my future. That hasn’t stopped me searching all over Manchester looking for her and following every fucking lead possible, and though I might not want to admit it right now, it sure as shit wasn’t just because of the job.
My phone starts ringing in my pocket, and I pull it out to see it’s Rick, then drop it to my lap. It rings off, then immediately starts back up again, which tells me he won’t give up till I answer. Before it can ring off a second time I answer.
“Yes.” I wince at my tone, “Sorry, man. What’s up?”
“Oh, wow!” he chuckles, “Is Cam proving to be impervious to your charms, you must be losing your touch.”
“Shut it, Sully, this is fucking serious.” I blow a breath down the phone, “How much do you know about her, Sully? ‘Cause from what I just witnessed; we don’t know the half of it. Are you sure Tyler gave you everything because I feel we are missing something? And I ain’t talking no little something either.” I’m met by a few choice words before Sully asks me to meet him at a hotel. Obviously, he’s in town and that has me concerned.
On my way to the hotel, I go over my conversation with Camryn’s friend Jamie. From what she said, it would appear we are not the only ones in the dark. Which tells me that Camryn doesn’t trust anyone, and that’s going to make our job twice as hard. I need to remember, that despite what my dick thinks or wants, this is just another job.
Jamie wasn’t able to tell me anything about Sean, in fact, she seemed surprised when I mentioned his name. I’m not stupid enough to have given her his surname because being in Manchester means nothing to men like him. Him and others like him have eyes and ears everywhere, that’s a big worry, and the main reason why I’m just glad we found her before he did. At least I hope that’s the case.
I won’t know for certain what Camryn knows until I speak with her in the morning. What I do know, is that if Sean Donovan finds her, it will be game over. Whatever she did or took from him, has him gunning for her like he’s at war.
When I arrive at the hotel, Sully is leaning against his car, looking casual as hell and not at all like it’s almost 2am. Jerk!
We find a corner in the bar, near the back and away from nosey bastards. I catch him up on what went down tonight, and when I’m finished, he doesn’t look surprised in the slightest. When I ask him what he knows, he gives me a pained sigh and rubs both hands down his face, leaving them cupped around his mouth. Then he tells me the one thing no man, no real man, wishes to hear. I knew it was bad, but this…It explains her reaction tonight. Now I feel doubly shit for touching her.
Tyler had told us that Sean liked to be heavy handed with her, but he never mentioned anything about rape or sexual assault.
Men like Sean Donovan don’t have an ounce of respect for their women. They are nothing more than property, and there to be used and abused as they see fit. For a man who has ties to several gangs and has been mentioned in relation to sex trafficking, it’s not a big leap to imagine how he treats his own woman.
His ties to the sex trafficking world are the reason for our interest in the first place. Amongst other things.
We talk for a little longer, now we have no man inside things are a damn sight harder. Without Tyler we have no idea of Sean’s movements and despite the fact we have Seb and a few of the other guys keeping tabs, it’s not enough.
Sully plans to head back to London tomorrow and meet with Seb, and I’m going to stay here with Camryn. I’ve been here three months chasing every lead we had, and now we’ve found her there’s no way I’m leaving. This is just another job, and it will get done one way or another. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway.
Seven
Camryn
What little sleep I had was like a show reel of every bad memory. What happened in the kitchen last night, when Blue touched me, has me feeling all kinds of screwed up. I know he won’t hurt me; I mean the guy is a giant and gives off a ‘don’t fuck with me’ vibe, but I’ve never felt safer than when he’s near. Which is utterly ridiculous because I hardly know him? Besides, my arsehole radar must be broken, or I wouldn’t be in this fucking position in the first place.
I smack my hand on my forehead a couple of times hoping to knock some sense into myself. I don’t have room in my mind to sort out my feelings towards Blue, and I certainly have no idea how to make sense of my reactions to him. Before my mind threw me into that terrible memory, Blue’s touch was warm, I could feel his rough callouses brush over my skin and even pictured his hands travelling my body. I shake my head, clearing the image, as if he’d ever be interested in damaged goods. The man is hot, like feel the burn from another county hot, and no doubt has women lining the streets to get a piece of him.
Urgh! I get up and shower hoping it will wash all the shit away, but it doesn’t. I’ll never be clean again, I’m tainted. My body has scars that nobody can see, has endured pain and suffering that is buried deep below the surface, and now I have blood on my hands. The blood of the most precious person, the one person that gave me purpose and a reason to live, to fight.
“Mummy, mummy, look what I did.”Faye runs to me where I’m sat on the patio. As she reached me, I scooped her up and set her on my lap. She’s waving a piece of paper and talking incessantly. I grab the paper and lay it on her knees to get a better look at it.
