Cameron’s face regards me with such patience and kindness. I never really felt that I deserved this amount of respect from anyone, but somehow Cameron is proving to me that I’m worthy. Maybe we can actually be…something.
“That’s okay, I know that was a big ask of me. I just want to know where we stand when I start our lessons.” Cameron bites his cheek, a habit I’ve noticed he does when he’s overthinking things.
“When do we start? I wanna see where you do it all, cause I know everything there is about The Whispering Killer’s motives, I know you kill at a different location and then place them in a newlocation. I know it’s usually only people who have been suspected or are killers themselves. Do you ever regret killing those people?” The questions come pouring out of me unrelenting and without pause.
I look up to him, a smile grows on his face, he’s fucking enjoying this and I can’t help but match the smile. “What?” My face scrunches teasingly as he leans in and kisses me.
“You just never cease to amaze me.” His words are gentle, but hit my soul in a way that makes me feel like this is the safest place in the world.
“You’re evading the questions.” Leaning in, I kiss him in return, fully knowing the game that he’s playing with me.
“Not evading, just trying to figure out how to answer them for you.” Cameron laughs softly, “I promised you honesty, so here we go. We can start in a week or two. I needed things to quiet down with Simon’s… disappearance before heading tomyunit. Zack had the unit cleaned up so there would be nothing leading back to either of us. I cannot give any more details on his involvement, that’s kind of how our friendship works. He’s got ties in places that even I will never understand–”
It’s as if I can see the thoughts spiraling around his head. I think that’s all I’m going to get from him but he doesn’t stop.
“In regards to you seeing everything, I do the actual killing and information gathering at a unit that I rent for storage. The bodies, I usually leave them at the last seen location of their last victim.” He smiles wide at me, shaking his head, he tucks a single hair behind my ear. “I wanna lie to you so that I don’t scare you off. I think no matter what I say, I’ll scare you off.”
I shake my head, “No, I wanna know the truth. All of it.”
Cameron sucks in a breath and shakes his head, “No, baby. I don’t feel regrets for killing the people I’ve killed. I don’t even know if I have regrets for when my dad killed your mom. They weren’t good people. I feel bad for the pain that it caused you, but they weren’t able to hurt anyone else now.”
The words, had I heard them the other day, would have sent me into a spiral, but somehow they don’t right now. Instead, the settle over me like a piece of me that was missing, that suddenly I’m seeing through a full lens.
“I get it. I think–” My tongue brushes over my teeth, as I try to get the words out that sit heavy in my heart. “I think everything upset me as much as it did growing up because I never understoodwhymy parents were killed. Now I get it, and now all I want to do is make sure that no one else gets hurt because of people like my parents and Simon.”
“Well then, Cherry girl, that’s exactly the reason I kept on doing what my dad started. So, if you’re ready, we can head to the unit tomorrow morning. We can start your lessons.”
His smile matches one of a kid in a candy store and despite the heavy atmosphere, can’t help but laugh and smile.
“Let’s do this, baby. I’m ready to learn.” He pulls me close, pinning me down on the bed. His body hovers over me, leaning down he peppers my neck, chin, and lips with kisses.
“Have I told you how fucking perfect you are?” His voice is a growl and I can’t help but let out a gleeful laugh. Cameron hops out of bed, as he pulls me up into his arms.
“Cam! Put me down!” I squirm trying to get out of his arms, but he kisses me again. Relenting he puts me down and slaps my ass. I let out a yelp and reel towards him. “You’re such a child!”
He laughs hard as he rolls his eyes, laughing. “Only for my Cherry girl. Only for you.” I never want this to end. I will do anything this man tells me to, as long as it means that I will be with him until my very last breath. I interlock my fingers with his, and we start walking back to the front door.
Without warning, he pulls me to a direct stop, his face serious, as he grabs my chin forcing me to keep my eyes on him. I feel the world around me stop, and it’s just not fucking fair. “Cam– what is it?” I don’t know what to do but my heart stops and I immediately let out a whimper as the fear and tears fly out of me.
He’s just staring at me and I start to realize that it’s not some sort of inner motivation causing him to stand in my way like this. He’s blocking me from seeing something. I try to pull away from his hold, but he only gets firmer. With enough resistance, however, he frees me to not to hurt me. And now I’m staring at it.
Tucked into the frame of his door, sits a single red fucking rose. Before I even have a moment to react, I look towards Cameron, whose brows furrow and without a second thought. “Move in with me.”
“I can’t breathe, Cameron… I thought–I thought.” Cameron grabs my cheeks gently as he firmly grabs me by the chin forcing me to face him.
“Leyla, look at me.” His voice is a beacon of calm and confidence. “You are moving in with me. I need to figure out what’s happening, and I don’t want you anywhere where I can’t see you. You are mine, and maybe it wasn’t Simon who was leaving you theroses, but I won’t let anyone hurt you. I won’t let anyone else near you, and you are moving in with me.”
The logic is solid, and I know that what he’s saying makes sense. I try to look towards the door where the rose sits positioned to taunt me, and his firm grasp doesn’t let me.
“No.” Cameron practically growls out. “Eyes on me.”
A shudder rolls through my body and I can’t process what he’s saying, but the more that I think about it, the more that this all makes sense. “Okay– okay yea.” I sigh and look at him, lips pursed as I start to think of all the logistics of this.
“But… my lease…”
“Let me handle that, we can get you out of this lease because it’s no longer safe for you to live here. I’ll text Alex if I have to for the legality of all of this. You’re safe, baby girl, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you never feel unsafe again.” His hands gently rub up and down my arms, as he has finally dropped his hands from my face. “I love you.” Cameron whispers into the crown of my head, and I can’t help but melt into him.
Chapter 30
