Chapter 12
Devlin
It was Sunday and Elisewas getting ready to go to her parents’ place for lunch. She kept asking me to meet them, but until I had Cameron under control, I didn’t want to involve myself in their family time. I missed her so much when she was gone, but it was important she had time with them every week.
She had been asking me questions about myself and I answered as many as I could with complete honesty. I had neglected to tell her my past and how I ended up in that house, killing my ownfamily all those years ago. The questions would be too difficult to answer so I sidestepped them.
“Give my best to your parents,” I said, pulling her into a bruising kiss.
I wanted her soaked, thinking about riding my cock until she returned. I was a bastard to get her worked up before going to her parents, but a sick part of me loved knowing her pussy was slick with desire all day.
“Maybe you can join us next week. It’s Fourth of July and they want to have a cookout before coming back here to watch the fireworks at the lake.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, looking vulnerable.
“Maybe.”
“Please think about it. It would mean a lot to me if you finally met them.” Her green eyes shined up at me and I wanted nothing more than to make her happy.
I nodded, linking my hand with hers. Taking the elevator to the garage, I made sure I secured her inside her car before watching her drive away. Going back to my apartment, I found James eating lunch at the table. He grunted toward the kitchen and took another bite of his fried chicken. I made myself a plate, waiting to hear from Freddie that she was secure with Chuck and Blaire.
“Still nothing?” I asked around a bite of food.
“Nothing,” he replied, tossing the bare chicken bone on his plate and wiped his hands.
The level of frustration around not finding Cameron was pissing us all off. Three weeks we had been searching for him. We had tapped into every camera system we could without drawing too much attention to ourselves. So far, the software couldn’t match him. Twiceit picked up Chuck as a possiblematch and James had to write new code to exclude him.
My phone chimed and I looked down, blowing a frustrated breath into the room. “Freddie had a flat tire a few blocks from their neighborhood.” I shook my head and started texting Elise.
Me: Let me know when you get to your parents.
I had tried to give her as much freedom as she needed, even though there was a tight leash around her neck, figuratively speaking. I saw three dots letting me know she was responding.
Elise: I just got here. I’ll let you know when I’m heading back. Love you.
Me: I love you more.
If she knew the depths of my need for her, how long I had protected her, she would know how honest my words were. James and I got back to work, looking through the stacks of files we had delivered from the warehouse I stored most of Marco’s stuff in.
These were the personal files of his business acquaintances. James couldn’t find Cameron associated with any single person. His presence was usually accompanied by six to eight different people. No connection to either me or Elise could be established, so we had to ditch that idea. I had been beating the punching bag in my apartment until my arms felt like lead weights, hoping to burn off the anger coursing through my veins like fire.
“I’m going for a walk. Call me if you find anything,” I said to James after I changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
He waved his hand dismissively as I left the apartment, taking the stairs down five flights and out the back gate to the street. Starting down the path, I let James’s recollection of the day Cameron approached Elise play out in my mind as I strolled the path. Close to an hour later, I was at the Pierce family’s gate and I stepped up to the keypad.
Punching in the code from memory, I walked through the gate and closed it behind me. I found a bench up ahead in the shade and I sat down, closing my eyes as the thoughts and memories clashed in my brain. Years of anger, betrayal, fear, and disappointment were swirling around, reminding me of the scared little boy whose parents traded him to Marco for a debt.
My phone chimed in my pocket. I looked down to see Freddie had texted me, and when I saw the message, I clenched the phone until the screen cracked. Letting myself out the gate, I ran with full speed back to my apartment, fighting to catch my breath as I burst through the door.
