What a nightmare. I needed to get Cami out of here, but I wasn’t sure how to safely execute her departure. Ripper seemed really into her, and I didn’t want him to follow her home.
“Mmmm, coffee,” Chris said, staggering into the kitchen after me. “What’s the plan?” he whispered as he banged some of the kitchen cupboards looking for a mug.
“We need to get her out of here, but I’m afraid he’ll follow her.”
“I think you’re right. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
“How?” I glanced at him before pouring the coffee into the mug.
He winked. “Trust me. You’ll like my plan.”
I took the cup and grabbed him by the elbow so I could shuttle him into the other room.
“Come on, bro. Let’s get you set back down and pour some of this coffee into you—see if we can’t sober you up again.”
“’Mnot drunk,” he replied, slurring his words.
Ripper had slid closer to Cami again, and I almost laughed when Chris nearly sat on his lap as he wedged himself back in between them. Ripper looked slightly put out as he scooted away to give him more room. He glared at me.
I gave an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, man. He’s a little out of it.”
“You think?” he said with an eye roll. “He needs a shower too. He reeks.”
“I can hear you,” Chris said, giving him a swaying look. “’M sssittin’ right here.”
“Chris,” I said, pretending to try and get his attention, but he kept leering at Ripper. “Myers!” I shouted, using his last name alias, and his head snapped to me. “Listen to me. I need you to drink this coffee.” I carefully placed the mug in his hands, and he shakily lifted it to his mouth. “Be careful. It’s hot.”
I glanced between Roberta and Ripper. “Hey, I hate to cut the night short, but I’m gonna need to get this guy cleaned up and safely to bed so he can make it to work in the morning. I’ll get with you two tomorrow, okay?”
Ripper looked relieved. “No worries.” He glanced at Cami. “Come on, Cami. I’ll give you a ride back to your car and make sure you get home okay.”
“No!” Chris said, waving his coffee and sloshing some over the rim onto Ripper’s leg.
Ripper winced and jumped from the sofa. “Damn, dude. Watch what you’re doing!” He glared at Chris. “You burned me!”
“Want my baby sisss to ssstay here. I haven’t ssseen her in agesss.” Chris glanced at Cami with an adoring look in his eyes. His lip quivered like he was going to cry.
I gave an exasperated sigh. “You feel like staying here and helping me out with him tonight? It’ll be like old times.”
She gave a sad smile and patted Chris on the leg. “I’d hoped you were doing better by now.”
He smiled. “’Mbetter now tha’ you’re here.”
“Why don’t you spend the night since it’s so late. I’ll take you to get your car in the morning. You can have my room and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She stared at Chris for a moment. “I guess I can do that.”
I turned to Roberta. “I’ll see you tomorrow after you get off work, okay? Maybe we can go out for dinner or something.”
She gave a sigh, and climbed out of the chair. “Fine. Don’t keep me waiting.”
I glanced over her slowly before looking at her face with a grin. “Never.”
“Hey, man. Call me tomorrow when you get a chance,” Ripper spoke as I opened the door. “I may have a lead on a job for you.”
I clapped him on the shoulder as he walked past. “Will do. Thanks for looking out for me. Have a good night.”
Roberta paused and wrapped her arms around my neck, dragging my face down to hers and kissing me full on the lips. I released the door and wrapped my arms around her, picking her off the ground as I kissed her back heartily. It was killing me to do this in front of Cami.
“Have a good night,” she said when we broke apart, trailing her finger down my chest.
“See ya,” I replied with a smile. I watched them walk out and get into their cars and waved as they drove away. I shut the door and dragged my hand across my mouth as I tried to wipe off Roberta’s lip-gloss.
“I thought they’d never leave,” Chris said, setting his coffee on one of the end tables and standing. He started unbuttoning his shirt. “Good to see you, Cami. Welcome to the madness. Now if you two will excuse me, I need to go take a shower so I can stand myself again. Then we’ll talk and try to figure out this mess the two of you have got us into.” He gave as both a stern look.
Neither of us replied, and he finally shook his head and hurried out of the room.
I stared at Cami, who suddenly seemed awfully quiet.
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say to her. I’d made a mess out of everything.
She gave me a half smile. “That was hard to watch. I know you aren’t actually cheating, but it still feels like I’m being stabbed in the gut.”
My heart twisted in my chest. I sat down and wrapped my arms around her. “Goody, I’m so sorry. I know that doesn’t help, but please know I love you and only you. I’ll do anything required to protect you—even kiss another girl. It has to look believable. I’ve wanted to tear Ripper apart all night. I couldn’t stand seeing his hands on you.”
She gave a soft laugh against my neck. “I know. I can read you better than the others. I could tell you were wound tighter than a kite.”
“You could?” I asked with a chuckle and she nodded against me.
“Hunter?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t let go of me. I’ve missed being in your arms.”
“I’ve missed you too.” I hugged her tighter for several moments before I stood and pulled her up with me. She didn’t ask me where we were going, but I was sure she knew.
I didn’t flip on the light when we entered my room, instead closing the door behind us and leading her to the bed. I stroked her cheek with my thumb, the dim glow from the window highlighting her sweet features.
She gave a quiet moan and nuzzled into my palm.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I said softly. “Every night I lie in this crappy house and wish you were with me.”
“And now I’m here.” She smiled.
“Yeah, and now you’re here.” I trailed my fingers along her arm and over her shoulder, moving until I held her face in both my hands.
She stared at me expectantly, and I bent to place a light kiss against her lips.
“Stay with me tonight. Let me hold you in my arms. I need to feel you against me. I’ll safely return you to your life tomorrow and leave you alone until this whole mess is wrapped up. Then I promise to continue right where we left off and give you all the love and romance you really deserve.”
“What if I don’t want you to leave me alone?” She searched my eyes.
“I can’t have you here, Cami.”
“Why not? I’m already involved. I think I played along okay. Maybe I can help you get the information you need quicker.”
“You can’t stay because I don’t do well hiding my emotions for you. It wouldn’t take long for people to realize I want my ‘sister’ to be the one in my arms.”
“I want to be there too,” she replied.
I battled with the warring desires inside me—the one that wanted her with me, and the one that wanted to keep her safe. The longer I stood there, the more muddled my mind became. I only knew one thing for sure—I was going to make the most of these few stolen moments with her.
Chapter Eleven
Cami-
Hunter gave a loud groan, and I squealed when he suddenly scooped me off my feet. I kicked my shoes off, hearing them hit the floor as he laid me on the bed. It only took a mere second before his body was draped over the top of me, his mouth seeking mine in the darkness.
He kissed me hotly, his tongue invading, as I slid my fingers into his hair, holding his face to mine, returning his affection with everything I had. One of his hands drifted down
my body, slipping underneath me as he held me closer, causing goose bumps to rise on my skin. His mouth drifted to my neck, and his warm breath teased near my ear.
“I’ve missed you so badly,” he whispered before sucking and nipping lightly at my neck.
I leaned my head to the side, loving the feel of what he was doing. I understood exactly what he felt. My hands ran up and down his shirt, enjoying the feel of his muscles bunching in his back.
“Can we stay like this forever?” I breathed out and he chuckled.
“I’m positive there’s got to be better places to hang out together than some old crack house.”
I grinned, staring into his eyes that twinkled in the dim light from the window. “I keep telling you—I don’t care where I am, as long as I’m with you.”
“I realize that, but you deserve the best of everything, and I want to be the one to give it to you. You shouldn’t have to follow me in crazy places like this.”
There was a knock at the door. “You two decent? We need to talk about some things.”
“Damn Chris to Hell,” Hunter muttered with a slight laugh. “Can’t anybody leave us alone for five minutes? We’ll be out in a minute,” he called out louder. “I’m helping Cami get ready for bed.” Hunter grinned as I raised an eyebrow at him. “What? It’s true. Just not in the sense I allowed him to believe.”
We both sighed heavily. Hunter moved from the bed and pulled his shirt off. “Put this on. You can sleep in it.”
I was happy to accept it. He always smelled so good. He sat on the bed and started taking his shoes off. I went to the end of the bed and took my blouse off, slipping his shirt on. It fell to my thighs. I quickly slid my jeans off and folded them together with my blouse.
“You’re so sexy.” It was dark, but I could still see the appreciative stare he gave me and heat crept into my skin. “I like seeing you in my clothes.”
“I’m sorry we got interrupted,” I replied, stepping closer, so I could run my hands over his bare chest. I loved the way it felt.
“Me too, but Chris is right. We need to get some things settled first.”
He kissed me again, his hands running down to my waist, pressing me harder against him before he abruptly stepped away. “Go ahead into the living room. I’ll meet you there in a second. I need to grab a couple things.”
“Okay, hurry.”
He smiled. “Of course.”
Chris gave me a curious glance when I entered, but I just smiled sweetly at him and sat down on the couch. Hunter came into the room, holding a pillow and dragging a blanket with him.
“You’re really going to sleep on the couch?” Chris asked in surprise as he settled into the recliner.
Hunter nodded. “It would be wise to keep up appearances. You never know when Ripper might come here.”
“True,” Chris replied.
I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. I’d been looking forward to spending the night wrapped in Hunter’s arms. Apparently, he’d changed his mind.
He sat beside me, tossing his bedding to the side before draping his arm behind me on the couch. “So what did you need to talk to us about?”
Chris picked up a manila envelope resting on the coffee table. “The chief had a new ID packet made for Cami—driver’s license with a new home address, birth certificate matching our story, and registration for your car in her name.”
Hunter didn’t look too pleased about any of this. “Why did they go to all this trouble? I’m not planning on her being involved after tonight.”
Chris shrugged. “Covering all their bases, I guess. Cami, the chief . . . his name is Dan Robson, by the way, he asked me to give you a few pointers.”
“Okay, like what?” I asked, taking the envelope from him.
“He wants you to be aware of things in your dorm room—pictures, letters, cards, anything like that—from Hunter that would suggest he’s something other than your brother. He’d like you to put those things away, for safety reasons, until Hunter is done handling the case.”
“This seems a bit extreme,” Hunter grumbled. “He better not ever be in her room.”
I patted him on the leg. “No, I think it’s a good idea. We can’t be too careful. I’ll do whatever’s needed to help you both keep your cover. Is there anything else I should do?” I’d never done anything remotely covert in my life. Even though Hunter had been undercover before, I’d had no idea what was going on until everything was over. Being a part of this was both a bit scary and exciting.
Chris shook his head. “No. Go about life as usual. The three of us have permission to exchange phone numbers now, since it would be normal for us to have you as a contact, seeing that you’re our sister and all.”
“Well, that’s something at least,” Hunter said. “The no contact thing was killing me.” He squeezed me to him and placed a kiss on my forehead.
“Still, be aware of what you’re texting to each other. Phones are easily read by other people. It probably wouldn’t hurt us to have a few decoy texts talking about family matters, in case that were to happen.”
“I can do that. We left our phones in the bedroom, though,” I replied. “Let me go get them.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Hunter spoke, keeping me hugged close. “I’ll program everything in for you later. Is there anything else you need to tell us, Chris?”
“Chief is wondering if you’ve found out anything new.”
Hunter sighed. “So far, everything has been on the up and up. All I know is that Ripper works for Charlie’s Garage as a tow truck driver, and he likes to rebuild cars and sell them. I’ve only seen a couple older cars in the shop at the warehouse he stays in, but I’m thinking that could be a front for something else. The place looks deserted from the outside, and with the windows blacked out, it constantly looks abandoned. No one who happened by would have any idea what’s going on inside.”
“I checked into the building owners like you suggested,” Chris said. “It’s actually owned by a great uncle of Ripper’s. The man is old and in a nursing home. As far as I can tell, no one else in the family has any interest in the place, so he’s not really breaking any laws by living there.”
“He lives in a warehouse?” I asked, surprised by this information.
Hunter nodded. “He and Roberta both do. They have quite the setup in there. At least the little bit I’ve seen of the living quarters and bedrooms.”
I shifted uncomfortably at the thought of him in Roberta’s bedroom. She might be his contact, but I had the definite feeling she loved her role with Hunter. I didn’t harbor any tender feelings toward her.
“All right. I guess just keep your eyes peeled. If we don’t get anything else soon we may have to heighten our game a little, push some buttons, so to speak.”
“Please be careful—both of you.” I glanced between them. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t think I could live through that again.”
Chris smiled sadly. “I’m sorry for what you went through before. We’ll do our best to keep everyone safe this time. We know better what we’re up against this go around.”
“Let’s get you to bed,” Hunter said, quickly changing the subject. “You have school tomorrow, and you need your rest. Come on. I’ll tuck you in.”
“Goodnight, Chris. Thanks for everything,” I added, standing to follow Hunter.
“Goodnight.” Chris smiled and stood too, passing us as he headed to his room.
Hunter followed me into his and retrieved both our cell phones. “I’ll get these programmed tonight.”
I stared for a moment at his bare chest before glancing to his eyes. “You know you can stay in here with me, right? I don’t mind. I thought that’s what you wanted.”
He gave a heavy sigh. “I do, but I don’t trust myself to behave. You get me a little excited sometimes, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“A little?” I teased and he grinned.
“Okay, a lot.”
“What if I pr
omise to behave for the both of us? I really miss you—even if you don’t touch me. I just want to be in the same room with you.”
He bent down, kissed me lightly on the lips, and then headed toward the door.
“Hey, I thought you were going to tuck me in.” I felt completely disappointed.
“I am. Wait a second.” He disappeared for a couple minutes, and I sat gingerly on the end of the bed while I waited.
He reappeared shortly. “Sorry. I needed to make sure all the doors were locked. And I fixed my bed on the couch, to keep up appearances. Let’s go to bed.”
I smiled widely. “You’re going to stay with me?”
“Yes, and I promise to be good. But I am going to hold you.”
I sighed. “I can’t think of anything better.”
We crawled under the thin blankets, naturally scooting toward the middle of the bed. He opened his arms, and I slid happily into them. He cradled me close, his breath warm against my hair.
“I love you,” he whispered.
I closed my eyes, feeling more relaxed than I had in a long time, and concentrated on soaking in the warmth of him. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twelve
Cami-
I slid the framed photo of Hunter and me embracing into the drawer. Glancing around my room, I felt satisfied I’d removed any mementos that might not support our new supposed relationship. I hated putting those things away—hiding pieces of our time together—but I knew I needed to do as Chris had asked. Safety was the most important thing.
There was a knock on the door, and I was surprised to find Russ on the other side.
“Where were you last night?” he asked, looking worried. “I tried calling you, but I never got an answer.”
“Sorry,” I apologized. “I didn’t always have my phone with me. Last night was a little crazy. Hunter called me to meet him, and things got a bit weird when the guy he’s tailing showed up.”
“Wow. That’s kind of scary. Did it blow his cover?”
I gestured for him to enter and closed the door behind him. “No, thankfully. But now I’m officially his ‘foster sister.’” I made quotation signals in the air. “He’s hoping I won’t have to be involved anymore, but the police gave me a new identity anyway—just in case.”