Chapter 60
We should be leaving. Instead, I pull Camile into my lap on the edge of the bed. “Sit while we talk.”
“Are you sure any conversation will actually happen like this? I have a feeling you might be using code speak or something.”
“I can behave for a few minutes, and I know you wanted to talk about last night. I’d rather do it with you in my arms.”
She snakes an arm behind me and around my waist. “I like the sound of that, too. I’m sorry I didn’t think of it first. We could have done this before we put our clothes on.”
I chuckle. “Then we would be really late to our meeting with the team. I like you in my shirt by the way.”
“I need some clothes that don’t have FamFind logos on them.”
“I’ll take you shopping when we can get to the city.”
That makes a grin appear. She lays her head against my shoulder. “I’d like that. Now, as much as I’d like to forget about FamFind and Ralph’s existence after he had his hands around my throat, tell me what happened last night. What did you find?”
“Plenty to have them locked up. And that’s before the assault and attempted kidnapping charges he’ll have. You were right. The guy you replaced was involved. As was that guy that showed up looking for the crates. Of course, the guy Tom they sent to take over was also involved. And clearly Ralph is a key player.”
“Nighthawk suspected some of them, but there were so many new people popping up, I wasn’t sure how deep and wide this fraud went.”
I let my hand glide up the smooth bare skin of her thigh. “There are others. But from what I can tell, Ralph and Tom were the masterminds. The others are people in FamFind’s accounting office, from what I can tell. That’s how all that cash was moved around.”
“Did you find any actual cash?”
“There was a large safe in the building. It was locked and bolted to the floor. I’d have blown the door, but I didn’t have any explosives on me. I’m sure that’s what the police will find when they crack it open.”
She shudders, the corners of her frown deepening. “God, what a mess. Just think about all that money that was being spent illegally. I’m so glad the board caught on and hired PCI.”
“They were going to get caught, sooner or later. They were reckless. The fact that Ralph thought he could get you involved…”
I have to stop because the idea of Ralph trying to seduce her and get her tangled up in his shit makes my temples throb.
Camile’s eyes grow worried.
A rumble forms in my throat. After I shake my head, I continue. “Ralph is an asshole that’s lucky to be alive right now. Anyway, they bought a shit load of real estate. Some of it’s still up on the market from what I can tell. They had printouts of listings and marketing material lying on the desk.”
Camile sits up and pulls back from me. “Wait. Does that mean that FamFind will own that real estate and be able to sell it?”
“I’d guess so. I have images of all the records on your spy camera, and grabbed some of the files. They’re in my pack. The police have already gone to the office this morning to secure the location so nothing is removed.”
She nods, her eyes narrowing. I can see her cogs turning. “So, FamFind might actually come out ahead if the land values have gone up.”
I love her brain. “That’s right, sweetheart. It could be possible to recover some or all of the lost money. Or maybe they could do something good with the land.”
Her eyes soften and she kisses my lips. It’s a fast kiss. “Beast, you made that possible. I don’t know if I would have gotten access to that business like you did. The scary part is there might have been someone waiting there to intercept me if I did break in. I owe the success of the mission to you and your team.”
I pull her back into my hold and press my forehead against hers. “You did the hard work. Giving them six months of your life to get inside. I still don’t like thinking about you doing that, it could have been dangerous.”
Her sigh dances over my skin. “I don’t really want to go undercover like that again.”
As I brush a strand of her long red her hair back, I kiss her temple. “You can still do a lot of important work without giving up your life like that.”
Camile runs her fingers gently up my neck, and into my hair. “Good, I’ve got other ways I want to spend my time now.”
I hold her and let my thoughts spin out to the future.
Camile’s finger traces a slow circle on my forearm. “Do we need to call your boss, Marshall, about a job for me?”
“I spoke to him while you were sleeping. But he’s happy to talk to you if you want. We can call him now.”
“I’d like that.”
I stand up, taking her with me, causing her to laugh wildly. After retrieving my phone, I return to the same spot sitting on the bed with her on my lap. “Let’s see if we get a signal. My sat phone is still in the truck where I forgot it.”
We watch the call connect.
“Beast.” Marshall sounds happy on the speaker. I’m grateful he didn’t tell me to get lost earlier.
“Marshall, I’ve got Camile here. She wanted to speak to you.”
She bats her eyes, almost nervously. “Hello, Marshall. I have heard a lot of good things about you. Thank you for being so kind to Beast while he helped me out. I owe you and your team.”
“You do owe me,” he says flatly.
She jolts. Her brows go up. “Oh, right. Just tell me how I can repay you.”
Marshall chuckles. “I’m kind of kidding, but not. I want you to promise me that I get to keep Beast for at least three years. I didn’t start up this new team to have him running off to make babies and build picket fences.”
Her mouth drops open.
I shake my head. “You’ve got me, don’t worry. But I wish you could see the expression on her face right now. You got her. Now get to the good stuff. What about the job?”
“Oh, that good stuff. I thought making babies and building picket fences is the good stuff.”
I kiss the corner of Camile’s open mouth. “See, I told you he was okay with couples.”
On the other end, Marshall grunts. “I have to be. Seems like it’s beyond my control. I gave up and joined the madness. I’m sure Danee will love to meet you. She told me she had a good feeling about you two. She’s one of those people that senses things so I just waited to see how it played out.”
I sigh, feeling happiness spread through my limbs until I’m warm all over. “Marshall, tell her about the job.”
“Right. We need someone with financial expertise. I’ve got my hair on fire with cases, and there’s an endless amount of work ahead. I formally extend you an offer to join Team Falcon. But your work wouldn’t be limited to Falcon. We’d need you to be background support for our other teams too.”
Camile sucks in a breath. “Wow. That’s so… surprising. And so kind of you.”
Marshall is quick to ask, “So that means you’re accepting?”
She glances at me and grins. “Yes, but I don’t think I had a choice, not with the way Lucas, I mean, Beast is looking at me.”
Finally she gets it, I’m not letting her out of my sight. “Damn right.”
There’s a sound on the other end of the line, voices in the background. “Hey lovebirds,” Marshall says, “I gotta go, and you two have got to get to work on our case now that you’ve finished up your work with PCI. I gotta say, Camile, I have no idea what you saw in working for that dude. I wish we’d have found you first.”
Camile tucks her head against my neck. “I think everything worked out perfectly. Scary at times, but perfectly. Without my case, and the dangerous situation here, I’m not sure if Lucas would have had the same appeal.”
I chuckle and press my mouth against her ear. “Sweetheart, I would have won you over anyway.”
She pushes me away with a little smile curling her lips. She mouths, cocky, before she returns to the call. “Marshall, thank you again for the opportunity. I’ll make sure to follow up on my end of the deal. Please let me know what you need for me to work on for your other cases.”
“Copy that. Now you two go find our missing woman. Her bazillionaire father is breathing down my neck. There’s something not right about the guy, but that’s for another conversation.”
“We’re on it. Over and out.” I hit the ‘End’ button and toss my phone on the bed. “Done. Easy. Feel good about it?”
She nods, but her top teeth bite at her lip.
“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”
She pauses and looks into my eyes. “A lot. But I need to ask you something. Do you think it’s strange that we feel like we’re in love so quickly?”
There’s a distinct flutter behind the bones of my ribcage. It’s a feeling I’m beginning to recognize, and one I want to happen often. “I guess once upon a time I would have said it was weird. But not any more. Not after experiencing what it felt like to think I was losing you. Now I know. I didn’t plan on falling in love, but it happened to me. You happened to me. Our path’s crossing in Santa Rosa was the Universe turning my life upside down and making me take notice of what I was missing out on by keeping myself so isolated. Now I can’t imagine not having you.”
Her expression is serious. “I didn’t plan on getting involved with any men. I haven’t ever really trusted them. You shook up everything I know. Right from the beginning, you were determined to take care of me.”
I take us down to the bed and roll her beneath me. Our lips meet, her rising up to me, me lowering myself to her. The kiss is slow, deep, and everything I was craving.
When I pull back, I cradle her face with my hands, holding my weight on my elbows so I don’t crush her small frame. “I couldn’t let something bad happen to you.”
She searches my face. “Thank you, Lucas. I don’t know what would have happened…”
I kiss her hard, taking the words, and hopefully any last remnants of fear with it. “I’ve got you now. Nothing is happening to you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, babe.” I let those words pulse through my veins, warm and sweet like honey. My voice is thick. “Fuck. I can’t believe what it feels like to say that.”
“Feels really good,” Camile whispers softly.
I brush my fingers over her cheek. “I don’t know what you did to me… but I’m glad as hell you did it.”
She smiles teasingly with color rising up on her cheeks. “I know what you did to me, and we need to get out of here because I can barely walk as is.”
I climb off the bed, lifting her as I go. When I set her on her feet, I spank her butt cheek playfully. “I know it’s going to be hard, but try to keep from looking at me lustfully while we’re in the meeting. I might have to drag you off and have my way with you again.”
“I’ll try. But you know, every time I look at you, I can’t help but think about how good?—”
I growl and tug her toward the door. “Don’t. I’m having a hard time convincing myself to leave right now. All I want to do is keep you to myself.”