Chapter 24
24
M iriam slid into Bethany’s car in the parking lot of Golden Arbor and the two friends headed back to the Saint’s compound.
“The men are still meeting, and I knew that Cam had dropped you off at work, so I jumped at the chance to visit Gram and pick you up at the same time,” Bethany explained.
“I’m glad you did,” Miriam replied, smiling. “It’s a nice surprise.”
For a few minutes, the friends talked about mundane things before falling into a comfortable silence. Miriam noticed that Bethany kept glancing over at her without saying anything.
“You want to tell me what’s on your mind?” Miriam asked.
“Sorry,” Bethany said. “I do have something to ask you, but I’m…well, quite frankly, I’m kind of scared to bring it up.”
Miriam twisted in her seat and said honestly, “I know we’re still new friends, but I’d like to think that we could talk about anything.”
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Bethany began, “You know what happened to me, when…when I was captured by that killer last year. Well, I have found a psychologist who specializes in victim trauma. She practices in Richmond and even runs a group. I want to go…just to check her out and see if it’s worth trying, but I really…well, I was thinking?—”
“Yes!” Miriam blurted out.
“Really?” Bethany asked, her nervousness now replaced with hope.
“Absolutely. In fact, I was thinking that I needed to do something. Cam and I actually had a fight the other day for the first time about him being there for me.” Shaking her head, Miriam said, “That came out wrong. Cam doesn’t mind being there for me, but he doesn’t want me to make things worse.” Then giggling, she added, “Bart was there and actually had to help us stop the argument.”
“Bart?” Bethany asked incredulously. “I’m just getting to know all the guys, but he strikes me as the happy-go-lucky, never get involved type of guy. I don’t think he would know love unless it came right up and bit him in the ass!”
“Well, it’s probably because we were interrupting the football game.”
“Yep, that sounds like Bart!”
Pulling into Jack’s driveway several minutes later, they saw the men piling out of Jack’s house. Cam’s eyes landed on the car and a smile lit his face. Miriam bounded out of the car almost before Bethany parked, then was uncertain as to how much public display of affection Cam wanted with his friends around.
She should not have worried. Cam hurried down the last few steps and lifted her off her feet into a bear hug before she had a chance to greet him. With one arm around her waist and one at the back of her head, he swung her around several times before leaning back to gently kiss her hello.
By the time Miriam was aware of the others, Bethany had snuggled into Jack’s embrace and the rest of the Saints were smiling.
With a wave of his hand, he continued to walk-carry her over to his truck, settling her inside. Once they were heading down the road, he nervously glanced over to her, catching her eye.
Huffing, she said, “Bethany was doing the same things earlier. Staring at me like she wanted to say something but was afraid to. Am I that scary?”
“What was it Bethany wanted?” he asked.
“Oh, now you’re deflecting. What was it that you wanted to say?” she quipped.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment before finally saying, “I got a call from Ma earlier. She was tired of not having met you and with us living together, she wanted a big family meal Friday night.”
“So soon?” she squeaked. “That gives me no time to prepare!”
“Yeah, but it also gives you no time to worry either.” He glanced over, keeping a pulse on her emotions but, other than being surprised, she did not seem too upset. “ Carina , we don’t have to if you really don’t want to.”
“No, it’s fine. It really is,” she confessed. “I’d like to meet them, but it just seems sudden.”
Silence filled the cab for a few minutes, each lost to their own thoughts before Cam asked, “Now, what did Bethany want?”
“She said that she knows of a counselor that specializes in trauma victims and there is a group meeting in Richmond. She would like to go for herself and thought I might like it as well.”
He turned quickly, once more checking to see her reaction. “What did you say?” he asked cautiously.
Smiling, she faced him and replied, “I said that I’d like to go.”
His face registered surprise as he quickly asked, “Are you sure, babe?”
“Yeah. It’s time. I’m doing really well, I think, all things considered. But yeah, it’s a group of people who have been victims also. Maybe it would be good. And with Bethany there, I won’t feel so weird going.”
By now, they had reached Cam’s house and, as he stopped the truck, she leaned over, placing her hand on his face. “Sweetie, you know that you have been the biggest factor in my doing as well as I am.”
“I’d do anything for you, mi amour .” Holding her gaze, he added, “I love you, Miriam. I think I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you.”
Her breath caught in her throat as his words soothed over her, filling her soul. “Oh, I love you too, Cam.” Giving a small giggle, she said, “Probably since the moment you leaned in and whispered Jobe, and I knew you’d come for me. My prince.”
Cam pulled her in for a kiss that quickly moved from gentle and sweet to white hot. Mumbling against her lips, he said, “Inside. Now.”
With that, they broke apart, each quickly jumping out of the truck and racing to the front door. She jumped into his arms just as he kicked the door closed and he carried her to the bedroom. This time, he forced himself to go slow, letting her body slide down the front of him until her feet were touching the floor.
She grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt, jerking it up as far as her arms would allow before he took over and pulled it the rest of the way over his head. His sculpted chest and abs were clearly defined, capturing her attention.
While he enjoyed her ogling, he deftly pulled her nursing scrub top over her head and added it to the growing pile in the floor.
Sliding her hands along his chest, she flicked her fingertips over his nipples, watching as they pebbled, and enjoyed hearing the hiss intake of his breath.
Bending, Cam hooked his thumbs in her elastic waist scrub bottoms and quickly slid them down her legs, snagging her panties in the process. Gotta admit, her nursing pants are easy to get rid of, he thought as the prize he had been seeking was presented to him. Her glorious, naked body.
Instantly wet, she knew he wanted to be in charge, but she had a few tricks of her own. Turning him around so that his back was to the bed, she placed her hands on his chest and gave him a little push. He went backwards, a surprised look on his face that quickly changed to lust as he realized what she was doing.
She slowly crawled over his body, her breasts hanging delectably in front. She saw his pupils dilate as he feasted upon the sight of her hard nipples coming tantalizingly closer.
He started to sit up on the bed with his arms reaching out, but she held up a finger waving it back and forth. “Oh no, big boy. This part of the show is all mine.”
She licked her way up his abs toward his pecs, landing at his nipples where her little, pink tongue darted out to flick the hard nubs. His sharp intake of breath hissed, and she grinned at the power she held. Sitting to the side of his hips, she undid his belt buckle and unzipped his pants down over his massive erection. Standing quickly, she leaned over the bed, pulling his pants over his ass and down his legs, allowing her breasts to once again tease and tantalize.
He lifted his hips to assist her in ridding him of the unnecessary clothing and heard the snap of the belt buckle hit the floor as his pants and boxers joined the other clothing scattered there.
Climbing back over him, this time she straddled him before bending to lick his cock from bottom to its glistening tip. Sliding her lips over him, she took as much as she could into her warm mouth while using her hand to grasp the bottom of his shaft, flicking her fingers over his balls.
This time his hiss was loud and sounded almost painful. She lifted her gaze to his, her lips smiling around his cock.
Fuck. She’s killing me. Knowing he would come too soon if he didn’t take over the show, he grabbed her, rolled and pulled her under him. He latched his mouth over one of her engorged nipples, sucking deeply. Immediately he felt her writhe under him, instinctively trying to ease the pressure in her core by rubbing it on his swollen cock.
Kissing his way from her nipples to the pulse at the base of her throat, over to nibble on her earlobe, he savored every taste. Finally latching onto her lips, he kissed her as though she were the last breath to be had. Their tongues tangled in an age-old dance as he explored every crevice of her mouth.
She loved the taste of him, craving him, angling her head so he could take the kiss deeper. Wetter. Harder. She latched onto his tongue, sucking it into her mouth as she swallowed his groan. For a man as in control as Cam, she loved taking him over the edge.
He left her lips only to slide down her body until his mouth came to the prize between her legs. Using his hands to push her knees apart, he used his fingers to mimic the action with her folds. Licking her fully before circling his tongue on her clit had her hips jerking off the mattress.
Smiling to himself as he relished the taste of her, he pushed his tongue inside over and over until she was screaming his name as she came. Like fuckin’ nectar.
Miriam lay boneless and panting on the bed. What that man can do with his tongue! She was vaguely aware of him kissing his way back up her body, but it was his talented tongue that brought her back to consciousness. He sucked one nipple while his hand fondled the other breast. The tingling sensation from her nipple went straight to her core that was still recovering from the last assault. Spreading her legs wider for him, she welcomed his hard cock into her willing body, feeling it stretching to accommodate his girth.
Plunging into the hilt, Cam felt connected to her in more ways than just sex. He realized he had been sent to rescue her, but in many ways, she rescued him. She was the lifeline that pulled him in, gave him a purpose besides just protection and investigation. I haven’t felt this alive since before I went undercover for the police department years ago. Looking down at her flushed face, eyes closed, smile playing on her kiss swollen lips, her dark hair flowing on the pillow below— mi amour.
His strokes increased in pace as he worshiped her body. Sliding his hand down to her clit, he fingered the swollen nub as he continued to plunge in and out of her tight sex. Feeling her inner walls beginning to clench he knew her second orgasm was near. “Come on, carina . Come for me.”
She felt the flames grow higher and higher until she gave over to the blaze of her release. Screaming his name once again as her sex grabbed onto his cock, she raked her fingernails down his back, trying to pull him closer to her. Her breasts rising and falling rapidly as her heartbeat pounded, she could feel him as his breathing changed.
Opening her eyes, wanting to see him come, she watched as he thrust over and over until he threw his head back and roared out his release. His eyes were closed, his neck strained as the veins bulged and she leaned up to lick the spot where she saw his heartbeat pulse.
His eyes opened as he crashed down on her, floored by the force of his orgasm. Never, Jesus, never have I felt like that. Knowing that he must be crushing her, he moved to the side, taking her with him so that she was partially on top.
They lay in silence, allowing their pounding hearts to slow and their breathing to even out. She continued to kiss his neck gently, loving the feel and taste of him. With his arms wrapped around her, she was cocooned in warmth and safety.
When he could finally think again, he opened his eyes and stared at the beauty in front of him. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. She fit perfectly tucked into his embrace. He rose up just long enough to lean over, grabbing the covers to pull on top of them. He saw his semen on her thigh.
Fuck! What if she becomes pregnant? A slow smile replaced the first reaction of fear. A baby with her. That’d be fine by me!
“What are you smiling about, big boy?” she asked, watching the various emotions play across his face.
His gaze jumped nervously to hers and he cleared his throat before speaking. “Um, babe, I know I should say I’m sorry, but…well, I forgot to use a condom.” He saw her eyes widen, but rushed in to add, “I’m clean. Yo u know I am, and honest to God, carina , if you get pregnant it’s all right by me.”
Her face gentled into a smile as her hand cupped his face. “I’m back on the pill, Cam. We should be fine.” Leaning up, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. “But thank you for that.”
Grinning down at her, he nodded, pressing his cheek into her small hand. “I love you, babe,” he whispered against her lips.
“I love you, too,” came the quiet reply.
The next evening, Miriam looked through her email, surprised to see one from a Red Cross. Opening it immediately, she quickly read the missive.
My dear, I was so pleased to find that you made your way back home. I am now back with the Red Cross and continuing my work. Lorainne went to be with God the night you left, and I was allowed to go back to Los Mochis. I am sorry to say that I never saw Sharon again.
I have been invited to the Red Cross event and hope that you will be there as well. It would be good to see you again.
Sister Genovi a
Oh, my God! With shaking hands, she grabbed the Red Cross invitation from the pile of mail on the counter and found the email address for the RSVP. No longer concerned with the publicity or the memories it might provoke, the thought of seeing the kind nun once more was the only thing on her mind. She sent in her reservation, knowing that she would be able to face the crowd with Sister Genovia at her side.
Pouring a glass of wine, she settled on the sofa, her head leaned back as she allowed some of the memories to slide over her. The tragedy of losing Lorainne was sharp, but she knew that she was in a much better place. So, they let Sister Genovia go. I suppose they saw no threat in her, knowing she would stay in Mexico and continue to help those who needed it. Suddenly thinking of the event, she hoped that Sister Genovia would be allowed to make it. But if she’s back working with the Red Cross now, then I guess they will take care of everything.
Sipping on the wine, she realized that for the first time she was able to process some memories without a panic attack. Closing her eyes once more, she allowed her mind to think of Sharon. Where is she? Did she stay as a mistress to Dr. Villogas? Jerking her eyes open, she realized her breath was becoming rapid, so she stood quickly to stop the thoughts.
Just then, the front door opened, and Cam walked through. Taking one look at her, he crossed the room quickly, pulling her into his arms. “What’s wrong, baby?”
He felt her shake her head against his chest before she leaned back to look into his face .
“No, I’m really okay,” she said. “I got an email from Sister Genovia who is coming to the Red Cross event. So, I emailed my reply back. I’m going to go, Cam.”
His eyes narrowed in suspicion, saying, “Are you sure it was her?”
“Yes,” she replied. “She said that Lorainne passed away the night we left and that she had not seen Sharon again.”
Knowing that Cam was in doubt, she led him by the hand over to her laptop, showing him the email.
“I’m going to have Luke take a look at this. I want the Saints to follow up and make sure this was from her.”
“You think it’s false?” she asked, her voice now fearful.
Hating that he put that there, he said, “Don’t know. But I’ll feel better if we check it out.”
Nodding, she smiled, loving his concern and settling back into his embrace.
The Saints worked around the table once more. Assignments were handed out and the new cases were discussed. Bart looked at the calendar and asked, “Jack, would it be okay if I took a few days next week off? It’s been a while since I visited my grandmother in Virginia Beach. I’ve got a cousin there also and I’d like to head out for a family visit. It’ll give me a chance to catch up with some SEAL buds stationed there.”
“Absolutely,” Jack replied, then looked around the table. “Come to think of it, most of you haven’t had any sick or vacation days. You want ‘em, you put ‘em on the calendar and we work around them. Everyone got that?”
Everyone nodded before going back to business.
Luke said, “I’ve got some info for Cam, but figure the rest of you would like in on it.”
Cam turned his immediate attention to Luke, but a quick glance around indicated that all the other Saints were on alert.
“Miriam received an invite to a Red Cross appreciation event but had decided to decline. Last evening she received an email from Sister Genovia, now back with the Red Cross, still in Mexico. The email said that she would be at the event and wanted to see Miriam. And according to Cam, she has now replied that she would attend,” Luke reported. “As you can imagine, Cam wanted me to do an email trace to see what I could find out.”
Sending his information to their tablets, he reported, “The email did come from a computer located at the Red Cross main center in Los Mochis. I contacted them directly and they confirmed that Sister Genovia was returned to the Red Cross center where she has remained working in their main hospital. The storm wiped out more villages that were already damaged from the earthquake and so she’s been busy.”
“So, the cartel let her go?” Bart asked incredulously.
“Apparently,” Luke said. “But not willing to take their word for it, I contacted Alberto for direct confirmation. Manuel went and visited her there. According to the Sister, after Miriam escaped and Lorainne died, someone in the cartel must have taken pity on her and allowed her to return to her Red Cross duties in Los Mochis. It could be their belief system, but from what Miriam told us, Sister Genovia was a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps, fearing the wrath of God, assisted in letting her return.”
“What about the event?” Jack queried.
“She’s got a flight into Richmond on Friday evening and the event is Saturday. I also checked with the Richmond Red Cross, and they said the diocese will be taking care of her while she’s in the country and then her plans were to return to Mexico to continue her work.
Cam slowly nodded his head, knowing that Luke had thoroughly checked everything. Heaving a deep sigh, he thanked his friend, adding, “Thank fuck. Maybe this nightmare is about over for her.”