27. Dax
DAX
Even though it had been almost eight years since I saw Cameron Black, he was as handsome as I remembered, if not more with a dark gray suit, fifties style haircut and scruff on his face.
When I’d dated him, he had more of a skater boy look but this right here looking down at me was a man.
Before I could even respond to what he said to me, the cool metal off the cuffs went around my right wrist and the sound of the other side closing told me that he just tied the two of us together.
“Hmm, like old times I see. Always trying to tie me down,” I mused.
“Aw come on now, beautiful, we both know that you didn’t really mean it when you broke up with me. It was the grief talking. But I think I’ve given you enough time now to yourself. It’s only right we get back to how things should be.”
“Yup, still the same cocky son of a bitch I remember.” I smirk.
Cameron chuckled as he helped me to my feet and grasped my face gingerly with his fingers. “Sorry about that, they got a little hyped up with the whole cat-and-mouse game. You know how those things go.”
“Actually, seeing as I’m usually the cat, being the mouse is a whole new experience and I gotta say—not a fan,” I muttered, shoving his hand away. “Think they’ll let me have my sling back now that they know I don’t have any tricks up my sleeve?”
“Bakersfield, would you mind bringing me that sling you so rudely ripped off Miss Blackmore?” Cameron called over my shoulder. “So that’s why you’ve been hiding out, you got shot in the whole warehouse debacle.”
“Three times to be exact, let’s just say it was a rough night… Is that what this is all about?” I ventured, watching as the cops dragged my guys away. “Do you want me to help with that? I could get my boys to go easier if you give me a clue as to what’s going on.”
Cameron tilted his head a little as he glanced between me and the guys. “I have to say, you being buddy-buddy with the Phantom Saints is not what I expected, but since I need Eagle and Cognac’s help, it might be good to calm things down.”
“If you put us all in the same car, it will help. Oh, and let Dani go. She’s just my nurse. We’ve kept her in the dark about everything,” I added, crossing my fingers and hoping he would listen.
Shocking the hell out of me, Cameron kissed me on the cheek and intertwined our fingers before heading over to the guys. “Hold up there.”
Void looked like he was ready to murder Cameron when he saw us cuffed together, holding hands. “What the fuck you playing at, fed? Get your fucking hands off my little demon.”
Yup, there is definitely something wrong with me because that right there was sexy as fuck.
“Lachlan, that is a conversation we will need to have later. For now, I’m willing to play nice if you do the same in return.
Get in the SUV willingly and I will make sure that Dax is in there too.
” Cameron paused to see the guys’ response to this, and they relaxed slightly. “Great, now Dani, is it?”
“Yes well—Danielle Oberwise is my full name,” Dani answered.
“Lovely name. I’m sorry you got caught up in all this and one of these nice officers will take you home now,” Cameron instructed, waving a cop over.
“What, I can’t leave Dax, she’s in my care. Do you even know what she’s been through? That stunt you pulled could have caused internal bleeding if you ruptured any of her internal stitches,” Dani challenged.
Cameron glanced down at me then back at her. “I see why she likes you, Dani. What if I promise to have her checked out by our medical staff the moment we get to where I’m taking them? Will that set your mind at ease? After all, it is our responsibility for causing the trauma in the first place.”
I could see Dani ready to fight him, but I gave a subtle shake of my head to let it go. “I’ll be fine, Dani, I promise, if those bullets didn’t take me down the first time, I’m not gonna let them do it a second time.”
“You’ll reach out when you can once all this is over?” she asked.
“For sure, now go home and be ready to start your new job next week, alright?” I suggested.
She nodded and followed the cop that was going to take her home, letting her slide into the back seat then drove off. Now that she was gone, I turned on Cameron and looked him dead in the eye. “Where the fuck is Wes?”
“Ah there she is. I was wondering when the possessive lioness was going to come out and protect her cub.” Cameron grinned. “You’ll just have to wait and see, now won’t you? Come on let’s not keep everyone waiting. There is so much to catch up on—I mean it’s been like eight years.”
“Is that all?” I grumbled.
“All right, Saints, pile on into the car and we’ll get this show on the road,” Cameron announced.
Picasso glared, looking him up and down. “What the fuck’s wrong with this guy?”
“Did you want that in alphabetical order or more to less irritating?” I chirped.
“Nope, I don’t like this at all,” Void rumbled, as he ducked into the SUV.
Eagle puffed out his chest and took a step closer to Cameron trying to intimidate him, but Cam wasn’t one to be pushed around that easily. “Don’t get comfortable with that hand of hers G-man, she’s already spoken for.”
“I look forward to hearing all about it once we get out of the middle of the freeway and let the normal people return to their lives. Ladies first,” Cameron answered, giving Eagle a beaming smile.
It took everything within me not to snort at the face of pure hatred that Eagle had going on right now.
That was Cam for you. He knew just how to get under your skin in the most irritating ways.
Except for me, it was his biggest challenge to get a rise out of me, but I just shot it right back at him.
I think that’s actually how we ended up dating, because neither of us planned that when I caught him breaking into the computer lab to steal the tests for the chem students’ midterms.
“Just ignore him and he’ll eventually give it a rest,” I told Eagle. “The sooner we go the sooner we can get the fuck out of there.”
Eagle dipped his head down, giving me a searing kiss before he joined the others in the car. I couldn’t help but hum my pleasure at the fact he was staking a claim in front of Cam. It just did my little broken heart good.
“Oh, this is just going to be so much fun. I can’t wait to see how the others will react when they join us,” Cam shared, as he slid in first and helped me up beside him.
“Wait what? What do you mean the others? What others?” I demanded a tingle going down my spine, telling me I was not going to like this.
“The other two of your men of course. I told you that I needed Juan and Enzo’s help.
Oh, I’m sorry Cognac and Eagle, as I’m sure they prefer to be called,” Cameron corrected but not before Eagle was growling in the back seat.
“Eagle, you should relax, it’s not like it’s the first time you’ve dealt with the FBI.
If I read correctly, you came to us for help with your uncle, right? ”
Now it was my turn to step in. I twisted my hold on Cameron’s hand so if I kept bending it, I would snap his wrist. “That’s enough, Cam.”
“So that’s where you’ve been hiding Two Tricks, bubbling right under the surface.
Big fan of yours I must say, totally had me fooled for years.
I thought it was Weston,” Cameron chatted, not at all concerned that I was willing to hurt him…
or did he think he was safe from me? Guess I’ll have to test that out later when it would really do me some good.
The car fell silent as we drove, navigating through the roadblocks until we headed toward downtown.
I leaned my head against the window, trying to block out the pain that was still throbbing down my arm from the cop trying to arm wrestle me.
Although I knew the silence in the car wouldn’t last that much longer, knowing my guys.
“You okay, little demon?” Void asked from right behind me.
I shifted to look over at him and gave him a small smile. “Nothing I can’t handle, big guy.”
“I’ll make sure we get you some pain meds when we get back to the office, I promised after all,” Cam said, running his thumb over the back of my hand.
It was strange how oddly comforting it was to have him around again, I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, but still it felt...
right. I had no idea what to tell the guys if they asked me about him, it wasn’t my story to share, and I didn’t know how much the FBI really knew about his upbringing.
In an effort to keep my mind off my arm I went through the top reasons why they would need me as well as Eagle and Cognac, for something.
We didn’t really have a connection other than three weeks ago when they kidnapped me, before that I wouldn’t be able to pick them out of a crowd.
“When we get there, I’m calling Gabby,” Eagle stated. “No way I’m saying anything without a lawyer present.”
Ah that’s right, I almost forgot about their sister being a lawyer, although I didn’t think she was the right kind to help them with this problem.
“Don’t waste your time. I’m sure if they gave him a chance, Wes already called our lawyer, and he’s the best at dealing with this kind of shit. ” I sighed.
“Who Manshooly? Yeah, those guys are pretty good if you can afford him,” Cam agreed.
“He’s been on retainer for the past few years, just for a situation like this.” I smiled, winking at Cam. “Hope you weren’t counting on me sticking around.”
“See, here’s the thing, beautiful, that would help you if you were being charged with something. I’m actually here to make a deal with you and the boys,” Cam confessed.
“What the fuck, man? Why the takedown if you need our help?” Picasso snapped.
“You could have killed us with the stunts you were pulling back on the highway,” Void pointed out.
Eagle just glared at Cam, not willing to voice his thoughts just yet.
“Give me a chance to get you guys safe, Dax looked at, and I’ll explain everything,” Cam coaxed.
“Don’t bother trying to get anything else out of him, he’s fucking Fort Knox when he wants to be. Oddly endearing as it is irritating, trust me,” I said, rolling my eyes at the mock look of horror Cam gave me.
Finally, we pulled into the underground parking for the Federal Building and were escorted in a side entrance where they patted us down.
The guys got their knives taken that the cops hadn’t found when they patted them down the first time, making me feel a little proud of them.
You can’t teach shit like that, you either have the gift or you don’t.
I of course was packing nothing, seeing as I didn’t have the chance to get ready like I wanted to.
“You three go with Agent Todd while I take Dax to the doctors. We’ll be with you as soon as we’re done,” Cam instructed.
“Not a fucking chance feeb, no way you are taking her somewhere that I can’t keep an eye on her,” Void threatened, dropping the pretense of “playing nice.”
“Why can’t you have the doc come to us, hmm?” Eagle challenged.
Cameron looked at them with raised eyebrows. “Wow, you guys have zero faith in me to make sure she stays safe do you? Guys look, I was taking care of her long before you even knew she existed, let the OG boyfriend deal with things, okay?”
I choked on my own spit as he called himself my boyfriend. “Excuse me? My what?”
“Details, but it’s bound to be true soon enough, I know you still have a thing for me, and you’ve always been the only woman for me so…” He shrugs. “Either let me take care of her while you hang out with Weston, or I have to put you guys in holding cells until we’re done. You pick.”
“You guys do remember I know how to take care of myself, right? Yeah, I’m a little gimpy, but that won’t stop me from chopping his dick off if I have to,” I reminded them. “Go tell Wes what’s been going on and I’ll see you guys in a bit. Don’t burn the building down with me in it, okay?”
They all muttered their agreement and walked off with Agent Todd.
“You are one hard lady to get alone, you know that?” Cam sighed.
I turned to tell him off, but his hand slipped around the back of my head pulling me to his lips.
It was just as intoxicating as I remembered, like smooth whiskey on my tongue, lighting a fire as it made its way down to my stomach.
Then I remembered who I was, where I was, and who he worked for.
I jammed my knee into his balls, catching him totally off guard as he crumpled to the ground clutching himself with his free arm, so he didn’t pull me down with him.
Guess he did think he was safe with me…