Chapter Eighteen
Cameron debated whether he should go back to Gigi’s again that night or take a night off so he wouldn’t appear to come on too strong.
He debated the pros and cons while enjoying a hot shower after work.
All he’d thought about all day was what a relief it had been to tell her how he felt about her and to finally get the chance to kiss her.
Who was he kidding? He was going back there again tonight and probably every night from now on—if she’d have him.
After his shower, he dressed in a dark blue Henley and faded jeans and put a leash on his pug, Jeffrey, before heading out to pick up dinner at an Italian place she’d raved about when he brought her food from there last week.
He’d decided it was time to introduce Gigi to Jeffrey because if the two of them didn’t get along, there’d be no hope for them as a couple.
As he approached his car in the lot, something looked weird, which had him immediately reaching for the weapon he never left home without.
When he got closer, he saw that all four of the tires on his Dodge Charger were flat.
She called him. “What the hell?”
“No idea,” Cameron said. “I stopped at home after work to shower and was here for about thirty minutes. When I came out, every tire was flat.”
“What do you have for security cameras in the area?”
“I’ll run over to the management office to check.”
“Okay, let me know, and get Archie’s team looking at our cameras in the area, too.”
“Will do.”
“Was it only your car?”
“I took a quick look and didn’t see any others.”
“So this is something personal. Any idea who might have a beef?”
The realization hit him like a fist to the gut. She wouldn’t. Would she? “Jaycee.”
“Your girlfriend?”
“Ex-girlfriend. I took your advice and made some changes to my life, beginning with ending my relationship with her. She didn’t take it well.”
“How do you mean?”
“She was pissed. Said I led her to believe we’d be getting married when that’s absolutely not true. I never talked to her about marriage. I swear to God, Sam. That never happened.”
“I believe you, but I think you need to entertain the possibility that she’s acting out.”
“I just can’t believe she’d do something like this.”
“I never imagined my ex-husband would try to kill me. Watch your back, Cameron. If she’s capable of vandalizing your car, who knows what else she might do?”
“Gigi.”
“What?”
“I’ve been spending time with her…” His heart beat so fast, he feared he might hyperventilate. “If she’s been following me…”
“Hang on. I’m sending Patrol to her place.”
Cameron could hear Sam on the radio ordering Patrol officers to respond to Gigi’s apartment immediately.
The urgency he heard in her voice spiked his anxiety as he fired off a text to Gigi.
Someone flattened all my tires. Thinking it could be my ex.
Sam is sending Patrol to your place just in case.
If anyone comes to the door besides me, don’t let them in.
Please respond to let me know you got this. And sorry about this…
She wrote back right away, thank goodness. OMG, Cam… I’m fine. I won’t let anyone in.
I’ll be there as soon as I can.
This was the last freaking thing she needed after having been recently assaulted by her ex.
The next hour was spent dealing with Patrol officers, filing a report and answering questions.
“I think I might know who did it, but until we have proof, I don’t want to throw her name into this,” he told the shift supervisor, who asked him the same questions the Patrol officer had asked.
“The building is pulling security footage for me, and as soon as I can take a look, I’ll let you know if I see anyone I recognize. ”
“Let us know what you find out.”
“I will.” He was dying to get to Gigi’s, but he waited twenty more minutes for the security people to review the video.
“I think we have something, Detective Green,” the security director said, inviting Cameron into the office to take a look.
As the other man played the video, Cameron watched without blinking, holding his breath until he saw a white Nissan Altima stop next to his car.
When the driver got out, he gasped, recognizing the woman he’d been dating for the last year by her height and body shape.
And then she looked up at his townhouse, showing her face to the camera before systematically puncturing all four of his tires.
“You know her?” the security guy asked.
“Yeah. She’s my ex.”
“Ended badly, huh?”
“No, it just ended, and thank God it did if this is who she really is. Can you put that on a thumb drive for me?”
“You got it.”
With the drive in hand, Cam went outside and put through another call to Sam. “Sorry to bother you again, Lieutenant, but I’ve got video proof it was Jaycee.”
“What do you want to do?”
He thought about that for a minute, debating whether he wanted to press charges. Glancing toward the parking lot, he saw that the Patrol commander was still on-site. “I think I want to press charges.”
“I think you should, or she’s apt to keep this up.”
“That’s my fear.”
“Do you want me to take care of it?”
“That’s okay. The Patrol commander is still here. I just wanted you to know what was going on.”
“I appreciate the info. Are you okay?”
“I’m confused, honestly. If you’d asked me to bet my life, I would’ve said she wasn’t capable of something like this.”
“It’s better to find out this way than after you say, ‘I do.’”
“No kidding.”
“You’re a nice guy, Cam, so it goes against everything you believe in to send the police for her, but she committed a crime and needs to be held accountable.”
“I agree.”
“Go tell the Patrol commander to pick her up, and call me if you need anything.”
“I will. Thanks for the support, LT.”
“Anytime.”
As Cameron walked back to where the Patrol commander was waiting, he hated having to do this.
“Any luck with the video?”
“Yep. It was my ex, Jaycee Patrick.”
“Are we picking her up?”
Cam appreciated the professional consideration offered to him by his colleague.
If Cam didn’t want to pursue it, that would be that.
But the lieutenant was right. If he let her get away with this, what would be next?
“Yes, please.” He recited her address in the Kingman Park neighborhood, feeling like shit as he did it.
“We’ll take care of it.”
“Will you let me know when you’ve got her?” Cameron asked, handing him a card that had his cell number on it.
“Will do.”
“Thank you, Sergeant.”
Cameron used an app on his phone to summon an Uber to take him and Jeffrey to Gigi’s.
Tomorrow, he’d figure out what to do about getting new tires.
What a pain in the ass at an already busy time of year.
Now that the shock was beginning to recede, he was seriously pissed.
How could he have dated a woman—slept with a woman—who’d do such a thing?
How did he not see that she had that level of vindictiveness in her?
As the Uber transported him to Gigi’s, it occurred to him that he ought to stay away from her until Jaycee was in custody.
The thought of endangering Gigi in any way, especially after what she’d been through with her own ex, made him sick.
But he couldn’t bring himself to stay away from her.
He wouldn’t leave until he got word that Jaycee was in custody.
When he arrived at her building, Cameron stopped to speak to the officers in the Patrol car in the parking lot, showing his badge. “I’m Detective Green, and I asked for assistance here.”
“Everything’s quiet,” one of the officers said.
“Thanks for coming. I’ll take it from here.”
“Sounds good.”
Cameron knocked on Gigi’s door a few minutes later. “It’s me.” A series of locks disengaged before the door opened. He was so damn happy to see her.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside before closing and locking the door again.
Jeffrey had trotted in with him and was taking a good look around at the new place.
“Are you all right?” she asked, surprising Cam with a tight hug.
He put his arms around her and released the tension that’d gripped him since he first noticed his tires were flat. “I’m fine. Just pissed. The security film showed it was my ex who did it.”
“Wow. I’m sorry, Cam.”
“I should be apologizing to you. After everything that’s happened, the last thing you need is to be afraid that my crazy ex is coming after you.”
She gave him a fierce look. “I’m not afraid.”
Smiling, he leaned in for what he intended to be a quick kiss. But she had other ideas. When her arms linked around his neck and her lips parted, the touch of her tongue on his lower lip ignited a fire in him. Go easy with her, he told himself. She’s still recovering.
“Gigi,” he said, sounding as breathless as he felt. “Wait.”
“I don’t want to wait. I want to kiss you. Right now.”
What was he supposed to do when she said that but give her what she wanted? One kiss became two and then three, and before he knew it, he was stretched out on top of her on the sofa.
Annoyed at being ignored, Jeffrey let out a bark that made him laugh. “Gigi, this is my son, Jeffrey. Jeffrey, meet Gigi.”
“Aww, he’s the cutest boy ever.”
Jeffrey sat next to the sofa, staring at them, panting dog breath all over them.
“Stand down, buddy. All is well.”
The dog let out a deep sigh and curled up on the floor.
Cameron returned his focus to Gigi. “Um, we should, you know…”
“Keep kissing,” she said. “We should definitely keep it up.”
“Oh, it’s up,” he joked, pushing his arousal against her core.
“It feels so good to kiss you, Cam. I’ve wanted to for the longest time.”
“Me, too.” After a few minutes, Cameron broke the kiss, sat back and extended a hand to help her up.
Gigi made a cute little pout as she took hold of his hand. “More kissing, please.”
He looked down at their linked fingers.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I hate that I’m sending cops to arrest her.”
“I know, but you have to. She can’t be allowed to get away with this.”