28. Chapter 28
Cameron
Sweat collected under my collar as I followed Sophia and Mason from a distance as they weaved through the packed corridors of the mall.
Going out in public was never ideal for me.
Even on my own, people from the church were always lurking, waiting to tell Dale everything I did wrong.
That being said, the girls and I had been out long enough to get coffee or tea, in Mason’s case, and no one had stopped me.
Usually, by now, I’d have people up my ass asking about the church, what I was doing out, and if there were any women in the area who I believed would be fit to carry the second coming.
But… no one had even said as much as Hello, Father Cole .
Come to think of it… the second I’d make eye contact with any passerby, they’d avert their gaze and walk a little faster.
I stopped dead in my tracks as that thought washed over me. I knew I wasn’t exactly the friendliest-looking fellow. That’s just what came with being my size. But… this wasn’t the normal reaction I got from just being intimidating.
“Cameron!” Sophia snapped. “Come on!”
I turned to her voice to see her standing with her arm linked to Mason’s.
Normally, I loved watching my girls interact.
Their love for each other was different from their love for us; it was almost softer in a way.
But I didn’t think Sophia dragged me out of the house just so we could all spend time together.
She’d said we were fine after last night, but something in the weary way she watched me told a different story. In my gut, I could tell she still thought I was hiding something. To her credit, she was right .
I wanted to pick up the pace, to force myself in the middle and drape an arm over either girl’s shoulder. But, we were less than twenty minutes away from Hartwood, which meant it was too dangerous.
“I don’t know why ya brought me,” I admitted as I tried to keep my voice low so no one else would hear me.
Soph had said something about Mae needing something nice to wear because she hadn’t been feeling the best about herself, but that had nothing to do with me.
“We need a man’s opinion.” Mason gave me a sugary-sweet smile, one I learned meant she was up to no good. “Plus, it’s your fault.”
My heart hiccuped as Mason cradled her stomach.
She’d been wearing a lot of my shirts recently, and she was nowhere near big enough to fill out my clothes.
This left the fabric to gently drape her rather than fit her like a shirt should.
Normally, seeing her like this was enough to send me into a tizzy.
Not because her pregnancy turned me on; that was more Lucian’s territory.
Instead, it overwhelmed me with a feeling of excitement I never thought I’d get to experience.
That excitement usually just got a little lost and bled into something else.
I blamed it on the primal desire to keep the mother of my child content in every way possible.
But today, that feeling was mixed with the urge to tell her to cover up. I just didn’t feel safe having her out in public like this. I gulped down the dryness in my throat, trying not to let the girls see how on edge I was. My lips quivered into a smile so forced it was painful.
“Now, how on earth is it my fault?” I joked.
“You think I look like this by choice?” Mason laughed. “If It were up to me, I’d–”
“Ahht! No, ma’am,” Sophia interjected before reaching out to cup Mason’s face.
Sophia’s eyes anchored onto Mason’s as a love-sick simper tugged at the edge of her lips. Mason melted into her touch, raising her hands to rest on Sophia’s.
“You’re beautiful ,” Sophia promised. “And if you keep saying stuff like that, I’m getting a spray bottle and squirting you like a misbehaving kitten .”
Mason’s brow narrowed as her smile fell. “That’s animal abuse.”
Sophia’s posture squared for a beat before a smirk warped her lips. “Good thing you’re not an animal, Honeybee.”
Mason rolled her eyes before shaking off our girlfriend’s touch. Sophia pressed her fingers to her lips and feigned a gasp as Mason dramatically turned away and continued walking.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Sophia chirped.
“To find something that doesn’t make me look like a beached whale!”
Mason didn’t dare look back at us as she almost vanished in the bustle of people.
“But what if you need help in the dressing room?” Sophia raised her voice just enough to be heard.
“We both know you don’t actually help!” A laugh softened Mason’s words, her voice gradually growing softer.
Sophia shot me a look as she hesitated for a beat before chasing Mason. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing I was out of Sophia’s line of sight. This would be the perfect time to head back to the truck.
I could claim I got lost and just wait for them in the truck.
My head sloped to the side as I considered it, weighing my options.
I knew vanishing would probably disappoint the girls a bit…
but it was also probably best for keeping them safe.
Before I could fully weigh the pros and cons of the situation, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
My hand barely fit into the stiff denim of my jeans, but I wiggled the device out.
I unlocked my phone to see Sebastian had sent me a photo of my truck.
That alone wasn’t too odd. But a chill ran down my spine as I realized it was in the parking lot of the mall.
My mind spun as I struggled to figure out how he found me.
He’d left before the girls told me where we were going, and neither Mason nor Sophia mentioned telling him.
I started to type out a message asking him what the hell was going on, but before I could, my phone buzzed again as Sebastian continued the conversation.
Parking lot. Now.
Maine was beautiful in the winter. Snow stuck to everything, causing the sun to appear brighter, and while it was cold, it was still okay to be out in. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite winter.
The sky was gray, and the gentle misting of rain was enough to make the world feel colder than it was. I wrapped my arms around myself as I ventured toward my truck. When I got close enough, Sebastian was leaning on my passenger side door, a lit cigarette dangling from his lips.
His piercings were out, and he wore a black suit that fit him so perfectly that it must have been custom-made. He ran a hand through his newly dark hair, slicking it back. The only proof I had that he noticed me came in the way his blue eyes meandered around my face.
A strange heat formed in my chest before sweeping up my body in a slow wave, causing my skin to tingle as I remembered how he looked at me last night.
I should have never slept with him.
I got closer, and Sebastian pushed himself off the truck before deliberately straightening his back and swaggering toward me.
As he came inches away from me, I thought he was gonna hit me.
Maybe he regretted everything we did last night, and he came to give me a piece of his mind.
But Sebastian stopped and parted his lips before running his tongue along his teeth and reaching forward.
His fingertips brushed my cheek so gently that I couldn’t believe it was him.
After a beat of awkward silence, he pulled his hand back and used the other one to grab his cigarette. He blew the smoke from his lungs into my face, and I coughed as he held his fingers up .
“You had an eyelash on your cheek,” he explained before blowing it off his fingertips.
He blew out a breath and took another drag from his cigarette. How the fuck was he being so casual? Should we even talk about what happened last night?
“I…” My words dried as I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was doing. “I know you didn’t come out all this way just to do that.”
A smug look plucked at one corner of his lips. “Maybe you do have a brain.”
I tried to take his comment as a compliment rather than an insult.
“So why are you here?” What I really wanted to ask was how he knew where we were, but I was afraid of what he might say.
Sebastian may have been growing on me, but he was still a creep. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he had a bug in my phone or something, but that felt like the type of thing that only existed in movies.
“I had a meeting with Dale, and I wanted to go over my findings with you.” He nodded toward my truck.
“... Why?”
He took another drag of his cigarette before casting it into a nearby puddle. “Because I think you may find the information I received very interesting… and maybe somewhat relieving.”
I gave a slight nod, unsure what to make of everything going on. With that, Sebastian led me back to my truck before he climbed into my passenger seat. Tension grew in my shoulders as I opened the driver’s door and joined him inside.
Sebastian pulled out his pack of cigarettes. “Want one?”
I shook my head. “I quit smoking for Mason a few months back.”
He rolled his eyes before placing the filter of a fresh cigarette between his lips and lighting it. Smoke quickly filled the cab of my truck, and I rolled the windows down.
“And I’d prefer you not smoke in my vehicle,” I warned.
“Fine.” Sebastian let out a wry snort before licking his thumb and forefinger and using them to extinguish his cancer stick .
I wanted to tell him to quit being such a brat, but it was easier to catch flies with honey rather than vinegar. So, instead of snapping, I killed him with kindness.
“So, what’d you want to tell me about Dale?” I continued.
“I genuinely think he is removing you from the church, which should mean you’re free to do whatever you wish.” His tone was flat, uninterested even, but his words caused the world to stop spinning.
A rush of adrenaline washed over me, causing a strange flutter to fill my chest. I couldn’t tell if nerves or excitement caused the sensation. The idea of being actually free was enough to have my mind swimming, but I still wasn’t sure Seb was telling the truth.
He was hard to read, and while I’d like to think he was changing into a better person, this could have easily been a trick. He could have just been trying to gauge my reaction like he was last night. So, I took a deep breath and tried to play it cool.
“Can I ask why you think that?” My voice shook slightly, and my fingers tingled.
Sebastian adjusted his emerald green tie, loosening it at first and then removing it entirely. He ran his thumb back and forth across the silky-looking material as he thought.
“He said something about looking for a new face for the church. He wants someone intelligent, driven, and handsome… Obviously, you’re none of those.” His words didn’t have the same venom they usually did.
“If I ain’t none of those, your standards must be six feet under.”
Sebastian’s eyes tightened into slits. “Oh, I’m sorry. Do you want to be the chosen one for a cult that incinerates pregnant women?”
“... Well, no.” I’d just wanted to make him flustered. Part of me thought it’d be cute to see him get tongue-tied.
“Exactly, so you are fat, ugly, and stupid. ” He jabbed a finger to my chest with each insult, but a subtle glow colored his cheeks. “Also, my standards are very high! ”
I rubbed my fingers across my lips to cover my smile. Part of me wanted to tell him thank you just to see if he’d blow a gasket.
“I’m sure,” I agreed, doing my best to stifle a laugh.
Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest as he looked away, muttering something about wasting his time by tracking me down. As much as I wanted to tease Seb a bit more, I wasn’t done actually talking to him.
“Dale didn’t mention having anyone in mind, did he?” I questioned.
“He, uh…” Sebastian leaned toward the door, resting an elbow on the frame. “Why?”
“Because, as much as I want to be free, it ain’t worth it if someone else fills my place.”
I’d been through approximately two decades of torment.Dale had killed my family, beaten me, slaughtered my lovers in the name of Christ, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
I wanted a life with Mason, to go out with her in public and raise Rosie with her.
But none of that was worth having someone else go through the pain Dale inflicted on me.
Sebastian studied me for a moment, his expression blank. But, even if his features weren’t giving me much to go on, his eyes seemed nervous as they bounced around my face, never lingering in one spot too long. Eventually, he cleared his throat and turned away from me.
“I can’t confirm nor deny the idea of Dale having a specific person in mind… but I can say I don’t think he’s going to have an easy time convincing whoever it is to fill the position.” Sebastian’s words hung in the air as I struggled to grasp them.
If Dale let me go and no one filled my spot, the church would die, and with it, so would the Sons of Christ. This seemed too good to be true.
“So… What’s the catch?”
“Nothing.” Sebastian finally looked back at me. “But, I need you to help me call his bluff.”
“And how do I do that?” I tried not to sound as desperate as I felt .
I would have done just about anything for this to be true. If Sebastian asked me to run through the mall as naked as the day I was born, I would have hesitated, but as long as I could cover my decency, I’d have done it.
“... You’re out with Mason, right?”
I nodded. “Her clothes don’t fit right anymore, and she’s tired of wearin’ my stuff.”
That seemed like a good way to explain what we were doing while leaving out the fact that she wanted something to wear on a date with his brother.
“Why?” he scoffed. “She has under four weeks left.”
“Don’t matter why,” I replied before clearing my throat. “Back to the topic at hand, what do you need me to do?”
Sebastian took a deep breath, and his eyes flickered with what I assumed to be jealousy. “I need you to go back inside and lay it on thick. If nothing gets said within the days after, we know Dale was serious.”
My lashes fluttered as I blinked at him. There’s no way he was saying what I thought he was.
“Lay it on thick? Like go inside and–”
“Be happy, excited even,” he begrudgingly muttered. “Put your hand on her stomach and kiss her on the lips. If no one says anything to you, Dale’s actually done.”
Emotion built in the back of my throat, and I struggled to force it down. “Seb, that’s dangerous.”
“You think I don’t know that? Look, no part of me wants you to go inside and fawn over my girl.” Seb’s words had a lot of conviction for someone who got rejected yesterday. “I need to see the outcome of this.”
My fingers started to tingle as I thought about just how badly I wanted to rush inside and embrace Mason. No part of me had ever been embarrassed about her, and I’d been dying to show her off. But I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.
Sebastian’s patience seemed to wear thin as the muscles in his neck corded. “So, are you going to do it or not?”