Chapter 17 Camile
CAMILE
I don’t want to believe what’s happening. My brain can’t quite comprehend it.
Jack wants to take me back to his house, to stay with him, and as much as I want to be near him, I need to think about my family.
Jack has given me back my cell, so I swipe the screen to try my brother. My hands are shaking, and I feel jittery all over. It goes straight through to voicemail. Shit. I try my mom next, but the same thing happens.
“Please pick up, Mom,” I cry into the phone. “I need to know you’re both safe. I’m so sorry about Dad.” My voice cracks and breaks. My chest hurts so bad from all the crying, and I can’t see it letting up any time soon.
What the hell am I going to do? My head spins with countless questions. Where is my dad’s body? Will there be a funeral? How will anyone be able to attend it? What will happen to the business? They’re all things I can’t answer and that I’m helpless to deal with, but they overwhelm me all the same.
On the other side of the gates, someone approaches. The gates swing open. Roman, the leader of the gang known as the Preachers, strides toward us, all long legs, broad shoulders, and blond hair. His forehead is furrowed.
“I’m here, Jack,” he says. “Whatever you need.”
The two men shake hands. Roman glances my way, his gaze raking over me in concern.
I feel like I’m witnessing everything from a distance. I honestly don’t know what to do with myself. I can’t even trust myself to stand right now; my legs don’t feel like they belong to me. Is my family home even still standing, or have our attackers burned everything to the ground?
Do I still have any home left at all to return to?
Jack and Roman lower their voices, their heads together. They both glance in my direction. I don’t know exactly what they’re saying, but I can only assume it has to do with me and what’s happened.
Roman gives a final, decisive nod, then they approach me.
I wipe my nose with the back of my hand. It’s not pretty, but I don’t give a shit.
“Roman is going to drive you back to the compound,” Jack says.
I know he’s already told me what he wants, but he hasn’t given me time to figure out what to do myself. His will is like a huge boulder, rolling down the hill, taking everything with it, including me.
“I need to go home,” I tell him between sniffles. “I should be with my mother and brother.”
“You can’t, Camile. We’ve already gone over this. It’s not safe.”
I hear the frustration in his voice, but the last thing I’m worried about right now is pissing off Jack.
“I’ll take the risk.”
God, my mom will be devastated. She needs me close.
I picture how completely lost she’ll be without my dad. My brother will have to fully step into his shoes, too.
Who is responsible for murdering my dad?
I’d known he had problems with rival cartels, but he’s had those same problems my whole life.
I can’t believe someone managed to kill him.
It probably seems stupid, but a part of me had believed my dad was invincible.
I’d never pictured a time when he might not be around.
Whoever has killed him will want my brothers dead, too.
Xavier is in Spain, but my other brother, Leonardo, is with my mom, and a big part of the business.
He’ll become their main target now, as they won’t want any of us left alive and capable of launching any kind of revenge attack.
Letting people live means leaving loose ends, and that gets messy.
They’ll want to wipe the slate clean, and that most likely includes me, too.
Jack releases a low growl from the back of his throat. “You might be willing to take the risk, but I’m not.”
I look up at him sharply. “Why do you care? I’m nothing to you.”
He hesitates then says, “You’re my daughter’s friend, and she’d kill me if I let anything happen to you.”
“Is that all I am, Jack? Just your daughter’s friend?”
Roman might overhear, but my grief has made me reckless.
I hold Jack’s gaze, and he stares right back.
Something is building between us, swelling and growing and taking on a life of its own.
I know he can feel it just as keenly as I can.
But if we give it breath and a heartbeat, it could just about destroy us all.
Movement to our left catches our attention.
More figures rush down the long drive, and I note that Vani is one of them.
Close behind are her three men, the guys known as the Vipers—Zane, massive and intimidating, and the twins, Saint and Lex.
They’d never let her get far without being two steps behind, especially when things are precarious. They guard her with their lives.
She looks between us in confusion. “Dad? Camile? What’s going on?”
How did Vani even know we were here? Word gets around quickly at Verona Falls, it seems.
“What are you guys doing here?” Jack asks.
“Ophelia messaged me.” Vani juts her chin defiantly at her father. “She thought I ought to know you were here and there might be danger.”
“Goddamn it,” Roman mutters.
Jack tells his daughter as much as he knows, which isn’t a lot, since I hardly know anything either.
“Oh, my God, Camile,” she cries. “I’m so sorry.”
My friend drops to a crouch and wraps me in a hug. I feel too weak to even hug her back.
“Thanks,” I sniff.
“I’m taking her back to the compound,” Jack tells his daughter.
Vani straightens. “What? Why?”
“She’ll be safe there.”
“She’ll be safe here,” Vani argues. “We’ll all look out for her.”
He raises his brow. “Like you looked out for her when she went on that date with that guy?”
She plants her hands on her hips. “That was different. She’s not a prisoner, Dad. She’s allowed to date. We didn’t know there was any threat then.”
“Yeah, well, that guy is still out there, and he’ll know to look for Camile here. He’s got no chance getting into the compound.”
“Is that the only reason you want her there?” Vani lowers her voice, but I can still hear what she’s saying. There’s a slightly accusatory tone to her voice that I don’t want to think about too hard right now.
Jack takes her by the elbow and guides her away from me. He lowers his voice, but not so much that I can’t hear every word they’re saying.
“Fucking hell, Vani. Of course it is. Don’t start with me right now. We’re dealing with enough crap without you adding to it.”
“Don’t blame me for thinking that you running off with my best friend feels kind of icky. Plus, she’s so upset, Dad, I want to be able to help her, and so will Mackenzie and Ophelia.”
He shakes his head and massages the back of his neck with one big palm. “I’m not running off with her. I’m protecting her. Besides, when Camile is in a better position to talk to you, I’m sure she’ll let you know the details, but … she’s got something going on with one of the guys in the MC.”
I have? This is news to me, but I don’t have the energy to question him.
Also, I’m aware enough to understand what he’s doing.
He’s trying to put Vani’s mind at rest about us by making her think I’m interested in one of the younger guys instead of him.
It makes sense, but Vani still isn’t buying it, if her set expression is anything to go by.
Even through my pain, I feel that now familiar twist of guilt.
I never wanted to come between one of my best friends and her dad, but I can’t think about any of that right now.
It all feels so inconsequential even though I know it isn’t.
“Which one?” Vani asks.
“One of the new guys, Ace. He’s hung up on her like a lost fucking puppy.”
“Can we trust him?”
“Yeah. He’s also my Road Captain. He sometimes acts before he thinks, but his heart is in the right place.”
Vani purses her lips. “I see. What about if I come back with you guys, too? Camile could use a friend.”
“She has friends at the compound.”
I do? That’s news to me.
Jack continues. “The girls are taking her under their wing.”
“I’d still like to come.”
Jack finally loses his temper. “Ivani McGrath, you stay right here, got it? Zane, Lex, and Saint will watch out for you.”
“With our lives, sir,” Lex says from behind Vani.
“You think I need protecting?” she asks.
Jack blows out a breath. “There’s no reason to think whoever is after Camile will pay you any attention, but I’d prefer to be cautious.”
“They might if they find out you’re harboring Camile.”
She has a point.
“I know, and if that happens, then you coming to the compound might be in the cards, but all of you would need to come, and it might be a longer stay than just a night or two.” Jack looks around at Vani’s men.
Zane steps forward, his bulk almost as impressive as Jack’s as he scribbles something on a pad and hands it to Jack. Zane had his throat cut by one of his father’s enemies a few years back, and, despite numerous surgeries, he will never regain his voice.
Jack reads it and nods. “I know you’re all armed. I trust you.”
I’m only vaguely aware of all of this going on in the background. My head is still spinning, my chest heavy with grief. There’s a strange buzzing in my ears, and my limbs don’t feel like they belong to me.
“Can you go and grab a bag of Camile’s things?” he asks Vani. “A few changes of clothes and her toiletries. I don’t know how long she’s going to need to be away.”
Vani looks at me, and sympathy replaces her scowl. Her face softens and her eyes fill with a sheen of tears, making them even prettier. She offers me a sad smile.
“Is there anything in particular you’d like?”
“My book, please, and my um… personal items…” Oh, God, my face burns. I can’t say my birth control in front of her dad.
Vani appears to know what I mean, and she nods quickly. “I’ll bring any meds, too.”
“Thanks.” My smile is wobbly but genuine.
She turns and races back up the drive, Zane hot on her heels.
Jack turns his attention back to me. “Come on, Camile. Let’s get you back where it’s safe.”
He reaches for me.
No, no, no.