CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“This is not how tonight was supposed to go,” Beth announced when she walked into Camden’s safe house.
She stopped short, staring at Amelia.
“God, that dress and makeup is enough to make me stop what I’m doing.” She tilted her head.
“Are you sure the two men who looked at you weren’t looking at you? Given where you were and all…” She gestured from Amelia’s head to toe and back again.
“You’re fresh on a scene that probably doesn’t get many new faces. And you’re gorgeous.”
“Give me a break, Beth,” Camden growled.
“You sent us there. How much do you think I trust you at the moment?”
“If I was the problem, those men would have been here and not crashing a private party.”
“Private with a very exclusive guest list. So Esme is the problem. Your Esme.”
“No.” Beth shook her head.
“Look. I’m just spitballing ideas, my friend. I don’t know if Amelia was spooked or too new to the scene. It could have been the dress.”
“Like I said”—his irritation rumbled like thunder—“give me a fucking break, Beth. That’s the biggest load of bullshit.”
Amelia didn’t like the pseudo-compliment or the way Beth downplayed the evening.
Camden had literally set a fire.
That wasn’t hysteria.
She glanced his way.
His scowl had deepened.
She rolled her lips together.
“Why would the men who killed Jonathan and took Hailey be at Esme’s party? I mean, they’re looking for me. But why? They could’ve pointed a gun at me from a hundred yards away and killed me. They could’ve done that at the restaurant too.”
“That’s what I’ve been wondering,” Camden muttered.
“I don’t know,” Beth admitted.
“I bet Esme would like to know as much as we do.”
“No, I’m pretty sure we care more.” He stopped and held out his hands.
“Everything touching this situation has been a clusterfuck. It was before Titan was brought into this, and it hasn’t stopped yet. What the hell is going on with you people?”
Beth wasn’t fazed as Camden bore down on her.
“If I had any idea—”
“No, Beth. You’re supposed to show up here with ideas. Things a little deeper than spitballed bullshit on Amelia catching everyone’s eye.”
Her phone rang.
“It’s Esme. Can you cool your jets for a hot second, or do I have to go outside and freeze while I take the call?”
“Take the damn call.” He spiraled the football into the couch and stomped into the kitchen.
Camden rummaged through cabinets and drawers as if the answers to his questions were organized in Tupperware.
He strode around the kitchen like a caged panther in a zoo.
“Cam.” Amelia waved him over.
“Sit with me.”
At the very least, they could eavesdrop on Beth’s phone call together.
Thus far, all Beth had said was “uh-huh” and “perhaps.”
He perched on the edge of the couch.
“Easy, cowboy.” Amelia laid a hand on his back, slowing running it up and down.
It would be performative to remind him he was the reason she was safe.
“Thanks for fighting the good fight against the CIA.”
His shoulder muscles tensed, and he glanced over his shoulder.
“That’s not something you have to thank me for.” Irritation flexed in his jaw.
The tendons on his neck seemed more pronounced.
Camden glared at Beth as if he wanted to say more, but he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Beth ended the call and didn’t look more informed than when she’d answered.
“Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Camden growled and leaned back on the couch.
He crossed his arms. “Productive conversations don’t start that way.”
“Well, then, we’re on the same page before I even start.” Beth smiled.
“Esme’s just as surprised as we are, and even more surprisingly, she’s not furious you tried to burn her building down.”
“The fire burned itself out before we even reached the first floor,” Camden grumbled.
Beth rolled her eyes.
“Don’t try to impress me with your savvy skills, Camden Brooks. You brought a lot of attention to yourself.”
“Actually, no.” Amelia hated the way Beth turned every part of this into their fault.
“It was the two men knocking tables over to reach us who were the problem.”
“The two men on her guest list ,” Camden added.
Beth stared at the ceiling and searched for answers.
She found none and gave up.
“Fine.”
Camden jumped up and squared off with Beth.
“Fine, only if you agree that you or Esme fucked up.”
“You’re looking at this all wrong.” Beth ignored him and paced the living room.
“This could be a great thing. You want the people who took Hailey, right? Well, now we know they don’t want to eliminate a witness. They want access to you. They’re trying to find you.”
“Tell me something we haven’t figured out on our own.”
“This could be very advantageous.” Beth crossed her arms. “Your perspective is off on this.”
Camden glowered.
“Yeah, if we put on rose-tinted glasses. Just because they didn’t take her out with a sniper round doesn’t mean they’re not trying to get rid of a witness.”
“Maybe it’s sort of like how the CIA managed to have me thrown in prison,” Amelia pointed out.
“To keep me quiet.”
Camden ran a hand over his face.
“That would be a hell of a thing if they are one and the same. What are they scared you’ll say?”
Beth scoffed.
“What? Like the CIA offed Jonathan? One of our own? Then we took Hailey? Where? Why?” Her lips sneered.
“Now we want to grab Amelia? Forget that I’ve been with you and know where you are.” Restless, she paced again.
“That’s a hell of an accusation.”
“Well, I’ve had a hell of a night.”
“Maybe you ought to run your theories by Jared Westin before you run your mouth and sink a partnership that is tenuous at best right now.”
“My conversations with him didn’t work out well for you last time. You sure you want me to—”
“How about this for my brilliant idea?” Beth narrowed her eyes on Camden.
“You could go back to Abu Dhabi. We’ll put Amelia in witness protection. That would make my life easier. Probably hers too.”
“ What ?” A lightheaded panic rolled through Amelia.
Camden couldn’t leave yet, and she had no intention of walking away from her life—at least, not with some secretive relocation program.
“Enough.” She stood up.
“This isn’t helping.”
Her stomach turned.
Amelia already knew this, but hearing it out loud made it real.
Camden would be called back to his office on the opposite side of the world.
It might not be that day or the next, but it would happen.
She wasn’t in the real world.
They were playing pretend.
She swallowed hard. “Let’s regroup in the morning with cooler heads.”
Neither agreed.
“I’m the one they’re chasing, so my vote trumps both of yours.” She turned around with a lump in her throat.
The best- case scenario would be rescuing Hailey.
Camden would still leave.
She’d always known that their temporary fling was just that.
But apparently, she’d forgotten, or worse, she’d fallen for him.
Amelia called good night and didn’t look back.