Chapter 26
Brooks shoved the key into the door of Lexi and Nash’s safe house and bumped it open. Even though the house wasn’t theirs, it sure felt nice to be somewhere familiar.
Theirs.
That one word made his heart patter. He was thinking way, way too far ahead. But how could he not? After the intensity of the last week, he might as well add eight months to the time he’d known Cam. Their circumstances might have taken them to hell and back, but it had also brought them together and strengthened their feelings for each other.
Cam brushed past him and kicked off her shoes. He did the same and followed her into the kitchen. The extra huffiness of his breath told him he’d already exerted himself. Just from the drive and the short stint into the house.
Christ, he needed a drink.
“You should rest.” Cam caught his arm and towed him toward the stairs.
“I’m fine, babe. Glad to be out of that damn place.”
She tsk-tsked. “You really should have waited for a proper discharge.”
“Nah.” He caught her fingers and pulled her to his chest. “I wanted to be with you.” He dipped his head and nuzzled her neck. More than anything, he’d needed to be alone with Cam. To see for himself that she was okay, to take care of her and not be nursed like a baby.
She scrunched up her shoulder and squirmed. “That tickles!”
He nipped her flesh. If it weren’t for the fatigue of his muscles and fogginess of his brain, he’d carry her ass to bed.
She placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back. Her eyebrows pulled together fiercely. “Easy. You’ll hurt yourself.”
He clapped his hand to his chest. “Seriously? If you really think that you must have missed the memo.”
Her mouth wriggled into a grin and she climbed the stairs. “I need a shower.”
He followed. He’d prefer her in the sheets, more access to her body, but he’d take what he could get. Her ass swung side to side as she climbed the stairs, and desire scorched his skin. The blood test had confirmed the drug was still in his system, but given the events of the last week, he no longer feared the level of his control. He cared about Cam. Loved her, dammit. And he wouldn’t let fear or the substance making his muscles pump steal that away. Sliding his hand over her butt cheek, he ascended on her heels.
She laughed. Reaching the second level, she turned around and held out both her hands. “Brooks. Really. You just suffered a heart attack for god’s sake.”
“Mild heart attack.” He caught her hands, reveling in her joyful laughter and the playfulness in her eyes. “You heard the doctor. He’s amazed by how much my body healed overnight. He said it takes most people two weeks to be where I’m at.” He lifted a shoulder. “The drug has its perks.”
“Another night in the hospital wouldn’t have killed you.”
“It might have,” he said heavily. Even though the bright, noisy room had been different from where Leonetti had kept him, the environment had been too similar: the stringent scent of disinfectant, the cold and clinical room, and, worst of all, the beeping machine telling him he was still alive. When he’d been confined to a bed under Leonetti’s watch, that damn beeping had punched through his thoughts, reminding him that he had more suffering ahead.
Cam’s features softened, and concern jumped back onto her face. “Let’s get you some rest.”
He let her take his hand and lead him to the master bedroom. A cleaner must have come in while he’d been in the hospital because the scent of orange zest hung in the air.
Cam stopped at the edge of the bed and swept her hand over his shoulder. “Will you sleep for me?”
He grimaced. “No promises.”
“You know the withdrawal will hit again.”
The wind left his sails. Dammit, he didn’t want to put her through that again. Funny how before he’d feared the unbearable pain slicing through his body. Not now. Now, he hated the thought of her worrying over him, staying awake all hours to ensure he’d survive. “I know.”
She huffed, turned on her heel, and went to the bathroom. The sound of water hitting the basin came next. Cam was right, he’d need his rest before the withdrawal ravaged him. But more than that, he needed her. He walked into the bathroom just as she stepped through the open glass door. Her slim body pivoted under the water, and sprayed off her ass. His cock tightened.
“You don’t listen well, do you?”
He yanked off his shirt then kicked off his pants and boxers. Thankfully, the gash on his leg sported a thick waterproof bandage. Opening the door, he slid under the spray. “What? I need a shower too.”
“Mmm.”
He circled his arms around her waist. Damn, he’d never wanted anyone so bad in his life. Droplets of water collected on her eyelashes and cheeks, and black mascara smudges still darkened the skin underneath her bottom lashes. He moved his gaze leisurely over her lithe little body. The pale pink slash of her scar beneath her collarbone caught his attention. He brought his fingers to her skin and gently stroked it. He didn’t want to bring up Isaac. She needed time to mourn, but dammit, he couldn’t say he was sorry that the man wasn’t around to hurt her again.
Bringing his fingers to the side of her neck, he stroked her earlobe. “I can leave if you want.” He spoke the words begrudgingly through a tight jaw.
Her soft laugh settled his nerves. She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed his mouth. “Never.”
He skimmed his hands down her spine and touched the crest at the bottom of her tailbone.
She draped her arms around his hips and kissed his pec. “I thought I lost you.”
He closed his eyes and inhaled the fruity scent of her shampoo, which lingered on the shower tiles from the last time she’d washed her hair. “You never should have fucking been there. It’s my fault they were so close to you. My fault for leaving you.”
She drew back, putting inches between them that he didn’t want. “Brooks Ivanov. Don’t you dare say you’re responsible.”
He chortled, the sound a little harsher than he’d intended. “C’mon, Cam. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be safely in Utah.”
She rolled her eyes and spun out of his arms. Then she grabbed the bottle of the shampoo that would flood the bathroom with its scent, squirted a dollop into her palm, and scrubbed her hair. “Safely? Are you forgetting that I was working for Leonetti? It was just a matter of time before I caught on to what he was doing—whether to you or someone else.”
He caught her hip, unable to not touch her. Suds ran down her back as she stood under the spray. The soap bubbles zigzagged over her ass crack, highlighting the road he wanted his hands to travel.
“You’re right,” he said, done with trying to convince her otherwise. “It’s Leonetti’s fault.” He twirled her around to face him then smoothed his hands over her forehead, pushing the water out of her eyes so she could look at him. “I hate that I brought you into danger. That you lost your nephew and that your mom was hurt because of me. But I don’t regret meeting you. I never will. You saved me, Camryn. And not just because you untied me.” He wet his lips, tasting the words that screamed from his chest and paused at his tongue. “You brought me back from an abyss. Before I laid eyes on you, the only thing that kept me going was hate and revenge. That first moment I saw you, the concern and kindness in your eyes reminded me of all the goodness and love in the world that I’d forgotten existed.” He lowered his hands, coasting them down the wet curtain of her hair. “That’s why I survived. Because of you.”
Her lips parted, and she sucked in a breath. She surged onto her toes and pressed her breasts against his chest. Tears mingled with water on her eyelashes. “You’re the most incredible man I’ve ever met.” Her raspy whisper stirred desire in his gut.
She pressed her lips to his and slipped her tongue between his teeth. His body responded as if he’d been lit on fire. He deepened the kiss, arching her back over his forearm as he licked inside of her. Drifting his fingertips over the luscious cushion of her ass, he swept his fingers between her legs from behind until he reached her hot, wet slit.
“Ah, god,” she cried against his lips.
He stroked the tip of his finger around her opening. Her legs shook against his thighs as he inserted two fingers. Her breath wheezed out sharp and heavy, and the minty taste of her tongue filled his mouth.
“Bed. Now.” She pushed at his abdomen, but he didn’t retreat.
“Uh-uh. Right here.”
Her heavy-lidded eyes blinked. “Brooks, I don’t want to hurt you.” Her hand went to his chest. “The doctor said—”
“And he knows nothing about what I’m capable of.” He wiggled his thumb against her clit and her knees buckled.
“Holy shit,” she wheezed.
He backed her up so her spine touched the wall. Her lips flared deep red from the heat of the shower and his kisses. Watching her chin tip up and her emerald eyes glowing beneath her dark lashes, he pushed his fingers in and out. Soft moans escaped her lips, and her fingernails dug into his forearm. He brought his lips to her mouth and sucked on her bottom lip. Her hand caught the back of his neck, holding him against her as he moved in and out.
Her breath grew frantic, and wetness surrounded his fingers as she clenched his digits together. Her moans turned to sharp little cries of pleasure and her eyes closed. He nipped the flesh at her jaw and she bowed her back.
“Brooks,” she screamed, freeing her lip from his hold. She dropped her head back as he continued in a steady rhythm. Her brows knit together and her insides convulsed around him. “Ah,” she squeaked, as moisture filled his hand.
She sank her fingertips through her damp hair, bringing him to his breaking point. He lifted her waist, and her thighs fit themselves around his sides as he plunged his cock inside her searing heat. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He balanced her against the wall of the shower and buried his dick inside her, thrusting over and over. Her pussy fisted around his girth, so fucking tight. His orgasm built, pushing him into a frenzy as he pumped his hips.
Cam’s body melted against him, and deep gasps burst from her lips as she came a second time. The sound shoved him over the cusp. He came inside her, every drop taking him to Nirvana.
He collapsed his weight against her, spent. For now. Christ, he’d never get enough of Cam.
***
Exhaustion burned Cam’slimbs. She closed the master bedroom door after checking on Brooks for the second time that morning. The handle clicked and she winced.
“Cam?”
Oh, god. Brooks had finally slept for half a night, after more than twenty-four hours of torture. The scent of vomit might never be scrubbed from the bathroom, but at least he’d kept water down the previous night and was showing signs of improvement with more clarity in his gaze.
She pushed open the door and watched as he scooted into a sitting position. His previously gray cheeks were now a soft pink. This time yesterday, she’d been scared shitless he wouldn’t pull through.
“Hey, tough guy.” She sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle the mattress in case it sent his nausea into a tailspin.
He guffawed. “I’d hardly call being curled up on the bathroom floor all day ‘tough.’”
She smoothed her hand over the top of his hair. “I would.”
“You’re the tough one. I’d be a blubbering mess if I had to clean up someone else’s puke.”
“I’ve cleaned up more vomit than I care to remember,” she said with a chuckle. “Yours wasn’t anything special. Are you feeling better though?”
“Much. I think the best part is knowing I’ll never have to do that shit again. This withdrawal is worse than any I’ve experienced, but I’d go through it all over again just to kill Leonetti.”
Buzz, buzz, buzz
Brooks frowned, and Cam scooped up her phone from the nightstand. She read the screen. “It’s Lexi. She’s called every few hours around the clock.” She passed the device to Brooks. “I’m sure she’d rather hear your voice.”
A grin touched his mouth. “Hello?”
“Brooks! Thank god.” Lexi’s screech carried through the receiver. Brooks pulled the phone away from his ear, wincing. But the smile on his lips said he was as happy as his sister was.
Cam got up and puttered around the room, gathering up clothes as he chatted. Warmth spread through her. Now Brooks could focus on his family and properly mourn the loss of his parents. Guilt rushed through her. She’d barely talked to her mom since she’d been released from the hospital yesterday. If Brooks was feeling better, she’d be okay to leave him for a bit. Linda had insisted on staying in a hotel until everyone got their bearings.
He disconnected and stood. His body wavered and Cam rushed forward. “Are you okay?” she asked, looping her arm around his waist.
“Yeah, just a little light-headed. A shower will fix it.”
“And food. Why don’t I whip something up?” She eased away from him as he stabilized.
“Something easy to digest would be great.” He headed to the bathroom.
Cam stripped the bed. With the amount of sweat that had poured off Brooks the previous night, the sheets would need a good, hot wash. She went downstairs, threw them in the washing machine, and went to the kitchen.
The sound of the doorbell made her jump. Probably her mom. She steered away from the fridge and moved down the hall to the front entrance. Peeking through the window, Cam found herself staring at Detective Aldridge.
Shit.
What the hell did she want? Cam had already handed over the syringe of Axalantheum to one of the officers yesterday. She pulled open the door, being careful to hold the steel close to her body so as not to allow the detective any sight line into the house—as if it mattered.
“Hello, Camryn.” The sharp, no-nonsense tone made Cam straighten her spine.
She nodded. “Detective.”
“How’s Brooks doing?” Detective Aldridge folded her hands in front of her.
Anxiety jangled her nerve endings. She lifted her gaze to the ceiling as if she could somehow channel the message to Brooks that the detective was snooping around again. Summoning her strength, she pulled back her shoulders. “He’s doing well, thank you. But I have a feeling that’s not why you came by.” Crap. She’d been sidelined two days ago, when Brooks had been unconscious, and had given the nosey detective their temporary address, practically inviting unannounced visits. If she could kick her own ass, she would have.
Silence. “Yes, well. Glad to hear that, nonetheless. I was in the neighborhood and thought you might want an update on our findings concerning Leonetti’s work.”
Cam tapped her finger on the inside of the door. If they had information regarding Axalantheum and the long-term side effects, Brooks needed to hear it. A stab of guilt hit her. Perhaps Detective Aldridge was only trying to be helpful, but the woman’s sharp, astute look made Cam hesitate. Not because she sensed ill-will, but because she was looking for something within the Holmes family and Cam didn’t need to be the reason for her success. “Brooks is actually in the shower, but you’re welcome to come in.”
“Thank you.”
She swung open the door and waited for the detective to remove her stilettos. Then Cam led the way to the living room. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?”
“Tea would be nice, thank you.”
Cam turned into the kitchen, pulling her phone from her back pocket as she went. Not wasting a second, she shot off a message to warn Lexi, in case she was thinking of stopping by. No need for her to encounter the police unnecessarily. After returning her phone to her back pocket, she filled the kettle and turned it on. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to let Brooks know you’re here.”
The detective lifted her hand in acknowledgment, her attention on the screen of her cell phone.
Cam took the stairs two at a time and entered the bedroom as Brooks walked out of the bathroom, his waist hugged by a towel.
She drank in his body. Good god. As scary as Axalantheum was, Brooks sure responded well to it. Every line of his muscles bulged, from his traps to his stacked calves and all the delicious carving of flesh in between. Her throat thickened. “Ah, Detective Aldridge is here.”
Brooks’s hand froze on the knot of the towel. “What the—”
She raised her hand. “She says she has information about Leonetti’s studies.”
He growled and went to the dresser. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
Cam retreated and returned to the main level. Detective Aldridge hadn’t budged. Nerves ticked under Cam’s skin. The kettle screamed, and she grabbed a random tea bag from the cupboard, not caring whether the woman had a preference. After filling a mug, she walked to the living room.
Detective Aldridge accepted the mug, and her eyes warmed on Cam for the first time. “Thank you. It smells delicious.”
Cam lowered herself into the love seat, leaving enough room for Brooks to sit next to her.
She studied Detective Aldridge. Lexi and Nash had mentioned she’d been involved in exposing Conrad’s child-trafficking business, and that she was probably the most trustworthy detective at the station. So what was the deal with her nosing around the Holmes boys?
Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, and then Brooks glided into the living room. “Hello, Detective Aldridge. What can we do for you?” He didn’t offer his hand but instead sat next to Cam. His weight sunk the cushion, and she didn’t resist the pull to his side.
Her full mouth, one that would likely drive most men crazy with lust, smiled. “Please, you can both call me Sophia.”
Cam didn’t stop her eyebrow from arching.
Sophia glanced down at her mug and shuffled closer to the edge of the chair. “I’ll cut to the chase. You’re fortunate to have made it out of Leonetti’s chamber of horrors alive, Brooks. We’ve only just started the investigation into his work and, while collaborating with the police in Utah, we’ve learned just how awful the conditions were that you endured.”
Brooks laced his fingers together, his face somber. Cam’s stomach flipped at the memory of his dirty, bruised, and battered form lying unconscious on the bed. New anger filled her blood. She curled her fingers together.
“Some of it’s hazy, but I’m grateful to be out.”
Sophia shifted and pulled a folder from her large tote bag. “I shouldn’t be sharing this with you, but more than anyone, you have the right to know about Leonetti’s studies. I tracked down your file from his hard drive, too, so you’ll know exactly what was in the drug. It might help if you ever have health concerns in the future.”
He stretched forward and flicked through the pages. “Thank you,” he said, his tone no longer hesitant but grateful.
“We also learned that at the time of your disappearance, Conrad Hornick invested a large sum of money into Leonetti’s studies for Axalantheum. It’s possible he was involved in your abduction, but unless your memories fully return, it will be hard to know for certain.”
“What about his lab in Utah?” Cam interjected. “What happened to it?”
“It’s completely shut down,” Sophia said, pressing her palm to her thigh. “The remaining associates were questioned, and some were arrested for patient neglect.”
“Good.” All the nurses who’d worked in the lab should be sentenced to life in prison, but Cam kept that opinion to herself.
“Oh, one more thing.” She lifted her cell phone and flicked her fingernail over the glass. “We came across this image taken by one of the guards. Any idea who he could be?” She leaned forward and passed the device to Cam.
Cam held the phone and stared at Cole’s shadowed profile. It appeared to be an accidental photo, as the image was a blurry shot of the tent’s makeshift kitchen area. Despite the poor quality of the image, the straight nose, black hair, and focused stare matched her memory of Cole. Cam shook her head. “No, sorry. I have no idea who that is.” She turned the screen to Brooks, who shrugged.
“Nope. But, like I said before, I don’t remember much.”
“Hmm. Okay, then. Perhaps Cole Holmes will materialize one of these days.” She rose.
“Do you mind if I ask what your interest is in that man?” Cam asked.
“Cole?”
Cam lifted a shoulder, not willing to admit she knew who Sophia was talking about.
“He’s a dangerous person, Ms. Bayfield. He’s somewhat of a ghost, but through fragmented images like this one and the odd snitch, we know Cole Holmes is a contract killer. You’d both do well to report him if you’re ever in contact.”
The blood drained from her cheeks. Of course Cole was dangerous—it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. But a contract killer? She swallowed. That sure explained his ability to disappear, the high-tech gear he’d used, and why everyone wanted to keep his existence a secret. But who or what Cole was wasn’t her business. She was either in this family or not, and she wasn’t giving up Cole for anything.
She stood and escorted the detective to the door. “We’ll keep that in mind, Sophia. Take care.”
Sophia’s chin hiked up, and her expression held a hint of irritation. “Speedy recovery, Brooks.” She breezed out the door.
Cam shut and locked the door before turning into Brooks’s arms behind her. He enclosed her in a hug and pressed his mouth to the top of her head. She laced her fingers together at his back. “I guess we have some reading to do?” She pulled away to nod at the folder on the couch.
Brooks’s eyes turned to stone. “Nah, I’m good.”
She reared her head back. “What do you mean? There could be information you need—”
He stroked her cheek. “I don’t need those studies in my head, plaguing me with ideas about what could go wrong. I already know that I’m different from every other test subject, so really, do the findings even compare?”
The knot in her stomach settled. It wasn’t her place to tell Brooks how to handle his life, and surely there was good that could come from being ignorant. “Can we still keep the folder? Just in case?”
“’Course. But unless I start growing extra limbs, I want no knowledge of what’s inside. I’ve got everything I need right here.”
He brought his palm to her cheek, and heat that started at her toes crawled its way up to her neck. “Is that so? I take it you’re talking about all this extra muscle?” She ran her hand over the tight washboard of his abdomen.
He threw his head back and laughed. “That’s just a perk.” He kissed her forehead. “The doctor said the changes I’ve experienced are most likely permanent, but you’re the only thing I need, Cam.”
She caught his neck in her palms. “You make me so happy. I love you, Brooks.”
He bent his head and invited her lips into a long, leisurely kiss that curled her toes and tingled her mouth. He pulled away and pressed gentle pecks to the sides of her mouth. “I love you.” He clapped his hand to her ass. “Now let’s eat. I think your mom needs some company.”
He tugged her hand in the direction of the kitchen and her heart followed. They still had so much to figure out, but as long as she fell into Brooks’s arms every night, nothing else mattered.