Chapter 51
Camilo
“Y ou sure you don’t need anything?” Andrei asked, his green eyes focusing on me. They were all teared up, to the point it made me want to punch the concern out of him.
“For the tenth time, yes, I’m sure I don’t need shit,” I rasped, repulsed by the metallic taste of blood I still had in my mouth. “I mean it, man, I’m fine,” I promised him after he continued to look at me like I’d drop dead at any second.
To be fair, I couldn’t blame Andrei or the others who were currently flooding my room after I gave them all a slight heart attack. Or a big one . After going in for an emergency surgery with my life on the line, followed by seven days of me being knocked out cold, wired to machines and filled with drugs, my guys were sure they’d lost me. Again. With how shitty I currently felt, unable to even sit up straight, I, too, was shocked to be alive. And while I was glad they all came here to see my fucked-up face, bringing chocolates and balloons with them, the fact he wasn’t here formed a knot in my stomach—one that had nothing to do with the surgery I went through.
“Don’t you think it’s odd how we always end up in the hospital?” Jessie asked from the corner of the room, where he was munching on my chocolates.
“Jessie.” Levi slapped his arm.
“What?” The moron frowned, mouth full. “I mean it.” He swallowed. “First we had Miles, then we had Jordan, Shay-Lee, Chief.” It looked like he was done counting us poor people when he snapped his fingers. “I forgot Soren—he got shot earlier this year.”
“Thank you for the pleasant reminder, Jessie,” the lawyer muttered while Levi sighed.
“Kotik, how about you stop talking?”
“He sort of has a point, though,” I said, a faint smile on my lips. “We really do always end up fucked-up.” To prove Jessie’s point, I slowly lifted up my broken hand. Not that I needed to with how my face looked, all patched up, swollen, and bruised.
Jessie put the chocolates down and stood up. “I know, right?” He waved his hand at me. “It’s like someone’s out there wishing for us to get hurt—”
“Okay, champ, how about we change the subject?” Chief kindly offered while putting a hand on Jessie’s shoulder, calming him down.
The two exchanged looks when I turned to face Soren.
“You sure he’s coming?” I asked.
The lawyer smiled. “He called not too long ago, saying he’s on his way here. He’s probably running late because of the meeting with the insurance company.”
Soren told me that while I was knocked out, Shay-Lee’s old house went up in flames and that now Shay-Lee had to handle all that crap regarding insurance. No one got hurt, but the place was completely ruined. Soren also mentioned that a gas leak mixed with a short circuit caused the fire. Sure. That was what caused it, and not a 176-pound blond with anger issues who should have already been here by now. The fact that Shay-Lee wasn’t here scared me, mostly because I worried he’d do something stupid while I was bound to this bed, unable to do shit to save him .
“How did this even happen to you?” Jessie asked, his question grabbing my attention back.
“You already know how, Jess,” Andrei spoke, his eyes locked with mine. “He worked as a bodyguard and got into a fight with some drunks. It all escalated quickly.”
Oh, right , that was the lie we’d told the police when they questioned me earlier.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” I said, my voice rough.
Shit . My body was still sore and hurting all over.
“It’s just so scary, you know?” Jessie bowed his head down as he looked at his shoes. “Diesel… he almost died… It’s sick.”
I did almost die. In fact, if not for Shay-Lee and Jordan saving my ass, I wouldn’t be here now. Everything that happened was rather blurry, and I only had pieces of memories from that event, like when Shay-Lee first came running into the room they held me in, when he touched my face and told me he was there, or when Jordan held my hand in the van. My ass was fucking lucky they were there because this one was too damn close.
“What’s important is that we’re all here now, so let’s not think about what could have happened,” Chief said, cutting into the silence following Jessie’s words.
“That’s true,” Miles added from where he stood behind Andrei.
Surprisingly, I was even happy to see his annoying face. Go figure, maybe all the drugs they were giving me here had turned me a bit softer.
Andrei’s hand landed on my shoulder, and he squeezed me lightly. “You really scared us, D. Don’t do it again.”
I scared myself, too.
Before I could respond and say he had nothing to worry about anymore, the door to the room opened, and Shay-Lee walked in. His hair was a mess, as if he’d been running around all day, and his eyes were a bit red, but other than that, he looked good. More importantly, alive and well.
Our eyes immediately found each other, and while I thought he’d be as happy to see me as I was to see him, Shay-Lee instantly looked away. It stung, and fear that he might still be mad at me gnawed at my stomach.
Miles cleared his throat. “Am I the only one who’s suddenly hungry?”
“Nope.” Andrei jumped to his feet at the same time Levi and Jessie nodded together.
Those four quickly slipped out of the room, only saying a quick hey to Shay-Lee on their way out.
“I’ll go call my mom to see if the kids are okay,” Chief said before also taking his subtle leave.
I thought Soren would follow his husband’s lead when, instead, he stopped next to Shay-Lee.
“How did it go with the insurance?” he asked, voice low.
Biting his lip, Shay-Lee nodded. “Good, they believed it all.”
A deep sigh escaped Soren, and he took off his glasses. “That’s the last time you’re doing something so irresponsible, Shay-Lee. I swear to God, kid, the danger you put yourself in—”
“What’s going on?” I cut in, not liking Soren’s tone.
The lawyer half turned to look at me, concern written on his face, before he went back to frown at Shay-Lee. “Promise me you won’t risk yourself like that again.” He placed his hand on Shay-Lee’s cheek, and while I knew it was nothing more than a platonic gesture of care, it still pissed me the fuck off.
“I won’t,” Shay-Lee said quietly.
It was enough to convince Soren, who moved away and got out of the room.
At last, it was just Shay-Lee and me left alone.
“Hey,” I said, a stupid smile on my lips.
“H-hey,” Shay-Lee hummed back while still refusing to meet my stare.
The little skank .
Even when I was in the hospital, his bratty ass wasn’t about to make my life easy, huh ?
Shay-Lee
Despite knowing I was already running late, I checked my new phone for the time. Fuck . Soren had called me to say Camilo woke up almost five hours ago but I was stuck with the insurance company and its lawyers, and I couldn’t have gotten out of there sooner. Maybe I could if I really tried, but Soren warned me to behave so I wouldn’t draw any more suspicions.
I told Soren I set my old house in flames the same night it happened, and while he scolded me for being an idiot, he also promised he’d take care of everything—meaning he’d handle the police, fire department, or anyone else who might be involved. How did he do it? I had no clue, but as of today, my house officially burned down due to a gas leak mixed with a short circuit.
“Come on,” I grunted, pushing the elevator button again to call for it. When it still didn’t arrive, I decided to skip it and take the stairs instead. Running up to the fourth floor, I didn’t stop to catch a breath or wipe away the sweat on my forehead until reaching the right floor. I pushed open the door and dashed down the long hallways that were all too damn confusing. My whole energy was set on getting to Camilo, and I’d almost reached his room when I saw a familiar face that forced me to stop.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, a bit out of breath, as I was met with Jordan.
Pushing back from the wall he leaned against, Jordan slipped his phone into his front pocket and moved toward me. “I heard he woke up and wanted to check he’s okay.” His lips curved into a nervous smile. “Oh, and I wanted to thank you for sending someone to bring back my car—”
I cut him off with a hug. The last time I saw Jordan was when I yelled at him to stay with Camilo as security escorted me out. And while this hug caught us both off guard, I didn’t know how else to express my gratitude.
“Thank you for helping me,” I said, hugging him closer .
His body tensed in my embrace, almost like he didn’t know what to do, until he released a breath and wrapped two strong arms around me.
“It… It was really nothing.”
I shook my head and pulled back so our eyes met. “But it wasn’t. I couldn’t have done it without you. I couldn’t have saved him—”
“You could have,” he said, eyes soft. “If there’s something I’ve learned by now, it’s that you’re capable of anything, Shay-Lee, so stop underestimating yourself.”
His words formed a lump in my throat, and I quickly pulled back. To say Jordan and my past was problematic would be an understatement. We had both done unforgivable things to one another, and yet, in the end, we’d joined forces and somehow managed to save not only ourselves but also Camilo.
“I know that you thought this Oro was your friend… anyway, I’m sorry you had to watch him die,” I muttered quietly, my head bowed down.
“You’re sorry?” Jordan snorted. “That piece of shit deserved it.”
Surprised, I looked up to meet his kind eyes. Somehow, I thought that after everything we went through, Jordan would be more… traumatized.
“So, you’re okay after what happened?” I scowled, careful with my words.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “More than fine, actually. It sort of helped me figure out what I want to do next in my life.”
Taken by a pleasant surprise, my brows shot up, and I crossed my arms. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I think I’m gonna start my own private security company.”
Impressed, I fist-bumped his chest. “That’s great, Jordy. If you need any money—”
“I’m good, don’t worry.” He smiled, a faint blush on his cheeks.
It was good to know. A thought then occurred to me.
“You also don’t need to worry about anyone finding out what we did. I handled it.” We had broken a few laws together, but with Oro gone and with the deal I made with Dion, we were safe.
“That’s good to hear.” He smiled nervously, his stare dropping to the floor. “Listen, Shay-Lee… I know you didn’t want to hear my apology before, but I just want you to know that I’m genuinely sorry for everything. I know words won’t take back what I did to you and Diesel, but please know that I’ll forever regret it.”
And while he had done awful things to us, after the way he helped me, I couldn’t stay mad. Jordan and I might not stay friends, and I doubted I’d ever contact him after today, but—
“Don’t be. Just leave the past behind and move on with your life, Jordan. That’s what I plan on doing.”
His forehead furrowed. “Do you mean it?”
“We all had our own bad inceptions. It’s better to accept it and just… move on.” I patted his shoulder. “Besides, we’re only twenty-three. Living the rest of our life full of regrets kinda sucks, doesn’t it?”
His full lips curved up, and he laughed, his ocean eyes looking as bright as they were before all this crap started.
“I guess you’re right.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes glancing around before settling on me. “Safe to say, we’re not going to stay friends, right?”
I pressed my lips together into an apologetic smile and shook my head. “I don’t think so. No.”
He shrugged. “Well, I’m fine with it.”
“You are?”
He nodded. “Yeah. It’s for the best.”
Silence broke between us until Jordan pointed over his shoulder at Camilo’s room. “I think he’s waiting for you.”
I smiled at him, and that was it. Not saying another word, Jordan tucked his hands into his pockets and began walking away. I watched him go, glad that this was how our story ended. But with this chapter coming to a close, it was time to start a new one, and nervous, I looked at Camilo’s room .
My pulse kicked into overdrive, and my muscles turned rigid the closer I stepped to the door. Now I’m scared? I groaned, thinking how pathetic I was just as I reached for the handle. Taking one last breath, I exhaled slowly and opened the door. To my surprise, Camilo’s room was packed with, well, everyone , and as soon I entered it, all eyes were on me. Camilo’s included. The love in his dark irises suddenly filled me with shame and regret, and I bowed my head. My skin turned hotter, my nape nearly burning up while I scanned the tiles on the floor as if I’d dropped a diamond. I heard the room emptying as others got out until Soren spoke. He asked me a few questions, and I tried avoiding his stare until he, too, left.
“Hey,” Camilo said, and fuck, I missed his voice so much it hurt.
Tears clogged my throat, and I struggled to utter a weak hey in return.
“Where were you?”
“My old house burned down, so I had a few things to handle.” I muttered the lame excuse and walked toward the desk, where the others had left gifts for Camilo. From the second I entered the room, my heart was racing, as if I was running a fucking marathon.
“Your house burned down?” He repeated my words, sounding skeptical.
“Yeah. Burned to the ground.” I hummed, picked up a box of chocolates, and read the label. “Made out of dates?” I poked my tongue out. “I know you’re vegan, but there’s no need to be this cruel.”
“Shay-Lee, why did you burn down your house?” he asked, and I paused, eyes focusing on the stupid box.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I swallowed hard, my throat drying out.
“ Llorón, mírame. ”
I grabbed a different box of candies. “My Spanish kinda sucks, so I don’t really know what you’re saying—”
“Look at me.”
His voice dropped an octave, making my heart sink and my knees weak. Ashamed, I raised my head and finally looked at him. During the seven days Camilo was unconscious due to an induced coma, I sat by his bed and waited for him to wake up. And although he was in much better shape right now, he was still unwell. Injured and in a hospital robe, my king looked so different from his usual indestructible self. His beaten face was covered with bandages, all swollen and with one of his eyes only half open. His left arm was in cast, while different wires were stuck into his flesh. He looked so vulnerable, too vulnerable , and seeing him this way filled my body with regret. Regret because the last words I told him before he got into this state were cruel. So fucking cruel.
I knew only a while ago I’d told Jordan we shouldn’t live by the past, but easier said than done, right?
“Why did you start that fire?” Camilo repeated the question, his eyes locked with mine.
I shrugged and offered him a fake smile. “I was in the mood for a bonfire?”
“Shay-Lee.”
“Fine.” I walked toward him, stopping right by his bed. “I wanted that place gone,” I said, tracing my fingers along the hem of the blanket covering him, slowly going up the bed until Camilo reached out and grabbed my hand.
“You wanted it gone?” He pulled me a bit closer, his grip much weaker than usual.
I sealed my lips shut, my jaw clenching as images of the fire feeding on the foundations of that cursed house flooded me.
“I wanted that place erased from the face of the Earth. I wanted it and all of its memories to burn into fucking ashes, Camilo,” I hissed, eyes locked with his.
Camilo didn’t bat an eye and instead stared back at me, his face serious.
“Are you upset?” I asked, my insides coiling with nerves.
“Only because I wasn’t there to do it with you.” He laced our fingers together, his hand pulling me closer.
Feeling like I could melt at any second now, I sat down on his bed, getting as close to him as possible. “This, right now, is why I love you so fucking much, Camilo.”
He tilted his head aside right before I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his, probably in the most gentle kiss we had ever shared. I couldn’t have deepened it, even though I wished otherwise, and instead settled for soft strokes of my lips against his. Like velvet pillows, his lips drew me in, and I savored every second of it until he let out a soft groan. I pulled back just in case I hurt him, cupping his jaw in my hand. Despite the bruises on his face, he looked so gentle, and my heart ached with pain for the things I made him go through. He suffered all those years because he fought for me, for us, and it took my stupid ass too much fucking time to realize it.
Now, filled with aching love and regrets I had long since stopped counting, I took a deep breath.
“I’m so sorry for the things I said to you,” I whispered while stroking along one of the bandages he had on his face, the one covering the cut that dragged from the bottom of his jaw all the way up to his brow. “I’m ashamed that I even dared to think such awful things in the first place, mi rey .” My lips quivered.
“Llorón—”
“No.” I shook my head. “Let me speak now because I must.” In order for us to move forward, Camilo had to hear what I had to say because, God forbid, he’d believe the crap I spat in his face in that cemetery.
“I was so angry and shocked after I saw the video that, like an idiot, I allowed him to get between us again. I blamed you for picking him over me, while I did the exact same thing. I chose that monster instead of the man I love…” My throat dried as I swallowed back the tears choking me. “I said you’re a monster. I kicked you, for God’s sake.” My voice cracked, and I took a sharp breath of air. “You aren’t a monster—just a man in love—and I realize it now because I, too, would stop at nothing to have you safe.”
His eyes widened, even the one he could barely open, as he stared back at me, bewitched. “Shay-Lee, what did you do?” he asked, voice tinged with fear.
Grabbing his hand, I kissed the back of it. “It doesn’t matter now.” I rubbed my cheek against his palm before bringing it to my heart. “What’s important is that my father will never come between us again because I buried him, Camilo. That was what this fire was for. It was to send that devil to hell, where he always belonged, and without you, it would have never been possible.” Tears prickled behind my eyelids, threatening to fall. “Thank you for killing him.”
Camilo’s face twisted with pain and… relief . Relief he should have felt long ago, and he would have, if not for my mistakes.
It broke me, but finally realizing this hell was over, I allowed myself to fall apart. And Camilo, who, despite being injured and hurt, was there to catch me. Leading my head down, he brought it to rest on his chest while I continued to cry uncontrollably. It was an ugly cry, one full of snorting and sobs, the type to turn my cheeks hot and my nose runny. Camilo didn’t seem to care, as he caressed my hair the whole time, keeping it away from my sticky face.
“Whenever you cry, it’s like the sky tears apart, and the whole world turns sadder. It breaks my heart every time,” he whispered, voice soft, while he ran his fingers through my hair. “It was what drew me to you in the first place. Back on that hotel balcony, after I stopped you from jumping, you cried so much it left me shocked. At first, I thought you were dead-ass crazy, but then I listened to your cry, and I recognized it. I recognized it as my own pain, and at that moment, I would have given anything to make it stop.”
His confession touched the deepest parts of my soul, and slowly, I rose up to look at him.
“Is that why you love me? Because I’m broken, like you?”
Perhaps, in the end, all the torture and abuse I went through was what led me to Camilo. If I were to be just another spoiled, rich brat with a silver spoon in his mouth, a man like him would have never wasted a breath on me. I’d be simply another stranger crossing his path, unworthy of his time or attention .
“No,” he said, and that one simple word was enough to calm the storm in my mind. Brushing his finger along my jaw, he nudged my chin up so I’d see the sincerity on his face.
“I love you because you’re strong and you’re kind. You’re beautiful, inside and out, fierce despite the pain, and mostly, you have it in you to forgive, even monsters like your dad.” His lips twitched into a smile full of sorrow and pain. “I never had that ability… forgiveness . I hold on to vengeance like it’s my last breath, allowing it to fuel me with hate and anger that blinds me from what’s important.” He took a short pause, his face turning softer, shedding the lines of stress. “ You’re what’s important, Shay-Lee. And it’s only you who makes me a different version of myself, one who doesn’t hate and rage but looks at the future. A man that can dance till the dawn comes and who falls asleep with a sucker’s smile on his face.”
My chest tightened with his words, and I held back a sob.
He chuckled.
“Stop crying all the time. It’s making me sad.”
“I’m not crying.” Sniff. “My eyes are just wet.” An ugly snort escaped me, and he pulled me close until our foreheads touched.
“You’re such a crybaby.”
“I am.” I sobbed when a spark of gold caught my eye, and I moved my hand to his neck.
“I wondered who put it on for me,” he said while I stroked the golden chain.
“I did, while you were asleep.”
“Where’s yours?” he then asked.
“I had to repair it. Some twink tore it apart.”
Despite trying to make light of it, Camilo didn’t find it funny and instead wrapped his fingers around my neck.
“Next time you visit me, make sure you have it. Yes?”
For once, I didn’t feel like arguing over being told what to do, and instead, I nodded, fucking grateful that he was here, alive , and well enough to order me around.
“Will do.”