Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Cameron
Austin’s ranch had a huge barn reserved for events, since he often hosted open mic nights for friends in the industry, and they’d decorated the space with white tables and chairs, a stage and dance floor, fresh flowers, and clear lights.
There was an open bar, and a five-course catered meal, with country music’s elite all making an appearance to celebrate the happy couple.
I felt sick, having to face Rylee again.
She looked stunning, in a full black skirt with a wide belt cinching her tiny waist, a white vest with lacy ruffles, and sky-high black heels.
Her lips and nails were blood red, and I imagined it was my blood she’d like to spill on the floor as she shot daggers at me, when she bothered to acknowledge me at all.
“Honey, what happened?” my mama whispered, curling her hand around my forearm. “Y’all were so close at our place. I thought for sure you’d be gettin’ down on one knee by Christmas.”
“Please,” I said, turning my back on Rylee, who stood across the wide-open space talking to country music icons, Trey Turner and Ty McCall. “I can’t talk about this tonight.”
Her expression softened as she shook her head. “It’s obvious your heart is breaking, Cameron. And if you can’t talk to your family, who can you talk to?”
I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but the pain was still too raw.
“Tonight is about Austin and Eden. They’ve waited a long time for this and I’m not gonna ruin it by moaning about my problems.”
“Your sister is worried about you too,” she said, gently. “We saw what you went through when you broke up with Kelly, and that was bad enough. But this is… so much bigger than that, isn’t it?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded as I brought the whisky to my lips. It wasn’t going down smooth tonight. I’d drunk enough this past week to know it did nothing to ease the ache or make me forget her.
“Then talk to her. Whatever it is, just talk to her. Maybe you can work it out.”
“We can’t.”
I still didn’t know the truth, and until I did, I was at a loss. But guys like me didn’t close cases until we had all the answers, so why was I standing here, sipping whisky instead of demanding the truth from the only person who could give it to me?
“Hey,” Austin said, draping his arm around my neck. “How is everybody tonight?” He winked at my mama. “Havin’ a good time?”
“I am,” she said, hooking a thumb in my direction. “But I can’t say the same for this one.”
“Ah, yeah,” Austin said. “I thought you might be havin’ a rough night, brother. Is there anything I can do?”
“Mama,” I asked her, “Can you give us a minute?”
She shook her head and walked off muttering about stubborn men.
“Tonight is about you and my sister,” I said, turning to face Austin. “And you know nobody’s happier about your engagement than I am. It’s long overdue, if you ask me.”
He grinned, curling his hand around my shoulder. “I appreciate that, man.”
“But I need you to do me a favour.”
“Name it, Cam. You know that.”
“Rylee’s ex, Dean. You know where he lives?”
Austin’s eyes widened. “So, this does have something to with him, huh? I suspected as much.”
I wouldn’t talk to anyone other than Austin about this, but he knew this guy, and he knew Rylee. And I needed his take on the situation.
“He sent me a video,” I said, low enough for only Austin to hear. “A video of he and Rylee…”
“What an asshole,” Austin said, rolling his eyes. “Sounds like something that little weasel would do.”
“It was date stamped the night of that party y’all went to just—”
“That’s total bullshit.” Austin’s face was getting red and he was spitting the words out between clenched teeth.
“No way would Rylee do that to you. I know that girl. She’s like a little sister to me, and trust me when I tell you, she’s in love with you.
She would never cheat on you. So, I don’t know how he tampered with that video, but I can promise you it’s a fake.
He’s a fake. And if that’s the reason you lost Rylee, you, my friend, are an idiot. ”
“Jesus,” I whispered, swiping a hand over my face. “I wish I’d talked to you before I did something stupid that—”
Rylee walked by and I reached out to grab her on impulse. “Rylee, I need—”
“Take your hands off me,” she whispered, shaking me off. “You said all you had to say. And so have I. I’m done with you.”
I gave Austin a helpless look before he shrugged. He was tapping on his phone before mine pinged. “There’s the info you asked for, now get out of here.”
“I can’t leave yet. My sister will kill me.”
“She’ll kill you,” Austin said. “If you don’t find a way to make things right with Rylee. Now get out of here.”
I was taking the back stairs in his apartment building two at a time, since the main elevator was out of service.
I wasn’t even winded by the time I got to the fourth floor.
Running on rage and adrenaline as I pounded on the door, before kicking it a couple of times for good measure, I prayed for a little self-control when I saw his face.
“What the hell?” Dean demanded, yanking it open. Wide-eyed, he tried to close the door, but my boot and forearm blocked it. As a cop, I was used to using brute force to enter dwellings when I had to.
“You and me have some unfinished business, you piece of shit!” I slammed the door, closing in on him as he tried to run clear across the room. “I’ve got some questions. And you’re gonna give me the truth.”
I was in his face now, and I could see the terror in his beady little eyes.
“You have no right to be here.” His voice was shaky when he said, “You’re trespassing. I could call the cops.”
I laughed. “Kid, you never heard of the blue brotherhood? Who knows what I could get away with doing to you?”
He raised his hands. “Okay, maybe I crossed the line, sending you that video, but—”
“Maybe you crossed the line?” I punched a hole in the drywall next to his head, making him whimper. “Try again.”
“I did. Okay, I did, I did cross the line,” he stammered. “But you gotta understand where I was coming from. Watching Rylee move on with someone else was killin’ me, man. You know how that girl can get under your skin.”
I couldn’t argue with the pathetic bastard on that one.
I was using the interrogation stare I’d perfected working as a detective when I demanded, “When did you make that video, asshole?” I raised a finger before he could respond.
“And if you think about lying to me, I will burn your life down. I will unearth every shitty thing you’ve ever done since pre-school and make sure you pay. ”
When he remained silent, I added, “I have forensic investigators on my payroll, so I will find out, whether you tell me or not. But if I have to come back here and kick your door down—”
“Okay, okay,” he said, raising his hands.
“I took it when we were together. Rylee didn’t know.
I knew she was gonna dump me and I thought I could use the video to punish her.
Maybe blackmail her, when her career blew up like I knew it would.
But when I saw her with you, I knew I’d found the perfect way to use it. ”
He glanced at the gun I’d strapped on before walking into the building. An intimidation tactic, sure. But I wasn’t stupid enough to walk into a hostile environment, with someone as unstable as this kid, without back-up.
“The question is, how am I gonna punish you now?”
I took a step back, knowing it wouldn’t be with physical violence. It would be too easy to lay a beating on him. And he deserved it. But I didn’t just want to beat him. I wanted to ruin his life the way he’d ruined mine. And Rylee’s.
“I know I made a stupid mistake,” he said, lunging for his phone. “Look, I’ll delete the videos and all the pictures and—”
I grabbed his phone and threw it out the open window, making him gasp.
“You’ve got them backed up. But you’re facing serious charges, man.
Unlawful photographing in violation of privacy.
That’s a class A misdemeanor. But when you shared it with me it became a Class E felony.
” I let that sink in before I added, “In addition to doing time, you’ll be a registered sex offender. ”
The little bitch actually started crying. “Please, man. I swear to you, I—”
“Shut up before I knock your teeth out!” I had to get out of here, before I made good on my threat.
I was waiting in the parking lot when the sleek black car dropped Rylee off in front of her building.
I felt a little like a creeper, but I couldn’t leave town without pleading my case.
“Rylee!”
She whipped around as the car pulled away, before shouting, “Get lost, Cam! I told you I have nothing to say to you!”
“Baby, please.” I knew I was crossing the line by blocking her entrance to the building, but I was desperate. “I’m so sorry.” I tried to touch her, but she jumped back like I’d burned her. “I know you didn’t cheat on me. I was out of my mind when I saw that video and I wasn’t thinking clearly. I—”
“Why now?” she demanded, reaching into her purse for her keys. “Why have you all of a sudden decided that I’m innocent?”
“I—” There was no way to answer this without looking bad, but she deserved the truth. “I made that sonofabitch tell me the truth, that he took that video when you were together, not—”
“Get out of my way.” She tried to push me aside, but I was like trying to move a brick wall when I stood my ground.
“So, you didn’t come to your senses because you’d done some soul-searching and realized I would never do something like that to you.
You had to get confirmation from him, that I wasn’t a traitorous slut. Good to know.”
My voice was raspy when her eyes filled with tears. “What do you want me to do to make this right, Ry? I’ll do anything. Please, just give me a chance.”
“I gave you a chance.” She squared her shoulders and looked me in the eye, letting her tears fall.
“I gave you a chance when I let you into my bed. I gave you a chance when I shared my deepest and darkest secrets with you. I gave you a chance when I trusted you enough to introduce you to my mama. I gave you a chance when I trusted you with my heart, when I fell in love with you—”
“You gotta know this is killin’ me, baby.” I hung my head. “I’ve been a mess this week. Losing you—”
“Losing me is your own damn fault!” she shouted, poking me in the chest. “If you’d trusted me, as much as I trusted you, you never would have lost me.
” Before I could apologize again, she added, “If your ex had sent me a video like that, I would have called her up, reamed her out for being so pathetic, shown it to you, and deleted it. End of story, because I wouldn’t have had to ask you.
I would have known you could never do something like that to me. ”
I knew I didn’t have the right, but I reached for her, sinking my hands into her hair, resting my forehead against hers as I whispered, “I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you, if you’ll let me? Please. You gotta let me.”
“I can’t.” Her voice was as broken as mine when she said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me.” Her eyes met mine when she said, “We’re done.”