28. Dax
DAX
“Okay, well played,” Cam wheezed out as he slowly stood.
The security guards came rushing over to help him and the lady at the lobby desk looked horrified at what I’d done.
Cameron waved off the help, assuring them it was all fine.
It took him a few minutes to pull himself together, but I waited, basking in the glow of watching a man get knocked down a peg.
It dimmed slightly as he grabbed my hand once again and led me out of the lobby to the doctor he’d been alluding to.
“You know I’m not going to be able to live that down, right? The whole office is going to know that I got kneed in the balls for kissing the woman I’m handcuffed to,” Cam pointed out.
I just shrugged and grinned at him. “Who’s to say that wasn’t my plan all along? Someone was feeling a little too sure of themselves and I needed to prove a point… did it work?”
“Not in the way you’re hoping, it’s just gonna make me work all that much harder to get back in your good graces,” Cam informed me, as he swiped his keycard and pushed the door open for me.
This hall reminded me of a hospital, all white and sterile with that scent of disinfectant. I trailed after him as he led me into a room and hit the intercom on the wall.
“Can I get a doctor to exam room three? I have an undercover operative that needs to be looked at,” he said.
“Someone will be with you shortly,” a woman on the other side answered.
Cam took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the cuffs. “Now I know you could have gotten out of these at any point, but I appreciate you complying.”
“I only did it so that the guys wouldn’t get crazy by trying to cause a distraction to let me slip away. There was no way I was gonna leave them behind to deal with you,” I shared, hopping up on the exam table. “Care to fill me in a little more on why I’m here?”
“No, I don’t think so. I would prefer to only have to go through this once, because we have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in.
But… I will once again reassure you that you are not officially under arrest. There is plenty I could detain you for but that would ruin the whole plan, so that’s lucky for you, now isn’t it? ”
“It’s amazing, grown-up appearance, big boy job, but still the same petty punk I remember with the skater boy hair and baggy jeans,” I mused, shaking my head. “How’s your old man?”
Cam’s face fell into a scowl for a brief moment, letting me know I still knew how to get under his skin, even if he could never figure out how to get under mine.
“We haven’t talked in about five years. The bureau doesn’t look kindly on fraternizing with criminals, even if they are family,” Cam retorted.
“Then it could never work out for us to get back together, now could it?” I countered.
Cam opened his mouth to say something but a woman in a white lab coat entered the room. “Hello, I’m Doctor Matthews. I was told someone needed to be looked over?”
I raised my hand. “That would be me, Doc. I was shot in the shoulder on the left side and the back on the right with a bullet graze on my left side as well. To keep my cover, they had to do a hostile takedown where I was in a slight car accident and then almost had my arm pulled out of my socket when they tried to cuff me. Since the bullet went through my lung and I had surgery for it, they just want to make sure they didn’t cause any internal bleeding since it happened about a week ago. ”
Doctor Matthews just blinked at me once I was done speaking. “Goodness.”
“My arm hurts like a bitch, but I don’t think they caused any internal damage,” I offered.
This seemed to snap her out of her shock. “Well, I’ll be the judge of that. If I could have you put on a gown so I can look at your wounds that would be helpful.”
“No need, I’m not shy,” I said as I pulled the shift off my right side to slip it down the left arm.
I, of course, wasn’t wearing a bra since the straps and band would hit me in all the wrong places, meaning Cameron got a full-on reminder of what he’d once enjoyed.
He had to stifle a groan when he took in the sight of me now covered in tattoos and way more toned than I was back in college.
I was curious to know if Cam had the same sexual preferences as he did back in college or if he grew out of those kinks?
Something in the way he looked at me told me he hadn’t or that he very much would like to dabble in old habits.
“Looks like a few of the stitches in your shoulder got pulled out, I’m guessing with the black shirt you didn’t notice,” Doc Matthews stated.
“I’ll have to take the others out and see what I can do about fixing it.
Unfortunately, it will set you back another week before they can be removed.
If I could, I’d like to do an ultrasound on your chest to check your lung, just to be sure but I don’t see any signs of trauma to the area. ”
Glancing at my shoulder, I noticed it was weeping blood. “Huh, is that why it’s been hurting like a son of a bitch? Do whatever you need to, Doc. I won’t fight you on it.”
“I’ll inject a local then we’ll see what we can do to help manage the pain…” she paused and looked over at Cameron. “Does she still have work to do today?”
“Yes, we need to have a debriefing but then she can rest,” Cam answered.
“Alright, so I’ll have to give you something milder and send you with another dose to take when you can sleep because it will knock you out,” Doc Matthews explained.
Shrugging my one shoulder I gave her a small smile. “I’d prefer that, I don’t like taking narcotics if I don’t have to, but I know this is going to hurt a lot more tomorrow.”
“Smart girl, a lot of undercovers get into trouble pretending to live darker lives.” She tutted as she worked on cleaning up my shoulder.
I looked over at Cameron as I spoke, “Some can handle the darkness and tame it to their will. While others fear it. The problem is when you fear it and run from it… it likes to chase you down.”
“Sure you don’t want the cuffs back on me?” I teased as we exited the elevator onto the tenth floor. “Or are you saving those for later?”
Cam turned on his heel to face me and backed me up against the wall, caging me in with his arms on either side of my head.
“Beautiful, I would suggest you stop playing with me if you don’t intend for me to act on it.
I’ll give you a pass on the nut shot back there, it was wrong of me to think I still had the right to do that.
But don’t mistake that moment to mean that I’m not the man who I’ve always been with you, my little one. ”
His voice sent shivers up my spine, and I knew instantly that I was in big fucking trouble.
Cameron had always been able to turn me on in a flash and our combined darkness loved to come out and play, feeding off each other.
He was deliciously dangerous, and in some ways, it was very bad for us to be together, but no one could deny our chemistry.
“Duly noted, Cam,” I answered, trying to keep the need out of my voice.
“Just know that if you ever want a shot with me, you have to convince all of them before I will ever touch you. Not too long ago I almost shot a woman for getting too handsy. I can’t even imagine what six pissed off guys will do if they found out you kissed me. ”
A flash of excitement shone in his amber eyes, as he grinned at me. “Like I said earlier, this is going to be so much fun.”
Pushing away from the wall, he ushered me down the hall until we reached a set of glass doors.
Once again swiping his card, he pushed them open, and I found myself in the middle of a command center of sorts, with people hovering around computer stations.
They all looked up when we entered and many of them stopped what they were doing to gawk at me, while others looked none to please with my presence.
“What the fuck is going on?” I whispered harshly at Cam. “Why do I feel like I’m the shark in the aquarium everyone wants to stare at?”
“Hmm, that’s actually a fairly good analogy there, beautiful.” Cam smiled as he guided me through the workstations to a conference room in the back.
The blinds had been closed but the moment my guys saw me enter the room, I was swarmed by them.
Eagle looked me over before hugging me to his chest and kissing me soundly on the mouth, then I was yanked away by Picasso.
He looked me in the eye, silently asking if I was okay.
Once I nodded, he kissed me on the forehead.
Wes stepped up next, creasing his brow as he looked over my shoulder at Cam then back down to me.
“I heard they were rough with you, shortcake,” he murmured, running his fingers along my cheek. “Everything okay?”
“Had to get my shoulder stitches redone but nothing too major,” I assured him, as I tilted my head back.
He responded right away, taking his time with his kiss, marking his claim on me in front of Cam.
These two had never gotten along, always trying to cut the other out of my life, saying they weren’t good for me.
Now I know it was because they both wanted to have me for themselves. Good thing Wes learned to share.
I pulled back first, knowing he would keep going just to push Cam’s buttons. “The other two here yet?”
“I just got a text that they arrived and will be up shortly, it seems the take down with them didn’t go as smoothly as yours did,” Cam shared. “Why don’t we all take a seat and once they get here, I’ll explain why you’re here.”
Cam made a move to reach out and grab my hand again, but Void scooped me up bridal style and headed for a seat at the opposite end from him.
Void set me in his lap and wrapped his arms around me like I was his favorite stuffed animal.
The guys filled in seats on either side of us, so Cam didn’t have a chance of getting to me.
In true Cameron fashion, he just observed with a slight smirk on his lips, enjoying the show of dominance they were putting on.
“Would anyone care for something to drink? We’ll be in here for a bit,” Cam offered.
The guys shook their heads, but I raised my hand. “I’d kill for a cup of coffee.”
“Still drink it black?”
“Like my soul,” I answered.
Cam stuck his head out the door and asked someone to bring him a mug of coffee, it seems he didn’t trust to leave us all alone.
My coffee and the last two of my guys arrived at the same time, but Void refused to let me up, so Sprocket and Cognac had to come greet me where I was.
It was a good thing too because these two looked like they put up one hell of a fight—shirts ripped, hair disheveled, and Cognac had a fat lip to boot.
“Loba, what happened to your face?” Cognac asked, letting his finger ghost over my skin. “Did they do this to you?”
I grabbed a hand with my own and pulled it to my lips. “I’m alright, they even had a doc check me out.”
“Little rebel, were you causing trouble again?” Sprocket questioned, giving me a knowing look, as he handed me my coffee.
“It wasn’t my fault this time, promise.” I grinned.
“Alright,” Cameron announced, drawing our attention. “Shall we finally get down to business?”
“Who’s the fucking suit?” Cognac asked me in a loud whisper.
“You don’t want to know. I know, and I wish I didn’t know,” Void stated, narrowing his eyes at Cam.
Sprocket’s eyebrows raised as he looked between the two men, but he didn’t comment.
“I am Agent Cameron Black, head of a taskforce that is specifically targeting the major crime lords in our surrounding area. One of which is none other than Two Tricks herself—although for the longest time I thought it was dear old Westly.”
Wes didn’t fall for his bait and just crossed his arms and relaxed back into his chair. “That still doesn’t tell us why we’re here, Camster.”
Everyone grinned at Weston’s not-so-subtle dis, but Cam took it in stride.
“Fine, we’ll get down to the root of it.
I know that Dax and Two Tricks are being targeted by the Tesoro Cartel that is now being run by a new leader.
They want to take back the West Coast that they lost after the Devils Spawn got disbanded and when Dax pushed out the last of the De León Cartel.
Both of these parties fed the Tesoro Cartel their biggest amount of skin, but it was too hot for them to try and fight back without any help.
This brings us to the Mad Dogs, one of the largest M’s, spanning over many different states, being held back by both parties sitting here.
The Phantom Saints and the Hidden Empire might not have planned to work in tandem on this matter, but you did.
Once both of you got your footing, human trafficking in the West Coast dropped to the lowest it’s ever been, thanks to you both.
Problem is, that other than Texas, you’re blocking the easiest way to move bodies in and out of the States,” Cam informed us.
With this last piece of information everything started to fall into place. “Who is Kimber working for?”
“That would be the Mad Dogs of course, but since you slipped through their fingers and killed Mastiff’s enforcer, he’s not too happy with her.”
“So that’s why she bailed, but who helped her?” I pressed, knowing that wasn’t everything.
“It would seem that she is now an official bed warmer to one of the top members in the Tesoro Cartel—”
That fucking bitch sold me out for the last time. When I get my hands on her, I will wring the life out of her and smile while doing it.