Chapter 36 Change #2
He levels me with a look that tells me I hit a nerve. “Even half-asleep, I can still kick your ass.”
My eyes narrow, “You talk too much.”
He might be tired but he's still fast. My next shot lands clean on his jaw. I watch his head snap to the side, and a low, satisfied rumble escapes me. Payback.
He rubs his jaw, laughing through the sting, but his eyes cold with amusement. “Alright,” He circles me, keeping his eyes locked on mine like he’s got more to say. “Humor me for a second. I’ve got a question.”
I stalk closer, keeping my stance loose. “This should be good.”
“Easy, Hulk.” His grin sharpens as he sidesteps. “Think of it as bonding.” He shifts his weight, but I can see him planning out his next move in his head. “You notice anything… off lately?”
“Define off.”
Cam shifts his weight again. His movements are controlled, he's waiting. “I don’t know, anything weird or out of place? You’ve been wound tighter than usual.”
“You know what would be more fun? Kicking your ass,” I dodge his next swing and step in with a counter. “So either spill, or stop wasting my time.”
Cam laughs, dodging easily. His grin is infuriating enough that if he doesn't start talking, I'm going to hit it off him. “Patience is a virtue, man. Suspense is part of the game.”
I roll my shoulders, stepping closer. “You’re not as funny as you think you are.”
He sidesteps again, still grinning, but there’s a sharpness behind his eyes. “I’m just saying, you’ve been… distracted. You want to tell me who’s crawling under your skin?”
For a fraction of a second, I freeze. His words cut closer than I’d like, but I brush it off. “What is this—a therapy session?” I throw a jab that lands hard, forcing him back. “You want me on the couch, or are you finally going to hit me?”
He jumps back, laughing. “Alright, alright,” he says, raising his hands in surrender. “Just trying to keep it interesting. But if you’d rather get your ass beat—”
I silence him with a swing he slips under. His hit lands hard in my ribs, but not enough to matter.
“On a lighter note,” he winks, stepping back. “We found all the footage of our guy from the party.”
My movements still, as I circle him. “And?”
“He was always near Raven. Never too close, but never too far either.” His tone is cold. “He was clearly watching her.”
A muscle ticks in my jaw as I lunge forward, forcing him back. “Tell me you’ve got more than that.”
He blocks my next move smiling. “Relax. We’ve tracked him through the night. The bastard didn’t make a move until the garden, but before that, he was always somewhere nearby. Staring. Whoever he is, he’s not just some random asshole.”
I blow out a breath, lowing my fists. “Did you ID him?”
Cam’s lip curls into something dark, as sweat drips down his brow. “Not yet. The footage isn’t great, plus he knew what he was doing. No records, no identifiers, nothing.” He ducks pulling a swing out of nowhere. “He went to a lot of trouble to avoid cameras.”
I move out of his way, stepping closer and swing for the side of his face. “Well, figure it out.”
He sidesteps, landing a hit to my jaw that makes me stumble. “If there’s something to find, you know I’ll find it.”
I shake off the sting, feeling the frustrating boiling under my skin. I step in closer, crowding his space, forcing him back. “You better find it fast.”
He meets my frustration with amusement. “Relax. You’re acting like someone’s about to burn your house down.”
A dark chuckle escapes me. “They already tried. Now it’s my turn.”
He wipes the sweat off his face, rolling his eyes. “Fair enough. I’ll keep digging. But whatever’s going on here, we're going to find out."
My mind races with too many of the same thoughts. “Keep me posted.”
“Alright, but don’t lose your head over it. Raven’s clearly more capable than you think. She’s not a damsel in distress.”
The corner of my mouth lifts, “You think I don’t know that?”
He laughs, stepping back with a loose, easy confidence. “Just checking, mate. Hate to see you lose your charm.”
We move again, circling each other. The fight’s winding down, but neither of us is ready to back off just yet. I throw another jab, landing a clean hit on his shoulder that forces him to step back, but his expression doesn’t falter.
“Have you found anything more on Raven?”
He rolls his eyes deflecting my jab. “Everything’s been scrubbed. I didn't find any babies named Raven Taylor born in any hospital on her supposed birth date. Not here. Not there. Not anywhere.”
“Fuck.”
“Exactly.” He easily dodges my next swing. “Whoever did this knew what they were doing. That kind of thing doesn’t happen by accident.”
I exhale and turn to dodge him and barely make it out of the way. “But why?”
He raises a brow, and I can see his expression darkening. “Could be a number of reasons.” He sidesteps me again, which is starting to piss me off. “... someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure no one could dig into her past. That or they thought she would never look into it.”
The thought twists in my gut, and I clench my fists at my sides. “What the fuck would hiding something like this even cover up, though?”
He tilts his head, unfazed by the tension radiating off me. “Look, I’ve got some leads I need to check on.” He grabs a towel, wiping off his face. “Give me a couple of hours, and I’ll see what else I can dig up. And try not to burn the whole place down before I get back, yeah?”