Chapter Thirteen
CAM
We waited for more FBI agents to show up at the horrible mess for over an hour.
Mars wasn’t allowed to take the Camaro since it was now evidence at a crime scene which had to be explained to local authorities who showed up with the FBI.
That had been his boss’ call, and though, Captain Sorensen had been exceptionally apologetic about it, Mars was pissed, if the expression on his face was anything to judge by.
Instead, we ended up in a black FBI-issue SUV when agents handed over the keys to Mars.
Needless to say, the local FBI guys weren’t happy campers when they were forced to give up one of their own vehicles.
While Mars drove Mickey, Mom, and me to the hotel where apparently his whole team had checked in, I sat in the back seat, holding my mom’s delicate hand as she tried to understand what had happened.
I explained that bad men were trying to hurt the FBI agents so she wouldn’t think they were after her.
She silently watched me, nodding vaguely every now and then, but I wasn’t sure she understood the depth of the danger she’d been in throughout the ordeal.
She probably didn’t even know who I was even though I’d told her as soon as I got in the car with her.
While we drove to the Wyndham, I was only half listening to Mickey talking to someone on the phone.
He relayed what had happened, confirming both Beth and Kindness were fine, stating we’d all be back in L.A.
tomorrow, so there was no reason for the team to fly out.
I was slightly confused because it’d been my understanding that Mars’ whole team was already here.
He hung up just as Mars pulled into the parking lot and turned to look at me.
“That was Special Agent Lincoln Snow back in Los Angeles,” Mickey said as I looked at him with a question on the tip of my tongue. “Beth and Kindness are on his team. He wants us all back in L.A. first thing in the morning. We can leave bright and early or tonight, whatever we decide.”
“We should ‘ead out right away if Candy says we’re leaving today,” Mars said. “Is the plane still here?”
“Yeah. That works for me,” Mickey replied. “Unless the boss had other plans.”
“If ya ‘ave no objections,” he said to me.
I shrugged. “It’s not my call, is it?”
He frowned a bit, and I recognized the gesture for what it was. After everything that had just happened and the way Mars had done everything in his power to keep Josiah’s men off the Beemer carrying my mom, I was being a supreme asshole.
“It’s Candy’s call, just wanted to know if ya ‘ad an objection to staying overnight.”
I opened my mouth, wanting to tell him I’d be fine as long as his big, sexy body was wrapped around me, but I just shook my head, chewing my bottom lip.
“You okay, Cam?” he asked.
“I-I don’t even have a place to stay in L.A,” I blurted. “And what about Mom?”
“The Bureau will put you both in a safehouse,” Mickey said.
Mars glanced at him. “’E’s right.” He turned back to me. “And tonight, if Josiah works out where we’re staying, it won’t bloody matter. You’re gonna be surrounded by the best damned Tac Team in the Bureau.” He sent me an encouraging smile making my heartbeat speed up.
Flashbacks of Mars’ mouth on me, popped into my head almost instantly.
Everything about the strong, capable, sexier-than-hell agent was potent.
I swallowed hard and dragged my gaze away from him, looking at Mickey as I willed my body to ignore Mars and his fucking dimples.
Popping a boner while sitting next to Mom would be just weird as hell.
Mickey nodded. “Mars is right, Cam. You’ll be well insulated from trouble here and in L.A., FBI safehouses are just what they sound like…safe.”
“All I know is, ya can’t stay in Vegas, not after this,” Mars added with finality.
I chewed my lower lip. “It’s all about my mom,” I said.
“I can sleep on the street for all I care. It wouldn’t be the first time.
I just want to make sure she’s taken care of.
She’s used to a routine at Shady Grove. What if she gets scared when she realizes we’re not going back there tonight?
” I darted a glance at her, relieved when I noticed her eyes were closed as she leaned against the window where she’d fallen asleep.
Mars was watching her too, nodding slowly before he turned to Mickey.
“Let’s ask Candy if the Bureau will put Cam and ‘is mum up ‘ere for the night, like you suggested. She’s knackered from all that rubbish at the uni.” He no doubt saw my protective hand around hers as she slept against the window looking soft and vulnerable in sleep.
“I know I want her safe, guys. As for where I’m staying, I think it’s better if I’m not staying in the same room as her, just in case Josiah’s guys figure out we’re at the Wyndham.” I looked quickly back at them. “And if something happens to me, I don’t want my mom to see that.”
Mars reached back and put his hand on my knee. “Nothing’s going to ‘appen to either of ya, Cam. I can promise ya that.”
I shook my head, trying not to sound pathetic even though my words came out shakily.
“You can’t promise me that, Mars…no one can.
Josiah is going to be pissed as hell when he realizes he’s been duped and he’s gonna take it out on someone.
It’s unlikely after this shoot-out, with two of his men dead, that he’ll want me on his crew.
Even if you can make that look like it’s not associated with the FBI, it isn’t worth the effort now that he has no more leverage to use against me.
And if I know him like I think I do, he’s gonna stop at nothing to take me out. He’ll know something’s up.”
He squeezed my knee. “Let’s just see ‘ow it goes. Maybe my boss ‘as a different idea.” I wondered what he was seeing in my eyes…probably the resignation in them. He wouldn’t be far off base. I felt like I was already dead.
Mars flicked a look at Mickey. “Let’s go upstairs, get them some lunch, and wait to ‘ear about Candy’s plan since they’ll probably be out there at the uni for hours.”
“Yeah, okay,” Mickey said, dragging his gaze away from Mars’ hand as he pulled it off my knee.
Mom and I ducked into the hotel lobby with Mickey where we waited for Mars to valet the SUV.
Once we’d retrieved keys their boss had left at the front desk, we took the elevator up to our rooms. It turned out that he’d rented two rooms for the night, each with two king beds which answered the questions about when we’d be going to L.A.
Mars told me I’d be staying in one room with an agent, and Mom would be in another with her own agent, unless I wanted her in the same room as me…
and an agent. Since that meant I’d either be sharing a bed with her or with an agent, I wasn’t really down with that choice.
She was used to having her own room at Shady Grove, so sharing with anyone was going to be hard for her either way.
I only hoped they’d opt to leave either SA Michaels or SA Rayburn with her since sharing with a woman wouldn’t scare her… I didn’t think.
Mars opened the door to one of the rooms and we all went in.
“Can I use the bathroom, please?” Mom said.
I showed her the bathroom, and the various free toiletries, asking her if she wanted a shower which she declined. She fingered the soft towels. “This is so nice. Are we on vacation?” She smiled.
“Yeah… Yeah, we are.” My heart skipped a little beat but she seemed happy.
I told her to call out if she needed me and walked out, closing the door behind me with a quiet snick, and a sigh of relief.
Mars and Mickey were standing next to the window across the room.
They weren’t checking out the view, though.
They were turned toward each other and seemed to be having a whispered conversation, fiercely frowning at each other.
When they instantly stopped and turned to look at me, I knew they’d been arguing about me.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Mickey said, shooting Mars a frown.
“I’m going downstairs to call our boss and see if they know how long they’ll be.
” He turned to look at me and sighed deeply before leaning into Mars and whispering something in his ear.
He eyed me up, still frowning. “I’ll be back,” he growled, striding to the door.
I watched him go and turned to Mars. I couldn’t hide the questions in my eyes, knowing they had to be written all over my face.
“What was all that about?”
Mars came closer, looking down at me. “’E didn’t like me touching your knee…thinks I’m getting too close.”
I nodded slowly. “I figured it had something to do with me. Mickey doesn’t like or trust me.”
Mars shook his head. “It’s not that. Mickey is straitlaced about certain things, that’s all.”
“Like gay guys.”
Mars snorted, shaking his head as he smiled. “We told ya before…Mickey’s gay, just like me. Actually, all the men on my team are either gay or bi, including my boss, Candy.”
My eyes widened. “Really? They’re all gay.”
He nodded. “Really. When I say straitlaced, I mean Mickey looks at everything in black and white. People are either good or bad in ‘is world.”
I understood. “And he thinks because I steal cars and work for a truly bad guy like Josiah Sterling, that makes me one too.” I started to turn away as Mars reached out and grabbed both shoulders to stop me.
“No, Cam. It’s not like that. ’E just doesn’t easily differentiate the subtleties of bad guys as easily as I do.”
It was my turn to snort. “That’s what I said. Because I steal for someone like Josiah, that makes me a bastard, just like him.”
He squeezed my shoulders. “You’re not a killer and Mickey knows that.
” He paused for a few seconds before elaborating.
“’E just doesn’t know you, Cam. Don’t worry.
It takes time to build trust with ‘im and it’ll ‘appen, just not as easily because of Sterling.” He squeezed my shoulders again.
“Can ya give ‘im time? ‘E’s really a good bloke once ya get to know ‘im.”