Shadow Chapter 18
We were about done boxing up Cambria’s place.
We’d finish loading in the morning, and then Dylan and Eagle, who had accompanied us, would drive the truck back to the compound.
Cambria and I wouldn’t be returning for a few days.
Instead, we were taking time off. I agreed to take her to Hunters Creek.
She was dying to see Braelyn and meet Loki and their baby.
Plus, I wanted her to meet some of our friends and see what other compounds looked like.
Wrath and the rest of the club thought it was a great idea.
After the past several weeks, she deserved to decompress, and they insisted I did too.
I felt a massive sense of relief with Garen Brooks gone, the fanatics who had found Cambria’s identity locked away in a facility, and her new identity being accepted.
According to what we were reading online, Journi Brooks’ death was believed.
And the killer of Garen Brooks remained a mystery.
Although I heard from Undertaker, there was speculation that Cruz somehow had found a way into solitary to take him out.
Or at least, one of his gang did. After all, he was the reason they put Brooks in there in the first place.
The Patriots had discovered that Tiff had sent a letter to Brooks, telling him she had found his daughter and where to find her. The only thing that was hanging out there was how the letters got smuggled in and out. Overall, it was a minor issue, but I liked to tie up all the loose ends.
In Aiken, Cambria was good about wearing a wig, baseball hat, and sunglasses whenever she wasn’t inside her old home. We weren’t taking a risk of a neighbor recognizing her. She stayed inside and packed boxes, leaving the carrying and loading to the men.
I came upon her boxing up photo albums. She had one open and was staring at a picture. I leaned over her shoulder to take a look. It was of a woman with a young girl. It was taken years ago, I could tell by the clothing. The woman looked so much like Cambria that I knew who she was.
“Twilight, is this your mom?”
“It is. This picture is of the two of us after she took me to a fair. We went alone because… he was on a business trip. Or so we thought. I had so much fun. We rode the rides. She played games, won me prizes, and we ate junk food. It was a carefree day.”
“Tell me about your mom. You haven’t said a whole lot about her. Or is it too raw?” I drew her over to the sofa. We sat.
“It hurts, but in a good way, when it’s memories like this.
Mom was the best mom ever. She always told and showed me that she loved me.
I was cuddled, and attention was paid to me.
We would cook and bake together when I was older.
She shared her laughter and love of life with me.
She was smart and willing to help anyone.
I don’t know if she had a mean bone in her body.
I never heard her raise her voice or argue.
Her personality made it hard to imagine why Garen began killing.
Sure, she gave me attention, but she was good about giving him his share. ”
“I don’t think we’ll ever know why he was the way he was, Cambria. Either something was wired wrong in his head from birth, or something happened that made him turn into what he was. If it really bothers you, I can see what I can find about his childhood up until he met your mom,” I offered.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t want you to do that. I’ve given that man and what he did too much of my past and present already. He’s not haunting my future, too.”
I squeezed her. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Thank you,” she said softly before she kissed me.
It wasn’t a particularly passionate one, but it was enough to turn me on immediately. It was mock grumbling voices that made me break contact. I glanced over to find Eagle and Dylan standing there. They had boxes in their arms. Both stared at us, shaking their heads and smirking as they grumbled.
“Can you believe them? They sucker us into coming with the promise of an amazing steak dinner tonight, then they sit down to get all handsy while we do the work,” Eagle muttered.
“It’s shameful, is what it is. I’ll remember not to fall for their enticements again.”
Dylan added.
As Cambria and I parted lips, she picked up a pillow from the sofa and launched it at them. They danced out of the way, chuckling.
“Get back to work, you asses,” she mockingly growled.
“Right away, boss,” Eagle said before they continued to the door, then out.
“I swear, I now know what it’s like to have brothers,” she grumbled.
“I know. Makes you want to be a single child again, doesn’t it?” I joke.
She thought for a few seconds, then shook her head. “Nah, I’ll keep them.”
“Me too.”