Smitten

  “I thought I was going to die.” She stared at me and stroked my face. “That’s twice you’ve saved me now. I owe you my life.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t owe me anything. All I’ve ever wanted from you was your love.”

  “You have it,” she answered and lifted her head to my lips, kissing me again.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I slipped my hand down to pull it out, continuing to kiss her until she pulled away from me. I looked at the text with a sigh.

  “Who is it?”

  “Ripper. He wants to know where I am.”

  She gave an exasperated groan, collapsing back into the grass. “And reality comes to find us. Tell him to go away, that you’re making out with your sister. See how he enjoys that.”

  “Honestly, I’d enjoy nothing more—but I’d prefer to be standing in front of him, so I could see his reaction.”

  She giggled. “Oh, please let me be there for that too! I can’t wait for him to be hauled off to jail. He’s seriously creepy.”

  I tapped a reply back into my phone and hit send.

  “What did you tell him?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

  “I told him the truth—said I was spending the day out of town with you and our friend, Russ.”

  My phone beeped again a few seconds later.

  Keep Russ away from Cami. He’s always around. I think he’s into her.

  I almost choked on my laugh.

  “What?” Cami asked.

  “He thinks Russ is into you. He wants me to keep him away.”

  She joined my laugh. “Russ would die if he heard this!”

  Dude, U got it all wrong. Russ and Cami R just friends. Trust me, I replied.

  What—is he like gay or something?

  I laughed again.

  No, but he’s one of my best friends. He knows the bro code—no sisters.

  Ripper responded right away.If U say so. U & I don’t follow that rule tho. When will u guys B back?

  Later 2night.

  K. Give me a shout. I’ve got plans 2 tell U about.

  What kind of plans?

  Car races—for pinks. Hit me up when U get here. I’ll fill U in.

  That sounded interesting. I wondered what was going on.

  Will do, I answered.

  “So what’s Ripper so chatty about?” Cami asked, and I noted she sounded nervous again. It irritated me he had that kind of power over her. She’d gone from relaxed and happy to uptight in a matter of moments.

  “Don’t worry about him. He just wants to talk to me about some races.”

  “Races?” She looked confused.

  “Yeah, that’s all he said. He didn’t go into any more detail.”

  “I’ve decided he’s an adrenaline junky. Everything he does has to be risky.”

  “You could be right. It’s a very real thing, and people can get addicted to the way it make them feel.”

  She didn’t reply, instead twisting her hair around one of her fingers.

  “Just hang in there a while longer, okay, Goody? The end is getting closer. I can feel it.” I rested my hand on her thigh and squeezed lightly, hoping to reassure her.

  “I hope you’re right. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  Me neither, I thought.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Hunter-

  I glanced over at Cami, the glow from the dashboard softly lighting her features. She’d been asleep for the better part of the ride home. I was happy to see her relaxed again.

  “I’d feel much safer if you kept your eyes on the road rather than on your girlfriend,” Russ said sarcastically from the back seat. “Not much room back here for me to get tossed around like a hot potato if you decide to roll this sucker.”

  I stared at him through the rearview mirror. “Have I ever wrecked a car yet?”

  “Eyes—road,” he said again, gesturing with two fingers from his eyes toward the windshield, and I laughed.

  “Wanna walk the rest of the way?”

  “Whatever I need to do to live.”

  I chuckled again, shaking my head. “You’re such a dick, man. I’ve missed you.”

  “Oh, I’m the dick—me—the innocent, helpless passenger in the backseat. That’s kind of you. At least I’m not a whipped little bitch like you.” He grinned and nodded toward Cami.

  “Would you like to drive?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

  “Hell no, what do you think I am? A chauffer? That’s what I have you for!” He leaned forward and punched me in the shoulder.

  “Hey now! Hands to yourself or I’m gonna pull this car over right now and beat your ass.”

  “Do it,” he replied with a grin. “That’s a slam dunk case for police brutality if I ever saw one!”

  “Because you’ve been such an expert witness for police brutality in your life,” I bantered back.

  “Yeah, well, there’s always a first time,” he came back with a grin.

  “Jerk wad.”

  “Douchebag.”

  “Hey, dude! My girlfriend’s in the car—chill! Be nice.”

  “Oh ho! You can dish it but you can’t take it, can you—got to hide behind your little girlfriend.” He laughed and batted his eyelashes, raising his voice. “It’s okay sweetie. I’ll protect you. Come to mommy.”

  “Man, what have you been smokin’ today?” He was on one tonight.

  “Nothing—I swear,” he replied suddenly serious. “Drinking beer and smoking cigarettes is the worst thing I’ve done since I was in the hospital. I guess that’s one good thing Clay did for me.”

  “Scared you straight?” I glanced back through the mirror.

  He sighed heavily. “Pretty much, yeah. I don’t ever want to go through that again.”

  “I don’t blame you. I’m not gonna lie—I didn’t think you’d make it. I’ve seen cases like yours out in the field. None of them survived. You were in bad shape.” The memories of Russ foaming at the mouth as he seized in my arms would be something that haunted me forever.

  He let out a puff of air. “I’m resilient like that. No way were you getting rid of me that easy,” he replied, immediately lightening the mood again.

  “Good, I’m glad. I’m sorry you got caught in the crossfire between Clay and me.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. The guy was bonkers. And don’t make it seem like I was the only one who suffered. I’m not the one with a bullet wound in my chest.” He glanced at Cami. “All three of us suffered at his hands.”

  “Well, it’s done and behind us. All we can do now is try to move on. Cami and I are going to look into some post-traumatic stress counseling through the department. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”

  “Hmm . . . I’ll think about it,” he replied. “I don’t know if I’m up to campfires and singing Kumbaya yet.”

  I gave a snort. “It’s nothing like that. They’ll only have us speak to the department psychiatrist.”

  “Well, in that case, I prefer the campfire. At least then I can roast marshmallows. That’s got to be way better than chillin’ with a head shrinker.”

  “I don’t know . . . you’ve got a pretty big head. It could probably use some shrinking,” I ribbed.

  “Hey now! Be cool!” He slugged me in the shoulder again, and I flinched away, jerking the wheel slightly and causing the car to swerve.

  Cami lurched awake, her hands flying to stabilize herself as she looked around wild-eyed. I quickly reached out to reassure her.

  “It’s okay, Goody. Everything’s all right.”

  “What’s happening?” she asked, still looking dazed.

  “Hunter’s trying to kill us,” Russ said dryly. “Maybe I should drive.”

  I shot him a glare through the mirror. “If you’d quit distracting me, I’d drive just fine.”

  He let out a grunt as he leaned back into the seat. “Yeah, I’m the one who’s been distracting you. I can’t help it if I’m so damn pretty.” I could easil
y see the eye roll he gave me.

  “Apparently I missed something,” Cami said, turning so she could glance between us.

  “Just Russ being . . . Russ,” I explained. “Go ahead and go back to sleep if you want.”

  “No, I’m okay. It looks like we’re almost home anyway. I can’t believe I fell asleep.”

  “I’m glad you did. I think you needed the rest.”

  She shook her head. “I wasted the time I had with you.”

  “There’ll be more time—so much you’ll be sick of me. This case will be wrapped soon if no new evidence is uncovered, and we won’t have to worry anymore.”

  “I’ll never be sick of you.” She grabbed my hand.

  “Please help me,” Russ groaned. “I’m stuck in the car with two incurable romantics.”

  Cami and I both laughed. “You wait. One day it’ll be your turn. You’re gonna fall hard, and we’ll get to tease you about all the mushy stuff you say and do.”

  “Not gonna happen,” he replied.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  “Where are we going?” Cami asked when I turned off the freeway.

  I sighed. “To Ripper’s. He asked me to bring you by so he could see you before I took you home.”

  “Ugh! Do we have to? Can’t we tell him I’m not feeling well or something? I don’t want to ruin a perfectly good day.”

  “You want to call him and tell him that?” I asked. “I’ll back your story if that’s what you want.”

  She gave a groan. “No. Just take me there. I wouldn’t put it past him to come to my dorm later if he doesn’t see me. I don’t want him there.”

  “Me neither. I’d tell you to go stay at my place, but I think you’re safer around large groups of people. The dorm definitely has that. Plus, Russ isn’t far from you and can get there quickly if needed.”

  Russ leaned forward. “Cami, you can call on me any time. I’ll drop everything to help you.”

  “You’ve already proven that. And thanks, it means a lot. You’re a good friend.” Cami released my hand so she could reach back and pat Russ’s knee. “Do you think it’s safe to take Russ to Ripper’s?” she asked me, concerned.

  I shrugged. “I figure he’s already met him and knows he’s a friend of ours, so it would be a natural thing to do.”

  “Okay. I was worried after the comment he made today. I didn’t want there to be any friction.”

  Russ perked right up. “What comment? He said something about me?”

  I chuckled. “He’s convinced you have a thing for Cami. He asked me to keep you away from her.”

  Russ burst into near-hysterical laughter. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “No, not a bit.”

  “Man! That dude is seriously trippin’! He’s freakin’ crazy—not to mention blind. How the two of you have managed to pull off the brother/sister thing this long is beyond me. Anyone can tell you’re a couple by watching you for a few seconds. It’s ridiculous.”

  “People see what they want to see,” I said. “He wants Cami, so all he can see is that. He can’t see she doesn’t want him. Plus, Cami’s a dang good actress.” I gave him a sharp glance through the mirror. “You need to make sure you don’t slip up. We’ve got to keep this charade going a bit longer.”

  “Don’t worry about me, bro. I got this. I won’t let you down. I’ll even act like I’m interested in Cami, if that’s what you want.”

  “I don’t think that’d be very wise,” Cami spoke. “The police think he killed his partner. I think the less angry you make him, the better.”

  “That’s true. I guess I’ll mind my manners then.”

  I turned down the street that led to my temporary home. “This is where I live now, in case you ever need to know or come by,” I said pointing it out to him.

  Russ craned his head to look out the small window. “Um . . . nice place. Does it come with the drugs or are those extra?”

  I couldn’t help laughing.

  “I think I could probably get stoned from breathing the air in this neighborhood,” he added.

  “You’re probably not too far from the truth,” I agreed. “It’s certainly not a very impressive part of town.”

  “The police department really rolled out the red carpet for you guys, didn’t they? Nothing but the finest for their officers—they probably forked out a whole thirty bucks for the place.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s part of the joy of being undercover I guess. You get to slum it like whoever you’re blending with.”

  “You need a new beat. Have them send you to spy on Bill Gates or something—maybe some filthy-rich movie star. At least then you can dress nice and have some good digs while you’re blending in.”

  Cami let out a snort of laughter. “You’re hilarious, Russ!”

  “Just telling it like it is. If I become a cop, I’ll be asking for the fancy assignments.”

  “You’d want to be a policeman?” I asked, surprised.

  “Oh, hell no! What do I look like? Stupid?”

  I pursed my lips and shook my head. “Thanks, man. I appreciate the love and support.”

  He laughed heartily. “I’m messin’ with ya, dude. Don’t take it all personal. Honestly, you make being a cop look cool, but I don’t know if it’s really my scene.”

  “What is your scene then?” Cami asked.

  He grinned. “I don’t know that either. I’m treading water while I try to decide. I only enrolled in general studies so I’d have something to do here with the two of you.”

  “Keep trying new things,” I encouraged. “You’ll figure it out soon enough.”

  “Hopefully.”

  We fell into comfortable silence as we traveled the rest of the way to Ripper’s. Being in this part of town always made me feel grateful for what my parents had done to raise Sheridan and me well. We’d taken so much of our lives for granted. We were the exception, not the rule. It made me sad there were so many people who struggled to survive. I couldn’t imagine raising a family in a neighborhood like this. I’d be afraid to go to work and leave Cami and our children behind every day.

  I smiled internally realizing whenever I thought of my future it was always by Cami’s side. I had no doubt we’d marry someday and make gorgeous children together—who looked like their mother. I couldn’t imagine anything better.

  I turned into the alley behind the warehouse and parked by the door that led to the living quarter Ripper and Roberta had arranged inside, versus the garage area he’d want to keep secret from Russ.

  “We’re back,” I stated flatly. “Time to resume our roles.”

  “Yay,” Cami drawled out in a very under-enthusiastic voice. “Let’s hurry and get this over with so we can go home.”

  “I agree.” I secretly hoped Roberta was still gone with her friends. She was beginning to wear on my nerves as well. “For safety reasons, I think it’s best if we tell everyone we went to see an old friend in the Phoenix area today. I don’t want to direct attention to where you two are really from if we can keep from doing so. If there’s too many questions about what we did, let me take the lead on the answers.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Russ replied. “Now get out. My legs are killing me.”

  I did as he asked and leaned the seat forward so he could climb out behind me. Cami exited from her side and started walking toward the building.

  The door swung open, and I saw Ripper silhouetted there. “Hey baby! You finally made it back!”

  Cami smiled widely and walked right into his arms. “I’m sorry we were gone so long. Time got away from us. We had a nice day, though. How was work?”

  Inside, I beamed with pride at the way she directed the conversation back to him so he’d be talking about himself instead of asking about her day.

  “Oh, it was about the same as usual. I did manage to acquire another car while I was on my shift. She’s a beauty.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

  Barely suppressed rage filte
red through my system, and I clenched my fists as I watched. My attention was diverted however when Roberta came bounding through the door, pushing Cami and Ripper out of the way.

  “Hunter!” she squealed in delight. She ran up and launched herself on me, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I couldn’t even respond before her lips were plastered to mine. She made a great show of kissing me passionately, and I reluctantly gave in to the act, knowing she was thoroughly enjoying the performance.

  “Hey, girl. I thought you were going out with the ladies tonight.”

  “I just got home. I left early. It was a bachelorette party for one of my friends, but after hanging out with them all day, I decided to call it a night. I was hoping maybe I’d see you. I texted your phone, but you didn’t reply.”

  “Did you? I didn’t hear it, but I’ve been driving so that’s probably why.”

  “Well you’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

  Yay. Lucky me.

  “I can’t stay long. I’ve still got to take Cami and Russ home.”

  I think that was the first time anyone acknowledged Russ standing there. Roberta slid off me and extended a hand. “Hi, I’m Roberta,” she said with a flirty smile.

  “So I’ve heard. Hunter’s told me a lot about you.” He smiled back at her, obviously checking her skimpy shorts and tank top. “I don’t think he did you justice, though.”

  Her smile widened, and I bit back a groan. I should’ve warned him not to feed the beast.

  “I think I like you already,” she replied, hooking her arm through his and leading him to Ripper.

  “This is my friend, Russ, I’ve told you about,” I introduced.

  “Yeah, we’ve met before,” Ripper said, the disdain clear in his voice. Neither of them attempted to shake hands with each other.

  “So why'd you want to talk to me?” I asked, curious about his earlier message.

  Ripper got an excited gleam in his eyes. “We’re going to the races tomorrow night. We race for pinks—you know, ownership—in the final race. I usually race two cars.” I wasn’t expecting what he said next. “Since Manny isn’t around anymore, I want you to be one of the drivers.”