Prologue
Two months ago
Those who didn’t know Camellia “Cam” Saber might describe her asstubborn,hard-ass, or evenbitch. Men dared call her other nasty things, but she usually put her fist through their teeth before they could say much more than “cu.”
Seeing such a demonstration, one might believe she fought her way to the top of the food chain at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, but that wasn’t true either.
Camellia Saber was also focused, determined, and dogged. She earned her promotions by always getting her man.
At least, she always got thebadguys.
It was an altogether different matter when it came to her personal life.
And today, of all days, she would come face to face with the one who got away.
Cam took a few days off from her undercover operation to visit her sister Carolina in Flamingo Cove, Florida. The oldest of the Saber Sisters, Carolina, eloped with Rand Kestrel and celebrated their nuptials at the Bellissimo Restaurant.
Cam hid in the shadows across the street, spying on her family take over the restaurant to surprise Carolina. She watched as her big sister went through the front door. Her heart clenched as her Mama and Papa hugged the happy couple, and everyone crowded around, wanting details of their whirlwind courtship.
And when it looked like Carolina was headed toward the back of the restaurant, Cam made her move. She slunk through the shadows in the alley behind Bellissimo, jimmied open the back door, then followed Carolina into the women’s restroom.
Carolina immediately snatched the black baseball hat off of Cam’s head.
“Hey! That’s my disguise!” Cam yelled.
Carolina tilted her head, looking at her much shorter sister. “It’s a pretty shitty disguise for people who know you, sis. How’d you know to be here?”
Cam grinned at Carolina, trying to play keep-away with her hat. “Luke got a message to me.”
“You’re still undercover?”
Cam held her tongue. She didn’t want to worry Carolina or any of her family, but she was in deep with the bad guys. “I’m so close to the Big Bad. I can almost taste it.”
“You shouldn’t be here, then,” Carolina frowned. “This could blow your cover.”
“I couldn’t let my big sister secretly get married without coming here and giving her shit,” Cam scoffed. “What kind of sister would I be?”
“You didn’t show up for Celia’s wedding,” Carolina pointed out.
Cam grinned. “Who says I didn’t?”
Carolina gave her a knowing look.
“Okay, fine. I didn’t. But I was at her first wedding, so that’s something.”
Their youngest sister Celia married and divorced a Grade-A douchebag years ago. But recently found the true love of her life in Flint Mendota. Those two were so happy. It almost made Cam sick. Add Carolina and Rand, plus their brother Luke and his wife Wysdom - the Saber siblings fell in love faster than trees shed their leaves each autumn.
It wouldn’t be like that for Cam and her twin sister Cat. She knew they’d be the holdouts. Not that Cam didn’t want happily ever after. It wasn’t in the cards for her. She learned that a long time ago.
Carolina and Cam spent a few more minutes talking and hugging before Cam ducked out the restaurant’s back door.
She should have kept moving down the alley headed back to the safe house.
She should have taken a different route.
But stubborn Cam Saber missed her family and wanted one last look at them.
So, she snuck out of the alley and back out onto the main street of Flamingo Cove, right smack into a blast from the past.
