There are people after Camile and her family, and it doesn't take too much of a leap to figure out that Ledger is most likely one of those people. We haven't found him yet, and Ghost’s theory that he could be hiding out in the college can't be discounted. As the guard kneels by Camile and offers her a cool, condensation covered bottle of water, I stare up at the huge gothic building.
Vani is staying with her three men at the mansion on the grounds, and they are armed to the teeth, and more than capable of defending her. Nearby are the so-called Preachers in their tower, and they protect Camile’s other friend, Ophelia. If needed, the men could work together, and the Preachers have drones and othersecurity on the campus grounds which isn't controlled by the dean.
Then there are the Devils, and their woman, Mackenzie. One of them is the dean’s son, Domenic, and they live in the college itself, but again, they're protected by high levels of security.
None of these things would apply to Camile if she were to return to this place. She would either need to stay confined to her dorm and only benefit from the same level of security as everyone else, or she could do as she'd suggested and stay at the water tower. Except, the only fly in that ointment is that she isn't anyone special to the Preachers. I don't know those men well, but I must assume they are very fucking capable. It still doesn't mean they would protect Camile with their life, particularly not if Ophelia was in danger at the same time.
There's no way I can let her go back to the college.
The realization hits me hard and heavy, like a stone sinking in my gut. She's a complication I really don't need, yet at every turn it's as if the universe is throwing us into each other's path.
Tipping her face up, I brush her hair away from her forehead and look into her eyes. “I know you must be scared right now, Camile, but I’m here for you.”
She nods, as if she’s not really taking in what I’m saying, and her big eyes turn watery.
“Oh, no, Baby-girl, don’t cry.” What the fuck am I saying? As soon as the words are out, I regret it. She’s lost her father; of course, she’s going to cry.
While my instinct is to order her back onto the bike and drive to the compound as fast as I can, because I'm not sure how safe we are out here like sitting ducks, I know that won't work. She's in a state of complete shockright now and will be feeling as vulnerable as any human being can.
My only job in this moment is to make her feel safe enough with me that she'll return voluntarily to the compound.
Christ, I'm going to have to talk to my daughter, too, and that's going to be a difficult conversation. I know she will want the best for Camile and want her to be safe, but she's going to have feelings about Camile staying with us at the club. When I was on the college grounds a while back, I got the feeling my daughter noticed some tension between me and her friend. I did my best to hide it and not let anyone else know of the interaction we’d had that night when Camile came on to me, but Vani isn’t stupid. I’m already finding it nearly impossible not to touch this girl in ways I know I shouldn’t, and all it takes is one wrong look or move, and Vani will know.
Unless… maybe I could persuade her to believe Camile and Ace are a thing? I hate lying to my daughter, but I need to make Camile as comfortable as she can be while staying with us in the coming days, or even weeks.
I have no idea where her family’s safe house is located, but it can't be somewhere that's easy to reach. For Camile, being on a plane right now is an absolute no. I imagine if someone's got the firepower to hit a cartel hard enough to do that kind of damage to the leader, they will be looking for Camile's name on all the flight manifests out of America.
They’ll also be checking the college for sure. Instinctively, I turn and glance behind me, scanning the trees for movement. There isn't any, of course. But my paranoia is heightened.
Unless Ledger knows where Camile went after heattacked her, the one place they probably won't look for her right now is a biker compound. It means she can't tell her family where she is, though, and I know that's going to be difficult for her. If they were captured, they could give up her location.
I need to speak to the dean, Nataniele, and find out what I can about Ledger and where he’s come from. Nataniele’s clearly got some holes in his onboarding system that he’ll need to think about plugging. This is of particular importance to me, not only because of what’s going on with Camile, but because my daughter attends this college. If he can’t keep a tight ship, I might have to think again about her continued stay here. I drag my hand through my hair. Though how the fuck I’ll ever get her to leave when she’s now got three men here, I have no idea.
Trying to reach deep for as much of my emotional depth as I can, which isn't a lot because it's not something I've ever had much use for, I take hold of her hands.
“Camile, I’m so fucking sorry. You must be devastated. You’ve lost your father, and that’s huge.”
Her face snaps up, her gaze meeting mine. “I’m more worried about my mother and my brothers. I loved my father, of course, but… he’s a hard man, and he wanted to marry me off. I was like a possession to him, not a beloved child.”
Her father wanted to marry her off? Fuck. I’m glad I hadn’t known about that, or I’m not sure what I would have done.
I understand hard men, though. Perhaps there have been times in my life where I’ve been one, though I’ve always tried to be more connected to my daughter, especially after we lost her mother. I understand grief; Godknows we went through enough of it during those terrible months.
“We need to get you somewhere safe. You have a few options, but—and I know you’re not going to like this—my compound will be the safest place for you.”
“No.” She shakes her head, and my heart sinks. “I can’t. Those rooms aren’t nice and there are bikers in and out, and people fighting. The noise from the clubhouse is too loud, I’ll never be able to rest.”
She stares at me, her beautiful eyes so full of pain. “I need to be able to think, Jack. To grieve, I need privacy.”
The words are out before I can stop them. “You won’t be staying in the dorms; you can come and stay with me. My house is quieter, and I have room.”
Fuck, this is getting so complicated. My feelings toward her are anything but honorable, but more pressing than my worries over that is my need to ensure her safety.
“Your house?” Her eyes widen. “You’d do that?”
“Of course.” I search for words that will reassure her right now. “You’re my daughter’s friend, and I just want you to be safe.”
“Oh, God, this is a nightmare.” She shakes her head, and then she breaks.
