“Camile,” I rasp. “Shit.”
She blinks, breaking the spell and gets to her feet, then goes to retrieve her clothes. “It’s okay, Jack. You don’t need to say anything. Thank you for giving me that.”
Her voice is low and a little shaky. I don’t know if it’s from the whole chain of events of the day, or from the way I’ve rejected her again. I feel like a fucking asshole for it. She quickly dresses, and I put myself away, the post orgasmic high fading fast as I realize she can never be mine. She needs the others now, as much as it kills me to even think it. She needs men who can fuck her like she wants, and who can hold her afterward,and tell her how beautiful and perfect and special she is.
She’s going to need a lot of holding tonight, I think. She’s killed a man, and at some point, the shock of it will set in and she’ll need someone there. To hold her together while she breaks apart.
I want to murder any man who touches her, but I also know it’s what she needs. Something real, not this make-believe fucking that is all I can give her.
“I’ll walk you home,” I say, “and give the others a shout to make sure you’re not on your own over there.”
She gives me a hint of a smile. Her cheeks and chest are all pink from her orgasm. “Ledger is dead, Jack. I’m sure I’ll be fine now. I don’t need to be watched twenty-four-seven with him gone.”
“Even so, it’ll make me feel better, okay? Besides, I expect they’ll want to be with you. Make sure you’re okay. After all, Rook has been through hell, too, and Ace is a needy fucker.” I laugh. “You’d be doing them the favor. And don’t forget Ghost. He felt like shit when you were taken, too.”
“Why?” she asks.
“It’s his job to keep everyone safe. I think he said he’d stay with you tonight, when we talked.” Ace and Rook will likely still be partying, and drinking. Ghost, not so much. I fire a text off, and the reply is almost instant. He will meet us at the house.
At least Ghost won’t fuck her. He will hold her, and comfort her, maybe, but no more. It makes me feel a little better about leaving her with another man.
There’s no way I am leaving her on her own. I don’t want an argument with her about this. I know she can be proud and want to seem as if she can take care of herself,and this way, I put the onus on it being Ace, Ghost, and Rook who need her. Not the other way around.
She shrugs, and we both leave the room and head toward the front door. Just as she reaches it, she turns back to me.
“Hey, Jack. Before I go, there was one other thing I wanted to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“How did you guys know where to find me? Like, how did you even know I’d been taken, as opposed to thinking I’d just left to go and join my family, like I’d threatened.”
My stomach drops. Oh, shit. She doesn’t know about Ghost’s cameras.
26
GHOST
I’mat the house already when they arrive.
There were a couple of men standing guard, so I’d waited, chatting with them a little, until I heard footsteps behind us.
Turning, I see Camile and Jack approach. Jack glances at me then looks to the ground as if he’s somehow worried about my reaction, which I don’t understand. I look to Camile, and she’s staring right at me, her jaw tense. What the hell?
The smile that had been on my lips upon seeing her swiftly dies.
She flicks her gaze to the two guards watching from either side of her door. Even though we’ve agreed that there will always be one of us in the house with her, we’ve still decided to have two guys outside as well. It doesn’t pay to be lax about safety after what happened. After all, we still don’t know whether Ledger’s family will somehow find out that we took him and decide to come after us for revenge.
“Prez.” One of the guards nods at Jack, and then at me. “Sarge.”
“Sarge?” Camile asks.
Jack has her keys, and he’s unlocked the door and ushered her inside before he answers.
“As in Sergeant at Arms. You know, Ghost’s role here.”
She purses her lips. “Hhhhmm. As in the one in charge oflaw and orderand keeping everyone on the straight and narrow. The supposedmoralone?”
Have I missed something?
