by Crissy Smith
“Allysa, don’t,” Katy warned.
“Did you tell him?” Allysa asked her then looked over at him. “I bet she didn’t.”
“Tell me what?” Cameron asked. This wasn’t the same friendly woman from the day before. No, Allysa was scared about something. Cameron felt his gut tighten. “Tell me what?” he asked again.
“Don’t,” Katy snapped.
Cameron ignored her. “Allysa?”
The young woman sighed and shook her head. “Nothing.”
Cameron looked between the two of them. The tension that had previously left Katy was back. He could see it in the set of her shoulders and the frown on her face.
But they had been okay earlier. He had to remember that and trust that Katy would tell him. He knew if it had anything to do with the case, Katy would work it in. Only if it was personal would she bury it.
But he’d broken through last night. It would take time, but he was certain if he was patient, Katy would find her way back to him. He finished his coffee and set the cup on the table. “I have to go pick up Ryan. We’ll meet you at the station to discuss the new information about the case.”
Neither woman responded, just stared at one another.
He rubbed his hands roughly over his face. He was going to get to the bottom of their secrets, he promised himself.
He kissed the top of Katy’s head and headed out. He glanced over his shoulder once but the two women still only continued to stare at each other.
Katy didn’t know what to do. Allysa had come close to telling Cameron about her vision. No matter how much Katy argued with her, Allysa felt it was better if he knew.
Katy didn’t agree. They had been able to keep their gifts from almost everyone and now Allysa wanted to start telling strangers. Well, not strangers really. Cameron knew them, sort of. But if Katy were to tell him about her dreams, her sister’s visions, Cameron would laugh it off. Everyone did. She would lose him.
Damn! She had already lost him. But there was no way she could live knowing he thought she was the freak everyone who did know called her.
It was better to just let Cameron believe she didn’t want him than to admit the only thing that scared her. Admitting the truth.
But she hadn’t been doing a very good job of making Cameron think she didn’t want him either.
Everything was so messed up…so confusing. The case, her and Allysa, Cameron. Her life was spiralling out of control.
Her mood didn’t improve when she saw Clint standing outside the station door.
He stepped away from the building and threw his cigarette butt onto the ground.
“That’s littering,” she snapped at him.
He pulled his sunglasses down so she could see his eyes. “Then why don’t you arrest me? Maybe you’ll have to do a strip search.”
She almost smiled. Had to bite her lips to keep it from showing. Out of all her feelings about Clint, she could admit he still charmed her.
She took a closer look. He was still just as good-looking as ever. But even with his looks and cocky attitude, he was a good guy. She should still be in love with him. He knew all about her and her family but still hung around. But she didn’t love him. Or at least not in the way he wanted. She had never loved him the way she had Cameron.
“What’s up, Clint?” she asked with a lighter tone.
“Was in town and wanted to see you,” he told her without his usual arrogance.
“Clint…”
“We’ve been friends a long time. A very long time. I’m only here another week. I want to have dinner with you,” he interrupted.
“I can’t…”
“Just dinner,” he said again. His hand caught her chin, and she looked up. “I know there is something up with the Fed. I won’t screw that up. Dinner.”
She should have said no. She should have told him she wouldn’t see him before he left. But he had been a good friend. Before. Before his father had demanded he never see her again. Before he had taken off to Colorado, leaving her alone and hurting. But that was a long time ago. She’d forgiven him—had almost forgotten the things he’d said to drive her away from him. It had been for the best, he’d said. Really, he had been right.
“Dinner,” she conceded.
He smiled just as the sound of two doors slammed behind her.
Katy turned and saw that Cameron and Ryan had arrived. Cameron’s mirrored sunglasses covered his eyes but there was no mistaking the set of his jaw. He started towards them just as Davis came out the door.
“We got a break, Sheriff! I think we found his motel.”
Chapter Eight
The motel was forty-five miles from Greenwood on I-20. It was a rundown, cheap room without much fuss. But it was the killer’s room, Katy was sure of it.
He had left them pictures. Two pictures of Amanda Caldwell. One alive, and one after she was killed. The difference between the two was horrible. He had enjoyed torturing the young woman.
“Why’d he leave these?” Ryan asked from the other side of the room.
“He’s playing with us,” Cameron commented from his place on the floor. He was checking under the bed. So far, other than the pictures, there was no sign of the killer. The room was wiped clean. Cleaner probably than when the killer had checked in.
“Why now? Why here?” Katy asked. “This doesn’t make sense.”
Cameron caught her eye. “Why you?”
Katy froze. Ryan snapped his gaze to him and Davis stopped walking through the room.
Cameron stood and walked to her. He stopped right in front of her. “I’ve been racking my brain wondering why he came here. It’s you. Or it’s me, but then that would still come back to you. Why you?”
So he’d figured it out. Allysa hadn’t needed to say anything after all. Now she had to come up with a good reason while leaving Allysa out of it.
“How can he get to the lead agent? Pull him out of his element. You said you were close in Dallas,” Katy offered.
“You’ve already thought about this,” he accused.
“It crossed my mind,” she answered with a half-truth. “If he wanted you, it would be easy to go after your old partner.”
“Or my lover,” Cameron finished.
Ryan and Davis didn’t say anything or even move. If they hadn’t known anything about their relationship, they did now.
“It makes more sense that while you were after him he looked into you. We had some pretty high profile cases. The last one especially. Just a picture of us when we were a team could have led him here to me,” she commented. That made more sense. No one had known they were lovers. But finding out they had been partners would have been easy.
“Allysa…” he whispered as his eyes lit up.
Katy jerked back at the name of her sister. It gave it away but now it was too late.
“Don’t…” she begged. She couldn’t go through it right now, not in front of other people.
Cameron’s eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched. “We’ll talk about this,” he promised and went back to work.
* * * *
He watched the FBI agents and the Sheriff drive up to the motel. It had taken two days but they had finally got his presents. He’d taken the pictures himself. His art.
The Sheriff looked good in her uniform. He would bet she would look even better naked, tied up and at his mercy.
Everything was ready. He had his new place. Had all his supplies. And Sheriff Rose would soon be falling right into his trap. Then after he disposed of her body for the Special Agent to find, he would move on. He already knew where he was heading.
He was leaving Texas. Saw a picture of the nightlife in L.A. Lots of easy women to choose from there. He just needed to get the FBI off his back. Get some revenge on all the nasty things they had called him.
* * * *
There was no news about the car. Cameron paced the small situation room as he thought about that. Someone had to have seen the car. Katy’s deputies had interviewed the
library staff and had confirmed that Amanda Caldwell had arrived around five o’clock that night and was there until closing. She was one of, if not the last patron that night.
Someone had to have seen something!
He continued to pace until Katy walked into the room. She stopped short when she saw he was alone.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warned, seeing the need to flee in her eyes.
She closed the door behind her. “Okay, let’s have this out.”
Her voice was calm but he could read her well enough. She was nervous. She stayed close to the door as if that would help. Cameron laughed.
“You’re not meeting your executioner.”
She shrugged. “What do you want to know?”
“How did you know about the library? About why he came here?”
She stared at him for a long time before answering. He could see it in her eyes. The need to tell him. The confusion on what to do. Finally the decision.
When she spoke her voice was soft.
“My family is different. It’s hard to explain, but the women in my family have special…gifts,” she explained slowly. “It’s always been that way and we don’t know why.”
Cameron thought about that. The same could be said about his. Except that being a werewolf only ran in the male DNA. He knew she wasn’t a shifter. He could smell one a mile away.
“Each person has their own unique…thing,” Katy continued.
“Thing?” he asked.
“I have dreams that put me in people’s memories. I feel what they feel or felt, see what they saw, what happens to them in the dreams happens to me.”
Cameron watched her face as she spoke. She was telling him the truth. He could smell a lie, but even without that, he could see the pain in her eyes. “My God!”
When he would have gone to her, she held up a hand. “There’s more. It’s always something that has already happened. Someone that is on my mind, like when I am working a case. I knew about the library because I was there. I felt how scared she was when she knew someone was watching her. When she ran, it felt like it was me. I felt the absolute terror when he grabbed her.”
“Katy…”
“Let me finish!” she yelled.
Cameron fisted his hands at his side. He wanted to hold her. To comfort her. It must have been so hard to have all of this in her head when she couldn’t tell anyone. But he would let her finish telling him about it. Then he would take her in his arms and never let her go.
“It comes and goes. I never know what I am going to dream about.” She paused. “But I’m not the only one. Allysa has a…gift too. She calls hers a gift, unlike me. She can touch something and get visions.”
“Visions?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered angrily. “Visions! Whether you believe it or not. When she picked up a file we had in here yesterday, she had a vision from the killer. She didn’t see him. She saw me. He was watching me!”
“That’s what she meant when she asked if you told me.” His temper was also flaring.
“Yes,” she admitted, defeated.
“So even when you were in danger, you chose to keep me in the dark. Instead of sharing with me what was happening, you lied,” he accused.
“I never lied,” she argued and took a step closer. “I might have withheld something, but I didn’t lie. We couldn’t have proved it anyway.”
“Withheld information,” he echoed on a short laugh.
“It wasn’t really a lie,” she repeated. She was losing her footing. Confused, unsure what to say. Right where he wanted her. His blood still burned at the thought of her being in danger. Because of him. She had known and wouldn’t have let him protect her. Would have depended only on herself.
Cameron took a step towards her, too. “Oh, you lied. Every time I asked you what was wrong and you told me nothing. When you left me and told me you were needed at home. You lied every time you kept your damn secrets to yourself!” he yelled.
“And what would you have done? You have no idea what it’s been like my whole life to be some kind of freak!”
They were nose to nose, screaming at each other.
Cameron did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed her arms, hauled her up and kissed her.
Her hands clamped down on his shoulders while she opened her mouth. They kissed with raw passion and need.
“Stupid, stubborn pig-headed woman,” he panted against her mouth as they broke away.
“Don’t you get it?” she snapped. She was working her way towards being pissed again. Trying to hold onto her anger because once he stripped it from her, she would have to be honest.
“I get it. I understand,” he murmured. “But I still love you.”
She gasped and tried to pull away. When he didn’t give her the room, she fell into his embrace.
“Love you. Will always protect you. You and your family. You belong to me,” he spoke softly, rubbing his hands up and down her neck.
She shook, her emotional battle giving way to need. Her scent changed. No longer angry, she was now full of want for him.
He could take care of everything she needed. That was what being mates meant. He could take her mind away from her confession. Give her more.
“Mine,” he declared, nibbling her neck.
“Uh huh,” she mumbled and pulled his T-shirt out of his jeans.
“All you had to do was tell me,” he murmured against her skin, walking her back to the table. He spun her around and pushed her face down. He was hurt that she had never shared with him…but he had done the same thing. He had to come clean with her. To tell her about him. There was no way he could hold anything back from her now. First thing after the case was done he would tell her, but first…
“Cameron!” she cried out when he kicked her legs apart.
“Shut up! You had your time to talk,” he ordered gently. He reached around and easily undid the buttons of her shirt. He was overwhelmed with the need to claim her, to mark her, to protect her. “It’s my time now,” he told her. The button and zipper of her pants were next. “And you’re gonna finally listen to me.”
He removed her boots and pulled her pants and underwear down. The shirt was taken off and thrown onto the table. “You’re gonna do more than listen. You are going to hear me. Hear every word I say,” he continued.
He didn’t rip the bra off although he wanted to. Once he had her naked, he leant over her so she could feel his body against hers.
“Cameron!” she moaned.
“Every word, Katy… every single word.” He still had all his clothes on and decided to leave it that way. To remain mostly dressed and have her understand that he was in charge now. He was no longer angry. But things were changing in their relationship. This was the first step towards leaving secrets behind.
He quickly unfastened his pants and pulled them down his hips. They caught at his knees.
He bent back over and grasped both of Katy’s hands in one of his. He stretched her arms up over her head. “This is just the two of us. You and me. The way it was meant to be.”
With his free hand, he teased her sex with his cock.
“When I take you,” he said, as he slowly pushed just the tip inside. He was rewarded with her deep groan, “it will be forever. You can’t run from me anymore. You’ll tell me everything. You’re mine.”
He pulled the tip of his shaft out then back in. “Say it.”
“Yours,” she repeated.
“Again!” he ordered.
“Yours,” she said again, and he slammed inside.
Katy’s cry echoed throughout the room. “That’s right… you’re mine. My woman! My mate! You belong to me!” he chanted as he plunged in and out.
Vaguely he could hear her muffled agreement as he pounded inside.
The table under them creaked as he picked up speed and his thrusts shortened and became more frenzied. Her inner muscles clamped down and she called out her climax. He slammed one more time and re
leased his seed inside her.
Their ragged breathing was the only sound in the room as they fought to regain their composure.
It only took a minute before she was wiggling under him.
“Cameron! Get off! Someone could come in!”
He chuckled as he stepped back. “Come on, let’s get dressed and go. I’ll stay at your house tonight.”
Chapter Nine
Katy arrived before anyone else the next morning and used that time to catch up on things other than the case. Davis and Williams had broken up a fight at one of the bars on the outskirts of town the night before. They had arrested the Blooms brothers and held them for the night, and were still waiting for them to sober up.
Mrs. Collins on
Second Street
called and complained about her neighbours’ tree dropping acorns into her flowerbeds.
Normal, everyday Sheriff’s business. After Cameron left, things would go completely back to normal. The thought of Cameron leaving made her stomach clench. Last night when they had finally made it to bed, they hadn’t talked about what would happen then. He had made love to her slowly and gently while he made promises of how she would always be his.
A knock on her door interrupted any further musing about Cameron.
“Clint,” she greeted as he walked in.
“Hey, Katy,” he responded and took a seat. “I made reservations for us at TB’s steak house for seven.”
Dinner. She had forgotten all about agreeing to have dinner with him. She knew Cameron wouldn’t like that.
“I really don’t think…”
Clint clucked his tongue at her. “Now, you promised dinner. You’re not going to back out on me now?”
“No, it’s not that,” she tried.
“It’s just dinner,” he said again.
Katy sighed. Damn, she didn’t know what to do. She wanted to go to dinner but Cameron would be gone soon too. Should she really start to rearrange her life when she knew he wouldn’t be around long? At least Clint would be back for visits, even if she knew they would only ever be friends. Before she could say anything else, Cameron walked into her office without knocking.
