The shrill of Daron’s cell ringing for the fourth time cut through the silence. Cameron refused to open her eyes as he shifted to answer. They’d only been sleeping for a few hours after an intense make-up session.
“Do you realize what time it is?” Daron carefully slid his arm from under her head and sat up in the bed. His groggy voice lowered to barely a whisper. “There’s no business that needs to be handled at this time of morning.” He left the bed and the room.
The naked sculpture of his body in the hallway provided a visual but she couldn’t hear much of his side. Body language alone said it wasn’t good. He came back in, got dressed in the dark, then kissed her on the forehead. “Babe, I have to run out for a couple of hours.”
“Be safe,” she said as he swept his prototype watch off the nightstand.
The lights dimmed as he crept out. Cameron rolled over, glancing at the clock and trying to figure out where he could possibly be going at three-thirty in the morning. She contemplated following but figured she’d at least give him a chance to come home and explain before making that kind of move. Her eyes closed but she couldn’t sleep. The silent battle began in her head.
Why didn’t he grab his usual watch? Do not follow him.
She had promised herself that she’d judge each man on his actions but it was harder than she thought. The past created new insecurities and cautions. These last few weeks had triggered some of them. Cameron wanted to trust him, but people did things they claimed they’d never do all the time. Situations spiraled out of control.
Maybe the lies aren’t intentional. Maybe Daron is lying to himself about the situation and passing that lie on to me.
One thing she learned from her ex, was she couldn’t allow anyone to pull her down to their level. When it came to the non-negotiable things in life, they had to be willing to step up or she’d be forced to leave them behind. If Daron wasn’t planning to remain retired, she needed to part ways before he dragged her back into the life she had escaped.
You want him to trust you. You have to give him a chance to tell you in his own time. Unless the attacks continue.
A buzzing noise filled the air. Cameron shot up in the bed. The tablet on the nightstand flashed as the buzzing went quiet and the alarm sounded. She swiped to open it and saw a dark figure with a duffel bag approaching the house. The alarm system changed the setting of the lights to record. The bedroom light went from completely off to a dim glow which she knew continued throughout the rest of the house. She slipped out of the bed, pulled on a pair of jogging pants, shirt, and grabbed her gun. She peeked at the screen. Daron’s first alarm had been disengaged, causing his secondary system to kick in. Cameron pressed the button to prevent Daron’s door shield from activating. She wanted to see exactly what this fool was trying to do.
The masked man entered the back door, wandering around the living room before he dropped the bag on the floor then rushed into Daron’s office. He spent a few minutes there ransacking the drawers before exploring the basement. Twenty minutes later he made his way back upstairs, grabbing the duffel bag and heading into the kitchen.
“Unbelievable,” Cameron whispered as he helped himself to the remaining piece of her cheesecake from the refrigerator.
The man lifted the delicious bite to his mouth again, taking another one before sitting it right next to the duffel bag. After wiping his gloved hand on a paper towel, he opened the cabinet and a wicked smile crossed his face. He retrieved a clear sleeve from the black bag he had dropped on the island top with what she assumed was cocaine. Cameron dialed the oldest of her three brothers, lowering the sound on the phone as she tipped out of the bedroom. She placed the phone on a table in the hallway when her brother answered and prayed he could hear.
“You must not know whose house you’re in.” She leaned on the wall with the Ruger hidden behind her back. “Did you think you were going to plant drugs here and get away with it?”
“I’m DEA.” He snatched off his mask and knocked the duffel bag to the floor as he lifted one of the white packages. “I just found this.”
“Bull. I have a recording that says otherwise,” she countered. “But why don’t you call my brother, Justin.” Cameron smiled sweetly as fear lit in his eyes. “He’s DEA, too.”
He shifted around to the front of the island, “It’s interesting that you’re sleeping with a drug dealer considering what your brother does.” He lifted the gun. “It’s unfortunate that you are.”
Cameron had to handle things carefully since Daron’s system was recording everything. However, she wasn’t trying to get shot. But if the man left the house and managed to escape, there wouldn’t be a clear shot of his face based on when he snatched off his mask. “So, Mr. DEA agent. How would Justin feel about you planting drugs at my boyfriend’s house and murdering his baby sister?”
“As if he’d ever know.”
“Do you know what Daron’s specialty is, sweetie?” She stepped forward keeping the gun hidden behind her thigh. Whatever business that had Daron out of bed this early had to be cut short and he was on his way back. Since the intruder barely waited thirty minutes after Daron left to make his move, Daron would soon be making an appearance.
“No one will get to you in time.” He moved around the island. “I suggest you stop advancing.”
Her steps halted. “Where’s your team?” Cameron put the free hand on her hip, being careful not to shift her eyes to the flicker of a shadow that crossed the threshold.
His forehead had deep crease lines and beads of sweat as he seized the bag’s strap. “Move toward the back door slowly.”
“Okay.” Cameron kept her back to the wall and her eyes focused on the agent.
Let the fun begin.
Daron placed his Beretta to the DEA agent’s head. “You’ll never get the shot off in time.”
The agent dropped his weapon but swung the bag up at Daron, knocking the Beretta out of Daron’s hand. Cameron whipped the Ruger out but didn’t have a shot as the two of them wrestled to reach the gun. Their hands knocked into the agent’s weapon, sending it twirling across the floor.
The agent punched Daron in the ribs.
Daron slammed a fist into the ivory cheek four times until it became red. He rammed a knee into the man’s abs, sending him gliding across the dining room floor. The agent quickly got to his feet and lunged for Daron.
Daron slammed his hand down on the face of the watch then two probes shot out, hitting the man in the chest. The man’s body went still as the voltage hit him, causing him to fall onto Daron.
I definitely need to add a taser watch to my collection. Cameron was already thinking of the modification for the device. She didn’t like the fact that the wires were still connected to the watch.
Daron pushed the man off, flipped him face down on the ground, placed a knee in his back while folding both arms together to keep him secured. He glanced up at her. “Are you okay?”
Cameron nodded as she pressed the Ruger against the agent’s forehead. “What were you saying about no one getting to me in time?”