After the doctor came by to check Cameron out, Daron set up a workstation in the bedroom to keep an eye on her.
His cell vibrated on the portable desk, just as Cameron’s chimed on the nightstand. He glanced at his screen to see Steve’s name. He snatched his phone from the black metal surface and headed to the hallway.
“What’s up?” He kept his tone low enough not to wake her even though she seemed to sleep through her phone ringing.
“Amarion has been relocated several times since yesterday,” Steve explained.
“I hate the team just missed extracting them.” Daron was frustrated. By the time the team made it past Marquise’s guards, the boys were being taken out the back via a secret freight elevator.
“I noticed Reese’s tracker had been activated.” Steve’s voice seemed hesitant as if he was questioning Daron’s decision. Cameron’s phone rang again.
“Clearly he did not mention the tracker to Marquise’s men.” Daron leaned on the door frame watching the rise and fall of her chest.
“Whatever you say,” Steve muttered and the displeasure in his tone became obvious. “I’ll send you a summary of what Terrell said.”
“Good.” He received the rest of the update and let Steve know how Cameron was doing before ending the call.
Daron turned his attention to the package from JD which had arrived earlier in the day. It reminded him that he needed to talk to Cameron’s old team about taking a job to handle switching out some artwork for him.
The art pieces Reese and Amarion took hadn’t left the building with them. While he could take down the security system, even with Calvin’s suit, he knew breaking, entering and recovery wasn’t his area of expertise. It was one thing to send his security teams in to rescue someone but he couldn’t send them in to deal with stolen auction pieces. Something kept nagging him about the conversation he’d had with Cedric.
I need to reassess the list of The Castle suspects.
There had to be a second person working with the security system on the day of Khalil’s shooting. Reviewing the conversation Steve had with Terrell before turning him over to law enforcement moved to the top of his to-do list. Then he would work on his plan to replace the stolen items with fakes, then leverage the real ones to get Reese and Amarion back.
Cameron’s phone chimed again, as it had been doing often for the last two hours. Most of the text and missed calls were from one person she had listed as Dr. Feelgood. Daron didn’t even want to think about her seeing someone else, let alone being intimate with another man.
The phone rang and Aretha Franklin’s voice filled the room. Cameron groaned and rolled over, tangling the beige sheets around her body, then disconnected the charger and answered the call.
“I’m so sorry,” she said in a soft and sensual tone, then paused listening as her head returned to the pillow. “I’m fine. I had a small crisis at work and completely forgot about our date tonight.”
Daron stared at her, straining to hear the other side of the conversation but could only catch a few words here and there.
“Yes, I’ll see you then.” Cameron extended her arm, returning the phone to the nightstand. She laid there a few moments with her eyes closed before peeling back the sheet and taking careful steps to make it to the restroom.
Although he knew she wasn’t trying to get to him since she didn’t know she’d be there, the jealousy monster still reared its ugly head. Daron hadn’t expected her to start dating so soon. His eyes were glued to the nightstand with Aretha’s voice haunting him. Like a teenager, he was tempted to call to see what ringtone she had for him.
“What has you frowning like that?”
His head snapped toward Cameron who was moving back toward the bed. Daron would be damned if he’d tell her what was really bothering him. He glanced at the laptop’s screen. “When I say that I hate asking you this, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Do you think you could contact your old team to see if they could switch the real stolen auction pieces for fakes?”
“Why?”
“It may be the only way to save Amarion and Reese.” Daron was grateful her cousin was able to get a copy done so fast. It seems Bishop had equipment that made duplicates that could get past an untrained eye easily.
“I’m sure they’ll do it if I ask. Give me the details.” Cameron retrieved the cell, then lowered herself onto the bed.
“I confirmed where they’re holding the items. While I can get through their security system—” Daron hated not having more time to put this plan together. “—grabbing the pieces without damaging them isn’t my forte.”
“How many items and how many guards?” Cameron asked.
“It’s two items; a necklace and a painting. Three guards.” Daron was having second thoughts. If anything happened to Cameron’s team, she would never forgive him. However, he needed local people he could trust to be discreet.
“I’ll see if Kathleen is still in town and the two of us will handle it.”
Daron closed the laptop. “I need your contacts to do it, not you.”
“Why make my team a target when The Castle member in question has already seen the two of us.” Cameron gathered up the phone charger. “We can get in and out undetected if your intel is right.”
“What if I’m wrong? No.”
She stepped in front of his makeshift desk, leaning in toward him. “You trust my old team to handle the job, but you don’t trust me?”
“Cam, I can’t ask you to do that. I won’t have you do it.” Daron knew she’d be resistant to the next idea he was about to present. “However, I do want you to reconsider training the women from the shelter on weapons.”
“That’s more dangerous to me than doing this favor for you.” Cameron slipped out of his grasp and snatched her jacket from the chaise. “I know and trust Kathleen. These other women could get innocent men and women killed if they don’t know how to keep their mouths shut.”
He stood in front of her, staring deeply into those brown orbs that expressed a world of doubt. “These innocent women could die if you don’t teach them how to protect themselves. If what occurred today with you, happens to them … the majority of them would not have survived.”
Cameron was silent for a moment, her brows furrowed and her lips taut. “Here’s the deal.” She placed an index finger in the center of his chest. “You will purchase each one a black tier specialty membership and refer them to Tandria. Once you have the memberships, I’ll show you a separate entrance into the facility to access the gun range and other weaponry training areas to show the ladies how to get in. They’re not to use the regular entrance to the gym facility.”
“Wait, you have a weapons training area?”
“Just because I haven’t actively been helping people and have been a little leery about implementing my plan, doesn’t mean I’m not working toward the goal.” She moved around him heading out of the bedroom.
“When were you going to tell me?” Daron asked as Cameron went into the refrigerator, pushed the Heineken aside and grabbed a bottle of water.
“I did.” She twisted off the cap, downed the entire contents then tossed the bottle. “Clearly you didn’t believe me.”
Daron inhaled, trying to remember that conversation. “Put me on your schedule to tour the place about five tomorrow evening.”
“My schedule is full for the remainder of the week.” She smiled sweetly, letting him know she was intentionally being difficult.
“How were you going to help me out with the other situation?” Daron hated being on the receiving end of her stubborn, ornery ways.
“I’d willingly change my plans to help you out, but not for you to do a tour.”
He moved closer to her. “I’ll be there tomorrow and you will show me.”
All the pretend lightheartedness left her expression as she glared at him, pursed her lips, then looked him up and down. “Fine.”
Daron recognized that ‘I plan to be difficult’ tone and knew he’d have to double down to make sure she didn’t avoid him.
“I’m going to get out of your way.” She headed for her gym shoes near the door.
Daron leaned on the wall, his eyes glued to her shapely ass as she bent over to put on a pair of black Nikes. “You know I always enjoy spending time with you. How about you let me feed you while we discuss the possibility of Greg and Rob doing that job?”
She glanced up. Her lips slowly curving into a smile as she slipped off the shoes that she’d stepped into. Daron was glad he was good in the kitchen because Cameron’s love language was food. If he could get her to sit down to eat, he had a shot. The moment he couldn’t, he was met with that unbending, unwavering, and stubborn woman her father had been battling to get back into her life.
She followed him into the kitchen. “Their business model changed when I left,” Cameron explained, referring to Greg and Rob, two men who handled reclaiming stolen items and returning them to their owners for a hefty fee.
Daron opened the stainless-steel door and scanned his choices as she settled in at the kitchen island. “You’re saying you don’t think they can handle it.”
“I’m saying they don’t take last minute requests. I’m not sending them in without proper time to plan. There’s barely enough time to do what’s necessary to successfully get in and out.”
“But I’m supposed to be comfortable sending you and Kathleen in.” He pulled out shrimp, deciding to make a scampi and garlic bread. Her favorites.
“To be honest, I could handle this by myself with the proper planning.” She picked up the remote, turning on the jazz station on the stereo in the dining room. “This will require split-second decisions and it helps to have a partner to assist with any unexpected glitches.”
He mulled it over for a while. “You know what?” Daron chopped the garlic, parsley, and tomatoes as the pasta cooked. “I’ll just donate double the last posted bid before it was stolen.”
“You’re going to donate two million dollars and not expect to come under scrutiny especially with your new association with The Castle.” Cameron swiped a banana off the tiered display and peeled the fruit.
“The money is clean and I don’t mean it has been laundered.” Daron tried not to get distracted as Cameron’s lips slid over the length of the banana before she took a bite. His body immediately reacted to the sensual devouring of the fruit. The things that woman could do with her tongue. He missed those lips on him. Those thick thighs wrapped around his waist. Those breasts pressed against his chest. Her cell chimed and even though the song wasn’t playing, Aretha’s voice entered his thoughts, frustrating him even more. “Clean, as in I earned it legally.”
“That’s all well and good. But do you really want to step in the spotlight again?” Cameron swiped a thumb across the screen of the cell, typed something, then turned it face down on the countertop.
She was right about who should handle things but Daron didn’t want to be the one to take her out of retirement, not even for a night. “I can handle it.”
“You just got on me about not using my skills to help people out. Now you present an opportunity for me to do that and you’re backtracking.” She reached for a slice of bread and popped it into her mouth.
Daron tapped the back her hand. “Cut it out. You won’t want any of the good stuff if your stomach’s full.”
“Oh, I always want some of your good stuff,” she said, and they both laughed.
He drained the pasta, added the shrimp to the sauce to cook while the bread warmed on the grill. “Fine, but if you do it, include me in the plans,” Daron said, getting the conversation back on topic.
“What?”
Daron couldn’t see her facial expression but could feel her eyes drilling into his back. “I can take down the security system, keep watch for trouble, and drive the getaway car.”
“This isn’t what you do,” she voiced in a soft tone as if being careful not to insult him.
“Security systems are my thing and I’m fully capable of being behind the wheel.” He tilted the pan so the pasta slid into one of the two bowls.
“You?” She tightened her lips as if she was choosing her words carefully.
“I can’t ask you to take a risk that I’m not willing to take.” He slid a bowl toward her. “If you’re in, I’m in.”
“Fine.” She slid off the stool and grabbed the Pinot Grigio, then poured two glasses of their typical pairing for the dish he prepared.
“Cam, you know we’re good together,” Daron asserted, accepting a glass and letting his finger stay on hers. “Let’s try to work on getting back on the right track.”
“I don’t know.” Cameron palmed the car keys on the counter. “I have to admit it hurt more than I thought it would that you chose The Castle over us.”
“I distinctly remember you tossing my keys back at me and walking away … from us.”
Cameron turned her lips up at him, twirled her keys around a finger, then stopped their movement by catching them in her fist. Her gaze was filled with sadness as she stared at him. “I don’t know if you can be my King and a King of The Castle.”
“You’re being unreasonable.” Daron huffed.
“You’re the one who gave me an ultimatum because I asked you questions about the bar incident. I know what kind of relationship I want.” Cameron took a sip of wine and stood. “While I don’t expect to know every detail, considering what your company does, I do expect to know when you’re about to make a decision that could change our lives.”
“It’s not what you did, it’s how you did it,” he shot back.
“Let’s talk about swapping out these pieces of art.” Cameron’s gaze searched his face as if she was trying to determine if she was walking away or staying.
“No.” Daron blocking her exit from the stool. “Maybe if we were in a committed relationship, I would have told you about The Castle.”
Cameron crossed her arms. “Maybe if you would have, we’d be in one.”
“I also know what I want in a relationship and that is a woman who doesn’t walk away without hesitation at the first sign of trouble.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t have if we hadn’t already had a conversation, before pursuing a relationship, about honesty. Neither one of us were supposed to be living a life that required us to keep stuff from each other, outside of specified details that violated our client privacy.”
“The Castle is my client.”
“The membership from Bishop was not.” Cameron gently pushed him in the center of his chest, causing him to grimace. “Either we discuss where you think the items are being held or I’m heading home.”
Daron remained in her path, debating whether to let go of the conversation on the state of their relationship. “Have a seat, but know this conversation isn’t over. It’s just on pause.”
She stared him down a few seconds before reclaiming her spot.
This incident should have brought them closer together, but instead, he realized how close he was to permanently losing her. He felt a sudden rush of emotion thinking about the fact that at least she was there to argue with him. Had today turned out differently, she could have been held captive by Marquise, or dead. “Are you absolutely sure your old team can’t handle this?”
“Are you being sexist?” She frowned, before taking a bite of the scampi.
“No.”
Cameron snarled, “Then tell me the location.”
Daron prepared himself for the what the hell look as he said, “The storage room in a private strip club.”