Bear with Me (Bear Mountain Patrol Series Book 1) (22 page)

“Let’s go home, I have a lot to tell you and a few decisions to make,” she said turning from the monitors.

“Oh?” Tag looked at Jackson who shrugged.

She threaded her fingers through his hand and pulled him out the office. “Yes, I’ve been practicing how to shoot, Jackson says I’m a natural.” The image of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie took residence in her mind. She’d always wanted to live a life full of adventure but feared going blind. Like Jackson, her father said she was a natural at following clues to pick the villain. Movies mimicked reality, right?

“Shooting what?” Tag asked, clueless.

“A gun.”

“Oh shit.”

Chapter 32

The following week, Camilla, Tyra and Jewel met at their old place, or Jewel’s home now, to spend their last weekend together. So much had happened since they’d last seen one another. Tag showed her what he called his honeypot and if he hadn’t been so serious she would’ve laughed at the small vaulted room holding several jars of honey. The security system had more bells and whistles than the bunker’s. But it was an important moment for him, besides he’d watched a few movies with her the night before.

When she told her mom she was engaged, her mom sounded happy and wanted a large dinner to look over Tag’s family when she visited. Tag’s family sounded enthusiastic over meeting her family. Camilla tried but couldn’t drum up the same level of excitement. Not anywhere close to the hoops she wanted to jump through when Tag’s father’s attorney flew to town to present Tag with his inheritance.

Although his dad worked for BMP, the old man had invested like crazy and left million dollar trust funds for his three cubs to receive after they mated. Seeing the genuine shock on Tag’s face when he read $20 million on the documentation had been priceless.

“He bought you a what?” Jewel said looking at Camilla’s new Glock then her ring finger where a large diamond surrounded by small sapphires resided. “I can’t see what’s in your hand because of the bling on your finger. I said it before and I’ll say it again, girl that ring is bad!”

Camilla gazed at her ring with pride. They’d been talking about her engagement ring since she walked through the door an hour ago. Time to change the subject. “Gun. He got tired of me using his, I guess, and said I needed to start my own collection.” She smiled in remembrance when she opened the box yesterday. She spent a long, lazy afternoon in the pool house thanking him for his thoughtful gesture. Cheeks warmed, she cleared her throat and brought her thoughts to the present.

“Because of what happened in the park?” Tyra asked.

“No. Maybe. Daddy taught me the basics of guns when I was a teenager but I couldn’t handle a gun then.” She’d briefly glossed over her degenerating eye condition their first year and didn’t want to go into that again. “But, now I’ve put things in perspective and carry my Baby with me everywhere. Plus he’s been showing me some cool defensive moves.” She placed the gun in its holster beneath her shirt and said. “Voila! Out of sight but always there.”

“Cool,” Tyra said. “How’s Ryan? Still in rehab?”

Camilla and Tag decided to skate along the lines of truth as much as possible when it came to Ryan. She believed Ryan really liked Tyra and she knew her best friend liked him.

“Yeah, he was messed up pretty bad and will be there a little longer.”

“Can she call him?” Jewel asked placing her hand on top of Tyra’s.

“I don’t know, I’ve never called him. Tag would know. If you want me to, I’ll have him ask,” she said to Tyra.

“Yeah, I’d like to check on him from time to time,” Tyra said with a weak smile. Camilla hurt for her friend but couldn’t do more.

“So you’re changing grad schools?” Jewel asked.

Smiling Camilla nodded. “Yes. I got some grant and scholarship money from the University Tag graduated from.”

“I thought he went to military school,” Tyra said pulling her legs beneath her on the sofa.

“The military school is another discipline at the school, separate but loosely a part of it. They had different dorms, classrooms and places for drills but it was on the same campus with everyone else.” Camilla told them the name of the school hoping they wouldn’t ask any more questions.

“Congratulations, girl,” Tyra said. “I’ve heard great things about that school. Very exclusive and hard to get in. Believe me I know, they turned me down.”

Camilla choked on her wine and scrambled to grab a napkin to clean up. “Sorry about that, Jewel.”

“No worries. You gave me that table,” Jewel said smiling.

Camilla placed her glass on the table. “Thanks, Tag helped.” She winked at Tyra.

“So what are we doing this weekend? Jewel asked looking at them.

“I’ve been dying for a banana nut muffin from the corner,” Tyra said. “Tried a lot at home and nothing came close. Maybe walk down to the bakery, grab a muffin, something to drink and people watch like we used to?”

“Sounds good,” Camilla said, glad the awkwardness about her change of schools had passed. They stood, grabbed their bags and headed downstairs.

“Tag bought you a new car?” Tyra asked gawking at the new two-door Benz sitting in front of the building.

“Yes, it arrived yesterday.” Tag ordered it as a mating gift. He claimed it was customary. “Pearl gray, it’s really pretty, I bet we can all fit inside,” Tyra said. “Can we go for a spin later?”

“Yes, maybe head to the mall?” Camilla said.

“Malls are out of my budget for the foreseeable future,” Tyra said. “Law school, need I say more?”

“I hear you,” Jewel said. “I’m not in law school, just poor. But I can drool along.”

Camilla laughed, glad she and Tag decided not to tell people of his inheritance. He’d hired a firm to handle his investments and had a sales contract on the land surrounding his property. They planned to build another home in a few years after she finished school and worked a while.

Arm in arm, they walked to the corner, waving at faces they’d come to know through the years. The aroma of the bakery took her back to when they first moved in. They paid for their food and took a seat near the window.

“That’s the lady from the park,” Camilla said remembering the older woman who asked if she were okay. When the woman looked in the window, Camilla waved.

“Yeah and that same woman hit on your man,” Tyra said then told them what happened that day in the park. “I watched her as she watched him. Poor thing, he was embarrassed.”

Camilla laughed and planned to tease Tag later.

“There’s old man Flicke,” Jewel said turning from the window. “Please don’t let him see me, please don’t let him see me.”

“What happened? He’s walking in the park,” Camilla said watching Jewel.

“That old man’s crazy,” Jewel said.

“Because of those flyers to nude places he gives out?” Tyra asked.

“Nude places? Where?” Jewel asked.

“He gave Tag a flyer and he gave it to us at the hospital, remember?” Tyra said.

“Oh, no I don’t. But he’s come to the condo three times asking if Camilla was okay. I forgot Tag talked to him, maybe that’s why.” Jewel took another bite of her Danish. “Well, here he comes, so he can see for himself you’re fine.”

Flicke strode into the bakery and walked directly to their table. “Young lady, I heard you were in trouble. I’m happy to see you’re doing well.”

Camilla smiled at the older man she’d run with this past year. He’d always offered a warm smile when their paths crossed. “Thank you, Mr. Flicke, I appreciate that.”

“Can I speak to you for a moment, outside? Just have a personal question to ask you.” He looked sheepishly at Tyra and Jewel. “Sorry ladies but this will only take a moment.”

Lord please don’t let him show me a picture of his private parts.
“Sure,” Camilla said as she stood and followed him to the door. He opened it and she walked out first, he followed.

They stood a short distance from the door but in full view of the bakery. He mopped his brow and shifted positions so that his back was to the shop.

“Ms. Lopez you… you and your boyfriend have cost me a great deal. I lost my son and the other is as good as dead. The others reject me. I have nothing much to live for. How shall I repay you for that?” He spoke in the same soft and earnest tone, it took a few moments for her to understand what he said.

“What?” She frowned staring at him.

His jaw tightened. “You heard me. I lost my family because of you.” A van careened around the corner and came to a screeching halt behind them. Camilla jumped to the side, not expecting the old man to push her into the arms of another man. Swept inside, like litter on the sidewalk, the van took off with Flicke in the front seat.

What the hell just happened
? It took all of five seconds for her brain to function. She’d been kidnapped again, this time by old man Flicke.

“I lost my son because of you and that bastard, you’ll pay for his death,” Flicke said over his shoulder. “Turn here, we need to pick up Brody and get to the plane. Hurry.” The van swerved and she fell backward, the arm around her neck tightened.

“Who’s your son?” She asked while mentally going over the defensive moves Tag taught her.

Flicke snorted. “As if you didn’t know Rex was my boy, he and Brody, brothers. Now one’s dead and the other can never show his face in public because of you.”

“Blame the victim,” she murmured as shock behind his twisted reasoning raced through her.

“You’re not the victim, young lady. I am,” Flicke said as the van slowed to a stop and a hooded figure jumped in.

The van shot off again down the road. Now it all made sense, the final piece to the puzzle. Jensen worked for his brother in the business and Flicke knew about it. Flicke was right about one thing; she was not the victim. Not in this scenario or any other.

The weight of her gun equalized things. Calm certainty seeped into her core. The closing statement in the courtroom of her mind now that she reached the point in life where she decided to live free rather than become a slave to fear.

Her body hummed in anticipation.

No one talked.

The total opposite of her favorite movies. Flicke didn’t boast or make threats or promises. She didn’t ask questions or beg for her life. In her mind the matter was settled. They chose the wrong woman this time. The Camilla they had taken a month ago died as she accepted a life with Tag.

This Camilla, part bear, mostly human, would never buckle to men like these again. A tingling sensation crawled up her spine. Feather-light flutters swiped across her belly as she inwardly stretched. Surprise raced through her as her inner Grizzle made itself known. Now wasn’t the time for this bombshell to drop but whoever was in charge of these things thought otherwise.

Easy. We’ll talk later, right now I need to figure a way out of here.
A scratchy feeling filled her chest then eased. The weird impression returned twice, stronger each time. Her vision sharpened, she could see Flicke’s skin cells. The man behind her ate bologna at some point today. Flicke’s irregular heartbeat registered and she wondered what Brody had in his pocket that smelled like shit.

Whoa! Her senses heightened to the point her eyes watered and nose itched.
Turn it down
. After a few seconds, her breathing normalized, the noise softened and the smells weren’t as sharp.
Whew, thanks
.

That brushing sensation returned then eased.

The van stopped near a plane waiting on the airstrip. Four men, including Jensen exited the van. Two men stood near the plane. She had just enough bullets if she didn’t miss. A gun poked the middle of her back.

Camilla placed her hands on her head, took two steps before spinning and grabbing the hand holding the pistol and taking him to the ground. With her left hand, she slammed his forehead into the concrete, cracking his skull and pulled out her pistol with the right. Seconds later, Flicke moaned with his hand on his chest, while his arm bled. Jensen rolled on the ground holding his leg and screaming in pain. Camilla pulled the pistol from the fingers of the man beneath her and walked slowly to Flicke and Jensen. Both men yelled and cursed at her as she held her gun on them.

Bending, she searched both of them for weapons and took their guns. Then she walked on board the plane, it was empty. Still humming from the adrenaline rush, Camilla leaned against the doorway and called 911.

If she called Tag first Jensen wouldn’t become anybody’s bitch in prison. The women whose lives he’d destroyed deserved some measure of payback. She waited a few minutes then called Tag.

“I’m on my way,” he said when he answered, turning on the freeway now. I left the moment Tyra called.”

“I forgot you could find me anywhere through our connection,” she bit her lip praying the cops arrived first. Flicke might not live but Brody wasn’t that bad off.

“No worries, I’ve got you.”

“You didn’t ask how I was doing or anything. In fact you assumed I needed rescuing after everything you taught me.”

“What are you saying?”

“I took them out, two still breathe but that’s because I want Jensen in prison for a long time.”

“You’ve got Jensen?”

“Yes but he’s wounded.” The shrill sound of sirens filled the air.

“What’s that? You called the cops?” He sounded horrified.

“Of course.”

“Camilla,” he ground out.

“My bear rose today.”

“What? When? How?”

“When they took me and I realized I wasn’t a victim.”

“Baby, listen to me. You aren’t a victim.”

She rolled her eyes and stepped forward as the police and ambulance arrived. “I just said that. Anyway, it was wild, I could smell everything, even heard the old man’s heartbeat and my vision was off the chain. I needed extra strength to disarm the guy holding the gun on me –”