Breaker's Point Bad Boy Billionaires Boxset (38 page)

C
ami tugged
the keychain to the bar from her bag and pressed her hand against the front door. It swung open before she had the opportunity to slot her keys into the lock and she swore beneath her breath.

She'd locked up the bar the night before, hadn't she? It had certainly felt as though she had and yet here she was, stepping through the door into the dimly lit room beyond.

She'd locked up the bar many times before, but with the stress of everything that had happened last night, Cami honestly couldn’t swear to it.

"Glad to see you're still alive. This place was in such a mess when I came in that I was starting to wonder if I'd find your body out back in one of the dumpsters." Fintan's voice floated out to Cami from behind the bar.

She squinted against the poor lighting, her eyes finally picking out part of him as he bent over and continued to work on something on the floor.

"Why are you here? It's so early." Cami’s gut clenched as she quickly realised her plan to clean up before Fintan ever found out anything was wrong had now gone up in smoke.

"Why am I here? I don't know, Camille, maybe because it's my bar and after some of the complaints I received over last night’s behaviour I thought I had better come in and check to see if the place was still standing."

She flinched and ducked her gaze to the floor. It was bad when he was using her full name and not the shortened version Cami preferred people call her by.

"Look, I can explain…"

"Damn right you can explain, and you better start right now or you can leave your keys on the bar and go."

"Fintan, please, you know how much I need this job." Cami hated the pathetic tone in her voice, but what choice did she have? It was true; he did know how badly she needed the job. Out of everyone in this godforsaken city, Fintan knew more of the truth than anyone else.

The fact that he could know so much and still threaten to take away her only source of income left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Yes, yes, I know you need it but you also need to realise I'm not running a charity here. If I entrust the bar to you, then I expect you to look after it. You need the job, Cami, but I need this place more. It might be a dump to you, but it's my dump and it's all I've got."

"I know and I'm really sorry. There was a pretty big rock group in here last night; I don't know if you know them. They're called Black Special."

Cami stepped up towards the bar as Fintan's eyes widened in shock and he shook his head in disbelief.

"What the hell would a group like Black Special be doing in this place? Are you just telling me this so I'll go easier on you?"

Cami smiled and shook her head. "Hand on heart swear it was them. One of them, Spike, I think his name was, came at me over the bar. He smashed a few bottles, left me with a few bruises, and started a bar fight with one of the other members. I had to pull the shotgun on him just to break it up."

Fintan dropped the rag he'd been holding and leaned against the bar before folding his arms across his chest.

"And this other one wouldn't have been the one you were making moon eyes at all night, would it?"

Cami felt heat crawl up her neck and flush into her cheeks.

"I was not making moon eyes at him. Where do you hear these things?"

"So he didn't take you home last night?" Fintan's voice was filled with the scepticism Cami could see in his face.

"For your information, he drove me home because I was concussed."

Fintan's face instantly changed, the scepticism fading away to be replaced by an expression of genuine concern.

"Concussed? Because of what that Spike guy did?"

Cami shook her head, the movement making her wish she'd brought some painkillers with her. It wasn't just the blow to the head that was bothering her; a combination of lack of sleep and far too much rum certainly hadn't made her feel fresh as a daisy when she'd finally crawled off the couch.

"No, I apparently went out to get some ice and slipped on the path. I must have come down pretty hard because I don't really remember actually going out to get the ice. I just remember coming to in the alley and Griffin holding me…" Heat flushed up over Cami's cheeks once more but this time it wasn't from embarrassment.

The memory of his lips on hers, the feel of his body, his skin underneath her hands… The image that filled her head practically made her sway on her feet, and Cami gripped the edge of the bar to stop from toppling over.

"Are you sure that's all he was doing?" A small smirk played on Fintan’s lips.

"Yes, I'm more than sure, thank you!" Her voice came out of her mouth much sharper than she had intended. Her defensive attitude only seemed to have the exact opposite effect on Fintan, whose smirk widened as he leaned across the bar towards her.

"You can tell me, Cami. You know I won't tell a soul. I'm good with secrets."

Cami sighed and brushed her hands back through her hair.

"It's not that. Nothing happened; well, at least nothing worth reporting. He drove me home, we kissed, and then I remembered my responsibilities and asked him to leave."

Fintan shot her a confused look and straightened up.

"I don't understand you. What does looking after your little sister have to do with whether or not you get a little bit of action? You're not thinking of becoming a nun, are you, because frankly I just don't see it."

Cami couldn't help but laugh; trust Fintan to come up with something so utterly ridiculous.

"No, I'm not becoming a nun. I just can't afford to have any complications right now, and Griffin is one giant complication just waiting to ruin everything."

Fintan shook his head and returned to mopping up the bar.

"Look, I'm not telling you what you should or shouldn't do, but you can't put everything on hold just because you had a crappy family life. You and Sophie have a new life here and that's what matters. She's starting to settle in and put down roots, and you need to do the same, Cami."

She smiled and lifted her bag from her shoulder. As she turned towards the far end of the bar, the television screen caught her eye. Even though the sound was turned down, the image was enough to turn her stomach and send a cold shiver racing down her spine.

Cami's bag dropped from her hand before she could stop it, the sound echoing in the empty bar.

"Cami, what's wrong? What is it?" Fintan's voice seemed to be coming from very far away as she continued to stare up at the screen in horror.

The news station flashed to an image of a burnt out car. The banner sliding beneath it read, “Missing person hunt for band manager Steve Robinson.”

Bile crept up the back of Cami's throat and she dashed to the bathroom, her hand across her mouth to stop the panic and fear from overwhelming her before she made it to the toilet.

She slammed open the door and barrelled into the first stall. Hanging her head over the toilet bowl, she emptied the contents of her stomach, mostly just the last of the rum from the night before.

Tears stung against her eyes and she did her best to scrub them away with the back of her hand, her mascara smudging against her cheeks.

How could she have been so stupid, so naïve? Of course there would be a search, a hunt for a missing person, and what would happen once they found his body? It would only be a matter of time until they found her, and if it wasn't the police then whoever had committed the murder would certainly seek her out first.

The police wouldn't afford her or Sophie any protection, and if they realised the situation they would have taken Sophie away.

Cami could see it playing out in her head like a horror movie. The cops would get involved and then the social workers; they'd do a little digging and discover the truth, and once that happened it would be only a matter of time.

And if they didn't figure it, the murderer would. She'd be dead and Sophie would still end up back there…

Cami's stomach rolled again but there was nothing left for her to vomit up. Instead she was left hugging herself, her arms wrapped around her body the only thing stopping her from completely falling apart.

There was only one thing she could do and that was run. Again. Take Sophie and just get as far away as possible. The only problem was that running required money, the one thing Cami didn't have. Every month they only had just enough to pay the important bills and nothing more.

Plenty of times, Cami had gone without just so Sophie would have what she needed. It was her way of making it up to the little girl for all the times she'd failed her. As far as Cami was concerned, it was the very least she could do.

There was one person who had gotten her into this mess. Cami had a sudden moment of clarity as she pulled her hair back and crouched next to the toilet.

Griffin Reynolds.

He was a famous rock star with money. Cami didn’t care what he thought about the situation; he was just going to have to get her out of it.

G
riffin parked
the car next to the warehouse and killed the engine. He reached across to the passenger seat and pulled the gun out from beneath his jacket.

It was definitely one of the more stupid things he had done, and riding across town carrying a weapon practically in plain sight that he didn't have a licence for hadn't been his first instinct. But he couldn't see another choice in the matter. The last thing he'd wanted to do was pull up to Elijah's place of business and get caught by one of his muscle men.

Staring out the window, Griffin studied the front of the building. It seemed quiet, and as far as he could tell there didn't seem to be anyone else around. But that wasn't necessarily true.

Elijah was far too smart not to have cameras trained on the front of the warehouse, and Griffin had a sneaking suspicion that he had already been waiting for him to arrive.

Tugging on the leather jacket, Griffin slipped the gun into the back of his jeans, the feeling of metal cold against his skin. He stepped out of the car, the wind whipping around him making it almost impossible to listen for the sound of anyone sneaking up on him.

There wasn't another choice in the matter. He would just have to swallow down his fear and go and face the music. An image of Cami flashed into his head, her face flushed and her lips swollen from the kisses they'd shared.

As hard as he tried, Griffin couldn't shake the thought of her from his mind. For some reason she'd gotten beneath his skin, and he had no idea how to dig her out.

Fuck her.

It was his usual response to women he found attractive, and it had always worked in the past. After all, Cami wasn't the first pretty woman to catch his eye. But there was something about her, something that told him she was different.

He had a bad feeling that even if he did sleep with her, he still wouldn't be able to get her out of his system. It would probably only cause her to burrow deeper into his soul.

Women.
Griffin snorted at the thought. They were far too complicated and he really didn't have time to be distracted from his goal of getting Black Special back where they needed to be.

Of course, it just served him right; it was probably karma's punishment for all the no strings attached sex he'd had, the hearts he'd broken, and the promises he'd never fulfilled.

Riley would call it a dose of his own medicine and maybe he was right. It was no more than Griffin deserved, but it didn't change the fact that he didn't have time for it.

He crossed the yard slowly and cautiously, the door to the warehouse swinging open before he even had an opportunity to knock.

The brute that stood on the other side glared down at him like he was little more than a piece of dog shit he'd failed to scrape off his shoe. His broad frame blocked the small doorway and his bald head was so huge Griffin could practically imagine it being used as a battering ram.

"What?" he asked, his voice deep and gravelly.

"I want to speak to Elijah."

"Does he want to speak to you?"

"He's going to want to speak to me. I owe him money," Griffin said, pulling himself up to his full height.

The brute continued to stare down at him and Griffin wondered whether he would be swatted out of there before he even had a chance to confront Elijah.

The man finally stepped aside and Griffin moved past him through the door. The warehouse was empty, unlike the first time Griffin had been there when every square inch of the place had been filled with huge crates. Griffin had no idea what was in those crates, but with a man like Elijah involved he could only imagine it wasn't anything good.

Griffin headed for the stairs at the back of the warehouse, remembering that Elijah’s office was located just beyond them. He started upstairs and the brute who'd let him in strode up after him, his bulk causing the metal frame of the steel steps to shiver and groan against their moorings on the wall.

He reached the door at the top and pulled it open as soon as he got close enough. Heat washed out of the room beyond and Griffin stepped into the office, his gaze instantly coming to rest on Elijah perched in his usual seat behind his oak desk.

"Griffin, so nice of you to drop in so unexpectedly." Elijah's tone suggested seeing Griffin was anything but the pleasure he was pretending it to be. "What can I do for you today? I hope you're not looking for another loan after that last fiasco?"

Griffin smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant or happy expression. He forced as much of his dislike for the man sitting before him into his features.

"You know why I'm here. I told you I'd get the money and you promised you'd let me have the chance."

"And I did," Elijah said, his tone matter-of-fact as he leaned back in the leather executive chair he favoured.

"You call murdering my manager in cold blood giving me the chance to settle our debt?"

Elijah smiled, a cold and calculating look. "I had heard about that. It's terribly sad but I'm afraid I had nothing to do with it."

"And you expect me to believe that? You were the one throwing threats around the place. You're the criminal."

"Actually, Griffin, I really don't care what you happen to think of me. I don't care if you believe I had anything to do with it or not. The only thing I care about is whether or not you plan to pay me on time."

Griffin brushed his hand back through his hair, the movement causing his jacket to ride up on his stomach.

"Gun," The brute who'd let him in said, his voice now a little more alert.

Griffin started to move but a large hand clamped down on his shoulder, the sheer weight of it driving him onto his knees despite how hard he fought to stay on his feet.

Panic registered in Griffin's head as he felt the man tug the gun out from the waistband of his jeans.

Elijah stood and crossed to the front of the desk. Griffin watched as the guard passed the gun over his head and into Elijah's waiting hand.

"I'm very disappointed, Griffin. I thought we were business partners and that we had an understanding, but now I discover that you came to my place of business armed."

"That's not yours, give it back to me." Griffin fought against the grip the much larger man had on him. If he could just get out from beneath the crushing weight of his grasp, Griffin knew he stood a chance of at least being fit to outmanoeuvre him.

There was no doubt the bodyguard's size made him dangerous in close quarters, but Griffin had listened to his breathing as he'd climbed the stairs. The laboured breaths he'd taken and the way his face flushed at so little exertion suggested he wasn't a fan of cardio and would probably be far too slow for someone as spry as Griffin.

But, of course, knowing all of this was no use to him now that the brute actually had a hold on him. Stuart would be so disappointed in him; all of his training had been a complete waste of time.

"I'm aware it's not mine, but I have a sneaking suspicion it's not yours either, Griffin."

Griffin froze and gave Elijah a dirty look as he smirked down at him.

"I do enjoy being right. Did you get this from one of your brothers? Better yet, do they even know you have it?"

"Of course he knows. He gave it to me as protection."

Elijah turned the gun over in his hands, admiring its heft and feel before returning his attention to Griffin. The look in his eyes created a cold pit of fear in Griffin's gut.

"I think I'll hold on to it. I've sometimes found that people will pay dearly to have their firearms returned to them, particularly if they believe a crime might be committed while it's still registered to them."

"Look, this is between you and me. I won't let you drag my family into this. You've already done enough damage by killing Steve!"

Elijah's face darkened and he stepped forward, his grip on the gun changing as he brought the butt of it down across Griffin's face. The blow made his head spin, the pain nauseating, but he fought to hold himself upright and not buckle beneath Elijah's temper.

"You're sorely lacking in manners, Griffin, and that's something I'm going to have to remedy. Whoever I want to drag into this matter is entirely my business. Until you return what is owed to me you have zero say in the matter."

Griffin shook his head and spat the blood that was filling his mouth onto the floor.

"No, you made the deal with me. Leave my family out of it!"

Elijah smiled, but it was a cruel twist of his lips.

"And that pretty little redhead? Is she off limits too? A little birdy whispered in my ear and told me she might have witnessed something she shouldn't have. And you know what happens to people who get too close to the fire, don't you, Griffin?"

Elijah didn't have to say Cami's name for Griffin to know exactly who he was talking about. Fear settled around his neck and chest like a heavy chain he couldn't shake.

"She didn't see anything," Griffin said, his voice hoarse with the fear he felt for her. Elijah was dangerous, and he had a reputation that could make even the hardest man shiver in terror.

"I'll be the judge of that," Elijah said, raising the gun over his head once more. "Now about those manners." His arm came down and this time the pain was too much.

White light exploded behind Griffin's eyes before he was swallowed into darkness.

W
armth trickled
along the side of Griffin's head as he struggled to open his eyes but failed. It would be so much easier to just stay cocooned in the numbness the darkness provided, but the sound of footsteps approaching had him once more trying to open his eyes.

Griffin succeeded and stared up into a pair of clever green eyes, eyes that instantly reminded him of Cami. But as his own gaze came into focus he quickly realised the young girl kneeling next to him wasn't her.

The girl’s blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail that flopped over her shoulder as she peered down at Griffin with a mixture of fascination and fear on her face.

"Why are you on my doorstep? I don't know you," she said, her voice small and childish as she leaned in a little closer.

Griffin fought to sit up and winced, the movement sending pain shooting up and down his ribcage and making breathing difficult.

"And whose doorstep is it?" Griffin asked when he finally caught his breath long enough to get the words out.

"It's my doorstep," she said again, scooting back out of his reach, the fear beginning to win over the initial fascination he'd witnessed on her face.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm here… What's your name?" Griffin glanced around at his surroundings.

Although it had been dark the night before, he quickly recognised the front porch and small pathway that led up to it as the same house he'd dropped Cami off at the night before.

"You know, Cami?" he asked, propping his aching back against the closed door.

The young girl cocked her head to one side and eyed him suspiciously.

"She's my mom. How do you know her?"

Griffin's mind was sent reeling at the revelation. It didn't seem possible. Cami didn't look old enough to have children, never mind one who was practically a teenager.

"She's your mom?"

The young girl nodded and tugged a cell phone from her pocket. "I'm going to call her and when she gets here she's going to be pissed to find a stranger on the doorstep." She shot Griffin a sideways look before lifting the phone to her ear and climbing to her feet.

He couldn't make out what was being said, but he could imagine after the way they'd left things the night before that it was probably wasn't anything good.

Griffin tried to push himself onto his feet and failed, the pain in his ribs still screaming through his body. He slumped back onto the doorstep, his breathing ragged as he fought to suck in a deep enough breath.

There was no doubt about it. Elijah had really done a number on him, all in the pursuit of teaching him some manners. Griffin smiled bitterly to himself as he imagined what Elijah would do when the time came when he realized Griffin couldn't pay back his money.

His life was a mess and now Cami was involved. Elijah's threat was still ringing in his ears, and Griffin knew that somehow he had to protect her. No matter what the cost.