Broken Justice (Justice Brothers) (23 page)

Cam also knew that even though he hadn’t announced his presence in any way, the Major was well aware that he was standing in the darkness. The guy had unreal spider senses, something he and Drae taunted him about unmercifully. That those senses helped propel their exclusive services to a realm where money was no longer an issue was a fact Cam never overlooked. The man was nothing short of a genius.

“Are you going to lurk there all night?” Turning toward Cam with unerring accuracy, Alex gave him a one eyebrow raised look that said,
Gotcha!

Levering away from the door, Cam strode into the room toward his friend for a hearty hug and a bit of back-slapping. He’d noticed that Alex was favoring his bad leg, a sign of strain and discomfort. Going to him so he didn’t have to get up was an old habit, one that developed during the Major’s long rehab and the years that followed. They rarely spoke of his injury anymore. Didn’t have to. All of their lives had changed that awful day. The day that still haunted his dreams.

Alex had been lucky to survive and although he was the one of the three who was left with visible scars, they’d all been pretty thoroughly fucked up in one way or another. Coming together as the Justice Brothers, a nod to their past, had started the real healing. This compound, tucked away in the Sonoran desert, had morphed over time into a small town that Alex oversaw with all the tight corners and command his rank as Major demanded. He was also something of a father figure, in addition to being a brother, if only in name.

“Hi Alex. You look like bloody hell by the way.”

Rubbing his sturdy hands through his mess of a haircut, Alex sneered at Cam although the twinkle in his eyes was genuine. “Blow me.”

Slapping Alex on the back one more time, Cam moved aside and swung his hand out at the mess where they stood. “Jesus. What the hell happened in here? Looks like a hurricane blew through, dude.”

“Yeah, it did. Nice try ignoring the elephant in the room. I’m damn glad you’re home and that you made it one piece. Okay. That was the polite shit. Now tell me what is
really
going on. You brought someone back with you. A woman? Explain.”

Damn.
This was a conversation Cam didn’t want to get into. Not right now, anyway.
How could he explain something that he didn’t understand himself?
Wandering around a workbench strewn with what, he didn’t know, while trying to act all cool and matter-of-fact was a lame stall, he knew. When he’d informed Alex during their phone call that he wasn’t alone, his announcement was initially met with deafening silence. Shocking Alex was something hard to do. Best to just plow ahead. Make like it’s no big deal. Yeah, that’s what he’d do.

“Uh, so …. let me see. Yeah. Her name is Lacey.”
God dammit.
He sounded like a bad kid reporting to Dad. Picking up some random device as he gathered his wits, he turned it over in his hand like it was actually of interest.
Get your shit together, man.

“She uh, she ….. well, the fact is I sorta rescued her.”
Oh fuck, had he actually said that?

“Wait a minute! You
rescued
someone?” The incredulity in his friend’s voice shamed Cam.
When did acting like a decent person seem like such a stretch for him?

“Watch it. I might be a prick but that doesn’t mean I’d stand by and let someone get hurt right in front of me.”

The eyebrow rose again. “Uh huh. Go on. I’m listening.”

Resting against the workbench, Cam’s arms folded against his chest. In a gesture similar to the one he’d seen Alex make just minutes ago, one hand crept up while fingers speared through his long hair before grabbing the nape of his neck. Alex seemed content to wait him out. He’d even lowered onto the massive desk chair that made him look like James T. Kirk in the Captain’s seat. Nothing like saying something without actually saying anything.

He almost blurted out the part about how he’d been watching her before pulling the words back. No. Right now some things were best left unsaid. Stick to the facts, man. Just the facts. Alex wasn’t stupid. He’d know there was more.

“Bunch of teenage thugs tried to snatch her bag. She fought back. Probably made it worse. Must have been the last thing those shitheads expected. I came upon what was happening as it spiraled out of control.”

“Okay. Understood. Continue.”

Jesus
. This was starting to feel like a debriefing. “Anyway. Getting mugged was kinda the last straw. She was going through a tough time, you see.” The arched eyebrow on Alex’s face shot into his hairline.

Unfolding his arms, Cam stood with hands on hips. “I knew Betty bailing on us for the foreseeable future was creating chaos so I offered her a hand, that’s all. She can get the office under control and get settled here. Win, win.” Shrugging like all of it was absolutely no big deal, he hoped that would be enough to satisfy curious minds.

Alex, being Alex though, cut right through his bullshit. “How old is this
woman
?” The unspoken question in his delivery reverberated off the walls.

The words,
twenty-two,
got stuck in his throat and went no further. When Cam didn’t answer, Alex snorted. “For fuck’s sake, Cam. This isn’t like you. Lacey is her name?” Cam nodded, then looked away.

“What does this Lacey mean to you, bro? There’s like a shit-ton of detail you’re not sharing and last time I checked, getting to the bottom of things is what we all do for a living so how about you tell me what’s really going on.”

Cam couldn’t answer. The problem was, he didn’t know what she meant to him. It was all coming at him too fast. He heard the surprise and concern in Alex’s voice but all he could think about was how he wanted to go back to the casita and take the Ponytail to bed. He’d pretty much thought of nothing else since he’d crawled from her embrace this morning.

Being back at the compound only reminded him that he was not what would be considered ‘relationship material’. His life was vaguely dangerous at times, he kept to himself as much as he could, and he had so much darkness in his past as to qualify for disaster relief. None of that sounded like a guy who should be messing with a twenty something all-American beauty with her whole life ahead of her.

Even so, he couldn’t stop his thoughts from picking up the thread of their intense sexual encounter. She’d been so willing, so receptive. He knew if he marched into her room right now he could have her panties in his pocket in moments. Could have her under him while he pounded into the wet, tight, warmth of her body.
How did he get to be such a mess?

Alex watched his friend intently. No one knew the man known as Cameron Justice like he and Draegyn did. They’d been through hell and back, the three of them. There were no secrets between them.

They were complicated men.
Who the hell wasn’t these days?
Drae had trust issues and he, well Alex, was their conscience. Every dark and deadly event from their shared time on the battlefield was his to atone for, being the leader of the group, and not just because he’d outranked them in the end. There was a reason the Justice Squad had been successful. He’d been a master tactician. Focused on their mission. Ruthless. Responsible for countless lives – some of which were lost on his watch.

He knew that the conflicted man before him wore the burden of some of those deeds like a hair shirt of penance. Cam’s castaway upbringing gave him a sense of not quite being good enough. Add that to some real-world blood, guts, and gore and it’s easy to see the recipe for dysfunction it all was. Cam truly believed he was an island unto himself where no emotion meant no regret.

Alex said nothing. He simply waited. When Cam was ready to talk, he’d be there to listen. It was curious though. Him bringing anyone, let alone a woman, into the compound. He couldn’t wait to get a look at the mysterious Lacey.
What would she be like,
he wondered.
What sort of female had it taken to stop Cam dead in his tracks?

“Is Drae here?” Cam eventually muttered in a tone that peaked Alex’s curiosity.

“Why?”

“No reason. Just wanted to set him straight about a few things.”

“Well, isn’t that fucking great?” Alex grunted. “First Betty runs off, then Mister Roboto joins the dark side, and now sibling rivalry. It’s awesome being me!” Cam’s look of surprise at the mention of Alex’s right hand assistant, Liang, was a reminder of the mess the business was in.

“Liang’s playing with the big boys now? Shit Alex. Is that why the place is such a mess? How long’s he been gone?”

“Don’t try and switch subjects. Yes, Liang is off to more lucrative pastures. A black ops team offered him the sun, moon, and stars. End of story. Now let’s get back to the grumbling about Drae. C’mon bro. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Cam pulled himself upright until all six foot four inches of his bulk seemed to be straining at the seams. This was getting interesting. “Look, there’s nothing going on. Yeah, I brought a woman back with me but she’s just a….
friend
. Drae needs to keep his dick in his pants where she’s concerned. That’s all. You know how he is.”

Alex considered everything Cam just said along with his body language. Yeah, right – there’s nothing going on. Unless he was totally blind, something pretty damn big was happening right in front of his eyes.

Nodding, Alex could only grimace at the mention of Draegyn’s track record with the fairer sex. The man had personally bedded nearly every available female on the planet. “Understood, man. Understood. He’s off doing the security for a concert tour. Y’know – that little putz with the saggy pants and screaming teenage fans? There’s a break coming up before the European leg starts. He’ll turn up soon I suspect.”

“Alright, man. Thanks for the heads up.”

“Cam, I’m here if you need to talk.” His friend’s hesitant nod was all the conversation he was going to get at the moment. Sometimes Mister Tall, Dark and Brooding was a pain in the ass. This was one of those times. A series of beeps and clicks from an array of computers happened at the perfect moment, giving Alex the opportunity to switch gears.

Turning to see what was up, he murmured over his shoulder, “Bring Lacey ‘round in the morning. At least Carmen and Ria are still on the job. I’ll tell them we have a guest in the casita and to set an extra place at the table.”

Cam shuffled to the door and then stopped, earning the return of Alex’s complete attention. He couldn’t wait to see what the man said next.

“Uh, Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Do I smile?”

Alex’s slack jawed, blinking response made Cam scowl.

“That’s what I thought,” was all he said before turning to make his way from the room.

There was something about the desert at sunrise, as a million colors and hues lit up the harsh but beautiful landscape, that made Lacey feel, well….. happy. Peaceful. She’d pulled on a pair of jeans and a thin t-shirt before stepping onto the brick patio under the kitchen widows to survey her temporary home. The casita was perfect in every way. Small, homey and comfortable, just as Cameron had said.

Luckily, she’d found a tin of organic tea in the cupboard that had been quickly turned into a hot, steaming beverage. She loved tea at sunrise. Never having learned to appreciate the black sludge some people drank first thing in the morning, she preferred the soft, subtle flavors of a good tea blend. She always had a stash of Dollar Store brand teas in her old backpack. This morning, her mug was filled with a red, tinged fusion of black tea and rooibos that had mercifully not needed a splash of cream or a spoonful of sweetener. There really wasn’t anything in the cupboard except some spices and a few other non-perishable staples. She’d have to stock some supplies, a simple task that filled her with excitement. The idea of making a shopping list made her giddy and light-hearted.

She wondered what Cameron was doing. Half-expecting him to turn up at some point last night, she had finally given up waiting and gone to bed. No one was more surprised than she was when, hours later, she awoke to find the sunrise creeping onto the horizon.
When was the last time she’d crashed so completely that she slept through the night?
Oh yeah, she remembered. That would be the night before when she’d passed out cold in Cameron’s comforting embrace.