Merchants with Evil Intent (55 page)

      
He turned, narrowing his eyes. “To get
what’s mine,” he ground out.

*
     
*
     
*

      
The music changed tempo.

      
Dylan pulled her closer. “Whaddya think?”

      
She bit her lip and shook her head. She
wasn’t ready for that. Not with him.

      
“C’mon, Cammie.
Just one slow dance?”

      
She considered his question when she
heard, “I believe this dance is mine,” behind her.

      
Dylan’s eyes grew large and dark, causing
Cam to turn.

      
A lump formed in her throat and she
brought her hand to her mouth.

      
“Cammie?
Is this
him?”

      
She nodded slowly.

      
He was here and his eyes blazed with
anger. But damn, he looked hot. She could barely catch her breath.

      
Dylan poked his forefinger into Declan’s
chest, ignoring the fact Declan stood a foot taller and had massive biceps.

      
“If you hurt her, you’ll answer to me!”
he scowled.

      
An amused grin lit Declan’s face, but
didn’t reach his eyes. He lowered his head to meet Dylan’s eyes. “Beat it,
pup.”

      
Dylan sulkily walked away.

      
“Was that necessary?” she admonished.

      
He shot her a wry, tilted look.
“Aye.
I’ve told you before that you’re mine and I meant it.”

      
She pushed her hands onto his chest. “I’m
not some sort of property, you Neanderthal.”

      
He gripped her wrists and pulled her
closer. Leaning down to her ear he murmured, “I’m no’ a cave man, just one very
pissed off fiancé.”

      
His warm breath fanned her face and
smelled like whiskey. The sound of his voice made her shiver.

      
He was here.

      
Looking sexier than
hell.

      
She wanted to kiss him and run away at
the same time.

      
Damn, she was back at fucking square one
with this guy.

      
She couldn’t catch a break!

*
     
*
     
*

      
A myriad of emotions overwhelmed him. He
wanted to kiss her and throttle her at the same time.

      
Some things never changed between them.

      
He wrapped his arm around her waist and
pulled her tightly against him.

      
She fought briefly, but not very hard, he
noted.

      
They gazed at each other. Not dancing or
swaying to the music.

      
He searched her eyes, but was left
wanting.

      
She tried to detach herself. Lifting her
chin, she returned his stare.

      
His black eyebrows furrowed, forming
little lines between them.

      
Fuck!
He was genuinely hurt, she noticed.

      
Well, that made two of them.

      
At least he didn’t have to deal with a
dead ex, like she did.

      
“Declan, let me go,” she whimpered.

      
“Is that really what you want?
For me to let you go?”

      
No!
I want you to say you love me! Just me!
Her inner voice screamed.

      
She shrugged her shoulders. Dammit! Why
couldn’t she be stronger?

      
He brought his hand to the back of her
head, lowering his.

      
Her heart
flipped-flopped as he brought his lips closer to hers.

      
He kissed her thoroughly on the dance
floor, so much her knees wobbled, causing him to hold her tighter.

      
Feeling satisfied with her reaction he
pulled away, an amused grin lit his face. “I’ve missed you, gel.”

*
     
*
     
*

      
Greg jumped from the booth when he
spotted a big guy slobbering all over Camryn. “Who the fuck is that?” he
growled.

      
Dylan walked over, whiskey in his hand,
looked at the dance floor and back at Greg. “It’s Declan.”

      
“No shit?” Greg muttered, disbelieving.

      
Tamara stood to get a better look and
squealed.
“Oh my!”

      
Greg narrowed his eyes briefly. She
flushed in response.

      
She stuttered, “Well, I mean, his picture
doesn’t do him justice.”

*
     
*
     
*

      
She placed her hands on his chest and
without meeting his gaze she murmured, “I can’t do this,” and promptly shoved
away from him.

      
He rolled his eyes and followed her to
the snug. He nodded, “Greg, Tamara.”

      
“Dylan, I want to go home,” Camryn
sniffled.

      
Dylan looked at the big hulk next to him,
unsure what to do. Declan shot him a look that said, ‘I dare you.’

      
Swallowing hard Dylan turned his
attention away.
“Cam?”

      
She pulled her jersey over her head.
“Please Dylan.”

      
“If ya walk out that door, I’ll no’ be
comin’ after ya, gel,” Declan hissed.

      
She lifted her chin. “I’m not asking you
to.”

      
He bent to meet her gaze and when she
wouldn’t look at him he put his thumb under her chin and lifted it. “I mean
it!” he growled. His eyes burned with fury.

      
Trembling, she pushed him away. “Just.
Leave.
Me. Alone.”

      
She shot Dylan an icy stare and stomped
away.

      
Dylan grabbed their jackets, shrugging
his shoulders as he brushed past Declan.

      
“Cam is back with a vengeance!” Greg
laughed.

      
“What does that mean?” Declan asked,
pissed but curious.

      
Greg shook Declan’s hand. “It means she’s
back to normal. Come on, have a seat and I’ll buy you a beer.”

      
Declan waved a hand at Colleen for her to
join them.

      
After introductions were made beers were
procured and Greg began.
“That feistiness of Cam’s?
When she came back from Ireland she was withdrawn, mopey…a different person. At
first I thought it was because she killed Orlov, but then I found out about you
and well, dude, you’re the cause of her angst.”

      
Tamara chimed in, “Well, not all of it,
but certainly a large part,” she said coyly, admiring Declan’s muscular arms.

      
Greg tapped his finger against his chin.
“Hey, how did you know our names?” he asked, waving a hand between himself and
Tamara.

      
“Cam talked a lot aboot the two of you.
‘Twas not hard to figure it out when I saw you,” Declan mumbled. He ran his
hand along his stubbled chin. “I doona understand! Before she left, things were
fine. When I got home from the airport I found me ring and a note from her
saying she changed her mind.”

      
Greg and Tamara looked at each other, a silent
message passing between them.

      
“If ya know somethin’ I’d appreciate ya
tellin’ me,” Declan murmured.

      
Greg shrugged his shoulders. “Look, it’s
not my place to say anything.”

      
Declan chugged his beer and polished off
Colleen’s. “I’ll have to assume she’s resumed her relationship with that boy,”
he sighed. “Thanks for the beer.”

      
It took much effort for him to stand and
it wasna because of the alcohol. It was the fact that neither of Camryn’s
friends dismissed his comment aboot the pup.

      
His stomach clenched at the thought.

      
The cold, wintry air slapped him in the
face as they exited the pub. He pulled his coat tighter.

      
Resigned, he was ready to return to
Ireland.

*
     
*
     
*

      
It was alarming to hear her sniffling.
The girl he knew
never
cried. “Cam,
you okay?” Dylan asked once they were on the expressway.

      
“Uh-huh,” she squeaked, wiping her eyes
with the backs of her hands.

      
Dylan reluctantly rubbed her arm. “I’ll
listen if you want to talk.”

      
She laughed sarcastically. “At this point
I need to talk to someone with a degree. I’m all sorts of fucked-up right now.”

      
“Wow…he really got to you huh?”

      
“It’s not just him. It’s a bunch of shit
rolled into one huge cluster-fuck,” she sighed.

*
     
*
     
*

      
“Declan! Wait up!”

      
He turned on the sidewalk as Tamara ran
up to him.

      
“Look, I can’t have you leave thinking
she’s with Dylan now.” She looked down at her hands and took a deep breath.
“She thinks you’re still in love with the girl who died.”

      
His eyebrows furrowed, “Teaghan?”

      
She nodded sadly.

      
He ran his hand through his hair and
cursed.

*
     
*
     
*

      
A soft knocking disturbed Camryn from her
sleep. She groggily walked to the front door and unlocked it.

      
Her mom held a tray coffee in Styrofoam
cups as well as a bag of bagels. “Morning honey, I thought we’d have breakfast
together,” she grinned.

      
Camryn ushered her into the kitchen.
“Mom, what’s up?”

      
“Can’t a mom want to have breakfast with
her daughter?” she replied, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

      
“Mom, you’re acting nervous. What gives?”

      
Grace sat next to her at the table.
“You’re not you anymore, Cam and I’m not sure if it’s because you found out
we’re not your parents or if it’s because of Viktor, Declan or something else.”
Tears glistened in her eyes.

      
Camryn sighed, “Oh mom.” Her breathing
deepened in an effort to calm herself. “It’s most of those things, plus more.”

      
Grace cocked her head, encouraging her to
continue.

      
“I’m not upset that you aren’t my real
parents; let’s just get that out there.” Camryn grinned slightly. “Yeah, it was
a bit of a surprise, but I was angry with John for not telling me sooner.
Viktor?
I have mixed emotions about that. I didn’t want to
kill him. I just wanted him to stop hurting Declan.”

      
She took a sip of coffee and rubbed her
eyes. “In a few short months I was told I was adopted, stalked, killed a man,
saved a man’s life, fell in love and now…” Tears sprang to Camryn’s eyes. “And
now I’m pregnant.”

Chapter
19

      
Camryn fussed with her hair as she got
ready for the company holiday party. She opted for long ringlets and wondered
why she put so much effort into it at all.

      
It’s not like she had a date.

      
Declan left a message saying he would be
heading back to Ireland the next day.
Nothing else.
It
was all very clinical.

      
He’d left others throughout the week, but
she never called him back.

      
She did, however, replay the messages she
kept since meeting him.