Midnight Sins (70 page)

Corbin than it is to think for yourself, isn’t it.”

“Cami,” Rafe said her name softly. “Go get ready,

sweetheart. We have things to do today, remember?”

No, that wasn’t what she remembered.

He’d told her last night they had things to clear

up, and that was far different.

“I’m finished with the little tramp—”

Before Cami could process the fact that Rafe

had moved, he had done just that.

His hand was wrapped around Mark’s throat,

holding him pinned to the wall he had thrown him into.

“Leave,” Rafe said softly.

Anything else he said Cami missed while waiting

for her brain to kick into gear once again.

She rushed to the two men, and her fingers

curled around the arm that bulged with strength as he

drew on that power to keep his fingers wrapped

around Mark’s throat.

“That’s enough,” she said softly. “I really don’t

want to have to deal with Archer later, Rafe. And you

know Mark; he would definitely file a complaint if you

leave so much as a single bruise.”

“Oh, he won’t be bruised,” Rafe promised her,

though he released Mark slowly. “But I bet you he

remembers how little I like hearing that trash rolling

out of his mouth to you.”

“And I’m sure he really won’t care once he gets

away from you,” she told him before turning her gaze

back to the man who had thought he could destroy

her.

“Who was my father?” she asked Mark.

“Dead.” He seemed to relish the word. “The

bastard was some cop in Denver when she left me

one summer. She never made that mistake again.

Again,” he reminded Cami.

“Did you kill him?”

Mark chuckled at the question. “I only wish I’d had

the chance. A drug dealer and his tramp did that for

me when he thought he could poke his nose in their

business. His stupidity got him killed.”

If Mark could have set it up, then he would have,

Cami thought.

She could see it in his eyes, in the hatred and

regret that filled his expression.

“I’m going to shower and dress,” she only partially

lied. She’d showered the night before; she only

intended to dress and face whatever issues Rafe

thought they should iron out. Or clear up. He’d said

they had things to clear up, and she had a feeling she

knew exactly what a few of those things were. The fact

that she’d kept secrets from him, that she hadn’t

contacted him when she needed him.

Turning her back on Mark, she moved to the

dresser, collected her clothing, then moved into the

bathroom.

Whatever Mark had thought he would accomplish

by attempting to ambush her, he hadn’t quite

managed it. Had it been ten years before, even five,

then he could have shattered her with that knowledge.

Perhaps a part of her had already accepted, over

the years, that no father could be as cruel as he had

been over the years. He hadn’t laid a hand on her, but

there were times that words could hurt much worse

than a fist.

Moving into the bathroom, she wondered at how

easily Mark had slipped in, though. He’d obviously

been watching her, waiting, stalking her.

At this point, she didn’t give a damn what Rafe

said to Mark. She was beginning to wonder if she

would even care what Rafe did to him. Mark had

made her mother’s life hell, and Cami knew it. A part

of her acknowledged that he was the reason her

mother had turned to the Valium and the wine. He was

the reason she had closed herself off, even from the

child she’d conceived, likely with a man who had

loved her.

Cami dressed quickly, unwilling to leave Rafe

with Mark long enough to actually hurt him. But when

she stepped out into the bedroom, it was to find Rafe

sitting in the large easy chair, lounging back, as he

waited patiently for her.

His expression was slightly mocking, knowing.

“You know, he didn’t come through the front

door,” Rafe told her. “There are several webcams

scattered through the house now. He came through

the basement window, just as your attacker did.”

Cami paused and stared back at Rafe, confused

at the statement.

“But you secured that window.” And she knew he

and his cousins would have done the job right.

“Yes, we did,” he agreed. “And from what I saw

on the camera, he’s damned good at picking a lock,

Cami.”

She rubbed at her temple, uncertain what to

make of that. “He wasn’t the one that attacked me.”

Was he?

If he had been, then that meant he had also been

the one behind Jaymi’s death.

Cami shook her head. “He would have never hurt

Jaymi. Whoever tried to hurt me was behind Thomas

Jones attacking her as well. Mark was devoted to

her.”

“But she was sleeping with me,” Rafe pointed

out.

Cami shook her head again. “He truly loved her,

Rafe. He loved her, and he loved Mother, despite any

infidelity she may have committed. It was me he

hated. It was me he made pay for it; that way he could

could forgive her.”

And Cami believed that to the bottom of her soul.

“Mark’s world began and ended with Mother and

Jaymi. Losing a part of that world was more than he

could bear.”

Rafe watched her for long, considering moments.

“Pack up.” He surprised her with the command. “We’ll

move to the ranch until this is resolved.”

“And what will that solve?” She breathed out with

an edge of weariness. “Running won’t make him

move any faster; it will only delay the inevitable. And

I’m not running. Not yet.”

She hadn’t run from her problems since she was

a child. “That was one of the few lessons Mark has

taught me. Running shows weakness and fear. I’m not

ready to give that impression quite yet.”

“You’re being too damned stubborn,” Rafe

muttered as he came out of the chair and stalked over

to her. “Should I have that put on your gravestone?

‘She Died Stubborn.’”

Her lips almost twitched. “Look at it this way,” she

suggested. “I may die stubborn, but I intend to make

certain that he knows he didn’t get the best of me in

any other way. He’ll know he failed.”

“And that’s so important to you?” Rafe asked

incredulously.

“Important?” she whispered. “Not so much

important, Rafe, as all I have left. Through the years

it’s all I’ve had, Rafe; Mark took everything else. And

what he didn’t take Thomas Jones did when he killed

Jaymi. Besides, what will leaving accomplish?”

“I know my home turf. I can protect it,” Rafe

answered her instantly.

“And he doesn’t. Whoever attacked me won’t

come after me there. He’ll just wait, and he’ll watch,

and the Callahan cousins will have to blink eventually.”

“If I lost you, Cami, it would destroy me.”

She blinked back at him.

He said it so seriously, as though the words were

torn from a place so deep inside himself that he

wasn’t certain where they came from either.

Cami swallowed tightly. “What do you want me to

say?” She was suddenly terrified. Terrified of herself

and the emotions she suddenly felt being torn from

deep inside her.

She’d kept parts of her locked down for as long

as she could remember, definitely since she had lost

their child. But even before that, there were hopes,

dreams, needs, and desires that she’d refused to

allow herself.

“You seem so surprised,” he murmured as he

stopped in front of her. “Why do you think I arranged to

meet you in Denver all those years ago? Why do you

think I tried so hard to give you the time you needed to

make that first move, to come to me, to be sure you

wanted me, Cami? To be sure you’d tasted freedom

and were ready to accept everything I felt for you?

Everything I need to be with you?”

She shook her head, staring up at him, at the

blaze of emotion in his eyes, at the truth of everything

he was saying.

“We can talk about this later,” she forced the

words past her lips.

“Because you’re terrified to hear the words? Tell

me, kitten.” His hands cupped her cheeks, forced her

to keep her gaze locked with his. “Has anyone ever

told you they loved you?”

Had they?

She’d known Jaymi had loved her, but had she

ever said the words?

She hadn’t, Cami realized.

“Mother,” she whispered.

When she had been younger. Before Mark had

decided she was such a threat.

“I love you, Cami.”

She flinched.

Something seemed to shatter in her chest. A

wash of fear, followed by a blaze of heat and an

outpouring of emotion that dragged a sob from her

chest and left her trembling in front of him.

“Don’t lie to me,” she burst out, her voice as

shaky as her knees now. “Please, Rafe. Please don’t

lie to me. I couldn’t survive it.”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

He never had, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t. It

didn’t mean he couldn’t change his mind later.

“No, you haven’t lied to me,” she whispered as

she felt that first tear ease from her eyes. “I couldn’t

bear it if you lied to me now, Rafe.”

His head lowered, his eyes locked with hers.

“I love you, Cambria Flannigan,” he whispered.

“To the very depths of my soul. You’ve bound my heart

since you were seventeen years old and didn’t have a

date for the prom, and I’ve only grown to love you

more each year.”

Her breathing hitched. Another sob shook her.

“Cami?” he questioned her gently as his lips

touched hers. “We both know you feel it. Aren’t you

going to tell me you love me too?”

Her lips trembled.

“I love you,” she suddenly cried, feeling the tears

as they began to run down her face, the love as it

finally broke free inside her, pouring into the light,

refusing to allow her to ignore it any longer. “Oh God,

Rafe, I love you so much.”

His arms wrapped around her as he jerked her

closer. His lips covered hers, his body surrounded

her, and the warmth and strength that was so much a

part of him encompassed her. She felt warm, heated.

For the first time in her life, Cami felt warm from

the inside out.

CHAPTER 25

The day seemed to fly by.

For the first time in her life, Cami felt as though

she were walking on air. There was no fear that dawn

would come and force her to leave the man she loved.

There was no fear that if she stared into his eyes too