Page 2 of Lynch's Match

I lift slightly to look deep into her eyes. “Happy birthday.”

“Best birthday present ever.”

“You didn’t like the other one?” I ask jokingly.

I know she likes the other gift I’d given her. It was written on her face from the moment she opened it. The past couple of years haven’t been easy for her, and I wanted to give her something special for her eighteenth birthday.

From the day she came to the shop needing help with her car, which ended up only being a loose connection to the spark plug, she’s been a staple in my life. We’ve been friends ever since. I’d met her parents. Got on with her dad and mom both. I’d even helped her dad replace the back deck of their house. They were from money, had lots of it, but didn’t act it, nor did they make a big deal about it. The house they lived in was big but not massive. Everything done to it, they did themselves.

Camilla has been a staple in my life from the moment she entered it. There was no way in hell to keep from falling for her. Then, she lost both her parents right after turning seventeen. Her aunt moved in with her and tried to act like everything was normal and that she was the cool aunt still rather than a parent, but I saw her for the type of person she was. Whenever Camilla’s back was turned, she’d make snide comments to my face. Say I wasn’t good enough. She’d even tried to keep the two of us apart.

Now, though, Camilla’s eighteen and mine. I’m never letting her go. She’s going to college and that won’t change a thing, not between us. I want her to get the education she wants. She’s smart. Not stupid by any means. She deserves to go to her dream school. I was with her when she opened her acceptance letter and couldn’t be prouder. I even made sure to take her out for a celebratory dinner.

“I love it,” Camilla says, drawing me from my thoughts and raking her nails across my chest. Her eyes dropped to the ring I put on her finger. “I’m never going to take it off.”

“Good, ‘cause I’m gonna put the matching one to that one on your finger before you head to school, baby,” I tell her, dipping my head down to meet her gaze.

“I can’t wait.” She smiles, gifting me with that beaming lightness that shines through her anytime we’re together. “I love you so much, Lynch. I never want to be without you.”

“You never will, Cams. I’m always going to be here for you. No matter what. We’ll figure everything out while you’re at school. Then, when you finish, it’ll all be a cakewalk for us.”

At least that’s what I thought for the next year, then everything between us fell apart, and in the end, she wasn’t the match for me I thought she was.

CHAPTER ONE

CAMILLA

Six Years Later, Present Day . . .

“Camilla, I need you on a case for me.”

I lift my gaze from my computer to find my boss stepping into my office. I’ve been here for a little over a year now, and I love this firm. Not once have I been given something I didn’t enjoy working on. Most of the time, I’ve been able to pick which ones I want to do myself.

“What case?” I ask, cocking a brow at the file in my boss’s outreached hand.

Dan gets a funny look on his face, and that’s a telltale sign that I’m not going to like whatever he’s giving me.

Holding his gaze, I take the file. Only when I open it and scan over the first page do I nearly lose my mind. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“‘Fraid not, Camilla. I need you on this,” Dan says, shrugging and shoving his hands in the front pockets of his slacks.

“Why me?” I really want to know. He knew the deal for me moving back here and taking my position at the firm. I could have gone somewhere else, but here, it’s home. Bonus, Dan’s law firm is one of the best in the surrounding area. Considering I’m available to practice in all the surrounding states, I had several offers given to me, but his was the best.

“Because I need your talents on this one. Félix’s cousin is asking that we get everything in order and checked out ASAP. I would handle it myself, but we all know you have the balls to take this one without any help.”

“You’re just trying to butter me up,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.

“Maybe.” Dan grins. “Is it working?”

I sigh and look back at the file. It’s all I can do to keep from touching it like it were a snake about to strike. I flip through the first few pages, scanning through the reports, seeing exactly the reason why he’d bring this to me. He knows I’m a cutthroat and can also sweet-talk my way into anything, and this is going to take a lot of sweet talking. “Fine, but you owe me.”

“Appreciate it, Camilla,” Dan states and releases a breath. “You let me know if you need anything.”

“Oh, I intend to, Dan. You can count on that,” I say and wave my hand in a go-away motion without saying another word or looking up.

Once the door closes, I get down to it. There’s no time to waste. The sooner I get this handled, the sooner it’s done. No more handling anything else for the Inferno’s Clutch MC. Next time, I’ll tell Dan to find someone else. Why didn’t I insist he do it this time?

I know why. I’m weak. I am so freaking weak.

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