Page 12 of Shadow

“Are you hungry?” Shadow asked, his voice breaking the silence that enveloped them. “Breakfast’s getting cold.”

“I am,” she said, smiling. “But I think I’ll take a quick shower first.”

“Sure thing,” Shadow replied, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before she disappeared into the bathroom.

She took her time, luxuriating under the warm water. When she emerged, dressed in the clothes he had brought for her, she noticed Shadow was browsing through the TV channels. He turned it off when he spotted her.

They finally sat down to eat. Camilla could sense that Shadow was holding himself back from asking a question. Instead, he told her about his MC brothers arranging transport for the other rescued women.

Relief washed over her at those words. They had all been through hell and back again, and knowing that the other women would soon be reunited with their families brought her a sense of peace.

Honestly, she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy toward some of them for having a support system in place. But admitting that out loud made her feel petty, so she kept the thought to herself.

“Last night you told me you weren’t ready to contact your friends and family … what about now?” Shadow finally asked her, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

Camilla’s heart skipped a beat. Was that the question he’d been holding back from asking all this time? She took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding.

“Things at home were complicated even before my abduction,” she admitted.

She refrained from sharing any additional details. The less Shadow knew about her, the better. But deep down, Camilla felt like a hypocrite.

She didn’t want to go back home, because she wanted to spend time with him, to know him better. It was a selfish wish, she knew, but she’d spent most of her life under her brother’s shadow. Being part of his organization made it difficult to carve out a path of her own.

As Fernando frequently reminded her, his enemies would always try to use his weaknesses against him … and Camilla was that weakness.

She didn’t want to drag Shadow into her mess, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny the chemistry between them. For the first time in her life, Camilla wanted something, someone.

“Well, that’s fine. Whenever you’re ready,” Shadow said.

He wouldn’t push her into anything she wasn’t ready for. That was a relief.

“That reminds me, this is for you,” he said.

As she watched, Shadow pulled out something from one of the unopened bags. It was a cell phone. Camilla’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. He really was so thoughtful, anticipating her needs without her even having to voice them. She reached out to take the phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she held it in her hands.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

It meant more to her than she could express. With this simple gesture, Shadow was giving her a lifeline, a way to reach out to her brother, whenever she wanted.

Shadow didn’t press her about her circumstances either. Maybe he thought she needed time to come to terms with everything that had happened.

“I do have a plan,” Camilla said. It was a plan she had concocted in the solitude of the shower, but it felt right, at least for now.

“Oh?” Shadow lifted his eyebrows in surprise. His curiosity obviously piqued.

“I think … I want to stay here in Hanging Grove a little longer,” Camilla said. “Maybe find a job if anyone’s hiring, and figure things out on my own.”

“Sounds solid,” he said with a nod. “I’m glad you decided to stay.”

Camilla felt a wave of relief wash over her at his words. It was a small step, but it was a step forward nonetheless.

****

“You ready?” Shadow asked, causing her to startle slightly.

She glanced up at him, offering a small smile. “My shift ends in fifteen minutes,” she reminded him, gesturing toward the clock on the wall.

Shadow followed her gaze and nodded, his expression unreadable. Camilla noticed her manager, Ted, shooting them both a disapproving look from behind the counter.

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