Page 44 of Reign

“I didn’t,” she replies in challenge.

“Camila!” I bark, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Look around you. We’re not safe here. In fact, we’re not safeanywhereuntil Mateo is gone and the Bratva have been handed over to Nikita.” I shoot him a look.Even then, safe is a relative term.“Don’t you understand that?” My voice is harsh even though I’m not yelling. I run my hand through my hair and look at Diego for backup.Thistime he pipes up, thankfully.

“He’s right, Cam. I know you want a fresh start, but you really should wait until this is over.”

She swings her gaze up to Diego who’s come to join our small space on the patio. I’m sure we look up to no good. This entire patio and pool deck and the three of us are all standing in the same five square feet while Nikita paces behind us.

She looks back and forth between Diego and I and I know she feels like we’re ganging up on her but she has to see that we’re right. I keep waiting for Nikita to hang up the phone and come over to say something since he obviously has an opinion on the matter, but he remains on the phone, watching her as he slowly walks up and down the pool deck.

“How’d he get you on his side so fast?” she asks Diego.

Diego shrugs and gives her a coy look. “Because he’s Dom. And I know him. Andyouknow him. Plus, it spoke volumes that he and Nikita were in the same room and both still alive. The evidence he’s seen and heard against Mateo is strong and after having more information, it was easy to see red flags back home too. The man’s brilliant. Evil…but brilliant. You need to let Dom call the shots until this is over.”

She huffs a sigh, turning her attention back to me, crossing her arms over her t-shirt clad chest, “So you get to chase your happily ever after, but I can’t find mine?”

I scoff, “Your happily ever after is with thegardener?” As soon as it’s out, her face falls and I realize how big of a dick I am. I open my mouth to apologize but she drives the knife in a little deeper.

“Ithoughtmy happily ever after was you but you’ve made it clear we aren’t on the same page. So, let me go. You can’t keep me in your life like this, Dominic. I was never meant to be just your friend.”

I have to give her credit, she doesn’t cry and she maintains eye contact. I’m crushed by the thought that maybe I’ve used up all the fight she has in her. “What about Nikita?” I offer quietly before I’ve fully processed what I’m saying. He at least has the resources and skillset to provide Camila with a standard of living that she’s used to, as well as the ability to protect her.

“Look at him.” She waves a hand in his direction, and he flashes her a wink. “He’s a player. Who makes a move like he did in the pool and then doesn’t follow up?”

She has a point but I feel the need to defend Nikita anyway. “I used to be the same way. It doesn’t mean he can’t change.” I blow out a frustrated breath. “All I’m saying is you need someone of equal caliber, Camila. Someone who can provide for you and keep you safe.”

“I just want someone to love me, Dom.”

Fuck. My. Life.

“I’m going for a walk on the beach,” she says after a beat. I’m about to protest that until we know where Mateo is, I’d rather she didn’t when I see Libby step out onto the patio and shake her head at me.

“I’ll go with you,” she says, coming to stand next to Camila. Fresh out of her shower, I smell the vanilla in her hair again and it makes my mouth water.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Camila says but Libby steps over and grabs her hand. I fully expect Camila to yank it away. She’s never been big on physical touch unless it was coming from a man. Mostly, me. But shockingly, she doesn’t. She just looks down where their hands are joined and back to up to Libby. “Okay, sure,” she relents.

Libby turns to look at me. “We won’t go onto the public beach part and I have my phone. Call me if you need us. I’ll check in every fifteen minutes.”

I nod.

Keeping their hands together, the girls walk out the gate and down the stairs to the sand. Sixty seconds later, Diego, Nikita, and I move to the veranda on the second floor. I have a clear view of our beach and a loaded rifle ready to roll, just in case.

~

CAMILA’S DATE CAME AND went. Adam didn’t try anything other than kissing her goodnight on the front porch steps like they were sixteen. I’m not sure why he’s choosing to be a gentleman when anyone with eyes can tell Camila wants to get railed, but I respect him a little more for it. I feel like I have a fucking teenager in my house, not a grown ass woman who’s lived her whole life in a world of deception and slavery.

Waiting up until she gets home, checking my phone like a worried parent. This shit is going to kill me and all for what? So Camila can get laid?

I would have put my foot down but it was Libby who pleaded her case and I can’t say no to Libby for anything. Let alone when the two most important women in my life gang up on me.

I groan and roll over. It’s 3:04a.m. Libby’s soft, even breaths come from the other side of the bed but I’m wide awake. I pull her closer to me and breathe her in. I’ll never take these moments for granted. She’s my peace. My heart rate slows but still I can’t sleep. My mind is racing and I need someone to bounce ideas off of or fight me until I’m tired enough to sleep.

Preferably both and there’s only one person who can do both at the same time.

I slip out of bed strategically so I don’t disturb Libby and turn back around to pull the fluffy comforter up higher to cover her shoulders. We keep the house cold at night because she likes to burrow deep in the sheets. I give her one last look before I go in search of Diego.

I start to get worried when I check all the guest rooms, the living room, office, and basement and come up empty, before an idea hits me. Creeping quietly back upstairs and down the hallway, I open the door to Camila’s room. Sure enough, she’s wrapped around Diego like he’s the only thing tethering her to this earth. Her right arm and leg are both draped across his mammoth frame. It doesn’t take long for me to hear that her breathing isn’t even. She’s asleep, but it’s fitful. I watch her hand bunch up into a fist on Diego’s chest so tightly her knuckles turn white and she whimpers. I see Diego’s hand start to slowly brush her hair and when I look up, his eyes meet mine.

“She okay?” I whisper in the dark.

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