Page 70 of Warrior's Cross

Cameron studied Julian’s face. He could clearly see the frustration there. He shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said. Then his own frustration broke free. “But can’t you understand where I’m coming from? You never show me anything! Tonight is the first time I’ve seen you angry, for God’s sake!”

Julian’s jaw clenched. “You’ve not seen me angry,” he said in a low, calm voice.

Cameron’s lips compressed, and as he shook his head, he held out both hands in a sharp movement, as if to say, ‘Well, see?’ “Why is pulling information out of you like pulling teeth?” he asked in frustration.

“Cameron, what will it take for you to realize I’m trying to keep you away from something ugly?” Julian asked quietly as he lifted one hand to take Cameron’s chin. “I don’t want you to see the world like I see it. What is it that you want so badly?”

“I want to know you,” Cameron answered, a little desperation in his voice. “I want toknowyou,” he whispered as the upset choked him and threatened to spill over.

Julian’s expression softened, and he moved the two steps to close his arms around Cameron and pull him close. Cameron clutched at his arms with trembling hands as his heart pounded with fear—fear that the time had come and Julian would put him aside.

But the large arms surrounding him didn’t move, and then he felt Julian press a kiss to the side of his head. Cameron closed his eyes and held on tight. “I love you, Julian,” he said clearly.

“I know.”

The knock came at Cameron’s door early one Friday morning. Earlier than usual, but Julian was nothing if not unpredictable when he wanted to be. The puppy procession made its noisy way to the door, hopping and jumping like crazed dust mops. Cameron shook his head and shooed them out of the way so he could look out the peephole. He opened the door in surprise.

“Preston?” he asked tentatively.

“Good morning, sir,” the man greeted with a slight nod of his head. He was dressed in his usual well-tailored suit, just like his boss always was, and his closely cropped white-blond hair was sprinkled with snowflakes that hadn’t quite melted yet. He didn’t seem to notice them.

“Would you be so kind as to come with me, sir?” he asked Cameron politely.

“Come with you?” Cameron tipped his head to one side. It had to have something to do with Julian. A niggle of fear mixed with curiosity began to grow in his chest. “Ah, sure,” he said anyway, knowing any questions he had wouldn’t be answered even if he voiced them. “I just need to get some shoes and a jacket,” he said as he kept blocking the puppies with one foot. “Do you want to come in?”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll wait here,” Preston assured him with another tip of his head and a neutral smile.

Cameron nodded slowly. “Sure. I’ll be right back.” He pushed the door shut and got his coat and running shoes. He wasalready in jeans and a sweatshirt; they would do. Julian seemed to prefer him in such everyday clothes. He had yet to figure out why, but he suspected it had something to do with Julian almost always having to wear such formal, expensive clothing.

He checked the dogs’ food bowls, gave them treats, and grabbed his keys as he reopened the door. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Preston didn’t say another word. He merely nodded and turned on his heel, looking disturbingly military when he did it, and led the way down the stairs to the car that waited. He opened the rear door for Cameron and stood rigidly beside it.

Cameron paused for a moment, but shrugged off the weird feeling and climbed in. “Thank you,” he said, wondering what was going on.

Julian wasn’t in the car like Cameron had expected him to be, and Preston offered no explanation as he slid into the driver’s seat and started the car. As he pulled out into the heavy traffic, his ice-blue eyes slid sideways to check Cameron in the rearview mirror, and he gave him what could have been meant to be a reassuring smile.

The driver reminded Cameron a lot of Julian. They looked nothing alike, obviously. Where Julian was large and bulky, Preston was wiry and hard-looking. Where Julian was dark and warm, Preston was pale and cool. But they had the same capable, unflappable air to them.

Cameron was almost certain, as he watched Preston, that there was some sort of military training behind it. He knew Blake had been a medic in some branch of the military years ago. Perhaps that was how they all knew one another. He would have to come up with the nerve to ask Julian.

Relaxing a bit into the luxurious seat, Cameron turned his eyes to watch the city pass by. It wasn’t long before the built-up areas began to fade away, replaced by the large old homes Cameron remembered from his last trip in Julian’s Lexus.

This time, in the daylight, he could see more, and the sight was even more impressive. He’d never seen houses like this in his life, even on television. It occurred to him that Julian must not be just well-off, but extremely wealthy. Just the property taxes on these places would drain most people’s bank accounts in no time, Cameron was sure. He shook his head. It just didn’t seem like Julian to be... posh. He wasn’t.

He was just Julian.

Soon enough, Preston pulled up to the iron gate that protected Julian’s driveway. He rolled down the window, letting in some chilly morning air and a few stray snowflakes as he swiped the card that sent the gate sliding open. When he pulled up to the front of the house, he hopped out quickly and came around to open Cameron’s door wordlessly.

Cameron climbed out and stood quietly as Preston shut the door and started up the steps. He figured he’d better follow, and he had to hop quickly to catch up. Preston ushered him into the large foyer, and the door shut behind them with a foreboding echo.

“This way, please,” Preston requested, and he made his way toward the massive staircase.

On more familiar ground, Cameron followed him up the stairs and down the hall to Julian’s little suite of rooms, brow furrowing along the way. “Preston, what’s—”

“He doesn’t exactly know I went to get you, sir,” Preston answered with a twitch of his lips that betrayed some amusement. “I’m not even sure he’s aware today is Friday,” he confided as they got to the set of closed heavy double doors of Julian’s bedroom.

Cameron’s eyes widened. “Aware... What’s going on? What happened?”

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