Page 46 of Freeing Camila

“My mom likes the coffee at Flour Power,” Kaia answered when Cammie didn’t.

“Flour Power? What’s that?”

“It’s a bakery. They have the best cupcakes,” enthused Kaia.

“And they have good coffee?”

“Yup. My mom said they finally hired someone who knows their way around a coffeemaker.”

That made Cammie laugh, distracting her from her painful memories. “That would be me,” she admitted.

“Really?” A look of pure joy lit Kali’s face as she joined them, clearly thrilled by the exciting news. “You are a lifesaver.”

“It’s just coffee,” she said, trying to shrug off the praise.

“It’s not just coffee. It’s the elixir of the gods,” Kali raved. “If I didn’t have my daily coffee fix, I could never keep up with this one,” she said, ruffling Kaia’s hair affectionately.

“I’m sold,” the stranger said. “Can you tell me where to find this place?”

Cammie looked at her phone to see the time. “I’m just done with my lunch break. Why don’t you follow me there?”

“Can we go too, Mom? I wanna cupcake.”

“Sure. I could use a pick me up.”

For a split second, Cammie thought she saw the woman’s eyes flash with a brief, sharp anger before she schooled her expression. She pondered what might have caused such a response, a knot of apprehension tightening in her chest. They started walking toward Flour Power with Kaia chatting enthusiastically as they went. Cammie watched the woman from the corner of her eye, noticing the subtle clench of her jaw and the forced smile directed at the child, a stark contrast to her steely gaze. Did the woman not like children? But then, as Cammie held the door to Flour Power open, she saw the woman’s steely-eyed hateful glare directed at her before the woman quickly masked her expression. She tried to believe in the inherent goodness of everyone, but a wealth of past experiences had taught her the importance of caution with a healthy dose of wariness. And the fleeting hostility she saw in the woman’s eyes sent a warning chill running down Cammie’s spine.

CHAPTER18

Exhaustedfrom the long flight home from Colombia, Jeeves felt the weight of the journey settle upon him. The trip had been long and tiring, but he managed to accomplish everything he set out to do, leaving him feeling drained but satisfied. The phone conversation he had with Sutton and Tin Man just before he boarded his flight was intensely emotional, leaving him feeling spent.

She’d cried. Then laughed. Then cried some more. For her, the three-years of waiting for closure had finally ended. But for him, until he found Valeria, closure remained far out of reach.

Even with the weight of exhaustion pulling at him, he still stopped by the office to report to Flint. The Colombian government had expressed their disappointment at not having El Sombra in their custody, but couldn’t fault the fact that the leader who’d brought such terror to their country was dead. The years of violence and fear he’d inflicted on the nation had come to an end. And yet, Jeeves knew there would always be someone to take his place. But that was a problem for another day.

After dropping off his gear in the equipment room, showering in the locker room, and talking with Haley for a few minutes, he climbed into his truck, intending to head home. He did not head in the direction of home; rather, he chose a different direction. He drove instead into town. To the bakery. And the woman who lived above it.

As soon as she opened the door, her eyes locked with his, wide and brimming with something that looked a lot like relief—but deeper. More raw. Like she’d been holding her breath since he left. The vibrant yellow sundress, with its cap sleeves subtly framing her delicate shoulders, hugged her curves, enhancing and highlighting her already stunning beauty. A tantalizing glimpse of leg, where the dress’s hemline danced at her thighs, ignited in him an overwhelming desire to run his hands beneath. The soft skin beneath seemed to call to his fingertips. Her hair fell in soft caramel waves around her shoulders. It was debatable which called to his fingers more: her skin for her hair. A deep desire to touch both filled him, one promising silk and the other, so much more.

Neither of them said a word. The lights from inside her apartment spilled across her face, catching in the corners of her eyes. She looked beautiful, damn near ethereal. And real.Soreal.

He didn’t mean to step forward.

Didn’t mean to reach for her.

Didn’t mean to touch her cheek like she might disappear if he blinked.

But he did all of it anyway.

“You’re here,” she said quietly, like she needed to say it to believe it.

Her breath hitched just before he pulled her into him. She fit against his chest like she’d been made for that exact space—like coming home was never about geography, but her.

Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt, and he could feel how badly she’d missed him in that simple touch. How tightly she held on, like she wasn’t quite sure if this was a dream or not.

He leaned in slowly, giving her every second to pull away. But she didn’t. Her eyes fluttered closed just before their lips met—and then he was gone.

Gone in her.

---