Page 38 of Embracing My Nightmare
James jumped up with his gun trained on me until he recognized who I was. Lowering the weapon, he looked confused as I finally spoke.
“Fucking Cameron just knocked on Chuck’s door.”
“What?” he yelled, perched in front of his computer, his nimble fingers typing faster than ever as he started pulling up cameras from the neighbors.
He found one positioned directly at the front door and rewound the video. We watched as a well-dressed man with clean features was dropped off in front, walked up to the house, and knocked on the door. His face was hidden from view as Chuck opened the door and stumbled back in shock.
After a brief exchange, Chuck appeared to invite him inside, and just before he walked over the threshold, Cameron turned his head toward the neighbor’s camera with a smirk on his face. I roared into the room and punched another hole in my wall. They had just patched the one from a few weeks ago, and if I kept it up, there would be more patches than sheetrock.
“What do we do?” James asked, following me into the bathroom as I ran my bloody hand under the tap.
“I’ll try to get her to come home. I can’t just show up on the same day his wayward brother does. It would be too suspicious.”
James put liquid stitches on the cut, and I let the fiery burn fuel the darkness. Picking up my phone, I sent Elise a text.
Me: What time will you be home? I want to take you out tonight.
We had ventured out a few nights a week, enjoying the local food as we walked hand in hand around Pierce Bluff. I stood taller as a man having her by my side and I felt her slipping through my fingers every second she was inside that house with him.
Elise: I’ll be home in about an hour. We are about to eat, then I can leave them to catch up.
Me: Hurry home my precious lamb.
She sent me a heart and I closed my eyes, fearing Cameron was about to disrupt the perfect existence Elise and I were creating. If he laid one finger on her, I would cut him into pieces before I killed him. You’d be surprised how effectively you can carve someone up while they are still alive.
“We’ll wait until she gets home. Send Skid, Donovan, and Rich to watch the house. Freddie has Elise, but I want eyes on Cameron when he leaves. Tell them to grab him if an opportunity arises.”
He nodded and sent out a text message to the crew. I zoomed the camera in, monitoring the house on a live feed, waiting for the moment my lamb would come back to me.
***
Elise
BLAIRE AND I WERE INthe kitchen, cutting fresh peaches to make cobbler as we battled Chuck for stolen pieces of the sweet sticky fruit. They had gone to the farmers’ market yesterday and bought a few pounds of the sweet Georgia peaches for us to share. As soon as I saw them, my mouth started watering at the thought of a delicious peach cobbler for dessert.
The hamburgers were ready to go on the grill and Chuck was twirling the grill tools around like batons when there was a knock on the front door. Glancing quizzically at us, he sat the tools on the counter and walked to the front door while Blaire and I washed our hands.
I could hear him speaking to someone and Blaire poked her head around the corner just as the front door closed. She turned to me with wide eyes and I tiptoed around her to see what was going on. There was a man standing in the living room who resembled Chuck. Looking at Blaire, she moved back, confusion and worry dampened her features. She whispered, “It’s Cameron. I guess the private investigator found him.”
We were both baffled by his sudden appearance when Chuck walked back into the kitchen like he had seen a ghost. I could see the tension filling him where, just a few moments ago, there was joy and delight. Immediately, I became defensive, wanting to protect my family. Cameron wasn’t beside him and his voice was low as he spoke.
“It’s my brother, Cameron. I don’t know why he’s here, but I invited him to lunch. I wanted to give you a heads up before I brought him back.” His eyes showed worry as he looked at us for approval.
Blaire took his hand and linked their fingers. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head and exhaled, “I’m in shock, I think. I don’t understand why the PI didn’t let me know they found him.”
A noise sounded behind us and Cameron filled the doorway. The hairs on my arms stood up, sensing something about him I didn’t trust. We turned and he smiled, his eyes finding mine. The cold chill that ran down my back had me taking a step away from him as he entered the kitchen.
“I’m Cam, Chuckie’s brother. Sorry to barge in unannounced.” His confidence was off-putting for someone who had just reappeared after twenty years.
He was wearing a pair of faded denim jeans and a blue polo shirt. His brown eyes and slicked back hair gave him the appearance of a used car salesman who would sell his own mother a junker, just to make a buck.
“Let’s go out back and we can catch up,” Chuck said to him and opened the back door.
Picking up the tray of burgers, he turned to glance at us before they went outside, and I knew there was something more going on with him. The look he gave us was one of warning and I immediately had a sick feeling in my stomach.
My phone chimed from the counter and Blaire nodded for me to get it while she kept an eye on the back porch, her thumb nail being chewed down with worry.
