Page 30 of Embracing My Nightmare
Chapter 10
Devlin
Ihad spent the lastfew hours digging through the endless records that Marco insisted on keeping. From whom owed him money, to who bought drugs from his street crew, and even who lived in the rental houses he owned. He was a weird fucker who had eyes everywhere. We had been searching, and so far, had come up with nothing.
I fed the picture James snapped of the asshole from his hideout into the facial recognition software. With my contracts, I had backdoors to just about any public camera I needed to track the people I searched for. Once I had their location, I would turn it over to my contact in the government and move to the next target.
Scanning Pierce Bluff and Portstill, I waited for the program to tell me where he was hiding. James had ordered burgers for lunch and we were just finishing when his phone chimed. Pulling the phone from his pocket, he read the message and glanced over at me.
“Freddie said she just left her parents’ house and there was no sign of Cameron in the area.”
I nodded and kept searching, sure there was something I was overlooking. Something that would tell me his motives for approaching Elise. I would tell Elise everything if it meant him backing off, but I didn’t want to dump it on her all at once. There were too many secrets, too much blood and death, to just unload it all.
James’s phone chimed again, and he shook his head before he spoke, “It looks like she’s stopping by the tavern on her way home.”
I felt the anger rise inside me. She promised to come straight home, so her going to her ex-lover pissed me off. I clenched my fists and turned back to the computer, pounding on the keys harder than necessary. When his phone chimed a third time, I pushed back from the desk and gave him my full attention.
“Freddie said they just went back to his office. He wants to know what to do.”
I stood, cracking my neck back and forth as I moved toward the door. “Tell him I’m on my way. I’ll handle my wayward little lamb.” I felt the smile on my face, knowing my sweet girl needed to learn a lesson.
“Don’t do anything stupid.” James laughed.
“Keep looking. I want this settled. Also, put the word out, there’s a bounty on his head. I want Cameron alive.” He acknowledged my order and I let myself out of the apartment.
The entire drive to the tavern, I flexed my hands on the steering wheel and fought the urge to grip my quickly growing cock. I trusted Elise with Hayden, but I needed to stake my claim on my woman for that little pansy ass to see. Elise was perfect and I saw the look in his eyes that night at the tavern. He loved my lamb and I would destroy him if he ever touched her again.
Pulling into the lot, I parked next to her car and walked in. Making eye contact with Freddie across the mostly empty bar, I nodded to the bartender. He went up to order a drink and keep her busy while I slipped down the hallway.
Hearing laughter from inside, Elise’s angelic voice sounded through the door, and I pounded my hand against the wood. Her laughs belongedto me. Her happiness wasmysoothing balm. He opened the door and I could smell the fear rolling from him. He stepped in front of Elise, blocking her from coming to me, and that had my hand itching to snap his neck.
Her soft hands saved his life as she asked him to leave. I knew he was standing in the hallway, listening to make sure I didn’t hurt her. I would never hurt her, but I was about to teach her a lesson about being alone with an ex-asshole.
Sliding my hand up her neck, I stroked her cheek and looked into her fearful eyes. “What are you doing here? You promised to come straight home.”
“I needed to see Hayden.”
My hand moved from her cheek to grip the back of her hair. Her eyes grew wide as I leaned in and whispered, “What was so important you couldn’t text me to let me know where you were?”
“I wasn’t aware I needed permission to see my friend.”
“A friend isn’t someone who’s had their dick inside you.” My hold on her hair tightened and I saw need bloom in her eyes. “Maybe I need to remind you who you belong to.”
I brought my lips to hers and forced my tongue into her mouth, walking her back until I leaned her against his desk. Spinning her around, I forced her flat over the desk, her pert ass rubbing against my length, her face resting on the wood.
“What are you doing?” she asked, trying to look over her shoulder.
