Page 44 of Haunted By the Storm
Ace nods in agreement. "I'll call Makenna in the morning, set up a meeting with her. As for Eric, Cruz has been keeping tabs on his usual hangouts. We'll find him."
"Good," I say, already turning back toward the clubhouse. "The sooner we wrap this up, the better."
"Going back to your night fairy?" Mayhem asks, a hint of teasing in his voice.
I don't rise to the bait. "I’m going to make sure she knows what's happening. She deserves to be kept in the loop."
Mayhem's expression sobers. "You're right. She does. And Storm? For what it's worth, I think you're good for her. And she's definitely good for you."
"Thanks," I say simply. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a conversation to finish."
I leave them at the gate and head back toward the clubhouse with purpose in my stride. The confrontation with Cantlay's men has only reinforced what I already knew: Camryn and Emily are in genuine danger and it won't end until we eliminate the threat completely.
But first, there's the matter of what was happening between us before Ace interrupted. The memory of her in my arms, her lips on mine, her body pressed against me, sends heat coursing through my veins once more. She was about to tell me what she wanted, and I'm very interested in hearing the rest of that sentence.
I take the stairs two at a time, anticipation building with each step. When I reach her door, I knock softly, mindful of Emily sleeping inside. Seconds later, the door opens to reveal Camryn, still in her black dress but with her face freshly washed, makeup removed. She looks younger this way, more vulnerable, and even more beautiful.
"That was quick," she says, stepping back to let me in. "Is everything okay?"
"For now," I tell her, closing the door behind me. "Cantlay's men wanted to make a deal: use the club as muscle in exchange for forgiving Eric's debt."
"And?" she prompts, watching me carefully.
"And I told them that wasn't happening. That you and Emily are under our protection, and any move against you would be considered a declaration of war."
She sinks onto the couch, absorbing this information. "A war? Over us? Storm, that's?—"
"Worth it," I interrupt, sitting beside her. "Don't try to tell me you're not worth protecting, Camryn. I won't believe it."
She shakes her head, not in denial but in disbelief. "I just never expected any of this. A month ago, my biggest worry was Emily's science project and whether I'd finish my work presentation on time. Now, there are loan sharks and bikers and threats of war, and somehow in the middle of all that..." She trails off, her eyes meeting mine.
"Somehow in the middle of all that…" I prompt, needing to hear her finish the thought.
"Somehow I found you," she says softly. "Or you found me. And despite everything, the danger, the violence, the fact that you represent everything I've spent my life avoiding, I can't seem to stay away from you."
My heart pounds against my ribs. "Do you want to?" I ask. "Stay away from me?"
She shakes her head slowly. "No. That's the problem. I don't want to stay away from you. I don't want you to stay away from me. Or from Emily."
The admission hangs between us, weighty with implication. "What do you want, Camryn?" I ask, echoing her unfinished question from earlier. "Tell me exactly what you want, and if it's in my power to give, it's yours."
She takes a deep breath, as if gathering her courage. "I want to stop being afraid," she says finally. "Of storms, of Eric, of letting someone in. I want Emily to have stability and safety and as normal a childhood as possible. I want..." She pauses, her eyeslocked with mine. "I want you, Storm. In my life. In our lives. Despite all the reasons I shouldn't."
The words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the breath from my lungs. I reach for her, pulling her into my arms, my lips finding hers in a kiss that tries to convey everything I'm feeling: relief, desire, a fierce protectiveness, and something deeper; something I'm still afraid to name but can no longer deny.
When we finally break apart, both breathing hard, I keep her close, my forehead resting against hers. "I want you too," I confess. "Have since the moment I saw you. And I want to be in Emily's life, to keep you both safe, to give you both everything you deserve."
She pulls back slightly, eyes searching mine. "But?"
Of course she senses the unspoken reservation. Camryn Fletcher sees more than most, always has.
"But I need you to understand what you're getting into," I say seriously. "My life isn't simple, Camryn. The club, the things I've done, the things I will do to protect what's mine, it's a package deal. I can't separate one part of me from the others."
"I know," she says, her hand coming up to cup my face, thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "I've seen the darkness in you, Storm. I'm not blind to it. But I've also seen how you are with Emily; how you look at me; how you protect the people you care about. Maybe the darkness is part of what makes you who you are. Maybe I'm starting to understand that's not always a bad thing."
Her acceptance, her understanding, reaches something deep inside me, something I'd thought was long buried. "You deserve better than me," I tell her, the words raw with honesty.
She smiles–a sad, beautiful expression that makes my chest ache. "Maybe. But I want you. And I'm tired of denying myself the things I want out of fear."
