Page 56 of Brand
“As I was about to say,” she went on, returning her attention to me. “I love my sister, I do, but I simply, cannot sit around and watch this sad, stressed-out mess that she is turning into. Our parents suck, for lack of a better word, and I will be the first to admit it. Cami doesn’t deserve the hassle she’s had to deal with all of her life. She’s different, I suspect you can see that, and my parents made her feel like that was a burden pretty much from day one. My point is, she needs you.”
I froze at her words. I was ready for a verbal face slap, but it was clear that was not the way this was going down.
“If you are the man that she’s talked to me about, then you must care about her deeply. And I have to be honest, I’m a little surprised it wasmethat had to comehereto tellyouall of this.”
“How did you even findhere, princess?” B-ry said from behind me, amusement thick in his tone. But I didn’t have time for this tit-for-tat shit.
“Well, Mr. Chip-On-His-Shoulder-Too-Good-For-Me-Biker-Guy, I went to the tattoo shop because she told me everything and the scary guy in the vest told me to comehere. And because I love my sister and hate to see her falling into the dark hole she’s been in the last few days, I put aside the fact that I might get my heels dirty and drove here.”
Um, okay. I definitely didn’t want to be in between the two of them right now, but I also needed more info about Cami, so I was stuck.
“Laurel,” I said in a gentle tone and as her eyes snapped back to look at me, the anger slightly left her eyes. “I was about to track her down. Can you help me with that?”
“Oh, gosh, yes!”
I let out a small sigh of relief feeling like the tension between her and B-ry had been defused for the moment.
“She’s been staying with me. But look, I need to let you know, the only reason she has not come toyouis that she is afraid and wants to protect you. Our mother apparently threw some threats Cami’s way before she kicked her out. Cami is scared that our parents will cause problems for you and…this.” Her hand waved out at the clubhouse.
“Motorcycle club. Say it with me, princess, Motorcycle club.” B-ry said the words real slow the last time like he was breaking it down for a toddler.
I wanted to strangle him right then.
“B-ry, shut the fuck up,” Chris managed to say the words I couldn’t get out right then because I was too focused on what Laurel had told me.
“So, she cut me off because of your parents?”
“Yes,” Laurel replied, keeping her eyes locked on me. “You see, our parents are…well connected, if you catch my drift. Cami, well, she cares very, very much for you and she threw herself on the sword to save you, if you will.”
“You’re telling me that she sent me that text because she wanted to save me?”
“Text?”
“Yeah, got a text from her later that day after she left here, saying she didn’t…uh, here.”
I pulled out my phone and showed Laurel what I was talking about. Her eyes scanned the screen as she read it, then her head was shaking back and forth confirming my suspicions that something was off.
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that she didn’t send that. Our mother took her keys and phone. I would guess it was her that sent that.”
“Fuck,” I mumbled, feeling like the world biggest asshole for not seeing it sooner. “Where am I going?”
She rattled off an address, then went through the explanation of telling me exactly how to get there. Then I was off without so much as a care what happened to her after I left. Hell, her and B-ry might have gone toe-to-toe, pulling out knives in the process, but I didn't care.
I needed to get to Cami.
I needed to make things right.
I was going to get her back.
