Page 79 of Midnights
She doesn’t even close her door.
Cam calls after her with a grin, “I’ll get your door, don’t worry!”
Raven doesn’t even look back. “Thanks!”
I shake my head while I get out of the car. We're not in a hurry, I already know exactly what we’re walking into. She, on the other hand, looks like she’s about to break into a full sprint like this is the first castle she’s ever seen in her life.
Hell, maybe it is.
“Wait, where is everyone? How are we the only ones here?”
I pause for half a second, like I don't have years of training in thinking on my feet. Simple questions shouldn’t be this fucking difficult.
Before I can answer her, Cam jumps in smoothly. “We got special permission from the owners. They kinda owed me a favor.”
Technically true.
Raven tilts her head and I can feel her curiosity spark from here, but lucky for us, excitement outweighs her need for details. She moves on, already distracted. Rachel, though, is not as easy to shake.
She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes, suspicion dripping from every word. “Why do they owe you a favor?”
Cam just chuckles, playing it off with a shrug. “Let them use my restaurant for a work party once.
I hold my breath.
“Wait,what!?”
Rachel and Raven spin in unison, their curiosity locked onto a new target.
Cam, meet the interrogation squad.
“What do you mean,yourrestaurant?”
“You own a restaurant?”
“Where is it?”
“What’s it called?”
He blinks, clearly not expecting the sudden ambush. His eyes dart between them like he’s searching for an escape route and I'm not going to help him.This should be entertaining.
I smirk, leaning against the car with my arms crossed, enjoying the rare sight of Cam caught off guard. Usually, he’s the smooth one, always two steps ahead. But right now? He looks like a deer staring down two very determined hunters.
He holds up his hands in surrender. “Woah, woah, woah, ladies. Patience.”
Raven crosses her arms, unimpressed. “Oh, sorry, I forgot you’re some high-profile mystery man with all thesesecrets.”
Rachel taps her chin. “First, we find out you know castle people, and now this? You better not be a hitman, Cam.”
He grins, shaking his head. “If I were, I definitely wouldn't tell you.”
“Uh-huh,” Raven deadpans. “Suspicious.”
“Extremely,” Rachel agrees.
I shake my head, amused as hell. To his credit, he handles it well, recovering fast. He always does. That’s part of why he’s so successful, he thrives under pressure. Meanwhile, I file away the fact that Raven’s default setting is interrogation. Good to know.
“All right, first things first. Where would you ladies like to go?” Cam asks, smoothly diverting. “We’ve got the gardens, the wooded trails, or if you’re cold, we can head inside.”
