Page 118 of Forging Caine

Cam-ron made a half-hearted attempt at laughter. “Did you know Samantha and I went on a date once?”

“As a matter of fact, I do know that.”

“We weren’t very well suited for each other.

“It takes a while to find the right woman.”

He let out a small grunt. “She got up and left.”

“Fate is a strange mistress, my friend.” I patted his shoulder. “Did you know that was the night she and I met?”

He cocked his head.

“She took her bruschetta and wine to the bar, and when my date left me—”

“Your date left you?”

“Long story.” I waved my hand in the air to dismiss the memory. What a disaster. “But when she walked out on me, I also went to the bar.”

Cam-ron sighed. “And then the rest is history?”

“You could say that.”

“And then you two found the painting my dad tried smuggling into that auction, plus the ones he’d hidden at his girlfriend’s house. Then he tried to kill you.” He looked down, a greater darkness than the evening settling over him. “I wonder how things would have turned out if I’d been a better date?”

I couldn’t hold back my chuckle. “For one, we wouldn’t all be running for our lives.”

“We should probably get back to that.”

“Sì, we should.”

Cam-ron took my hand and I helped him up. “Samantha’s taking longer than she should, isn’t she?”

I’d expected she would move fast and return to us regularly. Perhaps we should have gone right instead of left. “She is.”

“We need to catch up to her.” He threw his arm over my shoulders.

“Do you think you can?”

“Yeah, I—”

“Antonio?” Samantha’s hurried whisper sent a wave of warmth and relief through me.

“We’re here, bella.”

She appeared further along the fence. “I found the spot Jason dug. It’s only two hundred feet away.”

“And it’s big enough for us to fit through?”

“We need to hurry.” Shadows hid her face from me, but there was something wrong in her tone. This would not be as easy as we’d hoped.

An owl hooted nearby and something skittered through the leaves which remained on the ground from last fall. Voices, closer than before, joined the night sounds.

We all turned, looking behind us.

Cam-ron whispered, “They’re getting closer.”

“Dogs are barking on the other side of the fence further up. We’ll make more noise if we move faster, but I think that’s the smart choice.”

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