Page 22

CHAPTER 21

Little Victories Bucket List No. 42: Be brave

Cammie was still flying high from their trip to the zoo. Although it was an ordinary excursion, one that millions of families probably took every year, this particular outing held profound significance for her, becoming the most memorable and meaningful experience in her life. And she owed it all to Wade.

The man constantly surprised her. His unending patience, his adaptability, his indulgence to her whims and desires were truly exceptional. She earnestly hoped that the love and support she offered him were equivalent to, or at least came close to matching, the immense generosity and affection he had always shown her.

The tinkling bell above the bakery door, announcing a new customer, pulled her from her reverie. She glanced up, her eyes meeting those of the woman from the park—the one who’d asked about a good place to get coffee. Cammie pasted on a smile and went to greet her.

“Hi. I don’t think I introduced myself the other day. I’m Cammie.”

“Daniella,” she replied.

In an attempt to break through the woman’s reserve, Cammie offered a compliment, softly saying, “What a pretty name,” and waited to see if it would spark any response.

“Yes.” Cammie deflated at the curt reply. She didn’t know why she was trying so hard. She and Daniella didn’t have to be best friends. She figured it probably stemmed from the repeated rejections she’d experienced from her childhood. First with her mother’s abandonment. Then with her father’s cruel indifference. There was a pathological need in her to please everyone. A need for people to like her. Since her captivity, she’d been trying to work on that, but sometimes the old desperations still seeped in.

Shrugging off her disappointment, she asked, “What can I get for you?”

“Cappuccino.”

Okaaay. So the woman was brusque and obviously didn’t want to make friends, but that was alright. She’d delt with rude customers before. She could handle one more.

“How are you liking our little town?”

“Quaint.”

“It is. It’s one of the things I like about it,” Cammie said, filling the silence as she made the woman her order. “Have you hiked any of the mountain trails yet?”

“No. I will have to try,” she answered, her accent thicker than it had been the other day.

“Well, I haven’t done much hiking yet myself. But my boss raves about it. If you need a recommendation, I could ask her.”

“Maybe.”

The bell tinkled again and more customers walked in. The woman’s face hardened as she glared at the new people. She then grabbed her cappuccino and left. Cammie shrugged off the weird encounter and focused on the new customers. She remained busy until her phone rang. Noticing it was Wade, she left Marilyn behind the counter and moved to the kitchen to answer.

“Hey.”

“Hey, sprite,” he replied with a tone that was unusual for him. Almost like trepidation, and a sudden sense of unease settled over her.

“What’s up?”

“I need you to stop by my office when you get off work.”

“Okay.” She’d never been to his office, but there was a first time for everything. “Why?”

“I’ll explain when you get here,” he answered cryptically.

“Is everything okay?”

She heard his heavy sigh even over the phone line. “Yeah, sprite. Everything is fine. Just dealing with some shit.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“See you soon?”

“Yeah. I’m off at three.”

“Okay. Till then.” He hung up before she could say goodbye.

The rest of her shift, her stomach churned with anxiety, a knot of dread tightening with each passing moment as she anticipated their conversation. She wondered what stuff he was dealing with. And did it involve her?

She wouldn’t get any answers worrying, so she tried to stuff it down. When her shift ended, she grabbed her bag and walked the few blocks to where she knew the Condor’s Overwatch offices were located.

Wade met her in the lobby. His expression was guarded, closed off, and that knot in her stomach tightened.

He led her to a conference room where the guys she’d met at the bar as well as a few others sat around a long table. Her nerves ramped up. This couldn’t be good.

Wade held out a chair for her to sit in, then sat beside her when she was settled. The man at the head of the table spoke first. “Hello, Ms. Pierce. I’m Flint Condor. I own Condor’s Overwatch.”

“Nice to meet you. Call me Cammie,” she replied, hoping her voice didn’t sound as shaky as she felt. She observed Wade’s boss, taking in his imposing stature and the way he carried himself with an air of authority. He possessed a certain sharpness, a quality evident not only in his impeccably tailored suit, a stylish garment in its own right, but also in his demeanor and overall presence. She once heard Marilyn talking about a silver fox, and this man definitely qualified as one. With the dusting of silver at his temples and his striking blue eyes, Flint Condor was hot.

“Cammie. I’ve heard you’ve met the guys, but not Haley.” He gestured toward an attractive brunette, whose hair was pulled back in a knot atop her head, held in place by―was that a pencil? She was the only one at the table with a laptop in front of her.

“Hi, Cammie,” the woman said with an awkward wave. “I’m Haley Lamb.”

“Haley’s our computer guru,” Wade clarified. That explained the laptop.

She didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded. As she sat with her hands resting in her lap, she began to nervously thread her fingers together, twisting them repeatedly.

“You’re probably wondering why you’re here, so I’ll get right to it,” Flint said. “Baker Rawlins called me a few weeks ago and asked a favor.”

“Oh,” she whispered, suddenly aware where this was going. “So you know who I am?”

“Yes.”

She wanted to look at Wade, to gauge his reaction, but she resisted. Keeping her eyes on his boss instead. Suddenly, she remembered the conversation she had with Wade about what Condor’s Overwatch did. Particularly the investigations part. “I don’t know anything,” she blurted.

“We know. Baker told us. He also told us what you’ve been through. I’m sorry you had to experience that.”

Still not knowing what to say, she gave another nod.

“But we didn’t bring you here to talk about that.”

“You want to talk about my father,” she assumed. “But I really don’t know anything.”

“That’s okay. We don’t need anything from you. This is simply to provide you with an update on what’s been happening. Baker, together with Haley―”

Haley snorted. “Second billing again. Geez, boss.”

Flint ignored the woman’s outburst and continued, “Have been digging deep into your father’s affairs. What they’ve uncovered is disturbing, to say the least.”

“Man’s a monster,” Haley muttered.

Cammie felt like laughing. They weren’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. From the moment her mom left her on his doorstep, she knew he was a monster.

“And we have the proof.” The news hung heavy in the air after Flint dropped that bombshell. She sat up straighter, her spine tingling with apprehension as her heart beat furiously in her chest, and stole a quick glance at Wade. He avoided her gaze, but a slight nod of his head was the only acknowledgment he offered.

Haley punched a key on her laptop and information was projected onto a big screen hanging on the wall. She then proceeded to lay out all of her father’s misdeeds. Including the trafficking part. Oddly enough, knowing she wasn't the only woman he had deceived and handed over to traffickers brought her a peculiar sense of solace.

“As we speak,” Flint picked up the conversation. “The FBI are raiding Piras’ home and office and executing an arrest warrant.”

Cammie dropped back in her seat, as if her spine couldn’t hold her weight any longer. The news was heavy. Her father was finally going to pay for all the pain he’d caused. All the pain he’d caused her. The tears slipped out unbidden. Were they happy tears? Or something else. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs as conflicting emotions swirled, leaving her uncertain.

A warm hand, rough but gentle, covered hers, startling her back to the present moment. She latched on to it like a lifeline. Needing it to ground her. Needing his strength to bolster her own.

Haley’s furious typing caught her ear. She glanced at the woman to see a satisfied grin spread across her face. “It’s done,” she announced. “He’s in custody.” She hit another key, and a video popped up on the screen.

Cammie watched as her father, a man who’d given her nothing but nightmares, was led in handcuffs out of his stately mansion into a waiting cop car. Men in the characteristic windbreakers with FBI emblazoned on the back surrounded him. At one point, he tried to shrug off the hands holding on to him to no avail. His face was a mask of fury, eyes blazing. His combative expression promising retribution. Then he was helped―pushed―into the back seat of the car.

And that was it.

It was done.

The man she had called her father for twenty years was now a prisoner. Just like she had been. She hoped his sentence was much longer than hers. For life, would be nice.

“Here’s what we need from you now,” Flint said, breaking into her wishful thinking.

“And we totally understand if you say no,” Haley interrupted again, sending a meaningful glance to her boss.

“Yes, that option is available,” he relented. “What we need―what the authorities need―to solidify their case is for you to testify against Piras.”

“Like we said, you can say no if you’re too afraid to face him. We probably have enough on him to send him away for a very long time. But with your testimony, it would be a slam dunk.”

It was the ‘too afraid to face him part’ that struck her. She’d lived in fear under his thumb for twenty years. It was time for her to break out. It was time for her to find her courage. Do something brave. She hoped, even though he was acting distant, with Wade by her side she could face―and slay―her monster.

“I’ll do it,” she blurted before she could change her mind. A sudden tension ran through Wade beside her; she felt him stiffen, his body growing rigid. Before she could question it, Flint was speaking.

“Good. We’ll let the authorities know. They’ll be in touch, I’m sure.”

“I . . . I can’t . . . thank you,” she finally said. “I can’t wrap my head around all of this, but I can’t thank you enough. You all have given me peace of mind I never thought was possible.” The waterworks were starting up again, but she ruthlessly pushed them down.

“Its what we do. No thanks necessary,” Flint said as he stood. “We’ll keep you informed as the case builds. And if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

With that, he left the room. The others stayed back and offered her words of support and encouragement. Haley hugged her, hard. A warmth bloomed in her chest. Cammie’s initial impression of the computer expert was developing into a genuine liking.

Eventually, it was just her and Wade left in the room, the silence nearly deafening. She didn’t know what was wrong, but her newfound confidence demanded she find out.