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CHAPTER 25

Little Victories Bucket List No. 15: Curse

Since the big reveal, things had been going smoothly; a sense of calm had settled over everything. Cammie had barely been back to her apartment since she and Wade shared their feelings for each other. She loved Wade’s little house, and he seemed to love having her there.

She’d talked with the authorities about a week after her father’s arrest and was ready to testify when the time came. Despite experiencing some trepidation at the prospect of facing the man, the knowledge that Wade would stand beside her provided her with the courage to tackle any challenge, no matter how daunting it might be. She’d been warned her father’s lawyers would try any means to discredit her, but she wasn’t worried. It may be na?ve of her, but she had righteousness on her side. He’d go away for life and she’d finally be free of him.

She still found it hard to believe he was responsible for so many crimes. She understood his monstrous character, yet she mistakenly assumed his wrath was targeted exclusively at her, for a reason she’d never been able to comprehend. Little did she know, he was just as ruthless to everyone who crossed his path.

Feeling a deep obligation to atone for her father’s past misdeeds, an act many, including Wade, believed to be unnecessary, she set her sights on determining how she could best aid the victims of his human trafficking activities. Baker agreed to help her set up a foundation to help the victims that were found. He also mentioned a few groups that were dedicated to helping find and rescue victims. She didn’t know how many lives her father had stolen, and frankly, she didn’t want to know, but she hoped every one of them could be saved.

The victims were never far from her thoughts as she finished up her shift. Marilyn had an appointment and left early, leaving it to Cammie to close. As she diligently cleaned the kitchen in preparation for Marilyn’s bakers’ early morning arrival the next day, the sound of the bell above the door startled her.

“Be right there,” she called. With a final wipe of her hands, she pushed open the swinging door and entered the front of the bakery. “Oh, hi,” she greeted spotting Daniella.

The woman grunted a greeting while still standing by the door. Strange.

“I was just about to close,” she prompted when the woman didn’t move any closer to the counter. “So if you’d like to place an order, please do it now.”

She did not reply but instead, with a swift movement of her hand, she secured the door with the lock and then switched the sign to ‘closed’.

A nervous tremor ran through Cammie as she blurted, “What are you doing?”

Daniella turned from the door, her cold, dark eyes pinned on her. “What am I doing?” She took a step forward. “What am I doing?” she asked again, her voice increasing in volume. “I should be asking you that.”

Despite everything she’d been through, Cammie had to admit this was a weird situation to find herself in. “I don’t understand.”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Cammie furrowed her brow in confusion. “Okay. And where should I be?”

“Under some pendejo . Your virginity worth lots of dollars, Carmela Piras.”

Fear clenched Cammie’s chest. Her stomach lurched violently as she took an involuntary step back. The use of her real name ignited a primal fear, a terror she thought she’d buried, rising like a phantom from the past, cold and sharp. A suffocating dread overwhelmed her, a familiar panic that left her breathless and trembling. “Wh-What?”

“You were to bring in lots of money. Todo está vuelto mierda. Everything is messed up,” she translated.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered, a nervous tremor running through her body and her voice cracking with fear.

“Piras settled his debt. But you escaped. Debt not settled.”

“You’re crazy.”

She laughed, the sound grating on Cammie’s already frayed nerves. From behind her back, Daniella pulled out an object. A shiny silver gun. Overwhelmed by fear, Cammie started shaking uncontrollably, a cold sweat breaking out on her skin.

“Because of you! Everything mierda because of you. You are to blame. Piras now in jail. My man . . . dead. You will pay.”

“I had nothing to do with any of that. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” insisted Cammie.

“I had good thing going. Selling little girls. Making lots of money. Nighthawks and your boyfriend destroyed it.”

Nighthawks. Cammie remembered Wade talking about his friend Tin Man and the Nighthawks. Did this woman have something to do with that thing Wade got involved with in Michigan when he helped rescue Sutton? Cammie was kicking herself for not getting more information about that now.

“El Sombra respected me. Relied on me. Wanted me ! Your boyfriend destroyed that too. Killed El Sombra in cold blood!”

El Sombra . An image popped into Cammie’s head of a man with eyes as dark as night. Cold. Calculating. Yet filled with pleasure as he beat her. A wave of revulsion and terror washed over her, making her shudder violently.

Wade killed him? Why didn’t he tell her? Was that the mission that had taken him away after that night in the mountains? So many questions swarmed through her, but there would be no forthcoming answers at the moment. The thought of him still hiding things from her made her feel uneasy.

But then she wondered, did it really matter? He’d obviously had his reasons for not telling her. The first being operational secrecy. She knew that term from the SEALs that had rescued her. Her friends who were married to the SEALs knew that she had been rescued by them, but didn’t know details beyond that. The mission had been classified. Therefore, Mustang and the guys couldn’t even tell their women about it. If this El Sombra person was as bad as she thought he was, she imagined he’d be wanted by authorities. It stood to reason a mission was put together to either capture him or . . . take him out.

Cammie further suspected Wade hadn’t shared the information because he wanted to protect her from the potential hurt or upset it might cause. She already had nightmares about that evil man. He probably didn’t want to bring up bad memories for her.

“You must pay,” Daniella continued. “A life for a life.”

Daniella raised the gun and pointed it at her. Cammie had no doubt the woman knew how to use the weapon. She also had no doubt she was screwed. She had nothing to defend herself with. If she tried to run into the kitchen where her own gun was stashed in her bag, Daniella would fire for sure.

There was only one thing left to do.

Curse.

“Shit.”