Page 88 of Guarded Knight

Seeing him like that doesn’t match the terror still thrumming in my blood. Doesn’t match the monster I was prepared for; the one who photographed me in my sleep and planted a smoke bomb in my apartment.

There’s no anger in Cameron’s face, just… horrified confusion.

He pants. “What the fuck is this?”

Cameron turns his head to the side to question me, but Gabriel bends down fast and grabs the sides of his cheeks firmly.

“Look at her and whatthisis will get a hell of a lot worse.”

Cameron averts his gaze like his life depends on it. It probably does.

“Dude,” Cameron says, his cheeks still smushed. “I know I shouldn’t have walked in here uninvited, but we’ve known each other a long time…”

Anton grabs Cameron’s arm and hoists him into the seated position. “Thanks for the confession…dude.”

Gabriel lets go of his face violently.

“Confession?” Cameron’s features blast open with fear. “What do you mean?”

Gabriel is full of venom. “This isn’t the first time you’re trespassing. Is it?”

“Trespassing? What the…? The door was open…”

“Was it open the three times you went into Lara’s house in Santa Fe?”

“What? I never went into her house unless she was there…”

“Like when she was sleeping?” Gabriel reaches into an inside pocket of his bulletproof vest and pulls out his cell. He swipes a few times and then shoves the screen in Cameron’s face, showing him the photos of me sleeping.

“Wait…” He darts his gaze to me, and it’s full of something unexpected, the kind of shock that’s only possible the first time you see something gross.

But he remembers Gabriel’s promise and quickly places his gaze back at the screen. “Wait… no… you think I tookthose?”

Cameron is breathing like he just ran a marathon. Gabriel now stands over him, muscles tight, face dangerously unreadable. I stay where I am. My pulse is still a snare drum in my throat. The danger’s passed, but my body hasn’t caught up.

“I’m not that freaking creepy…” Cameron blurts out, wild-eyed.

Gabriel crouches beside him, studying every twitch of Cameron’s body. “And yet you came in here, uninvited, through a closed door, on private property to talk to a woman who made it clear she doesn’t want you near her.” His eyes narrow like a dragon ready to incinerate its next victim. “It’s not a good look, is it?”

Cameron blinks. “I… I used to walk into Lara’s apartment all the time. I mean…”

Gabriel grabs Cameron’s neck. He doesn’t squeeze but I can tell he wants to. “And you think that’s okay? To let yourself in? Like you did when you left the smoke bomb?”

“Smoke bomb?” Cameron swallows hard. Shakes his head.

Gabriel lets go of him harshly, whether in disgust or because he doesn’t trust himself not to break Cameron’s neck, I’m not sure.

“I didn’t do anything that far. Yes, I sent too many texts, but not even all of those were mine. My buddy got a hold of my phone one night.”

Anton scoffs. “Likely fucking excuse.”

He pleads. “Seriously, I went too far. I admit it.”

Anton walks a few steps closer, arms crossed. “Admit to the rest of ‘too far’ and we might go easy on you.”

Cameron stares at us, his mouth opening and closing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about with those photos. That’s sick… she was sleeping…” He’s genuinely aghast.

Gabriel clutches his fist tightly, and Cameron’s eyes blast open.