“What happened next?”
He shrugged. “I woke up in the café. My brain’s a fucking mess.”
“That bothers you.”
It wasn’t a question, and so Cam didn’t answer. His gaze drifted to the window. It was getting dark, and I knew he was thinking of Saint. He’d ridden out that morning before I’d driven Cam here, taking Mateo with him. I did not know where they’d gone. Just that they would be back for church later.
“Cam.”
“Hmm?”
“Ivy did not seem like a child who’d seen someone have a bullet blasted into their shoulder. And she is close to her father, no? She would’ve told him.”
“You think so?”
“Yes.”
Cam pushed off the door and came close. “I’d think anyone else was trying to make me feel better. You don’t have to do that. To try, I mean.”
“I am economical. It would not make you feel better if I was lying to you.”
“It wouldn’t.” Cam reached me and wedged himself between my legs, setting a hand on my shoulder. “That was nice, by the way, what you did with Ivy. Brothers need to see that if you want them to like you.”
I only care that you like me.“See what?”
“That you’re human. You’re cold to anyone you don’t care about, and you only seem to care about me and Saint.”
“Maybe I have limited resources when it comes to being nice.”
“Nah, life just taught you it wasn’t worth the effort.”
“You are a psychologist now?”
Cam answered me with a kiss, one that began with his rough lips and stretched on and on with his velvet tongue. God, this man knew how to slip past every barrier I’d ever had.
“I’m not a psychologist,” he said when he finally pulled back. “I’ve just seen it before.”
“In Saint?”
“You’re similar in a few ways, which makes sense.”
“Why?”
“That’s not my story to tell.”
“You know I will ask him.”
Cam’s lips curved in a sad smile. “Maybe that’s why I said it.”
The rumble of incoming bikes caught his attention. He stepped away from me and to the window. I followed him, naturally, and did something he often did to me, something I liked very much.
I stood behind him and wound my arms around his waist, resting my chin on his shoulder as he stared out over his kingdom.
Mateo was back, but he was alone, and the tension in Cam was painful.
“You were expecting them to return together?”
He hummed. “Hoping is probably a better word. I can’t seem to settle at the moment when I don’t know where he is.”