3013: MENDED (15 page)

The tattoo looked more amazing than he could have envisioned. Intricately laid into the swirling black lines, Cami’s name—not just her initials—marked him from neck to elbow.

Swelling with pride and happiness, Tariq swept Cami off her feet and bent her backwards to capture her mouth in a hard, searching kiss. His cock hardened behind his zipper as her taste bathed his tongue, and he longed to have her naked beneath him.

“Get a room,” Scarlett insisted, earning her laughter from the rest of the group.

Tariq didn’t laugh. Given his choice, he’d have scooped Cami into his arms and disappeared before anyone could argue. This wasn’t about him, though. With a great deal of effort, he broke the kiss and straightened, bringing Cami with him.

“Go enjoy your party, angel.”

“Okay.” She stretched up to give him another lingering kiss. “Thank you.”

Tariq hated socializing, but he did his best for Cami. After half an hour of congratulations and well wishes, however, he wished for the solitude of his quarters. He didn’t know half the people in the restaurant, but they all seemed to know Cami. She’d become quite the presence in the atrium, and it wasn’t hard to see why.

She greeted each person by name and thanked them when they congratulated her. The topic of conversation never revolved around her for too long before Cami steered it into other directions. She asked about their businesses, their families, and their healthy. In her melodic voice, even the most mundane things sounded interesting and exciting.

“Tariq.” Sion approached him with a wary frown. “Commander Cain just notified me that Cami’s family has landed in the docking bays. What do you want me to do?”

Commander Maverick Cain had become an important ally in the days that followed their initial meeting. Tariq still didn’t know if he trusted the man, but he’d stopped actively
distrusting
him. That had to count for something.

“Cami, your father and brother have arrived. Do you want Sion to stall them?”

The pair could dump themselves out of an airlock for all he cared, but only Cami could make the decision to invite them to her celebration or not.

“No,”
Cami answered through their mental bond after a short pause.
“They’ll find me soon enough. We might as well get this over with.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she said aloud as she came to stand beside him. “They can’t hurt me anymore, and it’s time they knew it.”

Tariq gave the nod to Sion as he wrapped an arm around Cami’s shoulders. He had no doubt she could take on an entire armada and win if she set her mind to it, but she wouldn’t have to do it alone.

“That’s my girl.”

“Come dance with me.”

Tariq surveyed the room. “No one else is dancing?”

“So?” With a wicked gleam in her eyes, she pulled him into an open space in the center of the room, and rested her head on his chest. “See? This is nice.”

He could kill a man in six different ways and make it look like an accident. He could dismantle and reassemble anything mechanical with his eyes closed. He could survive in the most hostile environments with relative ease.

And she wanted him to dance.

Sighing, he cradled the back of her head and swayed with her to the rhythm of the music. “You are spoiled.”

He didn’t see her, but he felt her nod against his chest. “I know.”

Tariq snorted as he caressed the skin along the column of her throat, enjoying the way she purred when his fingertips brushed over the twin scars. He’d give her anything she asked for without blinking because she deserved nothing less. Hell, he’d even consented to her working at Starscape, though he’d asked Sion to keep an eye on her while she was in the atrium.

“How’s the list coming?” he asked when the song ended and she leaned away from him.

“Really good, I think.” Her entire body seemed to vibrate with an excitement Tariq would never understand. “I’ve marked off everyone except General Whitmore and Lorelei.” Pursing her lips, Cami dug her fingers into Tariq’s hip and growled—a very human but still impressive sound. “As much as I want to just blame it on her and call it a day, I have to make sure. The problem is that after our little disagreement in the hallway the other day, she’s been avoiding me.”

“Wait, you talked to Lorelei in the hallway? When did this happen?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it anything as polite as talking. That kitten has a serious hard-on for you, and she just wanted to impress upon me her displeasure that you had chosen me.”

“Hard-on?” Tariq rolled his eyes. “You spend too much time with Scarlett. Now, back to when this happened. Why didn’t you tell me?”

He knew exactly why she’d withheld the information. It didn’t matter that Lorelei was a female. If she posed a threat to Cami, Tariq wouldn’t hesitate to put her in her place.

“It was the same day all that stuff happened with the lieutenants, and I didn’t tell you, because I knew you’d overreact.”

“You knew I’d overreact?”

“Yes.” Cami nodded. “Like you’re doing now. I can always tell when you’re mad because you repeat everything I say.”

They were supposed to be celebrating, not arguing. “I’m not going to fight with you.”

“Good, because there’s nothing to fight about.” She placed a chaste kiss on his jaw and grinned. “Come on, love. You look like you need a drink.”

They never got that drink, though. Cami had just taken his hand when a loud, irate voice echoed through the restaurant. “Camille Angeline Brighton, you stop right there!”

With an adorable huff that sounded more exasperated than nervous, Cami lifted her head and squared her shoulders as she turned to face the newcomer. “Hello, Daddy.”

In the logical part of her brain, Cami knew it had only been weeks since the last time she’d seen her father. So much had happened in that short amount of time, it felt more like a lifetime ago He looked no different than the last time she had seen him. His dark hair and blue eyes were just the way she remembered, as was the scowl of disapproval that lined his thin lips.

“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded. “You disappeared, stole a cruiser, and I have to travel across the galaxies to come get you. Then I find you here on this forsaken rust bucket with this…this…riffraff. Explain yourself, young lady.”

They’d started to gather a crowd, an angry one by the expressions on her friends’ faces. She could have made a scene, insisted that she was no longer a child and that he couldn’t bully her any longer. She could have said all of those things, and she still might, but she wouldn’t do it in front of half the atrium.

“I’m not going to do this with you here. If you want to discuss this like adults, you can follow me back to my quarters.” She shifted her gaze to the left. “Hello, Lucas.”

Lucas gave her a beaming smile in return. “Hello, chipmunk. You look beautiful. What’s the occasion?”

“I mated a Helios,” she answered bluntly, and laughed when Tariq nuzzled the top of her head. “Isn’t he fantastic?”

Lucas’ eyebrows shot up toward his hairline, but the smile never left his face. Her father, on the other hand, looked in danger of stroking out on the tiled floor. His face mottled in an ugly mixture of red and purple, and the muscles in his throat jumped. He moved his mouth soundlessly, but Cami knew he’d find his voice, and when he did, everyone on the station would know exactly what he thought of her pairing.

Sure enough, a heartbeat later, Canaan Hart exploded. “Have you lost your fucking mind?” he roared. “You are not mated to a Helios. You are not mated or bonded or whatever the hell else you want to call it to anyone!”

“You will watch how you speak to my companion, or I will rip your tongue out and shove it up—”

“Tariq.” Cami placed her hand on his elbow to stop him from carrying through with his threat. “It’s okay. I can handle this.”

Standing half a step behind their father, Lucas winked at her. “Congratulations, chipmunk. Let’s see it.”

Lucas confused her. She’d expected him to react more like Canaan, but he hadn’t stopped grinning since they’d arrived. Furthermore, he looked pleased as punch about her choice in a partner, and every time Tariq touched or caressed her, Lucas swelled with satisfaction.

She didn’t have to ask what he wanted to see, not when he kept staring at her throat. Turning her head to the left, she stretched her neck, showing off the red starburst that dotted her skin.

Canaan sputtered and cursed, but Lucas just nodded. “It suits you.”

“You really think so?”

“Yes. It makes you look tough.”

“She’s all grown up,”
Lucas thought.
“I’m so damn proud of you, chipmunk.”

Clearly, Cami didn’t know the entire story. Tears welled along her lower lids, and as much as she tried, she couldn’t stop them from overflowing. “Lucas, this is my companion, my love, Tariq Navarra. Tariq, this is my brother.”

“This is not going to happen!” her father yelled. “I forbid it! You will pack your things and prepare to leave at once.”

“No,” Cami answered calmly. “As I said, you’re welcome to come back to our quarters so we can discuss this, but I’m not going to have a screaming match with you in public.”

“Excellent.” Lucas’ gaze traveled somewhere beyond her, and the poor man looked as though he’d been clubbed over the head. “I, uh, I think I’m going to sit this one out, chipmunk.” Pushing past their father, he nodded at Tariq and bent to place a kiss on Cami’s cheek. “You’ve got this,” he whispered.

“I won’t let anything happen to her,” Tariq promised.

Some unspoken communication passed between the two males, and though she tried not to listen, Cami couldn’t help but overhear Lucas’ approval.

“I won’t allow this. She’s not safe here. I need to protect her. She’s all I have left, and I can’t lose her.”

Her father’s frantic, almost panicked thoughts gave Cami pause. On the outside, he appeared outraged and unmoving, but within the privacy of his own mind, something much different was happening. That didn’t excuse the things he’d done, but it might help to explain them.

“This way.” With Tariq at her side and her father trailing behind them, Cami led the way to the lifts. “Did you have a pleasant trip?” she asked when they were all crammed into the small elevator.

Canaan glared at Tariq. “The trip was fine.”

“I don’t think he likes you very much.”

Tariq shrugged.
“I don’t really give a flying comet what he thinks of me.”

She’d know his response before he’d projected it to her, but it still made her giggle. Sobering when her father turned his glare on her, Cami couldn’t have been more thankful when the lift doors opened on the lower level.

Tense silence surrounded them as they filed down the hallway, and it didn’t abate once inside their quarters, either. As much as she wanted Tariq there for support, she also knew she needed to speak to her father alone, at least at first.

“Could I have a few minutes, please?”

“No.”

“Tariq, I’ll be okay. This is between me and my father. I need to do this.”

“Fine. I’m not leaving, though. I’ll…take a shower.”

More like he’d skulk around the bedroom and eavesdrop, but Cami figured she wouldn’t get a better offer. “Okay, thank you.”

“You will watch your tone,” Tariq warned Canaan. “If you hurt her. If you make her cry. If you even look at her wrong, you will answer to me. Do we understand each other?”

Canaan grunted, which apparently passed as acquiescence, because Tariq vanished into the bedroom.

“He does seem to care for you,” Canaan acknowledged. “It doesn’t matter, though. You will return home at once where it’s safe.”

“Safe?” She’d always thought her father an intelligent man. Maybe she’d overestimated him. “Did you not just hear him? Do you honestly think I’m not safe with him, that he wouldn’t destroy anything that might even think of harming me?”

“That’s not the point,” Canaan argued. “You don’t belong here, sweetheart. You need to come home.”

“No, Daddy, you’re wrong. I’m exactly where I belong, and despite everything you’ve done to try to prevent it, I’m not a child anymore.”

“Camille, this is nonsense.”

“Is Derrek dead?” she demanded. “Tell me the truth. Did he die that day in Fort Nacht? Have I spent all this time hiding from a ghost that doesn’t exist?”

“Who told you that?”

“Answer me!” Cami didn’t want to hear his lies or his excuses. She wanted the truth. “Is he dead?”

Canaan cleared his throat and stared down at his hands where they rested on his knees. “Yes.”

Though she’d already known the answer, it hurt more than she’d have thought to hear it spoken aloud. “And what about me? Am I also dead?”

Thankfully, he didn’t feign ignorance. “As far as the records are concerned, yes.”

“Why?” Cami whispered. “All this time. Why?”

“Because I’m weak. My best friend murdered the love of my life. I couldn’t lose you, too, Camille. You almost died that day, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so terrified.” Hesitantly, he reached out to take her hand. “I swore on the day I brought you home that I would never let anything hurt you again, that I’d protect you, even from your curse.”

“From my gift,” Cami corrected. “It’s not a curse.” She’d thought so at one time, but she no longer saw it that way. Her abilities allowed her to help people, and in her mind, that couldn’t be a bad thing. “I’m not Derrek. I’m stronger than you think, Daddy. Tell me why you did it.”

Canaan’s eyes shimmered in the overhead light as he squeezed her hand. “I didn’t plan it. I didn’t even think I could get away with it. My affiliation with the hospital made altering your records easier than I anticipated, and then it was done.” He looked down at their joined hands and sighed. “If you had died along with your mother, no one would come looking for you.”

“Derrek was already dead. Who else would come looking for me?”

“Sweetheart, your abilities made you too special. I knew the Alliance would try to use you.” The muscles in his jaw hardened, and his eyes creased at the corners. “With your abilities, they’d want to bring you into the Security and Investigation Division. It was too dangerous. I couldn’t allow that. I couldn’t lose you.”

Cami thought about the Alliance, about working as an investigator. She imagined how her life might have turned out had her father not been so afraid. The whole thing played out like a dream in the span of a few seconds, but in the end, she couldn’t miss something she’d never had. She couldn’t be sorry for the way things had gone instead, not when it had led her to Tariq.

Once again, her emotions got in the way of what she should do and what she wanted to do. She cared too much, loved too deeply, and forgave too easily. She always looked for the best in others, even when all evidence pointed to the contrary. Her father had betrayed her, lied to her, and for all intents and purposes, he’d held her captive in her own home.

Canaan Hart was still her father, though, and despite all he’d done, all of his faults, she still loved him. She could still see the kind and compassionate man she remembered from her childhood beneath the roughened exterior. His sadness made her heart ache, and she wanted to ease his suffering, even if he didn’t deserve it.

She hated being so weak.

“Your capacity for love makes you strong, not weak. Forgiveness is yours to give or withhold. No one can take it from you, angel.”

Tariq’s words soothed her frayed nerves and gave her courage. “I love you, Daddy, but I’m not going home.” She shook her head when he started to argue. “No. That’s not my life anymore. Camille Brighton died ten years ago, but Cami Navarra is right where she belongs.”

“You are an adult,” Canaan conceded. “And mated to a Helios,” he added with only a slight undertone of distain. “I can’t force you to return with me.”

“No, you can’t.”

The hard lines of his face softened, and he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “I love you, sweetheart. I hope someday you can forgive me.”

Not one to hold grudges, Cami knew that day wouldn’t be far off, but it wasn’t this one. Too much hurt still lingered for her to forgive so easily, but she could give him a measure of hope for the future.

“I think this is a good start.”

* * * *

Cami returned to the party with Tariq, and though she’d invited her father, Canaan had declined the invitation to return to his ship. She didn’t argue with him, knowing they both needed time to sort through their feelings before they could begin to heal. Besides, she had other business to attend to, and she didn’t want an audience for that conversation, either.

Entering Starscape, she greeted Naira with a tight hug. “I’m okay,” she said before the female could even ask. “I need to speak to my brother. Have you seen Lucas?”

“There.” Naira pointed to one of the shadowy corners. “He has been quite distracted since he arrived.”

Following her long, slender finger, Cami found Lucas leaning against the wall with an odd sort of smile on his face. “What in the heavens is he doing?”

Thanking Naira, Cami motioned for Tariq to stay put before disappearing into the corner to speak with Lucas. In his navy blue sweater and dark slacks, he nearly disappeared into the shadows, providing him with the privacy to watch who- or whatever had captured his attention.

“Hey, chipmunk,” he said in greeting, but he didn’t look at her.

It didn’t take long for Cami to find what had her brother acting so strangely. “Her name is Scarlett Nikandros, and she is way out of your league, brother.” In all honesty, she thought they’d make a striking couple, but she couldn’t help but tease him. “Are you going to go talk to her? Or just lurk here like a creepy stalker?”

Lucas smirked as his gaze finally focused on her. “We’ll see. How did it go with Dad?”

“Well, family dinners might be awkward for the next few years, but it went as well as could be expected. It’s going to take time, but I think we’ll get there.”

“Your companion, Tariq, is it? He loves you, Cami. It’s written all over his face.”

“I know, and I love him. I’m not here to talk about Tariq, though. Luke, tell me what happened.” Cami was done with being treated like a child, and she wanted the truth, not more coddling. “Tell me why you did it. After all these years, what changed?”

“You did. You were just a child, Cami. Even after you turned eighteen, you were still so young and naïve.” His expression hardened into a mask of thinly veiled anger. “The last time I visited, though, you were so sad. When I confronted Dad, he told me you didn’t exist anymore, that as far as anyone knew, you’d died with our mother. That’s when I knew I had to do something.”

Lucas had always been her champion, and she couldn’t blame him for the things that had happened. He’d done his best in impossible circumstances, and in the end, he’d been the one to set her free.