Smitten (18 page)

“Hunter stop!” I yelled, unable to believe I was actually
defending Ripper.

He didn’t take his eyes off Ripper. “Answer me
, dammit!”

“I tried to take her. She refused to leave!”

“Then you should’ve stayed with her!”

“The police were on their way! We needed to get out of there!” Ripper argued back.

“You made the choice to go racing, bro. Take your lumps like a man! If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the fire!” Hunter pushed away from him and pointed his finger in Ripper’s face. “Don’t you
ever
leave my sister behind! You gave me your word you’d take care of her. I consider this a serious breach of trust!”

Ripper wisely made no aggressive move toward Hunter. He wiped a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have left her.”

“Don’t apologize to me—apologize to her,” Hunter said. He turned and briskly strode into the house without saying another word to anyone.

Ripper glanced at me. I could tell from his expression that his pride stung a
little. “Cami—,” he began, but I raised my hand to stop him.

“There’s no need to apologize, but I think maybe it’s best for all of you to go home until he cools off a bit. Let Chris and I get him settled. I
’ll call when it’s safe to return to the lion’s den.” I gave a small smile, trying to diffuse the situation.

Ripper nodded and gave a slight gesture to the other
s to get into the vehicle. He walked around to the driver’s side, pausing before he climbed in. “I really am sorry, Cami. It was a cowardly thing to do.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Cami-

“We need to do a Vegas run soon,” Ripper said to everyone gathered in the garage, and my heart rate increased at the news. This was what we’d been waiting for. It meant the end of the case for Hunter and me. “We have six cars this go around which is more than usual, so I’ll need everyone to drive, including Roberta and Cami. We’ll come home in a rental van.”

I glanced at Hunter. He didn’t appear very happy with the news.

“Cami has school,” he protested. He’d been extremely overprotective of me since he’d fought with Ripper. “She’s already missed too much this week taking care of me while I was in the hospital.”

“It’s okay,” I piped
up quickly. “I’ve already turned in most of the work I missed. I only have one paper left, and I explained to my instructor what happened. He gave me an extension on the assignment.” I smiled and glanced back at Ripper. “I didn’t even think about needing to rent a vehicle to get home.”

“We always come home in a rental, unless we have an extra driver. It’s cheaper than flying everyone, but we have time to plan still,” Ripper stated, staring at me. “You tell me your schedule
, and I’ll try to work around it. I need to get with my contacts in Vegas and see what works for them.” He came over and draped his arm around me. “I want you there. You and I are gonna paint the town.”

Roberta gave a squeal and cuddled
next to Hunter. “It’s gonna be so much fun. Wait and see.”

Hunter managed to muster a half grin and g
ive her a small squeeze. He wasn’t very happy at all.

“Party time, man!” Nick raised his beer and clanked it against Seth’s. “Time for some drinking, gambling, and strip clubs.”

“Sounds great to me!” Seth grinned, turning to Ripper. “Have I ever told you how much I love this job? Fast cars, fast cash, and even faster women! It’s heaven!”

Ripper laughed and raised his own beer. “Here’s to the fast life!” Everyone but Hunter and me chipped in their approval.

“I better get going. I need to visit the library in the morning before I go to class. I have to finish that paper as soon as I can.” Even though I hated leaving Hunter, I was anxious to put as much distance as I could between Ripper and me. He’d been more aggressive with me ever since the fight. It was almost like he was trying to stake his claim on me, make our relationship more . . . encompassing. I wondered if he was trying to prove to Hunter that he really did care about me, but I didn’t like it. I hurried to gather my books and slip my bag over my shoulder.

“I’ll walk you out, baby,” he replied, kissing my cheek.

“Night, Sis,” Hunter said, turning casually away from me, but not before I saw the longing in his eyes.

“Goodnight,” I replied, wishing I could run over and hug him.

Ripper led me out to where I’d parked and opened the door for me. He pulled me into his arms, running his hands down my back as he stared into my eyes. “I hate that you always have to leave. I wish you could stay here all the time.” He bent to kiss me on the lips, and I forced myself to respond to him as best I could.

Kissing him was always incredible—incredible in the fact that while he was extremely good looking, I felt absolutely nothing
. It seemed he should be able to tell. When I kissed Hunter, it was like the world was exploding around me with fireworks. It made me wonder if Ripper had ever been in love before or if girls were more of a plaything to him—someone to pass the time with. It was the only explanation for how my charade was passing his scrutiny.

I broke away as soon I could without making him suspicious. “See you later,” I said with a small smile, turning to get in. My gaze fell on the back tire
. “Oh no,” I said with a grimace, pointing. “My tire.” It was completely flat.

“Yep, that’s not looking too good is it?” Ripper agreed. “Pop your trunk. I’ll put the spare on for you. You do have a spare, don’t you?”

“Uh.” My brain scrambled for the appropriate answer. I had no idea if there was a spare, but I did know Hunter, and he believed in being prepared. “Yeah, I do.” I hit the button on the key chain that would release the latch, hoping against hope I had made the right choice.

Ripper opened it and disappeared from view for a moment. “You have a little problem,” he said, peering around to look at me gravely.

My heart raced a million miles a minute. I hadn’t had any reason to check the trunk before now. What if Hunter’s things were in there? Was there something that could blow his cover?

“What’s that?” I asked, fear and trepidation speeding through my system.

“Your spare is flat too.”

I felt relief course through me. “It is? Shoot. I must’ve forgotten to get it repaired after my last flat.”

Ripper shook his head and let out a chuckle. “Women. I’ll never understand your priorities.”

“Sorry,” I said, giving what I hoped was an embarrassed look. “I guess tires aren’t that interesting.”

“Everything okay out here?” Hunter’s voice broke in, and I turned to see him standing outside the door.

“The car has a flat. Apparently
, I forgot to get the spare fixed because it’s flat too.”

I saw a brief second of irritation pass over Hunter’s face
, and I knew he was silently kicking himself.

“It’s no worry,” Ripper said, closing the trunk and coming to my side. “You can stay the night here, and I’ll run both tires to the garage in the morning and get them fixed for you. I’d do it now, but I don’t have the keys and it’s all locked up.”

I panicked, glancing to Hunter for help. I definitely didn’t want to spend the night.

“Don’t worry about it, Ripper,” he said. “I’ll take Cami home tonight. We can fix the car in the morning and drop it back to her. Let me go grab my keys.” He turned to go inside.

“Hunter!” Ripper called after him. “It’s okay, really. I want her to stay.” He turned back to me. “What do you say, baby?”

“Uh, um,” I faltered, glancing nervously toward Hunter. He looked as flustered as I did. I stared at Ripper. “I don’t know if I’m very comfortable with that. I’m not sure I’m ready to take that step.”

He gazed at me, brushing my hair away from my face. “Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?”

I stared off to a spot across the old work yard. “Well, I can’t think of—,”

“That’s right. You can’t think of anything, because there’s nothing. I’ve been careful with you. Hunter told me what happened to you back home—how he had to save you from that guy. I’d never do that.”

My eyes widened in shock. “He
 . . . told you?” I stammered, suddenly realizing why Ripper kept letting me put on the brakes.

“Yes, and he showed me his scars and told me how he killed the guy who hurt you. Trust me—I’m not going to give your brother any reason to come after me. I’ve learned firsthand how protective he is of you.” He rubbed his jaw and worked it out a little. “I’m still sore.”

I glanced back at Hunter, knowing he’d fabricated the story a bit. I wasn’t sure exactly what he’d told Ripper. He stared back, never flinching, but I could tell he wasn’t pleased with this turn of events.

“Come on, Hunter. Tell her it’s okay to stay,” Ripper urged.

Hunter remained stoic, saying nothing.

Ripper turned my face back toward his. “I trust you, Cami, don’t I? Why would I do anything to anger you? Look at all the secrets you know about me. You could take them to the cops—,”

“I’ll stay,” I piped up suddenly. He was hitting way to close to the truth.

“You will?” A
triumphant smile lit his face.

“Yes, but only if you understand there’ll be no
 . . . no . . . ”

“I got it. You have my word.” He pulled me in for another kiss
, and I tried to respond as dread crept through me. There was no backing out now. I turned to Hunter, but he’d disappeared. Was he angry with me? My heart sank even more.

“Go ahead and put your things in my room,” Ripper said, giving me a spank on the butt as he sent me back toward the door. “I’ll get this tire taken off and ready to go
to the shop first thing in the morning, so you won’t be late for class.”

“Thank you,” I replied over my shoulder.

“Anything for you, sexy girl.” He grinned, and I turned away so he wouldn’t see my grimace.

I walked back through the door into the small alcove at the entry. Hunter was leaning against the wall—his head back against it.

“I don’t like this,” he said.

“Me
neither, but he was hitting way too close to the truth.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I know why you did it, and it was the right thing.” He sighed heavily lifting his head to stare at me. “But I still don’t like it.”

He reached out, took my books, and I followed him silently as he led the way to Ripper’s room. He paused before the door, pushing it open and going inside to place my things on the large bed before turning to face me.

“What’s Ripper doing outside?” he asked, coming closer.

“He’s taking the tire off the car, so he can fix it in the morning.”

He nodded and reached behind me, pushing the door closed and backing me up against it. “Tonight might actually kill me, Cami.
The thought of you in the same bed with him . . . ”

His lips met mine
, and he pressed against me so close I could feel everything about him. Holding my face, his long fingers were practically digging into my scalp. I could feel his desperation seeping into me. He kissed me, deeply, frantically, as if he were trying to consume me in this one moment.

Heat flushed through my body. It was
as if every part of me responded to his nearness. Where kissing Ripper made me feel dead inside, kissing Hunter made me feel as if every cell inside me was on fire—living, breathing, devouring everything in its path. Trails of goose bumps flooded my skin, and desire pooled inside of me. His hard muscles bunched and rippled under my touch as I slid my hands over his arms and down his back. I could hardly catch my breath as the kiss continued, snatching heated gasps when possible as both of us clamored to get more of each other.

He pushed away from me suddenly, taking several steps backward. “I need to get out of here before I lose my senses completely and someone catches us together.”

I nodded. “I know, but I don’t want you to leave me.”

He was back beside me in a heartbeat. “Trust me, I don’t want to leave you either, but we’re risking everything here.” He kissed me again, hard and brief before pulling me away from the door. “If you need anything, just call for me, okay? I’ll be right on the other side of this wall.”

“In bed with Roberta.” I couldn’t help my frown.

“Try not to dwell on it. We’ll get through this.” He turned the doorknob and stepped quickly into the hall, shutting it behind him.

My whole body was trembling, and I tried to calm myself with several deep breaths. I needed to get under control before Ripper showed up. I had no idea how I was going to make it through this night.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Hunter-

I couldn’t stop my fuming or internal grumbling as I turned down my side of the bed. I hated this case—hated everything about it, but I needed to see it through to the end even though it made me feel like a trapped prisoner in my own life.

I removed my shoes and my shirt, but left my pants on, as usual, before rearranging several pillows between Roberta and me. I tried sleeping on the floor when we realized we’d need to spend some of our nights together, but Ripper had a habit of walking in unannounced. It didn’t look very realistic for his sister’s boyfriend to be on the floor. We managed to convince him we’d had a fight the time he caught me there. After that, I’d moved to the bed. Better safe than sorry.

Roberta entered the room, wearing another one of her sexy lingerie nighties again. Her fresh
, out-of-the-shower skin smelled wonderful as usual. Cami would die if she knew some of the things I’d seen Roberta wear to bed. There was no doubt in my mind she was into me. Her body language flaunted it often, special smiles, shy glances, biting her lip, stroking me at every opportunity.

“I know you told me you dressed like this before and you’re doing it
so things appear normal,” I began, “but I can’t help wondering why Ripper would know if you’re dressing like this?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes I get a drink or something
in the middle of the night—or even watch television, if I can’t sleep. He’s seen me dressed like this a lot.”

“You don’t put on a robe or something?” I didn’t know why, but it seemed odd to me. Sheridan would never parade around me in such a manner.

She laughed. “No. Why should I? I’ve seen Ripper naked a billion times since we were kids. He’s practically anti-clothes.”

I snorted. “I would’ve shot my sister if she did that to me—if my parents didn’t shoot her first.”

“It’s not a big deal. It’s just skin.” She leaned over to fluff some of the many black-and-hot-pink pillows she kept on her bed, giving me an ample view. I quickly glanced away, closing my eyes. I’d learned to feign sleep quickly around here, otherwise I was bound to see things I had no interest in seeing. Sure, she was a gorgeous girl. I’d have to be blind not to notice, but she wasn’t
my
girl. Cami was the only one I had eyes for. It was hard for me to be convincing of my relationship with Roberta when Cami was here. I had to repeatedly remind myself not to watch and stare at her. From the moment I met her, she captivated my attention.

“So, it sounds like my brother is having fun with Cami. I think they’re hitting it off well.”

I forced myself to remain still. “What do you mean?”

“I swear I heard bed springs bouncing in there on the way back from the bathroom.” She giggled as she slid into bed. “I think they’re going at it.”

Every instinct demanded I go bursting into that bedroom, but I knew Roberta was baiting me. I let out a shallow breath. “I doubt it.”

“Why’s that? You don’t think your partner would
do it with my brother?”

“I mean your brother is outside working on her car, so unless Cami is in there jumping on the bed, there was nothing for you to hear. Goodnight, Roberta.” I rolled on
to my side, away from her.

“She’s not your partner, is she?”

My eyes instantly popped open, wary. “Of course she is.” It wasn’t really a lie. A girlfriend could be called a partner too. “Why?”

“Then are you in love with your
partner
?”

I grunted, my mind rapidly churning. I tried to stay relaxed as I kept my back to her so she couldn’t read my face. “Why would you even say that?”

“I don’t know. She seems young—really young actually, and she’s sweet and pretty. You’re super protective of her too, always watching out for her, beating up my brother if he doesn’t do what you think he should, running off with her and your friend Russ for the day.”

“You and Ripper were both busy. There was no reason for me to be here,” I replied, ignoring the rest of her statement. “I’m not allowed to have a day off with my friends? I did have a life of my own before I met you, you know.”

“Is she your friend?” She continued to push the issue.

“One of my very best friends in the world.” That was the absolute truth.

“Have you ever kissed her?”

“What’s bringing all of this on?
” I asked, frustrated I couldn’t seem to shake her off this line of questioning. I rolled over to face her.

“If she were your partner, why would she actually be enrolled in classes at the university? That doesn’t make any sense, and Ripper said she’s a first
-year student there. She spends all of her time here doing homework. I think she really is an eighteen-year-old college student. What I can’t figure out is what she actually is to you. Ripper said you didn’t want them together because you thought he was too old for Cami, but you’re nearly the same age. So if that’s the case, then what is she to you, and how did she end up involved in all of this?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair in frustration. There was no way to deflect her. “She’s my girlfriend, okay? You’re right, and it’s eating me alive to watch her with your brother.”

I didn’t miss how her expression fell, but she quickly recovered. “How old is she?”

“She’s eighteen.”

She snorted in disgust. “You’re such a hypocrite. Ripper’s too old for her, but you aren’t?”

“Look, it wasn’t like that. Things were different for us.”

“Different how?”

“We fell in love with each other when I was on another undercover assignment, posing as a high school student. I never meant to get involved with her
—it just happened. I couldn’t stop it.”

“How old was she then?”

I grimaced. “Seventeen.”

She gave a hard laugh. “You’re a friggin’ pedophile. I bet your department loved that.”

“It nearly got me fired, but I keep trying to tell you it wasn’t like that. It still isn’t. We’ve never—”

She chortled in disbelief. “You’re kidding me! You’ve never slept with her?”

“Listen,” I said earnestly, wanting—no, needing—to make her understand. “I love her. I saved her life once when she nearly drowned, and I saved her from being raped. It formed a bond between us—a connection stronger than I could’ve ever imagined. Yes, she’s young, but she’s it for me. Don’t you see? I
love
her. I snuck away to meet her one night, and Ripper followed me. I had to make up something on the spot. The department helped me follow it through. They wanted to keep my cover and keep her safe too. No one counted on Ripper falling for her as well. This whole thing keeps getting more and more complicated. I had to tell Ripper about the attempted rape to try and keep him off of her. This has been really hard on both of us.

“And before you go judging my choice, you might want to remember you’re only a year older than she is
, and you’ve done nothing but throw yourself at me since I got here. This isn’t an age issue with you—it’s a jealousy one.”

She clenched her jaw and raised her chin. “You’re awfully full of yourself, aren’t you?”

I gave a sardonic laugh. “Have you met yourself? Come on. I’m not stupid, Roberta. I know you’re into me.” I could see she was starting to get upset. I needed to do something to calm her down and build a connection back between us. She could blow everything if she ran to Ripper in a bitter, angry, fit. I reached out and grabbed her hand. “You’re a beautiful, sexy, young woman. I’m flattered you feel this way about me. If things were different in my life—who knows what might have happened between us, but they aren’t. I can’t change that.” I hoped my words would be enough to appease her.

Her face softened and she sighed. “I’ll get over it, I guess. You are turning your life upside down to help me.”

“I want to find out the truth for you. I know you’re lonely and missing Manny.”

Her
gaze fell to our clasped hands, her free hand fidgeting with the blanket, before she looked up with tears in her big eyes. “I want to know what happened to him.”

I gripped her tighter. “I’ll do everything in my power to find out for you if you promise to help me keep Cami safe. It’s been hard to concentrate knowing she could be in danger.”

She nodded, agreeing easily. “I’ll help you.”

“Thank you. It means a lot to me.” My phone buzzed, reminding me I hadn’t pulled it out of my pocket yet. I reached for it and saw I had a text from Chris.

Wassup?

How R U
?
I asked.

Relaxed. And U
?
Relaxed was our code word for everything being okay.

Uptight
,
I replied, letting him know something was up
.
Sis is spending the night here. R U sure U R OK?

There were a few moments of silence before the phone buzzed again.

Nah, feeling a little sick, actually. I need you to come get me
.
He was using our code to get me out of the house.

Where?

At the bar—Rusty’s, down the street from the house. Too drunk to drive
.
He wanted me to meet him.
I need my baby sis.

We’ll be there shortly.

I couldn’t help the relief that coursed through me. “Chris is calling for Cami and me to come meet him. I need to go. Are you going to be okay?”

Roberta nodded. “Be careful. Ripper’s not going to be happy about this. He’s been dying to have Cami stay
here.”

“I know, and I will be.” I gave in to the sudden impulsive urge to lean
over and kiss her on the forehead. “Hang in there, Roberta. Everything will work out for the best—you’ll see.”

She gave me a half smile. “Go. Get your girl.”

I grinned and hurried to put my shoes and shirt back on. “See you later,” I said as I left the room. I paused before the closed door, lifting my hand to knock and then deciding better of it. I opened the door and stepped in.

“What the hell, man? You can’t come barging in here like that when I’m with my girl
!” Ripper shot me an annoyed glance over his shoulder.

“Really?” I laughed, relieved to find Cami fully dressed and sitting on the opposite side of the bed from Ripper who was taking his shoes off. “You do it to Roberta and me all the time.” I silently praised Chris for his perfect timing.

“What do you need?” Ripper grumbled.

“Listen, dude. I’m sorry to interrupt whatever plans you had going here, but I heard from Chris. He’s drunk—or high
, or whatever—at the bar again. I need to go pick him up, but he’s whining about wanting to see his baby sis, so I need to take Cami with me.”

I didn’t miss the look of sheer relief
on Cami’s face. Nor did I miss the one of pure irritation on Ripper’s. Extreme satisfaction flooded through me. “Are you okay about coming with me?” I asked Cami. “You know how he is when he gets like this. You’re the only one who can calm him down.”

Cami sighed heavily, as if she were feeling very put out. “I know. Yes, I’ll come.” She stood and went to
grab her books. “I might as well bring these along if I’m going to be awake with him. Maybe I’ll get a chance to work on my paper.” She turned to Ripper. “Thanks for offering to let me stay. I’ll come get my car tomorrow sometime.”

He wasn’t happy at all. “I’ll walk you guys out. You seriously need to get that brother of yours into rehab or something.”

I followed behind them, unable to keep a smile from creeping across my face. Ripper might not be aware that he and I were in the middle of a boxing match, but this round went to me.