Chapter 4

Chapter 4 [Camden] I’m still outside smoking, not paying much attention to the rest of the party, when a blood-curdling scream cuts through the night. It takes me only a second to realize that it’s Elora , and my heart begins to pound as I run down the hallway. I have to push people out of my way, most of the party had started to move upstairs and everyone was in the way. Now that Elora had screamed, people were all going that way and I all but elbowed everyone out of my way as I approached Bruno’s office. Elora is standing in the doorway, shivering all over and I put my hands on her shoulders, turning her away from Bruno’s dead body. “Shit,” I curse. Elora clutches on to me, making me look at her. “It was Marco,” she whispers. “You have to get to Kendall. She saw everything.” Fuck. Apparently, there’s a witness to this murder, and it’s my little sister’s best friend. I’m going to have a long night ahead of me, clearly. I take Elora ’s shoulders in my hands and look at her fiercely. “Find Dante,” I say. “Stay with him and Mia until him or me tell you otherwise. Do not go back to the house.” She nods quickly, tears streaming down her face. “You’ll find Kendall? Keep her safe?” “I’ll find her,” I promise. I make my way outside easily because everyone is going upstairs to see what the commotion is. I don’t see Marco, thank god, but I see that there’s a piece of white dress in the woods, hanging on to a branch. Kendall. I grab the piece off the branch and head into the woods, ignoring the cuts and scrapes from the branches and thorns. I catch sight of her in the middle of the forest, doubled over and panting, and I come right up behind her and grab her with one arm around her waist and the other clamped over her mouth. She goes stiff all over in my arms and I whisper in her ear, “It’s me, Camden.” She slowly relaxes into my arms. I add, “I’m going to get you somewhere safe.” My head is spinning. I know that Marco is a loose cannon, but at the same time, I didn’t think he’d kill Bruno in such a public manner. It seems like Kendall is the only real witness to the murder, so Marco will be after her. “He just shot him,” Kendall mutters. “His eyes, Camden...they were crazed...” she says, trembling all over, and I scoop her up in my arms, carrying her toward my car. Everyone’s inside, trying to figure out what happened, and I suspect that Marco’s still in the woods, looking for Kendall. I put her in the front seat, buckling her seatbelt. She’s covered in scrapes from the woods and there are leaves and sticks in her hair. She’s all but hyperventilating. Shit. What a turn this night has taken, from me appreciating Kendall’s figure to trying to save her life. “He saw me,” she mumbles. “He saw me see him, and now he’s going to kill me, Camden.” “No, he won’t,” I say firmly. “No one’s going to hurt you while I’m around,” I promise. Kendall looks at me and I cup her chin in my hand again. “Look at me,” I tell her as her eyes dart around nervously. She looks into my eyes. “Everything’s going to be okay,” I say slowly. “You’re safe.” “I’m safe,” she repeats in a low voice, but she’s still trembling when I drop her chin and pull out of the driveway, tires screeching as I get on the main road. It’s another ten minutes before she speaks again. “Where are we going?” “Somewhere safe,” I say simply. There are half a dozen safehouses between here and the city, and I plan on using them. Dante has given me the keys, after all, and in the meantime, he’ll keep Elora safe. “Where’s Elora ?” Kendall asks suddenly. “Is she okay? We have to go back,” she says, clutching at my forearm. “She’s okay,” I tell her quickly. “She’s with Dante.” Kendall lets out a sigh of relie f. “Oh, thank god.” Then she promptly bursts into tears. I make it another six miles away from Bruno’s before I pull over, unable to take the sounds of her sobs anymore, and draw her into my arms. “It’s going to be okay,” I tell her softly, stroking her dark hair. “I’m going to keep you safe.” She doesn’t answer, just shaking and pressing her face into my chest, getting my silk shirt wet, but I don’t give a fuck. She’s just a kid and she’s been through so much tonight. The least I can do is comfort her. When her sobs turn into sniffles, I let her go and put the car back into gear, pulling back out onto the road. “It’s about an hour drive. Try and get some rest,” I tell her, and Kendall remains quiet but she doesn’t sleep, just looking listlessly out the window. I take a deep breath, unable to believe what has happened in such quick succession. I’m stuck with my little sister’s best friend, trying to keep her alive, all because my sister couldn’t keep it in her pants while her “boyfriend” was away. When we arrive at the safehouse, I lead Kendall inside and she’s still as quiet as the grave. I grab the duffel bag full of clothes and hand her a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt. “Sorry, we didn’t anticipate any women being in this safehouse,” I apologize, but she just takes the clothes and goes into the bathroom downstairs, not saying a word. I rub my hand across my face, cursing under my breath. This isn’t how I thought I would spend my weekend, that’s for sure. I call Dante while she’s in the bathroom, heading into the kitchen to see if there’s a bottle of whiskey somewhere. Thank god, there is, and I pour myself a generous helping and knock it back while I wait for Dante to answer. “Camden?” he asks. “How’s Elora ?” I ask instantly. “She’s sleeping now. Mia gave her a sedative,” he says, and I let out a sigh of relief. “How’s Kendall?” “Almost catatonic,” I say softly. “She’s been through a lot.” “What’s the plan?” he asks. “Marco will be on the run. The hit wasn’t sanctioned, and all of the Espositos will be on the lookout for him,” I say. “The problem should take care of itself, but I need to keep Kendall safe in the meantime.” “Noted,” Dante says easily. “Use the cash safe in the safehouse,” he says. “There’s about thirty grand in there.” “Thanks, capo,” I mutter, and I mean it. “No problem. I’ll keep your sister safe.” I hang up the phone and Kendall comes out of the bathroom, the shirt and shorts hanging off of her. She rubs her hands across her arms. “Where should I sleep?” she asks meekly. I gesture upstairs. “There’s three bedrooms up there,” I tell her. “Pick one.” She flinches a little at my tone and I feel like a real asshole. Sure, tonight has been stressful for me, but it’s been a lot more stressful for her. “I don’t want to sleep alone,” she says quietly, and I nod, pouring another glass of whiskey and offering it for her. “I’ll stay with you,” I promise. “Until you fall asleep.” She looks up at me and throws back the whiskey in the glass. “Thank you,” she says quietly. “For everything.” I shake my head. “Thank you for keeping an eye on Elora . I’m sorry it didn’t go the way we wanted.” She puts the glass down on the table and turns, looking back at me as if expecting me to follow. I grab the duffel bag so that I can change into something more comfortable and follow her up the stairs. I head into the master bedroom, since there’s a bathroom in there, and change into a T-shirt and a pair of sweats. When I come out, Kendall has climbed onto the bed, getting up under the covers, and she’s lying on her side, looking at me. “Camden?” she asks softly when I sit down in the chair next to the bed. “Will you hold me? Just for a little while?” I swallow hard, Cazzo, I can’t deny her such a simple request after everything she’s been through. I climb into bed with her and put my arms around her, drawing her close. She sighs and leans back against me, and I move my hips away from her ample ass, not wanting to embarrass her…or myself. “Goodnight, Kendall,” I sigh, thinking there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep, not after everything tonight. My mind’s racing, but my eyes feel heavier than I expected. Just as I’m starting to drift off, I hear it—a faint creak from somewhere outside the room. I sit up, my pulse quickening as the sound draws closer. My eyes flick to Kendall, still under the covers , unaware. Another creak, louder this time, just outside the door. Who’s there?