“Don’t worry, Cami. Chris is with him. You know he’ll have his back. He’s a smart cop, and he’s good at what he does. He’s been undercover before, so he knows what he’s doing.”
“That’s what scares me. He got shot trying to save my life last time. No one had any clue how dangerous Clay was. Now he’s saying, up front, that this situation is worse. It’s kind of putting me into panic mode.”
Russ got up and came over, placing both hands on my arms and stilling me. “You’re gonna have to get use to stuff like this, Cam. It’s the nature of his business. He’s a cop. He could get shot giving a traffic ticket.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “You aren’t helping things.”
“I’m only trying to be practical. You love someone who has a dangerous job. It’s a job he loves too. If you can’t handle that, you might need to reevaluate your relationship.”
“I don’t need to reevaluate. He’s everything to me. I may not have known who he really was when I fell in love with him, but I still thought he was involved in a dangerous lifestyle. I was willing to accept that to be with him. I didn’t like it, but I did it. There’s no way I’m backing out now.”
“Good girl.” Russ smiled and gave me a quick hug. “Hunter wasn’t happy about the interruption at all. He’s crazy about you, and I know he’ll do his best to hurry and get back to you. But until then, you’re gonna eat pizza and watch a movie with me. Relax and let me take care of you until he gets back.”
I snorted and gave a half smile. “I don’t need a babysitter. I’m a big girl.”
“I know you are, but I gave my bro my word that I’d watch out for you, and I intend to keep it. I owe him you know.”
“You know he doesn’t think you owe him anything. He feels your . . . overdose . . . was all his fault. If he hadn’t been around, you wouldn’t have been accidentally poisoned by a drink meant for him.”
“All I know is that it isn’t his fault Clay was a screwed up, crazy bastard, and if it hadn’t been for Hunter’s quick actions, I wouldn’t be here now with you talking about it.” He let go of my arms and went back to the couch. “I owe him my life.”
I went to sit beside him, placing my hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry about what Clay did to you.”
He stared hard at me. “Would you quit apologizing for that freak, Cami? You’re not responsible for his behavior.”
I sighed. “I feel like I am. He was my friend, and he was obsessed with me. If I hadn’t been in the picture none of this would’ve happened.”
“If you hadn’t been in the picture, he’d have been fixated on some other girl. Look, I know you two were friends most of your life, but I can’t say I’m sorry he died. He’s the kind of guy who could’ve come to school and killed everybody. He was a ticking time bomb. I know you’ve got to see that now.”
“I do.” I slouched down onto the couch beside him. “I wish I’d seen that side of him sooner, though. Maybe I could’ve done something to help him before he got as bad as he did.”
“You’re too sweet. I know Hunter loves that about you, but it kinda scares me. You trust people too easily.” He gave me a pointed look.
“I’ve never had a reason to not trust anyone until this whole thing with Clay blew up in my face. Honestly, I still think I’m in shock over it all. Sure, it’s made me more nervous around people, but I’d like to think most of the world is inherently good.”
Russ laughed loudly. “Girl, I can’t believe you, and I even grew up in the same town and went to the same school. Your world sounds completely different than mine.”
There was a knock at the door, interrupting us.
“Pizza’s here,” Russ said, hopping up. He opened the door and paid the delivery guy. “Come get some more to eat.” He carried the box into the kitchen. “Should I light the candles still?”
I snorted, knowing he was trying to lighten the mood. “Sure, why not? Might as well have a romantic night with somebody.”
He laughed. “So you know—I draw the line at the candles. I may have promised Hunter I’d make sure you were taken care of, but there will be no cuddling or making out.”
I opened my mouth to reply, and he raised his hands to halt me. “Stop right there. You should know that no amount of begging is going to get me to change my mind.”
I grinned, folding my arms as I gave him a pointed look.
“I see I’ve made you speechless,” he continued as he grabbed some plates from the cupboard. He set them on the counter and glanced at me again. “Don’t worry. It happens to most females that meet me. They can’t seem to handle all of . . . this.” He made a wide sweeping gesture over his body and then paused to flex his arms in different poses.