Heart of Light (35 page)

“This arrangement will only work if you’re available when I need you to be. And I’ll need you to come to my house every night…”

“
Fuck
!” Cam bellowed, punching a hole in the wall of his living room, his face flaming red in outrage. “How did he get that?!”

Elsie hushed him, listening to the conclusion of the press conference.

“I don’t need to show you the rest of this video, but you see what I was up against. I beg you, the American people, for forgiveness in this troubling time. I will not name any names at this point, as I hope that this woman will see the error of her ways. And I hope that God can find it in his heart to forgive her and lead her back into His loving arms. I’m praying for you.”

The video froze on a scratchy close-up of Jolene, the name of the bar on her work shirt visible for all to see.

“How the fuck did he get that?!” Cam screamed once more, pacing the living room, his mind racing, wondering if Jolene was at risk of being found. Senator Murphy had laid out more than enough clues for anyone to find her if they were paying attention.
 

“All the footage is backed up to an off-site server. I had to request it from our company. I’m beginning to think he knew about that camera and there was no missing DJ equipment. He probably had someone hack into the computer in the back room, hoping that I’d save this little video if I ran across it.”

Cam stopped abruptly in front of Elsie. “What should I do? I’ve got to get her far away from here.”

“She can’t travel anywhere. You heard what the doctors said. Bed rest for at least the next week.”

“Can we stay at your place? You’re always over at Benny’s anyway.”

“Why? I don’t get it.”

“Just in case someone can tie her to me. Apparently, this guy’s got it out for me, too. Jolene said he threatened her with getting my license to practice revoked. She said she didn’t care about anyone finding her anymore. She did what she did for me.”

Elsie’s eyes grew wide. “What a cold-hearted prick.”

“Yeah. So I need to get her out of this house, at least until this all blows over.” He pulled back the curtains, scanning the street for any suspicious activity.

“But they could just as easily tie her to me, too. Hell, that video was from the bar I run. The sick prick zoomed in on her t-shirt that broadcasted where she worked for everyone to see!”

“True. But your building still has all that security, right?” he asked, his expression hopeful.

“We like to call it our concierge department,” Elsie replied sarcastically.
 

“Good. I’ll take all the added protection I can get. In the meantime, you need to hold on to that video and do not let it out of your sight.” He grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down an e-mail address. “When I tell you to, send it here. It’s an encrypted, secure e-mail. He has people who aren’t sucking the government’s tit that will be able to authenticate it.”

Elsie read his scribbling, making out a rather complex e-mail address. “Hold on. Is this who I think it is?” she asked excitedly.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes. Don’t go all fan-girl crazy right now, though. I’ll call him in a little while and tell him what’s going on. I have a feeling I may need his help. I have no idea whose pockets this guy’s been greasing with all of this bullshit. Any police officer worth his pension would know that the audio on that video was a fake and his story didn’t add up. He didn’t have a fucking mark on him. That leads me to believe that he’s got police on his side here. I want someone who knows how to work around the system.”

“I’d work
him
around the system,” Elsie remarked.

Cam laughed, happy to have her there to lighten the mood.

He knew it was rash, but he wanted to try to hide Jolene away, worried that someone would be able to track her to his house. And he had no intention of telling her about the statement that prick just made. She didn’t need to live in fear of being found.

G
REG
WAS
SITTING
ON
the couch in his one-level ranch house, watching the evening news with Laney. They had just enjoyed a rather delicious dinner. She sure knew how to cook.

As he took a sip of his club soda, debating whether it was time to finally take the next step with her, he saw a black-and-white surveillance video appear on the newscast, the subtitles indicating something about a scumbag politician who had paid a woman for sex and was now seeking forgiveness. Raising himself off the couch to refill his beverage, he stopped abruptly in front of his flat screen television, dropping the glass to the floor, pieces shattering everywhere.

Laney ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Talk to me, Greg,” she begged, seeing that he was completely frozen in place. “What is it?”

His eyes remained fixed. “That’s Jolene,” he quivered.

She was taken aback. “Are you sure?” She grew concerned that he was so desperate to finally find his daughter that he was now grasping at straws.

“Of course I’m sure,” he said harshly before relaxing his voice. “I’m sorry, Laney. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just… She’s my daughter. I know the last time I saw her was when she was fifteen, but I’d recognize her anywhere. She has her mother’s eyes. That’s my Jolene. I’m certain of it.”

She nodded. “You need to go then.”

“I do.” The video zoomed in on her shirt, the name of a bar and city easily distinguishable. Finding a piece of spare paper, he jotted down the information as fast as he could.

“Okay.” She walked over to the kitchen island and grabbed her purse. “Just make me one promise,” she said, approaching him once more. “Promise that you’ll be smart. That you’ll think with your head and not your heart.”

“What do you…?”

She held her hand up quickly, stopping him from speaking any further. “Gregory, I’ve known you since you graduated from the police academy over thirty years ago. I know how you get. When it comes to Angie or Jolene, you don’t think clearly. Please. Be safe. I don’t want to show up to work one day and have to be analyzing evidence found on
your
body.” Her chin trembled with emotion at the thought.

“Laney, baby…” Pulling her into his embrace, he caressed her back. “I promise. I’ll be smart. I’ll have Mark come with me. He’s the second best voice of reason in my life.” He delicately kissed her forehead.

“And who’s the first?” She tilted her head and looked into his brilliant blue eyes.

A gentle smile crossed his face. “You are. Always.”

“Damn straight. Be safe.” She stood on her toes and planted one last kiss on his lips before leaving, a bad feeling enveloping her body.

~~~~~~~~~~

“W
HY
ARE
WE
STAYING
here?” Jolene asked as Cam carried her into Elsie’s apartment.

“It’s just a precaution. I don’t want anyone being able to find you, and Elsie’s building has heavy security,” he replied, carefully laying her down on the large bed in the master bedroom.

“I feel fine, Cam,” she said as he propped her leg up on several pillows. “You don’t have to treat me like I’m going to break.”

“Please, Jolene. Let me take care of you. To make up for…”

“Stop it,” she scolded. “It’s not your fault. But if you really want to make up for it, I accept little blue boxes,” she joked. “Or nice velvety black ones with the word
Cartier
on the inner silk.”

“I’ll have to remember that.” He leaned down and kissed her wavy hair.

She cringed from the contact of Cam’s lips on her.

He immediately pulled back. “What? What is it? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“No. It’s not that. I like it when you touch me. It’s just…” She trailed off, nervously avoiding his eyes.

“What? What do you need? Name it and it’s yours, peaches.”

She took a deep breath. “I want to wash my hair. I feel disgusting and I’m sure that I look even worse.”

“Impossible, Jolene.” He gazed at her, the love he felt for her incomparable to any emotion he could ever recall experiencing. Gently caressing her hand and savoring the silky feel of her skin, he lowered his voice. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world. You just have a few battle wounds, that’s all.”

“How do you do it?” she whispered.

“Do what?”

“How do you always know exactly what to say to me so that I fall even more in love with you?”

Lowering his mouth to hers, he ran his fingers down her face, the bruises fading. “Because it’s the truth, Jolene. I am head-over-heels in love with you. And I plan on spending every day showing you how much I adore, admire, and worship you. That’s what you deserve. You are worthy of so much more than what I can give you. I just hope my love is enough.”

Her chin quivered, all the pent-up emotions she felt over the past week rushing forward.

“Don’t cry, baby.”

“They’re not sad tears. They’re happy tears.” She gazed into Cam’s blazing silver eyes. The heat in his expression made her melt into the bed. In just that one look, she could see exactly what she meant to him.

“I’ve missed this.”

“What?” Cam asked, his mouth still hovering over hers.

“Almost kissing you,” she replied, lifting her arm up to stroke his back. She yelped, the movement causing pain to sear her ribs.

“I’m sorry, Jolene.” He pulled back, able to sense her growing frustration with her injuries. Even the slightest motion caused her immense discomfort.

“Cam…” She turned her eyes from his, feeling uneasy about what she had to ask of him.

“What is it? What do you need me to do?”

“I need to shower, but…”

“What?”

“I can’t stand, Cam. I’m going to need help. And with my ribs, I can’t really…”

“I told you, Jolene. I’m going to take care of you.”

“This is just so embarrassing.” Tears began to reform in her eyes.

“Jolene, angel…” He grabbed her hand in his. “I know this is difficult for you. You’ve had horrible, unspeakable things happen to you for too many years. I know depending on anyone goes against everything you swore to yourself, but you can depend on me. Do you trust me?”

“Of course.” She didn’t even hesitate. After everything she had been through in her life, Cam was the one person she had come to realize that she could trust. He was her light.

“You know I love you. I said I would stand by your side, and if that means I get to wash your hair and help you bathe…well, I just hit the fucking jackpot.” He winked as he carefully picked her up in his arms and took her into the bathroom.

As he delicately washed her hair and ran a loofah over her skin, Jolene gazed in his eyes, the love he had for her evident. At that moment, she realized that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. For the first time she could remember in recent years, she wanted a future…a future with Cam.

~~~~~~~~~~

“C
AM
?” J
OLENE
ASKED
SEVERAL
hours later as they lay in the large bed, the room illuminated by a dim light filtering in from the hallway.

“Yes, peaches?”

“When we were in Key West, you mentioned that you had patients that had been through similar events as me, right?”

“I do,” he responded cautiously. Even though he was itching to ask Jolene if she knew a woman by the name of Lori, he was bound by the rules of his profession and his own code of ethics. “I can’t really discuss in detail what they’ve been through, but one of my specialties is working with women that have been the victim of human trafficking.”

Jolene shuddered. “That term makes it seem so horrible.”

“It
is
horrible. You went through something that no one should ever have to endure.” He reached out and pulled her body closer to his, wanting her to feel loved and cared for, something she hasn’t felt for years. “Is this okay?” he asked softly. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

“Impossible. Your arms wrapped around me is where I feel safest. I don’t ever want to leave your embrace.” She nuzzled her face against his naked chest, inhaling deeply.

Cam groaned when she began planting soft kisses on his body.
“How long did the doctor say we had to wait?” he asked, somewhat surprised that the attack didn’t impair her desire to be intimate with him.
 

“Until my ribs are healed, Dr. Bowen. You wouldn’t want to break me, would you?” She slowly traced a circle with her tongue, smiling to herself when she felt him harden against her. “I’m quite the delicate flower, ya know.” She returned her lips to his chest, torturing him once more.

Closing his eyes, he tried to think of anything other than the incredible sensation of Jolene’s lips on his body. He couldn’t remember ever being so aroused.

“Jolene…” he breathed.

She pulled back, searching his eyes. “Kiss me, Cam.”

Tenderly cupping her face in his strong hands, he pulled her toward him. “You’re killing me, you know that, right?”

Her eyes watered from the intensity of his expression.

“I love you so fucking much, Jolene. I want to show you exactly how deep my love for you is. I want to give you so much pleasure and it’s killing me that I can’t make you feel good right now.”

“Oh, Cam.” Tears streamed down her cheek. “I feel your love, even though I can’t…” She avoided his gaze, hating that she couldn’t give him what he wanted at that moment.

“Hey. Look at me, Jolene.”

She instinctively raised her eyes to his. “I just want to make you feel good.” He brushed his lips against hers. “I miss the expression on your face when I make you come, Jolene. Do you have any idea how beautiful you look when you’re completely overwhelmed with ecstasy from my touch? God, Jolene. That does it for me. I love making you feel good.”

“I like it when you make me feel good,” she replied, giddy with excitement from his words. He wasn’t the only one frustrated with having to refrain from sex. “No. I take that back. I
love
it when you make me feel good. And, to be honest, good isn’t quite the word I would use to describe how I feel when you make me come.”