Merchants with Evil Intent (52 page)

      
She cursed herself as she punched in his
phone number.

*
     
*
     
*

      
“What’s that noise?” Colleen asked,
driving away from an Italian eatery.

      
“How can ya bloody hear anything with ma cooing
over the lads?” Declan laughed.

      
“It’s a buzzing sound,” Colleen replied.

      
“It’s me mobile,” Declan muttered,
withdrawing it from his pants pocket.

      
His breath caught when he saw Camryn’s
name.

      
“Hello?” he asked, in a calm manner.

      
“What are you thinking about this exact
moment?” she gushed out.

      
His eyebrows knitted and he grinned. “Is
this a trick question?”

      
“I’m sorry. It’s a stupid question. Never
mind. Sorry I called you.”

      
She wanted to slap herself, but, oh, to
hear his voice! She was a glutton for punishment.

      
“I’m thinkin’ of a lot of things. The
first being how happy I am ya called,” he murmured.

      
Her heart twinged.
“Really?”

      
“Aye, gel, really.” Rory and Sean began
taunting each other causing Declan to turn and put his forefinger over his
lips. “What are you thinkin’ aboot?”

      
 
“How much I miss Ireland.”

      
He laughed a deep baritone sexy sound.
“Just Ireland, aye?”

      
She stopped pacing. “No, but it doesn’t
matter much.”

      
“It matters a great deal to me,” he
frowned, looking out the window of the van.

      
“Fine!
I miss
you and I’ve only been home one week and nothing feels right.
I
don’t feel right, my
apartment
doesn’t feel right. Dammit!
Even my
job
doesn’t feel right!” she
replied snippily.

      
“Ah gel, I miss you too,” he murmured.

      
“I wish I could believe you,” she said in
an edgy, hopeful voice.

      
He blinked in surprise at her words.

      
“Camryn!” a very angry voice shouted,
causing her to jump. She turned and saw Greg approaching with a menacing glare
on his face.

      
“Who is that?” Declan glowered.

      
“It’s Greg. I left the pub without
telling him and he’s furious.”

      
Greg bent to meet her eyes and nodded
with a raised eyebrow. She rolled her eyes in response.

      
“You don’t need to babysit me anymore, ya
know. I just needed air,” she huffed.

      
He growled, “Don’t. Do. That.
Again.”

      
“Tell him you’re talkin’ with your
fiancé
,” Declan snipped.

      
She sneered, “Declan says to mind your
own business.”

      
“Declan, Dylan, whatever. I can’t keep
your guys straight anymore,” shrugged Greg.

      
“Dylan?” questioned Declan gruffly.

      
Camryn waved a dismissive hand at Greg.
“Don’t pay any attention to him, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

      
“I know you’re going out with him this
weekend,” Greg teased.

      
Her nostrils flared, “Greg! You’re such a
jerk! Go back into Murphy’s and leave me alone!”

      
He crossed his thick arms against his
chest, challenging her.

      
Her eyes narrowed in response. The big
dope!

      
“Never mind him,” she said
apologetically. “Have you spoken with Colleen?”

      
“Why?” Declan asked.

      
“She’s in trouble, well her husband is. I
found out he was involved in the trafficking ring.” When he didn’t respond she
continued, “I’m sorry to have to tell you, but Declan, she’s afraid to tell you
and well, you should know so you can be there for her and the boys.”

      
It was several long moments before he
replied. “Thank you for tellin’ me. I suppose another visit to the states is in
order, aye?”

      
“I’m sure she needs you,” Camryn
murmured.

      
“Do you need me as well?” he countered,
his jaw worked slightly, anticipating her answer.

      
Like I need air, she wanted to say, but
instead she replied wistfully, “What I need isn’t important.”

      
Declan yelled, causing not only the women
in the van to jump in surprise, but also Camryn. “Dammit gel! ‘
Tis important to me!”

      
She drew a deep breath and her voice
shook slightly. “I’m sorry I’ve upset you. I promise not to call again.”

      
She tucked her phone into her pocket,
vowing to not break that promise.

*
     
*
     
*

      
From the backseat Declan heard his ma
‘tsk’ and from the corner of his eye he noticed Colleen’s frown.

      
He leaned his head against the headrest
and snorted incredulously. He’d never met a woman so…so…
difficult
.

      
Laughing in indignation he turned in his
seat. “Don’t ya be worryin’,
gels.
 
I’ll no’ be givin’ up on her just yet, even
though she’s clearly given up on me.”

      
“Uncle Declan? Are you in love?” asked
Rory.

      
Declan turned to face the lad. “Aye, Rory
that I am.”

      
Rory scrunched his nose. “Girls are
icky.”

      
Declan clarified, “Only when they’re
pig-headed.”

*
     
*
     
*

      
Camryn drove home alone in her thoughts.
Tamara and Greg hit it off and planned to go out Saturday. She was happy for
them, but at the same time, jealous.

      
She’d just have to pick up the pieces of
her shattered love life and deal with it.

      
After all, there was more to life than
love.

      
Pulling up to her apartment she spotted
John sitting on the cement porch.

      
“Hey,” she said, getting out of the car.

      
“Hey,” he half-smiled. She wasn’t herself
since returning from Ireland. She seemed…lost. It pained him tremendously that
she hadn’t turned to him.

      
Camryn opened the door. “What brings you
here?”

      
John held out a large manila envelope. “I
promised you the manuscript your mom started to write.”

      
Her breath caught slightly when she took
it from his hands. “Do you have time to stay?”

      
“Of course.”
His
heart leapt at her invitation.

      
“Did you read it?” she asked. Her fingers
trembled over the envelope flap.

      
He cleared his throat. “No, I wanted to
read her story with you.” She pulled the papers from the envelope slowly,
licking her lips in anticipation.

      
The manuscript was hand written. In the
margins of the lined paper were little notes. Her eyes swept quickly through
the pages. She estimated at least two hundred sheets of paper.

      
“There’s so much to read!” her eyes
widened.

      
“I’ve no doubt you’ll do your mom’s
manuscript justice,” he nodded firmly. “How did work go today?”

      
She shrugged and smiled warily. “Paul
wants me to give Josh my story.”

      
“Why can’t you write the article
yourself, since you lived it?” John hissed.

      
“Right?
That’s
what I said, too!” She laid the manuscript on the coffee table and placed her
face in the palms of her hands.

      
“Dad, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do
this,” she confessed.

      
John wrinkled his eyebrows and sniffed,
“Seems to me her story is almost complete. You may have to edit parts then you
can publish the book under both your names.”

      
She lifted her head and chuckled. “I
don’t mean the manuscript.” When his eyebrows drew together she continued,
waving her hand around. “I mean this. Living here, working at the newspaper,
picking up my life where I left it before I went to Ireland.”

      
She sat next to him on the couch, burying
her head into his shoulder.

      
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Cam, can you tell me what happened? Is it Orlov? Declan? Give me something,”
he asked hoarsely.

      
She pulled her tear stained face from his
shoulder, breathing raggedly. “It’s a lot of things…things I can’t talk about
now. I feel like I cry all the time! It’s not me! I’m not this wimpy!”

      
He rubbed his hand up and down her arm.
“Maybe you should make an appointment with your doctor. She may be able to
prescribe something for your nerves.”

      
She wiped her face with sleeve. “I’ll
make an appointment to see Dr. Annie tomorrow.”

Chapter
18

      
Sitting on the paper wrapped vinyl table
waiting for Dr. Annie, Camryn swung her legs back and forth idly looking at the
health posters taped to the walls.

      
She pulled her phone from her pants pocket.
No missed calls. She sighed dejectedly as Dr. Annie entered the room.

      
“Camryn!
How are
you?” Dr. Annie grinned.

      
She had an infectious grin and a way of
making Camryn feel better just seeing her.

      
“Not good, if I’m here to see you,” she
teased the doctor.

      
Camryn had been a patient of Dr. Annie
Morales’ for eight years and loved the round, short dark-haired woman as much
as anyone could love a doctor.

      
Dr. Annie lifted her thin eyebrows to
her. “I read what happened to you and I’m a little disappointed you didn’t come
see me sooner.”

      
Camryn sighed, “I’m not sure why I’m
here. Physically, I’m okay.
Mentally, not so much.
I
cry all the time and I never do that. I can’t sleep at night…I’m a mess.”

      
Dr. Annie looked up from the notes she
was taking and gazed at Camryn thoughtfully. “Well, you were under stress with
someone stalking you.” She hesitated for a moment and softly said, “How are you
handling the fact that you killed your attacker?”

      
Camryn blinked at her. “Numb?
Guilty?
Not so guilty? It all happened so fast and he didn’t
give me a choice. It was either kill or be tortured then killed. I went with
the first option.”

      
Dr. Annie nodded and scribbled more notes
and met Camryn’s gaze. “I’ve known you long enough to know you’re leaving
something out.”

      
“I fell in love,” Camryn murmured.

      
“Well that’s great news, right?” Dr.
Annie grinned.

      
Camryn shrugged, “The sex was great, but
sadly, the relationship ended.”

      
Dr.
Annie’s thin eyebrows arched high into her scalp. “Did you use protection?”
Camryn shook her head.
“Aw Cam!
Your first time and
you don’t use

protection
?”

      
“It was a spur of the moment thing,” Cam
shrugged.

      
“Let’s hope it’s not a
sperm-of-the-moment thing. Here, go pee in this for me,” Dr. Annie admonished,
handing her a clear plastic cup.

      
“Huh?” Camryn squeaked.

      
“When was your last period?”

      
“Before I left…
For.
Ireland.” Camryn’s eyes widened.