Page 14 of Haunted By the Storm
Camryn turns to me, a flicker of apprehension crossing her face. "You're leaving?"
"Just for a bit," I assure her. "I'll be back to check on you. My room's right down the hall if you need anything."
She nods, some of the tension returning to her shoulders. "Alright. Thank you, Storm. For everything."
I shift uncomfortably under her gratitude. "Just doing what needs to be done."
Eda gives me a knowing look, which I choose to ignore as I head back downstairs. The brothers are gathered in the main room, and I can tell by their expressions they're burning with questions.
"Alright," I say, dropping into a chair at the table where Ace, Shadow, and Digger are already seated. "Let's figure out how to handle this mess."
"First," Ace says, leaning forward, "what exactly are we dealing with here? Blaze said something about her kid's father causing trouble?"
I fill them in on the basics, keeping my voice low enough that it won't carry upstairs. "The guy's a rapist who knocked her up when she was sixteen. Now he's back, claiming he wants to see the kid. He’s been watching their house, making threats."
Shadow's expression darkens. "Sounds like someone needs to be taught a lesson."
"Yeah, but we gotta be smart about this," I caution. "The guy's not just some random asshole. He's Emily's biological father. If we handle this wrong, it could get messy legally."
"Since when do we care about legal?" Digger asks, brow raised.
"Since there's a kid involved," I reply firmly. "We go in guns blazing, and Camryn could lose her daughter. We need to play this carefully."
Ace nods in agreement. "So what's the plan? She stays here while we figure out how to make this Eric guy back off permanently?"
"That's the general idea," I confirm. "But there's more to it. Blaze thinks we need to make it clear she's under our protection in a way this guy can't miss."
"Meaning?" Shadow prompts.
I take a deep breath. "I'm gonna be posing as her boyfriend; make it look like she's with me in order to give this asshole something to think about before he tries anything stupid."
The brothers exchange glances.
"That's a lot of commitment for a woman you just met," Digger observes.
I shrug, trying to appear more casual than I feel. "It's just for show. Besides, Blaze asked for my help specifically. You know I don't turn down a brother in need."
Ace studies me for a moment, then nods. "Alright. The club will back your play. The woman and child are under our protection as of now."
"I want a rotating watch on them at all times," I say. "And we need to dig into this Eric's background, find out what he's really after."
"You think it's more than just wanting to see his kid?" Shadow asks.
"Men like that don't suddenly develop paternal instincts after eight years," I say darkly. "He's got an angle. I want to know what it is."
The brothers nod in agreement, and we spend the next hour hammering out security details and researching plans. By the time we finish, I'm feeling more confident about our ability to keep Camryn and Emily safe, but the larger question of how to permanently remove the threat still hangs over us.
"One more thing," I say as we wrap up. "Camryn's scared, but she's tough. Don't treat her like she's fragile. She won't respond well to that."
"Noted," Ace says. "And the kid?"
"Smart as hell," I say, unable to keep a small smile from my face. "And surprisingly resilient. Just... be mindful of what you say and do around her."
Digger chuckles. "So basically, behave like actual human beings for once."
"Exactly," I agree.
As the meeting breaks up, I find myself heading back upstairs, drawn by an inexplicable need to check on my new charges. I tell myself it's just responsibility, the weight of the promise I made to keep them safe, but deep down I know there's something more going on here. Something about Camryn Fletcher has gotten under my skin in a way no woman has in a long time. Maybe it's her quiet strength, or the fierce love she hasfor her daughter, or the way she looks at me like she's trying to figure out if I'm a threat or a savior.
