Chapter Five
“Do you keep your cell phone with you?” Jaeger asked when they slid out of his car, parked at the end of the Hatch Psychiatric Center lot.
“No, we’re allowed to have pagers. They’re lighter. They’re also crap.”
Jaeger walked alongside her, managing to keep his cool. For the past hour, they hadn’t exchanged many words after he’d told her about his sexual preferences. He’d shared his secret with her in hopes she’d be irked by it. He’d seen the long glances she shot his way, and when she’d touched his hand, a thrill of both excitement and fear shot up his arm. So he ended up telling her, to discourage her from displaying any signs of interest.
Camila checked in at reception, instead of showing her ID like the other doctors. He listened as she told the receptionist something about bringing a psychology student for a tour, and the burly receptionist asked for his ID.
Jaeger handed it to the man, who frowned and checked it.
“You’re a student?” the guy asked.
“Yes. Misspent youth,” Jaeger said.
The receptionist printed an ID label and handed it to Jaeger. “Make sure your cell phone is off and not on you. No pictures allowed. Don’t interact with the patients.”
“Thank you.”
Jaeger put the ID on his chest and went with her. Once they passed the hallway, he took off the sticker and put it in his pocket. “Where does Jeffrey keep his cell phone?”
“Probably in his locker, unless he’s in the break room charging it.”
“Take me to his locker first.”
She glanced at him. “People will notice you’re not a doctor.”
“Let me worry about it.”
She led him through an area where positive quotes filled the walls. It seemed a bit cheesy, but at the same time he appreciated the difference from the usual plain, arctic white hospital walls.
When he entered the locker area, she led him to Jeffrey’s. A couple of people waved at her and she greeted them back. He could tell by her stiff walk none of this made her comfortable.
“It’s this one,” she whispered to him, and gave him cover by hanging next to him while he popped the lock open. “You’re good.”
He rummaged through the paperwork, some of it just patient reports, and a couple pictures hanging on the back. One of them was a group photo, with about six people on it—and she was one of them. “When was this taken?”
“Oh. We celebrated his birthday. A year ago, at the cafeteria,” she said, pointing at the cupcakes.
Why would he keep a picture that included the girl who told him off? Jaeger tapped the metal, but besides a couple of packs of gum and a change of clothes he found nothing. “Where else did you say his cell phone could be?”
“He could be breaking the rules and keep it with him.” She glanced at her watch. “There’s a break room the interns hang out in between patients. But it’s small and if you go in there, they’ll know you’re not one of them. It’s not necessarily a place I’d show anyone on a tour.”
“Take me there,” he said.
She didn’t exchange many words as they entered the elevator to the second floor. He heard a couple of shouts from patients as they rode the elevator. The stark reality of the other floors surpassed the quiet serenity of the lobby level.
“Is someone playing the piano?” he asked when he heard notes from far away.
“It can be soothing.”
He gave her a once-over. “No doubt.”
The elevator came to a halt. This level had a lot of rooms, some of them with glass walls so the nurse stations could keep an eye on the patients. “This level is for patients who come from emergency situations and need more care.”
“Where’s the break room?” he asked.
“The last one on the right.” She pointed. “We’ll go in together. If we see anyone, I’ll say you’re a friend. Sometimes residents charge their cell phones there. As long as they leave them there and don’t have it on them while we see patients the director won’t yell at us.”
“Okay.”
She opened the door for him, and he walked into the break area. A small window reminded them there was still a vibrant world outside. Inside, a couple of tables and several chairs occupied the space, with a small kitchenette comprised of a microwave, refrigerator, and a sink. Three interns talked to one another, then looked toward Camila and Jaeger.
“Hi, guys.”
“Hey, Camila,” said one of them, and he continued to ask about a patient. Jaeger tuned him out, scanning the room, then focusing on the devices charging on the counter. How in the hell was he supposed to know which one was Jeffrey’s?
“Have I seen you around before?” one of them asked.
“I’m showing him around,” Camila said. “I just came to see if my phone was done charging,” she said, walking up to the charger area. She pulled one of them from the dock and slid it in her pocket. “What do you know? It’s ready.”
Very smart. She’d recognized Jeffrey’s cell, so she picked it up. A smile curled his lips. They made a good team, didn’t they? Now all they had to do was leave the area, give it to Tony, who should be waiting in the lobby, and he’d work his magic. Quickly, so she could return it without Jeffrey noticing.
“See you guys later.” She waved and headed to the door, but halted when someone new stepped in, blocking her way. “Oh. Jeffrey. Hi!”
Jeffrey was a medium-built guy with brown eyes and a scar on his neck. “Hi.”
“I wanted to talk to you about something in private,” she said. “I need your help with a case.”
“Can we do it some other time? I’m kind of busy,” he said, and motioned to move.
“I really need your help. Please? I’ll cover your shift whenever you ask. Promise.”
“Okay, fine,” he said.
“Awesome. Let’s go to the cafeteria,” she said, and maybe then she realized she still carried the cell phone Jaeger needed. She turned to Jaeger, but before she opened her mouth, he said, “Thank you for everything,” and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
The kiss should have been quick, but he lingered, enjoying the softness of her skin. She sighed, and he moved a bit closer to her lips. What would it be like to kiss her? Pulling her to him, Jaeger slid his hand into her pocket, discreetly grabbed the cell phone, and jammed it in his. Gently, he moved away from her and walked past them.
What would it be like to kiss her? The question echoed in his ears as he headed to the emergency exit and flew down the flight of stairs. His body roared with frustration, asking—no, demanding more. And a part of him knew it wouldn’t be long until he found out…
…
Four more days. Can’t wait to see you.
Camila read the text from her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Erika Lancaster. With the craziness involving her current situation, she hadn’t given much thought about her bridesmaid role in Emanuel’s impending wedding ceremony in the Hamptons.
Given her crazy morning, it was a wonder she remembered much at all. She’d distracted Jeffrey in the cafeteria for thirty minutes to be on the safe side, giving Jaeger ample time to complete his task. When he’d returned upstairs, he’d put the device back in the charger. Thankfully Jeffrey hadn’t suspected a thing—though he asked her who the guy who kissed her was.
The kiss. Growing up in Brazil, she was used to pecks on the cheek, but his lips on her flesh had been so much more intimate. They’d sent a current of arousal through her faster than she could say “crazy attraction.”
Her phone pinged again with a heart emoji, and she shook her head.
Yes, I’m super excited, too. The idea of being a bridesmaid seemed a lot more appealing a couple of months ago when Erika had asked her. Since her brother and Erika lived together in Brazil and were flying in to celebrate the big day at her family’s Hampton estate, she hadn’t had to perform a lot of the duties traditionally expected. Addison, her other sister-in-law, had already thrown a bridal shower in Rio a few weeks prior.
Good. Will there be a plus one? Are you seeing someone right now, or bringing a friend?
Camila tossed the phone on the other side of the bed. The guest room in Jaeger’s apartment reminded her of a hotel suite: functional, impersonal, and clean. She never knew so many variations of beige existed until she saw those walls, armoire, bedsheets, and nightstand. If only her life were as uneventful as that room.
How could she attend the wedding with someone on her tail? Maybe her stalker wouldn’t go as far as the Hamptons, but on the other hand some time away from NYC might give whoever wanted to hurt her an edge. She’d be away from her surroundings. Sure, her family would be in tow, but why would she ruin her brother’s special day by telling them someone had threatened her?
Her phone pinged again, but she decided to ignore the text. First, she’d have to figure out what she’d tell everyone.
A knock startled her, and she rushed to open her door.
“So far Jeffrey Morgan is clean. Nothing on his cell phone incriminates him or gives us a clue,” he said, curling his fist. “We’ll finish going through those videos tonight.”
“Sure.”
She followed him to his office and fiddled with her plaid T-shirt. A ball of heat coiled low in her stomach.
He gestured for her to take a seat at the larger chair, then sat next to her, the same place he’d occupied the night before. She plopped with a sigh. As much as she loved to fantasize about his large hands on her, she had to stop. She’d never had sex with a guy who tied her up, and the idea clogged her throat with apprehension.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Time to deviate. “In four days, I’m expected to go to a wedding in the Hamptons. It’ll last about three days with the arrival day, rehearsal dinner, and the ceremony itself.”
“Just cancel it,” he said.
She turned to face him. “It’s not that simple. It’s my brother Emanuel’s wedding, and I’m one of the bridesmaids. I can’t say no, and if I do, my family will be suspicious. Prior to this whole mess, I had already put in the request to get those days off. What reason could I possibly have not to attend the wedding?”
His jaw clenched, and he looked away for a second. She could almost see the wheels in motion in his head. The contours of his face hardened for a moment, like he was conflicted about what he was about to say. “I’ll go with you.”
Moisture evaporated from her throat. “What?”
“You’ll need protection. I’d send Omar, but his wife is due any minute, so it wouldn’t be fair to haul him out of town when Linda needs him here in case her water breaks. And the other bodyguard who knows about your case is helping me with another one in town. So that leaves me.”
Of course in the business of protecting people and helping them with their problems, he probably traveled every so often. Such rationality did zero to normalize the crazy-fast beating of her heart. “O-of course,” she said, desperate to maintain composure.
She and Jaeger Bauer would be going to a wedding together and away from everything for three days.
I’ve got this.
She swallowed and hoped she was right.
“I’m so happy to see you,” Gesa said the next morning, when Camila entered her salon.
She’d known Gesa for months, and when she left a bigger parlor and opened her suite in a co-op place with other hairstylists, Camila had followed her. There was something about the warm, open way the sixty-year-old German lady treated her that made her feel at home. She also always enjoyed seeing what color would adorn Gesa’s wonderful beehive. Today the winner was egg-yolk yellow with a black bow to the side.
“Thank you.” Camila gave her a hug and tossed her tote bag on the empty chair. She didn’t need to look at the glass wall to know Omar waited for her outside, and the fact she needed someone watching her every step clenched her stomach. She’d come all the way from Brazil for freedom and now this. They’d spent hours the previous night studying the people going in and out of the post office in New Jersey, but she didn’t recognize a soul.
“What are we doing today?” Gesa asked.
“I want to chop some of it off and go for a sassier style. Maybe some highlights, too,” she said. She’d been thinking of changing her cut for the wedding. She’d maintained long hair for a while, and if her hairstyle was the only thing she could change, she’d take it.
Gesa grabbed an animal-print robe and handed it to her. “Say no more, sweetie.” She pointed at the chair in front of the large mirror and counter filled with hair products. “Have you called my nephew? I texted him a few days ago to tell him I sent you his way but haven’t had a chance to ask you.”
“Yes. Thank you. He’s been helping me,” she said, surprised at how Jaeger never mentioned it to his aunt, given she’d suggested his services. Of course, he wouldn’t…he took pride in having work ethics. If he shared her information with anyone, even his family, he would break that trust. “He’s great.”
Gesa slid on her gloves and grabbed a couple of bottles from the cupboard. “I agree. I always bug him when I have a problem and he comes running. Now if only he were as forthcoming when I ask about his love life.”
“Right.” Camila flashed her a smile, suddenly interested in his dating status herself. What if he had a girlfriend? Sure, he told her about not being the one for her to find love with, but what if that meant he’d been taken? Her pulse spiked. Shit. “Is he seeing anyone at the moment?”
Gesa started to mix the contents of two bottles into a plastic bowl. “I wish. Ever since he lost Ellen, he’s withdrawn. Poor guy.”
“Who’s Ellen?”
Gesa stopped what she was doing and sighed. “Oh dear…Ellen was his wife. She died five years ago, along with their three-year-old son, Trevor.”
Camila’s breath caught in her throat. JB had once been a husband and a father. Her fingers flew to her mouth. Jaeger had lost his family. “How did they die?” she asked, unable to shake off the uneasiness in her tone.
“He killed the son of a gang leader, so a couple of members of the gang went out for revenge. They killed them at their home while he was at work.”
“I…” She pressed her palm to her chest and inhaled a deep breath. “I have no words. That’s devastating.”
Gesa tapped her shoulder then resumed mixing the color. “I know. He was never the same after that. He left the NYPD and opened his own business though, and he’s maintained a successful one.”
Wow. Gesa kept talking, but the sound of Camila’s heart beating in her ears fuzzed her out. The loss of her mother, and then much later her father, had devastated her, but she couldn’t imagine how he could survive burying a spouse, and particularly a child. All she wanted to do was storm into his place and give him a hug.
Gesa nudged her shoulder, and she realized she hadn’t been paying attention.
She blinked. The back of her eyes burned, but she willed sadness away. Crying in front of Gesa would open a can of worms. “Yes?”
“I was wondering…have you been dating someone lately?”
Poor Gesa usually moonlighted as the soundboard to Camila’s horrible date stories. “No. I had my eye on someone, but I don’t think it’s going to happen,” she said. Especially after she’d discovered he’d been broken beyond repair. She didn’t believe he couldn’t be fixed, but he didn’t want to risk it—and that brought a lump to her throat.
Gesa waved her off. “You never know.”
Camila sighed. Sadly, she knew where they both stood and didn’t like it one bit.