Chapter 27

Val sat in his pickup truck half a mile down a country road from the Kirkland estate, poring over a new case file for a drug and money-laundering scheme involving a consortium of dry-cleaning establishments, of all places. He sighed and flipped through Ellen’s workup notes. It seemed like there was no end to what people would do to make a buck, and he was constantly amazed at the ingenuity folks would employ to do bad things. If only they put their brainpower to doing some good, the world would be a lot better place.

He kept trying to focus on the case file, but his eyes were continually drawn to the pager he’d set up on the dashboard. The one that would go off if Cameron were in trouble and pressed the alert button he’d given her. It had been three hours since she had gone into the mansion, and he had no idea what was going on up there. Cursing the fact that he hadn’t insisted on a wire, all he could do was to sit tight, try to get some work done, and pray that everything turned out the way they’d planned.

After a too-long pause in his work during which he realized he’d been staring at that pager, he flicked off the light he’d rigged up in the truck, shut the file, and opened the windows. The evening was pure Massachusetts summer—fragrant and damp. The aromas of grass and wildflowers wafted in through his open window from the nearby meadow. A chorus of crickets chirping provided a soothing backdrop of sound. When he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend he was in the Meadow in Star Harbor.

As always, when he had a free moment to think, his mind drifted back to the Kirkland case. Two days ago, Colin had informed Val that the higher-ups were insistent the operation be over by the end of summer—right in time for election season, of course. Which wouldn’t be a problem, except for the fact that he had jack on his lead suspect save a couple of marginally suspicious phone calls. Sure, he had enough evidence to bring in a few mid-level dealers and suppliers, but they weren’t the big fish. If he reeled them in too soon, Kirkland could slip off his hook. The DC team had tracked the congressman’s travel plans and phone records and found a few blips, but nothing that rose to the level of smoking gun. Without a warrant, any kind of wiretapping was out of the question, and Jeff had already said that to proceed based on the information they currently had would be the worst kind of fishing expedition—legal parlance for seeking information that may or may not exist, something that would be seriously frowned upon by the courts. Somehow, he just knew that Kirkland was dirty, but his intuition wasn’t enough to go on. Was Kirkland really that good as to not leave any trace, or was he being protected by another source? Maybe he was wrong about him after all …

At that moment, his phone buzzed. Val snatched it up from the passenger seat of his truck.

Five different texts from Cameron, each with a photo attached. Quickly, he plugged in his computer and used his secure wireless hotspot to download the photos and get them to Ellen.

Then he picked up his phone to call her. “Ellen?”

“Got them, Val. So the plane exists.”

“Yes,” he said, no smugness in his voice, even though he’d been vindicated. “I need you to trace these N-numbers, and then we need to see about getting a warrant for a GPS device for the plane and the copter.”

“On it. She did good work, didn’t she?”

“The best.”

He hung up with Ellen. It was nearly another two hours until the phone call he was waiting for came. As soon as the phone rang, he pounced on it.

“Grayson,” he said.

“Val? It’s Cameron.”

Relief flooded through him, and he realized how tense he’d actually been. “You okay?”

“Yes. I’m in my car, about to head home.” Thank God.

“Can you start driving? I’ll feel better when you’re out of there.”

“Yes. I can put you on Bluetooth. Hang on.” He heard her car’s engine starting up, and then a few clicks. “Val?”

“I’m here.”

“Great. I’m on the road. Where do you want me to start?”

“With the administrative stuff. I’m sorry. I know you’re itching to tell me everything, but I want to make sure all the information you give me was obtained legally.”

“I understand.”

For a few minutes, they went through the logistics, how she got through the house, how she gained access to the outbuilding—that kind of thing. When he was satisfied that everything was kosher, he moved on.

“Okay, now let’s get onto the big stuff. You found the plane?”

“Yes. And a helicopter. They’re both in the structure you thought they were.”

“I knew it!”

“My texts were the numbers off the sides of the aircraft.”

“Figured. And the logbook was out in plain sight?”

“Yes.”

“Cam, you did such a great job. I started pulling the records for these two crafts right away.”

“Good. I’ve traveled a lot, but I have no idea what the acronyms in the logbook were. I think they’re supposed to be the names of airports, but I’d never seen them before.”

“I saw those. KIR sounds like it should be an IATA airport code, but I had Ellen pull it up, and it’s Kerry, Ireland.”

“Strange.”

“And CNP3 and KIR2 aren’t actually IATA codes at all. Ellen’s looking into it.”

“All right. Oh, and one more thing. When I asked the congressman about going to Canada, he got really weird. At first he didn’t know what I was talking about, but when I explained that his daughter had invited Cici on a trip, he seemed almost relieved. The most interesting thing was that he said, ‘I thought you were talking about another trip.’ Is that important?”

“It could be,” Val said slowly. “Shows that he’s at least a little nervous about something.” Maybe his armor was starting to crack, after all. “Okay. I’ll meet you at your place in about an hour and we can debrief.”

“All right.”

While he was driving, he called DC to let that team know to follow up with Interpol about the Canada angle. The Canadian authorities might have some additional information worth sharing.

Thanks to Cameron’s information, they might really be getting somewhere.

He was back in Boston before he knew it and parked his truck a few blocks away from Cameron’s brownstone. He went around back—prying eyes and all that—and knocked on the door.

Cameron opened it right away. “Hi,” she said, her eyes sweeping him up and down. He returned the favor. It had been only a day since he’d seen her at his office—making last-minute preparations for tonight’s operation—but he hadn’t truly examined her since last Sunday when they’d spent the night together in Star Harbor. Tonight, she looked beautiful but tired. He wanted to wipe away the stress and hold her in his arms until she relaxed. Until she was herself again. But he had a job to do first.

“Hi, Cam,” he said. “Can I come in?”

“Oh, yes. Yes, I’m sorry,” she said, opening the door wider to allow him in. “I’m just a little out of it, is all. It’s been a long night.” He locked the door behind him and she began walking up the stairs to the main floor. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Decaf, please.”

“Sure. It’ll be a few minutes. Have a seat and I’ll be right back.” She gestured to her sofa.

After she’d made his coffee and gotten some tea for herself, she sat down beside him. Over the next hour, she gave him a blow-by-blow of exactly what had transpired that night.

“All right,” he said. “We’re almost done. So what happened after you got the information from the hangar? You just walked right out?”

She shifted in her seat. “Not quite. There was a bit of an issue as I was leaving.”

“What issue?” he said, his voice inching into warning tones.

When she told him that she’d almost gotten caught in the outbuilding by the congressman, he kept as calm as he could and placed his coffee cup on the table.

“So you’re telling me that the only reason he didn’t walk in there was because Mrs. Alcott waylaid him and asked for help finding her way back to the party?”

Cameron nodded, looking anxious.

“And just what would you have done if she hadn’t appeared?”

“I would have used the alarm. I even had it in my hand, ready to go.”

He shook his head. He’d have to give Hermione a call to thank her for saving Cameron’s ass—and his own. Cameron wasn’t actually caught, but the fact that the congressman might have followed her was a bad sign. Her cover could have been blown, and there was no way he would put her in a situation like that again. Whether she was aware of it or not, her CI days were over.

“Okay, Cam, you’re right. It’s been a really long night.” He leaned over and brushed the back of his hand over her cheek, noting the shadows under her eyes. “Let’s get to bed.”

Cameron shook her head. “We’ve already bent the rules too much. And my contract says—”

“I don’t give a damn what your contract says,” Val said, sweeping his thumb over her lips. “I’ve already spent too many nights without you, Cam. I can’t bear to spend another.”

“Me neither,” she whispered.

“Then we’re in agreement.” Then he wrapped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. An electric zing coursed through him, head to toe. She never failed to make his body react like this. After a few long minutes, he leaned back in order to catch a glimpse of that warm glow on her face he liked so much to see, especially knowing that he’d put it there.

Sleepily, she smiled up at him and he just melted. He’d never thought he’d want someone like her, until he realized he wanted her more than anything else.

Love and trust shone in her eyes, and he knew it was mirrored in his own. She’d done a brave thing tonight. Brave and honest. Other women of her station might not have stepped up to the challenge, but she had. And had blown him away with her strength.

“Come on, Cam, baby,” he said, sweeping one hand around her back and the other under her knees. “I got you.”

“You don’t have to carry me,” she said, her head dropping onto his shoulders.

“You’re exhausted,” he said. “You took care of me. Now let me take care of you.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice muffled as her head dipped down farther.

He placed her on the edge of her bed and took off her clothes. Then he gently laid her down under the covers. By the time he tucked her in, she was already asleep.

Stripping off his own clothes, he climbed in next to her, tucked his body around hers, and fell asleep to the sound of her breathing.

Val groaned and wrapped his arm tighter around Cameron’s sleeping form. She sighed and snuggled back into his chest, her silk-clad bottom rubbing in just the right place. Now this was what waking up ought to be like, sun streaming into the room while he nestled next to the woman he loved.

He was a simple guy with simple needs. He didn’t need to be with her 24/7. All he needed to know was that she was the last thing he’d see when he went to bed at night and the first thing he’d see when he woke up in the morning.

Cameron stirred, and he kissed her neck, inhaling her delicate floral scent. She flipped over fast and her hair went with her, smacking him in the face. “How? What?”

“Sorry for startling you,” he said, backing off and rubbing his eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Val,” she said. “I was so tired last night, I think I forgot you stayed over. Or maybe I thought it was a dream.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Val, I missed you so much,” she said with a sigh.

“I missed you, too,” he said, covering her mouth with his.

“Wait—wait—” she said. “This could compromise the investigation, couldn’t it?”

“No. You’ve already helped enough, Cam. More than you could possibly know. And you’re not going to testify, so your credibility won’t matter.” He’d gotten a late-night email from Ellen, telling him that the two aircraft were registered to a shell corporation in Belize, and he’d given the go-ahead to coordinate with the FBI to track down the owner of that corporation. They were on to something. He could feel it. They’d also gotten a warrant to attach the GPS device to the plane and the helicopter to track the congressman’s future trips.

“So the information I got was good?”

“Cam, the information you got was great. That’s the only saving grace in all of this.” He paused. “I didn’t want to tell you this last night, but I’m worried about your cover being blown.”

“But I just told you I wasn’t found out.”

“Yes, but there are two things I really don’t like about the situation. One, that the congressman followed you, and two, that Hermione Alcott also seemed to have a hunch as to what was going on.”

“But I thought Mrs. Alcott was just lost.”

Val shook his head. “Not likely. You’re aware that I used to work with her husband.” He looked at her meaningfully.

“Are you telling me that Mrs. Alcott is also a CI?”

“I have no idea. Her identity would be protected by her handlers, just like yours is protected by my team. But what I do know is that she’s a savvy woman, and wickedly sharp. I’m sure she knows something’s going on, and I’m going to find out what.” He stroked her hair.

“This whole thing has been so much harder than I thought it would be,” Cameron said, leaning back on her pillow, his fingers still in her hair. “First of all, it’s taken forever, but that’s probably just because it’s been less time with you.” She gave him a small smile. “Plus, I feel so guilty letting Junior think that everything’s okay between us, but I didn’t know any other way to do this. I’ve been miserable these past couple of weeks, Val. I’m not a quitter, but I don’t think I can be your CI anymore.”

“What?” he said, barely believing he’d just heard those words come out of her mouth. He was going to push her to end her role later, but if she came to her own conclusion, it would make his life a whole lot easier.

“I can’t stand that just being with you right now breaks the rules,” she said, running a hand through her hair. “That’s just wrong on so many levels. I want to help with the investigation, I really do, but I just can’t give you up.” She flipped onto her side. “Seriously, where else am I going to find a man who understands me, who supports me in everything I do, and who can actually handle my parents? You’re too special to me, and I just—I can’t—” She started blinking fast, and he realized she was about to cry. Before she lost it completely, Val gathered her in his arms and tucked her head in the crook of his shoulder.

“God, Cam, I can’t believe you just said that. I promised myself after I went off on you at my office that I wouldn’t interfere with your decision to get involved. That I would stand by you and give my support. But I hate hiding what we have. It’s been killing me not to be with you. Killing me.”

“Me, too.”

She reached up and kissed him and his brain went fuzzy. He wasn’t a fuzzy-brained kind of man, but he embraced it.

Yes. It was the most natural thing in the world, and after all of this was over, after her damn CI contract was nullified, and when they could finally be alone together, he’d make this relationship permanent. She said she needed him; well, he needed her, too. Needed her strength, her optimism, even her attitude. He’d finally found the woman who was his equal and now that he had, he didn’t want to let her go.

He wanted to keep her. Grow old with her. Marry her.

He didn’t have an engagement ring for her yet, just his mother’s wedding ring waiting on his boat—the one that his brothers had saved for him. It was only a plain band, but he knew she’d accept it with an open heart.

As if on cue, she said, “I love you, Valentine Grayson.”

And when she kissed him, his world turned to gold.

Cameron emerged from her bedroom an hour later, showered and dressed, Val right behind her. It had been one of the more pleasant mornings in recent memory, and she just couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. She was still smiling when she found Cici in the kitchen. And she wasn’t alone.

“Hi, Cici. What time did you get back from Mom and Dad’s this morning?”

“Around nine. Mom wanted me to stay, of course, but I told her I had something important to take care of.”

Cameron turned her head and smiled at the important thing Cici had to take care of—a tall, good-looking young man wearing a T-shirt and twill pants, both of which were splattered with paint. “Hi, I’m Cameron.”

“Jace,” he said, holding out his hand.

“This is the guy from my art class I told you about,” Cici said. He looked just like the picture Cici had drawn of him—same tilt to his chin, same confident coolness in his gaze. Her sister really was talented.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Stahl,” he said politely, shaking her hand with a firm grip. “Cici’s told me so much about you.”

“Please, call me Cameron.”

“I will, thank you. And thanks also for letting Cici stay with you. She’s able to get to the studio a lot more now that she’s closer. She’s got so much raw talent. I can’t wait to see what she does when she has more time to work.”

Cici’s eyes widened slightly and Cameron’s smile got even bigger. Her little sister needed someone to praise her like this. To push her past her comfort zone so that she could blossom. If Jace was doing that, she liked him even more than she did already. “I love having Cici here, and I hope she wants to stay for a while. You’re welcome to come over whenever you’d like.”

“Thank you,” Jace said gravely. “I appreciate your hospitality.” This boy was getting more and more interesting. His hair was a bit too long, and he was a bit messy, but the way he spoke screamed educated. She was sizing him up when she felt Val’s presence at her side. “I’m being rude. Please let me introduce you to Val Grayson, my—”

“Man,” Val said, stepping up and shaking Jace’s hand.

“Yes, my … man,” Cameron said slowly, trying out the phrase.

Cici actually laughed. “I’ve never heard you say that before. It sounds so weird coming out of your mouth!”

Val continued unperturbed. “Cici,” he said with a nod.

“Hi,” Cici said, before giving Cameron a questioning look. “I still don’t really understand what’s going on, but if him being here means you’re not with Junior anymore, I’m all for it.” She glanced at Jace. “Let’s head out. I want to get to the Garden while the light’s just right.”

He nodded. “Again, nice to meet you.”

“It was a pleasure. And Jace, I meant what I said before.”

Jace smiled, then he and Cici left.

When they were gone, Val turned to her. “It’s nine now. Are you heading to Star Harbor?”

“Yes. I’ve been sorely neglecting the Star Harbor boutique, and Anna tells me we need to do some serious reordering of stock.” And now that she wasn’t on call for the operation anymore, she didn’t want to be in Boston another minute. Star Harbor, with its seaside charm and laid-back attitude, was calling, and after the week she had, she was in desperate need of heeding that call.

“Gotcha. Then I’m heading down there too. Can I see you tonight?”

“Absolutely.” She moved toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Your place or mine?”

“Damn, it is so good to hear you say that.”

“Get used to it, since I anticipate saying it a lot more after I phone Colin and get that contract cancelled.”

“I’ll take care of that for you,” he said. “All you’ll have to do is pop by the office to sign it.”

“Maybe you could scan and email it to me?”

“They prefer it to be done in person.”

“Then we’ll have to wait until next week because I’m spending the entire week in Star Harbor.” His face fell. “But you can’t,” she guessed.

“Right. I can stay until early Monday morning at the latest, because I have to be back in Boston. Thanks to the intelligence you provided, I have a lot of work to do.”

She sighed. “At least I’ll have tonight with you.”

“We’ll make it count.”

He kissed her and she embraced it, loving the way his body felt under her fingers. If Val Grayson was saying he’d make it count, then it would count.