7
Shep
Thankfuck.We’dhada conversation without it turning into an argument. It hadn’t been an easy one for Cameron, and now she looked miserable. It would take time for her to accept where her life was headed, but I needed her on board with this plan because it would never work if she wasn’t.
While she picked at her breakfast, I fired up my laptop at the dining table. I emailed Greg Peterson, a retired CIA officer down in Florida who made a pretty penny creating forged documents for anyone who had enough funds to buy his services. Cameron wasn’t wealthy, but Franky was about to hand over a large sum for her murder. Seemed appropriate he should pay for the things she’d need. Once I knew how long Greg would take, I could plan the rest of her relocation.
It hit me then. Two, maybe three weeks alone with her in my home. There were so many logical reasons I didn’t like that, and one foolish reason I did.
Never thought I had a type, but apparently easy on the eyes and feisty did it for me. Too bad she thought I was an asshole, not that I could blame her. I’d be wise to ignore my attraction to her and stay focused on the job. I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.
At the breakfast bar, she stared at the cooling scraps on her plate while shifting them around with the fork. No surprises that our discussion had killed her appetite.
I closed my laptop. “It’s a waiting game now. I expect we’ll hear about your documents in the next few hours.”
“Okay.” Her eyes didn’t leave the plate.
“I’ve got some jobs to do today. I’m not comfortable leaving you unsupervised yet, so you can either tag along or it’s back on the chain for a while.”
That got a reaction. The way she stared at me, open mouthed and wide eyed, anyone would think I’d asked her for a lap dance. I knew she hated the cuffs, but she was still flighty. And I didn’t want her snooping through my things.
“I guess you’ve got some company then.” Cameron flashed me a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. I suspected the chain would’ve been the easier option, but not her preferred one.
My life was fast becoming more complicated than a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle of a clear sky. I hadn’t expected this to be easy. I was shit at dealing with civilians, mostly because I had no filter for what was the right or wrong thing to say to a normal person anymore. Negotiating with an Afghan tribal leader or cutting a deal with the Mob? I knew how to talk to those guys. But having her here was a constant reminder of why I didn’t do relationships or have friends. Not that we were either of those things. This situation was doomed to be uncomfortable from the get-go. Still, I didn’t regret my choice.
“Put these on. We’re going out.” I handed her the shoes I’d retrieved from the truck and one of my warm jackets. Fall mornings were cool this high in the mountains.
Cameron slipped the runners on, wincing when she had to use her injured ankle to push her foot inside. She wrapped my jacket around her shoulders before following me outside to the large deck.
“Wow.” She stopped near the railing and scanned the endless mountain scene before her.
There were no words to describe how amazing it was here. It was the most peaceful place I’d found on this planet. I drew in a lungful of crisp air and took a moment to appreciate the view myself. I couldn’t say how many hours I’d stared over these peaks trying to put my life into perspective. Sometimes flashbacks and vivid memories from deployments became too much, but being out here made it better, tolerable.
The sun, now well above the horizon, sat alone in a cloudless sky. A light breeze blew cool air against our faces.
Cameron turned to me as awestruck as I was the first time I came here several years ago. “We’re in the Appalachians, right? Which mountain are we on?”
“Yeah, that’s the Appalachians, but I won’t be more specific than that. Not a soul knows how to find me here and I wanna keep it that way. Sorry.” I shoved my hands in my pockets.
“So, what is it you need to get done today?” she asked, filling the awkward silence between us.
“Gonna collect some firewood. I like to have a decent stockpile before the first snows arrive. It’s a bitch of a job in winter, and I’ve heard reports we’re expecting an early one this year.” I didn’t mention that the thought of spending the entire day stuck inside the house with her had me uptight. A dose of the outdoors and keeping busy was exactly what I needed. Might be good for her, too.
She followed me down the steps and to the workshop. The large barn doors groaned as I swung them open. On one side was my pickup and on the other were my tools, woodworking bench, quad bike, and trailer. Cameron watched as I loaded the chainsaw, added fuel to the bike, and hitched the trailer onto the quad.
Ranger joined us. He ran around with his stumpy tail wagging and nose already scenting for prey. I didn’t have the heart to tell him we weren’t hunting today.
I collected a rifle from the gun cabinet and secured it to the front rack of the quad.
“What’s that for?” Cameron’s gaze remained fixed on the weapon.
I popped a box of rounds into my jacket pocket. “Most likely nothing, but there’s always the chance of coming across a territorial black bear. I’ve heard the odd report of cougars in these parts, not that I’ve ever seen any. And I guess I never like to go anywhere unarmed. Old habits.”
Her wary eyes met mine. When my targets looked at me with fear, it never bothered me. But when it came from her, it made my gut twist.
Christ, she thought I might take her out to the woods and finish her off? That wasn’t the impression I hoped to make. I wanted her to trust me, but it would be difficult for her to see me as anything other than a contract killer.
“It’s not for you, Cameron. I won’t change my mind about the hit, I swear.”