Her Forever Hero (Unexpected Heroes #3)(67)

“You’ve always had the best lines, Cam.” She sniffled.

“It might sound that way, but I love you, Grace. I mean what I say to you.”

“You don’t love me, Cam. You don’t even know me anymore,” she said, tears in her voice.

“I know everything I want and need to know about you.”

“No. No, you don’t. We were young and stupid when you left for college. We both made mistakes—mistakes that hurt people and that we can’t take back.”

“I know all about Jimmy, Grace. That wasn’t on your shoulders. That was all him. Don’t punish yourself for a crime against you. Your mother should go to prison for what she did to you.”

Anger still filled him to even think of what Grace had gone through—and, worst of all, he should have been there for her, shouldn’t have assumed she was cheating on him, that she hadn’t waited for him.

“We were both foolish when I left for college. I was selfish and wanted to see the world, thought I had everything in the palm of my hand. And you were just young and you trusted the wrong person. Can’t we let go of the past and move forward? I still love you, just in case you didn’t hear me. I still want to be with you. And though you might have a hard time admitting the truth, I can see it shining in your eyes whenever you let your guard down. I know you love me, too. I know you believe in us.”

She was silent for several moments, so Cam stood there with her in his arms as he tried to show her by his touch how special she was to him. He never wanted to let her go. If he messed this up this time, he might not ever get over it.

“There are some things we can’t take back from those days, some things we can’t forget,” she said, so much sadness weighing on her that it nearly ripped his heart open.

“Tell me, Grace. I’m sure we can figure this out,” he assured her, pulling back so he could see her face.

“I need tea. Do you want tea?”

He could see she was trying desperately to hold herself together and that she was looking for an excuse to be alone for a moment. “Yes, tea would be nice.” He gave her the chance to get away, but only for a few minutes.

When she came back in the room five minutes later carrying a tray with hot water, tea, and fixings, he was seated on the couch.

“You said there was a break in my case.”

Her tone had changed from angry, and then sad, to neutral. She was holding it all in now. Cam wanted to fix that, but he knew she’d been controlled before, so he made himself let her work through it even though that wasn’t easy for him.

“Yes. I have a plan on how to catch the person,” he told her.

Finally, a spark of light entered her eyes. “Who is it, Cam?”

“I’m not going to say that right now. I want to get this person, and the only way to do so is by catching them off guard. I need them to trust me, to think I’m their friend.”

“You don’t trust me?” she asked, her voice deceptively calm.

“No.” He didn’t elaborate and her eyes narrowed once again.

“I’ve been taking care of myself for a very long time, Cam. I can handle this.”

He paused for several long moments and then did something she would have never expected him to do.

“You’re right, Grace. I’m sorry. I just want to protect you. But you need to know.”

She waited and he said nothing further. “So . . .”

“It’s Vince. He was incredibly good, but he’s been siphoning money from his father’s company and collecting money through this nonprofit in your name. He’s watched you. He only takes money from the local bank when you’re in the area, and then it immediately goes into an offshore account. He’s covered his trail well, but we have him. He won’t escape this now.”

“Seriously?” she said after a few moments, completely thrown off by this. “I don’t get it. I don’t understand at all. I really thought it might be my mother. I was terrified it was her.”

“I thought so, too, which is why it took me so long to find Vince. I wasn’t looking in the right places. Axel made a big break in the case finding the company Vince’s father owns in Chicago. After we got that information, it all came together.”

“So does this mean it’s over?” she asked, hopeful for the first time in a while.

“Not yet, but it won’t be long now.” He moved closer to her and put his arm around her. “I’ve missed you, Grace, really missed you.”

“Cam, don’t do this . . .” she begged.

“Just let me take care of you,” he said, which stiffened her back.

“Of course: Cam to the rescue, because poor little Gracie can’t take care of herself,” she said.

“You’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. I’ve seen you do it time and time again. But it’s also okay to be taken care of once in a while.”

“Maybe I am tired of doing it on my own, but it’s not so easy to admit that,” she finally said.

Cam’s eyes softened and it was nearly her undoing.

“Grace, I’m going to pick you up in my arms and carry you to your room. Then I’m going to lay you down and crawl into bed next to you.”

“No, Cam. I don’t want that,” she said, but she didn’t mean it.