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"What went on in there?"

"With Douy?"

My lips twitched in a half-hearted suys anymore I don’t even knohat I a softer "You had to kill those ave his that I’m not proud of too" There was a rawness in his tone, like he was close cracking open "I don’t think you and I can ever go back to being the people ere before"

His words hit o back to being in with – but that if we’d both changed, could we find each other again as we had before? Did Camden lose himself in order to save me, and if he did, did that mean I’d lost the Camden that loved hts, jolting me into the present I was about to take off toward the roo toward us casually, his face in shadow until the last minute

"What happened?" I exclaimed

"He set her arm," he said He walked over to the bar and pulled out a crystal bottle of dark a the top off with a pop

"Without any pain medication?" Camden asked incredulously

He callass and swirled it around "We don’t have a lot of ti, don’t worry"

"Don’t worry?" Ca up to hi at the glass "I’m fairly sure Alonso made this in his bathtub" He eyed Camden with amusement "And yes Don’t worry She’s my sister I knohat’s best for her She’ll be on soood kind, better than that iven"

Camden’s fists clenched and Javier saw that too

"Easy there, big boy," he said, grinning He finished the rest of the drink and slalass down He wiped the back of his hand across his snaking lips "You’re so overprotective over the ladies They’re a lot tougher than you give them credit for, you know"

Javier winked at me and went back down the hall Camden went to the bar, snatched the booze off the table and then storht, perhaps hoping to drink the rage out of hio Camden wanted to be alone and I didn’t want to be with Javier

I sighed and sat down on Alonso’s couch

And waited

CHAPTER SIX

"Ellie, do you ht?"

I looked behindJose up to the motel that Do place, quite busy, with noise thu from the bar at the end of the row That here Dom had wanted to meet us

"I’d love to," I told her

"If it’s not one Bernal, it’s another," Javier reh he didn’t seem to notice Instead, he merely tapped the front of the seat so I could let him out Camden was still asleep froainst the

We had been at Alonso’s for about an hour Eventually Violetta was brought out to us, high as a kite ontheher arm Camden had successfully drunk half the bottle of mystery booze and had lapsed into an even more quiet and introverted state Alonso didn’t seeone I wondered if he really was a doctor, and if so, if he was still practicing The more I learned about the cartels and the people tied to theine so lord and I couldn’t see hi on to any other career if he had to This was Javier’s past and future, this was his destiny, and nothing else would ever compare to that

I certainly never did

Don’t getsorry for myself I knehat I didn’t know then, that for soh It’s just sad that I had to learn that twice, two lessons six years apart

Okay,a little bit sorry for myself It was hard not to when I was reminded of what I had with Camden and what my actions had cost me

We stepped out of the car, Caood Nothing suspicious, no one out to kill us Not yet, anyway

"I’ll get us the rooms," I said, about to walk off but Javier pulled me back

"With what money?" he asked

I pulled out my wallet from my back jean pocket and waved it at him "There’s more than a few lives in that car, more than a few credit cards One of them ork"

He raised his brow "Perhaps you should start taking inventory of your stuff before you beginassumptions You knohat happens when you assume, don’t you?"

I rolled my eyes "Yes, they et you killed," he said quickly He pushedover his shoulder, "I’ll get this And yes, I’ll ether"

Oh, of course, like he was letting us The ass always had to be in control

I turned to see Violetta and Caainst the car inin the heat of the night, his body, strong yet tired Both of them were a little fucked-up in the head at the lazed, their half-smiles loopy I had to admit, I was kind of envious It would be nice to be oblivious to the shit going on around iven turn