Chapter 12

"You can't stay with me all day, Lynch," Camilla grumbles, not looking up from the file on her desk.

"Told you already, just as I have for the past three days, I'm not gonna be going away and leaving you alone at work," I grunt and lift the coffee her assistant brought for the both of us. I'd given her cash to go to the café down the street and get it. I had my reasons for getting her to leave, and I'd taken the time wisely by closing the door and getting right down to it.

I took Camilla hard and fast with her bent over her desk. She bit my hand to keep from screaming out, and damn, if it didn't spur me to fuck her harder. Which I did, and she'd loved every moment of it, even if she's acting like she didn't.

Next time, I think I need to take more time and enjoy eating her sweet pussy a bit first.

After overhearing her Saturday while she ranted about me and the bullshit she ranted about, I made sure she got where I'm at. The whole thing pisses me off, but I'm a man who can focus, and that's what I did. I wasn't going to be pissed at her anymore. I shifted the whole scenario. Plus, finding out what the deal was, I was able to aim my anger toward them rather than the woman who'd been hurt right alongside me.

Yeah, the fact I'd seen her making out with a frat boy pissed me off, but that was also a part of the problem of me not confronting her. If I'd gone to her days before, she wouldn't have been at some party.

What helps to ease the feeling of anger inside is having heard her say she hadn't had sex with another man. That part of her was still mine alone.

We spent the rest of the day in bed. We talked, mostly I talked her down when she'd start to get riled. Together, we went over the documents Fuse emailed. I also got to see the woman I'd claimed as mine when she was only sixteen. I waited to make her mine, and then when I did, I didn't hold on like I should've. That's on me. We're finally at a place to move the fuck forward, and that's what I'm doing.

Sunday, I took her to the cookout at the clubhouse, and she'd been introduced officially as my ol' lady. The only drama was when Camilla met Bart for the first time. It was hilarious the way she freaked the hell out, everyone laughed, and Bart just stayed where he was, not bothering anyone. She chilled out, and the rest of the day went well.

On Monday, she was back in the office, and we had the same argument every day about me being there while she worked.Today was the first time I changed tactics.

"Don't you have to work at the bar?" she asks, dropping her pen and staring at me.

"Nope," I remark, giving her a smug look. "You heard Chains the other day. Axel's got it for now."

"Right," she mutters, drawing her brows together in a way I know she's contemplating something.

"What's the question you're rolling around in your head?" I put it out there, giving her the opening she needs. Not that she actually needs an opening. I'll tell her whatever it is she wants to know. Long as it's not club business.

"I thought you liked working at the garage, working on cars," she remarks, watching me.

"Yeah, I do, but the club needed someone to handle the bar. I volunteered, and I found I liked managing it. I'm good at it, and it's a good place to be for the rumor mill. People drink and get talkative. I hear something interesting, I can look into it or make a call," I explain.

"What hours do you usually work?"

"Depends on the day. Some days, I'm there from noon until midnight. Other days, I'm there from five to midnight.There's a couple where I go in the morning and that's it. I've got a manager who helps out. She's good at it."

"She?"

A grin tugs at my lips as I see the flair of jealousy in her eyes."Yeah, baby, she, Alanna. She and her girlfriend work at the bar. Alanna manages the place while her girlfriend is the bartender and going to school to be a teacher."

I don't miss the way Camilla's cheeks blush, and she looks back down at what she's working on. Not wanting her to think anything that ain't true or a possibility, I lean forward and call her name. Slowly, she gives me her eyes. "Baby, I've got a rule, one that's not just mine, but the club's as a whole, we don't fuck with employees. Never have."

"Okay," she says and drops her gaze back down. "So, how come you're not working at the bar for the time being?"

"Because of shit going down around you and me," I answer. I hadn't yet told her everything Chains, Tyres, and I discussed, but I'm going to have to let her in on some of it.

"That's ridiculous. You shouldn't have to put work on hold because of our stuff." She scoffs and cocks a brow. "Unless, there's something I don't know. I mean, it's not like Ezra is going to come in here and cause a scene while I'm at work. Or my aunt, for that matter."

"You don't know. I've learned in the past not to leave anything to question. Anything can happen, and I'm not about to let that shit happen to you, Cams."

"Well, if you're determined you're going to stick around rather than go to your own job, you're going to have to leave this office," she proclaims, dropping her gaze back down while picking up her pen. She waves her hand and continues, "I can't focus with you in here. You're a distraction."

I stare at her for a brief moment before throwing my head back and laughing hard enough to make my stomach hurt. "Oh fuck, baby, that's good. I'm glad you see me as a distraction. Tell me, is it a good distraction or bad?"

"The worst," she mutters, not looking up, but watching her as I am, I see the way her cheeks take on a nice shade of pink.

I have every intention of making a remark about how much of a distraction I can be when the door is flung open hard enough for it to bang against the wall and in steps none other than Camilla's aunt, Helena.

"What is he doing here?" Helena all but screeches, face flaming brightly. Eyes directed at my woman, arm straight out, finger aimed at me.

"Because he's here." Camilla shrugs, voice calm, and staring at her aunt like this was any other day in the office. "What can I do for you, Aunt Helena?"

"What can you do for me?" Helena blinks, lip curling in disgust.

"Yes, what can I do for you? You obviously have a problem, considering you barged into my office to make a scene."

"I'm sorry, Camilla, she just stormed right past me," Maggie rushes out, standing just inside the office as Dan and two others step in behind her.

Helena steps forward at the same time and grits her teeth. "This isn't a conversation for over the phone," she grinds out at the same time.

"It's okay, Mags, I've got it," Camilla remarks, coming to her feet.

I also come to my feet, not about to stand on the sidelines for this.

"What conversation is it you seem to think we need to have?" Camilla asks.

"You know exactly what you did," Helena accuses, and I, for one, would like to know what she claims my woman did.

Camilla looks behind Helena to Dan and motions for him to come in. "Dan, would you like to explain to my aunt here why I asked you to see that all accounts are frozen as you are my representative."

Oh fuck.

How the hell hadn't I known she'd done that?

"Of course," Dan says, stepping into the room. "Ms. Gardner, your niece asked that I take on the situation as it's come to our attention that you have been embezzling from your niece and her husband."

"I have done no such thing," Helena scoffs, looking down her nose. "This is absurd. My niece is not married to that criminal. No one had the right to have my accounts frozen."

"Woman, I'm tired of the bullshit you keep spewing about Camilla not being married to me. You tried to separate us a long time ago, and that shit ain't about to fly now." My words are sharp and full of the hatred I feel for this woman. Everything she's done to Camilla, to me, yeah, you can say there's a lot of hate toward her.

"This has not one thing to do with you," she snaps, casting a quick glare in my direction.

"Aunt Helena, you would be wrong," Camilla states, closing the small gap between the two of us and taking my hand. Camilla tilts her head back in order to meet my gaze. "I asked Dan on Monday to look into everything that Fuse found and whatever he was able to get from my parents' lawyers."

"Guessed that from this little showdown," I grunt.

"Yes, well, I hadn't filled you in ahead of time because Dan was coming in this afternoon to meet with us about what he's done so far," she explains and returns her attention to Dan. "Dan, please continue."

"Right," Dan states sternly, not taking his gaze from Helena. "All accounts have been seized. As you are here and not at home, that now is also being taken, as well as all cars that were purchased through the holding accounts. Though those accounts were to be maintained by Camilla's husband, all payments were to be signed off by Camilla herself. You, during the time she was still a minor, were supposed to confer with the law firm. None of this you've done and as Camilla's attorney, she's placed me in charge of seeing that this is rectified. Her husband will also agree to this as he's the one who should have been overseeing this money. My advice, Ms. Gardner, is to leave this office and find somewhere else to stay the night."

"You can't take my house or car," Helena balks.

"But I can, and I have." Dan smirks, stepping closer. "You see, from the moment I became aware of you in this building, I made the call to the local sheriff's office. They are handling what needs to be done."

Considering the smugness in Dan's voice, he's enjoying this a bit too much.

Helena glares at Camilla and demands, "Why are you doing this to me? I was there for you when no one else was."

"No, you manipulated me. Used my love for family to destroy what I had with Lynch. Lied to me for years and were stealing. Trust me, when I saw it, I made sure to check everything and cross all my T's on this, I did," Dan affirms. "Now, I suggest you leave the premises before I have you escorted, which I'm sure Camilla's husband would love to see to firsthand."

"You got that fuckin' right," I mutter, pulling Camilla to my side while staring at the dreadful woman who, unfortunately, is my woman's only living family left.

"This is all a big mistake." Helena lifts her hate-filled gaze to me, her nostrils flaring. "You just have to ruin everything. My niece had dreams. Hopes and dreams, those of which you tarnished all those years ago. Because of you, she refused to marry any man or allow anyone to get close to potentially becoming more."

"Yeah, lucky me. My wife has good taste, and she's not gonna spread her legs for just anyone." I start to snort only to end up grunting from the jab Camilla lands to my side.

"Don't be crude," Camilla snaps, but I see her fighting a smile.

"Baby, it's true. You got good taste in men, and when I say that, I'm talkin' about me. You're nothing like your bitch of an aunt who, by the way, was fuckin' Ezra Pennington while he was trying to get you to go there. She was also screwing some other men, I'm sure, in hopes of using them to esteem her position in society."

Camilla looks ready to puke at this tidbit and shakes her head. "Get her out of my office," she orders and turns back to her desk. "Dan, since this little scene has happened here. I think I'll work the rest of the day outside of the office. Mags, please reschedule my afternoon appointments."

"Of course," Maggie agrees. "I'll get that done and update your calendar. You'll be able to see it on your tablet later."

"Thank you." Without so much as a look at anyone else in the room, she packs her briefcase, ignoring the unpleasant shouts of her aunt as she's led from the office.

"Take the rest of the week, Camilla," Dan states, heading for the door himself. "We'll discuss everything come Monday."

"That won't be necessary," Camilla states, refusing her boss's suggestion. "I have too much to do here to let this stop me."

"If you say so." Dan grunts, turns his attention to me, and shakes his head. "Maybe you can talk her into taking time."

"Man, you know her, she's got her mind set. She's not changing it." I chuckle, speaking the truth.

Dan grumbles a few choice words under his breath while leaving the office and closing the door behind him.

A few minutes pass before Camilla is ready, and when she is, she meets my gaze.

"Let's just go. I don't want to talk right now. I need peace and a drink."

"I can give you both, baby." Nodding, I hold out my hand. I'll get her home, make her a drink, and let her work or chill out. Whatever she wants. Afterward, the two of us will talk about what happened with her aunt. Not that there's much to talk about except for the fact she'd spoken to Dan without me knowing about it. Still, that's not a big deal.

What is, is making sure she's good and not stewing on shit that she doesn't need to be stewing over.