Bound: Minutemen MC (24 page)

Chapter 36: Found

Camilla had rarely experienced pain as sharp as the one coming from the bullet wound in her shoulder. She had always wondered—admittedly in a form of morbid fascination—what a bullet wound would feel like, but she had never been in a particular hurry to find out. Now that she was experiencing it, however, she couldn’t say that she was handling it all that well. Between the bump on her head and the hole in her shoulder, she was nauseous and shaky, and all she wanted to do was to lie down and sleep for a month.

Instead, here she was, being helped along the desert ground by Dirk, who seemed quite impressed with the way she had handled the situation. They had left Herman Ruiz’s body behind, and when Camilla had asked him if he would send someone to retrieve him later, Dirk had said no.

“Leave him to the vultures,” he said. “Although I’m not sure even they will want anything to do with him.”

Camilla had never been a supporter of revenge, especially when that revenge was bloody, but she had to admit there had been something very akin to justice about Dirk’s assault on Ruiz. She had not attempted to stop him, and not only because she knew there would be no stopping him. It felt right. She didn’t like to admit it, but it did. She had looked away when Dirk delivered the final blow, and she knew Ruiz’s gurgling noises in his final moments would haunt her forever, but she couldn’t help but think that this was justice. It was Dirk’s justice. It was Eleanor’s justice.

As she stumbled along through the fired-up desert, Camilla felt oddly at peace. She couldn’t even bring herself to be particularly worked up at the fact that they were basically stranded.

“We’re screwed, aren’t we?” she eventually said, as the made slow progress across the rocky terrain.

Dirk looked over at her as he supported most of her weight. “What do you mean?”

“We’re on foot, miles away from any useful place. The others, if they’re alive, have no idea where we are.”

“Okay, first thing first, they
are
alive,” Dirk said, huffing in annoyance. “Give us some fucking credit. Secondly, they’ll be out looking for us.”

Camilla watched him skeptically. “Are you sure?”

Dirk snorted. “What, you think they’ll just leave their VP stranded in the middle of nowhere? They’ll come.” He nodded, almost to himself.

Camilla had to wonder if he really meant it, or if he was trying to convince himself, too.

***

Dirk didn’t like what was happening. They were stranded in the middle of nowhere, miles away from anything useful, as Camilla had said. And even though the bullet had gone straight through and he had managed to stop the bleeding, he knew Camilla’s wound needed proper medical attention.

He still couldn’t believe she had shot Ruiz. He really didn’t think she would have it in her. They continued on, and he was grateful that at least they were able to retrieve his saddlebags and they had some water left. Still, even he had to admit it wasn’t looking good. He had told Camilla that Stephan and the others would come for them, but the thing was, he had no idea. As much as he didn’t like to think about it, he didn’t know if they were really okay, or if they were on the right track to find them.

He was just about to allow himself some well-earned negativity when he spotted a new cloud of dust on the horizon. He felt Camilla stiffen at his side, and he squeezed her reassuringly.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “This time it’s our cavalry.”

Camilla arched a skeptical eyebrow at him, in that way of hers that made him want to kiss her senseless. “How do you know?” she asked.

He grinned. “I just know.” He stopped and sat down on the rocky ground, bringing Camilla down with him, gently enough not to hurt her and yet firmly enough that she knew she had to follow his movements.

“What are you doing?” she asked, curious.

Dirk shrugged. “No sense in exhausting ourselves further. Let
them
do the work.”

Camilla sighed in relief, and she leaned into him. Dirk draped an arm around her shoulders, and they waited. He watched as the dust cloud got nearer and nearer until he could make out the shapes of the bikes and their riders in the distance. He had never laid eyes on a sweeter sight.

He watched as they drew nearer, and he squinted to make out their faces. It was the whole club who was riding towards them, and Dirk’s heart swelled up with pride. A few faces were missing—three, to be exact. He sent up a quick prayer for Sam Harvey, Duncan Smith, and Jacob Kaine. He saw Stephan ride in front, and he was not surprised; the man was practically indestructible.

He lifted a hand in greeting as they came to a stop a few feet away from where he and Camilla sat on the desert ground. Some of the men were bandages, and all of them had cuts and bruises visible on their faces and bare arms. They were battered, but they were alive and, for the first time in years, fully victorious.

Stephan climbed off his bike and walked over. He looked down at them and took in the pair they made.

“Well, you guys look positively exhausted.”

Dirk shrugged. “We could use a bed.”

Harry Williamson grinned, as he and the others also approached. “I bet you could.”

The others laughed, and even Dirk had to grin. Camilla glared at all of them, and he squeezed her affectionately.

“What happened to you?” Stephan asked, taking in the wound in her shoulder and the blood in her hair.

Camilla grimaced. “I shot somebody, and he shot me.”

Stephan’s blond eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You shot someone? I didn’t know you had it in you, princess.”

Camilla groaned. “Neither did I.”

“She shot Herman Ruiz,” Dirk offered.

All the men’s eyes landed on Camilla.

“You killed Herman Ruiz?” Stephan said, appalled.

“No,” Dirk clarified. “
I
killed Herman Ruiz. But Camilla helped a lot.”

Stephan looked from one to the other and back again. “So Ruiz is dead?”

“Yep. Him, and eight other Tar Mongols.” He gestured vaguely in the direction he and Camilla had come from. “You can find their bodies somewhere that way.”

“Well, shit.” Stephan exhaled slowly, and then a huge grin spread across his lips. “You guys must have a hell of a story to tell us. But first, let’s get you home and bandaged up.”

Dirk gave his president and friend a matching grin. “Sounds
very
good to me.”

***

After the club’s surprisingly gentle and thorough ministrations, Camilla decided that she was never going to underestimate the power of painkillers ever again. They weren’t strong enough to knock her out and make her say things she would regret later on, but they did a good enough of a job that her shoulder did not throb anymore and her head was somewhat clearer.

Presently, she sat in an armchair in the headquarters’ spacious living room, cradling a steaming mug of tea in her hand and simply enjoying the men’s voices washing over her. Her right arm was in a sling and lay pressed tightly against her chest, and yet she felt like everything was good with the world. The men looked at her with new respect now, and even though she didn’t want to really stop and think about why she felt what she felt, it filled her with pride. It almost felt like she belonged, and it was a feeling that she really liked.

She looked up when a familiar figure sat down in the armchair next to hers in front of the fireplace. Dirk gave her a bright smile.

“How are you holding up?” he asked.

Camilla went to shrug, but she stopped herself in time. “I’m okay,” she said, and then she blinked in surprise when she realized that she meant it. “I really am, you know? I thought I would be more shook up, but fuck if I don’t feel like a weight was just lifted off my chest. And no,” she snapped when she saw him open his mouth to say something, “it’s not the painkillers talking.”

Dirk laughed. “All right, then. Good to know.” He paused and seemed to reflect upon something. “Speaking of talking…I had a conversation with Stephan,” he said.

“About what happened?”

“Yeah. We caught each other up on what went down on both our ends.”

“What’s next?” Camilla asked. “For the club, I mean.”

Dirk shrugged. “It’ll probably be easier from now on. There’ll be a few rogue Tar Mongols to take care of, and we’ll claim the whole territory. But the war is finally over.”

“What about the cartel?” Camilla said after a moment’s reflection. “Won’t they want revenge for what you’ve done to the Tar Mongols?”

Dirk barked out a laugh. “Are you kidding?” he said. “They’ll probably be pissed off that Ruiz was such an idiot that he got his club wiped out almost completely.” He shook his head. “No, don’t worry about the cartel. They won’t bother us. They’ll most likely find an alternative route to smuggle their drugs. They know it’s not worth the hassle anymore.”

Camilla watched him intently. He seemed sincere, and she had no reason not to trust his word on it. She nodded, relieved. “Good.”

Dirk cleared his throat, somewhat nervously. “Anyway, that’s not what I came to tell you,” he said. “Stephan and I also talked about you.”

“Oh.” Camilla sat up a little straighter. “What about me?”

“We promised we’d let you go once this was over,” Dirk said. “We’ll take you to the nearest station tomorrow morning. From there, it’s a couple of hours’ train ride to the airport.”

Camilla stared at him. She had waited for this moment for what felt like an eternity, but now that it had finally come, she wasn’t as happy as she had thought she would be. Still, she forced out a smile.

“Thank you,” she said, and she was sincere, because she really was grateful for them keeping their word, and for everything they had done for her.

“I mean, if you want, that is,” Dirk said.

Camilla frowned. He seemed nervous all of a sudden. “What do you mean?”

Dirk cleared his throat again and swallowed visibly. “I mean…we talked about it, and…well…you’ve proven that you can really hold your own out there. So if you ever wanted to change your life…” He trailed off.

Camilla stared at him incredulously. “Dirk?” she said, slowly. “Are you asking me to stay?”

To her absolute amazement, Dirk actually flushed.

“I guess,” he finally said. “In a way. If you’d like.”

Camilla’s heart broke a little. She wanted to say yes, but she knew it was not feasible. She heaved a heavy sigh, and she reached out with her good hand to take his. She made sure she caught his eyes and had his undivided attention.

“I can’t,” she said, as gently as she could. “I think part of me would like to,” she admitted. “But I can’t.”

Dirk stared at her. He watched her for a long while, and then he nodded. “I know,” he said quietly. He gave her a small smile. “It was worth a shot though.”

Camilla gave his hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be. I know you’ve got things you have to do,” he said. “And so do I.”

Camilla nodded. He leaned across the armrest and kissed her cheek, and then he stood and walked away.

Camilla watched him go, and then she leaned her head back against the armchair, and she sighed again. It really was all over.

Chapter 37: Epilogue

They made love that night. Camilla wasn’t going to fool herself any longer with thinking they were just having sex. In their own way, they loved each other. She knew neither of them would ever say it, but it felt good to at least admit it to herself.

Dirk was tender and yet passionate, and all the while mindful of her injuries. He did not jolt her once. For such a big man, he was capable of surprisingly gentle touches and actions. Camilla took him inside of her, and it was as hot and rough and hungry as ever. But it was also laden with an undercurrent of sadness and a hint of desperation, because they both knew that this time would truly be the last time.

They fell asleep holding each other, Dirk’s face buried in the crook of Camilla’s neck as she lay on her back and kept him close. She woke a couple of times during the night, and she found him out cold both times. She wasn’t complaining; it gave her the chance to watch him and commit every inch of his body to memory. Of all the things Camilla had known in her life, she never thought that a motorcycle club vice president would be what she would miss. She would miss the others, too. Even Stephan Walker, with his hard eyes and unreadable, handsome face.

Camilla shook her head at herself. She was being ridiculous, the rational part of her told her. And yet, that rational part had no more reason to exist. She realized now that she was a changed person, completely different from the woman she had been when she had left New York for her latest assignment. The Minutemen had changed her. Dirk Coleman had changed her. She had been changed by California outlaws.

She could only imagine what Kurt would say at that. She smiled, thinking of her boss’ reaction once she showed up at the office in a couple of days. He probably thought she was dead. She thought of her parents, and she promised herself she would go see them as soon as she landed. They were probably heartbroken, and she hated to have caused them that kind of pain.

Dirk stirred in his sleep, but he didn’t wake. Camilla smiled fondly and thought of his unexpected offer. She thought of all the unexpected aspects of this remarkable man—which were pretty much
all
of them. She couldn’t stay, and they both knew that. But she wondered if there was any way at all that they could ever see each other again.
Would that be possible? Can our worlds collide in some way or the other? Or was this truly the end of them? Would their paths never cross again?

Camilla shuddered. She didn’t like that thought at all. She sighed in the dark and closed her eyes, willing herself to go back to sleep. Tomorrow would be one of the hardest days of her life—and, after the kind of weeks she’d had lately that was truly saying a lot.

***

Dirk drove Camilla to the town’s train station early the next morning. He was the only one to escort her. The others, Stephan included, had all found some excuse or another to remain behind and say their goodbyes at the headquarters. She knew why they had done it, and she was oddly grateful to them. They were giving him the chance to say a proper goodbye.

However, he was in no hurry to say goodbye to Camilla, and she also didn’t seem in any hurry to say goodbye to him. Presently, they sat at a table in a coffee shop in the station, nursing steaming paper cups of coffee that neither of them was drinking. The warmth was enough. Their presence was enough.

No matter how hard he tried, Dirk couldn’t keep his eyes off of Camilla. He was trying to commit her every feature to memory. Her long, wavy, auburn hair. Her bright green eyes. Her olive skin. Her gorgeous curves. He would miss all of her, he realized. He would miss her body, sure—after all, what man wouldn’t?—but he would miss her mind, too. Her laugh. Her sharp tongue.
All of her.

“What are you going to do once you’re back in New York?” he asked after they had sat in silence for the better part of twenty minutes. It was as if neither of them dared to speak, terrified that any action would make time go by faster.

Camilla took the first sip of her latté. It was probably lukewarm by now, but if she minded, she didn’t show it.

“First thing first, I’m going to go see my parents,” she said. “My family, colleagues, and friends…they probably all think I’m dead. I really want to fix that as soon as I land.”

Dirk nodded, and he cursed himself. He had not thought about that. He was so used to only having the club as his family, that he didn’t think that Camilla may have one waiting for her back on the East Coast.

“I’m sorry it had to happen this way,” he offered sincerely. “You understand why we couldn’t let you reach out to anyone, don’t you?”

Camilla nodded. “I do. This might’ve been my first bumpy rodeo, but it wasn’t the first one.” She smiled. “I get it, Dirk. I’m not mad at you.”

“You were at first. Remember?” he grinned, remembering her spunk and downright hatred for him.

Camilla laughed. “Yeah, well. Can you blame me?”

“I guess not.” He hesitated, and then he reached out to take her hand. He tugged her forward and leaned across the table, meeting her halfway. He captured her mouth in a deep kiss.

It was the metallic sound of the station’s recorded voice that interrupted them. It gave the last call for Camilla’s train. They pulled apart, both wearing matching disappointed expressions on their faces.

“I have to go,” Camilla said.

Dirk nodded. “I know.” He knew, and he didn’t like it one bit.

***

Camilla’s heart pounded in her chest as they reached the platform. Her train was waiting, passengers hurrying to get on before it left. She almost toyed with the idea of missing it, just to be with Dirk a little longer. She could always take the next one, couldn’t she?

Except that she couldn’t. She knew that if she didn’t go now, chances were she would accept his crazy offer and never go back to New York at all.

They stopped at the door to her coach. Camilla hoisted her backpack higher over her good shoulder. She didn’t know what to say. The moment she had been waiting for so anxiously had finally arrived, and she was hating every minute of it.

“Well,” she said, somewhat lamely. “This is it, I guess.”

Dirk gave her a smile that mirrored the sadness she was feeling. “I guess it is.”

“It was pretty crazy, what we shared.” Camilla meant everything—from Ruiz to the shootout, to the fired-up sex sessions they had enjoyed.

Dirk grinned, immediately catching her meaning. “It was,” he admitted. He hesitated, and then, to her surprise, he said, “I’m going to miss you. Really.”

She blinked, taken aback by his candor. She didn’t know he had it in him. “I’m going to miss you, too.” She smiled. “Really.”

They moved at the same time. Dirk enveloped her in her arms and she crushed her lips against his. It was the longest kiss they had ever shared, and when they had to emerge for a breath, it was only for a moment before they dived in again. They simply couldn’t get enough of each other. They simply couldn’t let each other go.

Camilla savored Dirk’s taste and did her best to commit it to memory. She committed to memory the way his lips moved and the way his tongue swirled inside of her mouth. She committed to memory the way he held her, impossibly close and impossibly gentle. She committed to memory the way his body felt when it was pressed up against hers.

Eventually, though, they had to pull apart for good. There was a whistle signaling that the train would depart soon. Camilla swallowed past the sudden lump that formed in her mouth.

“You have to go,” Dirk said, and it wasn’t a question nor an instruction. He was just stating a horrible, awful fact.

Camilla nodded shakily. “I really do.” She licked her lips. “Thank you, for everything.”

Dirk smiled. “I didn’t expect you to thank me for keeping you prisoner.”

Camilla laughed. “Shut up and just take it.”

Dirk grinned. He kissed her again, swiftly. “Goodbye, Camilla.”

Camilla hated that word. “Dirk?” she called out, and he stopped while he was already halfway to turning his back on her. He turned around and looked at her quizzically. Camilla hesitated. She took a deep breath. “Do you think we could ever make it so that we’ll see each other again?”

He stared at her, surprised. He was silent for what felt like an eternity, and then he smiled. “Give me your number.”

***

The train ride was endless, and the flight felt even longer. Camilla was a jumble of feelings and emotions that she didn’t know how to process. It felt surreal to be coming home, and she found herself wondering if New York even was home anymore. Perhaps she would need to make some changes in her life after all, even if it wouldn’t be anything as drastic as becoming part of an outlaw motorcycle club in the middle of the Mojave Desert in California.

Camilla spent the time on the plane studying the other passengers. They had no idea. They had no clue what went down in certain parts of their country. They didn’t know that a certain California desert was home to some of the craziest and yet most remarkable men they could imagine.

Camilla sighed heavily. She couldn’t stop thinking about Dirk. They had only said goodbye a few hours ago, and already he didn’t seem to be wanting to leave her mind. How could she ever let go of him? He was the most incredible man she had ever met, and even though she wasn’t sure she liked to admit it, he had given her what was certainly her biggest adventure.

Camilla thought of the nights and early mornings they had spent together. She thought of the way their bodies entangled, limbs sweaty and nimble. She thought of the way he felt inside of her. She thought of his offer and she thought of them exchanging phone numbers. Would he ever call? Would she? Perhaps it was better to just cut the ties completely.

She pushed away that notion as soon as it entered her mind. She couldn’t do it. God help her, but she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t push him out of her life completely. It seemed absurd to keep in touch with him while being on opposite ends of the country, and yet, Camilla knew that she would take what she could get. She wasn’t ready to let him go, and she knew he wasn’t ready to let her go either.

When the plane finally landed, Camilla made her way through baggage claim and security. It all felt so surreal, like she didn’t belong here anymore. How would she even get back to her normal, ordinary, boring life now?

She hailed a cab, and she settled onto the back seat, and she watched the streets of New York fly by the window. She thought of the way the Mojave Desert had flown by as she rode on the back of Dirk’s bike. She thought of the howls of the wind and the laugh in Dirk’s voice. How crazy he was. How free. How gorgeous. She knew she would never meet someone like him again.

The cab came to a stop and Camilla thanked the driver before stepping out. She’d expected the familiar stoop leading up to her apartment, but what greeted her was even better.

High cheekbones and chiseled jaw. Skin made golden by the desert sun, and deep blue eyes.

Dirk Coleman.

THE END