Page 22 of Born to Scar

Standing, she faces me and continues. “If you’re seen with us at all, you will be dragged through the depths of hell with us. Are you ready for that? Because Cam, you could lose everything.”

I’ve never had anyone give a damn about me, like she does, like she is right now. We hardly even know each other, and she’s worried about how this looks on me. She’s worried about me. Nobody has ever asked me what I wanted before. Maybe, one day, I’ll feel worthy of it coming from her. I could lose everything—my status, my job, and my eventual ownership of the family company. But not my money and not who I want to be.

I’ve met all the requirements to get my trust fund, and with the money I’ve already made, if I plan it right and make the money work for me, I’ll be set for the rest of my life. I can open my own practice. There’s so much I can still do, while having the freedom that I crave as much as I crave the woman standing in front of me.

Grabbing her hands, I pull her down to straddle my lap. “I’m willing to try this for us. I’m willing to risk it to see where this goes. It’s about time to take control of my life. I know we really only just met, but it’s there. Tell me you feel it too.” I need her to say it. I need to know if she does.

She nods, cupping my face, pressing a feather-light kiss on my lips.

“Yes, I do. But you have to be willing to do it for you, Cam. If you lose it all, I won’t let you blame me. I will not shoulder that for you. You’ll have to deal with those consequences, as the rest of us did.” She sighs. “But we’ll all be here for you if you do, like we’ve been for everyone else.”

She’s right. She’s not responsible for my freedom, I am. “You’ll help me?”

“Of course,” she whispers, running her fingers through my hair. “Just don’t…” she pauses and clears her throat. “Please, don’t break me finding your freedom.” Her voice is strong, but the heartbreak in her words pierces my heart. I pull her onto my chest, holding her.

She stays melded into me for a long time, in silence, until we hear a slam of a car door. She softly chuckles on my chest. There’s another, gentler door shut. I turn my head as she looks up to see Jared and Micky descending on us.

“Sorry to interrupt, but this one,” Jared says, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to Micky, “was climbing the fucking walls.” Micky’s face drops at Jared’s obvious lie. Indy laughs, and it even pulls a chuckle from me.

They drop to sit on either side of me. “Are we doing this, or no?” Jared breaks the silence that had lingered.

“Doing what?” Micky asks, with a furrow of his brow.

“Read the room, Mik,” Jared deadpans.

“I literally can’t do that,” Micky responds in the same flat tone.

We all go silent until Jared presses again. “So? Yes or no, Cam. Are you in or out?”

All three sets of eyes land on me. But mine meet Jared’s gaze. “Are you really okay with this?”

He snorts and shakes his head. “I want her. She wants me but wants you too. I don’t have a choice. But I’ve been around relationships like this before. It’s not new to me. You, however…” he trails off. “I can’t imagine you’ve been around anything like this.”

I nod with his assessment of me. “Never.”

Micky’s eyes are huge. “Mik, I’m keeping you, too,” Indy whispers. My eyebrows furrow, and she shakes her head. “Different kind of relationship. I love him, Cam. He’s the closest thing to family I have, besides Bik.”

I nod. “I know.” Bik had mentioned that he was like a brother to her at the bar that night.

“For fuck’s sake, Cam. In or out?” Jared asks again, more annoyed this time.

Indy chuckles. “Jay, he doesn’t have to answer right now. I did just spring this on him tonight.” He grips her chin at my chest and puts his face in front of hers. It takes everything in me not to pull her away.

“Sweet girl, I’m so far in this that I need more. I need our exclusivity.” He gently kisses her.

“You’ve got it. You’ve had it. He may not ever be ready, Jay, and that’s okay, too. I’m yours.” She reassures him with an even softer kiss, and the smile that breaks over his face takes my breath away. What the fuck? I’ll need to evaluate that later.

They have talked about this. The logistics would need to be figured out, but seeing how they are together makes me feel better about it. I want what they have, too.

“In,” I blurt, surprising myself. My mouth working faster than my brain. She gasps, pulling away to look at me. “All the way,” I add.

Fuck it, I want her too. I get what I want.

Jared’s reaction isn’t what I was expecting. He’s excited about this. He wants this as much as she does, because she does. He claps my back. “Fuck yeah, dude. This is going to be so much fun.”

I let out a shaky laugh. I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into.

CHAPTER 11