The Two Younger Men Complete Collection
“You couldn’t possibly be ridiculous, Camille,” he said. “Just tell us. Please.”
“Like most people, I have a past, and it’s so horrible to me I don’t like to think about it.”
Izzy put her arm around her and Toni grabbed her hand. Noticing how comforting Cami’s friends were being with her, Miguel realized how serious this must be.
Cami took a deep breath. “When I saw your driver’s nametag, it awakened a memory inside of me.” She closed her eyes. “I’m such an idiot. Oh, how can you possibly understand what I’m trying to say?”
“Sweetheart, you’re not an idiot,” he said. “It’s obvious that something terrible happened to you in the past. Take your time. There’s no rush. We’re here for you.”
“Whatever you need, honey,” Roberto added, “we will do. Now…what about Hank’s nametag upset you?”
“Hank is such a nice man, but when I learned he had the same name as my ex-fiancé, it sent me over the edge.” Her lip began to quiver. “My ex abused me.”
As she continued telling the story of her past, rage boiled through every fiber of Miguel’s being. He glanced at Roberto and saw his hands were curled into fists. They both wanted to kill the fucker who had hurt her. God, she was so strong and brave. Most would have crumbled under half of what she had suffered from that fucker.
“So can you guys understand why I ran off the way I did?”
“We totally understand, mi amor.” He stood, anxious to pound the bastard’s head into the ground. “Just tell us where we can find your ex.”
Roberto jumped to his feet, like a gladiator ready to battle. “Yes. Where is the son of a bitch? We’ll make sure he never hurts you again.”
“I don’t know,” Cami said softly.
Izzy motioned for him and Roberto to sit back down. “There’s more, guys. Cami has been receiving prank calls.”
“From him?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“We don’t know. Maybe. Hank got five years for what he did to Cami.”
Toni jumped in. “Only five lousy years, but knowing Hank…he likely got sent right back to the pen for some other crime.”
“We all sure hope so,” Izzy said. “I’m going to ask Jay and Clay to use whatever resources necessary to locate Hank and find out if he’s been harassing Cami or if it’s some other person.”
“How many times has this caller contacted you, sweetheart?” he asked Cami. “When did the calls start?”
“Just a few times. The first came after Izzy, Toni, and I had lunch at your restaurant. Then he called a few times while we were on our date, but I didn’t answer. At least I think it was him, since my phone couldn’t pick up the number on the caller ID. And then he called me early this morning around three.”
“Did his voice sound familiar?” Roberto asked.
“No. It was some kind of cover up, maybe computerized.”
That worried him. Whoever was calling her was making sure she remained in the dark about their identity. “Did he say anything that might give us a clue?”
“No. He called me nasty names and told me to mind my own business.” Cami wrung her hands together, a clear sign that she was worried. “The last time I answered ‘Izzy? Toni?’ But it wasn’t them. It was him. He told me not to play games with him and said I knew who he was. I told him to leave me alone and then turned my phone off.”
“You know what I’m thinking?” Miguel asked his brother.
“I do, and I completely agree.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“What’s settl
ed?” Cami asked.
“We’re leaving for Spain in the morning for a few days to look at property for a new restaurant.”
Roberto nodded. “And you are coming with us, mi amor.”