April left them in a blur of a lot more meetings and a lot less 'dates'. She and Camila fell into what was actually quite an easy pattern. The only 'trouble' was, that despite the fact that they saw each other every day, they didn't have time to 'see' each other. With Camila's busy schedule and her sessions with Joanna, they never really had any time 'together'. Still, this isn't a bad thing really. They had been pretty intense in a very short period of time and they both knew it had to cool down.
It also wasn't a bad thing because sheLauren had a lot of things to think about, an awful lot of things to think about.
The evening of her epiphany had resulted in her sitting on Camila's sofa wrapped up in her arms spilling her guts to her about what she'd discovered. The brunette hadn't said much, just nodded and squeezed and patted and kissed her head as they went along the memory path that she'd finally broken through.
It was a strange realization that she hadn't got Luis killed, that it wasn't her actions in letting him take her turn that resulted in that sniper's bullet ending his life. The thing was, despite the realization, it wasn't getting any easier; his accusing face reappearing in her dreams that night.
"It won't happen overnight, Lauren," Joanna had told her in their next session; the one that took place the day after, the day after she woke up screaming on Camila's couch, a blanket pulled over her. "The brain is a funny thing. You've spent all this time blaming yourself, believing your memory of what happened was the truth. That belief has shaped your life for the last few years and it won't just go away like that.
Joanna was right as well, it hadn't; and neither had the guilt over everyone else, her nights being haunted by the nightmares once more, the same old faces, the same old accusations; the same old guilt.
Thinking about things seemed to be making them worse, and she'd been thinking about things a lot. Still, she was making progress according to Joanna, whatever progress meant. From what she could tell, progress meant a barrage of sleepless nights and tired days.
o+o+o
May pretty much brought more of the same, more therapy, more nightmares and less Camila; personally, that was. They still were glued together professionally and that was just how she wanted it. She wanted to make sure Camila was safe more than ever now, and she had a real, completely justifiable, reason for doing so.
"Lauren," Alejandro had said to her one day as she stood outside the boardroom waiting for Camila's meeting to finish. "Can I have a quick word with you? It's about Camila and it's important."
Her heart raced like mad as she nodded at the CPO that had accompanied him to presumably take her place. Camila hadn't told her dad about them, and she wondered for a second if somehow he'd discovered his daughter's dirty little secret, a.k.a., her.
"Take a look at these," he said tossing a stack of papers in front of her as she walked up to his desk. Alejandro turned his back on her as she picked them up. He stood looking out of the window at the city skyline, hands twitching behind his back as she leafed through the documents.
"Have you told anyone about these?" she asked putting down the mail that was addressed to him and Camila.
"Not a soul, not even Camila. Dinah recommended someone checking through our mail before it arrives just in case. Well, just in case this sort of thing happened. I have to admit this is just some of what we've received. I had the rest boxed up and put away, it's been arriving for ages."
She could have strangled him with her bare hands right there and then. She had, in her fingers, some of the most worrying hate mail she'd ever seen. Not one member of the family had been excluded from the bile, not even Sinu; but they'd all been directed at him or Camila. Detailed descriptions of what would happen to them or their family if they didn't stop trading with 'the enemies of Islam'.
"You need to report these letters to the police, Alejandro. You can't just hide them. They're evidence."
"They know, Lauren, they just don't seem very interested in it all right now."
"But after that attack on Miss Cabello..."
"They believe it was a one-off and that the individuals concerned have gone to ground now that you people have been employed. They think this is all copycat stuff." He turned from the window to look at her and grimaced, his face twisting as he fought back a comment. Finally, he got himself under control.
"The police are a waste of time, Lauren, that's why I'm telling you. I've called your boss over this morning to discuss things, but I wanted to let you know first. How serious do you think this is?"
"Serious, Alejandro, serious enough for me to be worried about Miss Cabello's safety, and that of all of you," she added quickly, hoping that he hadn't spotted her slip. "The guys at the office ran a threat assessment the other day and the opinion is that that a credible threat exists still. This adds fuel to that fire. This scares me a little bit more with those photos that arrived the other week."
"What about this weekend?" Alejandro asked staring at her as if she would have all the answers for him. "Do you think this will have an effect on Sinu's little family gathering?"
"I don't know, Alejandro," she replied truthfully. "I really don't know."
o+o+o
"Well, I think, with some extra added precautions, there's not a problem having you all at the house, Alejandro," Normani said softly as she placed down the letters on the conference table. "I think we just need to be a little more vigilant and maybe put a few more people around, alert the police, things like that. This shouldn't be any reason for your family not to get together."
They were sat in the conference room, her request to Alejandro to discuss this with his daughter finally being accepted. Camila was fidgeting in a seat next to her father looking uncomfortably at the letters that Normani had put down.
"What about the photos from the last time, LT?" Lauren asked, "they were taken pretty close to the grounds. Did the police find anything useful there?"
"They didn't, Sarge and they think, like we do, that if they had wanted Camila or Sinu dead, they would have shot one of them then while it was easy. Probably Camila as she seems to be the main target after you Alejandro, and you weren't there."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mani," Camila said smiling, but knotting her fingers in a way Lauren had discovered meant that she was nervous. "It's so nice to know that they want to kill me after Papi here."
"That's not what I meant, Camila. What I meant was Alejandro here is the main target for their attentions, but that you would..."
" I think Miss Cabello gets the message, LT," Lauren interrupted. "Basically, the whole family are still in danger and we need to step up security when they're all together. What about when we go to New York, LT?"
Normani paused for a second and rifled through her briefcase, finally extracting a document and handing it to her. As she read, she heard Normani giving the Cabellos a quick précis of what it said.
"On behalf of Cabello Industries, Dinah has been in contact with some friends at the Department of Homeland Security. They believe the threat level is very low, they have no reports of 'Khuddam-ul- Islam' operating in New York and the security for the Arms Expo will be very high anyway as it's considered to be a sensitive target."
"Us military buyers in one place all together," Alejandro joked trying to put a brave face on things. "Not to mention all us evil Arms Magnates."
'Yeah,' Lauren thought to herself as she read the confidential document; 'I bet some of those 'Evil Arms Magnates' who are selling arms there deal with those fuckers as well, or dickheads like them.'
"So Camila and Sofi will be safe in New York?" Alejandro asked quickly.
"The threat will certainly be lower than in here," Normani replied calmly, folding up the letter and tucking it away as Lauren handed it back to her.
"Right, that's very reassuring. However, there is still the threat of these pendejos whilst we're all here. Lauren, I need you to do something for me until we know that the situation has changed. I'd like you to move in to the Coral Gables flat with Camila. I would feel a lot happier knowing that you were near her all the time after receiving these."
She felt Camila's eyes flick to hers and then straight across to her father's and she saw her hands clench into fists and her face turn red.
"I'm not sure that's a..." she started, not getting far before Camila erupted.
"What the hell, Papi, you can't just ask that of Lauren here! That's totally out of line and what about me? Do I not get a say in who lives in my flat?"
"I bought you that flat, Karla, so no. I want Lauren staying with you. I'm paying Dinah Jane a shitload of money to protect you and my family and if I want round the clock protection, that's what I'll get. Normani, I hope you'll assist Lauren in making that happen, for Sofi, too."
Camila stared daggers at him and then got up out of her chair, crossed the room, nodding at Normani in passing and left. Lauren got up and went to follow her, only to feel Alejandro's large hand latch onto her arm as he stopped her in her tracks.
"Un moment por favor, Lauren," he said softly. "Normani, would you excuse me for a second? I would like to have a private word with Lauren,"
"Of course, I'll be outside," Normani said as she headed for the door; as it closed behind her, Alejandro sat down in one of the conference room chairs.
"You may have noticed, Lauren, that Camila and I don't always get along," he held up his hand as she went to speak, causing her to fall silent. "No, it's true. If I'm honest, I'd admit that she hates me most of the time because I can't help being a bastard to her. You see, I know a father isn't supposed to have favorites but Camila has always been my favorite daughter. She's special. She's clever, artistic, talented. She's the one who's really made this business since she came to work here. I pushed her into being a success. Sometimes I think I pushed her, keep on pushing her, a bit too hard."
He paused and rubbed his hand across his eyes, suddenly looking nothing like the arms dealing, arrogant fucker that he came across as; suddenly looking to Lauren like a tired father who had lost his way.
"I can't change how she feels about me, Lauren, there's far too much water under both our bridges for that; so I let her hate me because it makes her feel better. All I ever wanted was the best for my family, Lauren, especially Camila. So I'm asking you please, convince her to let you stay at the flat. Since the moment you burst into my study at our house, I knew you were going to be the one to keep her safe. I trust you, Lauren, so please, do whatever you can to keep my baby girl safe."
She nodded curtly, getting a broad white toothed grin from the old fraud. She has no idea if he's playing her, but at least, at that very moment, he seemed genuine. She might not like him for what he is and what he's done to Camila but she had a grudging respect for his admission.
"I'd better go and check on Miss Cabello," she said, grabbing onto her professionalism with both hands and holding it firm.
"Thank you, Lauren," he said softly before clearing his throat and reverting to type. "Now would you send Normani in, so I can check on her security arrangements for the weekend bash."
o+o+o
She knocked on the door to Camila's office, and waited to be called in, not wanting to raise the tension any further. The brunette had looked fucking furious when she'd walked out of the boardroom, so much so Lauren was actually a little apprehensive about speaking to her.
"Come in, Lauren," she heard her call out and opened the door and stepped into the room making sure the door closed firmly behind her and turning to see Camila sat behind her desk, swinging on her huge leather chair.
"How did you..." she started, only to be interrupted.
"It was your knock, Lolo. You knock like you're jumping to attention, one knock and then two quick knocks, like this," knock... knockknock.
Her knuckles resounded off her wooden desk as she smiled at her knowingly. "You always knock like that, you know, and it's always so fucking military as well, like you're yelling at a new recruit with that knock. Knock...knockknock, always the same, every time. Actually, the first one usually scares the shit out of me if I'm honest; but I always know it's you when the second two come along."
"You shouldn't take the risk of just assuming, Camila, what if it was someone impersonating me?"
"Then they probably wouldn't knock, would they? It's not as if my office door is even locked and even if it was, it's only an office door," she said reasonably, "I'm sure you could get in here with just a kick."
She had to admit that the girl had her there.
"No, that's probably true." She replied, as if thinking about it seriously, "kicking in doors is a specialty of mine. Though, I hope I never have to do it to one of yours. I don't think you'd appreciate the flash bang that follows."
"You know all my doors are open to you, Lauren. It might even be fun to have you kick one of them down once, or maybe twice. Especially if you're in some sort of uniform."
"Karla Cabello!" she exclaimed haughtily, playing along with the game.
"Oh, come on, Lauren. You're telling me you've never used your uniform to spice things up a bit now and again?"
She grinned at the sly wink Camila gave her, acknowledging her victory. Grinning cheekily back, Camila waved her to sit down on the sofa she'd had lunch on the first time she'd been in her office. Another home from home now, not that she actually had a home.
"Look, Camila," she started as she sat down on the cold leather. "I know that Alejandro was a bit..."
"Controlling, domineering, shitty, totally fucking out of line?" Camila finished for her.
"Well, I was going to say abrupt actually, but I was going to add that I think he has your best interests at heart."
"I know," she sighed kicking her heels up onto the desk and swinging back on her chair. "It's just he's such a fucking jerk, you know?"
She looked at her as she sat sliding down into in her chair. She was actually shocked by the language, but then that was probably the point. Camila had used that word to shock her, using it to express her true feelings for her father. Lauren sat there silently not wanting to comment, knowing somehow that the woman neither wanted, nor needed her to. Knowing that she just needed her to be there for her, to listen. Then suddenly with a jolt, she sat up in the chair and grabbed her phone.
"You want to go out for lunch today, Lauren? I'm suddenly starving. I have a conference call in five minutes and then I'm free for the afternoon. I'm thinking lunch and then some shopping therapy for my trip. I think I deserve it."
Lauren shrugged and then grinned at her. "I believe I'm at your command, Miss Cabello," she told her, resulting in a goofy smile.
"Yeah, you are Miss Jauregui, and that's just how I like it."
o+o+o
They had lunch in one of those restaurants that appear and disappear with alarming regularity due to their high prices and even higher rents. Amazingly, what they ate was pretty good, even if she did spend most of the chuckling cruelly at Camila's attempts to eat her tuna salad with her plaster-clad hand.
"You're supposed to be more sympathetic, Jauregui," she announced as Lauren sniffed back a laugh as another forkful of food ended up back in the bowl.
"I'm on the clock, Miss Cabello," she told her. "I don't have to be anything but your CPO."
"Well, you should be more professional then, Miss Jauregui, and show a bit more respect to your employer and her difficulties. Especially as this," she held up her wrist, "is totally your fault!"
"Yes, Miss Cabello," she replied, placing her hands onto her lap and faking an ashamed look like a chastened servant. "It won't happen again, Miss Cabello. Would you like me to cut up your tuna, Miss Cabello?"
"I'd like you to stop calling me, Miss Cabello, you cow," Camila replied, her face breaking into a broad smile, "and pour me a damn drink. I think I'm going to need it if I've got to put up with your glum 'I hate shopping' face all afternoon."
"I will do my best to ensure you see nothing but my most impassive CPO face, Miss Cabello," she said, pulling out her sunglasses and placing them onto the table. "I shall hide my frustrations behind my sunglasses and scare off your admirers with my stern looks."
"You have frustrations, Lauren?" Camila asked playfully doing that 'I think she's flirting' thing again.
"Only when shopping, Miss Cabello," she told her, "I hate shopping, remember?"
The brunette winked at her and shoveled a forkful of tuna and green stuff into her mouth. Lauren took a bite out of the wrap she'd ordered and tried to ignore her. Their eyes met as they chewed and Camila's eyes twinkled happily at her causing her to smile.
"Where's that impassive face now, Miss Jauregui?"
"I'm eating, Miss Cabello, it's the only pleasure I get with my slave-driver of a boss."
"Talking of slave driver bosses," Camila said waving her fork around as she spoke. "We need to talk about Papi's request."
"I think it's a bad idea," she told her firmly, knowing that was what she wanted to hear.
"I don't," the woman said tapping her plate with her fork as she stabbed at her lunch, stacking up the salad along the prongs of the fork, finishing it off with a large chunk of the red fish.
"I thought you hated the idea," Lauren replied, looking at her in shock. "When Alejandro mentioned it, it looked like you were going to explode."
"No, Lauren, I just don't like being told what I have to do, least of all by my fucking father; but you have to admit that it does make sense. Even Mami suggested you should move in to the flat. Like she said, that way you're close if I need you; professionally and personally."
"That's why I think it's a bad idea, Camz. I really don't think me moving into your place would be good for either part of our relationship."
Camila eyed her appraisingly as she chewed on the mouthful of food that she'd taken whilst she was speaking, finally raising an eyebrow as she swallowed.
"Relationship?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," Lauren answered, deciding to be brave, "relationship. Professional and personal."
Camila's smile was like the dawning of the sun, a look of pure pleasure seemed to wash over her face and she stared at Lauren so hard it left the raven-haired torn between wanting to grab her and kiss her or run like hell.
"I could kiss you to death right now if you weren't on duty, Lauren Jauregui, you know that?"
"Then it's probably good that I am, Miss Cabello. I'm not keen on fishy breath."
"Shut up!" Camila said, throwing her napkin at her.
"Yes, Miss Cabello."
They finished lunch with a promise to discuss the whole 'moving into the flat situation' when they got back from the Arms Expo. There wasn't enough time to consider the logistics of it, really. Tomorrow night, they were leaving for Naples for the extended weekend and after that, they'd be flying to New York for the Expo.
This would be a big step, both professionally and personally; and even though they weren't moving in together in the personal sense, it was still a massive step for Lauren. She'd never had her own place, her own refuge to run to when things got difficult.
The thought of it had scared her so much she'd spent the entire session that night discussing it with Joanna.
She still didn't have a satisfactory resolution.
She doubted she ever would, not until it happened and perhaps not even then. She's pretty sure she'd always need a lifeline, always need an escape route; even from her.
o+o+o
Thursday afternoon found her driving the Cabello's Range Rover back to their home. Her replacement car was apparently arriving when she and Camila would be in New York and it was a useful time to drop it off. Despite the huge size and an engine that was making the oil companies millions all on its own, she was going to miss the old bus. It really was a luxurious ride, far nicer than her experiences of the Land Rover brand in the Army.
As she drove along towards Naples, Camila chirped away next to her, either chatting about nothing in particular or singing along with whatever was playing on the radio. It was nice; it was comfortable and it was made easier because Camila's meetings were now over. Everything was set up and done. Next stop, the Expo; well, after the four days Lauren would have to endure at Cabello Mansion, that is.
Sinu had arranged the big family get together, Normani had arranged the security and Camila had arranged some kind of surprise for her, though she was refusing to tell her what it was.
"No," she'd said exasperatedly over dinner the evening before when Lauren had casually slipped the question into the conversation again. "Lauren, I am not telling you what your surprise is, now will you drop it?"
"I hate an unsatisfied curiosity, Camz, this is positively killing me, you know."
"Well, it'll have to carry on killing you, babe," she replied with a wicked glint in her brown eyes, "because I'm not telling you."
She'd refused to discuss the surprise any further, despite Lauren's playful threats of torture and death; and eventually, she'd given up and stewed in silence. This had continued between them off and on for most of the next day until they'd got into the car that was, which was when the brunette began singing along to the radio.
Finally, she'd admitted defeat. Camila wasn't going to crack, and she didn't have the heart to turn her full investigator's skills onto her. If it meant that much to her to keep it a secret, she'd decided that she could hold out for the next hour or so until they get there.
Happily for her, apart from Camila's singing, the journey was uneventful, and pretty soon, she was pulling up on the broad gravel driveway of La Casa Cabello and smiling as Camila bounded out of her seat and ran up the steps of their home to drag her mother into a big hug. Sinu waved at her as Camila gripped her and she raised a finger from the steering wheel in salute.
"Mrs. Cabello has asked me to inform you that you are in Miss Sofi's old room again, Miss Jauregui," Andrew said stiffly as he approached the vehicle. "I will have your bags taken up immediately."
"Thanks, Andrew," she said, ignoring the formality. "Where do you want me to park this thing? I'm returning it today."
"I will deal with it, Miss. Mrs. Cabello would like to speak to you in the reception room."
She handed over the keys and made her way up the steps to the house, wondering which of the rooms was the reception room. Thankfully, she heard Sinu call her from a room to her right and she walked in to see her and Camila sat on a sofa.
"Come in, Lauren. Sit down and I'll pour us some drinks," Sinu said, leaning forward to the silver coffee pot on the table.
"I could do with checking in with whoever's on duty, Sinu," she told her quickly, knowing that her duty lay elsewhere. "But thank you. Besides, I'm sure you and Camila would like some time together alone"
Sinu looked at her and pursed her lips but finally nodded understandingly. "Do what you need to do, Lauren. I'm going to take Camila here down to the south gardens after we've had a drink and a chat. I'd appreciate it if you'd join us when you're done."
"Certainly," she replied. "I don't think I'll be too long. I just want to get up to speed with the team and make sure we're ok,"
"Lauren, I've had Andrew put a change of clothes I ordered for you in your room," Sinu said, casually pouring herself and Camila a coffee from the сafetière that sat in front of them. "I think you should get changed before you come down to join us. I'd hate for you to ruin your work clothes on my behalf."
She smiled, nodded her thanks and left the room, leaving mother and daughter to their chatting. Half an hour later, she was happy; reassured that the guys were still doing a good job and impressed with the trainee that Andy had recommended, Karen, who was working the camera station today.
Finally, she made her way into her, or rather Sofi's, room and started unpacking her gear to get it out of the way. It didn't take long for her to stuff things into drawers and onto hangers and then she kicked her bags under the bed and looked to see what Sinu was talking about.
She stared at the clothes that had been folded and placed on her bed in some surprise. They were definitely not what she was expecting. Stripping down to her underwear, she picked up the jet black pair of combat pants and pulled them on, slipping the black thin weave jumper on and tucking it in as she zipped them closed. The next item of clothing was a light tactical vest, with a pouch at the side that looked like it would nicely hold rifle or shotgun rounds. Sinu had obviously decided to treat her so she could help her shoot again and she wondered if she'd bought a matching outfit for herself.
She had a slight grin on her face as she caught a look of herself in the mirror as she pulled on the combat boots that had been placed out for her as well. She looked like she was preparing for a tactical ops mission and it made her feel really good to be wearing something that looked like a uniform again. She'd even missed the cold feeling of a new pair of boots. Though these were nothing like the ones she'd been issued in the Army. These felt like a second layer of skin, light, soft and very, very comfortable.
Standing up and doing her traditional bounce on her heels to settle her kit, she grinned at herself once more in the mirror, pulled her hair into a ponytail and headed downstairs and out towards the back gardens.
What she saw when she got there caused her to stop and take a second glance. Part of Sinu's shooting field had been turned into a proper shooting range, pop-up targets with sandbags and barrels for cover. Someone had really done a number on the place, and she had an inkling as to whom, and who for.
"Lauren," Sinu said as she walked over to her, "you look very smart like that, doesn't she, Camila?"
"Oh yeah, Mami, very smart."
Camila looked her up and down behind her mother's back and licked her lips, very deliberately making sure she'd caught Lauren's eye before she did so.
"Thanks. It feels good to get out of a suit and into some proper working clothes," she said, ignoring Camila's teasing. "What's all this?"
"We've borrowed some kit from a contact of mine," Camila said standing and turning her back on her.
"That's right," Sinu added, "We thought you'd want to get in some practice before the competition. Well actually, Camila and I thought you should. We really want you to beat Dinah," she added conspiratorially.
"Yeah, so with this in mind, we got you this," Camila said, turning around with a funny looking rifle in her hands, "something to practice with out there."
She flinched as the barrel turned in her direction and to her horror, heard a loud series of bangs and felt a twin impact in her leg, right in the spot where the first round had hit her in Gereshk. As a sharp pain lanced through her body, she heard Camila 's cries of apologies drowned in the flashback of that terrible moment and then the world went black.
-------------
What did you do, Camila?! 😨