Chapter Three.

The cold air whistling rapidly through the broken door was momentarily forgotten when Cameron spotted the sheriff standing there, his dark-brown jacket covering him like a warm blanket. Cameron was shivering from the cold and would have given anything to have his coat from the employee lounge.

He kicked himself for not thinking about that when he'd gone after the drinks.

"Nelson." Sparrow dipped his head in greeting. "Long time no see. I thought you were dead."

"Your bullet didn't hit its mark." The gunman rubbed the area just above his heart.

"Apparently not," Sparrow answered as if amused that he hadn't killed the man. Cameron hadn't a clue what was going on between the two, but he was ready to get out of there. He'd dealt with enough dangerous men in his past to last him a lifetime. His father had run with the deadliest biker gang in the Southwest. There was only one good thing about the Blue Angels and that was the fact that they always protected their family.

Helluva lot of good that did him right now.

But he wouldn't have called them even if he could. They were one of the main reasons for Cameron leaving Nevada. They had been trying to recruit him at the time. His own father had nominated him for candidacy. Fuck that. Cameron was not built for that kind of life, physically or mentally. He could have called them when Taylor was in trouble with Todd, which forced him and Taylor to go on the run. The problem would have been solved in a matter of seconds. But then Cameron would have owed a debt he wasn't willing to pay.

He was a geek through and through and that was something his father had tried his best to ignore. He wanted a son just like him and Cameron wasn't. There wasn't a cutthroat bone in Cameron's body.

"But you did kill my brother," Nelson stated coldly.

He lifted his shotgun and fired at Sparrow's chest. For a heartbeat in time, nothing was heard. The winds outside seemed to still. Cameron's pulse seemed to slow to an impossible rate. Sparrow lay on his back, his arms spread wide, unmoving.

And then Arlene screamed, shattering the quiet moment. Time sped up and Cameron felt his heart slam back into motion. Rowdy leapt forward, but Nelson spun too quickly. "You don't want to get involved."

Cameron could see that Rowdy was spitting mad, but he backed up. Rowdy placed his hand on Cameron's arm again, coaxing Cameron to stay behind him.

Nelson moved from the front of the door, as if a sniper would take him out. Cameron tried to think of all the time he'd spent around the Blue Angels growing up and what they would've done in this situation. He knew exactly what they'd do but Cameron wasn't tough enough to kill, let alone willing to contemplate such an action. That meant he had to come up with a solution on his own.

His eyes dropped down to where the sheriff lay, light snow swirling around his still form. He hadn't moved. God, Nelson had killed Sparrow.

Arlene was still screaming hysterically. She raced from behind her counter and took off toward the back of the store. The gunman didn't stop her. Apparently he'd gotten what he'd come for. She was no longer a concern. Nelson stood there smiling down at Sparrow's lifeless form.

This wasn't the first dead body Cameron had seen. Images from his childhood came back in full force, and Cameron vividly recalled himself at ten years old, sitting at the worn kitchen table as he worked on his homework. His dad grabbed him from the chair and took him for a ride in his brand-new pickup. The ride was long and tense. His dad parked near a rock quarry and pulled Cameron from the truck.

Cameron didn't want to go. He fought to no avail. His dad was a large man, even larger to a ten-year-old boy. There were men from the Blue Angels standing around a stranger who was on his knees. The man begged for his life, but no one paid him any attention.

"Today you're gonna learn what it means to be a man," his dad said as he pulled a handgun from his waistband. He held it out to Cameron.

Cameron shook his head as he backed away. The metal gleamed menacingly in the late afternoon sun. "No," Cameron whispered.

His dad forced the gun into Cameron's hand. "Aim and shoot."

Cameron dropped the gun to the ground and backed away, only to bump into one of the bikers. "Kid ain't got what it takes," the biker teased derisively. "No balls."

His dad seemed pissed that his son was a wimp. He picked the gun up, stared Cameron right in his eyes, and shot the pleading man.

Cameron jolted from the memory, a chill chasing up his spine as he broke out in a cold sweat. Violence had become a part of Cameron's life after that. He'd seen and heard things he wished he never had. Living that way made a person cautious, suspicious as hell, and more times than not shortened one's life expectancy. That was another reason Cameron had run. He didn't want to end up as a cynical, coldblooded killer like his old man.

In that very second, he hated Nelson-hated that the man had killed Sparrow without hesitation. Whatever reason Nelson might have had for his actions didn't matter. Sparrow should have had a fighting chance. But the gunman had taken that chance away when he demanded that the sheriff show himself, unarmed.

Nelson spat on the floor as he gazed at Cameron. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

"Does it matter?" Cameron asked.

"No," Nelson answered. "Not at all."

"You've done what you came here to do. Why don't you leave now?" Cameron wasn't feeling brave, but he was tired and wanted to go home.

Rowdy's hand tightened slightly on Cameron's arm. The move reminded Cameron that the cowboy was still there. How could he have forgotten that? Maybe it was because Cameron had been thrown back in time. Nothing seemed real except him and Nelson. The images were still there, but fading.

The question seemed to piss Nelson off. His eyes narrowed and his jaw worked. "Be very careful," he warned. The guy didn't like people giving him orders.

Cameron fell silent. He knew that look. It was the one people wore right before they did something violent. He'd seen too much violence. Cameron was quite content living a boring, uneventful life. He'd remain silent if that was what Nelson wanted. He didn't have to like it though.

The guy didn't say anything else. He only stared at Cameron. His face was neutral. It held an eerie calmness that Cameron didn't trust. He'd seen how quick the guy had reloaded his shotgun. The man would move as quickly as a viper if Cameron tried anything. And he wasn't going to try anything. A hero he was not. It took a lot to admit that to himself, but he always tried to be honest-even if the truth was only spoken in his mind.

Nelson turned his body sideways. Cameron thought the guy was going to come after him, and that might have been Nelson's intention. But as soon as Nelson turned his back to the door, Sparrow rose up like a striking snake and pulled his firearm free, shooting Nelson dead center in the back of his head.

The gunman dropped, his eyes wide, still filled with stunned disbelief as he died. The front of his head had exploded and Cameron stood there in shock with Nelson's brains on his shirt and other parts of him he didn't want to think about.

Cameron lost it. He began to scream and didn't stop, not even when the place swarmed with police.

Sparrow watched as the paramedics gave Cameron a sedative, knocking him out. The guy hadn't stopped screaming since Sparrow shot Nelson. Cameron's throat was going to be raw when he woke.

"What the hell is going on?" Rowdy asked as he glanced over at the ambulance. The guy seemed hesitant, like he wanted to go to Cameron but was forcing himself to stay at Sparrow's side.

"An old score that was never settled," Sparrow answered as he winced, removing the bullet proof vest that had saved his life. He spotted T-Rex heading his way. He knew the man would come to his aid at the first mention of trouble.

"Who was it?" T-Rex asked.

"Nelson," Sparrow answered. "The bastard who killed ten people before I thought I took him out."

"Come again?" Rowdy asked.

Sparrow sighed. Since Rowdy had been put in a dangerous situation, the least Sparrow could do was explain why. "Quite a few years back, the men who own Big Bear Ranch and I were hired to rescue some tycoon's son. What we found was a child pornography ring. Nelson was in charge of snatching the kids and his brother-" Sparrow shook his head, hating the fact that he had to remember such a dark time in his life. No one had walked away untouched by what they'd seen. "Long story short, we killed Nelson and his brother. Or so I thought."

Rowdy grew pale. Sparrow expected nothing less. The cowboy turned on his heel and walked toward the ambulance. Sparrow wanted to go home and hug his son. He had been just as affected by the mission as the other men. But it was Sam who had suffered the most vivid and persistent nightmares.

He turned his attention to T-Rex. "Cameron sent me a picture of the man holding them hostage before I knew who was in the pharmacy."

T-Rex nodded. "That was when you called me."

"Yeah." Sparrow rubbed his hand across his bruised chest. The vest might have saved his life, but it had still hurt like hell. Lying still on the ground until the right moment had been the most torturous of all. Sparrow had wanted Nelson dead as soon as he looked at his phone and saw the picture displayed in all its sickening glory.

"I had one of my deputies look into his record. It seems Nelson has been busy since we last saw him. He was wanted in five states for a shopping list of charges. He'd also joined a biker gang. Blue Angels."

T-Rex frowned. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Seth Langley. He was there at the warehouse where the child porn was taking place when we infiltrated it. He got away," Sparrow said. "He's the treasurer of the motorcycle club. The FBI has been after him for some time. He cooks the books for the club and the FBI wants the ledgers."

"How did this shit come back to bite us on the ass?" T-Rex asked. "I thought we tied up all the loose strings."

"We had," Sparrow said. "But no one told us that Nelson made it through surgery. As a matter of fact, it was the surgeon who told us that Nelson had died on the table.

"Nelson must have paid the doctor off," Sparrow said and then frowned. "Seems a lot of doctors are coming up crooked lately." That didn't sit well with him. The shifter doctor who'd been a pillar of the paranormal community had been arrested for trying to kill Colton, one of Executive Bodyguards' men. The doctor was sentenced to twenty years in prison and could no longer practice medicine. That didn't seem like a harsh enough punishment to Sparrow.

"I made a few phones calls before I was shot," Sparrow said. "A few 'friends' are going to be dropping by. I don't have a good feeling about this."

"I don't either," T-Rex admitted. "Not good at all."

"Mark and his team will be here in a few days." Sparrow glanced at the black bag that was being wheeled to the coroner's van. Somehow he knew that Nelson's death was just the beginning.

Rowdy gave a low growl when he entered the back of the ambulance to see Cameron fast asleep. He appeared so peaceful drooling with his eyes closed. Rowdy reached out with the sleeve of his shirt and wiped at his mate's mouth.

"Are you his next of kin?" the paramedic asked.

"Husband," Rowdy lied. He didn't give two shits who knew he was gay, and he wasn't about to be kicked out of the back of the ambulance. His bear was daring anyone to separate Rowdy from Cameron.

The man nodded. "He'll be out for a while. We're going to take him in just for observation. You can probably take him home when he wakes up, assuming nothing major happens."

"Major?"

"Adverse reaction to what I gave him, things like that."

"I'm not your husband." Cameron's voice came out small and weak. One eye opened just a hair to reveal Cameron's dark-brown iris before the eyelid slid back into place. The paramedic looked between Rowdy and Cameron. His expression said he wasn't sure what to do. Rowdy couldn't let the man kick him out.

Rowdy gave a tight smile. "Seems the drugs are working."

The guy nodded absently. "You might want to take a seat," he said as the doors closed, sealing all three of them in. Rowdy did as he was told. He reached out and grabbed Cameron's hand, not only to keep up the pretense that he was married to his mate, but because he needed the contact.

"Asshole," Cameron muttered before he began drooling again.

"Charming man," the paramedic commented as he checked Cameron's vitals.

"He has his moments," Rowdy said. Though he'd yet to see them. When Cameron had first come to the ranch, he'd been flirty as hell. Now he was like a barracuda baring its sharp teeth-not that Cameron was large or the least bit fearsome.

Rowdy ran his thumb over the man's hand as the ambulance rocked back and forth, sirens wailing. He wasn't sure why the sirens were on. This wasn't an emergency. He didn't bother to ask.

The ride didn't take long and Cameron was being wheeled into a room in no time. A nurse appeared and gave Rowdy some paperwork to fill out. He had no clue what to write except Cameron's first and last name. He didn't even know the guy's address. Using the phone next to the bed-because cell phones were not allowed to be used in the hospital-Rowdy called the ranch and asked to speak to Taylor.

Taylor was Cameron's best friend. Surely the guy would know some of Cameron's information. A voice thick with sleep came on the line. "Hello?"

Rowdy gave a quick rundown of what had happened tonight and waited for Taylor to freak out.

Taylor freaked out.

"Was he hurt? Did he get shot? Why the fuck didn't you protect him? I know you're his mate. Sam told me you were. How could you let something like this happen?" The inquisition went on for a few more minutes before Taylor began to wind down. Rowdy had no clue that Sam knew about his relationship with Cameron. The guy was a lot more observant than Rowdy had thought.

"You done?" he asked Taylor.

"Just tell me he's okay."

"He's been given a sedative to help him calm down." Rowdy left out the part where Cameron was covered in Nelson's brain matter. "The nurse gave me some paperwork to fill out and I have no clue what to write."

"Tell me what the questions are," Taylor said.

Rowdy went through each box that required information. Taylor helped him fill out a lot of it, but he had no idea about the family medical history. "Cameron doesn't talk about his family. I know the basics, but not much else."

"I thought you two were best friends."

"We are," Taylor replied. "He knows a lot about me, but there are some parts to Cameron I'm clueless about."

Rowdy knew the feeling. After hanging up with Taylor, he walked the clipboard out to the nurses' station and then hunted down a bathroom. By the time he returned, the nurse was exiting Cameron's room. She looked at him uneasily. "He's asking for the asshole in tight jeans with beautiful grey eyes." Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "His words, not mine."

Rowdy had just been insulted and complimented in the same sentence. He wasn't sure if he should answer the nurse or not. He decided not to. Rowdy just nodded and walked into Cameron's room. His mate still looked drugged, but he was awake. Rowdy wasn't sure if he was relieved or wished that Cameron had slept longer.

His mate was struggling to get out of bed. Rowdy crossed the room in three strides and placed his hands on Cameron's shoulders. "Whoa."

"I need to get this crap off of me," Cameron argued. Rowdy knew what Cameron was talking about. Brain matter.

"Then let me help you."

Cameron knocked Rowdy's arms away. "You're not getting a free show."

"Are you always this stubborn?"

"Are you always this helpful? Wait-" Cameron tapped his chin as if deep in thought. "Nope, you're not. You push people away. So do me a favor and push yourself right out the door."

Rowdy growled and lowered his voice. "If I'm not mistaken, it was you who freaked when you found out that I was a bear shifter."

Cameron's response to the fact that Rowdy was a bear had helped Rowdy keep the man at a distance. He hadn't gone after his mate or tried to persuade him in any way. It seemed Cameron didn't appreciate the fact that Rowdy had given the guy plenty of breathing room.

"That was six months ago," Cameron argued. "You could have stopped by to make sure I was still breathing."

"Ditto," Rowdy replied. "You know where I live. I haven't a clue where-"

"Oh, shut up. You could have asked Taylor." Cameron stared at Rowdy, studying his face, like he was committing Rowdy's features to memory.

Rowdy was not about to apologize. He was only half in the wrong. Cameron was equally to blame. Plus, he'd had good reason not to seek Cameron out.