"Open the door." Cam's voice commanded from the other side.

Nathan walked over lazily from the counter and strolled over to the door without even bothering to put on his pants. He turned, smirking at me as he unlocked the door.

"This should be fun." Nate grinned.

He swung the door open wide as he displayed his manhood for the whole world to see. He was practically wiggling it around just because he could.

"Officer Cameron Nash, to what do I owe the distinguished pleasure?" Nathan sneered at him.

Cameron's presence was overwhelming in the doorway. I had to do a double-take to be sure it was really him. His stance was screaming alpha male. He was decked out head to toe in his uniform. He must have been on patrol when Nathan made me call to humiliate myself in front of him.

Before I could even blink, Cameron took his forearm and pressed it into Nathan's throat. He slammed him back into the wall knocking some of the framed pictures off. He slammed him again and Nate's head snapped back hard. The sound cracked through the room. I was surprised to see Nate still standing after the blow.

"What the fuck?" Nathan complained.

"Where is she?" Cameron demanded, growling at Nathan.

"Chill out, Nash. She's right there." He pointed towards me.

His head snapped in my direction and he glanced up and down my body taking in my pathetic disheveled appearance. I was still just in my panties, bra, and mesh shirt. You would have thought I was standing there naked by the way the shame overtook me.

"What did you do to her?" Cam howled at him.

"Nothing she didn't want me to do." Nate leered up at Cam.

When did Cameron get so tall?

Cameron slammed Nate against the wall one more time for good measure before he tore off across the room. He wrapped his arms around my body, engulfing me in his scent. He smelled like fresh soap with a faint hint of his woodsy aftershave. My face was buried deep into his chest as I drank him in.

"Come on, Jess. Let's go." He whispered into my hair. I looked up at him and nodded. He wrapped his arm around me and began leading me to the door. Nathan's villainous laugh was cackling at us from behind.

"Go ahead and take her. I'm done with the skank. I was bored with her, anyway." Cameron was gone from my side in less than a second. He had Nathan on the floor with his arm pinned behind his back before he even knew what hit him.

"Don't you ever come near her again! You do and they will never find your body after I'm done with you! You understand me, Webster?" Cameron pulled Nathan's arm back harder. I was afraid he was going to pull it out of the socket or snap it in half.

"Got it." Nathan croaked.

Cameron got up and walked over to me, pausing only long enough to grab a blanket draped over the back of the couch. He unfolded it and wrapped it around my body to cover my exposed skin. He wrapped his arm around me again and walked me out the door.

I could hear Nathan laughing wickedly behind us.

When we got outside, I was mortified when I saw the police cruiser parked in front of the door with its lights flashing. Cameron turned on his sirens to get here faster.

When we got to the cruiser, he reached for the door handle of the back seat and pulled it open for me. My instinct to run became overwhelming. I couldn't believe he was going to do this to me.

"Are you arresting me?" I cried to him. My bottom lip was quivering. What would happen to me if I got arrested again? My family was ready to wash their hands of me. Being in jail again would seal the deal for me. I was going to be put back in the facility. I was tired of everyone always trying to lock me away.

"Oh, Jess, darling, no!" He said, placing his hands on my cheeks. "Protocol, I can't have anyone in the front seat. I have already broken like thirty laws today just to get to you. I can't risk anyone seeing you sitting shotgun and lose my job."

"You're going to be fired over me?" I cried again. That was so much worse.

"Not yet, but if I have to come back here again to save you, I will eventually end up in jail when I kill him." Cameron's face was dark. He meant what he just said.

I readjusted the blanket around me and climbed in the back of the cruiser silently. Cam shut the door softly behind me. He put his hands to his hair and pushed it back before leaning down to place his head on the roof. He was upset; his body language was tense. He looked puffed up and deflated at the same time. I knew my best friend was trying to hold it together for me and I wasn't making it easy on him.

A few seconds later, he climbed in and killed the lights. He started the cruiser and took off down the road. I watched silently as every car around us slowed down as we passed them. When we pulled up to a stop at the traffic lights, I could see people gaping at me in the back seat. Their faces melted into silent amusement as they mocked me.

"Quit laughing at me!" I yelled and ducked my head down as low as I could.

"What are you talking about? Who's laughing at you?" Cam said, looking in the rearview mirror to try to find me.

"Everyone." I sighed. He didn't understand.

He drove by the entrance to my parents' subdivision and I turned my head to watch it slowly disappear behind me. I began hyperventilating. My chest felt tight and I couldn't find any air.

"Aren't you taking me home? I thought you said you weren't arresting me." I shrieked at him. My body began rocking back and forth on the seat. I had lost control of it.

"Jess, for the last time, calm down. I am not arresting you. I am taking you back to my house. You are clearly on something right now, and I will not let your Mom see you like this. What did you take, darling?"

"Benzos." I said running my hand over my numb face.

"How many?" He sighed.

"A few." I said, avoiding his gaze in the mirror.

"Anything else?"

"I don't remember." I slumped down in the back, ashamed.

Cameron turned on his street slowly and pulled the cruiser into his driveway. He got out and opened the door for me. I took his hand willingly when he offered to help me out of the car. He placed his hand on my back and began to guide me up the walkway to his house. It was starting to get a little dark and the solar lights were coming alive. I counted them as we passed. Thirteen on each side. Twenty-six glowing orbs in total, shining their light to lead me to my safe place.

"Hello, Cameron." I heard a woman's voice call out from across the street.

"Good Evening Mrs. Connelly." He raised his hand, acknowledging her.

When I looked towards the sound, I saw a middle-aged woman with glasses down at her mailbox. She was shutting the box and flipping the red flag while staring at me with her eyeballs popping out of her head.

"Is everything ok?" She asked Cameron as she eyed me suspiciously.

"Yes, Mrs. Connelly. You remember my good friend Jessa. She was at her Bible study and got food poisoning. She's feeling very sick right now."

"Oh, goodness, poor dear. They always leave food out too long at those things. I will say a little prayer for her recovery. Do you want me to send Wilbur over to check her out? He should be home from his practice in about twenty minutes." She was shaking her head sympathetically.

"Thank you for the offer, Mrs. Connelly, but I'll take care of her tonight. I promise I'll let you know if anything with her condition changes." Cam said in a sugary voice back.

"Bible study?" I whispered to him, trying to hide my smile.

"Well, would you prefer if she tells the neighborhood I brought a lady of the night home in the back of my police cruiser?" He bit the inside of his cheek.

"Point taken." I nodded, looking down at the blanket wrapped around me, covering my skin.

I looked back up to Mrs. Connelly, who was shaking her head disapprovingly in our direction when Cam's back was turned to the front door. She was going to tell the neighbors the story she was making up in her head. I could see it written on her face.

Stop staring. Stop judging me. If the old bat wanted to keep gawking and wagging her frumpy little head at me, then I was going to give her something to gossip about. If she wanted a story, I would give her a good one.

I let go of the blanket and let it fall to the ground. Her eyes jumped out of her head when she saw my barely covered self exposed to the world. I did a little dance and bent over, shaking my butt in her direction like I was a stripper working a pole. I lifted my hair up and ran my hands all over my body as she watched with her mouth hanging open.

I heard Cam turn the key in the lock and picked up the blanket quickly. I wrapped it around myself just as Cam turned back around. He gave me a confused look when he saw me breathing a little heavier.

"Good Night, Mrs. Connelly." Cam waved to her completely unaware of what just happened.

"I will pray for your soul, Cameron." She yelled across the street with a horrified look on her face.

"I wonder what her deal is." Cam whispered into my ear as I walked past him.

A devious smile spread across my face as I crossed over the threshold.