A Sinner’s Saint (De Bellis Crime Family #4)

Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

I love my family. I really do. But sometimes I wish they weren’t so fucking needy. I’ve been gone all afternoon and night, dealing with a problem Gio needed fixing. I’ve finally made it to Cammi’s house. I was going to message her, but it’s late and I didn’t want to wake her if she was asleep. When I stop on the street, I see Dash’s car still parked in the driveway. I’d asked him to keep an eye on her for me. I didn’t expect him to still be here, though.

My hand reaches for the tree next to Cammi’s window when my phone rings. I pull it out and press answer. “What’s up?” I try to keep the annoyance out of my voice. Because Gio might be my older brother, but he’s also the boss of the family. Which means no matter what I’m feeling, he’s owed a level of respect.

“You good? Where are you?” Gio asks.

“Just got to Cammi’s. Are you really calling to check up on me, bro?”

“Ellie wanted to know. How is she?”

“Ah, tell her I’m fine. I’m good. I haven’t seen Cammi for hours. Is there anything else you need? I’m kinda busy,” I tell my brother.

“Nope, Marcel said you went overboard,” Gio says, and there’s his real reason for checking up on me.

“I did what you asked. I delivered a message,” I tell him.

“Usually, people need to be alive to spread the message, Vin. No one learns shit from a dead man.”

“Huh, I’ll keep that in mind.” I know I’m being a smart-ass. I might have lost my cool today, but I don’t care. I needed to let off some pent-up anger and resentment. All directed at myself, because I fucking broke the woman I love. In trying to protect her, I nearly fucking killed her. A mistake I’m not going to make twice.

“You do that,” Gio says, then cuts the call.

“Nice chat.” I shake my head and pocket my phone. When I climb through Cammi’s bedroom window, all that anger comes back to the surface and is directed right at my fucking best friend sitting on my fiancée’s bed like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “Move, asshole,” I growl at him.

“Thanks for keeping my girl company while I was busy, Dash,” he says while mimicking my voice before answering himself. “Oh, no worries, mate. Don’t mention it.”

“Thank you. I didn’t expect you to still be here,” I tell him, while moving my eyes over to Cammi. She’s sitting on the small chair in the corner of her room.

“I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it, then,” Dash says. “Cammi, coffee date tomorrow. You, me, and Scarlett. Make it happen.”

“Do I even want to know?” I ask the moment Dash walks out the door. Cammi shakes her head. And then tears just start streaming down her cheeks. I fall to my knees in front of her, my hands itching to reach out and comfort her. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought you’d changed your mind,” she says. “I’m sorry. I just…”

“It’s okay. I’m never changing my mind, Cammi. You and me, we are getting married. We are forever,” I tell her.

Cammi’s eyes bore into mine. “What are you thinking right now?”

“I’m thinking how much I want to pick you up, carry you to that bed, and hold you. I want to make this right, Cammi.”

She doesn’t say a word. She just looks at me and waits. I know what she’s waiting for. She’s waiting for me to do just that. To pick her up, take her over to the bed, and hold her. It’s fucking hard for me to do anything without her explicit permission first. What if I’m reading this wrong and she doesn’t want me to touch her? Then I’ll be no better than the monsters in that room.

Fuck. I’m so fucking torn. I want to be able to do this. I want to be the kind of guy who sees his fiancée upset and can wrap his arms around her and comfort her without being asked to do it. She deserves that guy. Which is why I find myself standing up. I reach down and pick her up bridal-style. Sweat forms on my brows and my hands shake.

I can do this. One step at a time.

When I make it to the bed, I sit down and Cammi curls her body into mine. “I want you to, Vin. I always want you to,” she whispers.

Her words ease my discomfort. But I did it. I fucking did it. And she doesn’t hate me. “I love you,” I tell her. “Let’s set a date.”

Cammi looks up at me. “Really?”

“Yes,” I tell her. “I have something for you. It’s not a ring. Yet. But we’re getting you one of those tomorrow.” I pull the little pink heart-shaped gemstone from my pocket.

“It’s a rose quartz. It’s beautiful, Vin,” she says, clutching it in her palms.

“I saw it in a shop and thought of you,” I tell her.

Cammi smiles wide. “Do you know what this stone symbolises?”

“No. Tell me.”

“Unconditional love and infinite peace,” she explains. Well, fuck. No wonder it made me think of her. “You bought me a stone that means unconditional love and infinite peace. This is better than any ring.”

“Ah, I didn’t exactly buy it,” I admit. I’m not trying to kill the mood, but I don’t want her to think I just go shopping for stones. “I was doing an errand for Gio and saw it. It made me think of you. It was about a month ago.”

“I still love it,” she says. “I love you.”

“I love you. Always. So, that date? When are you thinking? Sunday? Monday?” I ask.

“As in, next week?” She laughs.

“Yeah, I mean, we could probably swing something tomorrow, but it’d be a push.”

“Um, no. How about June fourteenth?” she asks me.

“The day we first talked to each other.” I remember that day like it was yesterday. “It’s perfect.” My eyes land on her lips, and my head moves to hers. My heart races as our mouths brush. This is a lot for me, to initiate kissing her, without her verbal consent. But I’m going to keep pushing myself. I’m going to be the best version of myself I can be for her.

“What did you have to do today?” Cammi asks.

“Just some errands for Gio. Nothing interesting.”

“I’m sure it was, but you don’t have to tell me. I get it.” Cammi curls back into my chest.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I don’t want you to be implicated in any way. If you don’t know, then nothing can come back on you,” I explain. “Not everything I do is aboveboard.”

“I know,” she says. “Did you know Dash’s mum died?”

I freeze. “What?”

Cammi sits up again. “He told me today. She died a few months ago. His dad is drinking and his little sister is going off the rails.”

“Why the fuck wouldn’t he tell me all that?” I comb an aggravated hand through my hair, my thoughts bouncing around inside my head.

“I’m not sure, but I thought you should know. I like him when he’s not hitting on my mum.”

“Dash hit on your mum?” Truth is, I’m a little bummed my friend met her parents before I did.

“Flirted, hit on. Same thing. But we should help him,” Cammi suggests.

“Yeah. We will.” Right after I kick his fucking ass for not telling me about his mum and everything else he’s dealing with.

“You should get some sleep,” Cammi says. “You want to stay here? You could meet my mum in the morning?”

“You think walking out of her daughter’s bedroom and sitting at the breakfast table is the best way to meet your future mother-in-law?” I ask her.

“Good a time as any. Besides, she assumed I was dating Dash and got so excited at the thought.” Cammi laughs.

“I’d kill him. Best friend or not,” I grunt.

“Good thing you’re the only person I’m interested in,” Cammi says.

I didn’t sleep. Usually I can sleep when I’m next to her. But I kept obsessing about what she said about Dash’s mum being gone. And then me meeting her mother this morning. I know Mrs Taylor isn’t going to like me. Nobody wants their daughter to end up with a De Bellis.

“Stop worrying. I love you and that’s all I care about. I don’t care if anyone else approves or not. I am marrying you, Vin,” Cammi whispers as we make our way down the stairs the following morning. “Mum, we’ve got an extra mouth to feed,” she calls out right before we enter the kitchen.

“I thought you said…” Mrs Taylor turns around and her mouth drops in shock. “You’re not Dash.”

“No, Mum, this is Vin. My fiancé.” Cammi smiles so wide while looking up at me.

“This is Vin?” her mother asks.

“Yeah.” Cammi nods.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs Taylor. I’m Vin De Bellis. Cammi has told me a lot about you.”

Recognition fills her eyes when she hears my name, but she doesn’t mention it. “It’s nice to finally meet you too. But if you break my daughter’s heart again, I now have a face to match up with the name and I’ll hunt you down and slaughter you like a pig.”

“Mum!” Cammi gasps. “How did you even know it was him?”

“You have his name tattooed behind your ear, Camile. It wasn’t hard to figure out.” Her mother says, then turns to me. “Now, how do you like your eggs, Vin?”

“Ah, I’m not fussy, Mrs Taylor,” I say, still shocked she’s gone from threatening to gut me like a farm animal to asking me how I like my breakfast prepared.

“It’s Katrina. So, fiancé? When did this happen?”

“Yesterday,” Cammi says. “We realised Vin was an idiot and we’re working through things.”

“I was,” I admit.

“This engagement, is it going to be long? Like, a we’ll get married in two years kind of thing or we’re running off to Vegas tomorrow kind of thing?” Mrs Taylor asks.

“June. I want to get married in June,” Cammi answers.

“Okay, sit down. Let me feed you before we figure out how you’re going to plan a wedding in just a few months’ time. How do your parents feel about all this, Vin?” Mrs Taylor looks to me.

“Ah, my parents are dead,” I tell her. “My brothers and their wives will help, though.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Mrs Taylor says. “What happened?”

I glance at Cammi. No way can I tell her the truth. “My mother died when I was a baby, and my father passed away a couple of years ago, when Cammi and I were still at school,” I explain cryptically.

“I’m really sorry. Come on. Sit down and eat. Have you told your father, Camile?” Mrs Taylor sets a plate full of bacon and sausages on the table.

“Not yet,” Cammi says. “But I will.”

“Well, I guess, welcome to the family, Vin.”

After Breakfast, Cammi comes back to my house with me. “Where do you want to live?” I ask her as I pull some clothes out of my closet.

“Um, I was going to get a job and then start looking for an apartment near campus,” she says.

“You don’t need a job, Cammi. Focus on school. We have enough money.” She’s not fucking working and studying full time if she doesn’t have to. I have more than enough for us to live off.

“I’m not living off you, Vin,” she says as if reading my mind. “I can work.”

“I know you can, but you don’t have to. And it’s not living off me when it’s our money,” I tell her. “Oh, your car keys are in the top drawer by the way.”

“My what now?”

“Your car keys,” I repeat, walking out of the closet.

“You kept the car?”

“I couldn’t get rid of it. It’s yours. The car’s in your name. It would be illegal for me to try to sell it, Cammi.” I smirk.

“Yeah, because you’re so worried about breaking the law.” She laughs.

“I love that sound.”

“What?” Her mouth slams shut as she looks at me curiously.

“The sound of you laughing.” I walk over and press my lips against her forehead. “We’re buying an apartment near campus. Anything else you want? Any must-haves?”

“All I want is you,” she says.

“You have me.”

“Thank you.”

“Cammi, ask me,” I tell her.

“Vin, kiss me like it’s the first and last time you ever will.” She smiles.

“How about I just kiss you like I’m going to love you every day for the rest of our lives?” I counter.

“I like the sound of that kiss,” she says.

When my lips fuse onto hers, everything seems right with the world. By some miracle, I have her back. And this time, I’m never letting anything come between us. Not even my own demons.