Read Online Cameron's Contract by Vanessa Fewings - Free Book Online

gaze fell to her lap.
    “ Give us a moment, please.” I directed the last waiter out of the room.
    “ Mom,” I said. “Enough.”
    “ Well at least you didn’t scold me in front of my staff, Cameron. You may have forgotten every last social grace I taught you, but that one still holds.”
    “ What are you talking about?” I said.
    “ I’m sorry,” whispered Mia. “This is my fault.”
    “ Mia, please,” I warned her and my focus returned to Mother.
    “ Had you and your brother not gone off and pursued your own agenda, you would have been here for your father. None of this would have happened.”
    “ Not necessarily true,” said Dad.
    “ You’ve needed them now more than ever.”
    “ Henry was destined for West Point,” said Dad. “Don’t bring him into this.”
    “ Perhaps we should discuss this in private, Mom,” said Henry.
    She threw her napkin on the table. “Cameron, you chose to live in another state and pursue a career that has no value.”
    “ I profoundly help my patients.”  
    “ So could any other doctor,” she said. “You make it sound like no one else could do what you do.”
    “ Please,” said Dad. “We’ve been over this.”
    “ I’m here in whatever capacity you need me. I’ve handed my clinic over to my co-workers for now. I’m not going home until Cole Tea is back in your hands, Dad.”
    “ There should only be family here,” said Mom. “Shay’s family. He’s more than proven his worth.”
    “ If you’ll excuse us.” I stood and grabbed Mia’s hand.
    Henry reached out for my arm and pulled me down. “I was blindfolded when they did it.”
    I sat back down and turned to look at him, my emotions swirling.
    Henry stared at Mom. “Took their time doing it too. Ripped out my fingernails one by one.”  
    “ Oh, dear God,” said Mom. “Cameron, say something.”
    Henry raised his hand. “No, you need to hear this, Mom, and you too, Dad. It was early in the morning. I remember like it was yesterday.” He stared at his hands. “Even though they’ve grown back, I can still feel the pain.”
    “ Not at lunch, dear,” said Mom.
    “ Victoria.” Dad silenced her with a glare.
    She settled down, we all did, honoring Henry’s memories with the silence it deserved.
    “ My captors messed with my mind,” he said. “They warn you about this at West Point, but nothing can truly prepare you. The terrorists tell you you’re being exchanged for one of their prisoners and you calm a little. Let your guard down. Then, when you’ve willingly walked into the interrogation room, they sit you down and play loud music for three days and three nights straight. If you manage to drift off, they kick you just to make sure you don’t get any sleep. I was holding up pretty well. Wouldn’t tell them anything.”
    I poured a glass of water and slid it over to him.
    Henry stared at it. “You lose faith in humankind. You learn never to trust again. When you come back home, there’s this sense everyone’s lying to you. You can’t shake it. The paranoia. I question everything, every conversation, every interaction, and every phone call.” He looked at Mom.
    “ It was terrible what they did to you, son,” she whispered.
    “ You’re missing the point,” he said. “I was destined to stay in that cabin in Big Bear for the rest of my life. When this one here turned up.” He pointed to Mia. “I was rude to her at first. Tried to scare her off. Keep her at arm’s length. But she wouldn’t relent. Talked her way in and spent her time listening to me ramble on about nothing. She renewed my faith in the human condition. Made me believe in unconditional love again. Do you want to know how?”
    Mom’s gaze fell on Mia.
    Henry looked over at Mia with affection. “Because she knew that Cameron and I needed each other. That you, Mom, needed me. And I needed all of you. That the only lies were the ones I’d been telling myself. That it was not okay living in isolation. Missing