No More Waiting (The James Family Book 3) (7 page)

“Um, what the hell was that supposed to mean?”

“A duh, Aunt. She was going to die. There was no need to plot her murder with some poison.”

“Oh shit.” One of my cousin’s said in a low whisper.

“That’s bullshit. She would have told us,” Nick denied.

“Well, as she put it, she didn’t want your vulture asses circling her bed.”

“Damn, well she was old and dying from cancer. They’d never know she didn’t die from that.”

“Really, are you all that fucking stupid? Don’t you think they will do a toxicology test on her?” I asked, feigning like I didn’t know the truth already. They all looked around at each other, and the asshole, Nick couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

He stood up and got in my face giving me a menacing glare that if I didn’t know what a big pussy he was I might have been intimidated by. He whispered with a grin, “Now that she’s gone, you can leave and never return. They’ve got nothing. They wouldn’t do a toxicology on a woman dying of cancer. Some things you really need to learn. The bleeding heart is finally out of our lives and we have it all. I enjoyed helping her drink her tea every night, waiting for the sweet poison to take effect.”

I couldn’t take another disgusting word out of his mouth. My hand came up against his jaw sending him across the room and onto the coffee table. Just then the police bust through the doors, arresting every single one of those bitches.

“Thanks for giving me everything we needed, Mr. Russell.” I saved the voice recording and sent it to them in an email and left the house feeling at least like I got revenge for my grandmother. Looking up at the sky, I hoped that her mind was at ease now.

10

Vanessa

The past few months really sucked without Tim. I was lonely every day and it made it hard to eat. The weight kept just falling off me. He and I spoke on the phone regularly, but it didn’t ease the ache. When he didn’t come back for my birthday, I had to be strong. It wasn’t his fault; his life fell apart all around him.  

I promised to behave until we could see each other again, but things got crazy a week ago. It was so stressful that Cam was taking time away from his busy schedule to check on me.

He showed up at my dorm in the middle of the day and was waiting for me when I got out of class. I ran into my brother’s arms, really glad he was here.

“So, you’re failing a class?” I didn’t know how he knew that, but I was happy either way.

“Well, hello to you, too,” I said with a smile. He looked at me strangely.

“By the way, I thought college kids gained the freshman fifteen? You look like you lost at least fifteen.”

“I’ve been trying not to gain weight. I swim a lot.”

“Well, don’t keep it up or you’re going to disappear.”

“Haha, not likely,” I laughed then added, “So, what are you doing here?”

“I thought you needed to talk to someone. You’ve struggled, but I’ve never known you to fail, so what’s going on?”

“Do you promise not to tell anyone?”

“Nope.”

“Then I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” he asked incredulously.

“Because I’m embarrassed and I don’t need everyone to know.” I sure as hell didn’t want Tim to know. He was stressed out as it was with everything going on with his family. This would send him spinning, and I worried that the Marine in him would come out and end the professor.

“Fine, but if it’s about some guy, I might knock him out for making you cry.”

“Cam. It’s about a guy, but not what you think. My professor was being nice and sweet when I started the semester... and” I was so nervous that I paused thinking of how to tell him everything. My brother could be a bit overprotective like a wild beast when he felt like I was in danger.

He looked completely shocked then angry before he cut me off, “You slept with your professor?”

“No, that’s the problem. He’s failing me because I refused,” I admitted, cowering on my bed, knowing damn well Cam was going to go crazy. I wasn’t afraid that he’d hurt me, but he was going to be out for blood. The look in his eyes told me I should have been quiet.

“What!” he roared. Cameron started pacing my dorm room.

“Oh God. Please don’t tell anyone,” I begged, tugging on the sleeve of his suit jacket. He stopped and gave me a subtle shake of his head. I knew that it was a stupid thing to ask of him, but I had to try.

“Don’t tell anyone?! He’s going to pay for that. Do you think you’re the only one?” He ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm down.

“Sweetheart, we can’t keep this a secret from everyone, but I will just keep it from the papers. The authorities and school officials need to be made aware of the situation. Mom, Dad, and Simon will need to know, but that’s all I want to know. I don’t want to send you through the ringer for it.”

“Thanks, Cam.” I really hoped it didn’t get out.

~~~~~

By the next morning my professor was fired. A deal with the school, the issue would be investigated quietly. I was so grateful that Cameron kept his promise. He was only going to stay another day, then he was going back home. Well, that was until we were sitting in the cafeteria in the Quad. Cameron spotted a female he wanted to know. Of course I teased him, but something about Cameron said this was more than just another date. She was The One. The minute I was back in my dorm, Tim called me.

“Hi babe,” I answered. It had been a whole day since we spoke to each other. Between Cam coming over and Tim traveling back home, there wasn’t much time for us to talk.

“You sound happy to hear from me.” I could hear the smile in his voice. He always sounded thrilled to see me. It made me feel less jealous about the huge distance between us and the fact that he could run into a girl from his past. Right now, all that mattered was that we were getting to know each other better and he was finally away from the misery back in Pennsylvania.

“You know I am, but guess what? Cam is here visiting me, and he just lost himself staring at one of the girls at my school. I don’t know the girl, but I know her friend,” I reported.

“So, he sent you to get information, didn’t he?” The man was bright. That was another bonus.

“Yep. Oh my gosh, Tim. You should have seen his face when he saw her talking to some guy.”

“It was like me at the Christmas party?” he asked, all growly.

“Yes, just like that.” I hoped that Will wouldn’t come between us in the future. If I never saw Will again, I wouldn’t give two shits.

“Then she’s the one,” he said with certainty. It made my girly bits go nuts. He said things that made me think he was in love with me just as madly as I was with him. Even though he hadn’t said it, I felt it. I doubted that he was trying to play me.

“You think?” I asked, hoping he’d tell me how he felt.

“I know, Vanessa, because you’re it for me.” I closed my eyes and swooned.

11

Vanessa

I had been sitting in my dorm room thinking about Tim for the millionth time since I returned to school. His words during our last call really stuck with me. “You’re perfect, Vanessa.” Being the youngest of the family and essentially the surprise runt in the litter of perfection, I was always doubting my worth. Tim made me feel like I was meant for more than just being a man’s arm candy.

Every one of my classmates in high school felt that I was nothing but a rich bitch with no brain. I didn’t want the title of spoiled debutant. Cameron always said that he hated those women because they had nothing to offer but their family pedigree, like they were just dressed up bitches. I agreed with him. Most of the women that chased him were like that, and I fit into that mold by default. I thought going to school on my own would break that mold, but I wasn’t capable of handling life away from those I loved and college was too hard.

I had my bags packed to come home for good. I wanted Tim, and I didn’t care if we had to live in a small house and live off his income or even if I had to get a job. Missing him took more energy and time than I could handle. I lost twenty-two pounds since the holidays. I didn’t have that much to lose to begin with. My roommate felt bad for me. She came from money, too, but wasn’t as concerned about her image. She said life was too short to dwell on what other people said. Elise was right, but I was stuck in that mentality until Tim and I talked it out about his family’s life of deceit. My family and I were all good people and that wasn’t based on our income.

“Vanessa, you’ve got a family that loves you. A man that doesn’t seem to stop calling, texting, or sending flowers. I mean if I was you, I’d be so damn happy. Fuck what others say. Be you, love that sexy ass man of yours, and be fucking happy.” She gave me a big hug before leaving me alone in the room with my suitcases and my thoughts. How was I going to tell my family?

My phone started to go off on the dresser, vibrating. I’d forgotten to turn up the volume after I got out of class. By the time I got to the phone, I missed the call. It was my dad. I hit redial right away and he picked up just as fast.  “Hi Dad, how are you?”

“Van, sweetheart. I need you get on a plane and come back home. There’s a flight leaving in two hours that’s flying non-stop to Seattle,” he said rapidly. I heard the strain in his voice and could tell something was wrong.

“Daddy, what’s going on?” I sobbed. It must be serious if he wanted me to come back in a hurry.

That was when I heard the catch in his breath and a sob. “Cam’s in the hospital. He crashed his car.”

“What! No. Please tell me he’s going to be okay.”

“I wish I could, but we don’t know anything at the moment, sweetheart.”

“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as possible.” I hung up with my father and grabbed the suitcases, I already had in the corner. I couldn’t wait to leave this place. College wasn’t for me. My family was right, but at least I finally had an excuse to cave in and come home. Although, all that mattered was that Cam was going to be alright. He had to be okay.

~~~~~

It was on the way to the airport that I remembered about Natalie, the woman Cameron fell madly in love with while he was visiting me. I should have told her, but I didn’t know what to do. I boarded the flight in a hurry. I went to switch my phone into airplane mode, remembering when I did that during Christmas break. I searched for that message again, but I didn’t look at Tim’s picture, I looked at Cam’s message to me. The tears started pouring down my face as I quietly sobbed. The flight attendant brought me some tissues and asked if I would be okay.

“I just need to go home. My brother’s been in an accident.”

“I’m sorry. Please calm down, and I’ll bring you something to drink.” I nodded and closed my eyes. This was going to be the longest flight of my life. The flight landed four hours later, and I grabbed my luggage. I wasn’t going to stop at the house first, I planned to catch a cab straight to the hospital, but when I stepped out of the airport to hail a cab I was in for a big surprise. Tim.

12

Tim

I'd just left the hospital after speaking with my team to examine Cameron's car. Something wasn't right. He knew how to drive and never even bumped his car parking in a tight spot. Damn it, I was pissed. I could feel the chill run down my back wondering if someone was after the James family. Vanessa was going to be attached to me at all times. We weren’t going to be able to hide our relationship.

Mr. James called Vanessa, and she rushed straight to the airport. The family had a private jet, but it would've taken longer to get there and back than taking a commercial flight. I met her at SeaTac a few hours later. It was a long wait for many reasons. I missed the fuck out of her and she was probably freaking out about Cam. He’d just woken up before I left.

I watched her walk out of the terminal with her bags in hand and her eyes overflowing with tears. I opened my arms naturally willing to do anything to ease her pain. She dropped her stuff and ran to me without any hesitation, then jumped into my arms. My mouth crashed down on hers. The feelings that shot through me were unexplainable. Our lips parted and our tongues tasted each other. My hands wrapped around her ass and waist, holding up while she slid her hands in my hair. Fuck, this wasn’t the time or the place, so I had to pull back.

“I’m sorry, Vanessa. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Me either. I’m just so freaked out,” she said, nervously fixing her clothes that got crumpled in my arms.

I lifted her chin when she tucked it down in embarrassment and let her know that this wasn’t just a moment of comfort. “I’ve missed you so damn much Vanessa. That’s why I kissed you, but I was talking about mauling you right now. I might have gotten carried away.”

“Oh,” she muttered. With Cam’s life in the balance, now wasn’t the moment for us.       

“Don’t worry, babe. We’ll deal with this,” motioning with my finger between us, “later. Right now, let’s get you to Cam.”

“Any news on my brother?” The nervousness was gone and my straight forward girl was back. I was glad I could give her some good news.

“He’s come out of his coma, but that’s all I can say. His injuries are painful and extensive.” I picked up her two suitcases, which were stuffed to the gills. What the fuck!? She was either the fastest packer or she had her luggage ready to go.

I helped her into my truck that she said I had because I was overcompensating for something else. She learned that day, I wasn’t overcompensating for anything. I was a big guy in every way. Once I boosted her butt up into the truck, I put her luggage in the bed.

When I got into the truck, I didn’t mention the luggage. It was odd for her to have everything with her since school didn’t end for two months, but it may work to my advantage.

“Tim, tell me is it as bad as I think?” She looked up at me with sad eyes. I wiped the tear coming down her face.

“He’s going to make it, and he’s already calling for Natalie, so I think he’ll be fine in time,” I soothed, grabbing her hand in mine, I drove from the airport to the hospital.