Free His Conspiracy Girl (Emerald City #4) by Allyson Lindt Page A

Cam’s face swam through her thoughts. His bruised eye, marring his handsome face. He only had the shiner because of her. Warmth soothed her aching soul at the thought. She tried to push the creeping affection away, and tears blurred her vision. She didn’t want anything to do with him. So why the hell couldn’t she forget him?
    A heavy knock startled her out of her descent into another bout of regret. She dragged the back of her hand across her cheeks, and sniffled back the confused grief. She really didn’t want to face anyone. Especially Sam. Or—God—Matt. Not after what had happened with… She pushed Camden’s face from her thoughts, before every emotion she didn’t want to acknowledge surged back.
    One glance at the view screen by the door, and she almost lost all her composure. Camden’s face blinked back at her. He stared blankly ahead, expression drawn.
    Of course. The last person she wanted to see. Ever. She had even less of a desire to see him, than to have Travis show up at her door. Fury roared in to replace her wallowing. On the other hand, maybe this was perfect. She snarled at the empty room. She had walked away from Travis without letting him know how much hurt and frustration he’d caused her, but she wasn’t going to let Camden off so easily. She was going to tell him exactly what she thought of his bullshit. Of being used.
    She yanked the door open, hoping her expression was as stern and furious as she felt.
    He met her gaze, eyes wide. His mouth tugged up in a hesitant smile. “Can we talk?”
    Oh goodie, more bullshit. That would make it easier to tear into him. The vicious thoughts dug deeply into hurt and longing she was struggling to repress. But as much as she was ready to give him a piece of her mind, she didn’t need the entire world to hear it. She stepped aside enough to let him in. “Sure.”
    Gaze never leaving her, he stepped around her, and stopped just inside the room.
    She let the door swing shut behind him, and put several feet between them. Her speech was already forming in her thoughts, but she wanted to hear more of his pity story first. More fuel for the fire.
    He looked away, face pinched, and a heavy silence fell between them.
    Great. He had an entire act planned out. She didn’t have the patience for this. “Well?”
    He raked his fingers through his hair, blue eyes looking more like the sky than the ice of the night they first met—vast, reaching, and full of painful possibilities. “I thought about what you said.”
    Of course he had. How convenient. Sounded like the perfect opening to try and bullshit her again. Except it was harder to convince herself of that than she wanted. Especially now that she could see the pain up close enough to remember he had been hurt too. And far worse than she ever had.
    She pushed the sympathy away. His loss didn’t give him the right to use her for his own delusional drive for twisted vengeance. “That’s nice.”
    He crossed his arms. “I’m sorry. You were right. The past still hurts, but you were right.”
    She growled and stepped closer, eyes narrowing and glare fixed on him.
    “Say something?”
    The simple pleading sapped her anger. She grasped to hang onto it, and jabbed a finger against his chest.
    Raw confusion leaked into her voice. “No. You don’t get to do that. I’m sure you have a nice, happy apology prepared. Something scripted to convince me your cause is the best. That helping you will right all the wrongs in the world, and put another evil corporation under once and for all.”
    He opened his mouth, but she couldn’t let him speak. Hearing him out might give her a chance to cave. Except she was already starting to.
    “Wrong.” She cut him off before he could force out more than a squeak. “I won’t be suckered. Is the tortured, hard-to-get act part of how you planned to draw me in? Did you know who I was that first night? Or is it just convenient that you’re already eternally tortured, and you