Loyal

Chapter 76

Vera's POV

             I whirl around, nearly tripping over myself. The man who resembled Cam disappeared. I run to the entrance, looking for any sign of him in the crowded mall. My palms sweat, my heart beating rapidly, and my anxiety heightens. He's nowhere to be seen. I lean against the doorway of Baby Gap. I must be seeing things. I put a hand up to my forehead. Will it always be this way when I see someone who even resembles Cam? Act crazy this way? These baby safe pain meds have to be screwing with me.  I turn back and head into the store, where Leah is patiently waiting in line with a cart full of baby clothes. I try to forget about what I'd seen, convincing myself that I'll never see Cam again.

 Colin's POV

            I grip the steering wheel tightly, this is no apartment. It's a bachelor pad, a house. I look down to my cell phone, I had been texting Vera throughout the night but got no reply.

            "This it?" I ask Dwayne. He laughs, coughing, the billowing smoke surrounding us. 

                        "Yeah, this it. You coming in right?"

            I park along the driveway. Fox has to have a lot of money, house on the water and all. I look to the driveway, through the long glass windows making the entrance of the house. It's crowded, lights flashing from inside, music pulsing so loud we can feel it from inside the car. Whoever this dude is, he wants to be private. His house is far up a hill, a long way away from anyone else. 

            "I think I'ma go," I say hesitantly. Something about this place doesn't feel right to me, it's too isolated. 

                        "Come on Kaep, just show your face for a little," Dwayne insists. He hops out of the car, swaying as he gathers his balance against the car. Fuck. I can't leave the rookie alone now. If something were to happen to him...

            I get out of the car, hesitating before following Dwayne to the house.

**

          If I didn't know better, I'd think it's a damn club. Smoke clouds around us as colorful lights flash from several parts of the ceiling, and a few from the ground. In the center of the household after we go down some stone steps is a large platform with two strippers dancing on two sleek poles reaching to the ceiling. All of the walls are glass, and they look out onto a smooth as glass pool, with the ocean beyond it.

            "My boy Dwayne, there you are!" An overweight man come towards us in a fur coat, a damn Rick Ross look alike. His voice is heavy; his presence has the same effect. He puts an arm around Dwayne's shoulder and looks up at me through dark sunglasses.

            "Kaepernick, my man," he breathes, laying a heavy hand on my shoulder. I feel uneasy around him, but I smile, trying to make the mood light. Something feels fuckin wrong about this place. I look up at the two strippers, they're both topless, rubbing against the slick metal. Dollar bills fly through the air as men reach forward to smack their bare backs, cheering for more.

            "I'm a big niners fan," the man who must be Fox says, grabbing me by the arm.

                        "That's good to know, Fox?" I ask.

            "Yes, thats 's," he says proudly, waving towards me to follow. He keeps an arm around Dwayne's shoulder. As we make our way into the crowded area near the strippers, I realize that most of the people inside don't notice who I am. They're either groping each other, dancing, or high. Fox talks about his house, the party he's having, and about the upcoming football season. He guides us up a spiral staircase and into a long hall.