Sinfully Beautiful.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I sat on my couch, staring out the large glass window in my living room. I felt numb. And every so often I would catch myself looking over to Maxwell's dead body, only now it was covered by a pale white sheet. I could see the stains of blood slowly leaking through his body, ruining the once clean fabric that was laid on top of him.

Both Maxwell's and Tommy's gun both lay unmoving on my coffee table. The two once powerful weapons that were both once pouring bullets into that man, were now both wrapped into evidence bags. The police were chatting with Cameron and my brother in my kitchen, but I tuned out most of what was being said.

All that ran through my mind, was freedom. The freedom I felt knowing that this man could never touch me again. He was dead, there was no more harm to be done. Not to me, my brother, not even Cameron. I'll never understand what possessed this man to do such morbid things to me, touch me without my consent, turn my mother against me, try and actually kill me over money. The only thing I could come up with -- was that he was sick. Just a sick man, with sick thoughts that needed to be released onto someone. Sadly, that person had been me.

"Thank you, officer" I heard Cameron say from behind my couch. I peeked over to see one officer escorting my brother towards the door in handcuffs, while two men in white scrubs came in to remove Maxwell's body.

"No!" I shouted and ran for my brother, who looked so helpless with his hands forced behind his back. There was no way in hell I was letting him go to prison because of this shit. I tried to wrap my arms around Tommy, but Cameron was there quicker and pulled me back.

"It's okay Sweetheart, It's okay" He whispered in my ear, causing me to rip myself away from him.

"Ray please, just go back inside" Tommy said softly, keeping his eyes lowered to his dirty brown boots.

"No! It's not okay! You can't take him to jail for this, Maxwell was going to kill me!" I say, my face now stained with even more tears than before. The officer holding onto him, just nodded to Cameron before bringing Tommy down the hall of my building and to the elevator.

Cameron wrapped and arm around my shoulders and steered me back into my apartment. My now empty apartment that looked more like a scene from a horror movie than my once pristine Manhattan home. My back hit the front door and I immediately slid down to the floor, my arms wrapped around my knees.

I screamed loudly into my arms -- my body shaking. I wasn't even sure why I was so upset all of a sudden. Maybe seeing my brother being taken from me by the police, was what pulled me out of shock. Maybe it was seeing Maxwell's body being hauled out of my building, leaving nothing but a pile of dried up blood on my floor. Whatever it was though -- it had me screaming my heart out.

"Sweetheart, Avery. Please look at me" Cameron's soft voice said to me. I felt his warm presence sitting in front of me, and finally when I looked up to meet his sultry blue eyes -- my heart broke. Tears were rolling down his face, his lip quivered as he looked down at me with nothing but pure sadness.

I was so busy worrying about what happened, with Maxwell. I didn't stop to think about how Cameron must be feeling. He was being so strong for me, that I never thought twice about the fact that he had to watch someone he loved be held at gun point, not knowing if his plan would actually work. Tommy could have easily missed, causing Maxwell's finger to slip shooting me in the head instead.

"Oh Cameron" I whimpered and threw my arms around his neck, his instantly going around my waist pulling me close. I sobbed into his neck as he kissed the side of my head over and over again.

"Oh Sweetheart, my love. It's over now, I swear it's over. You are never leaving my sight, do you hear me?"

His hands cupped my cheeks as he pulled me away from the crook in his neck. I nodded my head slowly before his lips gently pushed against mine, our tears creating a salty mixture against my lips -- one I didn't quite mind. "We have to go! We have to get Tommy!" I suddenly cried out, leaping from out heap of limbs on the floor.

"Baby, Tommy is fine. They took him away as protocol, they will release him in a few hours. I promise you, he is fine!" Cameron told me, grabbing my arm to keep me from running down the hall and to the police station like I wanted to.

"Are you sure? What if they throw him in prison for this? What if -" Cameron silenced me by placing his lips against mine.

"I promise you everything is okay, I took care of everything" he said as he rested he forehead against mine. I nodded my head and smiled gently. "Of course you did" I said with a chuckle.

"Now what can I do for you Avery. I'll do anything you need me to do baby, to make it this better for you" He asked as he cradled my head in his hands, he swayed our bodies slowly side to side as if dancing to some invisible beat that only he could hear.

"Just get me out of here, I never want to come back to this apartment"

"Okay" Cameron said nodding his head "We'll pack your clothes tonight, and I'll send Bradley over tomorrow for the rest of your things. I'll send some movers to put your furniture in storage"

"You really are too perfect you know that" I said with a sigh as I leaned my head against his shoulder, suddenly feeling exhaustion taking over my body.

"I told you I'm not perfect" Cameron said kissing the top of my head "I'm just a man"

"But a sinfully beautiful man that loves me" I said "And that makes you perfect to me"

Cameron smiled brightly and kissed me deeply, one of his many kisses that left me swept off of my feet. "I can't believe I spent so many years loving you from the other side of my office doors, when I could have had you in my arms every night this entire time" he whispered against my lips as we pulled apart.

"Well let's make up for lost time then shall we?" I asked kissing him once more. Cameron grunted against me and pulled me even closer if that was at all possible.

"I would love to. But first, let us pack you some clothes and then I will spend the rest of the night kissing every inch of that delectable body of yours" He said and walked right past me towards my bedroom, leaving me beet red and throbbing in the center of an apartment I was dying to leave. And Ironically, one I almost died in only hours earlier.