Hemlock Clan: What I Am

~ XX ~

Cameron

Refusing to take another step away from the stranger in front of me and show any kind of weakness, I stood my ground, squared my shoulders and puffed out my chest, remembering the training I'd had when I first took the job at the docks.

Look intimidating, but don't get into a fight.

Try to restrain the intruder, not hit them.

I was around the same height as this guy, but he was slimmer than I was. If I could just use my build to my advantage ...

The guy chuckled as he realised what I was doing.

Holding up his hands in a defensive manner, he said, "I just wanted to know where Blake was. I saw him come up here with you."

"You shouldn't be up here." I used the most authoritative tone I could muster. I'd come across all kinds of people during my time in security, but there was something about this guy that just felt ... off. Almost like the opposite to what I felt whenever I saw Blake.

"I'm just looking for Blake." The guy leaned his back against the low brick wall on the edge of the roof, looking bored and unthreatened by me.

"This roof is for the people who live in this building." This guy could live here for all I knew. I didn't know everyone who lived here. Apart from Tate, there really weren't many more people I knew here.

"How do you know I don't live here?" He cocked a brow and a cold shiver ran through my body as I realised he'd just voiced what I'd thought.

This guy was starting to seriously creep me out.

I stepped away from him, deciding to put a bit more space between us. Fright, not fight. That was what I was aiming for with this guy ... and totally failing at. He cocked a brow when he noticed I'd taken a couple of steps away from him. I gripped my camera, not wanting to draw any attention to it. For all I knew, this guy could be after something expensive, something of value. And my Canon was both of those.

"Cameron?" Blake's voice pierced the air clearly, causing me to sigh in relief. I resisted the urge to spin around and run in his direction. Although I had realised earlier tonight that I didn't know a lot about Blake, I felt far more at ease with him than I did with this stranger.

The blonde haired guy shifted his bored gaze from my face to over my shoulder, clearly having heard Blake's voice, too. I could almost see his ears prick. I kept my eyes on him, not wanting to turn my back on him.

"Cameron?" Blake was closer now, then his hand was on my arm as he spun me around to face him. Concern was written all over his face as his eyes searched mine. "Are you okay?"

Taking a shaky breath, I nodded and cast a glance at the stranger still leaning against the wall. Blake followed my gaze and his eyes instantly narrowed.

"The fuck do you want?" he growled at the man, his grip on my arm tightening. Although his grasp was so tight it was almost painful, I felt some measure of comfort in it, almost as if my body wanted to lean into him and ask him to protect me.

I'd never had anyone protect me before and the sudden urge to throw myself into Blake's arms was so overwhelming it caused a pleasant shiver along my spine.

The stranger chuckled as he kicked off the wall. "Well, hello to you, too." His voice was raspy, like he enjoyed a cigarette or two.

"Get out of here, Lance. No one wants you here." Blake's grasp on me loosened as he stood in between me and this Lance guy. He had drawn himself to his full height and had puffed out his chest, like he was trying to shield me from the other man.