“You scared the shit out of me,” I said as I pushed against him with both hands.
Playfully, he stumbled back as if my pushing knocked him off balance. At probably close to 300 pounds of solid muscle, ten of me couldn’t budge Otis on a good day.
“Well, I guess it’s nice knowing there’s no secrets,” Otis said as he continued to stumble toward the kitchen, “I was just coming to tell you two lovebirds that breakfast is ready. Coffee too.”
“We smelled the coffee,” Cambio said as he walked toward the kitchen.
“Brought your phone, and the battery’s all charged up. Phone, watch, your ring, wallet, knife, boots, and that bracelet thing you wear; they’re all there in the kitchen. Sorry about that, but when they showed up, they just cut your clothes off and tossed the shit everywhere. Shit they cut your jeans in half. They’d have sliced your cut in two if we let them.” He paused and started laughing out loud.
“What about my cut?” Cambio grunted. “Where’s my fucking cut?”
“Slice has it in the shop, locked up. He said you can get it when you get home. Maybe he’s using it like an incentive,” Otis said.
“Cocksucker. He expects me to ride home naked? Well, at least I can call him now,” Cambio hissed.
“You know, it’s a damned good thing there wasn’t a girl paramedic in that bunch. That big fucking paramedic fireman guy sliced off your pants and there you were, covered in blood and all commando and shit. Your poor shriveled half-dead cock was just flopping in the breeze,” Otis said.
“Yep. Good thing there wasn’t. Cock’s officially off limits,” he said flatly.
Otis shrugged his shoulders as he alternated glances between Cambio and me. “What the fuck’s that mean?”
“It’s hers now,” he said over his shoulder as he grabbed the coffee pot.
Mine?
Otis playfully nodded his head. As he tilted his head in my direction, he grinned and gave me the thumbs up. I smiled in return and raised my thumb in the air.
“Appreciate it,” Cambio said as he set the two cups of coffee at the bar and glanced down at his belongings.
The house we were in belonged to Cambio’s Marine friend, A-Train. The main body of the house was very large, and tastefully decorated with furniture and miscellaneous large photographs of nature and landscape. The living room was open to the kitchen, only separated by a long island that served as a bar and eating area.
“How you feeling?” Otis asked as he sat down on the bar stool.
“Better, just sore. Lung feels, fuck I don’t know how to describe it.” He paused and shook his head. “Like it’s working overtime. I sure as fuck know it’s there.”
“Shoulder?” Otis asked.
“Feels like I got shot,” he responded flatly.
Otis shrugged his shoulders. “Probably ought to be wearing a sling or something, huh?”
“Probably ought to get some business of your own, Brother Otis. I’ll be fine,” Cambio snapped.
Otis shook his head and picked up his cup of coffee. “You want to ride out of here before winter, you need to be wearing that fucking sling.”
“Cream? Sugar?” Cambio asked as he walked toward the stove.
“The invisible man speaks again. Guess no comment on the sling remark, huh?” Otis said.
I stared at Cambio. He returned the stare as if waiting on my response instead of commenting on what Otis had said about his failure to wear the sling. After a minor staring session, I decided he wasn’t going to respond to Otis.
I blinked my eyes. “Black’s fine.”
He turned toward the other counter and removed a spoon from the drawer.
“Where’s A-Train?” Cambio asked over his shoulder.
“He just left, went over at the boxer’s house to watch the kid. Boxer had to run to the gym, and his wife had a hair appointment or something. Said he watches that kid as much as they do,” Otis responded.
“A-Train said to make sure you ate something, so I made some scrambled eggs. Couldn’t find any bacon, so there’s some ham there,” Otis said as he tilted his head toward the stove.
“I’ll eat in a minute,” Cambio responded as he grabbed the cream.
“I didn’t cook that shit for my health, eat it now, before it gets cold,” Otis growled.
Seeing Cambio and Otis together was much different than seeing my brother and his biker friends before he went to prison. Although they all call each other brother, it’s rare to see any of them truly act like brothers would act. These two were the clear exception. Bickering like a couple of brothers, it was nice to see Otis truly cared about Cambio as much as he did. The little time we had spent together in the hospital proved he was as considerate and as kind as any person I had ever met, if not more. Although I would never tell him, he seemed to me to be like a big teddy bear.
Well, a big teddy bear with a scowl on his face most of the time.
“While you’re plating up the eggs for you and your girl, I’ve got a quick question,” Otis said as he sipped his coffee.
“Fine, I’ll eat now,” Cambio responded as he slid a cup of coffee across the bar, “Hungry?”
I nodded my head. Cambio walked to the stove and pulled the lid from the skillet and looked inside.
I pulled out a stool and sat down beside Otis. Otis glanced in my direction and winked as Cambio began to spoon eggs on two plates. I did my best to wink back.
“So, the day in the bank.” He paused and alternated glances between Cambio and me.
Cambio turned and looked over his shoulder. “Yeah, what about it.”
“Well, being we decided you aren’t keeping any secrets, Syd here was with the guy that robbed the bank, wasn’t she?” he asked.
I raised the coffee cup to my mouth and took a permanent drink as I waited for Cambio to respond.
“Sure was,” Cambio responded.
“I knew it. I fucking knew it,” Otis said as he slapped the countertop with his hand.
“All you had to do was ask,” Cambio said as he turned and carried the plates to the bar.
“Well, you know how I roll. It’s none of my fucking business. But being she’s the owner of your cock.” He paused, turned to face me, and winked.
“I figured she’s around for the long haul. So, I thought I’d ask. Now, second question; You a thief, Sydney?” Otis asked.
I lowered my coffee cup onto the bar and shook my head. “Not even close. I met the guy the night before, outside the bar where my car was parked. He thought I was coming out of the bar, but honestly I was getting ready to go to bed. He had a nice car, and was hitting on me, so I went with him. I basically used him for a shower, and to save you from wondering…”
“I didn’t do anything with him. The next morning he drove to the bank on his way to take me back to my car. I had no idea what he was doing. Seriously,” I explained.
“That’s all I need to know,” he said as he patted my shoulder.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Otis asked without an ounce of emotion.
“Fuck you, O,” Cambio said.
Otis took a shallow breath, sighed, and shifted his eyes toward me. After studying me for a moment, he turned to face Cambio.
“Well, as far as I’m concerned, a man’s Ol’ Lady is an extension of the club. You know how I feel. And you know I’m only tight with a few of the fellas; you and Axe, to be truthful. Now Avery? There ain’t a better bitch on this earth than that girl. She’s solid as fuck, and I’ll leave it at that. This one?” he asked. “I like this little bitch a lot. I really do. But if she was prone to robbing a motherfucker or stealin’ shit, I needed to know. You know, keep my shit under lock and key.”
“But if you’re finally layin’ claim to her, and she’s not a thief, I guess I’ll welcome her to the family,” he said as he reached over and patted my shoulder again.
“For what it’s worth, I never thought you were a thief,” Otis said as he took a sip of coffee.
“She’s solid,�
�� Cambio said as he nodded his head.
As I was filling with emotion, and feeling as if I was making quick progress toward being accepted by the men who mattered most, I smiled and nodded my head. I lifted my coffee cup and took a small sip, attempting to act like it was just another day in the life of Sydney. Truthfully, I was on cloud nine. Being referred to as solid by a biker was the highest form of affirmation I could ever receive.
“Axton says Avery said she sent you a text and you need to read it,” Cambio said as he looked up from his phone.
I looked down at my plate, and realized I hadn’t begun to eat.
“My phone’s in my purse. I’ll look as soon as I’m done eating,” I responded.
“Huh, that’s weird. Got a text from the vet. Wants me to call him. Can’t remember now if I paid that girl before I stomped out of that place,” he said as he continued to mess with his phone and eat ham at the same time.
He stopped eating, and raised the phone to his ear. As I began to eat my almost cold eggs, Cambio began pacing through living room and talking on his phone. I turned toward Otis and grinned.
“Thanks for making breakfast,” I said. “It’s really good.”
With his coffee cup dangling from his index finger at the height of his chin, he turned toward me, raised his thumb in the air, and smiled. There was something about Otis that was completely comforting. He had an almost magical presence that only became apparent after being around him for a while. I suspected I was no different than most people, and at least initially was very intimidated by his size and stature. After I was able to relax around him, I realized he was not only much different than every other biker I had met, but truly unlike anyone I had ever met. He was the type of man I’d never get sick of being around, and always looked forward to seeing.
“Holy shit! Devil looks after his own. Hot fucking damn!” Cambio howled.
“What’s going on?” Otis said as he spun his bar stool around.
Cambio walked toward me as he began to respond.
“That was the vet on the phone. That pup had some chip in his neck. He gave me the name of the fucker and his address.” He paused, placed his hands on either side of my face, and kissed me lightly on the lips.
As our lips parted, he gazed into my eyes and then kissed me lightly again. He turned to face Otis as he tossed his phone onto the bar.
“He said some states require vet’s to turn in someone they suspect is abusing animals, and some states don’t. Well, Kansas does. He said he struggled with telling me who this guy was, and finally decided he’d rather live knowing the guy got what he deserved than live wondering if he’d continue to abuse animals after getting his wrist slapped by the court. He made me promise not to kill him. Can you fucking believe it? Must be living right,” he said as he slapped his hand against the bar.
“Give me the fucker’s address, I’ll have it all taken care of by the time you get home,” Otis said flatly.
“Shoulder’s feeling better already,” Cambio responded as walked to the other side of the bar and began shoveling eggs into his mouth.
“You told me in the hospital you were a changed man,” Otis said.
“You said you saw the light.” He raised his hands in the air, spread his fingers and began waving his hands back and forth. “I don’t want you ruining that, Brother.”
Cambio dropped his fork onto the plate. “I’ll tell you just like I told her. I haven’t got one fucking doubt that I died and was resurrected. Believe me or don’t, I don’t give a rat’s ass. And when I died, I went to some place that sure wasn’t like hell. Confirms my life’s been lived in accordance to what the man wants to see.”
He extended his index finger and pointed it upward. “I might be changed, and in some fucking respects I might be different, but I’m still a fucking Sinner.”
Otis nodded his head once. “Good to know.”
On the previous night, when Cambio explained everything about being a changed man and seeing the world and its offerings through different eyes, part of me was elated while another part was somewhat disappointed. I don’t know whether or not it was a result of growing up around my brother, or from lacking a father figure, but the male bravado-macho-tough guy types had always appealed to me. In thinking of Cambio being a softer, more passive biker, I was slightly dissatisfied. I felt as if I was forfeiting part of what made him attractive to me. Having him continue to be the hard, tough, take no shit person he had always been, yet continue to be sweet to me would be the best of both worlds. I guess now that he had cleared things up, I would no longer be left to wonder just who it was I was falling in love with. Being a Selected Sinner was one thing, being a sinner was another. Clearly Cambio intended to be both. In my opinion it was exactly where he belonged.
I looked up from my plate and nodded my head. “Amen.”
Chapter Seventy
SYDNEY
Being honest and being open are two totally different things, and they’re worlds apart. Although I have always perceived myself as being brutally honest, I’ve never been a person who I would consider to be open. Volunteering information about myself, my past, or my life’s experiences isn’t something I have ever been comfortable with.
After spending the day at Shane and Kace’s pool sunbathing and swimming, Cambio and I had taken a shower, and were relaxing on the bed. The fact I had not been open with Cambio about my past was beginning to bother me, and I was seeing my lack of willingness to have previously volunteered any and all things about myself as dishonesty.
I rolled onto my side and rested my cheek on the palm of my hand. “I need to tell you some things about me. About my past.”
He tilted his head toward me and grinned. “I don’t care about your past. I mean I do, but not about past relationships or anything. I really don’t.”
“It’s not that,” I said.
He rolled onto his side and rested his head against the pillow. “Okay, let’s hear it.”
“It’s a bunch, so let me finish, okay?” I asked.
He blinked his eyes and nodded his head once.
“I told you about my brother, but I didn’t tell you everything. My parents, they were killed when I was a baby. Well, my father killed my mother and then killed himself. I was three. I lived in an orphanage on and off until I was a little older, and then we were placed in foster care. The foster family we lived with wasn’t a really good one, but it was all the family I have really ever known. He was a preacher and she was a housewife. They had their own children, and they had other foster children too. The uhhm, the older kids mistreated the girls. You know, they messed with us, sexually.” I took a shallow breath and tried to decide what to say next, not feeling comfortable just yet about revealing the fact I was repeatedly raped as a little girl.
“I’m sorry about your parents. And I’m sorry about your foster family. People can be so inconsiderate sometimes,” he said.
He placed his hand under my chin, lifted it slightly, and continued. “I’m sure growing up without a family was tough. Just know that, well, know that I’m here for you. I know it sounds cheesy, but I am. I’ll do the best I can to make up for everything you’ve missed out on.”
I grinned as I pressed my cheek against his hand. “Thanks, I know you will. And yeah, it’s still tough, you know not having a family. No Christmas, no Thanksgiving, no birthdays, I hate it. Jack was all I had, and with him gone, well, I guess I’ve just got you. I’m just glad you have a family.”
He released my cheek from his hand, rolled onto his back, and stared at the ceiling. “Well, I guess I should tell you something about me. I have parents; real good parents to be honest. I’ve been back from the war for almost 5 years, and I’ve seen them once; right after I got home. Haven’t seen them since.”
“Oh wow. Can I ask why?”
“You know, all this time, I kind of wondered. I told myself for a long time I was just busy. I knew better, though. I haven’t been home for a holiday, nothing. Hell, I quit even
answering their phone calls. I’d ride up to see my grandfather, and sometimes I’d ride by their house, but I wouldn’t stop. Guilt, I suppose. I mean if you want to be specific.” He glanced in my direction and immediately shifted his eyes to the ceiling.
“Yeah, I’d guess it’d be the guilt,” he said.
“About what?” I asked, confused as to what specifically he’d be guilty about.
He stared at the ceiling and continued to speak in a monotone voice. “The war, killing, living through it all, fuck the list goes on and on. You know, I was medically discharged from the Marines, because of the PTSD. They said I was too fucking crazy to continue to fight. Too crazy to be a Marine, kind of funny when you think about it. That’s probably the biggest thing, the fact I was discharged. So maybe it was guilt and a little embarrassment.”
“But you were honorably discharged, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, sure was. Complete with commendations and medals. But my father’s era doesn’t understand. Maybe that’s why I talk to my grandfather, because he doesn’t argue with me about it.”
“Have you tried talking to your father about it?”
“Nope. I’m thinking maybe I will now, though.” He tilted his head to the side and stared.
“Here’s an interesting statistic about PTSD, veterans, and their mental health. 22 Veterans a day commit suicide. That’s one every 65 minutes, all day, every day, 365 days a year. It’s fucking sad. I didn’t want to be another statistic, so I dealt with my PTSD the best I knew how. I surrounded myself with people who didn’t ask questions, and tried to be nice to the people I liked and mean to the ones I didn’t. I went to my mental health at the Veterans Administration when I needed to, and I figured I’d skate through life doing what I was doing. Now that all this has happened, and with you mentioning family and all, it all seems wrong.”
“So they don’t even know about…about you being shot?” I asked.
He licked his lips and stared blankly. “Nope.”
I sat up on the bed and gazed down at him. “You probably should.”
HOT as F*CK Page 183