13. Cameron
CAMERON
Carefully, Cameron made his way across the living room and gently set down his hot bowl of stew.
Next, he grabbed his can of soda from the counter and his cell phone from its charger. With everything set, he sat his ass down on the sofa and turned on the television.
After scrolling for what felt like an eternity, he decided to flick off the TV and began eating his dinner in silence.
He ate a few spoonfuls, staring at the dark screen in front of him.
Shit. This wasn’t helping.
All day long, he’d been worried about Basher. This was the part of his life he didn’t like—watching the guys he had come to care about drive off to do some dangerous shit.
Would they get injured? Killed? Perhaps arrested?
He knew better than to ask details of where they were going or what they were doing. That was crew business, and he wasn’t a member of the Shadow Vipers. He just worked as a bartender in the bar that they happened to own.
Now, sitting here, all alone in his quiet apartment, his mind began to race, filling it with all sorts of horrible scenarios.
Basher lying dead in a ditch.
Marcus clutching his chest as he slowly bled out.
Blade being taken away in handcuffs.
All of them, one bad scenario after another.
He dropped his spoon back into his bowl, letting out a heavy breath as he tried his best to push those thoughts out of his mind.
Cameron hated feeling like this, sitting around all antsy and stressed.
Even cooking didn’t help to calm his nerves.
Staring at his bowl of hearty goodness, he was reminded of his mom.
Growing up, his mom worked three jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.
His father had been killed in a horrible on-the-job construction accident.
He'd been securing a crossbeam high above the ground when part of the structure gave way beneath him, sending him plummeting five stories to his death. Cameron was only five at the time.
Following that tragic accident, Cameron’s mother became his whole world. Despite having to work multiple jobs, she always made sure that Monday nights were their nights.
Once his mother finished her shift at the grocery store, she would come home around six. The two of them would cook dinner together and then eat it while watching a movie on TV.
Those nights were his favorites. Regardless of how tough his day had been, he knew he could always look forward to spending time with his mom, creating something tasty and special.
“Grab the glass tray from inside that cupboard,” his mother instructed.
“This one?” Cameron asked, holding up the larger of the two trays he had found.
“Yup, that one. This way we can have leftovers for the next couple of days.”
Cameron carried the tray over to where his mother stood at the stove, stirring a large pot of tomato sauce. He set the tray on the counter beside her and took in the delicious aroma wafting from the pot she was stirring.
They sautéed ground beef with onions and garlic, seasoned it with various spices, and even added a touch of red wine, then added two jars of tomato sauce to the large pot to simmer.
After a few minutes of the sauce cooking, his mother asked him to add the bowl of peas and carrots she had sitting on the kitchen table to the sauce that was simmering.
“You want to add the veggies toward the end so they don’t end up getting all gross and soggy,” his mother had told him.
That made sense. He still wasn’t sure why they needed veggies at all. He was happy just eating a hearty meat sauce.
He figured it probably had something to do with vitamins and wanting them to eat right.
“Here, take this.” His mother stepped back and passed Cameron the ladle she was using to stir the tomato sauce. “Now, take a scoop of sauce and add it to the lasagna tray.”
Cameron did as instructed. He took a full scoop, then poured it into the bottom of the dish. He added two more scoops, making sure he covered the entire surface.
“Perfect. Now grab the ready-made pasta and place it in the tray, side by side. For the end of the tray, you can snap the pasta carefully and add the smaller pieces to the end, so you get the whole surface covered.”
Nodding, he reached into the box and began applying his first layer of noodles to the glass tray. He had seen his mother make lasagna before, but this was the first time he was making the dish on his own.
“Okay, now you’re going to add more sauce to the noodles, being sure to cover every inch of pasta. If you don’t, that’s when you get hard corners.”
That made sense.
“Oh, and once the sauce is on, don’t forget to add a thick layer of cheese!” His mother cheered, clapping him on his shoulders as he carefully spread out the sauce.
He smiled at his mom.
He loved Monday nights, cooking with her. She always made things fun and special.
Next week, she was going to teach him how to bake lemon tarts.
Mmm, he loved lemon tarts.
Once he had finished applying the fourth layer and the sauce was threatening to spill over the sides, he carefully slid the covered tray into the oven.
“Perfect! Now we have time to wash up these dishes before our dinner is ready.”
He let out a groan as his mother continued to smile.
Washing dishes was not part of the funness of the night.
Leaning forward, Cameron took another bite of his stew and let the deliciousness of the flavors roll over his tongue.
Argh, the night was going to take forever to pass.
Cameron’s cell phone buzzed, pulling him from his inner turmoil.
It was a text from Ace.
He opened the message, then smiled.
ACE: The boys are safe.
Cameron clicked on the attached photo.
Blade was taking a selfie with his arm wrapped around Caden’s shoulders, his grin stretching from ear to ear. Just behind them, Marcus smirked at the camera, a glass of whiskey in hand, while Basher lingered nearby, lifting his beer like he’d been coerced into taking the stupid picture.
Cameron burst out laughing, and with it came a wave of relief. The tension in his stomach loosened, and his shoulders sagged as though a weight had been lifted from them. Only then did he realize how anxious he’d actually been.
ACE: They’re staying the night in Phoenix, then they’ll head home tomorrow morning. They’re just waiting for some guy to pick up the truck and bring it to where it’s got to go. Just thought u would want to know.
CAMERON: Thanks for letting me know. Love the pic. Basher looks like he’s being held against his will. LOL.
ACE: Thought you’d like that one.
CAMERON: Have no idea what yur talking about.
ACE: *winky face emoji*
Chuckling, Cameron dropped his phone onto the sofa cushion beside him and resumed eating his stew, which was starting to get cold. He flicked on the TV, then began channel surfing once again.
No, he didn’t have extra money to spend on streaming services. Those were for people who had money to burn. All his money went to taking care of his mother. Speaking of which, he would have to pick up some groceries before he went to see her tomorrow.
They were making chicken cacciatore.