19. Basher
BASHER
Staring out into his backyard from the kitchen window, Basher took a sip of his coffee and contemplated his life. Ever since being released from prison, his life had been one unexpected surprise after another.
First was his move to Baton, New Mexico. Well, it wasn’t exactly a voluntary move—more of an ordered transfer from his boss. Being exiled to a place where absolutely nothing happened.
It wasn’t that he was complaining. He was actually starting to enjoy the quieter, simpler life.
Plus, there were a few unexpected perks he hadn’t seen coming—one of them being a five-foot-nine, sexy-as-hell bartender with the appetite of a young buck and a smile that never seemed to fade…
not even when the little creep was sleeping.
It was like watching a golden retriever sleep, cuddled up into his body, smiling with his tongue hanging out as he snored.
Oh, sorry. Gays didn’t snore—they purred, according to Cameron.
Still, Basher wondered whether he would ever return to Vegas. Would Bradly, his boss and the leader of the Death Cruisers MC, ever tell him that it was safe to return home?
Part of him missed the guys from the Death Cruisers. They were like annoying brothers who always had his back.
Yeah, he was starting to bond with the guys in the Shadow Vipers, but they weren’t family. Not really. They hadn’t welcomed him with open arms—they had just opened their side door and told him he could hide out with them until the coast was clear.
That, right there, was the difference.
Well, what about Cameron? That voice in his head pressed as he stared out at the firepit where they’d had their first real connection.
Cameron was different. Somehow, he'd slipped past all of Basher's defenses and quietly worked his way into his heart.
More than anything, Basher admired the boy's compassion.
Cameron genuinely cared about people. He always made sure everyone felt included in a conversation, never talking down to anyone or treating them as though they were beneath him.
In Cameron's eyes, everyone deserved the same kindness and respect, and that was something Basher had rarely encountered in his life.
Basher hated to admit it, but he was really starting to fall for the guy.
That was the problem with men like Basher. They didn't love lightly. They loved with a terrifying intensity that most people couldn't understand.
Some called it possessiveness.
Others called it protectiveness.
Basher called it caring.
Once someone earned a place in his heart, they were his responsibility. Their safety, their happiness, their well-being—he carried it all without complaint. And God help the poor bastard who tried to hurt someone he loved, because Basher wouldn't stop until the threat was gone.
Speaking of which, he wanted to do something nice for the guy. Take Cameron somewhere special and show him just how much he means to him.
But what to do?
Romance and charm weren’t exactly his strong suits.
His cell phone rang on the counter.
Glancing at the screen, he saw his boss’s name and immediately felt his stomach drop. It was either good news or bad. Which was he hoping to hear?
Snatching his cell, he slid his finger across the screen and accepted the call.
“Hey, boss, how’s it going?”
“Hey, Bash! How’s it going? We all miss you out here.”
“Yeah, I miss you guys too. Is it safe to come home?”
His boss went quiet for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts. “Not yet, buddy. We’re still picking up whispers about the Caplan crew. They’re sweeping the state, trying to flush you out.”
Damnit. He should just head to Vegas and kill them all himself. Eliminate the threat, and then he would be free to return home.
“Fine. I hear ya. I’ll stay where I am and keep my nose down.”
“Thata boy. Help Marcus with whatever runs or crew business he might need help with. It will be good for the two crews to work together and shit.”
“It’s good to hear from you, boss. Thanks for checking in.” Disappointed, Basher hung up the phone, then made his way into the living room.
He was sad he couldn’t head home just yet, but on the positive side, it meant he got to spend more time with Cameron and see where that spark might lead.
Now he needed to finish his coffee and plan an extra-special, romantic-as-fuck date.
It was just after eleven a.m. when Basher hopped on his motorcycle to go and ask a certain bartender out on a date.
He felt like a teenager—excited yet nervous, eager yet scared to death.
What if Cameron said no? What if he already had plans?
Yes, they had incredible chemistry in the bedroom, but that didn’t necessarily mean Cameron was interested in pursuing anything more.
What if the guy only wanted his dick?
He was running the risk of being humiliated if Cameron said no and confessed that he was only interested in the meat between his legs.
Talk about fucking humiliating.
But could he really blame the guy?
How many people wanted to date an ex-con? How many people wanted to date a guy who barely talked and whose solution to problems was violence and pain?
He really was putting it all on the line.
Basher couldn’t remember the last time he was ever this vulnerable.
Love fucking sucked.
Was this love? He had no fucking idea.
All he knew was that he couldn’t stop thinking about that smile, those eyes, the scent of Cameron’s skin against his…
Perhaps he was falling in love. There was only one way to find out.
He’d stopped at the corner store to buy a bag full of candy instead of flowers. He felt like candy and sweets were more Cameron’s style. He bought Smarties and gummies and sugar packets that popped on your tongue. He bought all the things he used to love eating as a kid.
He had to steal the items when he was younger since he had no money and his foster families weren’t exactly the friendliest of people.
Basher shoved the bag full of sugar into his jacket pocket, then continued on his way toward Cameron’s apartment.
For a grown-ass man, he was nervous as shit.
He didn’t do this lovey-dovey, romantic crap. But something told him that Cameron craved it. And as he was quickly realizing, he was willing to do whatever the smiling ball of sunshine wanted.
Once he arrived at Cameron’s third-floor walk-up, he climbed the stairs, then knocked on the door.
He could hear music playing in the apartment—some pop group that sounded vaguely familiar.
Swallowing hard, Basher knocked on the door a little harder this time.
What if he wasn’t alone?
Just when Basher was about to reconsider this whole ridiculous idea, the apartment door flew open.
“Oh, hey! What are you doing here?” Cameron asked, smiling and looking totally surprised to see him.
“I brought you sugar,” Basher announced, pulling the bag from his jacket pocket and shoving it into Cameron’s face.
Cameron’s mouth fell open as he stared at the bag full of candy in Basher’s hand. “You brought me… what?”
Smooth. Could you be any more of a caveman?
“Sugar. Treats. Candy things that pop in your mouth and make your teeth rot. They are better than flowers… or so I’m told.”
Pulling open the bag, Cameron peeked inside.
“Umm… thanks?”
“You're welcome,” Basher said, walking past him and entering his apartment. “So, do you have any plans for today?”
Cameron shrugged his shoulders.
“Not really. Was just going to clean the apartment and do the leftover dishes,” Cameron said as he followed him into the living room.
“That sounds boring. Go shower and change. I’m taking you out… on a date.” He decided to add that last part so there was no doubt as to his intentions. Even if the boy rejected him, he wanted to make it very clear that he was asking.
“A date?” Cameron repeated, no doubt checking whether he had heard him correctly. His voice was shaky, and his face looked a little unsure.
Perhaps this was a bad idea.
“Yes, a date. I’m told that’s what people do when they want to get to know people better.”
The hesitant expression on Cameron’s face quickly dissolved.
“I know what a date is,” he teased, fixing Basher with a sassy look.
“So do you want to go out or not?”
A smug grin tugged at Cameron’s lips as he leaned casually against the wall.
“So, you want to get to know me better?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought we did a pretty good job of that the other night.”
Basher’s lips turned up in a cocky smirk. “Yeah, but now I want to see if you are interested in more than just my dick.”
Cameron laughed. “Well, when a man brings me a bouquet of candy, how can I say no to going out with him?”
“Good. Glad we agree. Now move that sexy ass of yours and go get ready.”
The excitement on Cameron’s face was impossible to miss. “Give me a few minutes to get ready,” he said before bolting down the hall.
Forty minutes later, Cameron was all washed and dressed and smiling like his face had been permanently set to Christmas joy.
Basher swung a leg over his bike and held out a hand to help Cameron climb onto the back of his Kawasaki Ninja.
The bright-green sports bike was sleek and lightweight, built for speed and handling.
It sliced through the air like a knife through butter, and Basher loved every second he spent riding it.
Using the pegs for support, Cameron lowered himself into the tiny seat behind Basher.
Good thing they weren’t going for a long ride; otherwise, the poor guy’s ass would be sore as shit. And this time it wouldn’t have been because of Basher.
Basher handed Cameron a helmet. After slipping it on, the boy immediately pressed himself snugly against Basher's back. Feeling Cameron's arms wrap around him, Basher couldn't help but think that bringing the bike had been a damn good idea after all.
“Hold on tight,” Basher said, revving the engine before easing the bike onto the road.
Cameron immediately tightened his grip, clinging to him as they accelerated. Basher could feel the boy's thighs hugging his sides and the warmth of his body pressed firmly against his back.
A smile tugged at Basher's lips. The closeness, the trust, the simple feeling of having Cameron wrapped around him—it was enough to make him think this ride might end up being his favorite one yet.
Shuffling from one foster home to the next, Basher never felt that sense of connection—that trust, that bond that connected two people together. It was always just him, alone and disconnected.
He wasn’t sure why, but Cameron had seen something in him. Something that piqued his interest and made him look deeper, trying to see through the walls he had so heavily fortified.
They sped through town and out to the desert. A few days ago, Basher had found an advertisement on one of the bulletin boards at the local grocery store and immediately thought it might be something Cameron would enjoy.
Now, speeding toward their destination with Cameron wrapped tightly around his body, he sure hoped he was right.