Chapter 4

~Cam~

"His name is Damion Tazzo."

"Sounds Italian."

I shrugged. "He doesn't look Italian..." I thought about it for a second. "At least I don't think he does. He's a firefighter."

"Uhuh."

"And you wouldn't believe how deep his voice is."

"I'm sure."

"And he's taller than me." I grinned.

"Everyone's taller than you."

I didn't let it faze me. I dropped back onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. "He's really strong too and he's the most handsome man you'll ever see."

"I doubt that."

"And his eyes are dark brown. They're really pretty, you'd like them."

She shrugged.

"And when he looks at me it's like he can tell exactly what's going through my head. It's crazy."

"It is."

"I like his hair and he's so...manly." I told her and she shook her head.

"There's something seriously wrong with you Cam."

"I think I'm in love."

"You're not."

"If you met him you'd understand." I told her.

"I don't think I would actually."

"He's perfect."

"No, you only think he is."

I shook my head. "He made me pancakes this morning and I know it's because I told him they're my favorite."

"Good for him."

I sat up. "You're gonna like him Monte."

She finally turned away from the mirror and looked at me. "No Cam, I won't, because he's going to hurt you. Just like all the others."

I frowned. "Damion's different."

She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "You've known the guy for two short nights. You don't know that."

"He was nice to me."

She sighed and looked away and my frown deepened. "Just because someone's nice to you doesn't mean they're good for you Cam. You of all people should know that."

She just didn't understand. She didn't know him like I did. "He's not gonna hurt me. I can feel it."

This time when she looked at me her eyes were almost...sad. "They always hurt you...it's just a matter of time."

"He says we're gonna be exclusive and he wants to train me."

She frowned and came to sat beside me on the bed. "What do you mean train you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, but he says it'll make things easier for me."

"I don't like the sound of this."

"You're worrying too much Monte." I took her hand. "I think maybe he likes me and if I'm really good I just know I can make this work."

"Cam I know how much you want to believe that, but you've said the exact same thing about every man you've let into your life and every single one of them has hurt you. Every single one of them."

"Yes but I told you Damion's different."

"Yeah...just like you said about the others, but they're never different are they?"

"Don't you want me to be happy?"

"You know I do, but I'm the one who has to dry your tears when things don't work out. I'm the one who has to wash the blood off or get ice for your bruises or take you to the hospital when they go too far. I'm the one who has to watch you go through this again and again and it hurts Cam. Every guy you get with is worse than the one before and I'm afraid for you."

"Well you won't have to be because I'm gonna be so good that he'll fall in love with me. I'm gonna do everything he says and I won't make him mad and he'll give me a collar and he'll take care of me. You'll see. You just have to trust me Monte."

"It's not you I don't trust" she said through gritted teeth and I watched as she pulled her hand from mine, crossed the room and exited through the door and out the hall.

I sighed. Soon she'd see just how great Damion was. He was gentle and he talked to me like I was a person. He let me sleep the whole night in his bed and he held me. He was nice to me. Soon she'd believe me when I said he was different.

.....................................................................

~Damion~

Thirteen...Fourteen...Fifteen...

I counted fifteen of them, running around like little headless chickens and making more noise than any group of kids had any right to.

They jumped on the chairs, climbed on the tables, spilled their juice and spilled their food. I'd tripped over at least three pairs of shoes since I'd arrived and had been attacked by at least nine of the little monsters since lunch.

They were loud, active and...loud.

I didn't think this was something I could do on a daily basis; fighting fires was easier, at least then I didn't have to worry about stepping on little people...most of the time.

The birthday girl waved at me from her perch on the bounce-about and I waved back, before taking a sip of my slightly chilled apple juice. Kids were tough.

"So what did you get her this year? I noticed you brought the biggest gift in the room." My sister-in-law questioned with a grin when she came to stand by my side.

"It's to make up for my absence last year."

"You made up for it when you had that damn treehouse built. I'm still waiting for the day she breaks her leg climbing down from that ladder."

I grinned and waved again when the little rug rat shouted my name.

"She'll be fine. Kids need adventure."

"Have you seen her friends? She has enough adventure."

I glanced around the yard and nodded. "Yeah, they're a little wild aren't they?"

"A little?" She pointed to a small blond kid who was rolling around in the grass. His hair was a mess of leaves and garden soil.

"I caught him peeing in my plant."

I shrugged. "Maybe it was just easier. He's utilizing nature, what harm can it do?"

"The plant is in the family room Damion"

"Ah."

"Next birthday I'm taking her to Disney Land, I don't think the house can take much more of this."

I chuckled "I thought you guys were moving soon."

She sighed, looking out into the yard. "You know Donny, he doesn't like change and he keeps putting it off."

"He'll come around. Especially with the little guy on the way."

She smiled, patting her round belly. "He says he doesn't want his kids to grow up like you two did; moving around all the time with no sense of stability."

"One move is hardly a problem."

"Yeah well tell your brother that."

"You know he doesn't listen to me either."

She waved away my words. "He values your opinion more than anyone else's...even if he doesn't show it."

I smiled slightly while shaking my head. "I'll have to take your word for it."

When she turned to me with her pleading eyes, I knew what was coming next.

"Talk to him for me."

I shook my head. "He's too stubborn. What I say won't make a difference."

"And I say it will. Come on Damion, are you really going to let a pregnant woman beg?"

You'd think I would be used to her persuasive tactics after all these years. I sighed, handed her the unfinished apple juice and she gave me a good little pat on the back for my troubles, before I turned and entered the house.

I nodded in greeting to the group of mothers sitting in deep conversation in the family room and made my way down the hall and pushed the door of my brother's study open.

He looked up from where he sat around his desk and grinned when I entered the room. "I was wondering if you were avoiding me."

"No more than usual." I replied, dropping into the couch by the door.

"Did Anna send you?" he asked, leaning back in his swivel chair, the ever-present smile on his face as bright and wide as it always was.

"She says you're having second thoughts about moving."

He shook his head, eyes twinkling. "No, she's just afraid that I will, but I told her already; I'm fully committed to getting out of this place. If it's what she wants then I'm onboard."

"You change your mind as often as the wind blows. It's your fault if she's having doubts."

He placed his hand over his heart "I swear I won't this time, so you two can stop conspiring against me."

I nodded, before kicking off my shoes and stretching out on the couch. "It's your daughter's birthday, shouldn't you be out there blowing out the candles with her?"

He looked down at his watch with a frown. "Anna brought out the cake already?"

"Soon."

He shuffled his papers around and seemed to consider something. "I have a lot of work to do...I'll be there for the cake."

"Uhuh."

"So, how's it going? I can't ever see you unless my kid has a birthday. What's happening?"

"You saw me two weeks ago, don't start with the dramatics."

"Two weeks is too long. We need to catch up."

I shook my head. He'd always been the needy one; ever since we were kids. "You really think anything new happened since you saw me last time? Work's fine, the business is fine and my personal life is fine. Just like it was last time I saw you and just like it was the time before that."

"Everything's the same huh?" he asked with a knowing grin.

I nodded.

"So you didn't go to CeeCee's two nights in a row and leave with the same guy?"

I shook my head. "How'd you hear about that?"

He tapped his head and laughed. "I told you, it's because we're twins. There's a link between us bro."

I laughed. "Jerry told you."

"Who else?"

"So much for finding a new chill spot."

Donny shook his head. "If there's a gay bar around, Jerry will find it."

And of course Jerry told his best friend everything.

"So the same guy, twice in a row? This must be serious."

"Hardly." I drawled and he tilted his head to the side.

"You're being evasive...you actually really like this guy. Who is he anyway?"

"I don't and you don't need to worry about it. I'm not interested in relationships and all that crap you family men are into. You know that."

He was silent as he watched me for a moment and I shook my head and looked to the ceiling.

"I better be the best man at your wedding." He said after a few moments and I plucked the cushion from the seat and launched it at him.

He was laughing even as he dodged it and it went bouncing across the room.

...................................................

The heat was thick and intrusive as it lapped at the walls around me. Paintings erupted into flames, wooden beams crumbled all around us and still, we trudged through in search of any survivors. In one arm I held an unconscious puppy and across the room my partner navigated the falling debris with a woman.

I passed by a beam just before it fell and split the floor behind me and my partner looked over and gestured to the pathway up ahead. While we made for the exit, the others continued their search. Nothing prepared you for the heat, no matter how many times you ran into a burning building, no matter how much time you spent around the flame. Each unfortunate occasion brought with it new experiences and each time felt much worse than before. When we burst through the all-encompassing heat and into the darkened street beyond, it was like being given new life, because despite any man's level of experience, emerging from hell always brought with it a great sense of relief.

This was my job. I struggled against what it threw my way and I hadn't been defeated yet.

I saved lives and I loved it.

                                                        AUTHOR'S NOTES

THANKS FOR READING!

KEEP SWEET

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.