Here we go, another week and a lot of excitement!! This is the Wednesday Briefer's group with a great bunch of authors that share flash stories or chapter updates of 500-1,000 words every week. Not only can you read mine, but at the end there are links to other stories as well. This week we had more photo prompts, though none really spoke to me. We also had: "It's a little bit funny..." "Never knew I could feel like this..." "like a virgin" or use: diva, aria, lemon or use: dwarf, fantasy, slide or use a red light or set your story at the Moulin Rouge.
I chose to use the red light.
One Night Part 6
“What are you doing here?” Bear snapped.
Loren stood in the hall outside his apartment. “John called me. He thought maybe I should drive you over.”
Bear narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck! You all knew, didn’t you?”
“It’s my fault,” Loren said. He fiddled with his keys, then looked up. “I was worried about you.”
Pushing past him, Bear slammed the door. “Fine. Let’s go; you can explain in the god damned car.”
***
“Jesus, Loren. Really?” Bear sat rigid in the passenger seat. “You snooped through my shit? Then, instead of talking to me, you called Jimmy. That’s … that’s just—” Bear shook his head. He had to stop talking or he was going to start shouting.
“I’m sorry, but you know how you are Bear. You have horrible taste in men and ever since you were dating this guy you wouldn’t tell us anything.”
Because he deserved no privacy. “I overheard him talking about picking up some e. I dumped him. I’d never seen him high or anything but I won’t be with a user. He doesn’t want to believe it’s over. I’m not in any danger.”
Loren shook his head as he stopped at the red light by the hospital. “You’re wrong. I told you; Jimmy said this guy is bad news, and worse, he apparently knows some big baddies.”
“Vilem is creepy but not dangerous. Jimmy worries too much, which is exactly why we have that police tail I’m sure you were hoping I didn’t notice. “
“And you don’t take things seriously enough!” Loren shouted. “Damn it, Bear! This is bad. I didn’t like Jimmy’s plan either but he wanted you safe and Kameron could protect you. Your brother is scared. This is bigger than your ex stalking you.”
“Why didn’t he tell me then?” Even as Bear asked that question he knew the answer.
Loren parked his car outside the emergency entrance and they got out to walk inside. Bear shivered in the early morning air. He eyed the unmarked car that idled at the curb.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, Bear; Jimmy is always gonna think of you as his little brother. He doesn’t want—”
Squealing tires made Bear look up. An ambulance came around the corners at high speed. Bear stepped back by the car. When they got even with them the back doors flung open and shots rang out. Bear dropped to the ground. A sickening pain radiated in his shoulder and head. He rolled, wedging himself under the car where he tried not to writhe in pain.
The white heat radiating up his neck and down his arm consumed him. He heard more shots and then the sirens began to fade.
“Bear!” Loren’s voice made him look over his uninjured side. Loren was on his hands and knees, peering under the car. Bear felt a momentary flash of relief he wasn’t hurt … or dead.
“I found him! He’s under my car,” Loren shouted. He crouched down further. “Are you okay?”
“No,” Bear groaned.
“Oh shit. Were you shot?”
Hands reached for him and grabbed his sleeve, trying to pull him out of the car. Bear screamed and passed out.
***
The agony was thankfully muted when Bear woke up. Blinking, he looked around the white room.
“Hey there. I heard you were coming to visit; I didn’t think you’d arrange to check in with me.”
Kameron was in the bed next to him. He looked like shit; his nose packed and his eyes swelling with dark bruises. One of his arms was wrapped in layers of gauze.
“What happened?” Bear croaked.
He raised an eyebrow. “To you or me?”
Bear went to wave his question away and groaned. He looked down; his right arm was in a blue sling. “Me.”
“Someone doesn’t want us investigating your ex apparently. You’re either a message, or they think you know something.”
His lips were dry. Bear licked them, wishing for some water. He groped around the bed; wasn’t there supposed to be some button to call a nurse?
“Do you need something?” Kameron asked.
“I need the nurse. I’m thirsty, and I want a new room.”
Kameron pushed a button on the rail of his bed. “You’re safe here, Bear. There’s a pair of uniforms on the door.”
“I don’t care who is out there; you’re in here.”
Kameron winced as he frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
Bear snapped. “You lied to me! I know you’re not gonna die now. I only came to find out what was going on, but Loren told me.” He coughed, his voice getting raspier.
“It wasn’t like that! I didn’t want to lie about my job. What I feel for you, that isn’t a lie.”
“Right.”
“Your brother may have set me up to meet you, and yes, I was supposed to ask you out so I could stay close to you.” Kameron sighed. “I didn’t expect you to be … well, you, though.”
“At least I know why you never tried to sleep with me. Fucking on the job would be a bit much, huh?”
Kameron’s face went red where it wasn’t purple. “I didn’t try to get you in bed because I don’t do that with anyone I just meet! I was going to tell you after we caught that scumbag you used to date. I’d hoped we could maybe date for real. I like you!”
Bear turned his head away. “Whatever. It’s too late. I don’t want to be anywhere near you!”
“Too bad,” Jimmy said as he pushed the door open. A small woman in scrubs came in behind him. Her presence, and the fact that his tongue felt glued to the roof of his mouth until she handed him the glass of water in her hand was all that kept Bear from shouting at his brother.
Too bad his ass.
I hope you leave a comment if you enjoyed this update before you head over to see the other great stories by these other Briefers:
Lily Sawyer m/m
Michael Mandrake m/m
Julie Lynn Hayes m/m
Nephylim m/m
Elyzabeth VaLey m/f
Chris T. Kat m/m
Victoria Adams m/f
Tali Spencer m/m
MC Houle m/m
Noooooooooo.
ReplyDeleteCan not wait till next week.
I am loving it. I hope bear gives them all something that they won't ever forget.
LOL, I'm really glad you're enjoying it, Madhga, but you'll have to wait! Sorry. Bear, well, he is definitely not a meek character. I would not want to be Jimmy!
DeleteReally taut transition here. Having Bear and Kameron in the same room is inspired and makes sense, though I suspect for legal reasons it might not happen in truth. Bear is a witness and all that. Still, what fun! :) I love when characters are thrown together and forced to deal with their issues.
ReplyDeleteWell, Bear isn't necessarily a witness, he's a victim. If they went on the presumption that Kameron had Bear under protective custody, it would make sense that he stayed with Kameron. ;) However, I'm not an expert on police procedure, so meh. It does make for good fiction!
DeleteWow! I didn't see that coming at all. Bear and Kameron together in one room? An explosive combination, that's for sure.
ReplyDelete:D Yep, definitely some stuff coming next week! :D I do so love good drama.
DeleteOh man oh goodness. You know its been a week already. Right :) love this story can't wait to read what Bear and to say to his brother and kameron.
ReplyDeleteKayla
Stonekayla49@yahoo.com
I think Bear has A LOT to say to Jimmy and Kameron. *grins* Glad you're still enjoying this story Kayla!
DeleteAs the youngest of 14 kids, I know what it's like to have everyone treat you like you're too young to understand what's going on, no matter how old you may actually be. So, I can see Bear's point of view. He needs to give everyone (espically Jimmy) hell and then he needs to listen to his heart when it comes to Kameron. But Jimmy should stay on Bear's shit list till he realises that his "baby brother" is all grown up.
ReplyDeleteI'm not the youngest, nor is my family that big, (only 9 of us compared to your 14, wowsers, btw!) but I do know how siblings interact. It's also really hard to change a lifetime's habit on how you treat them. Jimmy is definitely going to get it from Bear. How he'll react is still up in the air, since we haven't seen that much of him. I can't wait for next week either, lol.
DeleteAs the baby of my family I totally sympathise. I HATE being treated like a kid so I totally appreciate Bear's position. I would also be totally pissed with Kameron, until I saw him all battered. That would totally melt my heart. Poor Bear, getting pissed off, then finding out Kam was in the hospital and then getting shot. Not really his day is it? :)
ReplyDeleteAs an older sister I understand Jimmy. No matter how old my sister is she's always going to be my little sister. Like Bear, she doesn't quite get it either *grin* Although I'm not quite as extreme as Jimmy is. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for poor Bear, but I think he's taking things the wrong way and that's just going to bring him more trouble.
The groveling when Bear gets done with them should be epic!
ReplyDeleteWow! one of 9...2 sibs was enough for me! lol
ReplyDeleteYou packed so much into this small word count! The action was great and I love what a fire-cracker Bear is. As much as I want K and him to be together, he deserves to get hell for it. He was in a spot...Jimmy told him to not tell Bear, but was it police business officially? Before K got hurt I mean. B/c if not, he could have told him, Jimmy be damned. I'm glad the fighting as siblings will come off as natural b/c all of us who have them know how no one better say a word about or hurt your sibling...but get pissed off at one another and look out sometimes! I kinda look forward to that b/c Jimmy is playing God and treating Bear like a kid. He has to realize that his brother is an adult. Though I see that Bear has a tendency to play things down and he reacted just like everyone figured he would. Without the bullet in him, he'd still be denying there was a problem. Can't wait for the fireworks next week.
cannd
wonderful story.
ReplyDelete