Page 74 of Caged Hunger

His head snapped to the side, quickly scanning his surroundings for any signs of a break-in or anything that seemed out of place.

“I… I think so.”

“Cam. Do you have a gun in the house?”

Basher’s question sent a chill down his spine. He didn’t believe in guns, so he didn’t own one. But even if he did, would he actually have the guts to pull the trigger if it ever came down to it?

He wasn’t like the other guys who were part of the Shadow Vipers. They were tough and could fight or even kill if they needed to.

Cameron was not a fighter. He was a caregiver and a lover. He didn’t inflict pain; he did what he could to take it away.

But if the moment ever came when either his or Basher’s life was in danger, would he have the courage to pull the trigger?

He sure hoped he would.

“Cam? You still there?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m here. No, I don’t own a gun. Never felt the need to have one.”

“That’s alright,” Basher said in his calm, ever-so-confident voice. “I have plenty here I can bring over.”

Of course he did.

“In the meantime, grab a knife and wait in your living room until I get there. That is the safest spot in your apartment. You have a good view of all the rooms, with plenty of time to react if someone were to…” He didn’t finish his sentence.

Cameron had a feeling he already knew what Basher was trying to warn him about. Just in case someone came out of hiding and decided to attack you.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Don’t hang up. Stay on the line.”

Cameron nodded as he reached for the large butcher knife he kept in the block on his counter. He cautiously slipped into his living room and stood with his back against the wall, waiting for his savior to arrive.

He hated feeling so scared. He hated feeling so vulnerable. But what else could he do?

27

BASHER

The entire ride to Cameron’s place, Basher’s mind spiraled through every worst-case scenario imaginable—from someone hiding in Cameron’s closet to a bomb hidden under the kitchen sink.

Every scenario ended the same way—with Cameron dead.

Basher couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.

There was no fucking way.

Cameron was the first person to truly glimpse the real Basher behind the fortified walls he’d spent his entire life building—walls that protected the lonely, lost, vulnerable beast inside him.

And instead of recoiling from what he saw, Cameron accepted him completely, flaws and all, offering him something Basher had never truly known before: hope, love, and understanding.

And for that, he would be eternally grateful.

So there was no fucking way that some obsessive little fucker was going to do anything to harm Cameron or force him into something he didn’t want.

Once Basher burst through the apartment door, he rushed over to Cameron and pulled him into a tight embrace.

He could feel the young man tremble against him.

Sliding his hand slowly down Cameron’s back, he did his best to comfort him, reminding him that he was here now and that nobody was ever going to hurt or harm him. Not while he still had a breath left in his body.