Breathing Fire

Caleb was carefully adjusting the heavy shoulder harness for my battle axe. It had felt a little tight. I barely had to mention the issue before Caleb made me take it off, and started fixing it. He wouldn’t tolerate backup who didn’t have their equipment up to par, was what he always muttered right before he repaired whatever problems we were having.

Lynn and I were just getting warmed up, making men and their gun sizes jokes, when the door slammed open. Cam loomed in the doorway, his eyes settling on me with their usual loathing.

“Jillian, may I have a word with you out in the hallway?” The words were civil enough, but his tone was far from it.

I got up, curious more than anything. “Holler if you need us,” Lynn said quietly when I passed her. I nodded slightly as I left the room. I really didn’t want to leave my axe behind in that room, but I did it. I was trying to play nice, goddammit.

Cam led me down the hallway, stopping when we were out of earshot of the others. He faced me, trying to make his face blank. I could still see his contempt. I gave him my own blank look. I pulled it off much better than he did.

Cam was a bear of a man. He was Dom’s height almost exactly, but he was just…massive. His shoulders were broad and bulky with bulging muscles. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him, but he had none of Dom’s lean elegance. He was built too much like a pro wrestler, or a bulked up football player. He had the raven blue-black hair and stunning eyes that were a stamp of his bloodline. Side by side with his own brother, and even his cousin, no one could have failed to note that they were related. They were good-looking sons of bitches, I’d give them that. He loomed over me, and if anyone could have intimidated me with menacing size alone, it would have been Cam. Luckily, I was too stubborn to be intimidated. I met his gaze head-on, my stance as aggressive as his own.

“What do you want, Cam?” I’d always found it best to just be direct with Cam. He was a mean son of a bitch, but he had always been plain-spoken as a rule.

He continued to study me for a moment. Finally, he spoke, “What I’ve always wanted. You, gone. Mav and Michael have been taken into custody for some fiasco that I know you were involved in. Siobhan had to be escorted away. You can thank yourself for losing us a valuable soldier tonight. I hope that little scene back there was worth it for you.”

I just gave him a level stare. No way was he going to make me feel bad about Siobhan leaving. “If you think she would have let it end any other way, you’re kidding yourself.”

“I didn’t see the whole altercation, but I do know that she didn’t get a shot at you. If you’re going to throw the first and only punch, you can’t exactly blame her.” I didn’t point out that Lynn had gotten a punch in too. That would hardly help my case.

He may have had a point, but frankly, I had no intention of admitting it to him. I just gave him a blank stare. “Your point?”

“My point,” he said softly, “is that you bring nothing but trouble, and I want to know if you intend to screw with Dom’s life again. He’s only seen you twice and he’s already more distracted and volatile than he’s been in years. He sent away his 3rd Lieutenant tonight, rather than you. Do you know how f**ked up that is? Siobhan would die for him, it’s her job, and he sent her away after you punched her. He can’t be reasonable about you. You need to stay the f**k out of his life. Is that too much to hope for? I’d rather know up front.”

I stared at Cam for awhile, debating whether to give him a straight answer or not. We had never gotten along. He’d always been a bastard to me, even before he had a reason to be. I felt no particular obligation to put his mind at ease. Finally I did, but only to avoid more drama. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. I mean to stay as far away from him as possible.”

“I wish I could trust that. You know, don’t you, that he never would have made Arch if you had stayed together. Having anything to do with you at this point would discredit his leadership. If you have any care at all for him, you’ll stay the hell away.”

I curled my lip at him. “I’ve always been able to read the writing on the wall crystal clear. We done here?”

He shook his head at me. “You may have the obsession of our leader, but you also have the hatred of our people. You walk a dangerous path. Siobhan is much admired among the druids. What you did here tonight is only going to add to your infamy. You had best watch your back.”

“Is that a threat?” I asked softly, my eyes going very cold as I studied him closely.

He shook his head. “As much as I’d love to punish you for the things you’ve done, I would never disobey my Arch.”

“That is reassuring, Cousin.” An all too familiar voice spoke from behind me. I shivered involuntarily.

Cam started visibly. He bowed his head briefly to his leader. “Cousin.” His tone was respectful.

I turned to look at him in spite of my better judgement. He was dressed in a black armored vest and cargo pants, his arms bare. The same as most of the fighters here. The same as me. Why was it so much more distracting on him? His arms were crossed over his chest, upper arms bulging. I nodded at him in greeting, then pointedly looked away.

“I hope you have a good reason, Cam, for interrogating Jillian in the hallway. Alone.”

Cam’s jaw clenched. He sent a quick glare in my direction. “I do, actually. Jillian here knocked Siobhan across the room. She wasn’t here five minutes before she started some shit. I thought someone should address the issue.”