Page 16 of Maximus

“So, I guess you’ve wondered how I came to live among these crazy bikers. My life used to be good. A nice house. Both parents in the home, who loved me very much. I didn’t want for much of anything, that is until my dad died unexpectantly of a heart attack. My mom and I had to sell the house we lived in, because the upkeep was too expensive. Luckily, my grandmother had left me a house in her will. She passed away about six months before my father.

“Anyway, mom and I moved into Granny’s house and were doing pretty good given the circumstances. Eventually, I moved back to the dorms once mom seemed to be back on her feet. The next thing I knew, mom had moved this guy named Bruce into my house. I was furious, but she was my mom. I couldn’t kick her out, but I tried to force her to make him leave. She refused. As a result, we barely spoke to each other.

“Then she got sick. She begged me to move back home to help take care of her. She had a home health nurse that came a few days a week, so I scheduled my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to stay in school and take care of my mom at the same time. Bruce was a useless sloth but mean as a rattlesnake coming out of brumation.

“Anyway, after mom died, the very day I buried her, Bruce held me hostage in my own home. He tied me to the bed in my room and allowed his friends to take advantage of me. One night, he forgot to secure the ties. I escaped and came here.

“My dad was a former member who kept his friendships with several brothers. He only retired from the club because I was born. However, he left me a letter stating if I ever found myself in trouble and had nowhere to turn, to go to this clubhouse and give them this badge.”

I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out the badge. I never went anywhere without it. It was the one thing that tethered me to my dad. My prized possession. When I looked over at Maximus, his eyes were full of rage. He was no longer sucking the end of his weapon. Instead, he fingered it as he looked back at me. He had been listening.

“This Bruce, is he still breathing?”

Startled by his suddenly stern growl projecting into the room, I jumped a bit.Get it together, girl. The man is out of his episode. I nodded my head, unable to find my voice. Maximus clutched my chin with his meaty hand and looked me deep in the eyes. He leaned forward so I wouldn’t miss what he was about to say.

“He won’t be for much longer.”

Gosh darn it!I believe the man meant it. Then he shocked me once again by handing me his gun. I watched as he wiped his face with the tail of his black tee shirt. When he lifted his shirt, his abs popped out and smacked me in the face. Okay, I am exaggerating, but the man had abs of steel. I needed a distraction, so I decided now would be the perfect time to get all up in his business.

“You wanna tell me what had you so spooked?”

The look he gave me made me want to take back my last question. The tears that had been trickling started to flow again. The sobs wrecked his body so hard I thought he was gonna throw up. I did the only thing I knew to do. I opened my arms and let him fall into my chest.

I held him and rocked the big man back and forth like he was a child. All I wanted to do was comfort him. If I could take that pain away, even if just for a second, then I would. We must have stayed that way for several minutes. By the time he let it all out, the front of my shirt was soaked with tears and probably snot. I didn’t care. I just needed him to know he wasn’t alone.

“I don’t really want to relive the tragedy, but I think you’ve earned the right to know. I get flashbacks from my time in the Marines. They keep me awake at night. The dreams are horrible, so I’d rather stay awake until I am too exhausted to do anything but pass out. Certain things like smells or sounds can trigger me. Today was the, for lack of a better word, anniversary of the demise of my entire squad. I was the sole survivor.”

A gasp escaped my mouth before I could cover it with my hand. I knew I must have looked like a foolish little girl, but I couldn’t help it. Who would have thought Maximus was suffering from survivor’s guilt, on top of insomnia and night terrors, when he did manage to fall asleep? He seemed so well put together.

“My captain, who had a hard on for me, gave me a direct order to march my squad into a hostile zone. Everyone knew it was a bad move, and when I questioned him, he threatened me with court-martial. I should have refused the order, but I was a Marine, and we follow orders. I won’t get into the gory details. You don’t need that shit clogging up your brain. Just know it was a bloodbath. The enemy was waiting for us. We had been set up.

“My guess is it was the captain. He sure as fuck proved as much when he betrayed me. He lied to the brass and told them I disobeyed a direct order, resulting in the deaths of my eight brothers. I was sent to the brig for two years. That fucker acted like a saint in the courtroom, where he pretended to care about me and the fallen Marines. He even went as far as to beg the court for leniency for me when I was sentenced.”

What in the world was wrong with people? I will never understand why people deliberately try to hurt others. Nothing good will ever come of it. My poor man had been unfairly convicted of endangering his people, when all he did was follow orders. No wonder he was having nightmares.

“I guess you know a little more about my background, now. I’m surprised you’re not running from the room screaming.”

“Naw. That’s not my style. When someone I care about is in trouble, I will do anything for them.”

I froze. Did I just tell this man I cared about him? Well, it wasn’t a lie. I had grown fond of the muscle-bound biker. I would not be taking it back.

“Thank you.”

The simple words made me all giddy inside. There was no expectation of gratitude, and it caught me off guard.

“You know what you need?”

“What’s that?”

“A distraction. Whenever you feel sad or hopeless. If you should ever want to hurt yourself in the future, you need something to take your mind off the pain.”

“Like what?”

“Well, I don’t know. What do you like to do? Something that always makes you feel better.”

“When I was a kid, I liked to bake. I haven’t done it in a long time, but it used to bring me joy. It reminds me of happy times in the kitchen with my mom.”

“Then you should try it. Whenever you feel blue, simply go to the kitchen and bake. It doesn’t get used as often as it should around here. Plus, I’m a foodie, and I love sweets. You could bring me a sample of your baking, and that will let me know you need to talk.”

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