A Hunted Man (The Men of Halfway House)

by Reese, Jaime

  Hunter reached out and placed his hand on Cam's cheek. "C'mon, let's eat so we can leave." He withdrew and turned to grab the dishes while Cam remained still, his body slowly becoming numb.

  Cam didn't want Hunter to think he didn't care or that his words hadn't struck a nerve. He pushed a whisper of a voice past the lump in his throat.

  "Hunter—"

  Hunter immediately turned and, in two strides, grabbed Cam's face and delivered a kiss with unmistakable desire. Cam gripped Hunter's shoulders and returned the kiss with just as much passion, hoping to convey how much he wanted to be with him.

  Cam tried to open himself, to allow the feelings behind the unspoken words to filter through his system, but he couldn't. He knew what it was like to hope and want for something then to have it all disappear. He wrapped his arms around Hunter and just held on.

  Breakfast could wait.

  "So where are we going?" Cam asked as they walked down the sidewalk of shops.

  "You'll see."

  They finally stopped in front of a small space with a window full of various types of color and black tribal-like designs covering his view of the inside. "A tattoo parlor?"

  Hunter nodded. "If you don't want to do this, we can leave. I got a referral to this place and a specific artist. Aside from the traditional tattoo work, this person specializes in tattoos on and around scar tissue."

  Cam was too busy looking at the interlocking designs on the window to focus on what Hunter was saying. He looked back at Hunter when he realized he had stopped talking.

  "Sorry. What do you mean tattoo scars?"

  Hunter shook his head. "Tattoos on and around scars. I figured they could look at your arm and work with the current ink you have there and maybe add to the design or create something else to cover some of the scars you hate. Change it up to something you choose. Never mind. It was just—"

  Cam grabbed him by the hand and hauled him into the shop.

  "Hi, can I help you?" a slim woman asked. Ink trailed down her neck and spanned across both arms all the way to her wrists. The design was so intricate and intertwined it almost seemed as if she wore a fitted patterned long-sleeve turtleneck underneath her shirt.

  Cam looked up at Hunter expectantly.

  "Hi, yes. I have an appointment with Leslie. My name is Hunter."

  The petite woman smiled broadly and extended her hand in greeting. "That's me. You mentioned tattoos and scars over the phone. What do you need?"

  Cam lifted his sleeve to reveal his scarring and ink. "Can you do something with this?"

  Leslie reached out and grabbed Cam's arm. She turned and inspected his bicep to assess the extent of the damage and work needed. Cam wanted to cringe but patiently allowed the woman to touch the raised skin in some areas.

  "Definitely," she said with a smile. "I'm sure we can work up a design that will make that unnoticeable. It all depends on what you want to do."

  Cam listened to her as she explained the different requirements of tattooing over and around the scars. She explained how the ink would take more than one pass to show up properly on the scar tissue and how some of the scars, especially the keloids, might hurt more than the others. They discussed different concepts and designs. Within seconds, Cameron knew what he wanted—a simple piece that would take advantage of the scar tissue to look as if parts of the design were embossed on his skin. The design would expand on the existing prison black ink with the addition of a little color and extend past the one side of his arm into a partial wraparound tattoo with the use of curved lines that followed each shape of his scars.

  Hunter quietly observed and listened intently to the exchange, never interrupting.

  Leslie sketched a design, which she then transferred to Cam's arm. Using the faint brown lines as a guide to where the new art would be, they then discussed a few freehand additions should the scar tissue become more of an issue than expected.

  Cam looked in the mirror and moved his bicep around to see the back of his arm. "I don't want to overdo it with the ink. I prefer to keep it as simple as possible but just enough to do something with…this," he said, lowering his shirt sleeve.

  "We'll stick to a very basic palette of reds and yellows. We'll use the current black you have for the shadows and I'll work in a little more so it blends in with the other parts of the piece. Instead of making the lines straight, we'll use the jagged black ink you have and the scars to add curvature to the lines. Don't worry," Leslie finished with a smile.

  Anything was better than the curved slashes that marred his arms, but still, he couldn't help worry they'd be too stubborn to incorporate into the simple piece. "How long will this take?"

  "It's a relatively simple design. Depends on how long you can sit in my chair in one sitting."

  He looked over to Hunter, hoping there were no other plans for the rest of the day.

  "He's all yours today all day if you've got your schedule free," Hunter responded.

  Cam hid his smile. He loved how Hunter knew what he was thinking without saying a word.

  "I can try to get it done in two visits but it all depends on how stubborn your scars are and if they'll need a second pass." She guided him to her chair and prepped her station.

  Cam settled back into the chair and took a deep breath. Hunter grabbed a nearby stool and slid it over to sit close to him when Leslie stepped away for a moment to speak with another staff member to block out her schedule.

  "Nervous?" Hunter asked.

  Cam nodded.

  "Why a sunrise? You didn't even need to think about it."

  "My mom. We used to start in the garden so early we'd always take a break to watch the sun rise. She believed it was one of God's masterpieces," he finished with a sad smile. He looked over to Hunter. "Sunrises give me hope. Regardless of what happens, the sun always rises above everything."

  Leslie returned to her station, slid her stool and table of items close to Cam, then began.

  Cam barely felt the initial outlines of the design. It felt no different than a mild scrape of a sharp nail across his skin. He winced when she filled in some sections, coloring around some of the mild scars.

  Maybe this won't be so bad.

  He had spoken too soon.

  Cam didn't turn to see her work but instinctively knew exactly where she was on his arm and which scar she would hit next. He tried to level his breathing, inhaling deeply and clenching his jaw when she colored over the two worst scars.

  This. Fucking. Hurts.

  He screwed his eyes shut and tried to bite back the pain. The scars that he hated for so many years would now be critical to the design. They would become the rays of light emitted from the sun and the raised skin would make it appear as if the rays were embossed on his arm.

  The pain was too familiar.

  His mind drifted to that day in the laundry room when his arm was first pierced.

  "Cam?"

  He opened his eyes as Hunter's voice jolted him back to the present. He hadn't realized his hand was shaking until the weight of Hunter's palm steadied him.

  "Did I ever tell you about that one fishing trip to the Keys with my dad when we caught that sailfish that jumped into the boat?"

  Cam shook his head, barely able to speak as he pushed through the pain of the billion hot needles poking his arm.

  Hunter grabbed Cam's hand and began a rhythmic stroking of his fingers as he spoke.

  He focused on the tone of Hunter's soothing voice and the gentle caress against his skin. His voice, always comforting, helped to shut out most of the pain. Hunter talked about driving trips with his family, endless fishing experiences, school growing up, Cole's obsession with his car, his addiction to Lucy's cookies, and even a few stories of his time in the Marines. Hunter talked about everything and nothing. Ramblings. He knew exactly what Hunter was doing, distracting him from the discomfort.

  Cam smiled. Hunter had never spoken this much non-stop not even during their phone conversations at night.

 
After several hours of work, Leslie held up a mirror for Cam to view his arm. "It's a bit red right now but it'll look better once the ink settles. This is as much as I can do today but I think we can get this finished up with a second short visit. You can get a better look over there." She pointed to a large mirror at the side wall.

  Cam immediately rose from the chair and walked over, stretching as he made his way to the mirror. He looked at his arm and was amazed to see the old ink was barely visible. The scars that once looked as if an animal had fiercely clawed the flesh of his arm now appeared as rays of sunlight.

  Hope.

  He bit his lower lip. It was the first time he looked at his marred arm and didn't see the scars or its ugliness. He shifted his arm to see it from every possible angle.

  Hunter walked up from behind and placed his hand on Cam's waist. Cam stilled, looking at their reflection in the mirror.

  "We look good together," Hunter whispered in his ear. Hunter's eyes sparkled with mirth, passion, and unmistakable love.

  Cam had to look away.

  Leslie walked over and applied cream on his arm and wrapped a plastic sheet to cover her work. She told Cam how to care for the design for the next few days then scheduled the follow up appointment in three weeks.

  Hunter immediately withdrew his wallet but Cam stopped him.

  "I want to, it was my idea to come here," Hunter said.

  "And it was a great idea, but I got my first paycheck, and this is something I need to do." He looked at Hunter intently, pleading with him not to argue. He hadn't made much at the diner and after the percentage to the halfway house, and stashing a little for expenses, there wasn't much left. He needed some sort of independence. Even if he could only pay for a portion of the tattoo, it was still more than what he had been able to do for himself in the last ten years. "I know it's going to be expensive, at least let me pay for part of it."

  Hunter looked at him and nodded.

  Outside the shop, in broad daylight, he ignored the slight ache in his freshly tattooed arm and pulled Hunter in for the tightest embrace he had ever given. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to contain the emotions bubbling within. No one had ever taken the time to do something like this to make him feel good about himself.

  Hunter's arms tightened around him, tugging him closer.

  He pressed a kiss to Hunter's cheek and held him close. "Thank you."

  More than a week after their weekend together, Hunter could still feel the pressure of Cam's body against his, the way they fit so perfectly together, the sounds he made, the lazy smile so early in the morning—the one that radiated like the sunrise Cam loved so much. Hunter smiled wistfully as he remembered Cam's shock Saturday evening after spending the day at the tattoo shop.

  "Where are we going?" Cam asked as they drove away from the shop in the direction opposite from Hunter's house.

  "I'm taking you out?"

  "We're already out, smart-ass."

  "Out on a date." Hunter looked over and glared. "Smart-ass."

  "What do you mean?" Cam asked, scrunching his brows. "Like a dinner and walks on the beach type of thing?"

  "Yeah, dinner, a movie, and I'm going to hold your hand the whole time. So don't argue with me," he responded, holding back a grin.

  Cam mumbled something inaudible as he crossed his arms and looked out the passenger side window.

  "What was that?"

  "I said I'm not dressing up or anything like that."

  "Okay," Hunter responded.

  "I want steak."

  "Steak?" Hunter asked with raised eyebrows, surprised Cam was actually continuing the conversation.

  "Yeah, no pasta stuff. Julian overdoses on Italian and Matt has too many salads and vegetable dishes. I haven't had a steak since I went in."

  Hunter smiled. "Okay. Anything else?"

  Cam looked over. "Pick a short movie."

  Hunter laughed. "Average movie is about two hours. Is that short enough?"

  Cam didn't respond to the question.

  When Hunter looked over, Cam had turned in the seat to face him. "Is two hours not short enough?"

  Cam looked at him intently. "I can do a lot to you in two hours."

  "Fuck," Hunter groaned. It was too easy to give in to Cam but Hunter knew he needed to stick to his guns. "Dinner, then a movie…a short one. Afterward, we go back to my place and hibernate the rest of the night and most of Sunday if you want."

  "All of Sunday."

  "Most, not all. And that's not up for negotiation. I want to take you to Bayside for a while."

  "What the fuck for?" Cam asked, exasperated. "You know I'll put out. You don't need to wine and dine me."

  Hunter elevated his tone. "I'll spend time at the diner while you're on breaks during the week, but on our weekends, you're mine, and I'm showing you off, taking you out, and holding your hand the whole fucking time. Got it?"

  Cam scowled and exhaled heavily. "I'm paying for something," he grumbled, finishing the conversation.

  Hunter smiled as he remembered their date. The sounds Cam made while enjoying his steak were torturous. Cam was no doubt teasing him, trying to cut their date short, but Hunter was not giving in. He wanted Cam to know how much he enjoyed every moment he had with him, regardless of whether they were in bed. After finally realizing it was a losing battle, Cam eased into conversation over dinner and nuzzled Hunter while they sat in the theater watching a movie featuring The Rock.

  "He's hot," Cam said casually.

  "Not funny."

  "You're hotter," Cam said before licking up Hunter's neck in the dark theater.

  Hunter groaned. "Nice try. Watch the movie. There'll be a test afterward."

  "You're impossible. I can't win with you."

  "Nope, so stop trying."

  "All of Sunday."

  "Nope," Hunter said, trying to hide his smile.

  "Okay," Cam said and settled back in his seat, still leaning on Hunter's shoulder.

  Hunter knew Cam well enough to know there was something else spinning in his thoughts. "Okay?"

  "Yup. You'll get Sunday but you're not sleeping a wink tonight. That way, we both win," he said nonchalantly as he watched the movie.

  Hunter chuckled. There was no argument there. They'd both win with that arrangement. He slung his arm over Cam's shoulder and pulled him closer. "Okay," he said, smiling.

  They watched the film for some time in silence. "Hunter?" Cam asked quietly after a while, before the movie was about to end.

  "Yeah?"

  "I like date night," he finished in a whisper before nuzzling closer in Hunter's embrace.

  Hunter touched his lips and closed his eyes as he remembered Cam's mouth pressed against his—soft and gentle yet strong and demanding. The way they held hands walking in Bayside completely disregarding the crowd of people, the laughs they shared at the street shop items with the snarky sayings, and how they sat together closely as they listened to the Sunday band play a set by the water. He wanted more kisses, more smiles, and more than just weekends.

  The knock on the door brought Hunter out of his daydream.

  "Hey, boss?"

  "Come in," Hunter said, and he waved in Jessie. "What's up?"

  "The mayor's office called, he wants to meet with you today."

  "We have our meeting for the end of the week. Did he say what this was about?"

  "No, just that he would like to bump the meeting up to this afternoon. I told him you were in court this morning so he's leaving his afternoon open to speak with you."

  "Have we received any more files?"

  "Nope."

  "What about Mel?"

  Before Jessie had a chance to answer, Mel appeared in the doorway.

  "What about Mel?" she asked casually.

  Hunter looked over Jessie's shoulder as his assistant turned. "Have you gotten any more red files in the last three weeks?"

  "Nope."

  Hunter frowned. "Why would they have stopped all of a sudden?"
<
br />   "Hey, honestly, we've got so many of them, I'm still working the files we have. I could use the breather," she said, taking the seat on the side couch.

  Jessie took that as his cue to leave and looked back at Hunter.

  "Thanks, Jess. I'll stop by later on. Here's the file from this morning's case and my notes at the end with the ruling."

  With a nod, Jessie exited his office and shut the door on his way out.

  "Mayor finally called for his meeting?"

  "Yeah, today. Do you know what that's about?"

  "Don't have a clue. He wants to meet with me next week as well."

  "Why not just meet with the both of us here?"

  "I don't know what's going on, but I can't meet this week. I've got to be in court in an hour and I'll be there all damn week on this case. I just stopped by to find out if you wanted to grab something quick for lunch before I have to head back to the courthouse?"

  "I can't." Hunter sighed then looked at his watch. "I want to wrap things up here first then I'll grab something before heading off to see him. I don't know how long it's going to take."

  Mel stood and glanced at her watch. "Frank can get pretty long-winded when he gets on his high horse." She stopped in the doorway before walking out and looked at Hunter.

  "What?" Hunter asked after a few moments of staring.

  "You look good. You look happy," she said with a teasing grin.

  Hunter smiled. "I won another case this morning. That always makes me happy."

  Mel shook her head and huffed a laugh. "Smart-ass. This is a different kind of happy, it's oozing out of every one of your pores. You're smiling too much. People are going to think you're a softy."

  Hunter laughed and tossed the pad of sticky notes at the door before she ran out to avoid getting hit.

  After some time, his phone vibrated across the desk. "Hey, what's up?" he said after seeing the phone display.

  "Still nothing," Aidan responded in his usual direct manner. "I've got the day off tomorrow so I'm going to switch it up. Are you up for an all-nighter?"

  Hunter looked at his morning schedule. "Yeah, I can swing it. I don't have court in the morning. What are you thinking?"