Page 12 of Bent, Not Broken

But this experience had left me shaken. I think… I want this to happen again.

Glancing over my shoulder one last time as I turned to go, I refused to allow Slater the pleasure of witnessing me humiliated. Who cared if I was almost naked? I was a fucking visual treat. I mean, as long as one of his cop friends didn’t wander by, I was fine. I held my head high, walked along the front path out to the sidewalk, and then realized my head felt spinny and weird. My phone vibrated in my hand, and River’s irritated face popped on the screen. What had I done to get him to purse his lips that way? I couldn’t remember.

“Hello,” I answered, while I tried to get my bearings. Staring around the dark street lit haphazardly by streetlights, I walked away from Slater’s house until I could see a kiddie park, decided that and nudity didn’t mix, and then turned the other direction along the sidewalk away from it. I trudged forward.

“Did you go home?” River demanded. “Where are you?” Music thumped in the background of his call. “I thought maybe you went to—” Someone laughing on his end drowned out his voice.

“Sl—someone from Black Out took me home.” I was proud of myself for catching my slipup. River would trounce me if he ever heard about the stupid shit I just did.

“Oh, have fun, then.” He laughed and said something muffled to someone who must be with him. His voice got lost as he likely pulled his phone away to talk to the other person. “I’m going to —”

“Um, so the guy kicked me out,” I rushed to say.

There was a pause on his end. “Okay….”

“I’m on….” I walked a little farther. “Berry Street. Near Tenth. I’m guessing west side.”

“Where’s your car?” River couldn’t sound more suspicious if he tried.

“Still parked in the lot near work. I’m not dumb.”

“That’s to be determined,” he sniped.

“I also may not have my pants. Or shoes… damn it, or keys. I shouldn’t drive anyway,” I said, more to remind myself than inform him. “I… I don’t feel good.” I held my belly and turned toward the grass. My stomach twisted badly, taking me by surprise. I made it to the grass between the sidewalk and the street to be sick. Nothing really came up, but bile burned the back of my throat. My knees gave out, and I went down on the sidewalk, the cement biting into my skin.

“Don’t move,” I heard River say. Then he was gone. The line was dead.

Some time passed while I tried to negotiate with my stomach. I promised it I’d eat in the future before I went drinking. Tried to bribe it with sweet words of bread at home, but I tossed my cookies again. The bastard wouldn’t listen to reason.

In the distance, the rumble of a motorcycle approaching on the street almost had me looking up, but I didn’t. I kept right on heaving my guts up. The motorcycle stopped nearby, and I finished with my unpleasant business and sat back on my knees, chest heaving. Black boots stopped nearby, and when I could finally get myself together to look up, I tried to smile, but didn’t quite make it. I glanced up long legs in blue jeans to a black leather jacket and big, concerned brown eyes. Some cells in my brain fired together.

“You’re the guy from Black Out. The cavalry. Thanks for earlier,” I mumbled and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. He shook his head.

“Travis,” he said softly and gave me a wan almost-smile.

“What are you doing here?” I glanced around. “Did River send you? That doesn’t make sense.”

“No. One of my brothers lives nearby. He’s supposed to take over my shift, but he has a flat. Thought you looked familiar, so I stopped.” He hunkered down next to me, cocking his head to the side. He studied me with an intense stare that was almost unnerving, but he didn’t touch me. “You need a lift? Can you ride?” He nodded toward his bike sitting on the street with the light still on.

Laughing, I gestured at myself, and he thinned his lips. “Been saved by you twice tonight. You should charge by the hour.”

Travis ducked his head and smiled.

“What are you doing to him?” Travis and I both turned toward Slater’s voice. He stomped across his front lawn in our direction and hit the sidewalk jogging. The fuck was fully dressed, of course.

“Found ’im this way,” Travis called as he stood.

Slater dragged something small out of his back pocket. At first I thought it was his wallet, but he flipped it open and a shiny gold badge flashed and winked at us. “Fuck off.”

Travis stood and crossed his arms. “Are you responsible for this? He happens to be well-liked by some people around town.”

“No,” I said sharply, and Slater gave me a curious look, but Travis just stared at Slater like he would punch him if he had to, badge or not. “No, I did this to myself.” I gave everyone a weak thumbs-up. “No one poured the drinks down my throat.”

“You didn’t drag yourself out here in the middle of the night when someone should have been looking after you,” Travis said quietly, and Slater flushed bright enough that it was visible even in the semigloom between streetlights.

“Move along,” Slater said, waving his badge at Travis. When that didn’t work, he flipped the wallet thing closed and stuffed it back into his pocket.

“Lawyer dude, you okay with being alone with this man?” Travis asked. He did a great job of completely ignoring the irate noise that Slater made. “I’ll find you a ride home if you’re not comfortable on the bike.”