44 - Zydeco's Anger

*We have nothing to fear but fear itself and Zydeco when he’s pissed. And spiders. Definitely spiders. – Peanut*
Camille answered the phone on the second ring with a soft and sad, “Hello?”
“Hey, little girl.” Zydeco said happily as he leaned over the phone as he placed it on the island. “Thought I would call and see how it’s going.”
The sob that came from the other end of the phone ripped straight through him. Darkness wanted to rush over but Tank held him back and shook his head no. Zydeco did not know Evie’s men very well, but the big one seemed to understand the same darkness that engulfed his youngest adopted son.
“I should… shouldn’t have… come.” Camille said between sobs.
“Tell me what that boy of mine did.” Zydeco encouraged while he stared at Keisha and Dominique.
“Not… not my Darkness. Just.. everyone else. Maybe they’re right.”
“About what, little girl?”
It took several minutes of sobs and sniffles before she could speak. She gave a small little laugh. “I’m okay, Tink.”
“You got your sweet boy with you?” Zydeco asked using the name that Rosie gave the very protective dog.
“So, you agree that he’s a sweet boy?”
“He is to you,” he pointed out. “Now tell me what’s wrong?”
“I’m too young for him. And I’m white.” Her voice became stronger, harder, as the anger took hold.
“I did hear that about you. Both of those, in fact.” He chuckled, but his hard eyes never softened.
“Want to hear a big irony? The room I’m in, it is the ultimate of basic white girl. I swear Starbucks walked the fuck in and puked pumpkin spice latte all over the place.”
Zydeco couldn’t help but laugh, both at her description and the look of anger on Keisha’s face. “You, my dear little girl, are anything but a basic white girl. Tell me what all got said, you’ll feel better.”
“What didn’t get said?” Camille sniffled and it sounded like she swiped her nose on her sleeve. “I’m too young. I’ll never understand what they go through. I’m the wrong color. I must have a daddy issue.”
“Oh!” The tears were gone from her voice, as anger tightened its grip on her. “Let’s not forget that since I can’t cook, I must take care of him on my back. They’re all so fucking uptight that missionary is the only position they can fuck in. Anything else and the sticks up their asses get in the way.”
Zydeco chuckled as Dominique bristled.
“Something sure as hell changed from the stories I heard about *Tramp* from when he was younger and now. The man sounds like he was a bigger man whore than Chance. And until he met Rye, Chance would fuck anything with a hole and a pulse. Not even a steady pulse. But at least Chance is still fun.”
Zydeco couldn’t help but laugh at the accurate description. And Jaspers embarrassed anger.
“And let’s not forget Miss I had my first son early. Yeah, sure, maybe early in the day.” Zydeco laughed again at Camille’s description and the couple’s embarrassment. “I mean seriously. Who’s going to believe that a nine-pound baby was three months early? You ever seen a baby born three months early?”
“Can’t say that I have.” He admitted. “Have you?”
“Yeah, I have,” her voice softened. “Little Michael was tiny. He didn’t even weigh five pounds until he was three months old. Spent all three months in the NICU and didn’t come home two days later.”
Zydeco turned to see Evie lean into Ink who cuddled her and their sons closer. They seemed to know what baby she was talking about. Glancing over, he saw Tank exchange a look with his wife as he continued to hold Darkness in place. And keeping him from slipping further into the darkness that surrounded him.
Camille sneezed and Zydeco heard her teeth chattering. This pulled his attention back to the phone and he speared the women with another cold glare. Dominique met it head on, but her nieces recoiled a little more. Jasper moved to stand by his wife who gave him a withering look.
“Little girl, you need to go inside.”
Camille was quiet for a brief moment before she gave a small, defeated sigh and then admitted, “I can’t.”
“Why not?” he asked her.
The women and Jasper squirmed under his hard glare.
“I don’t know where I am.” She said as her teeth chattered even more. “I just needed out of there. I couldn’t handle being called a whore anymore.”
“Has he even fucked you?” Zydeco asked and ignored the glare coming from Darkness.
Camille chuckled. “Have you not heard my mother’s description of me? A hundred pounds of sexual frustration and forty pounds of useless knowledge.”
“Last I heard it was forty pounds of pissed off angry bitch.” Zydeco chuckled. “Where are you at, little girl?”
He could picture her looking around and half expected her to tell him that she was at the corner of Lost and Not Found.
“If I knew that, then I wouldn’t be lost,” she gave a small, dry chuckle.
“Little girl,” Zydeco chuckled.
“I found a little pavilion that overlooks some water. The lake. River. Big puddle. I don’t know what it is, it’s wet, then again, everything is right now.”
Jasper motioned for his brother to go with him. Darkness stepped around Tank and followed the other man out of the house.
“At least I’m out of the rain.” She sneezed again. “I’m cold.”
“Call Darkness.” Zydeco suggested.
“No.” she replied. “Then what will be said about me? Not only am I a useless slut, but I also can’t do anything on my own. Besides, he doesn’t see his brother very often. I don’t want to pull him away.”
Jasper walked back in the house just in time to hear that. Zydeco looked up and saw the guilt on his face. Smirking, he let the other man know that he should feel guilty.
“You need to tell Darkness what’s going on.”
“No.” She sighed, again, or maybe that was her clearing her throat. “I know what it’s like to be fighting with a sibling. I haven’t had a decent conversation with Allison in over five years. I can’t be the reason Jasper and Darkness don’t talk.”
“You won’t be.” Zydeco assured her. “What are you going to do if you get sick?”
“I already messaged Doc for some antibiotics.” She said and then sneezed again.
“Cam, baby.” Darkness said.
Zydeco ended the call and looked at Jasper. “I raised you better than to treat anyone in your house so bad that they leave like that. What the hell is your problem?”
“I… I…” Jasper sighed. “I thought she was just a fling. We didn’t think that she was that important to him.”
“When the fuck did he ever, *ever*, bring a woman to meet you before? Did you even meet Jacquline when they were married?”
Jasper shook his head without meeting the older man’s eyes.
“What right do you have to talk to him like that in his own house?” Dominique demanded.
Zydeco turned on her. “What right do I have? I earned that right.” He bellowed. “I raised those boys after their parents died. I paid for his college. I bought his first house. You remember that really nice wedding your daughter had? The one that did not cost you a fucking dime.”
He had moved closer to her as he spoke, and she had moved away until she was pinned between an angry biker and the kitchen cabinet. They were toe to toe and nose to chest. For the first time since she had known Zydeco, she came face to face with the Marine Corps Drill Instructor.
“Now that we have my rights established. What right do you have to treat someone like shit? What right do you have to chase a guest out of someone else’s house? Even better, where the fuck did you go wrong teaching your daughter to treat someone like that?”
The front door opened during his tirade, but he did not stop. He was vaguely aware of Darkness carrying Camille over to sit by the fireplace. Tammy pushed Keisha out of the way to make some hot cocoa. Tank grabbed the blanket off the couch and covered up a shivering Camille.
“And you,” Zydeco turned his wrath on Keisha, “is that the way you would like your daughter treated? Should your sons expect their partners to be treated like this?”
“I’m sorry, poppa.” Keisha whispered.
“You sure as hell are.”