Page 11 of Bound by Passion (Ravage MC)

5

NYX

“Screech!”I called out, unlocking the door with the key I had and pushing it open. The heavy scent of weed overcame me. “Damn. Smells like shit in here,” I yelled, making my way through the entryway. The place smelled like a ramped skunk, and once that shit got into clothes, it stayed around for the long haul.

Coughing could be heard as well as a chair rolling and someone scuffling to get up. Then I heard the window opening along with some other clatter sounding like things falling to the floor.

Stepping into the living space, Screech was standing with the window open, putting a fan in it backward to suck all the smell out of the room.

Had to admit, that was sweet of him.

I wasn’t a prude by any means. If he wanted to smoke, I’d roll the joint for him. Just smelling like weed when I had to go to work later wasn’t the smartest idea, and the smell took days to get out of my hair. That shit was still illegal here in Georgia, and I didn’t need any trouble. Occasionally, off duty cops would pop in to Bimbos for a drink. I needed to be unseen, unnoticed, and smelling like the good shit wasn’t going to keep me in the shadows.

Hell, I was in deep enough as it was. With Raid and shit, I was a walking trouble sign. Might as well light me up in neon and beg someone to dig a little deeper.

“Sorry, Nyx. Needed a hit. Helps ease things so I can focus,” Screech told me, cranking up the fan, and it began to whirl. Luckily it was quiet so I could still hear him. This trick seemed to work at getting the smell down from the air. Everything else, not so much.

Screech.

Every time I said or heard his name, it reminded me ofSaved by the Bell.I’d seen a few shows, very few, but my Screech didn’t have the curly mop of hair going everywhere like the guy on the show.

Tall and thin, Screech was more like a Lurch than anything else. No, his face wasn’t gaunt or sunken in, but his height was sometimes overwhelming. It was why he smoked weed. He had pain all the time in his joints. Hated that for him.

“Are you okay?” I asked him, his brown eyes a bit glazed, and his light brown hair looked as though he needed a shower a few days ago, which was a challenge for him. Hard to take a shower when you were as tall as the ceiling of the shower.

“Body’s not likin’ me today. They told me I’d be the star of the basketball team in high school, and that was a joke. All this height gave me was pain.”

I’d known the man for three months, and every time I saw him, he was in pain. It might not look like it from the outside, but pain was within us all. Just because you or I couldn’t see it, didn’t mean it wasn’t there in blaring neon lights.

I felt for him and wished there was something I could do for him. He’d been absolutely fantastic with me. And as far as I could trust someone, he was high on the small totem pole I had. If I could take some of it away, I would. Even take it on myself just to give him a bit of relief.

“You good to work today, or you wanna just let me work for a while?”

“Hell yeah, I’m good. I found something.” He moved slowly, but with only having to take like three steps to me, when I’d have to make six or seven to him, it seemed as fast as most.

Following him further into the apartment, the place screamedman. Single man at that.

Huge television along one wall with two or three different gaming consoles, controllers scattering the floor. Remotes littered the couch he made himself out of mattresses and pillows because he couldn’t find anything that was comfortable for him, so he said fuck it and built it himself. Had to admire a man who created what he needed.

Beer bottles and pizza boxes lay on the coffee table. Screech didn’t go out much, which reminded me I needed to ask him if I needed to pick anything up for him. I forgot to text him before I came. Raid had me twisted.

This was his living space and the way he liked it, which truthfully wasn’t my right to say a word.

Entering his office, it was insane the amount equipment this man had in this small room. Three large computer screens were on the longest wall. Under them was a long desk that had three more computer screens and keyboards.

Each screen had something different on them. Including one on the far end that had a football game playing. Some might think Screech was odd, but I thought he was brilliant. Yeah, a bit geeky, but any woman would like a smart man. No way I could’ve gotten as far as I had without him.

Trouble was, there was so much more to do.

Sometimes it felt daunting. As if it would never end. Each day getting closer, but still nowhere near where I wanted to be. But perseverance would get me my freedom, and that was what mattered.

Screech sat in his chair. It was custom made and sat a lot higher than the chair next to it that he'd left for me. His desk sat higher as well, so it didn’t bump his knees.

A large pull-down screen on the left wall went all the way to the floor and had always been pulled, so I had no idea what was on the other side of it. Another wall had servers. Like the kind that were in huge office buildings, lights flashing everywhere.

It was extra cold in this room because of them. A window air conditioner prevented the servers from overheating. Then, for some reason, he closed the door as not to air con the entire place, which I didn’t quite understand.

Sitting next to him, I eyed the screens. Four went black before I could get a good look.

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