Page 26 of Hold Him Like Gravity

I reached for my phone, shooting off a text to Coal to deal with the lock before going into the elevator to make my way up to Kick’s floor.

Inside, I heard the low chatter of something on the TV, and had a moment where I almost turned around.

But then my hand was lifting and I was knocking on her door.

“It’s Rico,” I called when the TV muted.

“Rico?” she called back, confused, as she made her way to the door, sliding the lock and the chain before opening.

Then there she was.

In a pair of barely-there sleep shorts in yellow and pink stripes and an old, worn, soft from too many washings white tee that she clearly didn’t have anything on underneath.

“I was… just checking in,” I said, forcing my gaze to stay on her face even if I was dying to let my eyes wander.

She looked better.

The bruise was practically nonexistent on her cheek and the split on her lip had become more of a light pink scar that you probably wouldn’t even notice if you didn’t know to look for it.

“Oh, that’s… nice,” she said, sounding a little distracted.

Just then, her cat came striding down the hall, flicking his tail in the air, then making a beeline for me, slamming his bodyagainst my legs and rubbing against me. He weaved through my legs, letting out little satisfied purrs as he, essentially, used me as a rubbing post.

“You traitor,” she said to the cat, narrowing her eyes at him. “Meanwhile, this is what I get for trying to pet you,” she said, showing me her arm with some fresh red scratches. “You want to come in?” she asked, taking a step back.

“Sure,” I agreed, leaning down to pick up the cat so I could move inside and close the door.

My gaze slid to the coffee table where there was a bunch of shit spread across it. Including a map. One of those ones that fold out that tourists buy.

“Oh, sorry about the mess,” Kick said, rushing forward to quickly fold it all together. But not before I saw a bunch of Xs all over the map. It was gone, though, before I could figure out what area it was a map of, let alone what the Xs might be crossing out. “I’ll just… be right back,” she said, clutching the papers to her chest before turning and rushing down the hallway.

“That was weird as fuck, right?” I asked the cat that was staring up at me.

“Okay. Ah, coffee?” she asked as she came back, seeming no less flustered, her aura all bouncy and awkward.

“Sure,” I agreed, moving toward the kitchen with her. “How you feeling?” I asked.

“I’m okay,” she said. “I was coming back this week,” she added. “I promise.”

“I don’t care about that,” I told her. “I was just in the area and figured I’d make sure you’re doing alright.”

“I wasn’t even that hurt,” she said, shaking her head at my concern.

“Didn’t just mean physically.”

“Oh, well, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

She wasn’t, though.

There were bags and dark circles under her eyes like she hadn’t been sleeping. She was jumpy. Then there was whatever that was with the maps and papers she clearly didn’t want me to see.

Something was up with her.

I just had no fucking idea what it was.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kick

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