Page 10 of Felonies are Forever

The irony is not lost on me nor Mrs. Takashima. I can tell she’s worked something out in her head, and that’s cool with me. She smiles at me with her signature broad—but rare—smile and I see she’s lost a couple more teeth over the last few years. “Thorne rented that same room from me. It was many moonsago, but seems something funny going on here.” She laughs and puts her hands on her cheeks.

CeeCee looks up at me and I shake my head before answering in a low voice. “Means some things are just meant to be.”

Mrs. Takashima reaches up and slaps my face a couple times with her tiny hand before pointing at my nose. “You good boy, Thorne. I knew you make something with yourself. But, your donut too expensive though.” Her pointed finger turns to a wagging one. “I not pay that much for donut.” She chides with a stern look then quickly looks at CeeCee. “You trust him, he take care of you, CeeCee. He good boy.” The old woman smiles and her eyes squint almost shut. She pats my chest. “You take care of her?”

“It’s my privilege.” I nod. Neither of them realize just what that means to me. Taking care of her isn’t just a moment, it’s a lifetime, and I intend to make sure she has everything she needs.

Without warning, a boom shakes the ground.

At first, I don’t react, like my brain is too busy trying to work it out than to actually do anything about it. It’s like everything is moving slowly. I see glass shards catching the light as they spray from some window down the street, emergency personnel dropping to the ground as their hands move to cover their heads.

CeeCee. Her name pops into my head and I turn, shouting something as I grab for her, covering her with my body and reaching out an open hand to claw at Mrs. Takashima’s clothing, but she’s already running the wrong way, towards the danger, not away from it, and I can’t get a grip.

She’s screaming something, but I don’t know if it’s words or just sound. All I can do is pull CeeCee down, shielding her from harm.

A fireball explodes into the sky down the street, and I turn my head away from it, feeling the heat on my cheek, my back. I’m familiar with the buildings here, and it’s not Mrs.Takashima’s, not the same room I used to rent where CeeCee now lives. But it’s damn close. Too close.

There’s no way she’s getting back in her place any time soon. My heart is pounding, thinking about the danger she was in, but my brain is racing and punching the air because it’s made a startling jump in logic. She can’t go back to her place and that means she needs somewhere else to stay.

Lucky me.

That’s it, I grab CeeCee, shove the helmet back on her head and before she can protest, I’ve got us back on the bike and we are flying in the opposite direction. The thought of her being hurt gives me tunnel vision and the only purpose in my life at this moment is to make sure she’s safe.

Her grip around my waist is tighter than ever as I scream the bike down the streets. I know exactly where I’m going now, it’s where I’ve wanted her from the moment I caught that first glimpse in the store. I only hope she’s ready because a beast is coming alive inside of me, and she’s the only beauty that can soothe his savage needs.

Ten minutes through town and I’m pulling into the underground garage of my building. Her hold on me hasn’t lessened; if anything it’s grown tighter, firmer, more confident. Need flames within me and I don’t pretend to understand it all, but this girl is mine and I may know nothing about her, but I feel it. In the marrow of my bones it solidifies like cement.

I kick the stand and help her down after dismounting myself. “You okay?”

The tears in her eyes says it all. Those tears hurt me more than any loss I’ve ever experienced. I hate them. I want to be the one that guards her for the rest of her life against anything that might bring tears to those beautiful eyes.

“Hey, you’re safe now.”

“Everything I own was in that room. It could all be gone.”

I stroke a hand over her cheek. “Look, I can’t be sure, but from what I saw, Mrs. Takashima’s building survived. I think your stuff will be okay, but even if it isn’t, things can be replaced. You are safe, that’s what matters. Look at me.” I use the pad of my thumb to scoop up the tears that squeeze out of her eyes. “You can’t be replaced. This is my place; I want you to think of it as your place too. At least for now. You heard Mrs. Takashima, right?”

CeeCee nods and takes a deep breath.

“Does that woman tell the truth even when you don’t want to hear it?”

The giggle that tumbles from her lips lights up my heart. “Oh yeah. She doesn’t mince words.”

“She told you to trust me. And you can trust me, CeeCee. I won’t hurt you. You’ll stay here with me, where I can keep you safe. You can stay as long as you need to. Then we can figure out what is next when you feel ready.”

She nods, taking a deep, calming breath. “Okay. Thank you.”

I reach down to take her hand and guide her to the private elevator that runs up to my two floors of loft space. I own the building as well. Bought it a couple years ago for a song. It was in terrible shape, but my private residence is here. I own two other places, one is a rustic cabin about a hundred and fifty miles up north on Lake Swanson. The other is just this little hut in Fiji which I bought two months ago on a whim and haven’t been back since.

Inside the elevator, I listen to her steady breathing, watch her eyes dart from wall to floor and never at me. I’m not sure what that means, but for my part I’m captivated. My own eyes never leave her.

The ding of the elevator announces our arrival at my place. I intend to rehab the other floors of the building eventually, but for now, I’m the only one that lives here. Something that’s neverbothered me before clicks in the back of my mind. If she’s going to be staying here, I need to figure out some sort of security. Never worried about it until now.

The loft is all brick and industrial elements, with warm wood and splashes of color everywhere. The walls are covered in canvases. I’m a reformed thug who makes donuts and paints in his spare time. This is my church, and I’ve now found my muse.

“Wow. This is amazing.” She nods with a sideways grin on her pink lips. “Not what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

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