Page 4 of Bulletproof Love

I scoff out loud as the thought enters my head.Wonder if playing her will get her out of my system.Doubtful, but I’d be willing to test the theory.

How long have I been sitting here? It feels like days. The smell of this place will be forever burned into my nostrils. I pull out my phone, lowering the brightness as much as I can, and text Falin.

Me: Am I good to go yet? It smells like death in here.

A few minutes go by as I scroll through my favorite social media site.

Car video.Swipe.

Football recap. Painfullyswipe. Why are all my teams sucking this season?

Hot chick showing off some teeth whitening gel. Hmm, linger…

Nevermind, she’s too clothed.Swipe.

A text notification pops up and I grin.

Falin: Better to smell the dead than be dead. Keep your ass planted until I say.

Me: That’s debatable… with all due respect, you’re not here breathing in the scent buffet that my sniffer is suffering. I may never be the same again.

She’s so pissed. I know it.

Three dots show up and disappear four separate times. Yup, she’s going to eviscerate me with words.Hell, I’ll take it. It’s better than focusing on the withdrawal symptoms.And to be honest, my dick gets hard when she’s mean to me.Still trying to wrap my brain around all the reasons why. I glance down at my crotchal region and whisper to Jasper Junior.“You and me have some serious soul searching to do, big guy.”

Falin: Aww, poor baby Jasper. I know! I’ll send you a scented candle… in the city that never sleeps, one of those delivery services has to be going strong. Hmm, but what scent? Eau de not dead yet because of me sound good? Pull up your big boy panties and stay put.

“Fuck,” I say, shaking my head and chuckling. And there’s Jasper Junior waking up to say hello, right on cue.

I tap the screen and think of a witty response, an action that doesn’t come as easily as it used to thanks to the fucking brain fog.

Me: What if I don’t wear big boy panties?

That sounds dumb as shit. Also, it’s a lie. That’s Damon and his freeballing. I’m too scared of zippers for that. Plus, ball sweat is a real issue.

Delete.

As I tap out another intellectually stimulating banger, a scratching sound from behind the wall startles me. I jump to my feet.

My pulse picks up and I instantly pull out my gun. It can’t be those cops. Not unless they can become invisible and phase through solid objects. Goddamn, I wish Damon was here. I’d even take Leon, although he’d be giving me the silent treatment. They’re better at this than I am. Better at everything, to be exact.

My ears prick as the sound repeats, this time a bit louder. I suck in a breath and call out. “Who’s there?”

Please don’t let someone answer. I feel like shit and killing someone in this dump will mean I have to spend more time in here cleaning up my mess.

“Hello?” I repeat louder, waiting a moment before I step quietly around the space.

Then I hear a completely different sound. Pitiful meowing. Oh fuck, there’s still cats in here. I laugh out loud and put my gun away, searching the space for the culprit. The meowing grows louder, like a song made up of tiny, pleading cries.

“Where are you, buddy?” I whisper, still trying to keep myself hidden. I stop and point my phone’s flashlight at a hole in the bottom of the wall, no bigger than my fist. “Of course. Alright, I’m going to get you out.”

The cries reach a level of desperation that motivates the hell out of me. I’m a damn hero tonight. Rescuing a cat and shit. I rip at the crumbling drywall, taking out chunks that scatter like piss-stained confetti, revealing the rotten studs beneath. “Almost there.”

Knocking the wall with the butt of my gun gives me the opening I need. Right there, between old electrical wire and water lines, are two of the dirtiest, skinniest kittens I’ve ever seen. They cower once they realize I’ve spotted them, but I scoop them up before they can dart further into the wall.

The first one is all black with bright green eyes that stare into my soul. She’s meowing quietly, fur puffed. The second little one is the hellion. I can tell already. Its cries turn to incessant wails now that it’s in my arms. It looks black like its sibling, but as I take a closer look, I notice it’s just filthy.

“Where’s your mom?” I shift them to the crook of my arm and bend to shine my light back inside the wall. The only crying comes from them, and the rest of the opening looks clear.

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