Part 25 (2/2)

”It's not that far up. Cleo, give me a boost,” I said as I walked up to the tree.

Then I realized just what I'd said and rethought it. ”Never mind, I'll-eep!”

Cleo lifted me as if I was the lightest of feathers.

Straight the f.u.c.k up and over his head.

”You'd be really good at cheerleading,” I gasped breathlessly.

”Right, cause I'd fit my shoulders in one of those uniforms for sure,” he said dryly.

I snorted. ”That's a good visual. I was really just saying that you'd be able to pick girls up easily,” I said. ”Two more inches up.”

I moved two more inches, and was able to get the cat off the lowest branch.

She was a cutie. Mostly black with white patches on her feet, nose, and the end of her tail; she reminded me of a cat I used to have when I was younger.

Although, Flower, my old cat, was the devil.

She was not very nice, and as it turned out, neither was this one.

As soon as my hand made it around her belly, she flipped a switch.

One moment she was sweet and thankful for me getting to her, and the next she was attacking my hand and drawing blood.

”Motherhumper- you stupid b.i.t.c.h!” I hissed, drawing my hand away quickly.

Too late, though. I could feel the blood running down my arm as I reached forward and grabbed the little heifer by the scruff of the neck, hauling her down regardless of her spitting and hissing.

”Here,” I said hanging the cat over open air. ”Take this little wh.o.r.e before I drop her.”

Tunnel came up and grabbed the cat from my hand, being extra cautious now that he'd seen what his cat could do.

”f.u.c.ker,” Tunnel grumbled as he took the cat much the same as I had done before handing him over, and walked inside with him.

Cleo lowered me to the ground just as his cell phone rang, but he didn't answer it.

Instead, he lowered me down and then walked me over to the steps at the front of the house.

Pus.h.i.+ng me down gently until I sat on my bottom, he pulled my injured hand into both of his and inspected it. ”Doesn't look too bad,” he rumbled.

I shook my head. ”Nah, it's just burning. It won't be that bad by tomorrow.”

”Yeah,” he said as he leaned over and kissed the top of my head. ”f.u.c.ker deserves to die for hurting you.”

”It was just a cat, Cleo,” I said teasingly.

”I don't care if it's a kitten or a motherf.u.c.kin' Yetti, it hurts you, it deserves to die,” he growled.

I giggled. ”A Yetti? When was the last time you saw one of those just hanging around?”

The bad thing was, was that he looked completely serious.

He'd kill a little cat because it scratched me...for real?

”You think I'm kidding, don't you?” He asked with a raised brow.

I shook my head. ”No, I know you're completely serious. I just wish you'd chill. Nothing's going to hurt me.”

”Says the person who got her place vandalized, and a message on her car that said if she didn't withdraw her testimony, her face would look as bad as her car,” Loki muttered from behind me.

I blinked and turned my body until I was half turned to look at him. ”It said that?”

He looked at me peculiarly. ”The cops didn't tell you?”

I shook my head. ”No. It was still dark and I avoided looking at it. Now I'm pretty sure I should've just looked at it.”

”Here, Mina said to give this to you. Sorry she can't come out. She's pretty sure she has the flu or something,” Tunnel muttered as he extended a couple Band-Aid's and alcohol wipes.

I giggled as I reached for the offerings, then rolled my eyes as the man at my side took them from me instead.

He opened the alcohol wipes before methodically wiping my hand and arm clean of the blood. ”This is ugly,” he muttered.

I looked down at the cuts and bite marks. ”It's not too bad. She was just scared.”

He grumbled something under his breath, and although I didn't hear it very clearly, I was fairly positive it had something to do with ”gator bait.”

”Silas called. He asked me to tell you that he wants you to stop by later on your way home from here,” Tunnel said as he came to a stop at the swing connected to the porch's ceiling and sat down.

”Okay,” Cleo agreed. ”Thanks.”

”Why didn't he just call you?” I wondered as he started placing Batman Band-Aids over my various cuts.

”My phone's not behaving. It's been out of whack for going on a week now and doesn't even work most of the time. That's why I haven't called you. The charger I have for work doesn't work right, either,” he said as he placed the last Band-Aid on.

So that was why he hadn't been calling me. Huh. I guess that was a good enough excuse. ”I'd been wondering where you were.”

”Just work. Or what used to be work. Don't know what they're going to do in two days when my s.h.i.+ft's back up again. Mac is still out. He has pneumonia now, and all the other s.h.i.+fts have been putting in just as much work as I have,” Cleo said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in close to his side.

I leaned into him, laying my head on his shoulder. ”What are you going to do with all your free time?”

He shrugged. ”Dunno. Guess we'll see. I'm sure Silas has something for me to do; if anything else, I can always pull a couple of s.h.i.+fts at Halligans and Handcuffs.”

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