Page 36 of Pocketful of You

The sound of incessant beeping was making the ache in my right temple grow to epic proportions.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Motherfucker…

Seriously, I did not need this shit right now. I was having a bomb-ass dream involving Romi, some lube, and that pretty little pink bullet hidden in the third drawer of her nightstand.

"Beep, beep, beep, wake up…" someone whispered in my ear. Someone who sounded awfully like a fake-ass robot.

"Beep, beep, beep... any day now, beep, beep, beep… I need your help, beep, beep, beep… hurry the hell up, beep, beep, be–"

"Would you shut thatcreatureup, Bolillo?" another voice barked. "Before I do it. Permanently."

"Now, now, Jenny, don’t be hasty."

"Bolillo! Did your newpetjust call meJenny?"

"It's the name of a Paulo Nutini song. I was making a…uh, never mind," another voice said and this time I recognized it.

Or should I sayhim.

Ah hell.

With a great deal of effort, I cracked an eyelid open and locked eyes on the nerd leaning over me. "You better not have taken advantage of me while I was out."

"Oh, maybe just a tad." Presley grinned down at me. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

I smirked. "Asshole."

He winked. "Yours or mine?"

My laugh turned into a painful fit of coughing. "Too sore to joke, Pres."

He winced and patted my arm. "I'll refrain until you're back on your feet.

"Appreciate it." Speaking of back on my feet. "Where the fuck am I?" Feeling groggy, I craned my neck from side to side, trying to get my bearings. "Am I…" I turned back to look at him. "Pres, am I in abar?"

"Technically, you'reona bar," he replied, hands flailing around as he spoke. "It's a really long, really drawn out story –"

"I don’t care. I just want Romi." Feeling hoarse, I looked around me, anxiously seeking her out. "Where the hell's Romi, man?"

"You had to go there right away, didn’t you?" A nervous laugh escaped his lips. "Oh dear." Yanking off his glasses, Pres wiped them on his shirt. "Can someone step in here?Please?"

"Where is she?" Heart bucking wildly, I dragged myself up on my elbows and looked around what I could only describe as a clubhouse for criminals. "Where the fuck is Romi, dammit!"

"Do you remember what happened, fullback?"

The familiar voice had me snapping my attention to the blond prick sitting on the bar. "You."

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he smirked. "Me."

"You stuck me with a damn needle." I narrowed my eyes. "You goddamn kidnapped me!"

"Guilty as charged." His smile deepened. "But at least I didn’t stick you with the bullet they dug out of your chest, kid."

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