Page 290 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

The stereo will be torn out, but who gives a damn about that?

I rack my brain for anything incriminating, but nothing registers.

I’m not stupid enough to leave weapons in the car while it’s unattended.

Same thing with cash.

I just hope they leave enough of the car that I can drive it the hell outta here once I get a chance.

I almost cheer when I hear police sirens approach, but I also don’t have time to sit around and file a report. I can handle my car business myself.

If I can get to said car.

I peek around the side of the building again to see if the sounds startled them enough to leave the crime scene. One guy is hard at work on getting my rims off, but jumps away when the sirens get louder.

“Yo, Boom, we gots ta go! I ain’t endin’ up in the clink again for your sloppy ass!”

The one called Boom jumps out from the hood, screaming and cursing at the group of guys who take off running down the street. “You fuckin’ pussies! I almost had the battery!”

“Fuck it!” Another one of them yells over his shoulder. “I ain’t waitin’ to get pinched!”

Boom runs after them, still bitching.

I don’t wait until they’re out of sight, just that they’re far enough away that I can slam the hood closed and jump into the car before the cops show up. I pull open the door and roll my eyes. They demolished the steering column, I guess to try and hotwire it. Must have been a bunch of low-level thugs since they abandoned that plan and went for the battery instead.

Idiots. If they were part of my crew, I’d have kicked their asses for leaving their fingerprints all over everythingbeforeleaving the car as evidence.

I’ll worry about that tomorrow.

In the meantime, I turn on the car and stomp on the gas, zooming down the street. I can still hear the sirens, but they sound a little farther away now. Either I made a just-in-time escape, or something else caught their attention.

In this neighborhood, it’s probably the latter.

Forty minutes later, I’m lugging my heaping bag of pet crap in one arm, and Bella in the other, as I jog toward the elevator of my building. I shift the bag to stick my key into the lock, collapsing against the back wall as the doors close.

The bell dings once we reach my floor and I stagger across the hall toward the front door. I twist the key into the lock and practically fall into the foyer, I’m so spent from my ‘errand’.

I drop the bags onto the floor and the open bag of Nudges spills onto the floor.

Bella sure isn’t complaining.

I lean back against the door. I wonder how many of those she should have. I definitely don’t need a stray dog shitting all over the place. But when I asked about that at the supermarket, one of the workers told me to pad train her. I have no idea what the hell that means, and I didn’t really have time to chat with him, so I bought a box of pads he recommended. I’ll guess I’ll just wallpaper the place with them and hope she knows where to go.

My eyes drop to the little black puppy who seems to have way more energy now that she’s eaten half a bag of treats.

She looks up at me and lets out a high-pitched bark. Then she takes off, racing around the room so fast, she becomes a black blur. My eyes can’t track her fast enough, and I see black darting around tables, chairs, couches, and potted plants.

But she never crashes into anything.

A few more high-pitched barks pierce the silence, and Marchella lets out a loud groan as she resurrects from her face-down position on the couch. Slowly, I see her sleep-tousled head rise from the couch cushion, red marks lining the sides of her face where they were pressed against the pillow seams. Her eyes are heavy and a little bloodshot, but when Bella leaps onto the couch next to her and attacks her with her tongue…fucking gross, by the way…she gasps and an expression of pure joy settles into her features.

Only, I’m used to the look of disdain and disgust, so this is new.

And much nicer.

If I have to keep a hostage, I’d like her to be at least somewhat agreeable.

She grabs Bella and holds her up, squealing with excitement. Bella obviously feels it, too, because she lets out another bark.

---