Page 14 of Of Angels & Absolution

“Good to know.”

“Let me walk you to your car,” he says, then chuckles to himself. “Or you can walk me to mine. Sounds like I’m the one who needs protection, and my track record with self-defense is about as sound as this file.”

He gives a wry smile and wiggles his disfigured hand, which he hides from most people. But we aren’t in Catholic school anymore. Here, we’re all a little more real, a little more accepting, a little more able to laugh at the dark humor most of us possess to cope with whatever demons brought us to this place to begin with.

We’re halfway across the parking lot when he speaks again. “Hey, I know you can take care of yourself, but be careful, okay? The Skull and Crossbones is a pretty major enemy to have.”

“They’re not all my enemies,” I say, trying a joke to lighten the mood.

“There’s one of you, and a lot of them,” he says. “No matter how badass you think you are, you can’t fight your way out if an entire gang comes for you. If you want my advice, steer clear.”

“Wait, so you’re still worried about me even if I won’t go out with you?”

“Hey, I can’t lose my money maker,” he says, flashing me a grin.

“I’ll be careful,” I say, though I’m already beyond that. I’m in far too deep for caution to help me now.

“Listen, I have something for you,” he says, stopping at his truck.

“More?” I ask. “I’m really going to owe you a date if you keep this up.”

“Is that supposed to stop me?” he asks, opening his door. He takes out a small pet carrier. “I know you can defend yourself, but this is for those moments when you don’t know if you need to.”

“What is it?”

A tiny mew answers from inside the crate.

“You’re giving me a cat?” I ask, staring at him.

“They’re good judges of character,” he says, lifting the crate to peer in. “My sister had one. She didn’t listen to its instincts, but you can. He might even be from the same line. They look similar, and cats get around.”

“I can’t have pets,” I say. “I live in a dorm.”

He arches a brow. “You do? Hm. Interesting.”

I wince, cursing myself. There’s not really a reason he shouldn’t know, just that anonymity is something I’ve grown to treasure in his world.

“I found this little guy hanging around behind the warehouse, and I didn’t want him to run into the road,” Dynamo says when I don’t answer. “He was crying because he was so hungry. I think his mom must have been hit or picked up and brought to a shelter. The guys told me to bring him in too. But I think he deserves a good home. Don’t you?”

“You’re manipulating me.”

“Clearly.” He laughs and sticks a finger through the grate on the front of the carrier, and the kitten bats at it with one unsure paw.

“How would I even take care of him?” I ask.

“You’ll figure it out,” he says, releasing the latch and gently lifting out the little ball of grey fluff. He holds it up next to his cheek and makes puppy dog eyes at me. “How can you resist this little face?”

“I think you’re asking me for a favor more than doing me a favor.”

“Just point him at anyone you’re uncertain about, and he’ll tell you whether to trust them,” he says, depositing the little creature into my hands.

I’m about to protest, but the tiny kitten looks up at me with the wide blue eyes of an angel, and then he licks my thumb with his tiny, rough tongue, and my heart melts into a puddle.

“This is an ambush,” I protest, laughing as I rub my cheek against the kitten’s fur. It’s so soft I can hardly feel it. “You’re not fighting fair.”

I’m not fighting anymore, though. My heart is already so filled with love it hurts. If there’s such a thing as instalove, I just fell headlong into it.

“Hey, you’re getting a deal,” Dynamo says. “I’ll even throw in the crate and a couple cat toys for free. We don’t have cats anymore so…”

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