Page 85 of Bazooka
Went to work.
It was sooo romantic.
Me:Hey, handsome.
Me:I loved your note.
Me:What would you like for lunch?
Bazooka (my boyfriend):I don’t think I’ll be able to make it. We’re having a shitshow here, and it’s not ending soon.
Me:I’m sorry. I’ll give you a massage when you get back.
Bazooka (my boyfriend):I’ll hold you to it. Incidentally, we don’t have to have the talk when I get back, do we?
Me:Whatever you have to say to me, you can just show me instead. Actions speak louder than words.
I added a winking face emoji and braced myself for a long, fucking day. I did some online shopping (I bought us a few sex toys). I thought about jerking off, but it didn’t make sense now that I was in a serious relationship. I made Shepherd’s pie because it was a time-consuming effort, and it gave me something to do. After that, I tried to make crème brûlée, but itdidn’t go as planned, so my failed attempt ended up in the trash can.
Darkness was falling outside when my phone pinged with a text.
Jordan:Luz, is Bazooka there?
Me:No, he hasn’t arrived yet.
Jordan:When he gets there… don’t freak out. And tell him to go to the hospital.
I jumped out of my chair.
Me:What happened?
Jordan:You didn’t hear it from me, but I heard that Mendoza’s men jumped him. It was like ten to one. He sent most of them to the hospital, but they roughed him up.”
My heart almost stopped beating.
Me:How do you know this?
Jordan:Bazooka told Chief Bibb, who told Adam, who told John Smith, who told Maddox, who told Patricia, who told me.
I was still reading the text when I heard the front door open. I was there in an instant, just as Bazooka came in.
“It’s okay,” he said, avoiding my eyes. “It’s better than it looks.”
I gasped and clamped a hand over my mouth.
“Baz…”
He gave me a small smile and pinched my cheek. “It’s fine, kitten.”
It wasn’t fine. In fact, I had to force myself not to look away because he looked awful. His face was covered with bruises, hislip was bleeding, and he had a black eye. Blood was dripping out of his nose and all over his torn shirt. Even his pants were blood-stained. And he was limping.
“You need to go to a hospital, Bazooka,” I said, my throat constricting.
He shook his head. “Nah… I’ll be fine.”
“Please,” I whispered, wrapping my arm around his waist and helping him get to the bathroom. “Please… for me.”
“I’ll be fine, Luz,” he said with a sigh. “Trust me, okay? This isn’t my first rodeo.”
