Page 15 of Absolutely Pucked (Punk as Puck #3)

I straightened. He had said that before, hadn’t he? About his car being stolen? “Dude. We need to call the cops.”

Killian immediately paled and shook his head. “Uh. No. No, thank you. I don’t…it’s not like it was doing me any real good.”

That was obviously a lie. The car was his house right now. And that thought made my stomach squirm. “Are you in trouble with the cops? Did you do something?”

He shook his head quickly. “No. Look, could I just maybe crash on your living room floor for the night? There are shelters and stuff in town, and hopefully by the end of the week, I’ll have an interview at a shop where they won’t kick me out for going to grad school.”

I blinked at him. “Who…you know what, never mind. But dude, you’re a lawyer. Why are you trying to get a job in a shop?”

“Because that’s all I can do right now.” His tone showed just how broken he was feeling right then. “But seriously, it’s fine if you can’t let me stay here. There’s a place not too far up the road that?—”

“No.” I was going to regret this, but before I could talk myself out of my next words, Nugget hopped off her dinner perch and immediately jumped into Killian’s lap.

She didn’t wait for him to hold her. She climbed up his chest, set her paws on his shoulder, then buried her face in his neck.

I could hear her purring from where I was sitting.

“Um.” He went doe-eyed just like everyone did when Nugget showed love, and he tentatively put his hands around her back. “Does she do this a lot?”

“No,” I answered honestly. “She doesn’t. This usually takes months, if not years.” Letting out a deep sigh, I glanced at the front door, then said, “Look, let me help.”

“That’s not why I’m—well, that is why I’m here. But?—”

“Will you shut up and let me speak?” I demanded.

His jaw clicked with how fast he closed his mouth.

“Better. Now, I’m going to help because I’m the soft-hearted asshole who can’t throw a man out into the streets, even if he probably deserves it.

You can thank Nuggs for this because she is my guide to who is and isn’t a good person, and you won that round.

I have a guest room, and you can sleep there.

And I actually might know a job if you’re willing to do shitty manual labor. ”

He pinked and scratched Nugget’s neck, making her smash her face against him. “I’m not that strong.”

“It’s not really heavy lifting. More like stocking shelves and hating life.” I might be able to convince my shitty-ass store manager to hire a stocker if I presented one to them ready and willing to get to work. “The pay sucks, but it’s steady hours. Late nights sometimes though.”

“I’ll take anything. But I can’t commit to forever,” he told me.

“How long?”

He swallowed thickly, then said, “Four months.”

“That is, like, so specific.”

Nodding, he glanced down and then cupped his hand around Nugget’s back paws and let her nestle into his very large hand. The large hand that could cup one whole ass cheek. Not that I was thinking about that again.

It was obvious Killian wasn’t going to spill his secrets, so I had to take what I was going to get from him. “Rules though, okay? One, you eventually have to tell Tucker you’re here and why. Two, no more fuckery. You cannot hurt him any worse than you already have.”

Killian nodded, looking miserable. “But what if telling him everything would hurt him? Like you said.”

I bit my lip, then said, “What if you told me everything? Then I could tell you if it’s a bad idea.”

He looked torn, but eventually, he nodded, letting Nugget go when she squirmed out of his arms and went to rub herself all over the bare kitchen floor. “Three?”

“Hmm. Oh. Uh…don’t let the guys see you here. They will literally murder me, and while I do want to help you, I value my life and my family. I’ll have to make my own amends with Tucker over this, but I’d rather get you on your feet first. ”

He was silent for a beat, then looked up at me. “Why?”

I knew what he was asking, but I decided to play the fool. “Why what?”

“Why help me? Knowing what you know—knowing the kind of person I am. Well…was. Why bother?”

“Because I believe in more than one chance. I believe people can get better and be better—and I’m good at being able to tell when someone is lying to me.”

“You believe me?” He sounded almost afraid to ask the question.

I let him stew for a beat in anxiety, and then I nodded. “Yeah. I believe you. So don’t fuck this up, and prove me wrong, okay?”

His breath came out in a heavy tremble. “Thank you, Ford.” He stood up, but before he could walk off, I caught his arm, letting go when he gasped at the touch of my skin against his.

My fingers burned with need to do it again, so I curled them against my palm. “One more thing.”

“Okay,” he said softly.

I met his gaze, then cleared my throat. “Do people really call you Ian? It’s such a shitty nickname for Killian.”

He looked stunned, then rolled his eyes and left the room without giving me an answer.

Looking over at Nugget, I sighed. “It was a fair question. It’s a fucking terrible nickname.”