Page 29 of Absolutely Pucked (Punk as Puck #3)

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

KILLIAN

My back was aching as I hauled two massive bins outside to dump the trash. My hands were covered in tiny cuts from cardboard boxes, I had calluses in places I didn’t know could get calluses, and my back hurt like I was a ninety-year-old man.

It probably had everything to do with the fact that I’d been tied to a desk for years and hadn’t bothered trying to keep up with my physique apart from running on a treadmill twice a week, but I hadn’t realized how bad it was.

I was angry. I was tired.

And very, very humbled.

With a heavy grunt, I started tossing bags into the bin when my phone began to buzz in my pocket. It couldn’t be Ford. He was in the office doing some kind of paperwork, which meant it was either Delia, which I doubted, or Daniel taunting me about something else.

I hesitated, then hit the Answer button without looking at the screen because what the fuck else was I going to do? If I ignored either one of them, they’d just make my life harder.

“Yes?”

“Is that any way to greet your wife?” I hadn’t heard Delia’s voice in so long. I didn’t miss it. All of our fond memories, all the moments I thought I’d been happy with her, had been a lie.

“You mean the wife who’s trying to ruin my life, divorce me, and is fucking my boss?”

“Killian—”

“What do you want? I’m not in the mood.”

“I take it your brother told you to shove your apology up your ass?” she said with a smirk.

I sighed. “What. Do. You. Want.”

“I just wanted to give you a heads-up that I’m adding another financial obligation to our next mediation.”

I didn’t even know another one had been set, but I almost laughed because what kind of money did she think I was going to have after all this?

“Child support,” she said after a long pause.

I burst into laughter. She was so transparent. “It’s not mine.”

“You’re my husband.”

“Yes, and that spawn is either Daniel’s or whoever else you convinced to come inside you without a condom. It’s not mine. We haven’t had sex in eight months.”

She was quiet for a long beat. “We’ll see what a judge says.”

“We’ll see what a DNA test says. ”

She coughed. “Oh, you think I’d consent to that? I will make you so fucking sorry?—”

“You already have. You’ve made me sorry for so much, Delia. Why are you…” I trailed off, hit like lightning by the realization of why she was pinning her affair baby on me. I burst into laughter, doubling over. “You know, don’t you? He was trying to hide it, but you know.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do.” I felt a grin spreading across my face. Whatever feeling was bubbling up in my chest, it wasn’t joy. Maybe it was the sense of poetic justice? “You know he’s not leaving her.”

“Fuck you, Killian. You have no idea what’s going on with us right now, and if you think for a second you’ll get away without taking responsibility for all this?—”

“Oh, I already have. I’m getting rid of you, I’m getting rid of any obligation I had toward you, I’m going to be able to get a pass on alimony because I don’t have a job—thanks to you, by the way— and no judge will make me pay for a child that isn’t mine.

I’m not even angry anymore, Delia. You made this whole thing so easy. ”

She was dead silent, and my grin widened.

“Anyway, have fun with the man who will never leave his wife for you. Have fun with the baby he won’t acknowledge—that she’ll probably make him disown.”

“I’m going to tell your parents that you’re abandoning this child.”

“Go for it. I’m a grown adult, Delia. I don’t give a shit what they think. They haven’t done anything for me ever in my life. And come for my finances all you want. I’m working as a stocker in a grocery store.”

She burst into laughter. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

I waited until her giggles settled down before I answered her.

“I wasn’t the one who gave a shit about being rich.

That was you. You took all my cash, locked my savings, have been racking up credit card debt since I left, and have stolen the one asset that might have been worth something.

What do you think a judge is going to say when we finally stand in front of one?

I mean, there’s a mountain of evidence, Del.

If you don’t think I won’t drag your name the moment we’re in a courtroom, you were clearly too busy with Daniel’s balls in your mouth to think straight. ”

“You fucking listen to me?—”

“Nah. Not in the mood. Have a great night.” I hung up, cutting off any reply she might have, and I put my phone on silent before slipping it into my pocket.

I took a breath, the air trembling on my exhale.

My hands were shaking like autumn leaves in a storm.

Adrenaline was coursing through me so intensely I felt sick to my stomach.

I took several steps back before my knees gave out, and I sat down with a hard thud.

I couldn’t believe I’d done that. I couldn’t believe I went after her like that.

I was on the other side of the country, and no more mediation dates had been set. She was dragging this out, and now I understood why, but it was obvious she hadn’t thought it out. It was also obvious that Daniel didn’t give any fucks about what happened to her.

He screwed with me because he thought it was funny. Because it kept her mouth shut and legs open. It kept her pacified so she wouldn’t push the issue about him leaving the wife he had no intentions of leaving.

And while I was atoning for my sins, she had her own to deal with once this was all said and done.

I swallowed thickly and felt my eyes get hot. Fuck. It was such a goddamn mess, but it was almost over. For the first time, I really could see a light at the end of the tunnel. I could?—

“ MEW !”

I startled at the sound, glancing wildly around when a scraggly, beat-up kitten tumbled out of a box near the dumpster. It was all black and absolutely filthy. Making a kissy noise, I watched as the little creature moved toward me, and as it got closer, I saw that its eyes were entirely gummed up.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. Taking very careful steps, I leaned down and extended my hand. When my fingertips made contact, the little thing spit and hissed so hard the force of it sent it backward. “So spicy. Come here. I have food inside.”

In spite of the kitten obviously not understanding spoken English, my tone must have soothed it because when I reached for it again, it hissed but didn’t jump away. It took me a full five minutes to gather it into my palm, and then I slipped it into my apron pocket and hurried inside.

My mind was racing a thousand miles a minute, but I knew exactly what needed to happen. I all but slammed into the office door as I came to a skidding halt.

“Ford!”

“Uh, hello, knocking?” he said, looking irritated.

I shut the door behind me. “Come here. I have something to show you in my apron.”

He rose from his chair. “If it’s your dick, well…I won’t say no, but we will both probably get fired.”

Rolling my eyes, I gently tugged him forward, careful not to unbalance him. “It’s not my dick. It’s a cat.”

“A what?”

“A kitten,” I clarified. I pulled the pocket open, and he peered down, then looked up at me with wide eyes. “I found it in the dumpster. You have to call Jonah.”

“Oh shit! I have to call Jonah!” He bounced on his foot, then fumbled for his phone, dropping it twice in his eagerness to make the call.

As he dialed, I walked over to his desk and grabbed a roll of paper towels and a water bottle, soaking a wad and then carefully washing off the kitten’s face. It wasn’t super happy with me, but after I stopped making it drenched, it started to purr.

“Babe,” Ford said, and I tried not to wince because I knew he called his friends that.

“I have a surprise for—no, it’s not my dick.

That’s literally what I said. No, never mind.

You know your new best friend that you love more than me that you met on the bus?

Yeah, he’s here, and he found you a kitten. ”

Ford gave me a thumbs-up, even as he rolled his eyes.

“No, I’m not lying. Why would I do that to you? It’s right here. It’s all black, beat to hell. Needs the vet, like, right now, but there’s one next door. Yeah, we’ll wait.”

“I can take the kitten over and get it checked in,” I said quietly to Ford. “If you don’t mind me taking my break a bit early.”

Ford nodded hard. “Yeah. Go. No, babe, not you. I’m talking to Ki—uh…”

‘Ian,’ I mouthed.

“Ian. Yeah. He’ll meet you next door. What? No, I’m not going to kiss him for you. Do it yourself. Wait, don’t do that! You don’t like dudes. Keep your fucking lips to yourself, do you hear me?”

I felt something warm rush through me because while it was obvious Ford was kidding, he also wasn’t. There was a hint of real panic, like maybe Jonah might actually want to kiss me, and I loved that he hated it.

Turning on my heel, I gave Ford one last look, and when he nodded and waved me off, I hurried out of the supermarket and headed two doors down to find the vet office with the lights on and Open sign still glowing in the window. Thank God.

This felt like my one good thing—my one good deed.

It wouldn’t save my soul, but it might just count for something.

Jonah arrived just before the doctor got the kitten from the vet tech, who had given it a bath.

The kitten’s eyes were clean, but then he dropped the news as he walked in with her purring against his chest. “She’s all clean and seems pretty healthy, but unfortunately, she can’t see. She has no response to light at all.”

Jonah grinned. “Sweet. Me either. We can be blind buds.”

The vet raised a brow but shrugged and walked over, placing the kitten gently into Jonah’s waiting hands. “She’s going to need some nutrition supplements and another fecal check after this dewormer. She’s old enough for solids, but I’d wet her food to make it easier on her.”

Jonah cradled the kitten on his chest. She was sleeping and purring loudly. He looked like the happiest man on the planet. “I can do all of that. I can literally do everything for her. You believe me, right?”

The vet frowned. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

Jonah didn’t answer, but the pain on his face was still obvious. “Do me a favor, yeah?”

“Me?” I asked.

He laughed. “Sorry, yes. Go ask Ford if he can still keep her for a few days? I just signed the lease on my new apartment this afternoon. I lived with my brother,” Jonah explained, turning his attention back to the vet as though he was worried the man would care.

“He’s super allergic, so I’m moving out. ”

The vet just smiled. “Why don’t I get the first vaccinations set up, and then we can get you checked out.”

I stood up and put my hand on Jonah’s shoulder. “Come to the customer service desk when you’re done so Ford can make a plan with you. I’ll meet you there too. ”

“We’re officially best friends. No. We’re more than that. You got me a cat.”

I felt warm all over. I was not used to this. At all. I didn’t know what to say, so I squeezed his shoulder, then let myself out of the vet’s office.

I took a beat before heading back to the store. All of this had been incredibly chaotic. I hadn’t even really had a chance to breathe after Delia’s call. Anxiety was churning in the pit of my stomach. It was all going well, which meant there was a penny in the air.

And at some point, it was going to have to drop. Where and how it would land, I had no idea. I had no control. I could only hope no one else besides me was going to get hurt. A pointless thought, really. Ford and I hadn’t exchanged anything close to I love you or even I like you. Not really.

But I could tell by the way he kissed me. By the way he held me.

This couldn’t last.

Rubbing at my tired eyes, I squared my shoulders, then headed in through the automatic doors to find Ford hovering in customer service. His eyes pinned me immediately, lingering on my mouth.

“Jonah didn’t kiss me,” I murmured. “In case you were worried.” We were far enough away from the cash registers that we wouldn’t be overheard, but I still wanted to be careful.

“Good. That’s my job.” Ford hummed, then grabbed me by the shirt and shoved me into a corner, leaning in.

“Cameras,” I whispered.

“This is the one blind spot,” he answered back, then attached his lips to mine. The moment was short, but so indulgent and so good. When he pulled back, I felt almost dizzy with desire. I rocked gently against him, and he grinned. “Later,” he murmured. “Tonight.”

“Yes.”

Taking a deep breath, he pulled all the way back. “The vet went okay?”

“Yep. Kitten’s blind?—”

“Holy shit. Kismet. I’m using that right? Kismet?”

I laughed. “Yeah. You’re using that right. He’s getting her shots now, and then he’ll be heading over here. He wants to know if you can still keep her until he moves out.”

“Duh. I can’t believe he even asked,” Ford said, rolling his eyes. “Wait here for a second. I’m going to go grab some kitten supplies from the pet aisle.” He darted off, and I watched him go, enjoying the hell out of the view.

Everything felt so damn nice. Which was probably why the crash hurt so badly the moment Jonah walked in, looking furious.

His cane was sweeping back and forth angrily, and he almost crashed into the service counter, turning to the left at the last second so he didn’t crush the kitten he had cradled against his chest.

“Hello? Where is he?” he demanded when his cane hit the customer service desk.

“Who?” I asked.

His brows flew up. “ You . You fucking…you liar .”

My body went cold. “I don’t know what?—”

“Killian Banks.”

Shiiiiiiit. I hadn’t thought about it when I gave the receptionist my name. God, I was such a fool.

“Are you denying it?” Jonah demanded .

“No,” Ford cut in, appearing from around the corner with his arms full. He dumped the cat stuff onto the counter. “He’s not. But you need to calm down.”

“Calm down? You know who this is, right? I mean, you can fucking see! He’s probably got Tucker’s same goddamn face. Not the legs,” he sneered. “But he definitely has the same voice.”

Ford’s face was pale. “Look, Killian and I are off work right now. Let’s go back to my place to get the kitten settled, and we can talk.”

“Talk? To traitors? Fuck you both. You took advantage of me,” Jonah said through clenched teeth. “I couldn’t see you. I didn’t know.”

I swallowed heavily. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, you will be. When I call—oh my God , does Tucker even know you’re here?”

Ford snapped out of his shock. “This looks bad. I know. And you don’t have to go back to my place, but just…come into the office with me, please. We will explain everything.”

Jonah hesitated, held his kitten a little closer, then said, “I have no one else to take her, so fine. But whatever you have to say, it had better be fucking good.”