Page 25 of Bazooka

Options and the Lack of

Bazooka

“The fuck did I just walk into?” Jordan exclaimed, looking at me wide-eyed.

Yeah, about that. How the hell was I supposed to explain it to him when I couldn’t explain it to myself? The only thing I knew with absolute certainty was that I’d never been so horny in my life.

“It’s not important,” I said with a sigh. “Just drive.”

“Not important? Luz is my friend. He would never act this way unless something happened. Did you two get into a fight?”

“He did something he shouldn’t have done. It escalated. That’s all.”

That wasn’t all. The way I acted was unprofessional, to put it mildly, and probably enough to get me fired, if I were honest. Luz was under my protection. I had a moral and legal obligation toward him. And what did I do? What did I do?

Not only that. Luz was the person I’d been actively avoiding for months. I changed my phone number three times because of him. Whatever I did, I couldn’t get rid of him. I didn’t believe in destiny, but how else to explain that the two of us end up sharing a flat?

And then there was this attraction thing.

I wouldn’t even call it an attraction. He was just there, with his blond locks and aquamarine eyes and outrageous things leaving his mouth.

It was him, sexualizing things. Throwing himself at me.

Touching me all the fucking time. Insinuating, provoking, teasing me.

Flirting with me. Putting ideas in my head. No wonder I eventually snapped.

Yeah, he had a dick, but it was the least of my concerns.

Even if the circumstances were different, I wouldn’t have anything to do with him.

I would fuck him, maybe, which was debatable because I’d never fucked a dude before or wanted to.

But I wasn’t a relationship guy, and I had a feeling he wanted more than sex.

He wanted what I couldn’t give him, not just to him, but to anyone.

And I certainly didn’t need a tornado called Luz in my life.

I didn’t need anyone. I didn’t want anyone.

When Jordan parked behind a large warehouse, we got out of the car. A surveillance van awaited us there, and I entered it, followed by Jordan.

“He’s here,” Adam said, pointing at the screen in front of him. “Mendoza.”

“What am I looking at?” I asked him.

“An abandoned hangar approximately half a mile from here. According to our informant, Mendoza and a dozen of his men are inside. Maddox is parked on that hill over there with a sniper. The rest of the team is with him.”

“A sniper?” I said, thinking that I’d heard him wrong.

“Apparently, Maddox is an ex-mil. He spent some time in the psych ward, too. Just what we needed.”

“Jesus.”

“Are they moving guns?” Jordan said, peering at the screen.

“There’s no sign of trucks, so we’re not sure.”

For the next hour, we observed the property, but we could see nothing except the guards on the lookout.

“I don’t like this,” I said grimly. “Something about this feels wrong.”

Adam looked at me. “What do you mean?”

“Mendoza is a paranoid narcissist. When we raided his warehouse in New Mesa, we weren’t even sure he was there. And here we have his guards flaunting their weapons in our faces. I don’t buy it.”

“What do you want to do?” Jordan said.

“Contact the informant again.”

“Why?”

“Call it a hunch.”

“Shit, Mendoza’s jeep is on the move!” Adam exclaimed, standing up. “This is our chance to get him. Let’s go.”

“No,” I said, stopping him.

Adam gave me an incredulous stare. “Have you lost it? Mendoza is right there. Do you know how fortunate we were to locate him?”

“Yeah, and I don’t believe in luck,” I countered. “This looks more like a setup to me.”

“A setup for what?”

“I don’t know. Besides, I want to catch Mendoza with his hand in the cookie jar. Not with a gun in his pocket, for which he probably has a license, or his goons parading around like headless chickens.”

Adam raised his hands in defense. “You’re taking the fall for this, pal.”

“I am. Jordan, contact the informer.”

Sadly, my hunch proved to be correct. Our informant was found dead in an alley behind a casino on Roswell Avenue.

Mendoza and his goons left the hangar without a shot being fired.

After they left, we joined Maddox and the rest of the team in front of the hangar.

We called for the bomb squad after Maddox became suspicious that Mendoza had left us a present there.

As it turned out, he was correct. A big, fat block of C-4 was attached to the front door, waiting to blast us to kingdom come, which told me two things.

First, Mendoza was on to the fact that we were on to him.

Second, Maddox was one smart, skilled, and dangerous S.O.B.

Another person of such description waited for me at home, and he was more dangerous than the ex-mil who liked to play with knives.

It was the crux of my problem. What to do with Luz?

Should I find him another place to stay?

Tell him the truth about my connection with his father?

It would most certainly make him leave on his own, but it would also endanger him.

Should I remind him of what happened to him and use his fear against him?

Or just fuck him and just be done with it?

God, no. I wasn’t even swinging that way, so why did it even cross my mind? Because I was losing my sanity.

After I parted ways with Jordan and Adam, who left by van, I headed toward the police car Jordan drove us in.

I sat in the driver's seat, only to feel something cold pressing against the back of my head.

I froze on the spot because I knew exactly what it was.

I looked in the rearview mirror, only to spot a person with a ski mask sitting in the back seat and pointing a gun at my head.

“Mr. Mendoza sends a message.” A muffled voice said. “Go back to New Mesa, or there will be consequences. Your business with Mr. Mendoza ends here and now.”

“Or else?” I said, without moving a muscle.

“Or else the people you care about start dying.”

I snorted. “Good luck with finding those.”

“Mr. Mendoza expected you to say that and told me to remind you that you have a very cute, blond boyfriend.”

“I don’t have a boyf…” I didn’t finish the sentence, because what would be the point? Luz, the trouble magnet, worked like a charm.

“You have twenty-four hours to leave Smitsville.”

He hit me with the hilt of his gun so hard I saw stars.

When my vision cleared, I scrambled out of the car.

With my gun raised high, I circled the parking lot, only to hear the motorcycle in the distance.

After it sped off, I headed to the station and told Chief Bibb what had happened.

I expected a blowout, and I got it. He ordered me to take a day off, and he was still shouting on his phone when I left his office.

After I finally parked in front of my building, I seriously considered sleeping in my car.

I just needed a few hours of peace so I could think.

Concentrate. Figure shit out. One thing was sure, though.

I wasn’t returning to New Mesa with a tail between my legs, not tomorrow or ever.

If Mendoza thought he could threaten me, he had another thing coming.

Finally, I decided to go to my apartment, mostly because I wanted to check in on Luz. I entered the dimly lit room, only to spot Luz sitting behind the bar with a book in his hand. He seemed like a normal human being, if you disregarded the apron that he wore, which said Suck the Cook.

When he saw me, he yawned.

“We have leftovers from lunch,” he said, standing up. “I’ll warm them up for you.”

Only then did I realize I was famished.

So far, so good, but I wasn’t getting my hopes up. He was too calm. Or maybe I was being paranoid?

After I washed my hands and returned to the kitchen, a plate filled with steaming food waited for me. Luz was back in his chair with a book in his hand. Calm. Quiet. Almost uninterested in me.

“Is everything okay?” he asked me after I felt the back of my head where that bastard had hit me.

“Yeah, just a headache,” I replied, taking a mouthful of food. “This tastes delicious, by the way. What is it?”

“Chicken meatballs in a curry sauce.”

I glanced at the book in his hands titled Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. After I noticed he held the book upside down, I was done being quiet.

“Okay, let’s get one thing out of the way,” I said, pushing the plate away from me.

“I have no idea what the fuck happened between us today, but it will not happen again. It will not continue in any way, shape, or form. It will not repeat itself. Never. Not ever. Not today, not next year. Do you get what I’m saying? ”

Luz lowered the book and looked at me, his face unreadable.

“Yeah, sure. Why wouldn’t I get what you’re saying?”

Was this good or bad?

I continued anyway.

“You’re the victim of the crime I’m investigating. You’re the person under my protection and my responsibility, Luz. If things go south because I made a mistake or crossed a boundary, it could cost me my job.”

“I understand,” he said solemnly. “I’m not dumb.”

“There will be more rules if you want to stay here, but this time you’ll have to obey them.”

He nodded, bookmarking his book calmly.

“This…” I pointed my finger at the space between us.

“This is not happening, sweetheart. Yeah, I kissed you because I felt you needed it at the time, and then I lost it because I’m…

I’m tired, Luz. I’m overworked. I’m underpaid.

I do my best, but honestly, I’m fed up with the shit that’s piling on me of late. ”

Luz tossed the book onto the counter, startling me.

“I get it, Mr. Subtlety. I’m not as daft as you think I am. I’m aware of the situation. When I entered your life, I took advantage of your kindness, and I’m sorry. I don’t want to make things worse.”

Okay, that didn’t sound right.

“No,” I protested. “I didn’t mean it like—”

“More than that, I realized I’d made a mistake,” Luz cut in. “I thought we would be good for each other, but I was wrong. I know you probably want Officer Vile or someone like her, and that’s fine. Despite that, I’ll always be there for you, just like you were there for me.”

I didn’t want Patricia Vile. Why was he bringing her up?

“Anyway, I’m glad we talked it out, Baz. Good night.”

He turned and headed to the bedroom. I looked at him, only to do a double-take when I realized he was buck naked under the apron, apart from a butt plug stuck in his ass.

I blinked in confusion, thinking that my brain was fucking with me, but the heart-shaped thingie between his ass cheeks told me otherwise.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Luz said, turning to look at me. “In case you change your mind about fucking me… this thing will be inside me at all times. That way, you will be able to slip inside me whenever you’re ready.”