Page 98 of Make Me Bleed

“That’s the spirt,” he chirps and saunters over to the free chair on the other side of Ma.

“What a fucking day.”

“Tell me about it,” I mutter.

“How’re you feeling, buddy? How’s the ankle?” Gabe inquires.

“Like shit, dude. And it’s broken. In half. Just waiting for them to come in and put me in a cast.”

“Shit,” he mutters, and I nod. “So, that means…” he trails off, looking up at me through his curls warily.

“Yep.”

“I’m sorry, Peris.”

“It is what it is. I just want to get out of here.”

“Yeah, speaking of… Where the fuck is Abel?” Gabe stares between us, brows drawn.

I glance at Ma, and she looks back at me.

“He’s in jail,” I mutter.

“He’swhat?What the fuck happened?”

So, I explain to him everything that happened with Luke and how Abel being in jail came to fruition and how we’re just waiting to bail him out.

By the time I’ve finished, Gabe is staring at me and is trying—and failing—to hide his smirk.

“You’ve got yourself a little jail birdie boyfriend whodefended your honor.”

I roll my eyes so hard. “Oh,pleasego fuck yourself.”

He throws his head back with a cackle, and for a minute, I think things just might be all right.

But first, I need to get my runt back.

CHAPTER 25

ABEL

Beingin jail isn’t so bad, really. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t end up here sooner, but I’m not mad I’m here now.

There are worse things to be locked up for, and beating on a pedophile definitely isn’t one of them.

They call my name and let me know my bond’s been posted. I have a feeling the charges are going to get dropped, but even if they don’t, I honestly don’t care. Having this on my record isn’t something that bothers me.

I follow the guard out to get my things, and then, I see him. He’s in crutches with a purple wrapped cast, and frankly, he looks like shit, but he’shere.And so are Elise and Gabe, and my heart squeezes painfully inside my chest.

They’re here.

For me.

They’ve got paperwork in their hands, and when I finally reach them, Peris hauls me against him. It knocks us both off balance, but Gabe rights us with his hand on Peris’s shoulder, and Peris hugs me in the middle of the county jail. And it’s amazing.

He digs his nose into my hair and breathes deeply enough for me to feel his large inhale before he exhales hot and heavy against me.

“You’re fucking crazy, runt.”