04-17-2023, 12:47 AM
Now that was a damn good question.
Jay technically owned the house in Iowa. A long list of unanswered messages left piles of legal stuff he hadn’t dealt with yet. He didn’t care about certificates and death taxes though. If it weren’t for the welfare of the few remaining animals, he’d walk away completely and never look back. Pastor Mason would be gifted Casey and the cattle. After the property was declared legally abandoned, the valuables were likely to be forfeited to the state. And by valuables that meant some land that would go up for auction and a truck that barely turned over.
He had a bunk beneath the Kremlin. A locker full of uniforms and toiletries. Could take her there, but it’d like sneaking a girl into your room after midnight. Totally could get Natalie in, but given the locks on front door, she may not be let out again; Grandpa Patron or not. Which meant home was where he slept last night. And for now, it was some skyscraper in the middle of the city.
“A few of the guys went to Africa. Egypt, I think. I should have gone but was reassigned to a local job last minute. Remember the zombie-rats?” he nodded emphatically. They were hard to forget. One of them scratched the hell out of his face.
“Key word being ‘remember.’ Cause those little fuckers are a memory now. Now I’m on some assignment that I am the last person who should be doing it, but you know, Ascendancy’s orders and all that…” he shrugged. Clearly he was going to go where told. Not like there was another alternative.
His hand fell limp after the graze of her cheek. His arms were lead, but nothing a tired grin couldn’t prop up.
This time, when she showed off the curves of her dress, it was his turn to observe, and he had to actively restrain himself. Actively stop himself slipping his palm onto the low of her back and pulling near. To feel the press of her hip against his. To stop himself digging his fingers through the waves of golden hair. Instead, he nodded with great approval. Pursed his lips into a ‘oh baby’ smirk that quickly untwisted into a humorous grin afterward.
When she closed the sudden distance between them, his heart squeezed tight in his throat. For the briefest moment, he was frozen with wonder of what she would do. The voice in his ear sent chills down his spine. He’d only heard his name pass her lips a few times. Those were usually accompanied by warnings and horror and death and regret.
This time, he was a living statue peering down into those eyes, and he seriously thought about kissing her then and there, tugging her to the grass and blocking out the world until there was nothing left. Probably not the most practical reaction, but damn, he thought about it anyway.
When she tugged onward, he followed without even a split second of hesitation.
Jay technically owned the house in Iowa. A long list of unanswered messages left piles of legal stuff he hadn’t dealt with yet. He didn’t care about certificates and death taxes though. If it weren’t for the welfare of the few remaining animals, he’d walk away completely and never look back. Pastor Mason would be gifted Casey and the cattle. After the property was declared legally abandoned, the valuables were likely to be forfeited to the state. And by valuables that meant some land that would go up for auction and a truck that barely turned over.
He had a bunk beneath the Kremlin. A locker full of uniforms and toiletries. Could take her there, but it’d like sneaking a girl into your room after midnight. Totally could get Natalie in, but given the locks on front door, she may not be let out again; Grandpa Patron or not. Which meant home was where he slept last night. And for now, it was some skyscraper in the middle of the city.
“A few of the guys went to Africa. Egypt, I think. I should have gone but was reassigned to a local job last minute. Remember the zombie-rats?” he nodded emphatically. They were hard to forget. One of them scratched the hell out of his face.
“Key word being ‘remember.’ Cause those little fuckers are a memory now. Now I’m on some assignment that I am the last person who should be doing it, but you know, Ascendancy’s orders and all that…” he shrugged. Clearly he was going to go where told. Not like there was another alternative.
His hand fell limp after the graze of her cheek. His arms were lead, but nothing a tired grin couldn’t prop up.
This time, when she showed off the curves of her dress, it was his turn to observe, and he had to actively restrain himself. Actively stop himself slipping his palm onto the low of her back and pulling near. To feel the press of her hip against his. To stop himself digging his fingers through the waves of golden hair. Instead, he nodded with great approval. Pursed his lips into a ‘oh baby’ smirk that quickly untwisted into a humorous grin afterward.
When she closed the sudden distance between them, his heart squeezed tight in his throat. For the briefest moment, he was frozen with wonder of what she would do. The voice in his ear sent chills down his spine. He’d only heard his name pass her lips a few times. Those were usually accompanied by warnings and horror and death and regret.
This time, he was a living statue peering down into those eyes, and he seriously thought about kissing her then and there, tugging her to the grass and blocking out the world until there was nothing left. Probably not the most practical reaction, but damn, he thought about it anyway.
When she tugged onward, he followed without even a split second of hesitation.
Only darkness shows you the light.