50. Zombie
FIFTY
ZOMBIE
“Tighter?” Lennie asked as I taught her to do a simple surgeon's knot.
The last few weeks I had been teaching her the art of shibari and how to do all of the different knots.
We were even going to a workshop that evening at Club X to watch a master of the craft.
I finally felt better, and needed to get out of the house.
Ryann spent most of her time with me, but loved going over to Arrow’s parents’ house a few houses down the street from us.
For the first time in my life, I felt complete.
While Ryann was still at her grandparents’ house, Lennie and I decided to work on some knots. I nodded as I watched her pull the rope taut. I pressed a kiss to her temple, loving the way she shivered every time I touched her.
It had been two months since the takedown of the Ricci organization. A text had just pinged on my phone from Chief letting the team know that the rescued women and children had entered a rehabilitation program to help them reintegrate into society successfully.
BADGER:
That’s great news.
PHANTOM:
Wonderful!
MONTE:
Awesome! OK I’m going to be that asshole—when will we find out our next assignment?
DANTE:
Monte, jesus christ…
MONTE:
Like you all aren’t wondering yourselves!
He wasn’t wrong, now that the new building was finished we were more than ready for our next assignment.
Lennie walked up behind me and snickered at the banter that was the Elite Squad group chat.
I looked at her with admiration, thanking god that she had given me another chance and had been working with me to rebuild our relationship from scratch.
It had its ups and downs, but it seemed to bond us even more.
I still couldn’t believe that she was mine. After everything we had been through, it seemed crazy that she still wanted me, but somehow she did.
My phone rang, and when I looked at the caller ID my brows knitted together. It was Buddha. He never called me and only usually texted stupid memes. I picked up on the third ring. Lennie let out a groan of frustration when I answered the call.
“Hel–” I started but was cut off.
“Oh, thank christ you picked up,” Buddha said, sounding out of breath and panicked—the complete opposite of his usual demeanor.
“What’s going on?” I asked, now on high alert as I stepped out of the playroom.
“Fuck, man, I can’t believe I am asking this, but can you help me with getting a paternity test?”
I looked at my phone in confusion. I was talking to Buddha, the most responsible person I’d ever met. And to my knowledge, he had not undergone a brain transplant. I couldn’t imagine him accidentally getting someone pregnant.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you correctly.”
“No, you definitely did,” he responded. “I need a paternity test, Z. And I need it to happen quickly. Can you please help me?”
I let out a sigh. If Patrick Parsons, one of the best men I knew, needed me of course I would help him.
“You got it, bud. Give me the details so I know what’s going on.”
The End