The Heart System

Chapter 73: Chapter 73

I threw on some clothes, tugging a clean shirt over my head and checking myself in the mirror. Hair—still a mess, but I managed to wrestle it into something halfway decent.

Kitchen time.

I pulled the fridge open, hoping I had something to contribute. Beer. More beer. And a sad slice of pizza that had definitely seen better days.

I snorted. ”Yeah, that’ll impress them.”

Door slammed shut. Empty-handed it was.

I grabbed my keys from the counter and headed out. The lock clicked under my hand, and I checked it twice before stepping back. I’d been doing that a lot lately. Ever since that night, I made sure—every damn time—that the door was locked. No slip-ups. Not again.

The stairwell smelled faintly of toast and coffee as I descended.

At Kim’s door, I gave a knock.

It opened a moment later, Tom standing there with his usual calm expression.

”Hey,” he said. ”Welcome.”

”Thanks.” I stepped inside, already catching the scent of breakfast. ”Smells good.”

”Jasmine brought scrambled eggs. I made toast.”

”Tasty,” I said, following him further inside.

I stepped inside and glanced to the right. Kitchen light glowed warm, and there were Kim and Jasmine shoulder to shoulder, clinking plates and laughing over some private joke. Domestic as hell.

I gave them a nod. They nodded back, smiles quick but polite.

I peeled off toward the living room. ”Hey,” I said. ”Where can I smoke a cigarette?”

”You can open the window there,” Tom pointed at the wall behind a coffee table.

”Thanks.”

It was... strange. Acting casual with a guy whose girlfriend I’d railed hard while he was locked up in a chastity cage, begging to watch. And yet here we were, playing neighbors. I guess they could split fantasy from reality. Me? I was still chewing on that boundary.

I cracked the window open and lit up, first drag cutting down into my chest. Rain had stopped, pavement outside steaming faintly, but the sun hadn’t found its way back through those thick clouds.

”How are you feeling?” Tom asked, drifting closer.

”Eh, better,” I said, exhaling smoke. ”It just hurts a little when I lift my arms or stretch.”

”Can’t even imagine,” Tom said. ”Fighting for your neighbor like that...”

”I wouldn’t call it a fight, but yeah,” I chuckled, dragging another puff.

There was a beat of silence, then his voice dipped, curious. ”Jasmine... I heard she is a prostitute. Are you her customer?”

”Was. Was a prostitute,” I corrected. ”And no, I wasn’t her customer.”

”Oh... okay.”

”You sounded disappointed.”

”No, I was just... I don’t know.” He shrugged, eyes darting toward the corridor. ”I, uh, I should help Kim get the breakfast ready.”

”Hmm.” I nodded, flicking ash out the window. ”I can come if you want as well.”

”No, no. We got it.”

”Okay.”

I kept smoking by the window, dragging deep, letting the smoke curl out into the morning air. My mind wandered back to the attack, to that bastard Karim Obza. Kidnapped. Tortured. All his nails gone, starved half to death.

”Eh,” I muttered. ”Guess a guy like him would’ve had enemies. Damn weirdo.”

Behind me, plates clinked as they were being set on the dining table.

”Oh,” Kim said as she placed the forks down. ”Did you know this table was set up by Evan?”

”He did this?” Jasmine asked, rapping her knuckles against the wood. ”Damn. Sturdy, huh?”

I didn’t join the chatter—just smiled faintly and kept my cigarette hand out the window, staring at the street below, dragging in another breath of smoke. Calm times like this were always something I loved. But calm wasn’t much of a thing in my life anymore, not since I got this weird system. I wasn’t really complaining... still, I missed it.

By the time the last plates were down, my cigarette was finished. I flicked the butt out the window, shut it, and made my way toward the table.

”Wow,” I muttered as I looked at the spread. ”What are we, kings? Royals?”

”I don’t want people talking behind my back, saying I don’t look after my guests properly,” Kim quipped, sliding into her chair. ”Now come on. Let’s eat!”

—

When breakfast was over, I dropped onto the couch and let out a long sigh, full to the brim. My usual breakfast was just beer and a cigarette—or, if I was feeling fancy, maybe some noodles. This, though? This felt like a gift from above. A real meal for once.

Jasmine and Kim came into the living room after cleaning up the dishes. Kim settled on my left, Jasmine on my right, both sitting close enough that the cushions sank together.

A few moments later Tom appeared, hands still wet, probably from helping them wash up.

”So,” Kim leaned back, ”is there any news on that idiot?”

”Yeah.” I nodded. ”Apparently, the guy who attacked me got himself kidnapped and tortured.”

”What?” Kim’s eyes widened. ”Holy shit. Do the cops know who did it?”

”Nope. They came to see me yesterday. They think I was involved somehow.”

”You shouldn’t have talked to them without a lawyer,” Jasmine cut in.

”I didn’t. As soon as I figured out what their visit was about, I shut up. I know how they work—they’d twist my words in a heartbeat.”

”Good.” Jasmine’s tone softened. ”We need to get you a good lawyer, though.”

”Maybe I won’t need one. They told me they’d already seen the culprit running from the crime scene when they found that guy—Karim, I think his name was.”

”The kidnapper ran off?” Tom frowned. ”That’s scary.”

”I mean”I shrugged, ”a guy like him would’ve had plenty of enemies. That’s for sure.”

”You’re right.” Jasmine crossed her arms. ”I just hope we never see his face again.”

”Ah, forget about him.” Kim clapped her hands together, bright again. ”Let’s have dessert, shall we? I made some mean strawberry magnolia. And no, I won’t give my special recipe, Jasmine.”

”So many calories...” Jasmine groaned, then laughed. ”Oh, hell. I’ll eat. This isn’t my cheat day, though. I’m gonna regret this.”

I shrugged. ”Dessert sounds good.”

”Help me bring it out, Tom.” Kim pushed herself up.

”Of course.” He followed her toward the kitchen.

Jasmine stretched with a little sigh, arms over her head, chest pressing forward. ”Didn’t get much sleep,” she murmured, rolling her shoulders before leaning back and draping her legs across my lap.

I let out a low chuckle but my hands betrayed me, sliding over the length of her calves, then higher, squeezing the soft weight of her thighs. She bit her lip, eyes half-lidded as I kneaded her like I had every right to.

Then she shifted, pressing her foot against my crotch. The pressure made my cock twitch instantly under my pants, and her smirk told me she felt it.

”Hey,” she whispered, voice dripping heat. ”Come to my place after breakfast. Tessa’s on the way.”

I swallowed, pulse hammering. ”Oh? And what exactly do you have in mind?”

She leaned close, lips grazing the shell of my ear. ”You. Fucking our asses until Tessa and I can’t sit down.”

My cock throbbed so hard her leg shifted with it. ”Fuuuck. You’re starting to love anal, huh?”

”I’m getting used to it,” she teased, brushing her mouth over mine in a quick, hungry kiss.

Her hand moved fast—unzipping my fly, slipping inside, pushing my boxer aside until her fingers wrapped around the base of my cock. I quivered at the touch, breath spilling out ragged. She stroked me with maddening slowness, lips brushing my ear again.

”You want to fuck us, don’t you?” she whispered, venom-sweet. ”Fill our tight little asses until we’re begging.”

”Ah... shit,” I groaned, hips twitching into her grip. Precum already smeared across her palm. ”I’m... oh, shit. Feels good.”

”You want to ruin us,” she purred, tongue flicking my earlobe. ”You want to hear us whine and plead while you keep going.”

”J-Jasmine...” I croaked.

”Say it.” Her grip tightened, stroking faster, wetter with my leak. ”Say you want to fuck us in the ass. Say you want to ruin us. Say that you...”

”Aaaalright!” Kim’s voice rang out from the corridor. ”Dessert’s ready! Who is hungry?”

Jasmine let go in a flash, legs sliding off my lap as she straightened, that faint smile betraying her amusement. I yanked my zipper closed, wiping sweat from my brow, trying to compose a neutral face. She just sat there, lips pressed to hide a laugh.

I thought to myself how damn lucky I was to have someone like her—gorgeous, sharp, wild, and yet the one who had my back when I needed it. Worth every bruise.

Kim and Tom reappeared, each carrying bowls of strawberry magnolia.

”Looks amazing,” Jasmine said brightly. ”Can’t wait to eat it!”

”Yeah, damn,” I added, forcing my voice steady.

They passed the bowls around, then sat, cheerful chatter resuming as spoons clinked. I dug in, the sweet cream cooling my tongue, though my pulse still hadn’t slowed from before.

—