Page 83 of Psychopath

“Whatever.” Damon grabbed Mars. “You can’t keep him.”

Mars revved up, hissing and spitting. He swiped for Damon, catching his chin. Damon cried out and threw Mars. Quinn caught him against his chest, but Mars tore into him, scratching up the side of his neck as he clambered up and over Quinn’s shoulder. Mars’s fur stood on end, and he arched his back, hissing.

Damon swung a foot out at him but thankfully missed.

Mars bolted from the kitchen.

“Damn it,” Quinn winced, touching the scratches.

Damon shook out his hand. Blood speckled the tiles.

Quinn took a deep breath. “Get out of my house.”

“This wasn’t how this was supposed to go,” Damon said, clutching his hand to his chest.

“What did you think would happen when you came into my house unannounced?”

“I just wanted my stuff back.”

Quinn stiffened his jaw. “Oxfam. Green Street. Good luck.”

Damon spun around and slammed the door behind himself as he left the kitchen. The whole house rattled when the front door went bang too.

“Fuck,” Quinn said, gingerly touching his throat. He wetted some kitchen towel and dabbed the wound as he went upstairs to find Mars.

He could hear him grumbling beneath the bed, spitting and hissing. Quinn lowered himself to the ground, not daring to peek underneath.

“He’s gone now,” Quinn promised. “I’m sorry I didn’t stop him.”

Mars fell quiet but didn’t come out from the bed. Quinn sighed and dragged his pillow to the edge of the bed so he could lean against it. The scratches to his neck stung, but he stopped dabbing them, choosing to ride out the pain instead.

He sighed, closing his eyes. “Some birthday, huh?”

Quinn didn’t mean to fall asleep but stirred at the soft touches to his thighs. He didn’t move his head, just glanced down through his lashes and watched Mars walk in circles on his lap before settling down.

Quinn didn’t touch him.

He wasn’t a soppy cat, and after the unexpected grab from Damon, he doubted Mars would let Quinn pet him for a while, but he didn’t mind.

Mars on his lap was enough.

“I’m sorry, bud.” Quinn sighed. “I won’t let him do that again, I promise.”

Mars blinked owlishly at him, then began to purr.

“Love you too.”

14

“How’s it feel to be twenty-four?” Zane asked.

Quinn snorted. “You know what, it feels the same as twenty-three.”

“For my twenty-fourth birthday, I got a suite in the Seychelles.”

“Now you’re just showing off.”

Zane smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “The paparazzi hired yachts so they could photograph me.”

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