Page 3 of Hell's Kitten

This had only ever been a fling to him. When I told him I was going to college, he probably thought that meant me moving further away, not closer. I bet he was planning on using it as an easy excuse to break up with me without Zane ever finding out.

There’s a small, petty part of me that’s getting some savage satisfaction from knowing that I’ve exposed Parker’s dirty little secret—a.k.a. me—to Zane. The guy might have been a douche to me, but no one deserves to be cheated on. Perhaps Parker will go from two boyfriends to none by the end of the day.

My schadenfreude only goes so far, though. I don’t get so much joy out of Parker’s misfortune that I want to hang around and see any more of it. It’s time I start looking after myself again.

Rubbing my chest with one hand and nibbling my thumbnail on the other, I try my best to breathe. I’m still enrolled in college. I still have my car and all my stuff. I don’t have much money in the bank as I gave most of it to my mom while she’s still applying for a new job of her own. But I’m a hard worker. I held downthreejobs at one point to make sure Mom and I didn’t go under. I’ll be okay.

And if I have to sleep in my car for the time being, well…it’s still a roof over my head.

Right?

CHAPTER 2

Nim

Usually,everyone in O’Toole’s knows better than to bother me.

Usually.

“Well, what have you got there?” a chipper voice asks by my shoulder. I’m sitting at the bar in the pub, minding my own business with my pint of Guinness. No one was supposed to look so closely they’d see the inside of my leather jacket. More specifically, they weren’t supposed to pay attention to the tabby kitten currently asleep in my pocket.

Glancing over my shoulder, I’m mildly surprised to see Sheriff Chancey smiling warmly at me, her eyes looking hopeful of another glimpse of fluff.

I grunt and go back to my pint. The little one needs warmth and round-the-clock feeding. I’ve got plenty of milk for him back at home. I just wanted to swing by for a drink at the town’s only gay bar before spending the rest of the evening alone.

Only gaypub,I should say. There’s that loud and shiny bar that the kids go to in the town center where they can rub against each other with sugary cocktails and perky pop music blasting.

Not my scene.

I like peace and quiet. Sheriff Chancey is currently imposing the opposite on me.

“Ohh, what a sweetie,” she says with a grin. “You’re so good with all those kitties, aren’t you?”

I try not to wince. If she’s talking about the cats that live in my café until they can find their forever homes, then, yes. I think I am pretty good with them.

If she’s talking about a completelydifferentkind of kitten…no. I haven’t had the best of luck with those over the years.

The pub isn’t all that busy, but Donna, the dyke who runs the joint sure took her time with the customer she was serving before coming to my rescue. I think she enjoys watching me squirm. If I didn’t love her like a sister, I might hate her. She knows she’s safe, though, as evident from her smirk as she saunters over to us on the other side of the bar.

“Paula,” she says happily, slapping her hands down on the counter. “It’s been a while. How are the kids?”

The sheriff snorts. “Not kids. Teens.” She shudders. “Timothy will only answer to ‘TJ’ now and insists he doesn’t need to do his homework anymore because he’s a ‘major TikTok influencer.’” She uses air quotes and rolls her eyes. “I keep telling him that a thousand views isn’t enough to quit the day job. And Mary-Beth refuses to ever leave her room, but when she does, it’s only to hunt downanothercomputer to break apart and put back together again. I wouldn’t mind if she sold the ones that she fixes, but she insists she needs them all for making codes or something. My house only has so much space, you know? I swear if she’s hacking into the Pentagon, it’s me who’s going to jail.” She jerks her thumb at me. “I should have stuck with cats.”

I grunt in agreement. People—especially ones you’re related to—aren’t worth it. They’ll only mess you up, one way or another.

Donna cackles, however. “God bless you, hon. You’re a trooper. What can I get you?”

Now, I know that Donna hasn’t missed the fact that Chancey is in uniform. That’s her way of asking her what she’sdoinghere. Sure enough, the sheriff taps her badge.

“Afraid I’m on duty, Dee. Actually, my visit is official, not social.”

Donna arches an eyebrow. “That so?” she says as she wipes her spotless bar down with a rag.

Chancey sighs. “Got an anonymous report of some…unsavory business taking place on the premises.”

“My liquor license is up to date, officer,” Donna says coldly.

Chancey holds up her hands. “I know that. That’s not what the complaint was about. Someone’s got their panties in a twist talking about drugs and hookers.”

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