Page 19 of How to Flirt with a Hellhound
I stood looking out my window and watching as lights went on and off in Toby’s home. It seemed he was in his living room,probably sitting and writing on his couch. I hoped his scene turned out well. If only he’d left the curtain partly open…
My thoughts were interrupted by a buzzing in my pocket. I sighed. People didn’t usually call me, so this couldn’t be good.
I dug out my phone and saw Liam’s name on the screen. I scrubbed a hand across my face before answering.
“Took you long enough to answer,” he muttered before I even had a chance to say hello. I could hear the clacking of keys in the background, and I figured he was doing his computer magic. Liam embraced technology and was our go to person.
I just preferred to burn the shit up. Much easier that way.
“What?” I responded. I wasn’t in the mood for Liam. He had somewhere along the way decided he was the big brother of the pack, and it could be annoying. I loved him, but I wasn’t in the mood for a million questions or a lecture.
“Are you working?” he asked.
“Nope,” I answered.
“Can I guess that a small mansion going up in flames is your work?” he asked.
I made a noncommittal sound. How did he even know I was in this state, never mind near that city?
He obviously knew me well, because he answered that question before I could even ask. I’d think he could read minds, but Corbin was the one with witch blood, not Liam.
“Jude said you were in Paradise Falls, and that you described it as ‘nice.’ He was like a puppy in his excitement, and he spilled the details without meaning to,” Liam told me.
“Of course he did,” I mumbled.
“He also said you were asking about how to talk to a human,” Liam added.
I made another noncommittal sound. Liam was such a nosy fucker.
Liam sighed. “Dex,” he said simply.
I rolled my shoulders, letting go of my tension. Liam didn’t mean any harm, and he wouldn’t stop me from doing my work or pursuing Toby. And I did miss my pack.
“It feels right here, yes. There are a lot of demons and angels about, but they don’t seem to bother us. I even dropped off a stray human with an oracle and an angel this evening, and they were quite helpful,” I answered.
“A stray human?” Liam asked. “Dex, are you still taking in strays?”
“I don’t actually take them in. I find them good homes,” I defended.
“They’re humans, not cats,” Liam declared.
“So?” I asked, having no idea why he said that. Of course they weren’t cats. Duh. Although this last human had been a snarling, hissing little thing that kind of reminded me of a cat.
“Dex, you can’t just take in stray humans like they’re pets. We’ve had this conversation,” Liam reminded me.
“I don’t take them in. I find them good homes. Besides, what should I have done? Left the guy locked in the wine cellar?” I asked.
“He was locked in the wine cellar?” Liam questioned.
“And I know how much you hate it when you have to go in and deal with the human databases and shit, so I found him a good home without involving the human police. It’ll be fine,” I reassured him.
“By all the nine hells,” Liam muttered. Then I heard some clacking again. “What’s his name?” he asked.
“Ummm…” I trailed off.
I thought I heard a light banging sound, and it didn’t take much to guess that Liam was probably knocking his head against his desk. It was a weird human habit he’d acquired.
“You don’t even know his name?” he asked, “For fuck’s sake, Dex.”
