Page 13 of How to Hack a Hellhound
I just nodded my head tiredly. Now that I knew I was safe, weariness was overtaking me. I felt like I could sleep for a day or two. My head was still pounding, and my stomach was rolling.
“We gotta tell someone. Gotta call the cops… or something,” Aiden said, looking unsurely at me.
Cops would not be a good idea, and Aiden probably knew it from his hesitation. Had someone really called Dex? Or maybe he had followed me? I could see Cassius putting him up to that. If so, what had happened to James and the other guy from the bar? I remembered being in his car. Had Dex found me and… hurt him? I was strangely sad at the thought, which made no sense at all, because I think he’d been trying to kidnap me. But I didn’t think he had been with James, because he had knocked the guy out.
I started to stand, only my legs wobbled beneath me. “Ugh. Sleep first,” I muttered, managing to stagger to the bed. “Don’t feel so great.”
Aiden rushed over, helping me under the covers. He sat on the side of the bed, looking anxiously at me. I reached out and patted his arm, mumbling a reassurance that I was ok before sleep took me back under.
Chapter 6
Liam
Iwatched on my computer screen as Aiden gently pet Quinton’s head while he fell back asleep. Good. He needed to sleep off what the bartender had given him, and I didn’t think the few hours he had would be enough. I wished Aiden had given him some orange juice, too, in order to get some nutrition into him, but I’d tell Toby to bring them over some muffins and drinks from Cassius’s shop in a couple hours.
Aiden eventually wandered out into the kitchen and living room area, and I added that camera view to the screen, watching as he started rifling through the cabinets and pulling things out.
Maybe I wouldn’t need to tell Toby to get them some food after all. It looked like Aiden was going to start baking. I nodded my head in approval. I had a feeling that baking would make Aiden more comfortable in the space.
I’d made sure the kitchen equipment was top notch, and I’d started stocking nonperishables about a week ago. I had already planned to get the two into the pool house, but I hadn’t figured out exactly how I was going to make that happen. I certainly didn’t expect it to happen so soon. It was a good thing I’d installed the cameras a few days ago. I turned off the kitchenview camera so that only Quinton’s room was on the screen. I didn’t want to invade Aiden’s privacy, after all.
I hoped Aiden liked the apartment. I didn’t think Quinton would move without him. I was sure we could come up with a reason why they both needed to stay there and not in their apartment, especially in light of what had just happened to Quinton.
I looked over at James, the man responsible for the entire evening. One eye was mostly swollen shut, but the other looked at me pleadingly as he whimpered and groaned behind the gag in his mouth when he saw my stare.
“I suppose I should thank you, James. You certainly expedited my plans. That really doesn’t excuse you drugging Q, however. He trusted you.” I tutted at him as I walked over, and he whimpered, his body shaking. “Shh,” I whispered. “No screaming or I’ll cut out your tongue, ok?” I asked.
He nodded his head, and I removed the gag. It was time for us to chat. He’d been nicely softened up, and I felt like he’d be honest at this point.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that Q—” he started whimpering, but I put my finger close to his lips, making him flinch back and instantly be quiet.
“I have questions, James, and I don’t want you talking unless you’re answering those. Understand?” I picked up the pliers for good measure, and his eyes followed my hand as he nodded frantically. “Good,” I said. “Why did you drug Q?”
He licked his lips, and I could see the hesitation that meant he was probably going to lie.
I sighed. “James, if you lie, I’ll know it, and I’ll rip out your teeth one by one until you tell me the truth. Let’s not waste that time, ok? You like your teeth, don’t you?”
He nodded, looking at my hand with the pliers. I snapped my fingers in front of his face, dragging his attention back to my eyes.
I heard footsteps on the stairs coming down into the basement, but I ignored them. “Why did you drug Q?” I asked again.
“M-M-Marcus,” he mumbled.
“Marcus is dead,” I said.
James seemed to gain some confidence from that. “Q… Q was with him. When he died. He’s gotta be responsible somehow. I just wanted to find out what he knew.”
“Oh James, that’s notreallythe truth, is it?” I asked, tossing the pliers from hand to hand, his eyes following as his whimpers got louder.
Dex spoke up from behind me. “I think that deserves punishment. Lies by omissions should still count.”
James whimpered and babbled unintelligibly until I shushed him again, and I sighed as I turned to see Dex sitting on the basement steps.
“What do you want?” I asked, walking over toward him.
Dex shrugged. “Cassius wants to know what’s going on with Q and Aiden. He’s pissed. He did adopt them, and then you stole and rehomed them.”
I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “Dex, they aren’t stray pets.”
