Page 18 of How to Hack a Hellhound
I soaped up, wondering if maybe I could hack my way into this guy’s good graces and get him to use his computer skills to find the people who worked with Marcus. I started whistling, thinking about watching all those scumbags go up in flames.
I rinsed off and shut off the water, grabbing a towel to dry off. I threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, and I was towel drying my hair as I walked out of the bathroom and into the living space.
There was a man sitting at the kitchen island. I froze, my heart racing, my hand still holding the towel to my head. I recognized him as the guy from last night, so I tried not to panic, but still… finding someone in your previously empty, locked, alarmed living space was a little disconcerting.
I supposed he had the keys and codes, and I didn’t think he meant me any harm. After all, he’d had every opportunity last night, and he hadn’t hurt me. I slowly lowered my hand holding the towel and stared at him. He looked relaxed and even smiled at me. He had two cups of coffee set out—one in front of him, and one in front of the seat next to him.
“I made you coffee,” he said, pushing the cup toward me.
I stared at him.
Ok, so he was sexy as fuck, sitting there with his sleeves rolled up, cords of muscle on his forearms, but… this was not exactly normal.
He noticed my hesitation, and he frowned for a moment before he pulled the cup over meant for me, took a large drink, and then put it back down, sliding it towards me with a smile on his face and a nod.
It took me a minute to realize he was reassuring me it wasn’t drugged. Like, you know, that was a perfectly normal thing to do. Right up there with watching someone on camera and breaking into their place while they showered. Well, not technically my place… but still.
I walked over to the other side of the island, leaned against it, and he slid the cup toward me. I took a sip, closing my eyes. It wasperfect. It was made exactly to my liking, and it even had some of the peppermint syrup I added when I was having an especially difficult day. Only we weren’t even in my apartment, so where the hell had he gotten peppermint syrup?
“Is it not to your liking?” he asked, looking at me curiously. I must have been scowling at him.
“Nope. It’sexactlyto my liking,” I accused. “The perfect amount of cream and sugar, and even some of my favorite peppermint syrup.” I stared at him, raising my eyebrows.
Fuck, his eyes were amazing. They were the lightest blue with little flecks of amber in them. He looked like a puppy dog, staring at me, a little confused and unsure at my obvious attitude.
“Would you like something else? I know you just ate, but perhaps you’re hungry again?” he asked.
Did he totally not realize how freaking weird it was that he knew exactly how I liked my coffee? That he knew I’d just eaten? He actually fidgeted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable at my death stare, and a tiny growl escaped him, only it didn’t sound threatening. It was kind of cute, actually.
I tilted my head at him. I was guessing he was a hellhound, then, just like Dexter.
Somehow that made things easier. Dexter was fucking clueless, and obviously this guy wasn’t much better. He probably thought he was being normal. I almost rolled my eyes at him.
Fucking hellhounds. You’d think they’d be halfway decent at dealing with humans. Still, he had saved me. And, ok, it didn’t hurt that he was probably sexier than Henry Cavill (and I hadn’t known that was even possible).
“We haven’t been properly introduced,” I said, taking another sip of my perfect coffee.
Obviously I’d have to take the lead in modeling normal human behavior. If during the course of the conversation, I somehow figured out a way to get him to help me track down Marcus’s pals, then all the better.
I was nothing if not determined. He could either help me, or he could watch me take them down myself.
Chapter 8
Liam
Quinton had been whistling in the shower, so he couldn’t have been too disturbed by the whole camera thing. Really, I thought Toby was probably blowing it all out of proportion. Humans were funny like that.
When he came out, though, I had to reassess things. He seemed a little… miffed. I even took a sip of his coffee to show him it wasn’t drugged, but he did not appear happy with me for some reason.
I suddenly felt sympathy for Dexter. Humans were difficult to navigate. It was much easier when dealing with them through the computer. I couldn’t help the tiny growl of frustration that escaped me when he just continued to look grumpy even after I offered him more food. My little hellcat had claws, and I was worried they were about to be unsheathed on me. At this rate, I’d end up going to Jude for human advice. I still wasn’t sure I trusted Toby, even though he was a human. After all, he thought Quinton would be upset about the whole camera thing.
The danger seemed to pass, however, because Quinton seemed relaxed when he said, “We haven’t been properly introduced.”
Ahh. Maybe that was the problem? I might have been a bit lacking in manners. “I’m Liam,” I said, “and you’re Quinton.” Were we supposed to shake hands? Quinton had his hands on his coffee cup, so I just gave a small incline of my head instead.
“You rescued me last night,” he stated.
“Yes. It wasn’t very wise to go to the club.” Quinton grimaced, but I continued. “Especially not alone. They thought you were dead, but now they know you aren’t. Then you went off with James, and neither of you returned. They’re bound to look for you now.”
