Page 44 of How to Trust a Hellhound
Quinton finished whatever message he was sending off and looked thoughtful. “You know money. You’re like… into finances and shit, right?”
“I’m a financial advisor. I don’t really deal with the stock market. I go over books and payroll, and I give advice and get people sorted when it comes to money,” Josh answered.
“So, if you were given financial information, could you follow a money trail? Find out where the money was originating? Maybe figure out if there’s some way to shut it down?” Liam asked.
“Uh, well, theoretically… Maybe?” Josh rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re talking about financial crime investigation, and that’s not my specialty.”
Quinton looked at Liam, and they seemed to have a silent conversation between mates. Then Quinton turned to Josh. “Good. That’s settled then.”
“No, nothing is settled,” Joshhuffed.
“You’ll do some investigative work for computer shit that Liam needs help with, because we don’t know finances as well as you, and that will be your contribution to rent.” Quinton was smirking like he won, but I knew Josh wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“And if I’m no help? What then? We need to agree on a price. I would think 2k a month would be reasonable for all the utilities and monthly rent.”
Q snorted. “Fuck that. Are you insane? Don’t high-ball me. Think more like a hundred a month.”
It was Josh’s turn to snort. “A hundred won’t even cover the electricity and gas. Nineteen hundred.”
Qunton’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not prime property location, and that would detract from its value. You don’t even have a road. Two hundred.”
Josh smiled. “Exactly, and putting in a road is an added expense. I ought to up it to twenty-one hundred just for that. But I’ll go as low as eighteen.”
Liam seemed unsure, but he bravely stepped between Josh and Quinton. “Um, I think negotiations are supposed to go in the other direction?”
“Shush, Sexy Stalker. Let me work.” Quinton pushed him out of the way, staring at Josh. “Two-fifty.”
Josh snorted. “Still absurd. Do you take me for a chump? That isn’t even remotely reasonable.”
Quinton narrowed his eyes. “You’re lucky we’ll let you pay at all, so I suggest you take what you can get. You’re the one who’s throwing out outrageous numbers. I make a barista’s salary, and there’s no way I could afford it, and if I couldn’t afford it, we sure as fuck aren’t charging you it.”
Josh paused, thinking. “Fair point. I’ll go as low as a thousand.”
“Five hundred,” Quinton countered.
“We’ll meet in the middle at seven-fifty. That’s my final offer, or I can always go find something else and payan actual rent.”
Quinton snorted. “We have connections. Try it. We’ll make sure no one charges you above what we say.”
Josh’s eyes narrowed, and Liam must have sensed things going further off the rails, because he grabbed Quinton into a hug, saying, “That’s acceptable, butonlyif you are of zero assistance in our computer investigations.”
“Fine,” Josh conceded. “Although don’t you guys have connections to look into financial stuff? I’d think with your backing, you would.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant, and Liam looked confused as well.
Quinton had no problem asking, though. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Josh looked at me, raising his eyebrows, and I nodded. Yes, Quinton knew about us.
“The Hellhounds,” Josh answered.
Quinton still looked perplexed. “Why would they have someone who’s good with financial shit? They’re lucky Liam is a hacker. Most of them are pretty old-fashioned about things.”
“I just thought with, like, a military operation, or whatever this is, that they might have outside connections or resources,” Josh answered.
We all stared at him.
Well, shit. Apparently he hadn’t taken the news about us being hellhounds quite the way I’d thought he had.
