Page 53 of How to Trust a Hellhound
“Umm, yeah, sure, if you don’t mind…” Josh sort of trailed off.
“All set, then,” Corbin said, getting up and going out the back door.
Atlas followed him. Dexter at least said goodbye before he headed back to Toby’s, and Jude wandered into the kitchen area to scrounge for food. Liam was the only one left staring at us.
“I’ll look into her background,” he said. “It’ll be useful to know about her life so far.”
“Not yet,” I answered. “Trust is a fragile thing.”
Liam snorted. “I knew there was a reason you didn’t give us a last name.” He paused before raising his eyebrows and looking in Josh’s direction.
I nodded. Yes, Josh should be filled in on his ex.
Liam proceeded to do just that, giving Josh all the details we had so far, including the issue with Aiden’s grandfather.
Josh seemed to absorb it all, nodding at the right parts, but I could tell he was a bit shaken. He smiled at Liam and thanked him, and then asked if I was coming back to the cabin. I definitely was—Josh was unsettled, and I would be there for whatever he needed.
He’d been pacing across the living room for ten minutes. Josh had logged out of his computer and sent off a text messageto his boss, and then the pacing had begun. He hadn’t asked me to leave, but he wasn’t talking to me, either.
“Mei Ume, what can I do for you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s just… I don’t know.”
“It’s a lot,” I answered.
Josh stopped, running his hands over his face. “Yes. Yes, it’s a lot. Because naked men and flamy dogs and a sexy older guy wasn’t enough for me to deal with. Now there’s some immortal guy who’s related to Aiden and a cult, and my ex-boyfriend somehow ended up in cahoots with them.”
I couldn’t help smiling at the sexy older guy part, and Josh caught the look on my face.
“No smiling! Because cults and immortal bad guys and… And some woman who’s gonna be family is coming here, and she’s coming into a freaking disaster!” Josh started pacing again. “How are we gonna make her feel comfortable if we have to be on the lookout for a cult?” he asked, stopping and staring at me.
“I…” I started, but Josh kept on talking.
“And Rick! What a stupid, idiotic,dumbasshole! Who gets involved with a cult?! Who isthatstupid? Do you know how many times I told him he can’t believe everything he reads online? He used to say it was snarky and annoying to fact check people’s social media posts, but really, you can’t just repost fake news like it’s real!”
I smiled again, because I could picture Josh going through and telling people their posts had incorrect factual information. He wouldn’t do it to be mean, though. He’d do it because he cared about people.
“And yes, he’s a total jerk, and yes, I stayed with him too long, but… I don’t want him killed as a human sacrifice by some cult because of me! I don’t want to be responsible for anyone’s death!” Josh finished ranting and started pacing again.
My Mei Ume was all wound up, and he needed a way to unwind.
I stood up, walked over to him, and grabbed him in my arms,pulling him close and holding him tightly. I breathed deeply, and I felt him take a few deep breaths against me.
“Mei Ume, you’re obviously overwhelmed. Anyone would be. Will you let me take your mind off things and settle your thoughts?” I asked him.
In case he had any doubts about what I meant, I leaned down and bit the corner of his neck and his shoulder.
He gasped at the sensation, and I felt his breathing pick up.
“But we don’t know when Thea will get here,” he protested.
“I can sense her, and she isn’t close yet. I’ll know when she is. I’ll have a good twenty minutes’ warning,” I answered. I continued to nibble at his neck, squeezing him tightly. “Will you let me take care of you? Will you let me make you feel good?”
Josh whined deep in his throat, his breath catching. “But I want to make you feel good. I want to please you.”
“Oh, you will, Mei Ume. You will,” I answered. “It will pleasure me immensely to use you and take you out of your head. Will you let me do that?”
“Yes,” Josh whimpered, pulling away.
