Page 117 of Three
“Do you always carry that with you?” Grizzly asks me.
“Yeah, it’s a story for another time, though.”
“Which I want to hear,” Ren says, pushing the cart carrying the two pigs out the door.
“Serena will let us know if someone is coming, but let’s hurry up.”
I grab a crate and move to the guinea pigs. They quickly gather in the furthest corner, trembling, the moment I open the cage. I see an ear missing from the black one and burns on their paws and cute noses. I’m tempted to wait for the heartless people who work here and make them taste the same medicine. “I’ll shove it down their damn throat!”
Ash must hear the outrage in my voice because he replies, “We’ve seen much worse.” He pats my shoulder and goes to the ferrets.
I try to be gentle as I move the little piggies into the box; one bites me, and even though toothless, it keeps trying. It's a fighter. I like it.
When I’m done, I turn to see that all the other cages are empty and Hunter is gesturing for me to go. Dare is keeping the elevator open with a very calm monkey eating a banana on his shoulder.
We go to the first floor again and go out through the back door where my Jeep and Hunter’s bike with the side car are waiting. The guardthey incapacitated when they got in is sleeping peacefully against the wall. I set the box down for a moment and inject him too with the drug before going outside.
The wicked trio have piled up inside the Jeep with the rest of the animals. “We’ll stop to get your Porsche from the laundromat parking lot,” Dare lets me know through the open window as Ren drives away.
What the fuck!
“Get on, Red,” Hunter instructs me as he gives gas to the bike. I look at the sidecar, then at his outstretched hand holding the goofiest helmet I’ve ever seen.
Thank Satan my brothers are not here, they’d never let me live it down.
An hour later, we are in the green barn behind Hunter’s house. Dare explained to me that this is where they let the animals acclimate before moving them to the pet shelter next door. The place is filled with wide cages, mostly empty, fences, tanks, and even a couple of stalls, one occupied by a round paint pony. A small kitchen with a dining table and three narrow cots is on the opposite side near two huge, square sinks where Dare is washing his hands. The corner on the right has a long metal table where Ren checked the animals and a small cabinet with bandages and other medical essentials. It smells sharp, musky, a little too strong. Or is it coming from me?
“What now?” I ask, taking a seat at the small dining table. It wobbles under my weight.
Ren replies, squeezing the alcohol bottle a bit too tightly, “We try to find a vet who can give them a more thorough examination.”
“Then new homes,” Ash adds from one of the cots in the kitchen where he’s doodling on a notebook. He does that a lot. He’s quiteskilled. He just started his apprenticeship as a tattoo artist at a shop in Norridge.
Hunter is sitting on the chair, stroking Maple silently.
“So, you do this often?” It’s clear this isn’t their first rodeo.
“Breaking and entering? No,” Hunter growls.
I raise a confused brow at him. “I meant saving animals. How about microchips?”
“Too expensive. We don’t have enough funds.” Dare turns to the Capuchin. It has no tail, and there’s a hairless stripe on its back. What the fuck where those scientists doing?
“I can help.” My statement has three pairs of eyes and one pair of sunglasses turning toward me. “I can insert microchips in all your animals—leave it to me and my brothers.” I wiggle my fingers in the air. “We can even turn this barn into an animal rescue, get you some government funding, make your pet shelter known in the right circles.” My brothers go to charity balls and dinners, they can spread the word. “You’ve done a good job so far, but you need help.”
The silence is deafening. Maybe I should have slid the ideas nonchalantly into the conversation, but my impulsivity as usual just burped the words out of me.
“Are you fucking serious?” Ash’s smoky eyes are angry or dubious, I don’t fucking know.
“I can even donate some money to help you a little.” And use part of the money Jasper transferred to his fake charity as well. The rest will go to real charities.
“We do need help,” Dare quickly agrees, and Ren nods enthusiastically.
“From the guy who used Maple’s sidecar?” Ash snorts.
Maple’s sidecar? I gasp. “Why the fuck did you let me use your dog’s sidecar?” I turn an outraged glare at Hunter. “The carpet under my feet was…dog hair? And the stench wasn’t from the piggies I was holding?” I stand up and point an accusing finger at Hunter.
“Told you I hate when you fucking flirt with another guy!” He shrugs, and a smug smirk slowly curls his kissable lips. I want to slap it right off his rugged, odious face!
