Page 6 of The Goblin in the Sink Drain
As if the offer had stunned him, he threw out an arm to brace against the wall. The way his fingers dug into the drywall with the effort of holding his ground, crumbling dust onto his boots, did things to me.
No one had ever wanted to touch me so badly they had to restrain themselves.
And it stirred the primal heart of me, that sliver of spirit as yet unbroken, the rebellious part that bought forbidden charms off witches, until I couldn’t stop imagining Rían losing the ironclad grip on his control. I was playing with fire, letting myself wonder how it might be to touch him, and if I wasn’t careful, I would burn up in the hungry gaze he finally leveled on me as if reading my thoughts.
“Then I’m coming too.” Liam cut between Sloane and me to join his cousin. “Meet us at GSG in fifteen.”
As soon as he shut the door, Sloane stuck out her tongue. “And I thought he was obnoxious as Bowie.”
Skin tingling from the heat in Rían’s eyes, I reeled my thoughts back on track. “Still regret letting him eat the breakroom chips?”
The last time he was on babysitting duty as Bowie, he had stolen chips from the basket where we put flavors we didn’t like, most of which were out of date by a year, but we never tossed them because it gave us the illusion of having more options. Sloane felt guilty. I hadn’t had that problem then, and I certainly didn’t have it now.
“No.” Her lips hitched up on one side. “As a matter of fact, I might bring him a snack later.”
“The sour cream and cheddar are left over from my grand opening, if that helps.”
Preservatives aside, that bag was downright geriatric. A true relic of ancient times, for a potato anyway.
“It does indeed.” She rubbed her hands together. “I take it you’re not a Liam fan either.”
“I trust Liam less than I did Bowie, and that’s saying something.”
The Sartori mindset had settled in him, convincing him the best place for me was under his watchful eye.
“It comes from a good place,” she said, lips thin, “but it comes from a good place with your dad too.”
And, Sartori or Walsh, that was the whole problem.
two
The parking lotat GSG was bustling the way it did during Brentwood’s annual Bark in the Park, when we offered free nail trimmings for dogs visiting downtown to enjoy dog-friendly games and treats with their two-legged besties. Except these festivities weren’t restricted to canines, the animals were in crates, and the manual labor was provided by my temps from the Walsh clan.
“Ana.” Jess wiped her face on the hem of her tee. “You’re here.”
Spring was in full swing in Brentwood. Too bad it felt more like summer.
The number of helpers wilting in the heat made me wonder where the clan had moved from for them to struggle this hard with the humidity. Temperatures would soar over the coming months, so I hoped they acclimatized before then. Otherwise, they might never leave their couches or the AC.
“Where else would I be?” I cracked a smile as I waded into the action. “How’s it going?”
“We’re almost done loading the first batch, but we’ll have to make two trips.”
Two trips meant twice the risk, but Liam must have signed off on it for her to speak with such certainty.
“I bet Liam willlovethat,” Sloane mumbled behind me, proving our thoughts aligned on which Walsh we both deemed most likely to throw a wrench in the works. “Where is he, anyway?”
“I’m shocked he’s not overseeing the loading.” I could tell he was the micromanaging type, and it made for a curious dynamic between magnus and maguri. “I don’t see him or Rían.”
“They’re inside with Rochele.” Jess smoothed her tee. “There’s a weird noise coming from one of the wash station drains.”
Weird noisewas code forexpensive. “Which one?”
“I’m not sure.” Jess dropped her gaze. “I didn’t think to ask.”
“No worries.” I curbed the urge to rest a calming hand on her arm, afraid she would cringe away like my packmates did when I touched them, as if latency was a disease they could catch. “I’ll go investigate.”
The perils of retrofitting an old Victorian included fussy plumbing and temperamental electricity, but the place had character. And, most importantly, the biggest lot on the street. Plenty of room for kennel runs and storage. All the necessities to keep our animals happy and healthy.
