Page 12 of Dust Storm

“He’s clumsy. It keeps him from breaking shit on the property.”

“Oh my god,” she muttered.

“Out, Mickey,” I barked.

“How did he get in?” she asked as her well-bred façade began to unravel.

I trudged through the dust-covered cabin and poked my head into the kitchen. The back door was open.

Actually, it was lying on the ground outside.

The upside was that it let in a nice breeze, which was necessary considering it was clear Jackson hadn’t been in here to get the place ready.

Dust-covered sheets laid over the kitchen table and chairs.

The refrigerator was silent.

Bird’s nests and cobwebs filled the space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling.

I scrubbed my palms down my face. I didn’t have time for this shit.

Mom was with the girls. Dad was napping, because fuck him. Now was not the time for character building, “you’re on your own” sentiments.

Bringing in a business consultant to give unwanted opinions on how to expand and shore up our interests wasn’t my decision.

Ergo, not my problem.

Maybe I could dump her on Becks for a couple days.

With that decided, I went to deal with the bovine on my furniture.

“It was supposed to be cleaned up for you,” I said as I swatted Mickey off the couch.

He lumbered off of it and sauntered to the door with more sass than both of my daughters combined.

Cassandra stepped aside to give him a wide berth. Her ass bumped into a decaying bookshelf, and something hissed.

Her scream pierced my eardrums.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist.” After a second, I spotted the snake curled up in a nook. “Just a rat snake,” I said as I pulled a pair of gloves out of my back pocket. “It’s not venomous.”

Cassandra clapped her hands over her mouth. “You’re going to pick it up?!”

I shrugged. “Yeah. I’m just gonna move it outside so it doesn’t bother you.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re joking.”

I managed to pick the snake up with one hand on the tail and the other mid-body. “He won’t hurt you, and he’ll keep the mice away.”

Her face went hard as stone.

I made a move for the door, but she put out a warning hand to stop me. “Don’t come near me with that thing.”

Spooked by her shrill voice, the snake decided to latch on and try to take a chunk out of my arm.

“Oh my god!” She clapped her hands over her mouth. “It bit you!”

I pinched its head and pried it off of my skin.Little thing hurt like a bitch.

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