Page 23 of How to Hide Your Angel Kid

Pinks bit his lip, indecision warring on his face. The thought of staying in this house, with nothing but the TV for entertainment, made Galent want to crawl out of his skin.

“We can walk there with Zarrie. Wrap her up in some oversized clothes. You can buy whatever food you want, instead of putting in an order and having them grab the wrong thing.”

Pinks gnawed harder on his lip. “We really shouldn’t leave the house.” He glanced at the curtained window, then at Zarrie, who was smacking his face with both her hands. “I can’t risk someone discovering her.”

“What is she?”

Pinks shut his mouth tight.

“Look, we’re supposed to watch out for each other,” Galent said. “How am I supposed to keep her safe when I don’t know what to prepare for?”

Pinks fidgeted. “You’re not supposed to touch her.”

“I promised I wouldn’t.” Galent left Pinks to contemplate their situation, heading into his bedroom to see if he could scrounge up some clothes.

The clothes in the dresser were too small. He managed to squeeze into a tight pair of boxers, carefully hefting his balls to make sure they weren’t being pinched. Then he crammed his legs into a pair of too-short pants, their seams creaking with the strain.

None of the T-shirts fitted him. He opted for a short-sleeved shirt, sucking in his gut so he could fasten the lower buttons.

The buttons held when he released his breath. Pleased, Galent headed out of his bedroom, doing up the buttons over his pecs.

The moment he rolled his shoulders, the shirt strained against his chest. Multiple buttons popped off and hit the far wall. And now his shirt was gaping wide open at the top.

Galent frowned and cupped his pecs. “Never thought there’d be a day when my chest was too big.”

Pinks made a strangled sound. Then he cupped his own chest and flushed. “Maybe the kidnappers will be too distracted by your pecs and they won’t see Zarrie.”

“In that case, I may as well strip.”

“Then they’llalllook at us!” Pinks squawked when Galent pretended to undo his pants. He was so easily shocked.

Galent grinned and released his fly. “C’mon. Are you coming with me, or not?”

“You’re going to turn into a rock,” Pinks said.

“I won’t.”

Famous last words.

6

THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN

Galent madePinks walk in front of him.

“I don’t have a map,” Pinks protested, Zarrie wrapped in a soft, loose blanket in his arms. “I don’t even know where we’re going!”

“I’ll tell you to turn when we need to turn.”

“Yeah, you just like telling me what to do,” Pinks said under his breath.

Galent rumbled. When Pinks glanced over his shoulder, Galent’s eyes were dark, his mouth curved into a smirk.

It shouldn’t make Pinks’ heart thump.

Pinks flipped him off and turned back to the sidewalk, frowning when Zarrie reached over his shoulder and babbled at Galent.

She’d been doing that ever since Galent stepped into the safehouse, looking in Galent’s direction even though the bathroom door was shut. When Pinks had set her down so he could pee, Zarrie had followed him to the bathroom, exceptinstead of crawling toward him, she’d turned and tried to grab Galent’s stone knee in the shower.

---