Page 34 of Home to the Hollow

Gunpowder and Lead

“Sugarplum?”

I raise a brow at Wolfie before glaring at Seer when she cracks up in her seat. She’s never seen me keep a bedmate more than the time to hit the sheets, so the boys scarfing down to breakfast with us at the counter is more than unusual. They have no intention of buggering off soon, and the nicknames are making her lose her mind. Neither of my Steamy Dreamy Panini members seems to notice her mirth.

“Yes, Wolfie?” His bright grin makes my insides melt and I feel bad for letting my friend’s amusement color my attitude towards him. Neither of them has been anything but adorably saucy throughout the meal, and my self-conscious idiocy doesn’t mean that I can be a twat to them.

“Prez and I have been thinking since you talked about that night you felt like someone was watching your house.” The vet hesitates, looking at his cohort for help.

Uh-oh. I sense a ganging up about to happen, and it’s not the yummy one involving my giant bed.

Presley sighs, pushing the skater cut out of his eyes. “What Lucy is failing to communicate is we’re worried your house is on the edge of the populated part of town. We don’t think getting a Ring camera is enough, even with your companions.”

Saoirse frowns at them, her brows furrowing. “Y’said there hasn’t been actual crime in donkey’s years before. Why the feck should she be worried? Don’t ye have peelers here?”

I chuckle as they glance at each other in confusion. “Yes, we have a small police force, Seer. They’re useless—or they used to be.”

Wolfie shrugs. “Detective Santos is new. He transferred into the Hollow from the city a month ago. He spends a lot of time being run around by the founding families.”

Translation: this new guy is owned by the rich folks in town and I will not get a lick of help if I have someone stalking me.

“That’s shite!”

Presley nods, sipping his herbal tea. He insisted on going through the cabinets until he could make a ‘proper’ tea, which endeared him to Seer. Wolfie is downing coffee and eyeing my energy drink. These guys don’t know me well enough yet to realize how fast I metabolize caffeine, so I don’t blame him.

“It is, Saoirse. And I worry about magpie being here with no one close enough to arrive.”

Wolfie clears his throat. “What if the persondoesbreak in? If the animals get immobilized, she’d be at their mercy.”

Saoirse blinks, then lets out a booming laugh that echoes off the kitchen marble. She laughs so hard that tears stream down her face, and the boys give me quizzical looks as she clutches her sides. My lips quirk, waiting for her to expound. I’ve never been one to brag.

“Aye, Peanut. Is your stash in bits or have ye set it up like usual?”

I shake my head. “I want to clean out the basement and set it up there. I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

“Grand. Normal cabinet in the drawing, then?”

Nodding, I press my lips together to keep from smiling as I clear the dishes. The boys help me get everything into the dishwasher and they wipe the counter down while my friend disappears. When she returns, she’s carrying a large bag on her shoulder.

“C’mere to me, boys. I need you to gather those soda cartons and take them out to the back fence. Put one can on each pole and don’t open them. It won’t make a bloody difference.”

“Seer, that’s wasteful!”

“I’ll buy you new ones when we go out to get the messages, Peanut. I’ve a mind for you to show them the Peanut I remember from our travels. I’ll bet they don’t even realize why you moved back to this Carson McCullers fever dream.”

Dr. McNuggies—sweet baby Jesus, I need to think of a better nickname for him—arches a brow at me, and little Wolfie walks over to pick up the two twelve packs of pop. I sigh, waving my hand at them to show they should do as she instructed. When they head out the back door, followed by Jekyll and Hyde, I turn to my friend.

“Seer!”

Her grin is evil. “What, Peanut?”

“I came back semi-undercover! I have to show them what I can do because you opened your big mouth.”

“Well, yer men there were gettin’ worried about ye, and they need to learn who they’re cozyin’ up to. Give it a lash and see what happens. If they’re keepers, they’ll think it’s grand.”

Rolling my eyes at her, I stomp my foot. “I wasn’t planning to hide my skills as much as not scare them away on day one, Seer.”

Cackling, she shrugs. “Looks like you’re goin’ through door number two, Peanut.”

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