Page 68 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“Oh, he doesn’t mind, do you?—”
And that’s when Julian leaps forward and bites Yorick right in the ass. He doesn’t seem interested in letting go, either, as he puts on the brakes and starts trying to drag Yorick back.
“Puppers, that’s my bum! Please, I know it’s a very nice bum, but it’s not for you,” he says. “Ezio, my dear friend. Help me.”
I hurry over and unhinge Julian’s jaws to free Yorick, but Julian slips through my fingers and pounces on Yorick, knocking him off balance, which results in him crashing to the ground. Then Julian grabs Yorick’s leg and drags him over to Casimir like a hunting dog retrieving a duck, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
“Did… did he just give him to you? He’s so proud. Look at him,” I say.
Julian’s head snaps around to face me, like his pile-of-bodies offering isn’t large enough to show off to his mate.
“No, no,” I protest, but he starts stalking me just as my phone rings. When I glance down at it, hoping it’s Cyrus, I see that it’s Maeve. I’m not sure she’s ever called me.
“Well… that’s concerning… I wonder if there’s another body and since Cyrus is out, she’s calling me,” I say. “Hello?”
“Can you come into the department?” Maeve asks as Casimir scoops up Julian. He throws a bit of a fit but immediately calms down in his arms.
“Sure… what’s going on?”
“I’ll explain once you’re here,” she says.
“Okay, I’ll be there in fifteen.”
“Great. Thank you.”
“I guess I’m going. Yorick, are you staying?” I ask the man who is still playing dead in front of Casimir.
He perks up. “I’m going with you! It sounds fun!”
“Does it?”
“Delightful! Sorry, puppers. I must take my leave. You be a good boy, you hear me?”
“Lock the door behind you and please double-check it,” Casimir requests.
“I will,” I say as I hit the lock and swing the door shut behind us. I double-check that it locked before the two of us head down the stairs and out to my car.
“Can I drive it?”
“No. No one is allowed to drive my precious,” I explain.
“You let Julian drive your last one.”
“And he drove it up onto a curb. He tried destroying it.”
“Yeah, but in all my years I’ve only destroyed six cars.”
“That’s a lot!”
“I’m quite old!”
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, cars have only been around for so long! I’ve only wrecked one and it wasn’t my fault!You didn’t even say you got into six accidents. You said youdestroyedsix.”
“Tomatoes, to-mah-toes.”
“No. The answer is no.”
“Ridiculous,” Yorick complains as he gets into the car.
