Page 6 of Filthy and the Beast

“Ohhhh,” Damian hums. “Interesting.”

Why the hell isn’t he scared of me?

Everyone is. Not Reggie or Nat, but everyone else. I’m the fucking Sledgehammer.

It’s throwing me off.

Damian and Reggie are both staring. Even worse, they’re both smiling. I feel exposed. They expect something. I’m supposed to tell them… I don’t know what. I never have house guests, especially not strangers.

Everything is weird.

I catch myself staring at Damian’s mouth again.

“Pain pills,” I grunt. “I should lie down.”

“Whatever you need, man. Just don’t forget the stretches.” Reggie turns to Damian. “You going to be cool to stay here? You got everything you need?”

“Oh sure,” Damian jokes, rolling his eyes. “What questions could I possibly have?”

I grit my teeth, aware I’m acting like a dick. Like an old boxer who only knows how to fight. Like a monster who spent too many years living alone.

Only myself to blame.

Nat’s face pops to mind, locked in the expression she uses when I’m acting like a fool, and I manage to force out some more words. “I’ll introduce you to the dogs later. In the meanwhile, just, uh, make yourself at home.”

Damian’s eyes light up.

Shit.

I’m going to regret saying that.

CHAPTERFOUR

DAMIAN

When Nico answers the phone,I jump right into the momentous event. “He talked to me. We had what one might accurately refer to as small talk.”

Nico laughs. “A major advance from pointing and grunts.”

On the second morning of my new employment, I’m wandering the guest quarters of the mansion in my pajamas (Sailor Moon T-shirt dress and fuzzy socks). Enzo doesn’t come to this part of the house, so it’s pretty easy to feel at home despite the "dusty mausoleum" vibe he’s chosen for interior decoration.

My clothes only fill a few drawers in the massive antique dresser, and the thick mattress and heavy headboard of the guest bed practically swallow me up when I go to sleep.

Makes sense the second floor of his mansion doesn’t get much use. Yesterday, Enzo took until dusk to emerge from his lair. He even has one of those bachelor fridges with only condiments and take-out containers.

“What did you talk about?” Nico asks.

Eager to process, I plop down on a leather couch. I’ve done nothing more than help get stuff from high shelves in the kitchen and feed the dogs, but these fleeting moments are so intense. I'm obsessed with the guy.

He’s a brick wall, but so emotional at the same time. Totally fascinating.

“Well, it started because I had been telling him about next semester’s classes at the community center, but then I remembered I don’t even live by that community center anymore. So I was asking him—”

“Wait,” Nico interrupts. “I’m confused. I thought you’ve just been existing in silence together?”

“No,hedoesn’t talk,” I clarify. “You know me. I haven’t stopped.”

Nico laughs. “Right.”

---