Page 21 of Hunt Me

She yawns, looks at me, then closes her eyes again and stretches her claws, sinking them into his neck. He must be used to it because he doesn’t react.

“What do you want?” I ask since he’s still staring at my bedding.

He blinks and turns away from my laundry. “Why did I just get a call from a vet about a half-dead cat?”

“Found one,” I tell him as I move into my bathroom to wash my dick and balls. Thank god he doesn’t follow. “Graveyard,” I add.

I can hear him sigh and start pacing the room as I dry off with a hand towel, then throw that into the bin and step back into the room.

“It was sick?” He’s got Hexe in his arms now, and she’s wrapped around his elbow, biting him like it’s her job to draw blood.

I shrug as I begin to unfold the new sheets and make the bed. “It was fine when I caught it, but I put it in the crate, and it started breathing funny.”

Milo looks sad as he shifts Hexe and scratches her chin. He’s always had a softer heart for animals than for people. I don’t know if he’s a virgin, but he’s never been with anyone longer than a single night.

All three of us are pretty fucked-up, but Milo keeps his trauma a lot quieter. He was hurt worse than Percy or I have ever been, and he never talks about it. I don’t know if he thinks he can’t, or if it’s just too much, but the last person who pushed him got a nasty black eye to show for it, so it’s better to let it go.

“Is she okay?” I ask, turning toward him. I’m not really worried about the vet. He’s not someone I care about, but I do wonder if he might be in trouble.

Milo’s staring at Hexe, who’s starting to fall asleep. “He said she’s going to be fine. She was dehydrated and had low blood sugar. Diabetic. But he’s got her on insulin now and an IV.”

“Good. I told him he needed to make sure she stayed alive.”

Milo groans. “Did you threaten him?”

“Yes.”

“Percy is going to kill you. We need to be more subtle here, Arch.”

I shrug. Subtlety isn’t my strong suit. There are plenty of people with autism who can be subtle. Who can mask. Who can lie and be actors.

I am not one of them.

“I was just doing what you’d do.”

Milo sighs, but it’s obvious he knows it’s the truth. “Whatever, it’s fine.” He goes quiet for a second, then steals a look at me. “He’s going to bring her by tomorrow after her IV treatment.” He pauses, then, “Did you like him?”

I look over my shoulder as I rearrange my pillows and blankets the way I like them. “I don’t like anyone.”

“You like some people,” he points out.

That’s a stretch. Besides my brothers, and they don’t always count, I like Nico. He’s the only person I’d call a friend.

“WillIlike him?”

I frown. “I don’t know what that means?”

“I’m looking for a vet,” he says, and there’s a funny pink flush in his cheeks, which means I’m missing something, but I don’t care enough to dig around for it. “For the café. I need someone I can trust.”

I hum as I stare at my work. When I’m satisfied, I sit. “He didn’t piss his pants when he and I were in a closed room together.” That has happened more than once. “I think he can handle you.”

“I’ll have Percy do a background check on him and give me the okay. I mean,” he says, pacing again as he pets his cat, “I guess I don’t have to worry about it too much. Once Perce finds his mark and takes care of him, we’ll be done with everything.”

Done with everything.

It’s a strange concept for me. It means a lot of change, which I hate. But it also means peace, which I want. The adjustment will be hard, but I can do it.

I need this.