“Hey, you must be the Copelands?” I said brightly, keeping my expression as neutral as I could as I took them in. “I’m Rey, the kitten wrangler.”
The dad was high. I could tell immediately.
He grunted a greeting and pushed past me, while the mother gave me an apologetic little smile.
“Hi,” she said, holding out her hand for a shake.
I knew that I wouldn’t be giving these people the kitten, but the man was already in the house, so I couldn’t really do much. Instead, I smiled at the little girls who looked hopeful and equally nervous or maybe even weary.
“So, where’s the cat?” the dad asked as soon as I stepped inside.
He was looking around. The couch wasn’t visible from the door, so I steeled myself and shrugged.
“They might be in the utility room, let me check.”
I knew that I’d be safer in a bigger space, but I also didn’t want him to see the kittens and I hoped to whatever deity might be willing to listen that the kittens were in their nest, asleep.
I felt the panic rising inside me as I turned my back to him. I’d met dangerous, volatile people before, and I could recognize one. I didn’t even need to see the way his partner and kids were holding themselves to know that he was violent.
I made a show of peering into corners and behind stuff to “look for the kittens” for a couple of minutes, but then I had to give up.
“Nope, not here. Let me check somewhere else.” I gave him an apologetic smile. “They’re little, so they get into places.”
The kittens were over twelve weeks at that point, so they weren’t little anymore, but I didn’t think that mattered to him in the least.
“Well, hurry up; we got to get going,” he said, with snap in his tone I didn’t like.
The hair on the back of my neck rose as I saw him do the twitch you could sometimes see on people jonesing for their next fix.
Feeling dejected, I walked into the kitchen as the family trailed along. Then I peered into the living room and—the kittens weren’t on the couch.
“Huh, I don’t know where they could’ve gone,” I said, my surprise evident in my tone.
“Look, kid, we’re here for the fucking cat so you better get us one.” He pointed at my chest, jabbing at my sternum with his index finger. When did he get so close to me?
My breathing picked up.
“I…I—uh.” I realized I couldn’t really breathe.
“What’s the matter with you?” He advanced, making me back up into the wide living room doorway. “Are you fuckin’ slow?” He tossed a look at his family and sneered. “Look, Shan, he’s like you.”
I tried to breathe, but my vision was blurring immediately, and I knew this was bad. Likebadbad.
“Don’t you call her that!” the mom told him, but her voice was weak, and I could tell that this wasn’t a new subject.
“What did you just say, bitch?”
He whirled on her, advancing, and something inside me roared.
“Don’t you fucking touch her!”
“What are you going to do about it?” His sneer was right in my face, as if he’d teleported back there.
The front door burst open, and suddenly the guy was on his stomach on the floor with Jack twisting his arm to keep him still.
“What the fuck did you do?” Jack growled, looking like a god of some sort, his eyes full of vengeance.
“What—” The question ended with a high whine when Jack put pressure on the arm.
