“N-nothing, we’re just teasing a friend,” one of them lied.
Another growl. “I can smell your lies, boy, now I suggest you take your idiot friends, put out that fire, and go home before I really get irritated.”
The sound of flip flops on the concrete filled the air, and then there was silence.
“Daphne,” Cash’s voice came from outside of the car. “You can come out, it’s safe.”
I wanted to pretend like I didn’t hear him, that there really was no one in the car. So I stayed silent.
“Daphne, I know you’re in there.”
Heaving a frustrated sigh, I reached up into the front seat and opened the driver’s side door.
Silver eyes glowed in the darkness, just like I thought they would. He was dressed differently than he had been earlier and his gray sweatpants and black hoodie made him look almost human. If it wasn’t for his towering height, gray skin, tail, and horns, I was pretty sure that Cash would look like a muscly wet dream.
The thought was so far out of left-field that my face burned with embarrassment as I continued to stare up at him.
“How did you know I was in here?” I asked hesitantly.
“Why are you sleeping in a car?” he volleyed back, crossing his arms over his chest as his tail lashed behind him.
“I asked my question first.” I wasn’t sure where the courage or the attitude had come from.
The corner of Cash’s lip curled up, but the change of expression was gone so fast that I wasn’t sure I’d actually even seen it.
“I was walking my dogs and I could smell you,” Cash said, seeming to give in.
Two massive, furry gray heads pushed past Cash’s legs and into the car. They were some of the biggest dogs I’d ever seen and I reeled back in surprise when one of them licked my arm.
“Oscar, Saoirse, down,” Cash ordered. The two dogs reluctantly backed out of the car with a pitiful whine.
“Are you sure those are dogs and not horses?” I asked suspiciously, wiping my arm on my blanket.
Yet again, Cash’s lips twitched. “I answered your question, little dragonfly, now it’s your turn to answer mine.”
My hand flew up to touch my tattoo again. I hadn’t been sure he’d seen it earlier, but I was sure now.
“What was your question again?” I asked, playing dumb.
This time Cash’s expression shifted into a clear frown. “Why are you sleeping in your car?”
I sat trying to come with an excuse, any excuse, about why I was cramming myself into the backseat of a VW Bug.
“Because I live in it.” I finally surrendered with a sigh, deciding honesty was probably the best policy. Especially if he could smell a person’s lies.
Silence filled the air and my eyes studiously avoided the dark shape standing outside of the car. It was embarrassing enough to admit it to anyone, but for some reason Ireallydidn’t want to tell Cash.
The silence lasted for another breath before Cash muttered a curse under his breath. “Come on,” he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.
My eyes snapped to his face, finding resignation etched into his stony features.
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
Cash gripped the leashes of the dogs and tugged them back away from the car. “You can stay with me tonight until we figure out a better option for you.”
I shook my head emphatically. “You don’t need to do that for me.”
“I know I don’t need to, but I’m going to anyway,” Cash said, his voice gruff.
