“Farrow, please,” my brother whined.
“Is that your brother?”
“Yes, he hacked into my account and is threatening to broadcast some private videos because I won’t share the proceeds of myScream and Steamaccount.”
My father swore.“Please tell me you aren’t risking your life with cats and dogs.”
“Of course not.”Wow, did Dad really think I was that reckless?
He sighed.“Explaining that to your mother is not something I want to do.Put your brother on.”I put the phone on speaker but kept hold of it.“Is what Farrow said true?”
My brother opened and closed his mouth a few times.Maybe he wouldn’t have released the videos, but he’d have wrapped the threat around my neck until I couldn’t breathe.
“Did you hack into Farrow’s computer?”Dad pressed.
“Yes, but he was being secretive.He’s fucking a human and going to move out!”
“Wearing his clothes and eating his food is one thing, but this is beyond the bridge.We raised you better than that,” Dad snarled.
“It’s not fair that he works at Bridges and gets to stream.I should be doing that.”My brother stamped his foot.
“Your brother risks his life every day.Your mother did too when she worked at Bridges, and your aunt died working at Bridges.Streaming content from the human world is a way for the guardians to gain extra compensation and to have some fun.You should be proud of Farrow, not trying to undermine him.”
I gave my brother a fanged grin.This time, my brother had gone too far.
“But he’s moving out.What am I supposed to do?”It was always about him and what he was getting.
“Find a new roommate.I don’t want to hear any more from you about this.Your new friends are not a good influence.Sort yourself out, because your mother and I are not stepping in again.How am I going to tell her that you disrespected Farrow like this?”
“Dad, please…I can’t live here on my own.”
“No.You broke your brother’s trust; now you can suffer the consequences.Do you need anything, Farrow?”
I took a moment to think, but I didn’t need anything from our parents.I had everything I needed, and I’d figure things out on my own.The idea of making that final jump felt good.Perhaps I’d waited too long.“I’m good, thanks.”
I hung up and glared at my brother.“Your call, asshole.”
Chapter27
Timothy
After the previousunexpected visit from Farrow, I found myself hoping he’d turn up more frequently.It was always disappointing to go to bed at midnight on my own and wake up the next day without a visit.I felt like a kid who woke up on Yule morning with an empty stocking.
Although in my case, it was an empty hole.
On what should’ve been his regular day, he didn’t show at all.I waited up until two am, my anticipation chilling to disappointment and then fear.I examined the tracker he’d given me, wondering if there was a way to communicate with him.It didn’t seem fair that I had to wait around for him, though I appreciated the box of groceries that showed up at the door.
I’d barely been asleep two hours when one cat began trying to destroy the house.Something crashed, and a cat yowled.
I swore as I pulled on pants, hoping that the cats weren’t attacking Farrow.No, he’d have called my name by now, and he wouldn’t have appeared out there; he would’ve stepped out of the wardrobe.He arrived beneath a kid’s bed in the apartment block and used cupboards to move between rooms and apartments.
What if it was an intruder?How many people knew that the woman who owned the apartment was away?I glanced around the room, looking for a potential weapon, but all I had were three oversized dildos.While they might give an intruder a scare, and potentially do some damage if misused, they weren’t the kind of thing I wanted to brandish at someone holding a knife or gun.
However, I didn’t have any other options.
I picked up the heaviest one, at least I could throw it at someone, and cracked open the bedroom door.One cat hissed, and another was doing that super weird I’m-going-to-fuck-you-up noise.The third was probably lurking in the shadows, waiting to trip me up.It was always the same cat I fell over, and I’m sure it was deliberate.No doubt they gave each other high-fives after messing with me.
“I hate cats,” someone said.
