Hands gripped under my armpits, and I was pulled backwards, out of reach of Alec who was diving for my legs. I bent them, preventing him from grabbing them as he bounced off the trampoline and spewed curses to everyone and their dog.
“Traitor!” Alec snapped at his younger brother.
I pointed at each of the backstabbers as Damien held me against him.
“I will remember this when you need a babysitter.”
Bronagh and Aideen’s smiles fell from their faces, and they paled, except Keela whose face was red from laughter.
“You too,” I told her. “Your demon child is never gettin’ five-star Alannah care.”
She clapped her thighs together as she laughed. Damien was laughing too as he settled me down on my feet, then he laughed harder when I pushed by him and sprinted from the house.
“I’m gonna get you, Alannah” Alec hollered, his voice sounding demonic. “And your little cat, too.”
Not Barbara!
I didn’t stop in my escape until I was out of the house and safely inside my locked car and speeding away. I thanked God that I lived in a secure apartment complex because God only knew what Alec Slater was going to do to me once he eventually got his hands on me.
I was so dead.
“We aren’t really havin’ sex … ye’know that, right?”
I had forgotten about Damien when I originally fled Bronagh’s house. When I realised that he wasn’t with me, I swiftly turned back around and drove back to get him. I made sure to stay in my car with the doors locked until he jogged out of the house, laughing like a madman. Tears fell from his eyes when Alec chased my car on foot while I, on the other hand, screamed bloody murder until I lost sight of him in my rear-view mirror.
“You mean you were only saying what you thought I wanted to hear to enlist my help so I’d get you away from my psychotic older brother who intended to tickle you to death for breaking his favourite tea cup? I’m positively shocked at this turn of events.”
I stared at Damien, my lips pursed.
“Well—” I blinked “—this was your first smartarse moment in our relationship.”
“Should we mark it on your calendar to celebrate next year?”
“And that—” I rolled my eyes “—was your second. Third strike, and you’re out, buddy.”
Damien’s devilish grin did things to my insides. Naughty, naughty things.
“Have you ever watched a game of baseball in your life?”
“Jesus, no.” I felt myself pale. “Why would I ever do somethin’ like that?”
His laughter brought a smile to my face.
“I love your laugh.”
“Yeah?” he asked, his bright eyes gleaming. “I’m a little partial to yours, too.”
“Sweet talker.”
He helped me out of my coat, then hung it up and his own while I saw to Barbara. I opened the sitting room door carefully, and instantly, a putrid odour stung at my nostrils. I quickly glanced around and saw the used litter tray.
“Why on Earth did I leave the stupid tray in ’ere?”
I placed my hands on my hips and searched the room, coming to a stop when I found Barbara sitting on my curtain pole.
“Barbara!” I gasped. “How in Christ’s name did you get up there?”
“How did she get up whe—holy shit.”
I began to panic and rushed across the room until I was directly below Barbara with my hands up, ready to catch her in case she fell. She was looking down at me with a bored expression and made no move to even try and get down.
“She stinks.”
“Damien, focus on her right now, not the stupid smell.”
“Alannah, she’s a cat,” he said, calmly. “She won’t fall, and if she does, we’ll catch her.”
“We?” I demanded. “I’m the only one standin’ ’ere with me hands up.”
“I can see that,” he replied. “Your t-shirt has ridden up with the action … your ass looks so damn fine in those jeans.”
“Damien!”
“Right, sorry. I’ll get her.”
He moved to my side, and without having to really stretch, he reached up and plucked Barbara from her seated position. Her nails snagged on the curtains, so Damien gently tugged the fabric free. When he handed the cat to me, I cuddled her against my chest, then hissed when her nails dug into me.
“You little bitch, that hurt.”
“Nails like needles, huh?”
“Yeah.” I frowned. “I need to put water in a spray bottle to teach ’er not to climb on the curtains. Not only could she fall, but she’ll also ruin the curtains with ’er nails.”
Damien raised a brow. “Cats tend to scratch things like furniture a lot.”
“But I got ’er a scratchin’ post!”
His lips twitched. “She’s still getting used to the apartment and to us. She’ll learn in time.”
“I guess.”
I put Barbara down, and she instantly jumped onto the settee, snuggled under one of the cushions, and plopped down on her stomach as if she had just finished running a marathon. I shook my head at her, then proceeded to clean out her litter tray while Damien moved her food and water bowls into the kitchen. I put the litter tray in the corner of the room and made a mental note to clean it out a few times a day. If I kept it poop and pee free, no smell would linger. I hoped anyway.