We both worked like fiends, but I gave him the stink eye all the same. I’d hired the same bricklayer for my own house. If the company was dropping them, so was I, and that was a ball ache I didn’t need.
I pulled the contracts up on my laptop and dispatched Rae to fetch them from the printer in Dom’s office.
“Sorry,” he said when he came back. “I feel like you guys go into bat for this so often you have to legit hate me a bit.”
“Not really,” Dom said. “You educated us on something that was happening. You didn’t tell us what to think.”
“It’s true,” I concurred with a shudder. Animal rights had never been my thing, but I’d seen what the huntsmen had done to Cash, to their horses, and the hounds in their care. No fucker like that was ever getting a penny of mine. Besides, I was a snake rescuer now, right?
I snorted.
Dom stared. “You’re such a weirdo these days.”
I gave him another sour look. “Your housemate and your lover said I looked happy. Is that the same thing?”
“Yes. You’re never happy.”
“Charming.”
“Tragic, more like.”
“Fuck off.” I claimed the contracts from Rae and turned away from them both to check the documents in peace. So many contracts passed over my virtual desk I couldn’t remember the details of every single one, but I was fairly sure these had been signed after we’d introduced a boilerplate clause to get us out of situations like the one with the bricklayer.
Though, I had to wonder why the bricklayer wanted to work for us in the first place. It was no secret that we’d been instrumental in shutting down the Thorston hunt.
My phone buzzed. A message from Jude. Contracts forgotten, I drew my phone into my lap and opened it.
Jude:Five days, Isha. Is it weird that I miss you?
Weird was clearly a theme today, but I considered the question. Jude was more constant in my life than he’d ever been, but damn if I didn’t miss him too. Obviously, I was crying out to fuck him again. I’d have settled for a plate of curry and a chat, though. I’d have settled for anything he was willing to give.
Isha:I’m not sure I’m worth missing, but…I miss you too.
Dom nudged me. “Well?”
“Well what?” I closed WhatsApp and placed my phone face down on the counter.
“The contracts, Isha. Where are we at?”
Contracts. Right. I scanned them again, and mercifully spotted what we needed. “We’re good. The clause is right here, so we can drop them with immediate effect.”
Relief eased Dom’s frown. Cash was yet to surface, but there was little Dom wouldn’t do to protect him. The threat from local hunts was over—for now—but contributing, however indirectly, to anyone associated with a hunt? Fuck that noise.
Rae served breakfast. Recently, I’d ducked out of meals to brood over Jude, text Jude, or generally just sulk, but I was hungry today, and unusually for a weekday, everyone was home.
Cash appeared and sat next to me, and I was grateful. He was the only fucker who rarely asked me questions, like, about anything, let alone my private life. “I’m going to see where your new house is going to be this afternoon.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Uh-huh.” He pushed his cleared plate away. “Rae’s going to see a mate, and I’m going with him because Dom still won’t let him drive his car.”
“I wouldn’t let Rae drive Delilah’s plastic mini. I love your boy, but he drives like my nan did after she’d lost her marbles.”
A toast crust flew across the counter. I caught it without looking and dropped it onto my empty plate. For once I wasn’t being an arsehole. Rae was a shit driver; a fact he’d never denied.
“Anyway,” Cash said. “I was going to ask if you wanted me to take a butchers at the house. Builders are shit, man. Loafing off every time you turn your back.”
I flicked an unintentional glance at Dom and wondered if anyone was going to tell Cash about the moral fiasco with the bricklayers. Hunting was still a touchy subject. Rae could talk about it all day long, but Cash? Nah. That dude was haunted. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ve got an unannounced visit planned for tomorrow. Go have fun.”