Page 127
“Larkin.” Holt was now covering his eyes with a hand. He fluttered his handkerchief in Larkin’s general direction with the other. “Please. My ice cream. And Taylor.”
After Larkin had left, I quickly filled Holt in on our plan and asked with a wince if we’d both be able to take the next week or so off. He agreed without hesitation, then said he was going to make a few phone calls to see what he could do, so we left him to it.
That afternoon, we met up with Freddie. He seemed delighted to meet Crossbody, who acted like his usual calm, controlled and appropriately aloof self. No sign of the desperate and beaten down person he’d allowed himself to be in front of me, and it just made me even more determined to take care of this. To take care of him. He let himself be vulnerable with me and no one else. It wasn’t something I took lightly.
Freddie had managed to procure me the specific kind of supernatural passport that visitors to Otherworld needed. I didn’t ask how. He assured us that everything was in place for Friday. He actually seemed excited about it, and he said his mimi was too. She was a wild old lady, so it didn’t surprise me.
On Wednesday, we had the nightmarish task of taking Lady Potato to my uncle’s place. It took half an hour to get her into the cat carrier. My arms got scratched to shit in the process, and as I finally stood with a relieved sigh, she somehow managed to punch the door off the carrier and escape.
After another twenty minutes of chasing her around the house and Crossbody coaxing her out from under the bed with some homemade cat treats, she was finally safely back in the carrier and we were on our way to Rob’s.
“Are you sure your uncle doesn’t mind?” Crossbody asked quietly, clutching the carrier on his lap and occasionally pushing a treat through the door holes to stop Lady Potato wailing.
“Nope. I think he’s excited.”
He winced. “Did you tell him that she’s evil?”
I laughed, reaching over to squeeze his thigh. “She’s not that bad.”
Crossbody grunted and pushed another treat through the door, then hissed and yanked his finger back. A drop of blood welled on the pad, but he just sighed. “Got her claw in. Little demon.”
“Well, I think cats hate being locked in a carrier. Rob will give her a big fuss when we get there.”
“She might be scared that she’s being abandoned,” he said worriedly. “I haven’t had her all that long.”
“We won’t be gone long,” I said confidently, glancing over at him. “Right? Just a couple of days?”
He nodded, but his shoulders stiffened with tension, so I squeezed his leg again and said, “It’ll work. And if it doesn’t, we’ll think of something else.”
“Yes.” He let out a slow breath. “I’m just… I haven’t been back there in six years. I’m… very nervous.”
“I’ll be with you.” I tangled my fingers through his and squeezed. “As your hot ghoul butler, I won’t leave your side.”
He smiled over at me. “Thank you.”
“We’ll stop at my place after Rob’s so I can pack some clothes.” I frowned. “Definitely don’t own anything that makes me look like a butler, though.”
“Maybe just a suit?”
“I have one suit.” I glanced over at him with a wry grin. “How many do you have, your highness?”
He flushed a little. “Quite a few, but I don’t think they’d fit you.”
“It’s fine, the suit’ll work.”
“Gods, I’m going to have to put on traditional clothes.” He rubbed his face with a shudder. “They’re so uncomfortable. And stuffy.”
“Bet you’ll look handsome, though.” I grinned. “And then I can take them off you when we’re in your room. Like a good little butler.”
“Vince.” He squirmed. “Stop. I have to meet your uncle in a minute.”
I chuckled, turning onto Rob’s street. “Right now, actually.”
As I parked up behind Rob’s truck, his screen door burst open and he stepped outside, grinning and waving. I waved back, unbuckling my seat belt and reaching for my door.
“Gods, you look a lot like him,” Crossbody murmured, doing the same.
I grinned. “Yeah. Definitely gonna grow a horseshoe moustache when I get older.”
