Touched By The Devil (Boys of Preston Prep 3)

“She’ll get over it.” I pull him forward. “Or, fuck it, right? We’ll pay for it later, but I’m willing to take that risk.”

He shoots me a sharp grin, following me quickly cross the quad, looping around to the back of the dining hall. The air smells like bacon and burned toast, and as soon as we arrive, Lucy and Hades make an appearance. I get the treats out of my satchel and hand them each a few, just to keep them occupied. I make a clicking noise with my tongue, calling out for Abby, but Bass is right. She’s not coming. We wait there, calling and clicking, even shaking the bag of treats as loudly as possible, but even though Lucy and Hades are practically dancing to get more, there’s no sign of her.

Bass ducks behind the dumpster and emerges a moment later with a blue cat carrier.

“Where did you get that?”

“The other night on the way back from the garage, I stopped at the pet store for some extra food. I grabbed it.”

“Good thinking.”

We split up, each of us searching a different part of the area. I comb the tree line, holding out treats and hoping I’m not just spooking her off. Bass searches around the building, the ducts, the gutters, looking under the dumpster.

“Sugar,” he calls softly, fingers snapping in my direction. He nods down at an area between the recycling bins. I quietly walk over, pulling a few treats out of the bag. When I get close enough, I finally see her, tucked between the blue containers. Sebastian shifts anxiously. “Do you think you can get to her?”

“Maybe?” I bend down and tentatively hold out the treats. She’s warmed up to me a little lately but she’s still timid. The fact that she doesn’t even flinch or hiss makes me worry most of all. She’s not in a good place. She sniffs the treat but doesn’t eat it. “Hey, sweet Abby girl, we’re going to get you somewhere warm and safe, okay?”

I know cats don’t like it when you come at them from the front, but from this position there’s no other option. I glance up at Bass. “I think if you move that container you can grab her from behind. I’ll block this side so she can’t run.”

“Good idea.” The rain starts coming down harder now, and from the sound of it hitting the concrete and grass, little plinks instead of drops, it’s already beginning to ice over. I get the cat carrier and move it to the area we need Abby to go. He looks down at me and asks, “You ready?”

“Yep.” I wipe a cold drop off my cheek. She’s not going to give us more than one chance, and once she’s exposed to the ice coming down, she’s going to bolt and go god knows where.

Bass carefully shifts the bin, closing up one entrance and making another. He then pushes it forward, forcing Abby to move or get crushed between them. It’s enough of a threat to get her moving, and she stands, backing her swollen body toward the carrier. When she gets close enough, I grab her gently and push her inside, slamming and latching the door quickly.

I exhale and look up at Bass’s grinning face. “Good shit.”

“So,” I reply, standing, “what do we do now?”

Abby makes a low meowing sound, and I peek inside. We may have caught her just in time.

Bass grimaces and says, “I’m not sure.”

“Your room?”

“Have you been around a cat giving birth?” he asks. I shake my head. “Well, it’s probably loud and I’m pretty sure even with a suite, my neighbors would hear.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Don’t you have your family thing tomorrow?”

“I’m supposed to, but with the weather and not having my car back yet…”

He nods, brows knitting together in contemplation. “I think we can solve that. We can take Abby back to my house, which will put you closer to the Briar Cliffs. I can drive you up there tomorrow.” He watches me closely. “If you’re okay with that.”

I’m struck with surprise that he so willingly wants to take me to his home. That he so willingly wants me to take him to mine. I’d been determined not to have Sebastian meet my family, particularly Doug, but the time for stressing over either has passed. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

As if on cue, Abby gives another long howl. Whatever I think about tomorrow, right now she needs to get somewhere safe, and Sebastian can provide it.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” I tell him, even though the idea terrifies me. He must sense it, because he kisses me on the forehead and tells me to meet him at the car once I’ve grabbed my stuff. Life put Sebastian Wilcox in my path, and there’s no way to avoid introducing him to my family.

I just hope that everyone can survive.

25

Sebastian

If I had to picture a scenario of me taking Sugar—or any girl—home, it would not have been to the soundtrack of a howling cat about to give birth.

“Holy shit,” Sugar says, peering

into the crate, “Abby really does not like being in this thing. Is it much further?”