Page 17 of Hellhound AU

“More shower drains?” I asked.

Milo just laughed and leaned against the bathroom doorway. He pulled an apple out of somewhere—his back pocket, maybe?—and proceeded to eat it while I washed up. He was once again eating the entire thing, seeds and all. This one had no stem, so I figured by the time he was done there would be nothing left.

I really needed to start feeding him. He couldn’t survive on apples alone.

I grabbed the tools after washing up and followed Milo, still happily chewing away, out into the living area, where I was introduced to Ethel, Judy, Harold, and Rose. Beatrice thanked me profusely for fixing her drain, and then I was once again offered tea and cookies.

I accepted tea and a scone, but there was a mercenary air to Milo’s crew that made me wonder if I’d be poisoned. Well, I was impossible to kill, and it never hurt to be polite.

Somehow everyone had shifted seats while introductions were being made, so the only open spots for Milo and I were on a loveseat. I wasn’t complaining—Milo smelled wonderful, and even if he ate his apples like a chaos demon, he was very sweet.

“So, what do you have for me?” Milo asked.

Everyone looked in my direction. I took a sip of tea and smiled.

“We’re just talking about situations which are… difficult to deal with,” Milo explained to me before turning to his crew. “I’msure Rowan wouldn’t mind hearing about them, and I’m sure he won’t tell anyone, either.”

“Of course not,” I said, taking a bite of the scone and groaning. “This isamazing.” I held out the scone for Milo to try, because the man couldn’t survive on apples alone.

He took a bite right from my hand, and a rush of pleasure flowed through me. It was like the first time I was able to hand feed my stray cat.

I wanted to bask in my happiness, but Milo’s crew began going through some of the “difficult situations” that needed to be dealt with. A quick summary of the “minor” issues, as Milo called them, came first. Then he asked, “What’s major on the list?”

“Well, we have it on pretty good authority that a group of skinheads has moved into Danfell. We know it’s not exactly in our town, but…” Ethel shrugged.

“I don’t think they’re called skinheads anymore. Isn’t that derogatory?” Judy asked.

“Dear, they’re racist neo-Nazis that want to rid the world of everyone unlike them—I think a derogatory term is acceptable,” Harold answered her.

The entire crew nodded in agreement.

Milo asked a few questions about location and jotted things down in his phone, and then he looked up, ready for the next item.

“I’m afraid this next one isn’t close by, either,” Ethel said.

“Well, when you’re saving the world, sometimes you need to branch out beyond your little town, you know,” Rose said. “And we knew this one would upset you.”

Milo sat up straighter. What would upset him more than neo-Nazis?

“Dog fighting,” Harold said. “In Pennington.”

Milo actually growled, which was sexy as hell, and then he started typing. The crew didn’t have as much information on thealleged dog fighting ring, but they had a few names to give us, along with addresses. They were really quite thorough in their prep work.

“What else?” Milo asked when he was done jotting down that info.

“My cousin Mildred’s daughter, Betsy, is going to college. She said that lately the girl seems afraid to leave her house. She only goes out for classes, and her mom thinks she’s looking rather terrified and gaunt,” Beatrice told us.

“Abusive ex?” Milo asked.

“No, Mildred said she hasn’t been in any serious relationships,” Beatrice answered.

Milo hummed, looking thoughtful. “Trouble with someone at the college? Bullies? Or could be a stalker, too. We’ll check it out.”

Everyone nodded their heads, then they all looked at me. It was… disconcerting.

“You’ll be helping Milo, won’t you?” Harold asked.

I nodded. Of course I’d be helping Milo. The man would probably get himself kidnapped by neo-Nazis or get bitten trying to rescue the dogs if I wasn’t there.