Page 175 of Cheap Heat

“Did I fill you in on Holt’s decision re: the F and B situation?” Taylor asked, flipping open his notebook.

I’d decided to tell Holt and Taylor about the mugging, only because I wanted to let them know that Holt had unknowingly employed a notorious criminal duo who’d wreaked havoc across the country.

When he’d heard their backstory, he’d looked like he’d won the jackpot. Turning to Taylor, he’d excitedly said, “That’s way better than mutant sewer rats.”

“Honey,” Taylor had hurriedly said. “I don’t know how great it would look if you admitted to hiring a pair of criminals who’ve been on the run for decades.”

He’d waved a hand. “People hire criminals all the time. Axel’s a criminal.”

“Who’s Axel?” I’d asked curiously.

“Just this ailyn I know. Great guy.”

I’d stiffened a little. Ailyns were rare—even rarer than dullahans—and kind of unsettling. No one really wanted to be in the presence of a creature who could fuck with your mind and make you forget things.

“But, honey, we don’t employ Axel,” Taylor had said, then asked in a slightly alarmed voice, “He’s a criminal?”

“He’s a contractor. He’s on the books. And of course he’s a criminal, babe.” Holt had smiled at Taylor, then made a face. “Well, he’s crime-adjacent. What other industry would benefit the most from someone who can make people forget things?”

“Can ‘crime’ in general really be classed as an industry?” I’d asked doubtfully.

Now, I looked up from my laptop at Taylor, morbidly curious about how Holt was going to handle the whole Frank and Beans situation. “No. Is he going with the real story, then?”

Taylor winced. “Thankfully, no. I managed to talk him out of it.” He sighed. “But it meant coming to a compromise. We’re going with the mutant sewer rats.”

I chuckled. “Is Holt still planning to carve out tunnels under the building and charge for tours?”

Taylor winced again. “He already got a surveyor to come out—werewolf, really nice guy. He told him it wouldn’t be structurally sound. So.” Taylor heaved a big sigh and gave me a beaming smile. “The tunnels are officially off the table. Thank goodness.”

“Yeah,” I said wryly. “I wasn’t really looking forward to my office floor caving in while I’m working.”

He chuckled. “Me neither.”

Larkin appeared, flopping himself down into the chair on my other side and almost knocking the laptop off my lap with his knee.

“Oops, sorry, bro.” He leaned over me, almost knocking it off again, to slap Taylor’s knee. “T-bone, Holt has already texted me three times asking what’s happening.”

“Me too.” Taylor chuckled. “He sent me a selfie of him lying on the couch in his office, staring up the ceiling.”

Larkin cackled, lifting his phone high to snap a photo of the empty throne and the wrestlers congregating on the couch. “I’m gonna send him a pic. You know he wishes he could sit on that throne. Seb said he followed him to the storage room when he went to get it, just so he could look at it.”

“It’s a lovely throne,” Taylor said brightly, peering over at it.

“Yeah, Corey had it custom made.” Larkin was slouched in his seat now as his thumbs flew over his phone screen, gangly legs splayed with his knee bumping into mine. He wasn’t all that great with personal space.

I hunched over my laptop to try and get some work done, now wishing I’d taken an end seat because Larkin and Taylor continued chatting either side of me. When I heard a throat being cleared at the doorway a short while later, I looked up from my screen.

Everyone went quiet, turning to face Seb. Stoic as ever, he said, “All rise for the fabulous Judge Melcourt.”

“Do we seriously have to stand?” I muttered to Larkin, but picked up my laptop and got to my feet when I saw that everyone else was.

Corey swept into the room with Cora tucked under his arm. He was wearing a pink silk judge’s robe, matching platform heels and an enormous bright pink wig styled into a drag version of a judge’s wig, with huge ringlets and lots of volume.

I perked up, my mouth stretching into a grin, because I recognised Dan’s work instantly. He was sitting on the couch beside Vince, and he glanced back to make sure I’d noticed, giving me a shy smile when he saw I had.

Corey handed Cora to Seb, who kissed the top of her head and carefully set her on her miniature throne. She immediately rolled onto her back and farted, legs splayed wide and tongue hanging out of her mouth.

Corey paused in front of his own throne, letting everyone take in his outfit, then slowly sat down, making sure his gown draped elegantly over his legs as he crossed them.