It was here I met Oliver and his now husband Wyatt, the two of them becoming the first and currently only people to know my secrets. Well, most of them. A guy had to keep a little something to himself.
I’d planned to never tell anyone about my fortune, ever, but Chloe stole my heart with her huge smile when I added extra sprinkles to her whipped cream, and when it came time for them to raise money after the old shelter burned down, I had to help. While I probably could have done it all incognito, a part of me yearned to have someone I could just be me with, and it had been such a relief to unburden my secrets to a pair of people I trusted so fully.
“We’re here.” Killian pulled into the local park. The parking area was jam packed. Interesting.
“Park. Nailed it.” I claimed my victory.
“Sort of. You’ll see.”
It was when we pulled into the overflow parking area that I saw it. We were at a pet fair. Would wonders never cease.
“No way! Chloe’s Creatures! You’re getting another baby?”
“No.” He sounded perplexed at my comment as he found us a spot under a tree. “This is a pet fair.”
“Where people pick out new pets.”
“I thought—" I saw the pieces clicking together in his brain. “I’m not getting a pet.”
I’d heard that before about a certain little cat that was currently wrapped around my neck after being leash trained by the big alpha. Leash training. I still couldn’t get over that one.
“Whatever you say, Killer.” I pulled the cat begrudgingly from his perch and snuggled him close as I popped open the door. “I need to go find Chloe.”
“Chloe a friend of yours?” Killian asked as he closed the door behind Sally, all four of us now ready for the pet fair. Sally’s tail swished and Princess Buttercup batted at it like it was a toy. They were freaking adorable.
“Chloe is the precocious elementary school daughter of a friend—” I took Killian’s proffered hand. A guy could get used to that. I could get used to that. “—and she started a pet rescue placement service years before she was old enough to cross the street alone. Now it’s this.”
Killian gave me a skeptical sideways glance, not that I could blame him. Chloe’s accomplishments for her age defied all the societal norms.
“Come on.” I tugged his hand and skipped happily toward the entrance.
The place was abuzz with happy people meeting all of the animals. We weren’t the only ones with pets in tow, but we were the only ones who brought a cat.
I spotted Chloe almost immediately and she came running over. It was easy to forget she was such a young child until you saw her like this, running at you, about to pounce on you with the biggest bear hug ever.
“Chloe-bear!” Normally, I twirled her around, but I had a feeling Princess Buttercup wouldn’t love that.
“Marcus! You got your kitten. Finally.” She had known of my longing for a cat, and while I blamed not getting one on my abode, there had been deeper reasons… I could have managed the apartment issue if I really wanted to, but I had latched on to the excuse. Now. Now I didn’t know anymore. I shook the serious thoughts from my head. Now was not the time to dissect the domestic feels I was having.
“No, Chloe-bear. Still no fur, no feathers, but I brought a friend and my guess is he will leave with at least one furry sweetheart.” I winked at Killian, who sighed and didn’t deny it. “Where is your Papa?”
“Daddy is here, but Papa had to stay home. He’s getting too big,” she added conspiratorially.
“You mean pregnant, not big,” I corrected. Oliver was all about having the babies. He and Wyatt were the epitome of the perfect couple and seeing them grow their family was a pretty awe-inspiring experience.
“That,” she conceded without actually saying I was right. I would bet the entirety of my fortune that this little girl was going to be an alpha. “Now come with me. I have the perfect pet for you and your friend.”
“Mr. Killian.” I wasn’t sure if he was okay with first names only with kids, and figured it the best bet.
“Hello, Mr. Killian. I think dog for you, because that cat looks they are going to be the ruler of your castle, so another cat is probably not a good idea. Mr. Jenkins might be a good fit.” She went on and on as she led us to the pen. The dogs were quite larger than I expected. Killian’s jaw dropped as we reached the pen, and Chloe’s eye’s sparkled. My money was on Chloe.
“You get acquainted.” I stepped up on my tiptoes and kissed Killian’s cheek before I realized what I’d done. My ears burning, I quickly turned to Chloe. “I see your Daddy and I want to ask him something. I’ll be right back.” I handed Princess Buttercup’s leash to Killian before scampering off.
“Wyatt!” I was glad he was standing in a quiet area. I had some things I wanted to chat with him about without others hearing.
“Marcus.” He gave me a man hug, complete with back pats.
“Event looks great. I didn’t know this was happening. My brain has been otherwise occupied.”
“I see that,” he teased with a nod to Killian, who was trying to wrangle Sally and Princess Buttercup while listening to Chloe. He had a point, though Parker’s re-entrance into my life took up a ton of headspace as well. “He yours?”
“No. Yes. I hope so.” Wasn’t that the truth of it.
“Ah, I remember those days.”
I couldn’t even fathom his early days with Oliver. They were living together as boss and employee at the time. At least in some ways, my situation was less complicated. Not that love was ever not complicated. Not that I was in love.
“How are finances going?” I asked. That was the real reason I wanted to see him. Wyatt was very accepting of the gifts I gave, but always shied away from allowing me to set up a foundation for Chloe’s Creatures. He was worried that if things came too easily to Chloe, it would set her up for failure in her adult life. Maybe so, but regardless, that girl was going to move mountains.
“Pretty solid, thanks to you. And if this goes as well as I think it is going to, our current overcrowding issue will be solved.”
“I’ll set up another grant for Chloe to apply to.”
“One day, she is going to figure out that it isn’t her mad grant writing skills getting her the funding for her project.”
That had been our way around letting her know I was giving her money. Or that anyone was, for that matter. She needed to feel like she earned it, and with each grant, we added more and more things she needed to complete to apply. She didn’t know she was the only applicant and Oliver always gave me a heads up on her effort level, letting me know if I should “reject” it initially. Chloe was going to be pissed when she found out. She’d forgive us. Probably after making us all adopt five more animals in penitence.
“And by then she will be a solid grant writer. Her last one was impressive. You are going to have your hands full when she figures out all she is capable of.” I did not envy him there. Once that girl set her mind to something…
“You’re telling me,” he scoffed, wearing his proud father smile before pointing to Killian, who was headed our way with Sally and Princess Buttercup… who was perched on a huge-ass dog. Mastiff maybe, probably a mixed breed. I whipped out my phone, snapping a photo. I knew Chloe would want that one.
“I got a dog,” Killian said in defeat, his eyes sparkling with joy. “Meet Mr. Jenkins.”
“Of course you did. Chloe is persuasive.” I reached over to pet Sally, Princess Buttercup, and Mr. Jenkins in order of seniority to keep the fascinating peace they currently held. “Killian, this is Wyatt, Chloe’s father.”
“Nice to meet you. This is quite the event.”
“Thank you, we were able to put it on thanks to a very generous grant my daughter managed to acquire.”
I wanted to kick Wyatt for his comment, not that Killian would figure out Wyatt meant me, but still. That was a secret I would share when I was ready. Not now. And not in public.
“You must be
very proud.”
“You have no idea.” He looked past us and leaned in to whisper, “Oh no, Marcus, I probably should have warned you before but—”
“There you are, Marcus.” Chloe grabbed my hand, tugging me away, Killian cracking up. He so knew this was coming. “Come, you need to meet your new best friend.”
25
Killian
When Chloe had said she had the perfect pet for Marcus, I'd figured she meant, like, a turtle. Or an iguana. Or a naked mole rat—because, hey! no feathers, no fur. And I figured it was fair turnabout for abandoning me with her. But when she'd called to Mr. Jenkins and that big old softy had laid his head on her shoulder—come on! I really didn't have a choice, did I? But this? This was not what I had expected. Not this big-ass, eats creatures whole, scaley, squeezy—
"Snake?" The word came out of my mouth in a much higher and more uneven tone that I would have preferred, and I cleared my throat. "Isn't that thing a little... big? Is it even legal to keep it as a pet?"
Marcus shot me a dirty look. "You know how I feel about referring to animals as it."
I gulped, holding Princess and Sally's leashes a little tighter. I was fairly certain Mr. Jenkins could hold his own against the constrictor, but just in case, I took a couple steps further away from the glass tank.
"Whisper is seven point five feet long and the snake doctor Daddy talked to said she was probably about ten years old."
Marcus was looking nose-to-nose at the snake through the glass, making me nervous. "Ten? Does that mean she's old?" Like, not going to live much longer?
My hopes were dashed when Chloe shook her head. "No, she's probably a teenager. She will probably live at least another ten years, but could live for as much as thirty years. Though that's rare." She sounded like a freaking textbook. And another thirty years? That was more commitment than a kid! And I wasn't even ready for that responsibility.
"Here's the adoption papers," Chloe was saying. "You can give them to the adoption desk at the front. You know the drill."
That last phrase was so ridiculously cute, it almost made me forget how uncomfortable I was with the damn. Giant. Snake.
"You're not seriously going to take that thing home, are you?" I asked Marcus. "Where are you going to put it?"
Marcus looked torn. How could he be torn about a dog eating monster? "Killian is right, my apartment is a little small."
Chloe took Marcus's hand and tugged his gaze down to hers. "Marcus. You and Blubby are lonely. You need Whisper. Besides. It's very difficult to home boa constrictors her size. Lots of people like the idea of them, but because they live so long, they get tired, and give them away. Just imagine how sad Whisper is, knowing that no one wants her."
Blubby needed Whisper like he needed a freaking shark. But I knew I'd already lost the argument.
"That thing..." at Marcus's glare, I started over. "Whisper is not going in my freaking car."
Marcus gave me puppy dog eyes, and don't get me wrong, they were beyond adorable, but nothing in this world was adorable enough to convince me to put a snake in my car. Especially one as big as Whisper. Who could eat Princess in one bite. Sally in two. She could probably handle Mr. Jenkins in a day.
Marcus took the papers from Chloe and she stuck her hand out to him, her face solemn as she shook his hand. "It was a pleasure doing business with you. I'm afraid I must go, however. Other animals need me."
"Worst date ever," I moaned, shaking my head, and Chloe's father laughed.
"She has that effect on people."
"Oh, you two hush, she's a precious gem and a unicorn. The world needs more like her," Marcus chided us, stroking the glass in front of Whisper. Her tongue flickered out and I shivered.
"I'll come back for you, sweet thing," he said. "We just have to convince big, mean Killian that you're harmless."
Harmless my ass.
"Let's talk about something, anything, other than snakes," I said as he took Mr. Jenkins and Princess's leashes from me, Princess still riding Mr. Jenkins like the royalty he was.
"Can we talk about food? Because I'm starving."
Thank fucking goodness. "Food is completely acceptable. How do you feel about truck food?"
"My fave," Marcus said, and proceeded to find the tallest, widest, most loaded platter of nachos I had seen in my life.
"Is that to share?" I asked.
"You can have some if you want," Marcus said with a shrug as we found a clear picnic table. Mr. Jenkins sat politely at his feet and Princess curled up on the bench next to him, but Sally pranced impatiently in place, drooling at the scent of his nachos. "I can totally finish this whole thing by myself, but I don't need to, that's for sure."
I took one nacho, making sure it had all the basics: meat, cheese, jalapeno salsa, sour cream. "You can finish this by yourself?" I didn't buy it.
Marcus looked suddenly self-conscious. He flipped his hair, and I saw his wall come sliding down in a way I hadn't seen since we'd slept together. Before he could lock it in place, I nudged the platter to him. "Game on."
His mask faltered. "Wh-what?"
"Prove it. Prove you can eat that whole thing."
Marcus scoffed. "I don't have to prove anything."
I shrugged. "If you can't, you can't. It's okay. But now I just won't be able to believe you when you make claims like that."
The mask fell completely, and the Marcus I knew was in there smiled with fierce competition. "Is this a timed contest?"
I waved airily. I didn't care whether he ate that whole damn platter or not. I didn't know why that mask had come back, but I knew I didn't like it. If this distracted him... "No time. I just don't think you can do it at all."
Marcus rolled his neck and cracked his fingers. "Watch and learn, Killer."
And I had to admit, I was impressed. Not only did Marcus eat the whole platter, he didn't seem uncomfortable after doing so.
Marcus tapped the corners of his mouth primly after finishing, and then said, "Done. So do I get a reward?"
He didn't say anything more suggestive with all the kids around, but his eyes spoke volumes. I had to adjust myself in my pants.
"Sure, Blondie. Anything you want."
His eyes dropped into a sultry look. "Anything I want?" His leg caressed my inner thigh under the table and I gulped.
"Anything." My eyes drifted closed.
"I want to take Whisper back in your car."
That sent me crashing back to reality, and I opened my eyes to see Marcus shaking in silent laughter. "Anything but that, you asshole."
I'd never had this with anyone before, this mix of laughter and sexiness and... and family. I'd been infatuated with Marcus for a long time, but I was pretty sure I was stepping into something deeper with him. I couldn't name it. Not so soon. But it whispered tantalizingly in the back of my mind.
26
Marcus
“According to this, Whisper doesn’t need to eat for a while. We need to let her adjust first.” I had spent the first half of the drive googling and buying things online for my new pet snake. I had been a solid no when I first saw her, but when Chloe pulled out the “no one wants her” shit, I just couldn’t not adopt. I knew how that felt, even if the snake didn’t.
“How do you know it’s a her? You have been wrong before.” Poor Princess Buttercup was going to pay the price for that every time someone misgendered him, myself included, but oh well. The name suited.
“Because males don’t get as big as my beautiful baby.” And thankfully Whisper only had a half foot max of growing yet, if the internet was accurate, which was a fifty-fifty chance given all the misinformation out there.
I grabbed a book about snake care, putting it in my online cart before glancing at the ranks of my newest book and was glad to see it was still holding its own. After checking out, I went from snake site to snake site, figuring out all the basics I needed for snake fatherdom. One thing was for sure, I needed to think about moving; her habitat was going to eat my li
ving room.
“Score!” I squealed as I read three sources in a row that live food was not going to be an issue, because I had been scared I’d be unable to handle that bit.
“What?” Killer reached his hand up to scratch Sally’s head. Poor dog was stuck between my legs thanks to the ginormous addition to her pack who took up the entire back seat. Killian needed a mini-van with a seat removed, at a minimum.
“Pet boas should be fed a diet of pre-dead things. I don’t need to watch her kill the rats.”
“Rats? Not small children, dogs, or the random cat?”
No wonder he was so weird about the snake. He thought his babies were prey, which while it wasn’t ideal to leave them alone together, they would generally be safe around her.
“No, just rats.”
“I guess that’s okay.” He scratched under Princess Buttercup’s chin, his engines going again.
“What do you need for Mr. Jenkins? Can he eat Sally’s food for the night, or does he need something more substantial? I can do the curbside thing for Big Mart so we don’t have to worry about leaving the babies in the car.”
“They gave me samples of food and a Chloe’s Creatures bowl set so he’ll be fine until tomorrow. What do you need for Whisper? That box they had her in is not going to cut it.”
Killian was right. They had her in a too small aquarium at the park, but I imagined that was simply for travel. I hoped it was, anyways, because a creature that majestic needed a place to roam.
“Which is the only reason she is not in the car with us.” I only agreed to leave her there after realizing I had no place to put her at my place yet. “I will get it set up and then go get her with Parker. It would be a good brother activity.”
“You think I would say no,” Killian joshed as he grabbed my hand.
“No, I think I could convince you to cave, Killer, but having an excuse to need my brother makes it easier for me to let him back in a little.” I looked away, shocked as I realized I had been completely open with Killian without thinking. Interesting. Terrifying. Amazing.
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