Chapter 2 #2
I think about petting them, but I feel bad disturbing their nap, so I walk over to the wall full of photos and realize that these must be the adoptees. Most of the people look confused and unsure.
One man has tears running down his face as he clutches a black cat with a shaved ass to his chest.
Then I catch the one of Dex looking utterly shocked while holding his asshole cat, the one that can’t decide whether it hates or loves Rome, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Oh, Dex,” I say aloud without thinking.
A tap on my shoulder has me glancing to my right. ‘You know him?’ Milo asks.
‘Yeah.’ I use Dex’s sign name.
Milo nods, and he gets that look in his eye again. Something that tells me he’d commit murder and not think twice about it. ‘He’s taking care of his cat, right? His cat is happy?’
I swallow heavily. ‘Very happy. Very spoiled.’
Milo relaxes again. ‘Good.’
Christ, who even is this guy? I turn back to the photos, and at the very top, I see Percy holding a massive orange cat with a fluffy tail upside down.
And then beside him… My heart skitters in my chest because oh my fucking god.
It’s him.
That’s my…my…whatever he is.
I point before I can stop myself. ‘That. Who?’
Milo frowns, then shrugs. ‘My brother. He’s working the front desk.’
I shake my head almost frantically. ‘No. Him.’ I can’t reach the photo, but I point harder.
Milo’s brows fly up. ‘Arhe.’ He fingerspells that really slowly, and by the time he’s done, my eye is twitching. Then he adds, ‘My little brother,’ and I nearly faint.
I was right. My Deaf eyes didn’t deceive me. They are all related, and my hero is connected to this café.
And oh god…now I have his name. His…really weird name.
Arhe.
What nationality even is that?
A hand waves near me, and I pull myself out of my thoughts, turning my head toward Milo. ‘You okay?’ he asks.
I realize I’m holding my breath and swaying slightly, like a damsel in distress, only I’m not in distress. I’m horny all over again. My hard-on came so fast and suddenly that I’m dizzy from all the blood rushing south.
‘Yes, tired,’ I lie. Luckily, I’m tucking and wearing tight panties, so he won’t catch a tent in my pants, but if I’m not careful, he’s going to notice I’m uncomfortable.
I turn my gaze back to Arhe’s picture. Oh god, he’s so fucking hot. That scar, those eyes. The sight of him should terrify me. He has the look of someone who has beaten people half to death in dark alleys more than once, but all I can think about is the way he touched me. The way he saved me.
‘He have name sign?’ I ask Milo.
He taps an A near his scar.
‘He here?’ I ask.
‘Why?’ He suddenly looks wary, his signs a little more clipped. ‘Who are you? Who sent you?’
I squeeze the cup so hard it collapses inward slightly. ‘No, no, no. I’m…just a…friend?’ I know that my face betrays any confidence I was trying to portray.
Milo leans forward slightly, and his eyes turn cold. I shiver at the way he’s looking at me, like he could kill me without a second thought and not lose sleep over it. He looks the way Arhe did when he glanced back at the guy whose blood ended up all over us. Like his life didn’t matter.
‘We left that life behind,’ Milo signs, his hands stiff but with purpose this time. ‘If you’re here for trouble, you can leave.’ The way he signs leave, it’s a flick of his wrist, a promise that if I don’t follow his orders, I will regret it.
I swallow and shake my head and then nod because oh fuck, I think if I upset him, he’s going to peel me apart like a banana. And not in a fun way.
When I first stepped into this café, it felt safe, but now I suddenly want to leave. I can find Arhe another time.
‘I’m not here for trouble,’ I manage to say and then swivel on my heels. Only problem is I trip over something.
No, not something. A cat.
The one with no ears.
It scrambles quickly to the side, trying to get away as I fumble forward, my dirty chai living up to its name and spilling all over the floor.
When I finally manage to right myself, I realize that I’ve made a mess, and the earless cat is glowering at me from the top of a shelf.
‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘I can clean this…’ But Milo is eyeing the puddle on the floor and the disgruntled cat.
‘Cat dirty now.’
I grimace, thinking about how hard it would be to give one of these cats a bath. He must be thinking the same thing because he just moves toward the mop, wielding it a bit like a sword before stalking over to me.
This would be a great time to make my escape, but instead, I stand there like a complete chump and watch as he mops the puddle up. A second later, one of the cats makes its way down to the floor, completely fascinated by the mop’s fluttering wisps.
The more Milo tries to get the cat to leave it alone, the more interested it is, until Milo is mopping the floor with the cat attached. When he stops and sees I’m still there, I offer him a small smile, and he arches an eyebrow at me.
Right, yes. It’s time for me to leave before I make an actual scene.
‘Sorry again…’ I add one last time.
His right eye twitches.
Yep, I’m out. I step around him and then push my way out of the cat enclosure and rush toward the exit.
Percy is at the counter again, watching me go, and he doesn’t attempt to stop me. I feel a punch of relief in my chest when I make it to my car, and I climb in with shaking knees and weak hands.
This was a mistake. Arhe wasn’t here, but he is related to those scary men, which makes sense considering how we met. But there was something different about him. Something I’m still not ready to give up on. But maybe I’ll stop looking for him here.
There has to be a better place where we can talk. Somewhere I haven’t made a terrible impression. Hell, he seems to like coffins, so maybe a cemetery is a good option.
Yes, that’s a good start. I might not be an expert stalker—which is a good thing—but I’m going to do my best to find him because I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I can meet him again and give him a proper thank-you for saving my life.