Chapter 11 #2
“We’re not going to starve. Austin and Roscoe can do things we can’t, and if it came down to it, they’d get us food.
There were times Austin and I had no money, and he would go out at night and hunt.
The next morning, there was meat in the fridge.
” Adam’s face twisted in disgust. “I don’t know what kind of meat it was, but I try not to think too much about it.
Werewolves seem to have a strong instinct to take care of half-turns.
Even if some of them treat us like shit. ”
“I didn’t know that. Why the hell are we wasting money on groceries when they could just go out there and get us something fresh?”
“Because we keep buying food. Werewolves get really lazy when they just get stuff without having to do anything for it.”
“Well, the gravy train ends today.”
Adam reached into his pocket and handed me a wad of cash. “You should control the money. You’re more responsible than I am, plus Austin has a way of talking me into giving him extra cash.”
I took the money and shoved it into my pocket with the rest. “How much money have you given him?”
“A lot. I don’t know what he spends it on either.”
“How much you wanna bet he’s been holding out on us?”
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t buy anything, right?”
“He apparently bought all those tools without me knowing.”
I slowed my pace as we approached their bedroom.
“What are we doing?” Adam asked.
“If he’s anything like me, he’s got a stash somewhere.”
“He’s nothing like you.” Adam pulled open a few drawers. “God, why do we have such a big dresser when I’m the only one that wears most of the clothes?”
After checking the nightstand drawer and finding nothing but one of Adam’s dildos, I paused. “The bedroom’s too obvious.”
“You’re giving him way too much credit.”
“And you’re underestimating him,” I said, stepping back into the hallway. “He’s been spending a lot of time on the porch.”
“He’s been fixing it. I’m surprised both of them haven’t broken through the steps.”
We walked outside onto the deck, and I looked around for anything out of place. “Keep an eye on the road. If you see them coming, say something.”
“I feel like we’re on a heist.”
“We are. If Austin’s been hoarding your money, I’m going to sniff it out.”
“I swear, you must be Jewish or something.”
My mouth fell open, and I crossed my arms. “That was incredibly insensitive.”
“Sorry. I just thought since you were so good with money—” He paused and smiled, shoving me to the side. “You’re Jewish, aren’t you?”
“On my dad’s side, yes. Let’s drop this conversation before we both offend one another.”
“Snowflakes aren’t black.”
I reached between a couple loose boards to see if one would pull away from the porch. It didn’t. “I know he’s hiding it.”
“I’m telling you there’s no stash. Your Jewy senses are malfunctioning.”
Ignoring him, I pressed my heel against each floorboard, listening carefully. “Austin’s ex-military, and he’s really secretive. I know for a fact he’s self-disciplined and paranoid enough to do this.” One of the floorboards rattled and pulled away under my foot. “Bingo!”
Adam eyed me curiously as I pulled the board up. It was the last one closest to the edge, so chances of anyone stepping on it were slim to none.
“It’s not like Austin to leave it like this, don’t you think?” I said, reaching down into the crawlspace. My hand brushed against a tin box, so I removed it before replacing the board.
“Gee, I wonder what’s in here,” I said as I loosened the cover with a clawed fingernail. It popped open and several rolls of hundred-dollar bills lined the tin. I gave Adam an ‘I told you so’ look before putting the lid back on.
“That motherfucker.”
I pulled the board back up and placed the tin back into the crawlspace.
“What are you doing? That’s my money!” Adam shouted.
“And?” I said, making sure everything was the way I found it. “What are we gonna do? Take thousands of dollars away from a mentally unstable werewolf?”
“Okay, you have a point.”
“I’ve got a better idea. I want to let him dig his own grave. From now on, give me any money you make, and I’ll put it in my safe.”
“That’s going to really piss him off.”
“Tell him I threatened to kick you guys out if you didn’t.”
“Dude, you need to be careful. He’s never gotten physical with me, but I’ve also never talked to him the way you do.”
“Well, if you’re right about him, then I need to stand my ground. Otherwise, he’s just going to treat me the way he treats you, and I don’t have patience for that bullshit.”
We entered the living room and sat on the sofa.
“This is turning into a dictatorship, just so you know,” Adam grumbled.
“As long as I’m the dictator, I see nothing wrong with this. We’re half-turns, Adam. We need to have some kind of control over them. When I found out how vulnerable we are, it scared the shit out of me, and I’m not going to let us end up in a hopeless situation.”
Adam propped his feet on my lap and laid his head against the arm of the couch. “I guess I trust you more than anyone else.”
“Well, Darryl told me to look after you, so I’ll do that.”
He kicked my leg. “I don’t need to be looked after. I’m not a child.”
“You literally just turned nineteen.”
“And you’re only three years older than me, so stop pretending you’re a fucking sage.”
“I’ve been told I’m an old soul.”
“Yeah, and boring.” Adam grabbed the remote and flipped on the television.
“Did you know Austin wants Roscoe to fuck me in front of a camera? Like I’d ever be desperate enough to let that gross old werewolf put his dick in me.
” He looked over but didn’t seem at all fazed by what he said. “No offense or anything.”
“Yeah sure,” I muttered. “Roscoe may not be the cleanest or the most well-spoken, but at least he’s sincere and treats me like a friend.”
“Sounds like you’re in love.”
“Sounds like you’re jealous.”
Adam didn’t have a comeback aside from a sharp click of his tongue. He changed the channel.
“You want Roscoe, don’t you?”
“Hell no!”
“Admit it. It’s not like I’m gonna tell anyone.” My grin widened. “That’s why you’re such a prick to him. You want him.”
Adam kicked me again. “Shut the hell up!”
“He makes me come at least six times before blowing his load. He may be old, but he knows exactly what he’s doing.”
“Cody…” He paused and narrowed his eyes. “Seriously? Six times?”
“He’s shockingly good.”
“You’re messing with me right now, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. It’s not like you’re gonna find out.”
Adam glared at the television but didn’t say anything else.
The front door opened and Roscoe walked in with several bags of groceries draped over each arm. Austin followed him, carrying the rest.
“Honey, I’m home, and I brought us some vittles,” Roscoe said.
“Do you have to always talk like a dumbass hillbilly?” Adam stood and stomped into the bedroom.
“What the heck did I do?” Roscoe asked, setting some of the bags on the table.
“You turned him on,” I said, grabbing some of the groceries before making my way into the kitchen. “What did you get?”
“Oh boy, yer in for a real treat tonight.”
“Don’t forget to put on your little boob dress while you’re making us dinner,” Austin said, reaching for the drill he set on the dining room table earlier.
“Apron!” Roscoe snapped, pulling out the folded fabric from one of the bags on the counter. With a flick of the wrist, he shook it out. “Look at this. Ain’t it great?”
The apron had a plump pair of bare breasts on the front with the phrase, ‘My breasts are always moist and delicious’ underneath in bold letters.
“Well, there goes my boner, permanently,” I said, putting the cold stuff in the fridge. “Where the hell did you get that? I’m sure they weren’t selling them at the grocery store.”
Roscoe slipped into the neck loop and tied the strap around his waist. “They got all kinds o’ neat little novelty shops around town, and I’ve been looking for a new apron.”
“And that’s the one you settled on?”
“It was the breast one there was.” The werewolf cracked up at his own pun, while Austin and I rolled our eyes.
“You didn’t happen to see any places to buy kuus, did you?”
Roscoe opened a cabinet and lined the shelves with dry pasta. “Nah. We didn’t walk through the whole town. Why do you wanna know that?”
“I found something that I’d like to have appraised by someone who knows a thing or two about magic rocks,” I said, digging the opal out of my pocket. “Look at this.”
“That’s pretty. Where’d you find it?”
“In the woods.”
I deliberately chose to be careful with my words, not because I worried everyone would think I was nuts, but because I wanted a secret of my own. Maybe I’d let them in on it later.
“I bet you could sell it for a lot,” Austin said, giving the gem a closer look. “We could use the money.”
I closed my hand and put the opal back in my pocket. “I think we’ve got plenty of money.”
“Hardly,” Austin grunted. “Those government checks aren’t enough to tide us over.”
“I’m sure there’s extra money just lying around here somewhere,” I said, shoving cheap cuts of meat into the freezer. “This house is pretty old, so who knows what’s under it? Could be buried treasure.”
That caught Austin’s attention but he remained quiet.
“Wouldn’t that be sweet,” Roscoe said as he pulled a pan out from under the cabinet.
“Heh, yeah.” Austin’s eyes shifted before he made his way outside. A few minutes later, I heard him drilling screws into the porch from where I’d found the money earlier.
“He sure likes fixing things. Listen to him out there. Happy as a clam.”
“He sure does,” I said through my teeth, leaning against the counter. “You never told me what you guys talked about.”