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“It’s a gift,” he offers it out to me.

“Y-your service?” I stupidly take the platter from him and hold it as far away as possible.

“The rest is for our dog,” he continues.

Much like the conversation with Scilla, I’m reduced to an uh-huh as an answer.

“He’s a perfect pet. I’m glad you adopted him from that lady. She sounds like a downer. He’ll be much happier with us.”

Ben chokes and begins laughing with an edge of hysteria to it. Then, his phone lets out the dreaded AC/DC song he set up for Scilla’s ringtone.

In a blur of motion, Kimi is suddenly in front of Ben, reaching into his back pocket to pull out the phone. Seeing who it is on the caller ID, he answers without preamble, “He’s ours now. Cut the cord.” Then he hangs up.

Kimi holds the phone in front of him, staring at it like he’s willing it to ring again and defy him.

While he’s distracted, I slide up behind him and pick his pocket as deftly as I can manage with the complication of a tail and continue around to his side,sliding Ben’s phone from his grip and tossing it back to him. Ben catches it and watches it as if it’s a live grenade.

“Did you just feel me up,” Kimi asks flatly as he stares.

“Yup, sure did,” I nod and slowly pace to the glass sliding door leading out to the backyard. Once I’m outside and the door is closed behind me, I continue walking calmly and dial Scilla back.

“Hurry up,” I whisper quickly as the line connects. I continue my lazy stroll around the backyard, waving to some faeries watching me with open mouths like I’m royalty or some crap. “It’s getting hard to keep track of where my phone ends up, and I’m pretty sure they’re going to steal it again.”

“Are you and my Benji in trouble, sweetmeat?”

“No, just annoyed,” I grumble.

“Fair enough. You need to warn your new beau that Tremaine has given a description of him. Gold skin and a tail with razor blades, sweetmeat? How daring,” she chuckles mockingly.

“He’s not my beau,” I grit back and glance behind me. Ben is standing in front of the doors, hiding me from view, hopefully.

She gives me a lady-like tsk. “Any male who gifts you body parts should automatically be a beau. How have I gone so wrong with you?”

“I didn’t mean for him to get a whole hand, damn it,” I argue.

“He took the initiative and improvised. It proves he’s swift on the uptake. Who is he?”

“Not answering that,” I can’t help feeling smug. Like a child, my inner voice is chantingI know a secret, and she doesn’t.

“Very well,” Scilla says calmly. “When will my grandchildren arrive?”

My feet freeze without permission, and I almost fall on my face. “WHAT?”

“You have many admirers, sweetmeat. I simply wish to lay claim to the firstborn. It will be Benji’s, of course. Correct?”

“Stop messing with me, you old hag!”

She gasps in surprise and stays silent for a moment. “Say it again. Slowly, this time.”

I slap myself on the forehead. Of course, she’s not mad. I’m the only one who talks to her like this. This is like her version of phone sex.Gag, no.

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Wait,” she demands in a strict voice, dropping all hints of civility. “You will have an opportunity soon. I recommend you do not pass it up.”

She hangs up on me for once.

“Your service, fortune cookie,” I mutter and slide my phone back into my pocket. “Too bad you didn’t tell me the winning lotto numbers too.”