Page 25 of How to Trust a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls #4)

I decided not to let Liam flounder through this alone. “Josh and I are in a relationship, but I don’t think Josh is ready for everyone to know. ”

Ah, perhaps not the wisest course of action. Now both humans were glaring at me. Luckily, Josh put aside his ire first, sighing.

“I don’t mind if the guys know,” Josh reassured me. He looked at Liam then. “I just… Listen, it’s too soon to move in together. We just decided to start seeing each other today.”

Liam and I both glanced at each other. Too soon?

Huh. I didn’t sense any displeasure from Josh at the thought, so I wasn’t sure why it was too soon.

Perhaps a human thing. Also, I had been courting Josh for a while, but I knew sometimes humans didn’t count things as actually happening until they spoke about it.

Quinton sighed as well. “Fine, I’ll give you that. But you’re still not paying rent. I’m sure you’ll contribute in other ways, just like Aiden and I do. And Aiden would agree with me,” he said, taking out his phone and typing.

Josh ignored that and snorted. “How else will I contribute? I don’t bake, I don’t do computer shit, and I don’t make a killer cup of coffee, either. I know money, so I’ll pay.”

Quinton finished whatever message he was sending off and looked thoughtful. “You know money. You’re like… into finances and shit, right?”

“I’m a financial advisor. I don’t really deal with the stock market. I go over books and payroll, and I give advice and get people sorted when it comes to money,” Josh answered.

“So, if you were given financial information, could you follow a money trail? Find out where the money was originating? Maybe figure out if there’s some way to shut it down?” Liam asked.

“Uh, well, theoretically… Maybe?” Josh rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re talking about financial crime investigation, and that’s not my specialty.”

Quinton looked at Liam, and they seemed to have a silent conversation between mates. Then Quinton turned to Josh. “Good. That’s settled then.”

“No, nothing is settled,” Josh huffed.

“You’ll do some investigative work for computer shit that Liam needs help with, because we don’t know finances as well as you, and that will be your contribution to rent.” Quinton was smirking like he won, but I knew Josh wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“And if I’m no help? What then? We need to agree on a price. I would think 2k a month would be reasonable for all the utilities and monthly rent.”

Q snorted. “Fuck that. Are you insane? Don’t high-ball me. Think more like a hundred a month.”

It was Josh’s turn to snort. “A hundred won’t even cover the electricity and gas. Nineteen hundred.”

Qunton’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not prime property location, and that would detract from its value. You don’t even have a road. Two hundred.”

Josh smiled. “Exactly, and putting in a road is an added expense. I ought to up it to twenty-one hundred just for that. But I’ll go as low as eighteen.”

Liam seemed unsure, but he bravely stepped between Josh and Quinton. “Um, I think negotiations are supposed to go in the other direction?”

“Shush, Sexy Stalker. Let me work.” Quinton pushed him out of the way, staring at Josh. “Two-fifty.”

Josh snorted. “Still absurd. Do you take me for a chump? That isn’t even remotely reasonable.”

Quinton narrowed his eyes. “You’re lucky we’ll let you pay at all, so I suggest you take what you can get. You’re the one who’s throwing out outrageous numbers. I make a barista’s salary, and there’s no way I could afford it, and if I couldn’t afford it, we sure as fuck aren’t charging you it.”

Josh paused, thinking. “Fair point. I’ll go as low as a thousand.”

“Five hundred,” Quinton countered.

“We’ll meet in the middle at seven-fifty. That’s my final offer, or I can always go find something else and pay an actual rent.”

Quinton snorted. “We have connections. Try it. We’ll make sure no one charges you above what we say.”

Josh’s eyes narrowed, and Liam must have sensed things going further off the rails, because he grabbed Quinton into a hug, saying, “That’s acceptable, but only if you are of zero assistance in our computer investigations.”

“Fine,” Josh conceded. “Although don’t you guys have connections to look into financial stuff? I’d think with your backing, you would.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant, and Liam looked confused as well.

Quinton had no problem asking, though. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Josh looked at me, raising his eyebrows, and I nodded. Yes, Quinton knew about us.

“The Hellhounds,” Josh answered.

Quinton still looked perplexed. “Why would they have someone who’s good with financial shit? They’re lucky Liam is a hacker. Most of them are pretty old-fashioned about things.”

“I just thought with, like, a military operation, or whatever this is, that they might have outside connections or resources,” Josh answered.

We all stared at him.

Well, shit. Apparently he hadn’t taken the news about us being hellhounds quite the way I’d thought he had.

Liam, Quinton, and I looked at each other. I wasn’t sure what to say. I took hold of Josh’s hand and turned to face him, causing him to look at me.

“Mei Ume, we aren’t a military operation.”

Josh chuckled. “Well, yeah, I mean, I kind of figured it wasn’t anything officially sanctioned. It still doesn’t change that you guys hunt down bad guys and have the blessing or permission or whatever of someone in a position of authority. Right? ”

“Well, yes…” I answered. He wasn’t wrong, but… “There’s more to us than that. We aren’t like you, Quinton, Aiden, or Toby.”

Josh chuckled again. “Of course not. You guys are all in crazy good shape and probably know all sorts of things about weapons and self-defense and whatever super-humans who kill bad people know.”

“Josh,” Quinton cut in, “they’re, like, actual hellhounds.”

“Yes, I know,” Josh answered.

“No, you really don’t,” Quinton sighed.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door from Aiden. I had sensed them getting closer but didn’t know if this was their destination or if they were just walking by on their evening walk.

“Come in!” Quinton called, adding, “Good thing I texted Aiden for back-up.”

Aiden and Fluffy walked in at that moment, and Aiden called out a greeting.

Josh smiled at them both. “Hey guys!” He looked at Quinton. “We figured out rent already, and there’s no take-backs just because you have back-up now.”

“Oh good, the rent thing you texted me about is settled?” Aiden asked.

“Oh yeah, we’re on to the hellhound thing now.” Quinton gestured at Josh, rolling his eyes.

Aiden looked at Josh, raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah, I know they’re some super secret organization that hunts down bad guys. It’s okay. I’m okay with it,” Josh assured Aiden.

“They’re actual hellhounds, Josh,” Quinton cut in. “Like, fire and flame and living forever and shit.”

Josh smiled, holding up his hands. “I don’t need any details on how they do things, and I sincerely hope they do all live forever. I don’t want anyone getting hurt, and I’m sure their line of work is dangerous.”

Quinton looked at Aiden, as if for help.

“They turn into fiery dogs, Josh,” Aiden added.

Josh just laughed again, and Liam and I stared at each other, at a total loss.

Atlas obviously felt the need to weigh in on the conversation, though, because Fluffy was gone, and Atlas was standing in his place.

We all stared at him for a moment, waiting to see what he had to say. Only he didn’t say anything, just stared at Josh.

“Aiden,” Josh said, and I could hear him swallow. He wasn’t afraid, exactly, but he wasn’t calm either. “Aiden, why is your boyfriend naked?”

We all looked at Atlas. He was, indeed, naked. Oops.

I hoped Josh wasn’t shy about that sort of thing.