Page 126 of Pure Silence

Jack and Lin must have picked the lock because the door was intact other than the chain being cut. That would explain why Goldie didn’t hear anything when they broke in.

He swore he was going to put in a damn moat next.

He didn’t know how that would work in his apartment hallway, but fuck, he was going to do something to make sure no one ever broke in here. He shut the door behind them, locked it, and then took in the state of the apartment with a grimace.

It was an absolute disaster.

The kitchen appeared to have exploded outward, the makings of breakfast strewn across the counters and the floor. The frying pan was on the living room floor with a single shred of raw bacon remaining, and the knife block was tipped over. There was blood on the linoleum in the kitchen, and Goldie’s stomach tightened.

He felt sick.

His home had been violated by criminals, and he didn’t know where to start cleaning. The mess seemed overwhelming, and Goldie was struck by a surge of helplessness. He was drowning and lost, and the terrible events of the day were repeating in the forefront of his mind like a video on loop, and he couldn’t—

Twinkle and Purrcy both came running up, their tails high in greeting, meowing frantically.

Seeing them broke Goldie out of his stupor, and he kneeled to scoop Purrcy up into his arms. “Aw, my little princess! There you are!”

Day plopped on his butt, dragging little Twinkle into a big hug and grinning as he started to purr. He petted Twinkle and kissed the top of his head, sighing happily.

Purrcy allowed the snuggles, and she even purred, headbutting Goldie’s jaw.

“I’m so glad you guys are okay.” Goldie reached over to give Twinkle some love too. “We’re having steaks tonight. I’ll even make little kitty-sized steaks for you two.”

Purrcy was done being held, and she wiggled out of Goldie’s arm with a swish of her tail. She continued to dance around in front of him for pets, and Goldie ended up sitting on the floor beside Day.

Day leaned his head over on Goldie’s shoulder, and he smiled.

“Good to be home, huh?” Goldie asked.

Day nodded.

“So.” Goldie scratched behind Purrcy’s ears. “I guess this means you’re back to not talking unless it’s that, uh, scripture stuff?”

Day nodded again, and he frowned, mouthing, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out. I know we talked about getting you a whiteboard or something to write on, but I think I’m just gonna get you a phone. Hell.” Goldie grunted, stretching out his legs. “I was supposed to get one yesterday when I got off work. I was gonna stop by the store, get a phone, maybe even a laptop.”

Day quirked his brows in question.

“For you,” Goldie said. “Thought maybe you’d use it for… stuff.”

Day stared expectantly.

“Well, I thought you’d maybe wanna go back to school. There’s all sorts of high school diploma programs, GED’s, and then college too. Hell, you can even do therapy online now that I think about it.”

Day actually seemed excited by the idea, and he nodded eagerly.

“Yeah?” Goldie smiled. “You think you’d wanna do that?”

Day nodded.

“Good.” Goldie kissed his forehead. “I like that. Thinking about helping you. Thinking about the future.” He bumped their shoulders together. “Maybe with a tiny bit less killing people? How about it, murder muffin?”

Day shook his head. He mouthed something, but Goldie wasn’t sure he caught it.

“Mission? The mission?” Goldie confirmed.

Day nodded again, and he pressed his cheek into Twinkle’s scraggly fur.