𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 - 𝐇𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧

[Chapter 8]

And I can never avoid Mary Jane. Every time I'm in the bathroom, she's there with her clique, and all the energy I have in me is drenched up by her quirkiness and questions and hugs and science inside jokes. It's hard to keep up.  

And as if she's in charge of Peter like a mother, she always makes sure to bring up the fact that we haven't talked and that the two of them desperately needed to tell me this big surprise. It's like she's planning for a play date for me and Peter, except she's in it too.

"C'mon, Dove, his father is a maniacal bloke who's taking control of the whole city. I'm positive he'll follow in his footsteps."

I squint at him. "How do you know about about his Dad?"

"Bossman lets me snoop around his screens sometimes."

"You say "let" but it really means when it's behind his back."

"Gosh, Love Dove," he clutched at his heart, "you know me so well."

I shrug, being sarcastically humble. "I know all. But Harry will not become his father, okay? He hates him too much, and I know him, at least, I know he's better than Peter."

"Moral of the story, they're both arseholes for excludin' you." He glanced at the watch across the room. His comment makes me wonder what else he knows about the two, or about me. "We should head out soon. Angelo should've gotten here before you, though. Bloke has no perception of time."

I disregard him and whatever else he had to say and crouched down to pet Bea. 

"She bites, love. Claws and hisses at you."

Before I could even extend a hand out, Bea walks over to sniff it cautiously, her eyes closing and her ears perking up as a response. She began brushing herself against my crossed legs, purring satisfyingly.

I could feel Hobie frozen behind me. Bea continues to purr as I pick her up and rest her on my lap, which is a forward move and she was free to claw me, but she accepted it happily.

I tilt my head back. "You were saying?" I giggled.

Hobie frowned. "Probably didn't recognize you as a human being with that wild hair."

"Hobie." I warned.

"Oh, you hear that? I think Angelo's on his way." He turned to open the door.

"Thank God." I petted Bea.

We could hear trampling footsteps from down the hallway that increased in loudness as he grew closer to the door. He didn't have to knock, as Angelo practically sprinted through the door, ignoring Hobie, to get to where I am.

"Hello, ma'am." He panted out desperately, a sleazy smile on his face. "Saw you through the window. Before Hobie can say anythin' about me, I think it best be comin' from me that I am a loyal man, an amazing cook, and a father to three healthy and happy cats."

I blink up at him, no response surfacing in my head as I struggled with flattery. Make that 4 D's.

And as a response to my response, or say, my lack of, he turns to Hobie by the door. "She ain't mute, is she?" He whispered at him.

Hobie shrugs. "I dunno, I found her by the streets-"

"That's shocking, because weren't you the one who came and terrorized my foster home?" I bark at him.

"That She-Devil was you?" Angelo pointed at me. "And you're American?"

I glare at Hobie. "She-Devil?!" I repeated the insulting nickname. I'd forgotten how much he actually hated me, but still.