After a full day of working with her, Raum got her to accept food and a few pets, and he was hoping to loosen her up more next week. It was obvious she’d been abused, and it would take time to convince her that no one would hurt her anymore.
He really didn’t fucking get humans. Sometimes he wished the apocalypse would just hurry up and arrive already.
On a happier note, Tiny was much better behaved, and Caro had told him she’d found a foster family who were willing to take him in. “I don’t know how you did it,” she rambled on as they drove home that evening. “He’s practically an angel now. It’s a miracle. I already know the fosters are going to love him.”
She pulled in front of his building, the side mirror narrowly missing a stop-sign pole. He really needed to find his own ride before he ended up in a terrible car accident.
“I’ll see you on Monday. I can’t wait to see how you progress with Luna.”
“We’ll see how she is after a weekend in the kennel,” Raum grumbled, apparently determined to be Mr. Doom and Gloom today.
Caro nodded. “That’s the hardest part about this job: knowing the animals are waiting for you to come back because they have no one else. But you have to take care of yourself first. You have to separate work in your mind or you’re going to end up adopting twenty-five dogs and having no life.”
He shot her a look. “How many do you have?”
“Seven.” She winced. “My house is a zoo. Don’t do what I did.”
“My brother would kill me if I tried,” he heard himself say, though he usually made a point never to reveal personal information about himself.
“You have a brother?”
“Three.”
“Are they as good with animals as you are?”
Raum snorted, thinking of the strong aversion animals had to demons. “No.”
“Their loss,” she said as he opened the van door. “They don’t know what they’re missing.”
He climbed out. “See you Monday.”
Caro said farewell and then gunned it before he even had a chance to close the door. It closed anyway from the force of her acceleration, and he watched her rip down the street with vague amusement.
“Where have you been?” Bel barked when he stepped into the apartment. “You’re worse than Meph, always sneaking out and disappearing.”
Nice of someone to even notice he’d been gone. “At the gym.” He didn’t know why he was lying so he could work a job like a shitty human, but he did know he wasn’t ready to stop yet.
Eager to escape the scrutiny, he headed around the kitchen past Bel, who was stirring a big pot with more force than necessary, spraying flecks all over the tile backsplash.
Meph stepped around the corner, blocking Raum’s path with an evil smile on his face. “Does going to the gym involve getting a ride in a rusty pedo van?”
“A what?” Bel asked, easing off torturing the food.
“A pedo van. You know, the kind moms tell their kids to stay away from.”
Raum pinned Meph with a glare, warning him to shut up.
“And you wanna know something funny?” Meph continued, ignoring him. “I saw you get out of that same van yesterday too.”
“Where were you?” Bel demanded. Raum was too busy glaring at Meph to look at him.
“I wondered that too,” Meph said, “but the writing on the side of the van told me everything I needed to know.”
“Don’t even—”
“Ange GardienAnimal Shelter. Interesting name.”
Raum narrowed his eyes at Meph.
