Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 130955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
“Oh, there’s another one,” Jessika shouted and ducked, reaching out for Coal, who hid behind Yev’s legs with a frantic yelp. Poor thing.
“Careful, honey! It might bite you!” Bartek said, removing one of his boots as soon as he entered the cabin. He turned it upside down and tapped it against the doorframe to remove the snow that had fallen inside on the way from the car. Because of course it had. “So where’s that guy? Radek?”
Jessika shot up. “Right. Where is he?”
Yev exhaled and scratched Radek behind the ear. “He had an emergency with his mother. It’s only me.”
Bartek shot Yev a glare. His cheeks dipping in anger. “So you were meant to meet my girlfriend on your own? Pretty convenient.”
But Jessika was already extending her arms for Ember. “Oh, whatever. He’s not a serial killer, he saves crippled foxes for god’s sake!” she said, pulling Ember out of Yev’s arms
Yev rubbed the bridge of his nose. “There’s nothing convenient about it.”
Unlike Jessika, Bartek seemed to understand this might have been a slight. But as Jess squashed Radek to her chest, which smelled as if she’d perfumed herself right before leaving the car in case the animals she was to meet stunk, his attention got diverted.
“Jess, wow, you look great in that shade of red,” Bartek said with a wide grin.
She held Radek against her face. “You think?”
Yev extended his hand, as if to stop her, but must have decided she was holding Radek in a bearable way, because he bit his tongue. While not exactly comfortable with her fingers digging in under his armpits, Radek wasn’t in pain, so he focused on looking cute while Coal kept his distance, watching the strangers from underneath Yev’s favorite armchair.
Yev cleared his throat. “So, do you want to work outside or—?”
“Definitely here. Don’t want to catch a cold,” Jessika said, stroking her long fingernails through Ember’s fur. She wouldn’t be risking illness if she wore a winter jacket and actually buttoned it, but whatever helped them get this over with sooner.
Yev opened his arms. “Fine. This room’s the largest. Do any of you want tea? Coffee?”
Bartek, who’d popped outside just moments before, returned with a large duffel bag, which he unzipped, revealing cables and metal parts. “Do you have green tea?”
“Is herbal fine?”
Bartek nodded but met Jessika’s gaze the moment Yev disappeared in the kitchen. A part of Radek wished him to come back already, but his lover would be back, were they to attempt skinning him to make a new scarf.
“I thought this place would be more rustic. It’s just an old house,” Bartek grumbled. “We should have had them bring the foxes to that nice guest house out of the valley.”
“I know, but I don’t want this to take any longer than it has to. I hate this place,” Jessika groaned, but did pet the fox in her lap like any nice person.
“Why is your Dad still living here then?” Bartek asked, setting up lamps.
“Not for long. He’s almost retired. He told me he wants to move somewhere warm. Maybe Spain or Italy? It’s a matter of a year, and we’ll try to sell that stinking farm. With money from that and the house we’ll have enough cash to buy a new place for Daddy and launch the cosmetics line.”
Bartek snorted. “Can’t believe you’ll fund vegan cosmetics with money from fur. Cheeky, Jess.”
Radek’s head pulsed, and his ears raised in attention once he understood what was being said. She wanted to sell her half of the farm. To fuck-knew-who. Radek had been dragging his feet about the bloodthirsty enterprise, extending enclosures, making sure all the foxes that needed veterinary treatment got it, but that could only delay the inevitable for so long.
Jessika shrugged. “Gotta get your hands dirty if you want to achieve something in life.”
Radek frowned. Jessika hadn’t really worked a day, let alone got her hands dirty.
Bartek sighed. “Let’s get these photos done then.”
Jessika leaned down in an attempt to reach Coal and squashed Radek with her boobs in the process. “I just hoped they’d be like… nicely disabled, you know? The red one’s fine, but the black one’s missing half his tail, and that’s such a bummer.”
Radek stirred with held back fury. It sure was a fucking bummer.
“You wanna see if we can fashion some kind of tiny eye patch for the black one? Could be cute,” Bartek suggested.
Enough was enough. Radek barked, making it playful enough to satisfy Jessika but also alerting Yev his presence was needed.
Yev stomped back without drinks, and approached, first taking in Ember and Coal, and only then having a longer look at the equipment.
“You guys good?”
Bartek frowned, noticing that their host’s hands were empty. “Just a bit thirsty.”
Once Yev was reassured nothing horrid was going on, he fetched a pot of herbal tea and the cheap snacks he kept for the visitors he cared for least. He sat in the armchair, reading a book while Jessika posed in both cutesy and glamorous poses. Coal was stressed out by her, for obvious reasons, so Radek told him to stay at Yev’s side and did his best to satisfy his petty client.