“I have no intention of getting abused.” I could take care of myself in that regard, although I had to be more careful than usual.
“You know London won’t ask,” Kami said. “We’ll simply have to watch her for any sign of trouble.”
“No need for any stalkers,” I said. I already had one of those. Any more and it would turn into a parade.
We finished the pies and pitchers and I left the pub in a good mood, which was unexpected. I assumed the disclosure would leave me feeling annoyed and exposed, but I actually felt better.
As we turned a corner, I sensed someone watching me. I pivoted to see three sets of red eyes observing me from the shadows of a nearby alley.
“Trio?”
The dog trotted forward.
“What are you doing here?” I patted each head.
“I took her to another end of the city,” Kami said. “She must’ve found her way back here.” She dug into her pocket and produced a roll she’d taken from the pub for later. She tore it into three pieces and fed each one to a head.
“What are we going to do with you, huh?” I scratched behind her ear.
“Nothing,” Minka said. “The answer is we’re going to do nothing with her. She’s big enough to swallow a pony. She can fend for herself.”
I cupped her jowls. “You wouldn’t eat a pony, would you? Who’s such a good girl?”
“What if she stayed at the Pavilion?” Kami asked. “We could use an extra layer of security, especially now that we know what London’s up to.”
Minka looked at Trio and wrinkled her nose. “A guard dog?”
Kami rubbed the dog’s head. “Why not? Trio’s obviously taken to us and needs something to occupy her so she doesn’t end up in trouble.”
“I think she’ll end up in trouble in the Pavilion,” Stevie said. “If we leave her there unattended, I guarantee we’ll come back in the morning to a complete mess.”
Minka nodded, her resistance strengthening. “Stevie’s right. And who’s going to pay for the cleanup? What if she eats critical documents?”
“You wouldn’t eat paper, would you?” I stroked her back. “Of course not. You have taste.”
“Let’s put it to a vote,” Kami said.
Minka exhaled sharply. “We can’t. Not everyone’s here.”
“All in favor?” Kami pressed, ignoring the objection.
Kami, Stevie and I raised our hands.
“Majority rules.” Kami gave the dog a triumphant pat on the back.
“The question is who’s going to take her back to the Pavilion now?” Minka asked.
We exchanged wary glances. The Circus was in the opposite direction from my flat. On the other hand, I was the one who brought Trio into our lives. It seemed only fair for me to escort her.
“I’ll do it.”
Trio seemed to understand the conversation and three tongues dropped to the sides of three mouths. She was either happy or plotting world domination. Maybe both.
“I’ll go with you if you want,” Kami said, in a way that suggested she’d rather not but she was too good a friend not to offer.
“No. It’s my mess. I’ll handle it.” I made a clicking sound and Trio loped forward to follow me. “See you later.”
The Pavilion was only a block and a half away. I’d settle the dog in and make it home in time for a bath before bed. If I ended up cutting it too close to bedtime, I’d shower instead, but I really wanted the bath tonight. I wanted to scrub all traces of vampire interaction from my body.
Treena was still on duty when we entered the building. She didn’t seem thrilled to see the return of the three-headed dog.
“What happened? Did she bite someone?”
“Nope. We offered her a job in exchange for food and shelter.”
Treena’s eyebrows lifted. “Here?”
I scratched behind her closest ear. “She’s your backup.”
“Why do I need backup? I have an entire banner of knights and their armory behind me.”
“Not when the building’s closed. Trio’s going to be here all the time.”
“What about walks? Won’t she need to do her business?”
“She’s got the bladder of a camel.” I had no idea if that was true, but I really wanted that bath and the longer I argued with Treena, the less likely the bath would happen.
“Three mouths and one bladder? I find that hard to believe.”
Damn Treena and her common sense.
“I think I need to run this past Minka.”
I smiled. “She objected.”
“I figured.”
“She was also outvoted.”
Treena popped a hand on her ample hip. “Let me guess. You, Kami, and Stevie said yes.”
I wagged a finger at her. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were psychic.”
I started forward but Treena held out an arm to block me. “I’m going to need the approval in writing from Minka. Sorry, London. It’s in the rulebook. If I let you leave this monster here, I’m risking my job.”
“There’s a rule about hiring three-headed dogs as part of the security team?”
“Not specifically, but it would fall under the provision that addresses overnight guests.”
I swore under my breath. Minka knew there was a rule. That was the reason she didn’t fight harder.
I glanced at Trio. “I guess you’re hanging out with me tonight.” I had no idea how I would sneak the beast into my flat without anyone noticing, but I’d give it my best shot. I could turn invisible, but I couldn’t turn my companions invisible.
“I don’t have space for a permanent addition,” I told Trio as we left the Circus and headed toward Euston. “I can squeeze you in for one night though. Just try not to intimidate the others. They pretend to be tough, but they’re pretty fragile.”
I managed to usher Trio into the building and upstairs without incident. One of the reasons I chose this flat was because it was quiet and the neighbors kept to themselves. I introduced Trio to the menagerie and laid out the ground rules. The animals knew what would happen if they picked a fight.
I turned on the bathtub tap and walked back to the kitchen to scrounge up food for my new guest, who was currently sprawled across the living room floor.
A knock on the door startled me. Whoever you are, now is not a good time.
I hurried to the bathroom to stop the water running. The tub was half full. I poured a few bubbles in and swirled them around.
The knocking continued. My visitor was persistent, I’d give him that.
I ran to the door and opened it about an inch. Not him. Her.
“Hey, Mona.”
“So sorry to disturb you, but the tenant in 3B swears he saw you leading a three-headed monster up the steps to your flat.”
I barked a laugh. “Three heads? How drunk was he?”
The landlord offered a timid smile. “I know it sounds absurd, but stranger things have been seen in the city and it wouldn’t be the first time someone claimed you brought an illegal animal into the building.”
Yeah. My reputation was questionable at best. Fortunately no one could ever prove anything so I managed to break dozens of rules without consequences. I realized that was nothing to be proud of, but there were times when I was willing to put my neck on the line and aiding helpless animals was one of them.