Reese (Pack of Misfits #2) - Raven Kennedy Page 0,94

the porcelain throne. My butt drips water, my jeans totally saturated.

Hurrying over to the disgusting shower/tub combo, I quietly slide the curtain over, nearly gagging when I see how much mold is inside the tub and caked along the tile grout. Stepping on top of the tub rim, I stand on my tiptoes to reach the small rectangular window above. I yank on it hard. I manage to get it open an inch. Then two. But that’s where my luck runs out. The damn thing won’t budge past that. And honestly, I’m not sure I could fit through it even if I did manage to open it all the way. Not in my human form, anyway.

Letting out another frustrated curse, I look around the bathroom for something, anything, other than the goddamn shit plunger. But there’s nothing else in here. The back of the toilet doesn’t even have a lid I can nab.

With a resigned sigh and wishing I had some gloves right about now, I pick it up. Well, I attempt to make myself pick it up. I sort of just pinch the very top of the wooden handle with my forefinger and thumb and try to lift it up, but the damn plunger is stuck, completely suctioned to the floor. Of course.

Gritting my teeth, I grasp the handle with both hands, getting very familiar with the stains. I pull, and the rubber suction releases with a loud pop.

Shit.

Freezing, I wait, not even daring to breathe, as I listen for Sid.

Sure enough, footsteps are coming my way. Double shit.

With a split-second decision, I jump into the shower, plunger in tow, and yank the curtain closed. Holding the plunger up like a sword at the ready, I hear the bathroom door open, footsteps screeching to a halt. “What the fu—”

Sid’s footsteps come stalking toward the shower, and I know I only have one shot at this, so my hands tighten around the handle—shit stains and all—and then the curtain is being ripped aside. It’s not even fully open before I’m swinging my plunger like I’m Mike Trout on home base trying to win a World Series.

CRACK!

I hit Sid so hard that the wooden handle snaps in two, and Sid crumples to the floor like an old condom packet.

I stare in shock, my chest rising and falling from the adrenaline rush, my hands still gripping the plunger, though half of it is now bent over, holding on by a splinter. The shock still hasn’t worn off when there’s a noise behind me, and I look back to find something trying to crawl in through the window.

“Ew, ew, ew, ew!” I jump and cringe because it’s probably a disgusting mouse. I just know it.

Slipping through the tiny gap, a furry body climbs inside onto the windowsill. I’m getting ready to hightail it out of there because mice freak me the fuck out, but then the scent of a shifter hits my nose.

I watch, wide-eyed, as it starts changing forms before it even gets off the windowsill. I nearly crash into the shower head as the gerbil—not a mouse, thank God—shifts mid-jump, landing as a six-foot-five, burly, bald man beside me. Usually when I’m in the shower with a naked man, it’s under very different circumstances.

“Holy shit. Cheese and mice. Friggen hell,” I pant. “You scared me! I thought you were a mouse!”

Igor stands there, naked as a jaybird. Well...if that jaybird happened to be a gerbil. He frowns at me. “Why would you care if it had been a mouse? You’re a rat,” he points out, as if I don’t know this.

I straighten up. “Rats are way better than mice. I’ve heard those rodents are very dirty,” I inform him. “And you’re...a gerbil? Really?” I ask, totally shocked.

He narrows his eyes. “Got a problem with that?”

I quickly shake my head. “No. Just surprised is all.”

He grunts and then looks down at Sid, who’s still passed out cold. There’s a nice red welt across his temple from where I hit him. Igor glances at the plunger. “Nice hit.”

“Thank you,” I say, letting my weapon fall to the floor. With a grimace, I walk over to the sink and rinse my hands. “Is Luca and everyone else okay?”

“They’re fine.”

A bubble of relief pops inside my chest.

Igor cocks his head at the male sprawled on the floor. “This Sid?”

“Yep.”

Igor smiles, but it’s a scary ass smile. “Good.”

Igor nods and climbs out of the shower and pushes Sid on his back. The burly male steals Sid’s