Serves Me Wright (Wright #9) - K.A. Linde Page 0,38

the one problem with the pet carrier over the other ones that Julian had wanted to use: someone had to close it. Which meant, I should have been waiting nearby. So that as soon as the cat walked inside, I could snap the door closed. Instead, I was running like an idiot the short distance across the lawn to try to get there before Cado ate all the fish and realized she wasn’t in her natural environment.

I dashed across the yard and smashed the grate closed as Avocado tried to stick her little head out. She snarled and yowled, slashing at the metal. I secured the grate in place and carefully pulled my hand back. If I hadn’t been quick, she could have gotten me.

When I turned back around, Julian and Annie were both laughing hysterically.

“What?” I demanded.

“You should have seen yourself,” Annie said. “You, like, slid into home to get that gate closed.”

“She would have gotten out!”

Julian tried to cover his laugh, but it didn’t work. “It was amazing. And good news: Bacon made it into the other one.”

I found the spring-loaded carrier had worked, and Bacon was inside, contentedly eating the fish. Cado never would have gone willingly. Should have seen that one coming.

I flopped back onto the grass. “Thank God that’s over.”

Julian dropped down next to me. “Remind me to never offer to help you catch cats again.”

The adrenaline of the moment was gone. “I can’t believe it worked!”

Tears rolled down my cheeks as laughter hit me right in the pit of my stomach. Julian was right there with me.

Until Annie came to stand over us and shook her head. “I want whatever y’all had.”

I wiped the tears from my eyes. “I trapped cats that a few days ago, I wouldn’t have even claimed as mine. And I’m taking them with me across town.”

“I knew you loved those cats.”

“At least one of us did.”

Avocado was still crowing. I was going to have to figure out what to do with her. She was probably going to be pretty pissy for a while once we got her out at the other house. But at least Bacon seemed fine, and Cado loved Bacon.

A giant pickup pulled up into the driveway, and Hollin hopped down out of the driver’s seat. “What the fuck are you doing in the grass, Wright?”

Julian propped himself up onto his elbows. “Getting a tan.”

Hollin snorted. “Are we moving today or what?”

“Thanks for offering to help,” I said, brushing grass off of me as I stood. “Piper, Blaire, and Chester should be here soon.”

“Chester?” Julian asked.

“Yeah, I’m as surprised as you are.”

“Your brother is going to help?” Annie asked.

“He moved in earlier this week, and I helped him. He offered to return the favor.” I shrugged.

“What’s up with your brother?” Hollin asked. “Why is everyone shocked?”

“He’s just…”

“Self-centered,” Annie finished.

“Narcissistic,” Julian added.

“An asshole.”

I swatted at them both. “He’s trying, y’all.”

“Hell, I’m a self-centered, narcissistic asshole,” Hollin said, crossing his beefy arms over his muscled chest.

Julian and Annie shared a look and then shrugged and nodded.

“Pretty much,” Annie said.

“What do you say about me when I’m not here?” Hollin joked.

“Nothing we wouldn’t say to your face, cuz.” Julian got to his feet and clapped Hollin on the arm.

“Dude, are you bleeding?”

And the rest of us broke down into laughter again.

By the time Piper, Blaire, and Chester showed up to help me move, Julian and Hollin had already gotten the furniture onto Hollin’s truck. Annie had brought Jordan’s truck over for the day, and Piper had shown up in Bradley’s pickup. I was thankful because that meant I didn’t have to rent anything.

Jordan had paid for someone to come and box up all of Annie’s stuff and move it into his mansion on the south side of town. But I didn’t have a billionaire boyfriend, so I was on my own.

“What do you have in here?” Chester grunted as he lifted a box from my bedroom.

“Books.”

“More like bricks.”

“A book a day keeps reality away.”

He snorted and hauled it out of my bedroom. I grabbed one from the bathroom and followed him outside.

The whole thing was going remarkably fast with six people moving instead of just me, like the last time I’d moved. My arms had hurt for a week straight afterward.

“Last box,” Hollin said, hauling the box onto his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. He was easily the biggest guy I’d ever seen in my life.

“Phew! That was quick,” I gasped.

My eyes traveled across my friends. Hollin deposited the