Hells kitten an mm daddy.., p.1
Hell's Kitten: An MM Daddy Romance (Paddle Creek Daddies Book 5), page 1
Hell’s Kitten
PADDLE CREEK DADDIES BOOK FIVE
HJ WELCH
Contents
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Trigger Warning
1. Jessie
2. Nim
3. Jessie
4. Nim
5. Jessie
6. Nim
7. Jessie
8. Nim
9. Jessie
10. Jessie
11. Nim
12. Jessie
13. Nim
14. Jessie
15. Nim
16. Jessie
17. Nim
18. Jessie
19. Nim
20. Jessie
21. Nim
22. Jessie
23. Nim
24. Jessie
Epilogue
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About the Author
Hell’s Kitten
Paddle Creek Daddies Book Five
Copyright © 2024 by HJ Welch
Cover Design by Cate Ashwood
This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Created with Vellum
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BY HJ WELCH
Paddle Creek College (Daddies and kink)
#1 Heaven Sent
#2 Yes, Sir
#3 Little Pleasures
#4 Four Play
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Complete Box Set (Six books and five short stories)
Homecoming Hearts (Former Boy Band)
Complete Box Set (Five books and three short stories)
Bears-4-U (Daddies and bears multi author shared universe)
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A Daddy For Christmas (Multi author shared universe)
Jalen & Colby
BY HELEN JULIET
Contemporary Fairy Tale Adaptations
The Fairy Tale Collection (Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Rapunzel)
Daddy’s Fairy Tales (Daddies and kink – Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, Puss in Boots)
Jacked Up (D/s – Jack and the Beanstalk)
Trigger Warning
This book features frequent mentions of Jessie’s mom’s battle with cancer. She is in remission, but some readers might find the references to her struggles distressing.
CHAPTER 1
Jessie
In hindsight, this is probably going to be one of those funny stories I tell. Largely because this is entirely my fault.
But right now, it’s the most unfunny thing I’ve ever experienced in my twenty-three years of life.
“Jessie?” my boyfriend, Parker, says in surprise as he opens the door to his apartment. No. Not in surprise. In horror. “What are you doing here?”
My stomach threatens to drop, but I always stubbornly cling to hope and optimism even when disaster is staring me in the face. It worked when my mom was diagnosed five years ago, and it’s going to damn well work now. My boyfriend is excited to see me. He just doesn’t realize it yet.
“I start classes next week, remember?” I say cheerfully. “You said I could stay with you.”
His eyes widen as his gaze falls to the large suitcase on wheels sitting next to me. It’s covered in various cat stickers, so there’s no missing that it’s mine. “I said you could come over whenever,” he said slowly. “Like usual.” I can’t stop the dread that’s pooling in my stomach. His eyes are still wide, and he’s breathing pretty heavily.
He’s not the only one.
Okay, so, yeah. Normally, I message him beforehand, and we make plans for me to visit over the weekend or whatever. We’ve been dating for a couple of years ever since he swung by Cincinnati that time and we matched on one of the apps. He sometimes visited me in the city, but with me living at home and Mom’s illness, it made sense for me to come here more often than not. I know the drive with my eyes closed, and his apartment feels like home as well.
Or at least it did until about thirty seconds ago.
“Are you moving in?” Parker splutters. He makes it sound like an accusation, and he’s still glaring at my suitcase like it’s a bomb about to go off. I try not to think of all the rest of my stuff in my car outside.
“Uhh…” I say, feeling my cheeks heat up. “I thought you said I could stay once I started school?”
I’m rapidly feeling like a complete and utter fool. When it was clear that my mom’s cancer was clearing up and I could finally start living my life again, coming to Paddle Creek to be with Parker seemed like the obvious choice. Sure, the town is kind of a dump, and the college is hardly Ivy League, but what does that matter when I’m in love?
This was supposed to be my second chance. I adore my mom and don’t regret one second I dedicated to her care or a single cent I put toward her treatment. But I can’t lie. It was pretty devastating giving up my cheerleading scholarship to Northern Kentucky University and watching all my friends leave town.
But now I’m here, and crashing with Parker means I can afford to get my degree. I’m all enrolled. This is happening.
So why is he looking at me like I’m a complete stranger?
“I never said you could come live with me, Jesus,” he says, shaking his head. He’s clinging to the door like it’s propping him up. He’s only opened it a foot or so, like he’s using his body as a shield to stop me from barging in. “I know you mentioned college, but you didn’t say anything about our arrangement changing. What the hell, man?”
I wince. He knows I hate it when he calls me ‘man,’ but he always seems to forget. Just like how he’s apparently forgotten telling me that he’d take care of me and that I shouldn’t worry about a thing. Was he even listening when we made these plans?
When I made these plans, I guess.
There’s only so much my natural positivity can cling to when faced with the horrible, dawning realization of what’s going on here.
He doesn’t want me to move in with him.
I know we only see each other every couple of months, but that was why this was so exciting. It was going to be the next phase in our relationship! Doesn’t he want that?
“Uh, s-sorry,” I stutter, not sure what else to say. “I must have misunderstood. It’s okay. I can maybe see if there are some dorm rooms left or something…”
The community college isn’t big, so they don’t have much accommodation as they expect people to commute from home. There might be a cheerleading house, but I’m not even on the team yet. I have to try out, and after five years I’m pretty rusty. But there’s got to be a solution if I look hard enough. I can get a part-time job to pay for rent. Sure, I wasn’t factoring that in when planning my finances and justifying college at all, but I’m kind of committed now.
“You’re enrolled at Paddle Creek?” he says, still sounding incredulous.
Finally, I go from feeling shocked to angry. “Yes,” I snap back, equally incredulous. “I came here to be with you. I’m doing this for us. I didn’t text ahead because I thought it would be fun to surprise you, but clearly, I’m mistaken. What’s going on, Parker? Don’t you want to be with me?”
He just stares at me for a few seconds, his mouth hanging open like a goldfish.
Then a voice comes from behind him.
“What’s going on, babe? Everything all right?”
And then the door opens up all the way and a man I’ve never seen before in my life slips his arm around my boyfriend’s waist, kisses his neck, and looks at me with a frown.
Now I’m the one with the slack jaw.
“Who are you?” he asks bluntly.
“Who are you?” I practically shriek.
“Fuck,” Parker mutters under his breath.
I’m feeling lightheaded as I look at them both. This other guy is muscly, like Parker. They both have that ‘I could definitely be straight’ vibe going on that I’ve subtly been trying to help Parker work on. I thought I could open his mind, especially now we were supposed to be living together.
I’ve obviously thought a great number of things that were totally and completely wrong.
“I’m Zane,” the other guy says.
His gaze lingers on my kitty stickers. Then it travels over my backpack, which is slung over one shoulder and the headphones that pretty much live around my neck if they’re not on my head. Both of these things have adorable cat ears, and the bag even has whiskers printed on the flap.
Normally, I’m loud and proud about my feline obsession. It’s as integral to me as my sexuality and gender identity. But in that moment, I’m made to feel so small and stupid that I’d have given almost anything for plain luggage and accessories.
“I can explain,” Parker is saying. I look up and realize he’s not talking to me.
He’s talking to Zane.
It’s the final nail in t
“I was never your boyfriend,” I say softly, tears pooling in my eyes. “I was your bit on the side. He’s your boyfriend.”
Zane looks murderous as he takes his arm off Parker’s waist and scowls at him. “You’ve been fucking this little twink behind my back? You into girls now instead of men?”
His insult slices through my already broken heart. I love my body, especially when I’m training hard and get really toned. I love being fem and all kitteny. I could work out my whole life and I’d never be as big and masc as they are. I don’t even want that. But it hurts to be attacked for something that’s not even within my control.
“No, baby!” Parker cries in distress. “It was just a bit of fun, you know? Something for a change. I’m so sorry! It meant nothing! I love you!”
Zane huffs, balling up his fists and storming back inside the apartment.
Parker goes after him, letting the door swing shut without even so much as a glance in my direction.
I stand in the hallway like a lemon, not quite believing what just happened. How can my entire world have fallen around my ankles in a matter of minutes? Was I ever going to see Parker again? I thought we were building a life together.
How long have he and Zane been a thing? Surely, Zane can’t live here, or I would have seen some trace of him before now. How has Parker been keeping us apart—in real life, let alone online? I guess he doesn’t have any social media accounts. He always called my Instagram posts vain and attention seeking. I told myself he was just teasing, but…
Oh my god. He probably does have social media. He just told me he didn’t so I couldn’t tag him.
I never met his friends or his family. Most of the time, we just stayed at his place and fucked. I was so completely wrapped up in Mom’s chemo appointments and taking care of her, our home, and our finances that I probably didn’t think on it all half as much as I should have.
I’ve been a complete, gullible moron.
Come to think of it, how much did I talk to him about me moving in with him? I was planning on maybe getting a weekend job and contributing towards bills. I’m not a freeloader. But part of what was so nice about visiting him was that he just took charge and sorted everything. He made plans and paid for food and allowed me to switch my brain off and be pampered for a while after giving all my time and energy to my mom.
I know I definitely told him I was going to college because he said that was great news, and we celebrated by getting a pizza delivered and…having sex.
Did I tell him I’d applied to Paddle Creek? That I got in? It’s not exactly a hard college to gain attendance to, but…
Oh dear. I know I told Mom everything. She’d been excited for me. She always said she liked Parker. Or at least liked the sound of him. She never met or spoke to him, after all. And I never confided any of my doubts about him to her because I was so determined that everything would be fine once she got better, and I could live my life for myself again.
But I’ve been walking around in a fantasy land.
I stare at Parker’s door and realize in a sudden rush how many blanks I’d been filling in for this relationship. Deep down, I must have worried that he might not have been totally down for going from seeing each other once every couple of months to every day. That’s why I convinced myself he’d enthusiastically agreed to live together.
This had only ever been a fling to him. When I told him I was going to college, he probably thought that meant me moving further away, not closer. I bet he was planning on using it as an easy excuse to break up with me without Zane ever finding out.
There’s a small, petty part of me that’s getting some savage satisfaction from knowing that I’ve exposed Parker’s dirty little secret—a.k.a. me—to Zane. The guy might have been a douche to me, but no one deserves to be cheated on. Perhaps Parker will go from two boyfriends to none by the end of the day.
My schadenfreude only goes so far, though. I don’t get so much joy out of Parker’s misfortune that I want to hang around and see any more of it. It’s time I start looking after myself again.
Rubbing my chest with one hand and nibbling my thumbnail on the other, I try my best to breathe. I’m still enrolled in college. I still have my car and all my stuff. I don’t have much money in the bank as I gave most of it to my mom while she’s still applying for a new job of her own. But I’m a hard worker. I held down three jobs at one point to make sure Mom and I didn’t go under. I’ll be okay.
And if I have to sleep in my car for the time being, well…it’s still a roof over my head.
Right?
CHAPTER 2
Nim
Usually, everyone in O’Toole’s knows better than to bother me.
Usually.
“Well, what have you got there?” a chipper voice asks by my shoulder. I’m sitting at the bar in the pub, minding my own business with my pint of Guinness. No one was supposed to look so closely they’d see the inside of my leather jacket. More specifically, they weren’t supposed to pay attention to the tabby kitten currently asleep in my pocket.
Glancing over my shoulder, I’m mildly surprised to see Sheriff Chancey smiling warmly at me, her eyes looking hopeful of another glimpse of fluff.
I grunt and go back to my pint. The little one needs warmth and round-the-clock feeding. I’ve got plenty of milk for him back at home. I just wanted to swing by for a drink at the town’s only gay bar before spending the rest of the evening alone.
Only gay pub, I should say. There’s that loud and shiny bar that the kids go to in the town center where they can rub against each other with sugary cocktails and perky pop music blasting.
Not my scene.
I like peace and quiet. Sheriff Chancey is currently imposing the opposite on me.
“Ohh, what a sweetie,” she says with a grin. “You’re so good with all those kitties, aren’t you?”
I try not to wince. If she’s talking about the cats that live in my café until they can find their forever homes, then, yes. I think I am pretty good with them.
If she’s talking about a completely different kind of kitten…no. I haven’t had the best of luck with those over the years.
The pub isn’t all that busy, but Donna, the dyke who runs the joint sure took her time with the customer she was serving before coming to my rescue. I think she enjoys watching me squirm. If I didn’t love her like a sister, I might hate her. She knows she’s safe, though, as evident from her smirk as she saunters over to us on the other side of the bar.
“Paula,” she says happily, slapping her hands down on the counter. “It’s been a while. How are the kids?”
The sheriff snorts. “Not kids. Teens.” She shudders. “Timothy will only answer to ‘TJ’ now and insists he doesn’t need to do his homework anymore because he’s a ‘major TikTok influencer.’” She uses air quotes and rolls her eyes. “I keep telling him that a thousand views isn’t enough to quit the day job. And Mary-Beth refuses to ever leave her room, but when she does, it’s only to hunt down another computer to break apart and put back together again. I wouldn’t mind if she sold the ones that she fixes, but she insists she needs them all for making codes or something. My house only has so much space, you know? I swear if she’s hacking into the Pentagon, it’s me who’s going to jail.” She jerks her thumb at me. “I should have stuck with cats.”
I grunt in agreement. People—especially ones you’re related to—aren’t worth it. They’ll only mess you up, one way or another.
Donna cackles, however. “God bless you, hon. You’re a trooper. What can I get you?”
Now, I know that Donna hasn’t missed the fact that Chancey is in uniform. That’s her way of asking her what she’s doing here. Sure enough, the sheriff taps her badge.
“Afraid I’m on duty, Dee. Actually, my visit is official, not social.”
Donna arches an eyebrow. “That so?” she says as she wipes her spotless bar down with a rag.
Chancey sighs. “Got an anonymous report of some…unsavory business taking place on the premises.”
