"Hi there! Welcome to our adoption event." Her voice was melodic, warm. "Are you looking to add a furry friend to your family today?"
I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling like a damn teenager. "Actually, I already have two dogs. Big guys. Cane Corsos."
"Oh!" Her expression brightened even more, if that was possible. "What are their names?"
"Hades and Anubis."
She giggled, and the sound did something to my chest. "Quite the intimidating names. Are they as fierce as they sound?"
"When they need to be." I shrugged, moving closer to her table. "But mostly they're just overgrown puppies looking for belly rubs."
"The best kind." She tilted her head, studying me. "So, if you're not here to adopt, are you interested in donating or volunteering? We always need help with walking the dogs or socializing the cats."
This was my opening. But who was I to remind her of her trauma? Why was I even here? “Sorry,” I mumbled, then turned around and abruptly strode out.
She caught up to me before I got to my truck. “Sir, what did I say? I didn’t mean to offend you.”
I stopped and turned. Her genuine concern caught me off guard. How did she manage to be the one apologizing when I was the one acting strange?
"You didn't do anything wrong," I said, my hand clutching my keys. I had no idea what to say. I watched her as her eyes roved over me. At six foot five I was hardly small, and I’d always kept up with the physical discipline I’d learned in the Marines. She should be intimidated, especially with what she’d just been through, and I knew she had been at first, but all I saw now was concern.
“Have we met?” she asked suddenly.
I hesitated and she took a sudden step back, curiosity turning to fear in an instant, and I cursed.
“I was on the rescue team last month,” I blurted out.Fuck.Gideon was going to make sure my body would never be found. “I just wanted to check if you were okay.” I heaved a breath. "Sorry, this was an idiotic idea, and you certainly don't need the reminder.” I paused and took in her huge brown eyes staring at me like I was a nightmare personified.
I tried to move away, but before I took another breath her hand clamped around my wrist.
“Prove it,” she replied, but then snatched her hand away and I glanced down at my arm, the skin tingling.
“We nearly missed you,” I answered. “A guard had taken you to the bathroom, but one of the other girls told us you weren’t in the truck. We went back for you, and I heard you tell him to get his hands off you and what you would do to him when you got your hands on a knife if he didn’t.”
Her eyes widened.
"You're... one of them. From the rescue team." Her voice had dropped to just above a whisper.
I nodded, suddenly feeling like an intruder in her new life. "I wanted to check on you. Make sure you were okay."
Emily glanced back at the shelter, then at me. "I have to get back inside. We're short-staffed today."
"Of course." I opened my door, but she put her hand on it, stopping me.
"There's a coffee shop two blocks down. Murphy's. I get off at eight." She stepped back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "If you still want to talk."
Before I could respond, she was hurrying back to the shelter, her pink ribbons bouncing with each step. I sat in my truck watching her go, feeling like I'd just been granted a reprieve I didn't deserve.
I watched her go back inside, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly. It wasn't a dismissal. She wanted to talk, which,fuck, I was no good at. Starting my truck I pulled out of the parking lot, my mind racing. I had three hours to kill before meeting Emily at Murphy's, and I needed to get my head on straight before then.
I called Maddox as I drove.
"Tell me you didn't fuck up," he answered without preamble, and I scowled until I realized the app we all had would show him where I was.
"Define 'fuck up,'" I replied, turning onto the main road.
His sigh was audible. "Dion, what did you do?"
"I went to see her." No point in lying. "At the animal shelter."
