“Up,” I commanded him.
Without hesitation, the dog delicately leaped up onto the bed.
Mila lifted her head and blinked at the dog.
“He’s here for the night, to keep Bandit’s place warm.”
She lifted one arm, and the big dog stepped over her, gently licked her face and then curled up against her stomach.
She sighed and put her arm around him, and his tail hammered with joy against the bed.
Neither of them looked back at me as I stepped away and closed the door.
My phone rang.It was Grisha.
I groaned before I answered. “Axel here.”
“Who attacked us?”
“You know who it was.”
“Do I need to send in some support?”
“I’ve got it handled.”
“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
I pictured Mila frozen beside the vehicle as men fired around her. “I agree.”
Maksim:Mainframe hacked. Name, address and contact number of the person who adopted the dog was bogus. Dead end.
Me: Can you get any camera footage of who took him? License plate?
Maksim: I’m on it.
Part Three
THE GIFT
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
MILA
I layin bed holding the guard dog for three days straight. Every few hours someone came to let the dog out to exercise and eat, but they always brought him back, and he slept in my bed with me the rest of the time.
I think everyone thought that I was messed up over the shooting, and in some ways I was, but most of that seemed like a bad dream that I couldn’t remember. I was most cut up over losing Bandit.
I couldn’t stand the thought of him waiting at the shelter for me to show up, only to be taken, by someone he didn’t know, to a new place where I’d never find him. The grief and guilt nearly gutted me, rendering me unwilling and mostly unable to get out of bed.
Axel came into my room a few times, and I could tell he felt really bad about the situation, but he didn’t do much other than to bring me a drink or offer to take the dog down for a break.
Jordan showed up several times a day with small snacks, smoothies and gossip about the guards. Because he was tryingso hard, I sat up and listened to him, trying my best to nibble on whatever he brought me, but nothing interested me.
Was Bandit safe? Was he scared? Was he hungry? Both Jordan and Axel tried to reassure me that he’d gone to a good home, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was not in a good place.
On the third day, Axel knocked on my door.
“Can I come in?”
