My heart kicked.
Damn, this woman. I was falling.Hard.
“Go.” I said, despite all the things on the tip of my tongue. “Go.”
She stepped past me, commanding Athena, Tango, and Max to follow. I scanned the woods ahead of her, wanting to be by her side but knowing she wouldn’t leave Brutus alone. She had her gun and her guard dogs. She was going to make it up that hill.
I turned to Brutus, still standing in his cage and doing what he did best, staring into my damn soul.
“Okay. Brutus. My name is Max—actually, Jagg. Here’s what’s going to happen.”
The dog blinked slowly, unimpressed.
“You’re going to follow me up the hill, calmly, nicely, staying at least two feet away from my nuts and my jugular. In that order. Got it?”
He glanced at Sunny in the distance, then back at me.
“I might not have a mouth full of fangs but I’ve got some jujitsu moves that will wrap your balls around your neck quicker than you can say the word neuter.” I was selling myself to adog.And also—whatwasmy obsession with balls?
I checked Sunny’s silhouette fading into the tree line.
“Alright, kid, it’s go time.” I unlocked the gate and pushed it open. “I don’t know Sunny’s commands, but… come. Follow. Whatever. Don’t eat me.”
I turned my back on him in a ridiculous act to prove my fearlessness, then started walking. After a few steps, I glanced back and almost jumped when I realized the thing was right on my heels. I hadn’t even heard his paws against the rocks. The dog truly was like a phantom ghost.
We started up the hill, my head on a swivel, my focus ahead where Sunny was making her way up. My boot caught a root and I stumbled, causing a blow of pain through my back. I glanced back at Brutus, now three feet behind me, his head hanging low, a slight limp in his step.
I kept moving.
“Fight through it.” I grit my teeth, addressing the dog as much as myself. “Fight through the pain.”
I glanced back again. His limp was worse.
“We don’t do pain, Brutus. Push it aside and keep moving. Pain is for pussies. You’re no pussy. I’m no pussy. Fight it.”
I swear he snarled as he lifted his head, but I’ll be damned if his pace didn’t quicken. I slowed, though, scanning the woods from side to side so he wouldn’t think I was doing it for him. A few seconds later, he caught up and was by my side again.
“I’ve decided I’m going to call you Brute.” I looked down at him.
“Why, you ask? Because two syllable names are forpussies, too. Max, Jagg, Brute. One syllable. Strong. Manly.” We walked a moment. “Don’t tell Sunny about that two syllable comment.”
His limping had deepened and I had to fight from kneeling down to check him out, or even scooping him into my arms.
We crested the hill and stepped out of the woods, where Sunny was staring up at the wordCUNTsprayed-painted across her back windows.
She glanced over her shoulder as we approached.
My heart broke at the pain in her eyes.
Together, we stood silent, gazing up at her vandalized home, four dogs at our feet.
“Who would do this?” She whispered in disbelief.
I chose my next words carefully. It was time.
“You said you left the dogs in the house, right? When you went to Gino’s to pick up dinner, you left them inside your house?”
“Yes. I always leave them in when I go anywhere. Excluding Brutus, during the daytime only. Like I said, he stays in the cage and I bring him up before bed.”
