Diggs covered the receiver and shot her a quelling stare. “I’ve gotthis.”
But it was too late. Hicks had heard every word. “Stay in ourrooms?”
Oh, he was going to catch serious hell for this. “We need to move the dog upstairs, but he’ll freak if he sees any of you. You need to stay in the war room until I get the dog squaredaway.”
Hicks made a choking sound and Diggs’ fingers curled into a fist in response. “So, your girlfriend wants to take her puppy up to yourbedroom?”
“Yes,” Diggs bitout.
Diggs heard the receiver on the other end being shuffled around and then the loud booming voice of Hicks making the announcement to the rest of the team.Gleefully.
Diggs smashed the phone against his ear. “Just do what I said. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.” And then he hung up, turning to glare at Audra who was watching him with a satisfactorysmile.
“All right, princess, how exactly do you propose to get him to follow you up to ourbedroom?”
Audra’s grin dipped. “Don’t you think he’ll justcome?”
“He’s a trained military K-9. He needs commands just like a soldierwould.”
“What kind ofcommands?”
Melissa had given Diggs a couple of papers on canine training and therapy for dogs with PTSD last night. Diggs debated on whether or not to help Audra out after she’d put him in such an embarrassing position with his team, but in the end, he caved. He’d give her whatever she wanted to make her happy. “They teach them some common commands, as well as some that are top secret. Try Come. We’ll see what hedoes.”
If this didn’t work, Diggs didn’t know what they’d do. Trigger sure as hell wasn’t going to get in a cage without a fight, any more than he would allow them to lead him with aleash.
Audra rose to her feet and took a couple of steps backwards, patted her thighs, and said, “Come.”
Trigger went to herimmediately.
“It worked,” she said withexcitement.
Thank God.“Now tell him to heel and walk around the room in a widecircle.”
Diggs crossed his arms and leaned back against thewall.
“Heel,” she said and made a circle just as Diggs had instructed. Trigger stayed at her side the entire time. When Audra came to stand back in the same position as she’d started, Trigger dropped onto his haunches sitting atattention.
Of course, he would mind perfectly now. But that didn’t mean Diggs was going to totally relax his guard. The dog had been nearly rabid just minutesago.
“You go in front.” He wanted to keep his eyes on both of them. The dog may bolt or snap or anything when he was introduced to a newenvironment.
“Yes, sir.” Audra snapped her heels together and gave Diggs a mocksalute.
Trigger sat there and panted harmlessly, his missing and bandaged front leg giving him the appearance of a helpless injuredanimal.
Diggs fought off a scowl. That dog was as helpless as alion.
