Bang
Bang
My hand instinctively finds my pistol on the nightstand as I sit straight up in bed. Ragged breaths escape my lungs as I try to shake the sleep from my mind. It’s rare sleep finds me at all these days, so I’m not sure if the sound came from my dreams or not.
Bang
Bang
Bang
Bang
No, not a fucking dream at all. I climb out of bed, my gun trained on the doorway. This apartment is so small, it’s not as if there are many places for an intruder to hide. And most intruders don’t knock on the fucking door at two in the morning. Leaning my shoulder against the door, I glance through the peephole and see the object of my every nightmare. The vixen who haunts my mind. What the hell is she doing here?
Dropping my pistol on the kitchen island, I crack the door open only enough to push my head through. She stands in the small hallway, one hand white-knuckling a bag slung over her shoulder and a large black dog on a leash in the other. Vanessa is always a large presence, her energy encompassing any space she enters. She is the most unwelcome distraction, especially at this time of night.
We both stare silently at each other for several long seconds. Her face a mixture of discomfort and trepidation, mine one of indifference. She looks down at her dog, a tall black Doberman whose eyes are laser focused on me. He looks mean as hell, but it’s been decades since I was afraid of beasts.
“Was there a fire?” I ask, my tone flat and unamused.
Her eyes narrow into slits, anger boiling deep within her dark irises. Her fist clenches around the leather of the dog leash, which only makes me smirk. There’s just something about riling her up. It’s more entertainment than I’ve had in years.
“No, asshole. There wasn’t a fire. Despite my better judgement, I need help. Even though every single intelligent bone in my body screamed at me to stay the fuck away from you, I clearly didn’t listen. Because I don’t want to bring trouble into my friend’s lives or into their homes. Especially near their families. Rory trusts you, so some stupid, fucked up part of me felt like maybe I could too. But obviously that was a wasted brain cell.” She tugs the leash, turning on her heel to leave.
Something squeezes in my chest. Something like…empathy? No. I don’t fucking care about her. But I do care about Rory and Breaker, and I can’t deny they have done so much for me. Between Breaker and Helo deep diving into the shitshow that is currently my family business, and Rory’s constant comedic relief making the worst days feel a little bit lighter, I almost feel like I have friends here.
“Wait. Come in.” I hold the door open, and she hesitates for only a moment before ducking under my arm, her dog trailing inside behind her.
Staring into the hallway, I take a deep breath and wonder what the fuck I’m doing. I can’t afford to bring her into the mess that is my life right now. Hell, I can barely keep my shit straight, much less help anyone else. I don’t even like her enough to offer my help willingly.
Shutting the door, I watch her taking in my space for the first time. There’s very little here. It’s not as if I really had time to pack for a lavish vacation. I threw my essentials into a bag, took what Matteo had already prepared for me, and got the fuck out of town while I still could.
“I really love what you’ve done with the place,” she says, her tone flat and sarcastic.
“If you’re going to be a bitch, allow me to show you back to the door.” I gesture, and her shoulders tighten.
“No, I’m sorry. It’s just…it’s been a long night. Really, I…appreciate you letting me in.” She acts as if it’s almost painful for her to choke out those words, and I smirk. Fucking drama queen.
“Who is this?” I ask, taking a step towards her dog.
She backs up a little, putting her body between him and I protectively. He leans around her, just as curious about me as I am about him. Call me soft, but I love animals. He stretches his neck, sniffing the air in my direction, and I reach out towards him.
“He’s very skittish around strangers. Especiallystrangemen.” She hammers home the last part, making sure I know how she feels about me.
“Really? Doesn’t seem like it.” I tell her, leaning against the kitchen island, letting her hold him back. He whines, looking upat her. “You don’t have to keep him leashed. There’s nothing in this apartment he can damage.”
She seems shocked by that response. As if she expected me to tell her to keep her mutt chained up in the basement or something. I may be cruel to those who deserve it, but never to an animal. She looks at me unsure, down at him, and back to me again. But my features don’t change. I’m reluctant to welcome her into my space, but him? He’s welcome anytime.
“If you’re sure,” she says softly, unclipping his leash slowly.
He shakes his full body, walking towards me tentatively. Stopping about a foot away, he stretches his neck as far as he can, sniffing my hand as if he’s deciding if I’m worthy or not. He looks up at me, dark brown eyes buried in a sea of inky black fur, and his eyes narrow. Mutual recognition ignites in us both, predator sensing predator. He takes another step forward, and I stand to my full height.
“Sit,” I command, and he obeys. Vanessa makes a squeaking sound behind us, but she doesn’t comment.
“Down.” He lies all the way down, and Vanessa’s brows raise in surprise.
“He never listens to anyone. Me, occasionally. When he feels like it, maybe. But never anyone else. What did you do to my dog?” She crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her perfect tits up, and I shrug.
