Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

D erek pulled into the busy parking lot of Easton Haven’s smaller mall strip. The place was all done up with holiday decorations and Christmas music playing. He could see someone selling hot chocolate and apple cider outside of the grocery store. He shook his head as he glanced at Pet Haven Animal Clinic. He could see the Season’s greetings sign on the window and the garland wrapped around the front door. There was even a cat and dog with a Santa hat painted on the front window. He bet money it was Sasha who did the decorations.

“We don’t need all this. We’re just going to have to take it down and I won’t be here for Christmas.” Derek watched Sasha climb the small ladder and hang mistletoe in between the door frame. Her ass looked good in those leggings and he walked up behind her, gripping her hips.

She shot him a dirty look. “Don’t try it. No touchy until I’m finished.” She arched her back on purpose and he groaned.

Derek remembered that Christmas, it was one of the last good ones they had. He remembered wanting to spend every moment he had left in between her thighs but knew how much she loved the holidays so he let her tell him where she wanted every decoration they owned.

What he wouldn’t give to go back to that.

He scrubbed a hand down his face and opened his side of the door, stepping out of his truck. Kai slowly hopped into his seat before she jumped down at his feet. “Stay,” he commanded, hoping she didn’t shoot out into the parking lot. He hadn’t gotten a leash for her, and being that they walked all the way home side by side last night, he didn’t think she needed one. Kai had taken to him quickly.

He closed the door, hitting the key fob for the alarm and snapped his fingers. “Come on.” Kai stood, and kept close to his side. They reached the front of the pet clinic and Derek did a quick scan of the inside. There were a few people inside, two dogs on leashes, a German shepherd and a lab mix from what he could tell. There was a lady with a cat carrier and someone else who didn’t seem to have a pet with him. It was busy.

Derek looked down at Kai, wondering how she would do in this setting. He wondered if he should run into the pet supply store first to grab a leash for her just in case, but the door to the clinic had swung open, startling them both. An older lady walked out with a poodle and Kai took a step behind him, quickly laying down on her stomach.

A pained whimper escaped her and Derek quickly turned, squatting so he was eye level with her. “Hey sweet girl, you’re alright.” He rubbed a soothing hand on her head. He wondered about her past. He’d seen the scars and missing piece of her ear last night and wondered if she’d been used as a bait dog. Dog fighting was illegal but that didn’t stop these assholes from participating in them.

“We all have scars, Kai. There’s two dogs inside but I promise you, I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” His voice was thick with emotion he tried to bury. He’d said similar words to Danny when he joined the marines and he’d failed to keep that promise.

Kai shifted her head and licked is palm. “We’re two peas, huh? I tell you what, you get through this visit like I know you can and I’ll let you have chicken again tonight, unless Sasha says that’s big no-no.”

Kai barked and wagged her tail. It made Derek feel good, even if he wasn’t sure how much she really understood. He placed a hand on the wall to help him stand back up, and Kai was right beside him as he headed for the clinic.

He opened the door, making sure Kai stayed on his right and out of sight from the other dogs. The receptionist, Lindsay or Tiny as he’d known her, recognized him right away and didn’t bother to school her facial expression. She wasn’t too happy to see him and being Sasha’s best friend, Derek couldn’t say he blamed her.

Her gaze shifted toward Kai and she smirked but it wasn’t friendly. “And here I thought dogs were a good judge of character.”

Derek didn’t have time to respond. The door separating the waiting area from the back rooms slammed open, causing everyone to jump, including the dogs. Derek hand dropped toward Kai, hoping she hadn’t been startled. But she’d pushed through his legs, and started growling at the man barreling through the clinic.

“Kai?” Derek looked down at her a little confused. Her hair was standing up and her teeth were bared. He was almost positive the second the guy came within reaching distance, Kai was going to lunge at him.

“I guess dogs are good judges of characters,” Tiny murmured as she stood up. “Mr. Kane, this is a place of business. Do not slam doors in here with all the animals. It will startle them.”

Tiny’s voice was all pleasant and business-like, but Derek knew her well enough to know she basically told him if she had to remind him one more time, she was going to put her foot in his ass.

Mr. Kane glared at her. He made a move toward the reception desk and Kai broke from between Derek’s legs, charging for Mr. Kane. “Kai, no,” Derek snapped, and the dog stopped mid lunge. “Sit, now.” Kai sat but kept her gaze locked on the man.

Mr. Kane didn’t flinch but turned his angry gaze toward Derek. “Your dog needs to be on a leash. Had she bitten me, it would have been a problem.”

Derek gritted his teeth, knowing the jackass was right. He nodded and snapped his fingers at Kai. She huffed but came back to sit beside him.

Mr. Kane kept his gaze on Derek as he spoke. “Tell Sasha I left.”

“I’m pretty sure she heard your departure.” Tiny’s voice dripped with such sweetness it made Derek’s teeth hurt, knowing that sweetness was dipped in venom and either Mr. Kane was too stupid to pick up on it or didn’t care.

Mr. Kane took a step toward Derek and Kai stood up on all fours in front of him. The low growl that emanated from her was a warning that made him pause. “I know you.”

Derek shrugged, snapping his fingers to get Kai to stand down. “It’s a small town, it wouldn’t surprise me.” Everyone knew everyone and the few that were smart enough to leave never came back. This town treated anyone who made it big like royalty and that included their veterans.

The clinic door swung open, smacking up against the wall. Derek tensed as a pain seared across his chest and sweat trickled down his back out of nowhere.

Shit.

He could hear his pulse drumming in his ears like the thunder that roared across the sky last night. He knew what was coming and couldn’t stop it. He wasn’t even sure why the sound of the door hitting the wall set him off now when it hadn’t before, but he couldn’t fight what was coming. The walls seemed to close in around him and his vision blurred. His entire body grew hotter with each rapid inhale he took.

The last thing he wanted to do was lash out or curl into himself as the panic attack pulled him further into his damn nightmare.

I’m in a pet clinic.

I’m here with Kai.

His lungs seized even as he repeated the mantra his therapist told him to try when he felt the first inklings of a panic attack come on. He had taken her advice with a grain of salt, knowing a few words repeated to his damaged mind wouldn’t actually fix anything. The only way he ever stopped a panic attack was when he was piss drunk, or fucking himself into oblivion and even then that hadn’t always worked.

Derek felt Kai’s tongue on his hand before he heard her bark. She jumped up placing her paws on his stomach and barked again. He zeroed in on her, absently rubbing her head until he heard Tiny’s voice in his ear.

“You want to sit down or have some water, maybe?”

He shifted his gaze toward Tiny who had a look of concern on her face. It let him know whatever he was experiencing inside of his head hadn’t been kept inside. Tiny hated him even when he and Sasha were on good terms. If she looked at him with anything other than indifference it meant he just gave everyone in this office a front row show to how damaged he was.

Derek cleared his throat, praying his voice wouldn’t betray him. “Nah, I’m good, T.”

He felt her squeeze his forearm and he wondered when he moved closer to her reception desk. “That’s Ms. Rivera here.” Her smile was small and her tone held just enough bit to bring him back to his senses.

“Of course, Ms. Rivera.” He winked at her and patted Kai on the side. “Come on, girl. I’m okay.” She jumped down and sat by his side, her gaze bouncing between him and the Kane douche who was still there, eyeing him with disdain.

“Oh yeah, I definitely know who you are.” Mr. Kane shook his head.

He went to open his mouth again but Kai cut him off with a growl and Tiny took that opportunity to usher him out the door. “I believe you were leaving, Mr. Kane. That dramatic exit seems less effective now that you haven’t gone anywhere.”

Derek felt his lips pull back into a small smirk, appreciating Tiny’s venom was directed at someone else other than him.

“Tell Sasha––”

“Have a nice day, Mr. Kane.” Tiny cut him off and all but physically kicked him out of the door. She turned toward Derek. “Sit. She has a few other people to see before we can squeeze you and this beautiful baby in.” She bent down to Kai’s level. “You have to pick your humans better.”

Tiny looked at Derek and smirked. He let out a chuckle as he rubbed Kai’s head. He always appreciated Tiny. She never hid how she felt about him, even when he was going through his own shit. She was one of the few people who had zero issues calling him out and putting him in his place.

He cleared his throat as Tiny went back around the reception desk and he took the only available seat that was away from the other dogs. “Uh, thanks, Tiny––I mean, Ms. Rivera.”

“Don’t get used to it.” She called the next patient in to see Sasha and him and Kai waited patiently until it was their turn.

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