Chapter 14
Sinclair
Woof.
By the time I’d pulled into my driveway, I’d become firmly convinced dogs were smarter than people. Or maybe they simply knew how to train their humans. Not that I belonged to him. Or vice versa.
Or what-the-hell-ever.
Yet during the drive, where Indiana had remained panting and paying attention to every turn in the road, I’d felt like I’d bonded with him. As much as a man like me could. I’d talked to him the entire time, not only questioning his mom’s motives but my own.
As well as trying to assimilate the reason the gunman had just happened to attack her store after I’d visited. Now, either after seeing me with Josette in the park or at the vet’s office, he’d laid out a plan that made absolutely no sense.
The moment I pulled up to the house, I experienced an even more powerful wave of anger.
Enzo’s car was missing.
What the fuck?
I’d explicitly told him to stay with Josette, uncertain I could trust anyone else with her. Yes, he’d called in reinforcements, two of my most trusted men, but that was beside the point. I wasn’t in the mood for anyone to disobey me.
The hard pound on the steering wheel with my fist did little to calm the rage. Indiana’s whine from beside me was a reminder that I had another unwanted guest soon to be staying at my house. The interruption would be detrimental, the break in routine nothing I should want.
Yet here we were.
“Alright, Indiana. This is your home for a little while. Do you think you can handle it?” At least I’d found a house in the Garden District with two acres of land, which allowed me privacy.
The iron fence surrounding the property would prove helpful when allowing the pup to roam the property without fear.
He peered out the windshield at the front of the house. As he’d done when I’d packed up his mother’s things, he was sitting so silently without blinking I was worried he wasn’t breathing.
“I guess I’ll take that as a yes.” Thankfully, he huffed. But as soon as I opened the driver’s door, he wasn’t interested in waiting for a proper introduction, jumping over me and onto the aggregate.
If there was one thing about the dog, he could be some kind of comic relief. Climbing out, I scanned the entire front of the house as I did every time I returned home. While there was a detached four-car garage, I rarely parked inside. Too confining.
Indiana was currently sniffing every area of the property and I caught him more than once lifting his leg on every shrub and tree. Marking his territory.
Almost as I’d done with his mom.
I lingered with the door open before grabbing the bags I’d brought with me. Shit. You’d think I was forcing the woman to move in with me for months or longer by the number of things I’d brought.
Including Indiana’s big bag of dog food, one of three comfy dog beds, and a huge bag full of his toys. It was about now I needed to remind myself this wasn’t some goddamn vacation. She wasn’t my girlfriend, and no matter how cute the dog was, he didn’t and never would belong to me.
As I was lugging everything to the front porch, the Frisbee I’d shoved into the bag at the last minute fell to the ground. There was Indiana like some tracking dog snatching it and racing around to the side of the property. “Come on, buddy. We’re going inside.”
Somehow, he managed to snuffle around the neon yellow plastic.
“No, come here. I’m not going to play right now.” What the hell did I look like, some Frisbee loving kind of guy? While I’d roughed around with a few boys in high school and had thrown the football a couple of times with my brothers, all four of us had bypassed sports for more intense training.
With weapons and explosives.
He refused to follow my command, sitting right where he was at the corner of the house, swishing that big fluffy tail and glaring at me as if he owned the place.
“Indiana.” I’d be damned if the dog wasn’t stubborn like his mother. Great.
The dog wasn’t budging. If this were a human, I’d be pissed, but this was a fuzzy dog with attitude. Grousing wasn’t going to do me any good. “Fine. I’ll throw a few. But just a few.” I tossed the bag and was just a couple of feet away before he ran around the back corner of the house.
And just underneath one of two windows of the room where I’d locked Josette in.
He even had the nerve to drop the Frisbee smack underneath the one where she’d pitched the screen from the window.
Woof. Woof.
The dog proceeded to bait me, lunging forward then running back. I had a feeling I wouldn’t get him inside until tossing it at least a few times. The first one was woefully ridiculous. Apparently, I had no talent.
While I got the huff and the look, at least Indiana brought it and dropped it at my feet.
“Alright, you. This means war. But you need to hold on.” Yanking off my jacket, I tossed it onto the ground, keeping a battle filled look on my face toward him as I slowly rolled up my sleeves and even loosened my tie.
He stood his ground, studying me as if sizing me up for a meal, offering a single, defining bark.
“Oh, you think you can best me, huh. You’re wrong, pup. Bring it on.”
The next toss sucked worse than the first and he acted as if he had no intention of bringing me the toy. But he relented, nudging my leg as soon as he did. Maybe he was offering the inferior player some encouragement.
So I did it again, this time with better aim. Not textbook great and I wouldn’t win any competitions, but doable.
By the fourth toss, my fingers were covered in his slobber, but my arc was much better. When he threw himself in the air and caught the Frisbee. I issued a howl. A solid and actual howl.
“That was great, buddy. Incredible.” He allowed me to rub his back before dropping the toy.
And we did it all over again several times.
When he finally dropped to the ground, allowing the plastic disk to fall from his mouth so he could pant in earnest, I leaned over, planting my hands on my knees. It was official. I needed to get my ass back into the gym. But at least I’d enjoyed something completely out of my comfort zone.
The light breeze was cool on my skin while also bringing a hint of a sweet scent. As well as a strange almost tickling sensation charging down my spine. Very slowly, I looked toward the window, shielding my eyes.
At the same time, Indiana jerked to his feet, rushing closer to the window. There was no barking, no growling as I’d experienced, but a whine that tore a hole into my heart.
Josette had opened the window, peering down at us. And even though she was three floors above me, I could clearly see the haunted expression on her face. If I wasn’t mistaken, tears had slipped past her long lashes.
She shifted her gaze from me toward her pup, cocking her head and offering Indiana a smile.
Only seconds before she slowly closed the window.
Indiana was confused. Hell, maybe I was as well.
He whimpered and while very little had ever tugged at my heartstrings, hearing his cry certainly did so.
“Let’s get inside, boy. We’ll play again later.” I grabbed my jacket, tossing it over my shoulder.
Just as I bent over to collect the toy, I heard a vehicle pulling into the driveway. Call me cautious, but I immediately pulled out my weapon, moving toward the building. I placed my finger across my lips to try to keep Indiana quiet.
He woofed.
A lot of good that did. As soon as he heard a door slam, he shot off running toward the sound like a bat out of hell.
Just as my Capo appeared around the corner.
“Jesus Christ. I heard noise.” Enzo threw his arms up over his head, his body swaying from the force and weight of Indiana jumping on him, his front paws resting on my Capo’s shoulders. “What the fuck is this beast?”
While Indiana was happily wagging his tail, likely slobbering all over the man, my Capo was terrified. “He’s half Golden, half Great Pyrenees.”
“All fucking savage if you ask me. Can you get him off me?”
I shoved my weapon into the pocket of my jacket. “Not until you tell me why the fuck you disobeyed my orders.”
“I promise you it’s for a good reason. Since when did you get a damn dog?”
“He’s not a damn dog,” I hissed. “Indiana. Off.” Maybe Indiana knew I was way past taking shit from anyone because he obeyed me, instantly easing onto his haunches a few feet away where he waited patiently.
Like a good boy.
In two long strides, I had my hand wrapped around Enzo’s throat. And apparently, I wasn’t in the mood to play nice either. As I squeezed, his face finally took on a lovely shade of crimson.
To his credit, he didn’t try to fight me. Good for him. That wouldn’t have ended well.
“I need for you to understand something very clearly. When I give you a direct order, under no circumstances will you ignore them. Even if you’re on your goddamn deathbed, you will follow every order to the letter.
The woman staying in my house will be protected at all times. With your fucking life. You got it?”
The sound of his wheezing didn’t temper my mood in the least. All the bastard could do was to nod.
Maybe that’s when I realized I could easily kill him. Not that I wanted to. But my hands were strong and I’d snapped more than one man’s neck in my life. I released my hold, keeping my hand only inches away.
“You follow my orders. I don’t give a shit the reason. Do you understand?”
He coughed, blinking several times from the shock registered on his face. In all the years he’d worked for me, he’d certainly been privy to my bouts of vicious anger. But never toward him.
Why the hell now?
One answer.
As I’d experienced before, I felt a presence watching me.
Hating me.
Condemning me.
Her.
When I looked up, I could just make out the silhouette of her face peering at me through the glass, her flexed fingers placed on the surface. As soon as she realized I’d caught her, she backed away.