1. Chapter One
Chapter One
Dion
I pulled into the parking lot at Furbabies and eyed the streamers and balloons adorning the banner that read ‘Pet Adoption Day – Meet Your New Furbaby’ and wondered if Emily herself had decorated it.
It had been a long month and an even longer extra week since Gideon and I had been taken to meet Sidorov.
It had astonished everyone that Emily went back to work a week after being rescued.
Completely unbelievable in my opinion that she'd been held captive for fourteen days, having fuck knew what done to her, then calmly gone back to work.
In fact, the only reason the Pet Adoption Day had been cancelled the week she returned was because the shelter had an outbreak of kennel cough and closed to visitors.
The team had reported that the only places Emily went were work and here.
She even got her groceries delivered, and once she was at home for the night, and the official team clocked off, was the time I started.
I knew Eric had cameras in place but if they snatched her cameras wouldn't help.
I had no intention of leaving her safety to anyone else.
She volunteered here every weekend but was turning up on a Thursday night to work after both a full day with Children and Family Services today, and another tomorrow.
I'd been watching her when I could and knew she was losing weight.
Too much. Her grocery deliveries were pathetic.
Microwavable meals that weren't designed for nutrition or comfort.
And I doubted if she was getting enough sleep either.
I sat in my truck for a moment and questioned myself again. I was a stubborn, recalcitrant SOB used to barking out orders and having them obeyed, even though I’d left the Marines years ago. I wasn't soft like Maddox.
Whatever possessed me to think a sweet Little like Emily Carter would even give me the time of day I didn’t know.
If she was a Little.
She was certainly capable of being a brat if pushed, as I remembered hearing her cuss out the guards.
I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. About the strength in her voice when she’d stood up to that guard, despite everything.
The way her body had trembled, but her chin had stayed high.
Brave. So damn brave. And something else, something softer—something that curled warm in my chest. Standing up to them was very brave but very reckless and my hand itched to put her over my knee for it.
I shook my head, pushing back the thought.
Too soon to be thinking about that. Way too soon.
If ever.
I'd watched as both Maddox and Gideon had gotten their Little girls and known deep down that it wouldn't be happening for me. All I got, all I could ever hope for, was the occasional submissive at Salvation, but even then, they were into the kinds of things I wasn't.
I'd been watching the building for the past hour.
The event didn't officially start until five, but Emily had arrived early, her car pulling into the employee lot at the back of the building.
Through the front windows, I'd seen her bustling around, setting up tables and pens for the animals, her enthusiasm evident even from a distance.
Eric had done his usual thorough job on the background check.
Emily Carter, twenty-eight, social worker.
Graduated top of her class despite working two jobs to put herself through school after her parents cut her off.
Currently employed at Children and Family Services but volunteered every weekend at Furbabies Animal Rescue.
The file didn't mention her being a Little, but then again, it wouldn't. That wasn't the kind of information that showed up in public records. But the info her roommate had given us when she’d disappeared led us to believe… fuck, I was grasping at straws. I knew that.
I glanced at my watch. Five. Time to make my move before the place got crowded.
I stepped out of my truck, my boots crunching on the gravel of the parking lot.
I’d no idea what to say though, and I knew Gideon was likely to kill me, but I couldn't stay away any longer.
I already had two dogs. Hades and Anubis were two highly trained guard dogs, even if they did become giant lapdogs when they were given the command to "stand down” at home.
The bell above the door jingled as I entered, and I was immediately hit with the sounds and smells of an animal shelter —barking dogs, meowing cats, and the distinct scent of pet shampoo.
And there she was. Emily Carter, standing behind a folding table covered with brochures, her long brown hair pulled back into pigtails with pink ribbons.
She wore a baby blue t-shirt with the Furbabies logo and jeans that hugged her curves.
This close I knew she was at least a pant size down and I hated it.
I wanted to bury my head between her jiggly breasts and have those gorgeous thighs wrapped around me…
My breath caught in my throat, and I blinked, realizing I was going to embarrass myself very shortly if I didn't get my head straight, so I stepped forward.
She looked up, those big doe eyes landing on me, and for a moment, I forgot why I was here. And there—for just a fraction of a second—alarm chased over her face before she smiled.
"Hi there! Welcome to our adoption event." Her voice was melodic, warm. "Are you looking to add a furry friend to your family today?"
I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling like a damn teenager. "Actually, I already have two dogs. Big guys. Cane Corsos."
"Oh!" Her expression brightened even more, if that was possible. "What are their names?"
"Hades and Anubis."
She giggled, and the sound did something to my chest. "Quite the intimidating names. Are they as fierce as they sound?"
"When they need to be." I shrugged, moving closer to her table. "But mostly they're just overgrown puppies looking for belly rubs."
"The best kind." She tilted her head, studying me. "So, if you're not here to adopt, are you interested in donating or volunteering? We always need help with walking the dogs or socializing the cats."
This was my opening. But who was I to remind her of her trauma? Why was I even here? “Sorry,” I mumbled, then turned around and abruptly strode out.
She caught up to me before I got to my truck. “Sir, what did I say? I didn’t mean to offend you.”
I stopped and turned. Her genuine concern caught me off guard. How did she manage to be the one apologizing when I was the one acting strange?
"You didn't do anything wrong," I said, my hand clutching my keys. I had no idea what to say. I watched her as her eyes roved over me. At six foot five I was hardly small, and I’d always kept up with the physical discipline I’d learned in the Marines. She should be intimidated, especially with what she’d just been through, and I knew she had been at first, but all I saw now was concern.
“Have we met?” she asked suddenly.
I hesitated and she took a sudden step back, curiosity turning to fear in an instant, and I cursed.
“I was on the rescue team last month,” I blurted out.
Fuck. Gideon was going to make sure my body would never be found.
“I just wanted to check if you were okay.” I heaved a breath.
"Sorry, this was an idiotic idea, and you certainly don't need the reminder.” I paused and took in her huge brown eyes staring at me like I was a nightmare personified.
I tried to move away, but before I took another breath her hand clamped around my wrist.
“Prove it,” she replied, but then snatched her hand away and I glanced down at my arm, the skin tingling.
“We nearly missed you,” I answered. “A guard had taken you to the bathroom, but one of the other girls told us you weren’t in the truck. We went back for you, and I heard you tell him to get his hands off you and what you would do to him when you got your hands on a knife if he didn’t.”
Her eyes widened.
"You're... one of them. From the rescue team." Her voice had dropped to just above a whisper.
I nodded, suddenly feeling like an intruder in her new life. "I wanted to check on you. Make sure you were okay."
Emily glanced back at the shelter, then at me. "I have to get back inside. We're short-staffed today."
"Of course." I opened my door, but she put her hand on it, stopping me.
"There's a coffee shop two blocks down. Murphy's. I get off at eight." She stepped back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "If you still want to talk."
Before I could respond, she was hurrying back to the shelter, her pink ribbons bouncing with each step. I sat in my truck watching her go, feeling like I'd just been granted a reprieve I didn't deserve.
I watched her go back inside, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly.
It wasn't a dismissal. She wanted to talk, which, fuck , I was no good at.
Starting my truck I pulled out of the parking lot, my mind racing.
I had three hours to kill before meeting Emily at Murphy's, and I needed to get my head on straight before then.
I called Maddox as I drove.
"Tell me you didn't fuck up," he answered without preamble, and I scowled until I realized the app we all had would show him where I was.
"Define 'fuck up,'" I replied, turning onto the main road.
His sigh was audible. "Dion, what did you do?"
"I went to see her." No point in lying. "At the animal shelter."
"And?"
"And we're meeting for coffee at eight." I waited for the explosion, but there was only silence on the other end. "Max?"
"You know Gideon is going to have your balls for this," he said, but then sighed. "I’ve got no room to talk."
I huffed. No, Maddox had removed his mask in the middle of an op, and it had been caught on camera.
"It worked for you," I pointed out. "You have Clare."
He sighed. "How is Emily?"