Chapter 2
My fingers tightened on the bowstring as I pulled it taut. It rested on my cheek as I aimed at the straw target set up in the backyard. I held my breath, then exhaled as I let the arrow fly. It landed perfectly on the bullseye.
“Did you see that, girl?” I asked Cleo, who was munching on a rawhide in the grass next to me. She looked up, but then resumed her chewing. “Nothing can beat me!”
I lay in the grass on my side next to her, rested my head on her body, and petted her head.
My girl was getting up there in years. She was nine.
The fur around her snout was getting gray, her hearing and eyesight weren’t what they used to be, and she was struggling with arthritis.
It made me sad. I wanted Cleo to live forever and ever.
I sat up, hearing the car even before Cleo did. My eyes watered because her protection days were over. Dante promised me she had more time with us and not worry about her just yet, but I did.
My angel was late from his job, but I’d gotten used to it over the years. He always came back home to me in the end, but that never stopped me from worrying. I’d practice my archery whenever he was gone. It wasn’t just for practice, but a distraction.
“Come on, girl. Let’s go see Angel.”
I stood, and Cleo followed me toward the front of the house.
We watched as Dante pulled up in front of his garage.
All his car windows were tinted, so I couldn’t see him.
I headed over to the driver’s side to greet him as soon as he got out.
My angel was moving slowly, and I knew right then he was injured.
Then I saw the blood. I used to panic years ago, but I was used to him getting hurt.
“Where are you hurt?” I asked.
Instead, he smiled at me, his pale green eyes shimmering like gems in the dappled sunlight. He fingered his black bangs away from his face and leaned forward to kiss me. “Hello to you, too.”
I rolled my eyes and smirked, but I placed a hand on his chest to stop him. “Kisses after we get you cleaned up.”
“It’s just a scratch.”
“Your scratches kill most people, Dante Varga.”
He laughed, stepped aside, and pointed at the car. “I have a present for you.”
“You aren’t distracting me from this, Angel. You know it upsets me when you get hurt.”
I grabbed for his hand to tug him inside so I could stitch him up, but he stepped out of my reach. “This gift can’t wait, Sunshine.”
My brows dropped as I scanned him up and down to make sure he wasn’t about to pass out.
“Trust me, baby, I’m fine. Just go look.”
I let go of him, bent down, and glanced in the car to find the cutest thing I’d ever seen in my life, next to Cleo, of course.
“Oh, god! How precious!” I reached inside, gently lifted the puppy, and brought it out, tucking it in my arms. It started licking me all over my face, making me giggle. “It’s adorable. Where did you find it?”
“She. This is Hatshepsut, or Hattie if it’s easier to say.”
“She’s beautiful, Angel. So beautiful.” My eyes watered at this little mini angel. I hugged her as she kept giving me little doggie kisses and silly little wiggles. “I love her so much.”
“I found her on the job I was on. I won’t go into the details. It’s pretty fucking miserable, but I saved her and thought Cleo could use a little friend.”
Dante stepped up to Cleo, who licked his hand. He did a hand signal, and she instantly sat. Another hand signal told her to heel and stay, but her eyes never left the puppy.
“I should do this through a crate, but I trust Cleo,” he explained. Despite his words, he took hold of her collar. “Bring the puppy closer, Luca. Let them sniff each other.”
Cleo was the bestest doggie ever. I was sure the two dogs would be the best of friends.
She started wagging her stubby tail as I brought the puppy closer, then she reached forward with her nose to sniff it. The puppy was wiggling and fighting to get loose. I was sure she wanted to play with Cleo.
“She seems okay with the baby,” I said.
“Yeah, I think they’ll be okay. Her fur isn’t standing on end or anything. It helps that it’s a baby rather than a full-grown dog. She can use Cleo’s crate until I can get her fully potty trained, among other things. When we head inside, I’m going to have to order some supplies.”
I huff at him and give him a hard stare, but I’m not exactly intimidating, being smaller and thinner than my angel. “Later. We need to get you cleaned up first. Don’t argue with me.”
He grins, leans forward, and kisses me. “You’re the boss.”
I raise my chin and pretend to be a snob or something. “Yep. You’re so smart, Angel.”
He rolled his eyes and snorted a laugh. I loved that he laughed more. When we first met, he’d been in a very dark place because he had such a dark story, just like I had. Now he was bright and light. He’d always been beautiful, but now he was stunning.
Before he stood, he patted Cleo’s head. “You’re a good girl.”
It was like she knew exactly what he said because she smiled at him with her eyes squinting, and she panted happily.
“She’s a queen, and I’m sure she’ll rule this little princess to make sure she behaves,” I said.
“I’m sure she will.”
We headed inside the garage, where Dante pulled out Cleo’s crate, or tried to, but his arm wasn’t cooperating. I huffed at him and handed the puppy over. “You said you weren’t that bad.”
“I didn’t say it didn’t hurt.”
“Ugh, you’re impossible.”
As soon as I turned around to grab the crate, he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me against him. “But you love that about me,” he growled and nibbled my neck.
“I do not.”
I loved everything about Dante. Absolutely everything. He could do no wrong in my eyes, but he didn’t need to know that right then.
“Do too,” he retorted. “And when we’re finished cleaning me up, I’m going to fuck the hell out of you. I missed you.”
I rolled my eyes dramatically. “We just had sex yesterday.” But I would never say no to him. And he never, ever just fucked me. After what had happened to me in my past, when I was raped all the time, he would make love to me instead. My angel was always gentle with me.
“Yep, forever ago.”
I giggled, and when he let me go, I grabbed the crate and hauled it inside the house.
It was heavy, but I managed. We both got it set up, and I put an old blanket inside and some water, while Dante ordered pet supplies.
When it was ready, we put the puppy in there so I could fix up Dante without worrying about the two dogs being unsupervised around each other.
We were in our bathroom, a place where we spent a lot of time treating his wounds, among other things. He was sitting on the toilet seat lid while I pulled the first-aid kit out from under the sink. We had to keep it well stocked.
I set everything I needed on the counter and then helped Dante remove his shirt. I removed the bandage and inspected his wound, which was covered in white powder that soaked up a lot of the blood. The first thing I had to do was wash that off. It would probably bleed again.
His poor skin was covered in scars from the many battles he fought as an angel of death.
Plus, he had very old scars from when he was a child.
His father trained him to be a killer, but abused him in the process.
I loved Dante’s revenge story against his father.
We both had revenge stories about our evil fathers.
It was one of many things that bonded us.
“Well, at least it didn’t go through the shoulder this time,” I said.
“Come here.” He grabbed my arm and tugged me onto his lap. I straddled his thighs and started cleaning away the clotting powder.
“You’ve grown so much,” he whispered as he kissed my shoulder. “You used to be so skittish when we did this, but now you’re a master, in full control. I’ve loved watching you grow into the man you should’ve been.”
I smiled at that and kissed his lips. “Father kept me like a boy for such a long time. It was hard to change and fight off those mental chains, but thanks to you, I’m strong. You’re not only an angel of death, but an angel of mercy.”
“You know I’m no angel.”
“Of course you are.” He would never be able to convince me otherwise.
Once I got him all cleaned up, I put a clear, waterproof bandage over the wound so he could shower.
I stood and stripped naked. “Take off your clothes while I start the water. You stink,” I ordered.
He sniffed his pit and winced. “Yep, I guess I do need one. If you’re showering with me, does that mean we can play?”
“Yes, we can play now that I know you’re not as wounded as I expected.”
“Now we’re talkin’.” Dante stood, removed his pants, underwear, and socks, then got into the hot shower.