Page 13 of Talon

“A few miles away. Let me call her and see if she can pick me up. I don’t want to drive the car, and Loki can’t ride on your motorcycle.”

Talon looks at me, then frowns and glances at his bike.“Yeah, I can’t put a dog on there unless you can hold it. But that’s not really safe.”

“I’ll call her.” I pull out my phone and dial Sienna’s number. As soon as she answers, I launch into an explanation of what’s happened with the creepy voodoo doll. Her shock is palpable through the phone.

“Jess, that’s insane! Of course, you can stay here tonight. I’ll come pick you up, okay?”

“Sienna, you’re a lifesaver,” I say gratefully.

“Give me twenty minutes. I’ll be there soon,” she replies before hanging up.

“Sienna’s on her way.”

“Good.” Talon gives me a warm, reassuring smile.“Let’s go inside. I’ll take a look around and make sure there’s nothing else in there. Then you can pack an overnight bag.”

“Do you think someone could be inside?” I whisper.

“I doubt it because your dog would be barking like crazy. Unless …” He averts his gaze.

“Unless what?” Fear slides icy fingers down my spine. If anything happened to Loki, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“Give me your key.”

I hand him my key ring and point out the house key.

“Stand back.”

He unlocks the door and cautiously pushes it open. Loki jumps up from his bed where he was sleeping. His nails scrape across the wooden floor as he scrambles toward us, his tail wagging furiously. Surprisingly, he goes straight to Talon, sniffing and licking his hand as if they’ve been friends for years.

“Good boy,” Talon says in the tone of voice usually reserved for children and pets.“Who’s a good doggie?”

“Woof!” Loki flops over on his side for belly rubs.

As Talon vigorously scratches his tummy, Loki makes chuffing sounds.

“Wow, that’s odd,” I mutter, watching their interaction.“Loki usually doesn’t like anyone. Normally, he’d try to bite your hand off.”

“Maybe he senses I’m here to help,” Talon says, scratching Loki behind the ears. The dog’s eyes close in contentment, and I can’t deny the warmth spreading through my chest at seeing them together. It’s almost like they’ve been best friends forever. It’s super strange.

“Perhaps,” I admit hesitantly, feeling strangely comforted by the idea.

“I’ll take a quick look around. Stay here.” He walks down the hall, popping in and out of rooms until he’s done searching.“There’s no one else here.”

“Thank God.”

As Talon follows me into my bedroom, my gaze drops to my bed. Thoughts of tangled sheets and sweaty bodies twisted up in ecstasy flood my mind. I blush, turning my face away so he can’t see it.

“I need work clothes and something to wear to bed.” God, why did I say that? I don’t want him thinking about what I wear to sleep. Or do I? I release a nervous giggle.

“Something funny?” he asks, arching a brow.

“Nope.”

I hastily throw clothes and essentials into a small, carry-on suitcase. My bathroom is connected to my room, so I go in there to grab everything I need.

After getting toothpaste, a toothbrush, and my favorite face cream, I head back into the bedroom, where I stop in my tracks. Talon’s sitting cross-legged on my bed, holding a worn-out tennis ball in one hand. Loki’s seated next to him, eager and alert, his eyes fixed intently on the toy.

“Okay, I’ll throw it again, but no wild jumping on the bed this time, all right?” Talon asks, as if Loki can actually understand him.