Page 20 of Avenging Azalea (California Made Men #2)

Chapter

Fifteen

FAWN

“Here we go, Mrs. Martinez,” I said, handing over the little Dachshund.

“Oh, my baby. Mommy is here. Don’t you worry, I’m going to take good care of you, Maxy poo,” she cooed to the dog.

The poor thing looked ridiculous and completely dejected with the cone on his head.

No matter how many times I did this, it never got old. I hated seeing an animal come into the clinic hurt or sick, but when we could help and send them home again, it always felt like a massive win.

“This is Max’s medication and all the instructions,” I said, holding out the plain white bag. “Remember, if you think anything is wrong or you see any bleeding, don’t hesitate to call. We’ll fit you in.”

“Thank you for saving Max. I don’t know what I’d do without him,” she said.

“I’ll let Dr. Taylor know that you said thank you. Here, let me get the door.” Jogging in front of her, I hit the automatic opener. I watched as she put Max on the passenger seat, then got in and drove away.

“Is everything okay?”

Dr. Taylor smiled as he walked in from the back, wiping his hands on a towel.

“Yes, Mrs. Martinez is very happy. I like to watch them leave. It feels good to see the animals go home,” I said, looking down as I tried to mask the tears.

Dr. Taylor walked over and grabbed the tissue box off the counter, then handed it to me. Humiliated, I took a couple and dabbed at my eyes.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying,” I said as Dr. Taylor laid his hand on my shoulder.

“It never gets any easier, I’m sorry to say,” he said, and I nodded.

“How do you do it? How do you keep your composure?”

It amazed me that Dr. Taylor remained caring yet tearless when the owners were crying, and all of the staff was a mess.

“A stiff drink when I get home from work,” he said, and I smirked. “Honestly, I had a hard time in the beginning. But my first year after I graduated was what did it for me.”

“What happened?”

He leaned against the counter and picked up one of the cat toys, staring at it like it was a small world of mysteries.

“We had this Mastiff come in one day. It had been hit by a car, and his back legs were shattered. We did everything we could, but the legs weren’t the only issue. There was also spinal damage and internal bleeding. There was no way to save him.”

I covered my mouth as the tears started again.

“We made him comfortable and had the owner come back to say goodbye. I stood there and watched this woman break. It was so clear that she loved her dog like anyone would love a child, and in that moment, I knew that I needed to be their rock. Even when I can’t save them and there’s nothing more I can do.

Then my job becomes something else. They need to cry and know someone is there to hold them up without judgment. ”

“That’s incredible.”

He smiled and tossed the cat toy back into the jar.

“I wasn’t kidding about the drink. Sometimes, it’s the only thing that works to wipe away the memory of all the faces I couldn’t help.”

“I’m worried that I won’t make a good vet.”

It felt good to share the fear that was racing around in my brain. What if I completed all this schooling and was terrible at it?

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve had many students come through this place, and you can always tell the good from the bad.

Some are here for the animals, while others are doing it for the money.

You love the animals, and your instincts are always on point.

You’re far more advanced than any of the other techs, but don’t tell them I said that.

Just keep your grades up, and you’ll be able to open your own clinic one day. ”

I smiled wide. “Thanks, Dr. Taylor. I needed to hear that.”

“I meant to ask earlier, is your family coming to the barbeque next weekend? I’d love to meet them?”

My stomach dropped, and just like that, I was transported back to my elementary school days. It was embarrassing when my parents never showed up for anything, including teacher conferences and awards nights.

“I’m not sure if they’ll make it,” I lied, walking to the front door to lock it and turn off the open sign. “If you want to head out, I can finish closing up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I still have some paperwork to finish, and I like doing final rounds. I want to make sure the animals are comfortable. I’ll be fine.”

He gave me a curt nod. “Alright, I’ll see you in a couple days.”

“Bye, Dr. Taylor.”

“Good night, Fawn.”

Once he was gone, I swept and mopped the floors, filed the paperwork, and balanced out the POS machine before shutting everything down. Grabbing a handful of treats, I headed back to the kennel area.

“Hi there, babies. Do you want some soft music to help you sleep? Are you in the mood for light rock, or is this an R&B night?”

Walking from cage to cage, I checked to make sure the patients were doing okay before slipping them a treat. I turned on the radio, which might have seemed silly to others, but if I had to sit in a cage for six hours alone, I’d want music. Anything to make their experience here less scary.

“There you go. I’m feeling R&B for this crowd.” I flicked off the fluorescents, leaving the soft glow of the nightlight.

My last stop was at the very back of the clinic, where the surrenders and rescues were kept.

If these animals weren’t adopted, it became a death sentence.

I thought I hated people before working here, but I’d realized early on that there was a whole other layer of loathing that extended past what was done to me.

There was a special place in hell for animal abusers.

“Hey, Winston,” I said, sitting down and opening his kennel. The golden retriever’s head lifted. His white face framed the saddest brown eyes I’d ever seen.

It had been eight weeks since we rescued Winston.

He had finally stopped cowering in his kennel and was starting to socialize.

He had even put on enough weight to cover his ribs.

I needed to find him a home soon. Dr. Taylor could only keep him for another month before we would have to put him down. I wasn’t going to let that happen.

Softly humming the song on the radio, I held out my hand full of treats.

His nose poked out first and then his whole face.

I kept my arm far enough away that he’d have to step fully out of his kennel to get what he wanted, but then he could choose to go back in or stay with me.

So far, he’d gone back in each time, but I was hopeful.

“That’s a good boy, Winston. I know it must feel like no one loves you right now, but I do,” I said softly as he gently took the treats from my open palm.

“When I was younger, I didn’t have anyone looking out for me.

I felt worthless and believed that everyone would eventually hurt me.

But then I was saved by a man named Titus.

You’d love him. He’s a dog person. Anyway, he took me in and showed me that there are still good people in the world.

I’m going to find you a forever home. I won’t let you down. ”

He turned in a circle and looked at me. I smiled as he sniffed my arm and didn’t jump away when I slowly moved my hand to scratch his neck.

“See, you’re not broken, just like I wasn’t. You’ll learn to fly again, Winston.”

He stepped back, and I let him go as he walked into the kennel. He didn’t run this time, and that was progress. Pulling the last of the treats from my pocket, I put them just inside the door before closing and locking it.

Remembering what my life was like before Titus made me think of my brother. Grabbing my jacket and backpack, I pulled out my phone to call him, but as usual, he sent me straight to voicemail.

F: Rude, George. You could at least say hi. We haven’t talked in weeks.

G: It’s called ignoring you.

I rolled my eyes. Was I ever this much of a pain in the ass?

F: I figured that, but why?

G: Why?

F: Yes, why?

G: Seriously?

Oh my god, I’d never wanted to reach through a phone and smack someone before, but my brother was pushing me to the edge.

F: Can you just tell me?

G: You promised that I could see Mom and Dad for my birthday, and then you came alone.

I nibbled on my bottom lip. How did I tell an eleven-year-old that I couldn’t find our parents, and even if I could, I didn’t want to?

F: They were busy. I’m sorry. I would’ve brought them if I could.

G: Then give me their number, and I’ll call.

Shit…I hadn’t been prepared for that request. The last number I had for them was no longer in service.

Closing my eyes, I tapped my phone off my forehead as I thought.

Pulling out my keys, I locked the clinic door and started walking to my car.

My phone buzzed again before I could come up with a believable story.

G: I’m waiting…unless you want me to keep ignoring you for the rest of your life.

F: George, I didn’t bring them because I couldn’t find them.

G: You lied to me?

F: I didn’t want you to worry.

G: Are you looking for them? Or are you happy you can’t find them now that you’re living in a Beverly Hills mansion with that hot guy?

F: That’s not fair, and you know it.

G: What I know is that men snatched me in the middle of the night. They dumped me off at this school thousands of miles away from home, and I’ve only gotten to speak to Mom and Dad a handful of times and seen them once.

F: I did it to protect you.

G: LIAR! You hate them and want to stick it to them by keeping me locked up away from them.

My heart was racing out of control. My brother was still too young to know what happened to me, and at this point, I wasn’t sure he would believe me if I told him.

He acted like everything I said or did was a conspiracy to keep him away from our parents because I hated them.

Yes, I hated my stepfather, but I’d never do what he was suggesting.

Needing a minute to calm down before responding, I stopped a took a deep breath.

The parking lot was dark and a little creepy. I quickly opened my car, tossed my backpack inside, and slipped into the driver’s seat before locking the doors.

F: George, I wouldn’t do that to you. Why would you even say that?

G: The last time I talked to Dad, he said that if he didn’t call or come around, it was because you were purposely keeping him from me.

Anger bubbled up inside of me, and I glared at my phone.

Asshole!

Of course, my stepfather would say something like that.

He was pissed that I got away. If he hadn’t owed Dimitri, I would still be in Louisiana and under his thumb.

Instead, Titus found me and changed not only my life but George’s too.

I knew something like this was coming. I saw it in his eyes last year on George’s birthday.

He’d kept asking how much a snobby prep school cost and had made fun of all the fancy cars coming into the parking lot. Jealousy had never glowed brighter.

F: And you believe him?

Little bubbles came and went. I turned on the car to get the air going. It was cool tonight, or maybe it was just me. Lately, it felt like all the people I cared about were turning their back on me. No, that wasn’t true. It was, unsurprisingly, the men in my life. Finally, a text came through.

G: I don’t know what to believe.

Was he serious?

F: The fact that you think it at all upsets me. I would never hurt you, George. It makes me really sad that you believe such a vile thing about me. I’m sorry I lied to you. I didn’t want you to worry until I could find them. If you want their number, you can have it. 555-527-7766

Frustrated with George and this conversation, I tossed my phone into the cup holder and pulled out of the clinic’s parking lot.

My phone buzzed as I drove away, but the message would have to wait. I was too angry to read his response. He was only eleven, and I was trying really hard to remember that, but sometimes, he just pushed all my buttons. This was why I liked dogs. They were easier to handle.

A dark grey sedan caught my eye. Small Paws was in a ritzy part of town, and this car stood out.

Not because it was fancy but because it was easily over twenty years old.

The back corner said Chevelle. No one was around at this time of night.

Did someone dump it? Driving past, I decided that if it wasn’t moved when I came in for my next shift, then I would call a tow truck.

My phone buzzed again. I was fully prepared to ignore it, but then I spotted Titus’s name.

T: Fawn, I need a huge favor. Please go home right after work and look after the girls. Savannah was shot. She’s in surgery, and I’m at the hospital with Nathaniel. He’s a mess. I can’t leave.

Oh my god.

I swerved over to the curb and called him. The phone rang twice before he picked up.

“Hey, you got my message,” Titus said.

“Yes, oh my god. What happened,” I asked, terrified for not only Savannah but Cutter and Nathaniel.

“Savannah was the target. It’s a long story, but I’ll know more once she’s out of surgery.”

“Do you want me to come to the hospital? I can bring coffee or something.”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll keep you posted. It’s chaotic right now. Probably best you steer clear.”

“Okay, whatever you need. I’ve got the girls covered,” I said.

“Thank you, Fawn.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, hanging up the phone.

It was shocking how quickly your world could change.

Anything might alter the course of your life: a heart attack, a drive-by, being sold to a mafia boss.

I didn’t want to miss out on what life had to offer.

I was only nineteen, but after what I’d been through…

lucky to be alive was an understatement.

Flicking on my blinker, I pulled out into traffic and drove home to look after my favorite girls in the whole wide world. God help me if something happened to one of them. I might not survive.