Page 7 of Chaos & Carnage

“Who?”

“Cade. I brought the dog in last night.”

I took a breath, willing my heart to slow down.

“Can you let me in to see her?”

“I…I…Round the front. Come round the front,” I shouted at the glass.

The shadow moved, the darkness where he’d been stood growing that bit lighter. And my heart should have slowed, calmed, but it hadn’t. It beat harder than ever.

I moved through the corridor that skirted one side of the building, past the consultation rooms, too many for the amount of vets we had, towards the reception. The door at the front was bolted from the inside. Five of them, securing the door to the frame at regular intervals. I slid them all back, heavy metal slowly gliding back until the door bounded inwards and the shadow from the yard took shape in the light behind.

I hadn’t appreciated his height from last night when he stumbled in covered in the dog’s blood, and maybe now that he was fully dressed, he seemed that much taller. Tonight, he towered above me, a leather jacket zipped to his chest, his hands covered in black gloves, a bike helmet in one, his legs covered in that same tight black leather. And now he looked dangerous, here on my doorstep, just me alone in the building. Last night, he was shaken and vulnerable. Tonight, he was in control, composed.

“You going to let me in? Or you bringing the dog to me?” he spoke, a voice of deep, thick velvet.

“She can’t be moved right now,” I tripped over the words, glancing at his face and dropping my eyes away again.

“I know. I know. I was just teasing. And it’s fucking freezing outside. Would appreciate an invite inside.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Course. Come in.”

He stepped around me and I closed the door behind him, securing each lock back into place, shutting out the freezing air spilling in. And now I’d locked myself inside, with a man I didn’t know.

“Follow me,” I stepped forward, leading the way, with him behind me where I couldn’t see him, or what he was doing.

My heart fluttered faster, assaulting my chest with each beat, like someone hammering a drum inside my chest. I quickened, trying to put some distance between us, so I could get in that room and get some space away from him, but his long legs kept up, keeping pace. I could feel him right behind me, the darkness and the cold rolling off all his leather.

I almost bounded through the door, to where there was space, where there was a weapon. And where, if I needed to escape him, I had to search for the key. Shit. Panic had risen so far up into my chest, I could barely speak. Or breathe. My chest felt like it was crushing inwards.

“You ok?” the velvety voice from behind me asked, and I jumped.

“Yeah. Yeah.”

“You just seem tense tonight.”

“Tired. I’m tired.”

“Have you been here since I left this morning?”

I nodded, turning slightly. But the man didn’t look like he wanted to assault me. His face was full of genuine concern, green eyes concentrating on my face, his blonde hair flopping to the side, a tiny covering of stubble making his perfect face just slightly imperfect. At my feet, the dog whimpered.

“You can say hello to her,” I started, dropping to my haunches and scooping the chart from the floor where I’d dropped it. “But she’s very weak. I don’t want you to overstimulate her.”

His face twitched at the side. The tiniest of smiles, a brief flicker of something in his eyes, and then he stilled, crouching down and pushing his fingers through the bars of the cage. The dog raised her head, just enough to touch him with her nose before she let herself flop down again. But behind her, her tail wagged, slow and careful, but it bobbed, just enough.

“You ok, girl?” he whispered, barely audible. “Your dad’ll be ok. He’s as tough as you. You’ll see him soon.”

“How is he?” I asked, the question coming out before I had time to stop it from forming.

Cade pushed upwards before turning to face me, swiping a hand through thick hair, which fell, unruly, back to where he’d tried to move it from.

“Yeah…uh. We don’t know yet. They were operating last I heard. Dunno anymore.”

“Crap. Sounds bad.”

“Is.” His voice faltered, his face more lethargic now. Then, as if he snapped out of it, his eyes lightened and he glanced around. “You didn’t get the bullet out of the dog?”