Page 3 of Dax: Gratefully Bonded

Like the obedient slave he was, Kade followed him wordlessly to the door. I didn’t hear it close, already doing my best to drown out the world with the rest of the bottle of whisky.

CHAPTER THREE

Zeke

By some miracle, I was already up and dressed when the knock at the door came the following morning. It was one of the rare days when I’d woken up without a headache, so I’d brushed my teeth, and wonder of wonders, I’d actually had a shower. Dressed and with my hair still wet, I opened the door, not sure whether or not I should be surprised that Aiden had come back.

He was standing there on the doorstep, Kade a shadow behind him, exactly as he had been the day before. Both of them were once more in uniform, neatly groomed and ready to face the day. The only difference was the expression on Aiden’s face. Yesterday, it had been all official and diplomatic. Today, he looked pensive.

“I owe you an apology,” was the first thing out of his mouth. God, he sounded so sincere. “Colonel Henderson let me look at your service record. And I realise now that what I said to you yesterday was completely out of line. I’m sorry.”

I very briefly considered my options – those being to either let him in, or slam the door in his face. I certainly didn’t wanthim loitering on my doorstep where any of my neighbours could see him. I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Save the apologies,” I said, opening the door wider. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

He stepped into my living room, noting that Dax was once again standing in the corner, waiting for god knows what. I’d long since given up attempting to understand him.

“Captain Rhodes,” Aiden began, but I cut him off.

“Call me Zeke. I’m long past the point where I can claim to be a Captain. Mind if I call you Aiden?” I asked, not really caring what the answer was. “Coffee?”

“If you have a clean cup,” he said, in a way that was more matter-of-fact than judgemental. And that was a fair call.

“Pretty sure I can scrounge something up,” I said. I meandered into the kitchen and checked the cupboard. And sure enough, there were three clean cups on the top shelf. I glanced over at Dax. Apparently someone had been cleaning the dishes again, no matter how many times I told him not to bother.

“Coffee?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at Kade.

But before he could answer, Aiden jumped in. “Caffeine makes Vangravians very sick. Do you have a herbal tea, maybe?”

“I think I’ve got some peppermint somewhere.” I rummaged around behind the cups and came up with some ground coffee and some peppermint tea bags. Dax was now loitering near the kitchen counter.

“Would you like me to make that for you, Master?” he asked, his face and his voice both showing a marked apprehension.

“Nah, I’ve got it,” I said, and I caught the wince on Aiden’s face.

“What?” I snapped. “I know how to make a fucking cup of coffee.”

“Perhaps you should let Dax do it,” he said. “While we talk. It’s got nothing to do with whether or not I trust you to do ityourself,” he added, at my dubious look. Then he looked me over more critically. “Have you had breakfast?”

“Why?” I asked. “You going to cook it for me?” He rolled his eyes. “Dax, have you had breakfast?” I asked, simply because we were on the topic. If I didn’t remind him to eat – or order him to, in some cases – he tended to skip meals. Remembering to check if he’d eaten was something of a full time job.

“No, Master,” Dax said, looking at the floor. And now that I was paying attention, he looked noticeably underweight. I hadn’t had a whole lot of time or energy to notice, when I’d first met him, but surely he hadn’t been this skinny?

“Then make yourself something. And maybe make me some toast, while you’re at it?” I felt a lurch in my gut as I said it. I felt like a right asshole ordering him around, but I’d learned from experience that he was more likely to eat something if I ate as well. I didn’t bother offering Aiden anything. I assumed he’d already had breakfast, but even if he hadn’t, he’d likely baulk at the idea of eating anything out of my filthy kitchen.

Dax hesitated, then looked around at the walls, his lower lip quivering. “There is no food in the pantry, Master.”

Before I could get around to feeling any kind of shame at that announcement, Aiden’s head snapped up. He marched over to the pantry and wrenched the door open. It wasn’tcompletelyempty. There was a half-full box of plain flour. Three potatoes that had been there long enough to start growing shoots. And a packet of expired instant gravy.

“Jesus Christ, man…” Aiden bit out. He turned to the fridge next, but it was no better; some milk that had no doubt curdled by now and a lump of cheese that had dried out so that it resembled rubber. And a small bottle of lemon juice, for some reason.

Aiden nodded slowly, then closed the fridge. He looked Dax up and down, and I would have killed to know what was goingthrough his head. Was he trying to come up with appropriate ways to scold me? Planning to kidnap Dax so that he didn’t have to put up with any more of my bullshit? Or wondering whether he should just cut and run, since I was clearly a lost cause?

“We’re going out for breakfast,” he announced, a moment later. “We passed a row of shops on the way here, and I’m guessing there’s got to be at least one café there.”

There was, though I didn’t bother confirming Aiden’s suspicions. I looked down at my stained t-shirt and sweatpants. “A café? Fuck me, I’m going to have to put on some real clothes, aren’t I?”

Aiden frowned. “When was the last time you left this apartment?”

“I go to the pub most nights,” I answered him, blithely ignoring whatever his reaction might have been.