Page 41 of Possess Me

“Don’t just see. Make it happen.” Maybe I’d been a little too rough with the girl, but I had no other choice. The pup would get what she needed. If necessary, I’d use Hoffman’s connections. Maybe it was something I’d regret later, but at this point, I’d face that round of antagonism instead of her disappointment.

It would seem the lovely Fallon Zimmerman, captain and animal lover, had already gotten under my skin.

Little did she know what that usually meant.

But she would soon learn.

As I returned to the bathroom, I had a huge smile on my face.

CHAPTER 11

Fallon

The man was carrying a weapon.

I’d been right about the reason for the delay at immigration. But he’d breezed right through.

That shouldn’t surprise me. The few powerful men I’d piloted to various destinations had either had security men with them, all packing weapons, or had done so themselves.

However, with the handsome Russian doing so, I was reminded of Antonio. The first time I’d met my stepbrother he’d been carrying a pocketknife much like the one Vissarian had used. Only Antonio hadn’t used the weapon to save a life. I’d seen him take one with it when he’d been fifteen years old. I bit back bile as I remembered discovering what he’d done.

My mother had acted like she hadn’t noticed his evil deeds, even when I’d asked her about why he’d needed to carry the weapon hours later.

Vissarian was entirely different. I could feel it in my bones.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so judgmental.

Or maybe I should be very afraid of the man. I’d yet to decide.

I wasn’t certain if I could call Vissarian a hero, but I also knew that if I hadn’t gotten his help, there’d been no way I would have saved Bella. The name suited her. Now that she was all clean, her dingy brown fur was white golden. She was still so frightened, every action timid, but I was thrilled and relieved that her injuries weren’t life threatening.

For so many reasons I felt instantly connected to the fur ball. She was all alone. Just like I was. No parents. No extended family. I had a few friends, but my profession prevented me from having more. I wanted so much to keep Bella, but was that just being selfish if I flew five days a week? That wasn’t something I wanted to think about right now.

“It appears she’ll be just fine, although I would love to see her in emergency care for hydration,” the veterinarian continued.

“That won’t be necessary,” Vissarian answered. “I assure you that this dog will be well taken care of.”

I wasn’t used to having anyone answer for me, but at this point, I was exhausted more from emotional drain than anything, so I let it go. The veterinarian wasn’t happy in the least, his expression smug.

“Understood. I’ll leave you with my card. I’ll expedite the blood tests and give you a call tomorrow. Which number would you like me to use?”

Once again, Vissarian intervened, yanking out his wallet and a business card.

Meanwhile, I gathered Bella into my arms, carrying her to the sofa, folding my legs under me. What shouldn’t have surprised me was seeing the handsome Russian pulling a wad of cash from his wallet. Hundred-dollar bills.

I should feel grateful since as of right now, I had maybe a thousand dollars in my bank account. Bella was playful, smacking her paw in my face so I’d pay attention.

“This is very generous of you, Mr. Dmitriyev. As I said, I’ll call you tomorrow with the results. If anything changes in the middle of the night, you have my private number.”

“Thank you.” Vissarian walked him to the door just as there was a knock.

The pup immediately barked and for the first time, Bella wagged her tail. Another moment of relief.

“Shush, baby girl.”

Vissarian grinned and another first: I noticed dimples. Somehow, they softened his features. Not that I minded his chiseled appearance. He remained without a shirt and barefoot, his once pristine trousers stained and still damp.

He was sexier this way.