Page 46 of Tragic Empire

“I… are you sure?”

“Sure as sure gets, doll.” Colton nods encouragingly and extends his hand, palm up. “Here, give me your hand.”

Nervously, I step closer and put my outstretched fingers into his. Trying not to startle me, he moves slowly, guiding my hand down to Sirius. Immediately, he begins to sniff me, taking in my scent with enthusiasm. His short tail wags and he licks his lips, sniffing harder. The little huffs of warm air from his nose touch my skin and I withhold a nervous shiver.

“La jefa, Sirius,” Colton tells the dog, speaking the command in Spanish.

The dog’s ears perk up and he licks my hand before doing an excited spin around me. Once he’s circled my body, he plops down into a seated position at my side, like he was previously stationed next to Colton.

“Does he only speak Spanish?” I ask while warily petting his soft head.

“Only for permanent commands. I assigned him to you, he knows that you’re his owner now. He knows everything you’ll need in English. Sit, stay, speak, run, attack, guard, and so on.”

“Won’t he get bored with me? Sitting here all day?”

The cowboy chuckles. “He won’t mind. He’ll cuddle with you if you let him, he’s a big softy at heart. But don’t worry about him getting his energy out. Armani and I will walk and run him daily, when Cassio is here with you so that you always have someone close.”

“You’re sure?” I bite my lip in contemplation. “I don’t want to be even more of a burden.”

“Pshhh,” he makes the dismissive sound and waves me off. “You’re not a burden, Ana. We’re friends now, remember? And besides, we all love dogs. You will, too.”

“I suppose he is very cute,” I admit shyly, kneeling down to get a closer look at my new friend. “Do you want to stay here with me, hmm?”

Like he can understand the question, Sirius nudges my face with his head happily.

“I think that’s a yes,” Colton says smugly.

I nod, giving Sirius a few more pets before standing back up. “Does he have, like, food and stuff? Do we need to buy him anything?”

“Got it all covered, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.”

“He’s coming with us,” Armani adds. “He’s going to be an additional pair of eyes and ears, aren’t you boy?”

“It’s time,” Cassio cuts in, attaching himself to my unoccupied side. His arm carefully wraps around my waist, and his sweet manly cologne attacks my senses. He always smells this way, like masculine vanilla.

“Are you ready?” he asks, voice low and lips inches from my ear.

Gulping, I nod breathlessly. “I just need to put on my shoes.”

Without being asked, Cassio drops to one knee, taking my heels along with him. He lifts my right ankle first, slipping my foot into the simple black shoe. His hands are roughly calloused, but somehow soft as well. I hold my breath as he sets my leg down and meticulously takes the other. Once both shoes are in place, I release a silent sigh and try not to stare at him as he stands back to his full height.

I shouldn’t be so enraptured by him. We’re married, but only days ago we were hardly more than strangers. Only a week ago, I had Cole… but Cassio calls to me in some kind of hypnotic way that I can’t seem to resist.

“Well, you two are getting along well,” Armani muses, pulling me out of my trance. The man is smirking like the cat who got the cream, looking between Cassio and me with a mischievous glint in his eye.

My husband clears his throat and threads my arm through his. “Let’s go. They won’t start without us, but it’s bad form to be late.”

True to Colton’s word, Sirius follows beside me as soon as we begin to move. And like some kind of coordinated celebrity security effort, Cassio, Colton, and Armani lead me out of the penthouse. Gerard is waiting for us in the lobby, and he joins in the formation effortlessly. No one says a word until we’re secured in the SUV, with Armani taking the driver’s seat.

While we make our way to the church, Colton begins telling me about Sirius and what commands mean to him. By the time we arrive, I’ve got a wealth of dog knowledge spinning around in my head. Most of which flies to the back of my mind as soon as we step inside the building.

High ceilings painted with Renaissance style art, textured stone columns, and stained glass windows all draw my eye as Cassio leads me through the pews. I’ve never been inside this place before, but it’s lovely.

Flowers are spread all over the place, and are piled high atop a white, glossy casket that sits in the center of the raised stage.

Cassio watches my eyes scanning the room. “Everything all right, Ana?”

“This cathedral is beautiful,” I tell him softly.