If I wanted to stay alive, I couldn't keep messing with this man. I'd have to find another way to stay sane, and deal with my loss, or else I'd only drown deeper in the hell waters rising inch by bitter inch.#p#分页标题#e#
The next time I woke up, it was late. I'd thought the loud barking was in my dreams, at first, but then I sat up and shook myself awake.
No, it wasn't just my imagination. Someone had brought a dog into the clubhouse. A big one by the sounds of it.
I couldn't sleep through this commotion. It surprised me, since the place had been eerily quiet since I'd arrived. I stood up, straightened my clothes, and walked toward the door, pressing my ear against the banged up wood.
“Fucking shit, brother! I think he's hairier and got a bigger dick than you!” a rough voice said. Then the dog let out three more explosive barks and a whole group of men burst out laughing.
“Prez is gonna shit bricks when he sees this!”
“Club's gonna go broke feeding that mutt, Veep.”
“Shut up. He's a pure bred Irish Wolfhound. If you boys think I haven't already cleared it with Dust, you've emptied out your skulls. Only pockets running dry'll be mine because he's my boy. Not the club's.”
“I like him, Joker. He's got a good temperament for you.” A woman's voice, soft and pleasant, cut through the gruff jeers and bawdy laughter.
Then the dog started barking again and everybody roared.
“Fuck, we've got church in an hour. That hole in the gate won't hold him. Ain't no time to fix it. You'll have to stick him somewhere 'til we're done.”
“Yeah, yeah. Already on it.”
The door flew open, and I almost fell over. Caught myself just in time against the wall, before I came face-to-face with a tall, dark haired man with even crazier eyes than Firefly. Next to him, the biggest, hairiest gray dog I'd ever seen in my life.
“Shit. Forgot he had you in here. Were you sleeping?”
I shook my head, already having an ugly feeling what he wanted. I looked through a small group of bikers and the regal looking brunette, who shot me a look of sympathy and surprise.
“Need a place to park my dog while the brothers meet. It'll only be a couple hours or so. He's a good boy, he won't bother you none.” He looked down at the big dog. The animal's mouth was open, his tongue out, and he wagged his furry tail. “Sorry to barge in like this.”
“He can keep me company,” I said with a sigh, hoping he was right about the giant being well behaved.
“Thanks. I'll be back for him before you know it.”
The dog stepped inside. Several rough looking men stared, and the brunette turned to one of them, still eyeballing me before the door closed.
The monster came up to me and laid his head in my lap, letting out a soft whine. No, no monster at all, I guessed, just another lost soul like me.
“Just you and me now, boy,” I said nervously.
What had the man with the VP patch called him? An Irish Wolfhound? Jesus, he was half the size of the giant men around here. I reached out tentatively, running my fingers through his thick, gorgeous fur.
The dog licked my hand. Wherever he'd come from, he wasn't as hardened as these men. Something about that made me smile.
This week had been nothing but brutal. For now, I was grateful for the happy distraction.
Didn't take long for the dog to let out a huge yawn, and then he curled up next to the bed, looking way too comfy for his gigantic frame. I settled in next to him, leaving my hand hanging over the bed, stroking his fur as I drifted off.
A tear ran down my cheek, the last one of the day, maybe. Certainly not the last I'd have as long as I was at the Deadly Pistols' mercy.
The Wolfhound wasn't as distressed as me. He belonged here. I didn't.#p#分页标题#e#
But we were both pets to the club now.
If, by some miracle, I survived all this, I vowed I'd move somewhere I never had to hear the roar of a motorcycle again.
III: Zookeeper (Firefly)
“We've been waiting for this damned meeting for three fucking days, Prez, with all due respect. You gonna spill the beans about why the fuck I'm playing babysitter to this chick, and how long I'm gonna have to do it?”
We all sat around the table. Dust hadn't even looked at me since he stepped in. He'd been gone for at least a solid day since he'd come by the clubhouse to make some calls, telling me to make sure Cora stayed locked up and comfortable in my room.
Meanwhile, I swallowed her fucking vinegar as best I could without making good on my threats. Kept my distance, too. When I wasn't bringing her food or checking up on her ungrateful ass, I slept on a bench next to the goddamned bar.
“You're doing her a solid, Firefly. Don't you fucking doubt it.” Skin looked at me, smug as ever, his smile twisting the long scar on his cheek.