Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 78631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
And today is Thursday. I’m supposed to go back to Denver so I can start that job this evening.
Probably won’t happen at this point.
Should I call Antonio now? Or should I wait?
Fuck. Griffin is more important than all of this. People are usually pretty understanding when you invoke the words family emergency.
And if I lose the job, I lose the job. I’ll get another one.
I do a quick search to find a kennel that’s open and make arrangements to drop the dogs off in the next half hour or so.
Then, though I’m tempted to join Diana in the shower, I wait until she’s done. We don’t have time for sex right now, as much as I’d love to.
I give her a quick kiss as she’s drying off and then get into the shower myself. Once I’m done, I get out, dry off, get dressed.
The dogs are both yapping.
Diana scratches her head. “They’re acting weird, Dragon. Didn’t you take them out?”
“Fuck. I forgot. They need to be fed too.”
“I’ll take care of it. You get dressed.”
“Thanks, baby. I owe you one.”
Owe her one? What a laugh. I owe this woman everything.
And if it takes me the rest of my life, I’ll repay every bit.
When Diana returns, I’m fully dressed, and I’ve packed everything up in my duffel. “Are you packed up?” I ask.
“It’ll just take me a sec. Where are the dogs going?”
“It’s called Taos Kennel Club, a couple of blocks over. They can take them for the next couple of days, but they need permission to vaccinate them.”
Diana presses her lips together. “Are they above board? Will they be treated well?”
“I didn’t have time to check out everything, Diana, but I’m sure they’ll be fine. The place had decent reviews, and they insist on making sure they’re up to date on their shots. Since I didn’t know if they were, they said they offer the service.”
She twists her lips. “I just hate to leave them.”
“Look. If you want to stay with them, stay with them. I understand. This isn’t your fight. It’s mine. You should stay here where you’re safe.”
She swallows. “Don’t start with this again.” She places a gentle hand on my cheek. “You’re no longer alone in the world, Dragon. You’re not an island. You have someone who cares about you. Who loves you. Who wants to protect you.”
I look down. “You’re not supposed to protect me, Diana. I’m supposed to protect you. And I’ve done a lousy job protecting the people I love.”
“Dragon, you were eight years old. You couldn’t have protected your baby sister if you’d tried. But you can protect me. And I can protect you as well.”
“You can’t,” I tell her. “And before you spout off a bunch of women’s lib nonsense—”
“Women’s lib nonsense?” She lets out a sharp cackle. “I bet I’m a better shot than you are.”
“I’m sure you probably are, but are you armed?”
“I never travel without it,” she says. “I’ve had a concealed carry license since I was twenty-two years old.”
Damn.
I’m not even armed.
Maybe I do need her to come with me.
“Be sure, Diana. Because I’ll do everything I can to protect you, but I don’t know what we’re going into.”
“I am sure.” She looks into my eyes. “Where you go, I go.”
And if I wasn’t sure I could ever love her more—my heart expands.
“You’re amazing,” I say. “I don’t deserve—”
She places her fingers over my mouth. “You’re done saying that. Understand?”
I nod. She doesn’t want to hear it. But in my heart of hearts, I know I don’t deserve this woman. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of her.
God, I’m actually thinking about the future.
I never thought I had a future worth giving a shit about, but then, after Jesse invited me into the band and became an incredible friend to me, I thought hey, this isn’t so bad. I was able to stay sober enough as well, until that night in London.
That was because of that Griffin tattoo on one of the women.
But now…
I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I will never drink or do any kind of drug again.
Because now I truly have something worth living for.
I have the love of an amazing woman. And if all goes right today, I’ll have my baby sister back.
And I have a niece. A niece who needs me. Especially if I can’t rescue her mother.
I don’t know what kind of father I’d be, but I’d do my damnedest.
“You ready, baby?”
“I was born ready, Dragon. Let’s bring your little sister home.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Diana
Leaving Eddie and Teddy at the kennel broke my heart a little. I left our phone numbers with the kennel, and I left my parents’ information as well.
God forbid if Dragon and I don’t make it back.
That would kill my parents. So I just won’t think about it. This is nothing compared to what my father and brothers have been through in their lives.