My lips were still tingling from his kiss despite the disgust and anger toward Growl. He backed away slowly, with an expression I could not decipher. I hopped off the counter, wanting to get out of this compromising situation, and froze with fear when both dogs jumped up from where they’d rested in the corner of the kitchen.
The only dog I’d had closer contact to over the years had been Anastasia’s Chihuahua that she’d bought after it became an essential fashion item according to the magazines she perused. But that dog had been the size of a guinea pig with teeth barely strong enough to scratch one’s skin. These dogs however were monstrous in size and most likely character, just like their master. I sucked in my breath and backed up against the counter again. There was nowhere else I could go, and the way they watched me they would probably follow me anyway. My heartbeat fastened and I seized up completely.
The dogs didn’t move either but they looked tense as if they were ready to lunge at me if I moved the wrong way. Growl gave me a look that made it clear he thought I’d lost my mind, but he obviously wasn’t someone I trusted when it came to judging the danger and monstrosity of his dogs.
“If you act scared, you’ll make them suspicious,” he said like I was a child.
I glared at him. His words only worsened my fear and made me tense even more. Growl set down his coffee again and watched me like he was trying to figure something out. My own eyes darted between him and his dogs.
Growl stalked toward me, his arm coming my way. I flinched away, expecting a punch. He looked frustrated.
He froze with his arm in midair and the lack of understanding on his face grew even more.
“What are you doing?” he rumbled, slowly lowering his muscled arm. There were more scratches on his upper arm I noticed now. I was pretty sure they couldn’t all come from me. A red dot began spreading on his bandages slowly, and I grimaced. Growl lowered his gaze to his injured forearm and blew out a breath. “You are a lot of trouble,” he said merely. He raised his eyes to mine. I couldn’t read his expression.
“Maybe you should go see a doctor,” I said instead of the nasty comeback I had in mind. So far Growl had been more civil than I’d thought possible and I couldn’t risk provoking him into a change of mood.
“I don’t need doctors. I stitched the wound up myself. I’ve done it before. But you cut me pretty deep and I shouldn’t move the arm so much.”
I’d thought I’d barely left a mark on him with the knife from his reaction yesterday, but he was probably too careful to show the extent of his injury during a fight. Though calling the short struggle between us a fight was laughable.
“Why did you shy back?” he asked. I’d hoped he’d forgotten about my reaction to his approach.
I shrugged and turned my attention back to the dogs watching us. They still hadn’t moved from their spots at the end of the kitchen, except that the black one had sat down. “I thought you were going to hit me,” I said eventually.
Silence followed, until I couldn’t stand it anymore and lifted my gaze to find Growl staring at me with blatant confusion.
“Oh come on,” I muttered, growing angry, despite my best intentions not to provoke him, but his shock was ridiculous. “Don’t act like that’s impossible. I saw you yesterday. I saw you kill a man with your bare hands by twisting his neck.”
“Where were you? I didn’t see you anywhere.”
“In the cupboard.”
Growl nodded. “He was the enemy.”
“And I’m not?”
For some reason he seemed closer than before, and his scent finally registered with me. Not of sweat and blood and death like last night but fresh and musky. It seemed too normal for someone like him.
“No. Enemies need eliminating because they mean danger, and often death. You don’t.”
“I tried to kill you last night,” I said indignantly.
He didn’t say anything, and that was worse than an insult.
I crossed my arms. I was starting to tire of this conversation, of the situation, of everything. I closed my eyes but the moment I did, images from last night came back up and I quickly opened them again.
I really wished Growl would stop watching me with that intent expression. He looked like an explorer who’d discovered a new species. “What’s going to happen now?” I asked quietly.
“I have work to do and you’ll stay here and watch TV.”
I laughed. Had he misunderstood me on purpose? “That’s not what I meant. Will you keep me locked up here until I die or you grow tired of me?”
“I haven’t given it much thought yet. I didn’t know Falcone would give you to me or I would have made plans,” he said.
Plans for my captivity, how considerate. “So what now?” Everything seemed so meaningless. My life had never been free. There had been rules and expectations, but now I had no choices at all.
“I will go to work and you will stay here.”
I gave up. Either he couldn’t or he didn’t want to understand me. “Will you take them with you?” I nodded toward the dogs.
Growl shook his head. “They will stay here with you.”
“Are you sure they won’t tear me apart?”
Growl turned to his dogs. “Coco, Bandit.”
They didn’t hesitate. Within seconds they were by Growl’s side and looked up at him in something that I could only describe as adoration. “They are well-trained,” he explained. “You can come closer.”
I nodded, but didn’t move from my spot against the kitchen counter. The way they were panting I got a good look at the size of their teeth.
He frowned. “You’ll have to get used to them. You’ll spend a lot of time with them in the future, and I won’t always be around to help you.”
The idea of him being helpful to me was ludicrous. I certainly wasn’t eager for his presence.
“If you want to touch them, you should always give them the chance to smell you first. At least, until they know you better. They are distrustful dogs. Most people haven’t given them much reason to be trustful.” He held his hand in front of Coco’s, then Bandit’s nose before he patted their heads. “If they move back, let them. Don’t try to pet them if they don’t want you to.”
How was I supposed to know when they wanted to be petted? Not that I had any intention of touching them without good reason, or without Growl close-by. They scared me. I couldn’t help it. They looked like they knew how to tear things into shreds. Their many scars spoke of their hard past.
“They are fighting dogs, right?”
Growl nodded. “They both fought in many fights. They won most of them.”
“I bet you won a lot of money with them then,” I muttered, hoping he could hear my disgust. Why would people enjoy watching dogs tear each other apart? But I’d never understood the appeal of boxing matches either; the boxers, at least, chose to fight of their own free will.
He patted Coco and Bandit once more before he turned his full attention to me. “I never sent them into fights. I bought them when they were getting too old to win.” His voice was gentler when he talked about his dogs, even though it still held the hard edge of a growl due to his injured vocal cords.
“Why?”
“Because they would have been killed and after what they went through, they deserve to live in peace for the rest of their lives.”
Was there actually a flicker of kindness in this man? It seemed unlikely, but the way he took care of his dogs I couldn’t deny the possibility. Maybe he felt a connection with the dogs because they’d been forced into a life of violence. There wasn’t much known from Growl’s past but nobody was born like that, nobody was born evil. Perhaps he too had been forced into this life. Perhaps he’d never experienced a normal life. It didn’t justify his actions but it was an explanation that helped me understand him better, and understanding was always the first step to a solution. If I wanted to get out of my horrible situation, I’d first have to find out more about my captor, even if that meant actually spending time with him.
“So you never bet in dog fights? I hear some people made millions with it.” Looking at his shabby home, I was certain that he could use the money.
He shook his head. “I don’t care about money and even if I did, I wouldn’t want to win it by letting dogs tear each other apart.”
This man was an enigma.
He gestured me to come closer again. “Come. You need to get to know each other and I don’t have much time left.”
I took a few hesitant steps closer and when both dogs didn’t stir, I bridged the remaining distance between us.
“Get down on your knees,” Growl ordered, and the words brought another image into my head that unsettled me even more than the dogs with their big teeth, especially because it caused my body to heat up. I quickly shoved the image away and crouched down.
Growl took my hand, startling me. Only in the last second could I stop herself from pulling away. His palm was callused and warm. I stopped breathing when he held my hand out in front of the light brown dog’s muzzle. It sniffed, then wagged its tail mildly. Next Growl put my hand down on its back. “This is Coco. She’s eight years old, and I’ve had her for two years.” Coco, seemed like a too tame name for a dog like that.
I ran my hand down the length of Coco’s back. Her fur was soft and I marveled at the feel of the dog’s muscles. She felt strong, even stronger than she looked. I could only imagine what a sight the dog had been in the fighting arena, and pity for her rose up in me again. Her brown eyes were curious and kind. I couldn’t see a hint of aggression.
Growl took my hand again and held it out for the other dog, Bandit, to inspect. He too, sniffed a few times but he didn’t wag his tail or react in any other way. He didn’t seem to care much about my presence.
Growl shrugged. “He needs to get to know you better. Give him time.” He let go of my hand and I withdrew it quickly and rose back to my feet. This was too strange. Growl was acting like we were going to be some kind of strange family.
Growl stood as well, towering over me. “I need to go now.” He grabbed his mobile from the kitchen counter and headed into the corridor.
“Are you meeting with Falcone?” I blurted, following him. The name stung like acid on my tongue.
Growl frowned over his shoulder at me. He didn’t say anything.
“Can you ask him about my sister and mother?” I said, then added. “Please? I’m going crazy if I don’t know if they’re okay.”
“Falcone will either tell me or he won’t. If I ask him, he will be more likely to keep it for himself because it’s an additional piece of power.”
“I need to know if they’re ok,” I repeated.
Growl nodded. “I took the dogs on a long walk this morning, so it’s enough if you let them out into the yard around noon. I’ll take them for a walk when I’m back,” he said, then added. “Don’t try anything. It won’t do you or anyone else any good.” He gave me an expectant look until I finally nodded, before he walked out and closed the door. A moment later I heard the sound of the lock and I was alone.
I approached the door, listening for the sound of his car driving away. Then I hesitated again. Perhaps this was a trick? Perhaps he just wanted to see if I’d try to run if given the chance. Perhaps he was even eager for a chance to punish me?
I blew out a breath and walked back into the kitchen, trying to ignore the dogs, which had returned to their blankets. There were no curtains in the house, so I had a clear view toward the driveway. Growl’s car was gone but I still couldn’t believe that he’d actually left me to myself. My eyes began scanning the neighborhood for something out of the ordinary, but for me everything was. This area was born out of misery.
An old man sat on the porch of his house across the street. He was watching me, or at least Growl’s house. Had Growl paid him to keep an eye on the front door?
I backed away from the window and hurried to the back door that led out into the garden. When I put the handle down, it opened. Growl hadn’t locked it. Since that man was too vigilant to leave his door unlocked by accident, this was either a trap or he knew I couldn’t escape even if I tried. Both dogs appeared at my side, startling me. But they weren’t interested in me. Instead they stormed into the garden and started chasing each other. I stepped outside and took a close look around. The only way to get over the high fence was if I used a chair or table to climb over it.
Since the kitchen was devoid of any such luxury as chairs, the garden furniture was my only option. Though the table looked not stable enough to hold my weight and the chairs were too low to give me a sufficient height advantage. When I tried to move the chairs, however, they wouldn’t budge. I glanced at the ground and found them bolted to the concrete porch. Had Growl done that? But when? Last night while I was sleeping? I let out a sharp laugh, and sank down on one of the chairs. I couldn’t stop laughing. The dogs stopped their game of chase and watched me, obviously unsettled by my laughter. I even scared myself with the sound. Every piece of furniture, even a weight bench were bolted to the ground.
I fell silent and closed my eyes, then slowly let my head fall forward until it rested on my legs. I let the images from last night assault me, hoped that reliving them again would stop them from haunting me. It would take time, I knew that. Perhaps it would never go away.
Talia. Mother. What were they doing now?
I had no way to reach them, no way to tell them I was okay and tell them to be strong. Maybe this was the worst, worse even than being Growl’s prisoner. Something nudged my neck and I raised my head to find Coco standing very close to me, her warm dog breath ghosting over my face. At first I was afraid but then I realized the dog was trying to console me. I didn’t move, worried I’d startle her if I did. “Thank you,” I whispered, though I felt silly talking to a dog. Coco trotted off to where Bandit was scratching at a spot near the fence.
I rose from the chair and glanced around once more, then moved closer to the fence for another check, but with the barbwire at the top there was no way I could get over it. And what would I even do if I got over it? Where would I go? I had no money, no I.D., no mobile. Nothing. I had nothing. And there wasn’t even someone I could run to. Father’s parents had died when I was little and he didn’t have any siblings, and Mother. Mother had never talked about her family. I supposed she’d run off to marry Father. Trish and Anastasia were out of the question as well. Their parents were loyal to Falcone. The moment they saw me, I’d be handed back to Growl.
I was completely alone until I found my mother and sister, and there was no way I could do it without Growl’s help. I had no choice but to figure out a way to turn Growl on my side.
The couple started screaming at each other again. This area was so depressing, I wasn’t sure how anyone could live here by choice. But most people probably didn’t have a choice.
I headed back into the house before my mood could take a further downward spiral. The dogs were still busy near the fence.
“Bandit, Coco, come here!” I called, and surprisingly they both obeyed my command without hesitation and ran into the house. I closed the door and with a deep breath, turned around to face the house. It was bleak and almost felt like an enemy in itself. No decoration, no cozy furniture. This place was only meant for the barest needs. I took a look into the fridge but except for a carton of eggs, and a few cans of coke, that too was empty. I considered preparing an omelet, though I’d only done that once before. I wasn’t really hungry anyway.
I returned into the living room and sank down on the sofa. A spring dug into my butt and the old thing squeaked under my weight. I’d never had to watch TV all day. I’d always been busy with school, friends and hobbies. I leaned back slowly. The only other items in the room were a TV, a TV board, which looked like Growl had found it on the side of the street, and a small table. There weren’t any cabinets, pictures or anything else. Growl couldn’t possibly spend a lot of time here.
I needed to figure out a way to get out of here as fast as possible.
I grabbed the remote from the table and turned the TV on. I zapped through the many channels, but there was nothing even remotely interesting on. I put the remote back down, letting the nature channel run in the background as I got back up to discover the remaining rooms, but I’d pretty much seen them all already. There was the bathroom, my room and that of Growl. He hadn’t locked it despite the weapons decorating his walls.
There wasn’t even a single book in the house. Nor did I see a computer anywhere.
Frustrated I settled back on the sofa and left with nothing else to do, I eventually fell asleep again.
The sound of the lock woke me and I jerked upright. Goosebumps covered my skin. The AC was simply turned too cold. I searched the room for a clock but even that was missing.
It was still light outside, so I knew at least that it wasn’t night.
The dogs were yapping happily and then Growl’s steps sounded. He appeared in the doorway, scanning the room quickly before giving me a once over.
“Everything okay?” he asked suspiciously.
“No,” I said. What a stupid question.
Growl held up a milk carton. “For your coffee.”
My lips parted. “Uh, thanks?”
We stared at each other. He seemed as unsure about the situation as I was. I began rubbing some warmth into my arms. “Cold?”
I nodded. He went away and the AC stopped blowing cold air into the room. Why was he being this way? It made me suspicious of his motives.
“Any news?” I asked when he came back.
His expression tightened. Then turned around and headed down the corridor toward the kitchen. I pushed off the sofa to rush after him. He stood in the open fridge. “You haven’t eaten anything.”
Was he daft? “I’m not hungry.” That was a lie. “What about my question? You met with Falcone, did he say something about my mother or sister?”
“You need to eat,” Growl said. “Starving yourself won’t change a thing.”
“I don’t care! Answer my question, goddammit!”
Bandit let out a low rumble but Growl silenced him with a movement of his hand.
I stiffened. “Not dangerous, hm?”
“What do you expect when you’re screaming at their owner?”
“Come on, it’s not like I’m a danger to you,” I said mockingly.
He glanced down at his bandaged arm, then shrugged. “You’re not, but you’re being disrespectful.”
“You don’t deserve my respect.”
Growl closed the fridge, tilting his head to watch me. Again I could tell that he didn’t know what to do with me. “I’m going to order pizza. I haven’t had anything for lunch. What kind of pizza do you want?”
I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I’m not going to eat anything until you answer my question.”
“And I’m not going to answer until you eat something.”
“Does that mean you know more?”
“I do,” he said simply.
