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Dario opened the door fully and waved for Jake to enter.
When he did, he looked around at the modestly decorated home. There was a blue couch in the middle of the room—Jake had no idea blue couches existed—and a wooden coffee table in front of it, along with two side tables on either side of the couch.
There were pictures on the wall, a few of Dario and Sanjay hugging and smiling, like two best friends would do.
Dario looked relieved as he closed the door behind Jake. “Thanks for coming,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. “I didn’t know what to do.”
Jake nodded, understanding the fear in Dario’s eyes. “It’s all right,” he said. “Sanjay said you were to come with me. Where’s your stuff?”
“In the bedroom,” Dario replied, leading Jake down a short hallway. He opened the door to a small bedroom with a single bed and a dresser. “I was trying to hurry up and pack while making sure Trenton didn’t get inside.”
Jake scanned the room, spotting a backpack on the floor. He grabbed the backpack and slung it over his shoulder.
As they walked back down the hallway, Jake noticed another picture on the wall of Dario and Sanjay, this one at a carnival. They were both smiling, their arms around each other’s shoulders.
“He really cares about you, you know,” Jake said as they reached the front door. “He’s worried about you.”
Dario nodded, looking down at the floor. “I know,” he said softly. “I care about him too. I feel awful that Trenton attacked him.”
Jake clapped a hand on Dario’s shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. “Let’s just get you to Sanjay. You two can work out what you want to do from there.”
Jake led Dario outside and helped him into the passenger seat of his car. As he pulled away from the curb, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over. Trenton would be back, and Jake needed to be ready.
Even though Jake didn’t know what Sanjay was going through, he could relate. Eighty years ago, Jake had a friend who’d been in an abusive marriage. Back then, what went on behind closed doors stayed behind closed doors.
A wife didn’t call the police because her husband “disciplined” her. They suffered in silence. Jake had been Matilda’s neighbor, had heard the shouting, had seen the bruises that Matilda had tried to cover.
She had been a housewife, dependent on her husband for everything. She didn’t have the financial freedom to leave him, and Richard had instilled the fear of retribution in her if she even thought about trying.
One night it had gotten really bad. Matilda crying for Richard to stop and the sound of things breaking was all too much for him. Jake had gone over there to intervene, but by the time he’d knocked on the front door, the house had grown quiet.
And Jake had smelled blood. He’d shoved Richard aside, followed the scent, and found Matilda’s lifeless body on the kitchen floor.
Richard had gone to prison for murdering his wife, but in Jake’s view, that hadn’t been a severe enough punishment.
He and Matilda had gotten to know each other over the fence, and she’d seemed like a really nice woman. Since the night he’d found her lifeless body, Jake had vowed to protect the weak. To protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.
Sanjay feared wolf shifters, and Jake would find out why, but the gazelle shifter had no idea the lengths Jake would go to keep his mate safe and happy. He’d rather gnaw his own arm off than raise a hand to his mate.
They drove in silence for a few minutes before Dario finally spoke up, shaking Jake out of his thoughts. “Can I ask you something, Jake?”
“Sure, go ahead,” Jake replied, keeping his eyes on the road.
“Why did you help me? I mean you don’t even know me.”
Jake thought for a moment before answering. “Because Sanjay asked me to. And because it’s the right thing to do. You don’t deserve what Trenton does to you.”
Dario nodded, looking out the window. “Thank you,” he said softly.
“I want you to take my phone number,” Jake said. “If Trenton comes anywhere near you again, call me.”
Dario looked at Jake. “I don’t think that’s appropriate. You’re dating my best friend.”
“No, I’m mated to your best friend,” Jake corrected. Dario was human, but from what Sanjay had told Jake, Dario knew about their world. “I’ll tell Sanjay that I gave it to you in case of emergencies.”
Dario gave him a wavering smile. “I’ll talk to Sanjay before I accept your number, if that’s okay.”
The human’s hesitation told Jake that Dario was a standup guy, and Jake was glad Sanjay had someone like that in his life.
