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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.”
