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Sadie jumped off the bed, racing to the door. Then she stopped and turned around, as if knowing I wasn’t right behind her. “Okay, then. Does that mean you need to go out?” Sadie cocked her little head. “Are you hungry? Did Daddy not feed you?”
I wondered if the brutal man had taken any time with her. Hmmm… Well, it couldn’t hurt to make certain the pup was fed.
The rapid twirling of her tail made me think she knew exactly what I was asking, answering me in her way. “Then come on, baby girl. We’ll get some food together.”
She raced down the stairs, eager and exuberant.
My feet were like lead weights, the scratch of the tight shorts against my aching bottom creating a wave of negative energy.
An ugly reminder that my concept of Prince Charming had rough edges.
I noticed the door to the bedroom Francois had been given was open and I couldn’t help myself, moving just inside. There was a single suitcase on the floor and the bed had either been precisely made or hadn’t been slept in. I’d listened for any sounds the night before coming from the room and had heard nothing.
Maybe he’d stayed awake all night, fretting over discovering the enemy, and developing a shock and awe plan of action.
Or maybe my imagination was getting the better of me on the gorgeous sunny morning.
Woof!
Sadie was suddenly back, bumping her head against my leg.
“Okay. Okay. I get it. You’re hungry. Come on, girl.” I took one last look then followed the pup down the stairs, where she scampered away and out of sight.
“Where did you go?” I called out. The house had such a big ole empty feel. I hadn’t thought about it before with all the calamity of dealing with Francois, but Dad had changed the interior since I’d left permanently. A lot.
Which meant he’d erased everything he and my mother had built. From what he’d told me the day before, they’d been unhappy for more years than they’d found happiness together. Even when my father had started making money, buying her this big house, they hadn’t found any joy or peace. I guess the old adage was true. Money couldn’t buy happiness.
Why did it feel like that part of my parents’ demise had been the way my father had earned his wealth?
With my voice almost echoing, no additional sounds coming from anywhere in the house, I realized I was all alone. I found her in the kitchen, her paws on the counter. I noticed a water bowl on the floor with clean water, and another empty bowl on the counter itself. “Let’s see if we can find your food.” Not that I knew how much to feed a dog, but I’d figure it out.
I opened all the cabinets and the pantry, finding nothing. Had it even been brought in from Francois’ car? I wasn’t even certain what he’d driven. “This might take a little bit, fur baby.” I could call him but then he’d know I wouldn’t hesitate to call on him for the smallest things. That wasn’t going to happen. I could certainly manage to find the food. Or at least I’d try.
The fur baby trotted behind me as I headed for the front door, doing more than peeking out the sidelights. Only two SUVs were parked in front of the house, and somehow I doubted someone like Francois would regularly drive a big lug of a vehicle. He seemed like a sports car kind of guy. It was obvious he’d taken up space in my father’s four-car garage, likely alongside my car.
The mud room was the only other logical choice where the pup’s food would be stored given the number of cabinets. I headed down the hallway, hearing little toenails on the hardwood floor as she followed me.
Suddenly, Sadie issued a growl that immediately forced the hair to stand up on the back of my neck. It was the kind of sound that indicated something was very wrong.
The door to the garage was open, the black space outside more ominous than I’d remembered. Who would go off leaving the garage door open? And why didn’t Francois or one of his men know it given the tight security? Oh, God. This was bad.
I pressed myself against the wall, instantly reaching into my shorts pocket for my phone. Shit. I’d left the phone on the floor in my bedroom.
Damn it.
“Sadie,” I whispered but she refused to come, standing guard, even baring her teeth. Frozen, I tried to control my breathing. There was still no sound and I doubted that anyone had actually managed to break into the garage itself. It was crazy to think that was possible. Right? I finally managed to inch closer, telling myself that my fears were fueled by the warnings Francois had issued, but no one knew where I’d gone.
Except for Quince.
Even as much as I loathed the man, I’d just told him where I was. He wasn’t some big bad guy who had people in every city ready to take out the people who’d wronged him. Great. Now I was making a mountain out of a molehill, as my mother used to say.
“Come on, Sadie. Let’s get you that breakfast. Okay?” When she still didn’t come, I was forced to walk close enough to the open door, I was able to see a few shadows from the limited sunlight streaming in through the small windows. I inched closer to the center of the hallway, stretching my neck, half expecting some badass monster to lunge toward me, a knife in his hand.
There was nothing but quiet and several vehicles lined up in a row.
“It’s okay, girl. I don’t know what spooked you, but there’s nothing there.”
She issued another low-slung growl that vibrated all the way to my toes. Maybe she didn’t like strange spaces. I couldn’t blame her.
