Dark Destiny by Avelyn Paige
Delilah
“Here we go again,”I mutter after being let into the kennels by a new guard. I’m not in here two seconds before Chad and Missy make a beeline for me. Great. Just like at the prison. I couldn’t shake this guy, no matter how hard I tried, and that was in maximum security. At least there, I had more eyes to watch and protect me from his advances. Not exactly the case here at the jail.
Missy slams into my legs, causing me to stumble back.
“Funny we keep running into each other.” Chad smiles. “Missy and I have been missing you.”
I cringe at his smile. There’s nothing funny about it. The only reason it keeps happening is because I haven’t figured out a way to get you out of my program, creep.
The sheriff has been dodging my calls for days, and his secretary keeps giving me excuse after excuse about why he isn’t available. One way or another, I’ll be talking with him and getting Chad booted the first chance I get. He has to go, or I may have to suspend the program until I can find someone else to do it. I really don’t want to take that away from the people who really need it, like Buddy.
“I’m sorry, but I need to check in on Buddy.”
“Buddy doesn’t need your attention. He’s fine. Big guy is out walking his dog anyhow.” Shit, he’s right. He’s not in the room.
“I’ll just go check on the other guys. If you’ll excuse me.” I try to sidestep him, but he mimics me. “Chad, you need to let me do my job.” I peer over at the guard behind me, whose attention is on his phone. Shit. No help coming from him unless I make a scene—a really big one.
“We’ve barely had a chance to talk since I came here.”
That would be on purpose, but yet again, here I am, trying to dodge you like Typhoid Mary.
“It’s a big class, Chad. I have to check in with everyone.” Lie better, Delilah. Think of something better than that.
“No, you’re not,” he argues. “Talk to me. I came here to see you.”
The cold, hard truth is that he’s here only because he has a court date coming up. Of all the places he could wind up, it had to be another facility where my rescue has a program. It couldn’t be a supermax on the east coast, or the damn North Pole. Nope, it’s the jail in my town. Lucky me.
“Chad, seriously. If you don’t back off a bit and let me work, I’m going to call that guard over.”
He cranes his neck to look over his shoulder. “Doesn’t look like he cares that I’m here.” He turns back to face me. “It hurts to know you’d do that to me. I thought we were friends.”
“We aren’t friends. You’re an inmate, and I’m a volunteer.”
“I’d like to be friends. Maybe even something more.”
It takes everything I have not to vomit the contents of my stomach onto the floor in front of him. Friends? The guy is off his rocker, more so than I previously thought if he thinks we have even a platonic relationship.
“Absolutely not.” I draw my hand up between us, palm out.
“Come on, Delilah…”
“It’s Miss Walker to you.”
“I’ll call you whatever you want me to, honey, as long as I can…” He trails off, staring off behind me.
“I think the lady said no. Move along,” Mr. Darby’s deep voice growls out from behind me. Chad’s brows furrow, and a flush of red anger stains his cheeks. Shit. A pissing match between fuck no Chad and the sexy doppelganger. Can this day get any worse?
“You may be a big motherfucker, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
Mr. Darby sidles up next to me on the right, and Penelope moves between all of us, growling at Missy.
“Try me. I eat little shit-for-brains guys like you for breakfast, and I’m still fucking hungry afterward.
Chad’s nostrils flare.He has to know he has no chance against a big guy like Mr. Darby. Even if he tried his luck, the guard—well, maybe the guard—would have him on his stomach and in cuffs before he ever got a second chance to swing.
“I’ll be back,” he warns, jerking Missy’s leash as he walks back to his kennel space.
Darby laughs. “No, you won’t.” He then turns his attention to me. “You okay?”
“Fine,” I mutter, wrestling with the need to thank him, but decide to drop it. Stick to the rules.
Penelope jumps around my ankles, yipping with happiness. I pet her fluff, and she melts into my hand. Mr. Darby clears his throat, and Penelope leans away from my grasp and turns to him, wagging her tail. His face switches back to staring more at me, which seems to be his favorite pastime as of late. I can be on the other side of the room, and I can feel the heat from his stare, following my every move. Like he’s hunting his prey.
“Watch this.” He gives her a basic list of commands: sit, lay down, paw, stay. She obeys every single one of them with zero hesitation. “Pretty good, right?”
“Good job, Penelope,” I cheer, handing her one of the special treats I had brought along with me to test out on her. She sniffs it in my hand before snatching it away.
“What about me?”
“Good job?” I tease. “Want a treat too? I’d give you a pat on the head, but the guards kind of frown on that kind of fraternization.”
“Guards don’t scare me.” He cocks his brow. “I’d need something a little more…”—he looks me up and down with that heated stare of his—“substantial than a pat on the head, though.”
“Uh, well…” I stammer out. He steps a little closer, bringing the heat of his large body close enough that I can smell the woodsy scent of his shampoo. Too close. Way too close.
Penelope, taking full advantage of the distraction, pushes up on her back legs to take the treat bag out of my hand and scurries behind her new best buddy. He leans down and takes them away from her, giving her a firm, “No,” in his deep, commanding tone, causing her to shrink back.
“I guess she likes those.”
“It’s a treat. All dogs like treats.”
“You’d think that, but you couldn’t be more wrong. I was fostering an animal that would only eat broccoli florets as a treat. Granted, he was on an all green bean diet for the first few weeks after he came into the rescue thirty pounds overweight, but he still loved them.”
“The fuck?” he chuffs. “Broccoli? Who gives a dog broccoli?”
“Me? Vegetables are great for dogs.”
“Dogs need protein. A skinny thing like her could use a steak, maybe five.” Penelope looks up at him and licks her lips. He’s not wrong. Protein is essential to animal diets. I just don’t agree with where it comes from. “Bet you could eat through a big, fat, juicy steak, couldn’t ya, Penny?” My stomach rolls at the image of her doing just that.
“Penelope is the perfect size for her breed. Yorkies are meant to be small,” I counter, trying to shake it off. “Besides, there are other ways to get protein that don’t involve meat or animal by-products. Nuts and lentils for one, even tofu. Not that I would give her that, but there are plenty of plant-based dog foods on the market right now.”
“Let me guess, you’re one of those anti-meat activists? You know, the ones who throw red paint on people at fashion shows and shit?”
“Not all vegans are members of P.E.T.A.”
“Of course you are.” He rolls his eyes at me playfully. Or, at least, I think it was meant to come off that way. “Figures.”
“What’s that supposed to mean exactly?” I fire back.
“Nothing,” he hisses, his body going rigid when he realizes we’re not alone. Turning, I find Chad is back again.
“Time for you to go, big guy. She has other people to work with. Isn’t that right, Miss Walker?” He almost coos out that last part. A stinging reminder of the words I had used on him.
A waft of red-hot anger tickles against my skin when Mr. Darby moves closer, and Penelope puts herself between Chad and me yet again. Taking one sniff of him, she bites down hard on his ankle. Chad yelps in surprise and pain.
“Good girl,” Mr. Darby praises her, smiling.
“A dog like that shouldn’t be in a program. She’s a menace,” Chad huffs.
Darby bristles up again, but the guard finally takes notice and yells out to the group, “Time’s up. Leash ’em up and get in line, inmates.”
“Run along, now,” StoneFace chastises with a dismissive wave of his large hand. Chad’s response is a frustrated growl before he stomps off toward Missy’s kennel.
“Thanks for that.”
“Anytime, Flower Child. See you soon.” His deep, teasing voice is like a lover’s promise whispered in the wind. A wind that can’t be blowing right now. This is a no wind zone.
Snapping a leash to Penelope’s collar, the two of them trot off to the line of inmates outside the door, leaving me standing here in a stupor.
Over his shoulder, he yells out, “Rain check on that treat?” and winks as he walks out the door.