Dark Destiny by Avelyn Paige

StoneFace

“No,”I say, sneering at the tiny creature cowering against Delilah’s ample tits. “Not only no, but fuck no.”

Delilah stands a little taller. “It’s not a question, Mr. Darby. This is the dog you’re being assigned.”

Everyone is watching now. I can feel their eyes on us. “First of all, I told you my name is StoneFace, not Mr. Darby. Mr. Darby was my old man, and my old man was a fucking prick. And second, that ain’t a dog. It’s like a hairy mole rat or some shit. I’ll take a different one—any different one—’cause there’s no way I’m taking that.”

Delilah’s eyes narrow as she takes a step toward me. “StoneFace is not your actual name, and you’re in no position to tell me if you’re taking this poor creature or any other one in my care. Might I remind you, sir, that you are an inmate at this facility, and I have graciously given you a spot in my program. This dog was surrendered to me last night by a poor old man who was undergoing heart surgery this morning, and was afraid he wouldn’t make it.”

Her voice rises as she talks, her face turning a brighter shade of red with each passing second. Her finger comes up and pokes me in the chest. The guard steps forward to object, but I raise my hand to stop him.

“I’ll have you know, I got a call from that kind man’s friend just a little bit ago, and he didn’t make it. He died on that operating table, and now Penelope is scared and alone.”

She pokes me again, harder this time.

“And you, StoneFace, may be some big, scary, macho dude, but if you can’t show a little compassion to this poor little girl, then you have no place in my program. So what’s it gonna be?”

I gape at her. I’m a man of few words on a good day, but I’ve never been rendered speechless before.

I mull over her words, and after a moment, I reach for the leash dangling from her hand. “I’ll take her, but I ain’t fucking calling her Penelope. Stupidest fucking name I’ve ever heard.”

Delilah’s jaw ticks. “Penelope is the only name this dog knows.”

Taking the dog from her, I cock my brow. “And StoneFace is the only name I know. You refuse to call me by that name, and I refuse to call this dog by her sissy fucking name.”

The little ball of fur is so light and tiny in my hands. Gently, I turn her until I’m holding her out, putting us eye to eye. “From now on, your name is Penny. Still a sissy name, but better than Penelope.”

Delilah’s mouth twitches with a hidden smile when Penny’s tiny tongue flicks out and licks the tip of my nose.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

“Fine.” Smirking, she takes a step back. “Penny it is.” She points to an area of the kennel with open greenery and a few benches. “Why don’t you take her over there and get to know one another?”

Placing Penny on the ground, I cringe at how tiny she is as I walk along beside her. It’ll take a conscious effort on my part not to step on the poor little thing. One misstep, and she’ll be flat as a pancake.

Together, we make our way to an empty bench. I choose it for two reasons. One, it allows me to act as if I’m getting to know this furball like Delilah had instructed. Two, it’s the perfect angle for me to see every other person in the program.

Including Chad.

I plop the tiny dog onto my lap and pet her head as I watch the man I’m going to kill.

He’s oblivious, of course. He has no idea who I am, but he will. I’d never actually met the man, but my name will be the last one he ever hears, my face the last one he ever sees. My life will be the last one he ever ruins.

“Is that your dog?” Buddy asks, sidling over with Rocco at his side. I don’t know which one of them has a bigger smile.

“So she says,” I grumble, continuing to watch Chad.

How can someone so evil look so normal? How can he just be here, playing with a dog without a care in the fucking world, while on the inside, I’m being scalded by the intensity of my own rage.

“She’s pretty,” Buddyhere says, reaching his oversized hand out to pet Melanie, or Felony, or whatever the fuck her prissy little name is. “And she’s little. Perfect fit, I’d say.”

I don’t respond.

Chad is standing beside his dog, but now he’s not doing any training. His eyes are on Delilah, and I don’t like the way he’s watching her one bit.

Delilah isn’t exactly my favorite person at the moment—especially after forcing little Peepee here on me—but I know how Chad operates, and he needs to remove his fucking eyeballs from her general direction before I pluck them out with my bare hands and feed them to little Celery here.

“What’s her name?” Buddy asks, petting her thick, fluffy fur.

“Don’t remember,” I reply, still watching Chad.

“You gotta know her name,” Buddy prods. “She’s your dog. How can you not even know your dog’s name?” His voice goes a little higher with each word, and his obvious distress snaps me out of my daze.

“Hey,” I say, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s no big deal, Buddy. She doesn’t even know her own damn name.”

“Yes, she does! Dogs know their name.”

“Everything okay over here?” Delilah asks as she approaches the bench, her eyes cautious as she watches Buddy.

“No,” Buddy tells her. “He doesn’t even know her name. He needs to remember it, or she’ll be sad.”

Glaring at me, she plucks the tiny dog off my lap. “Her name is Penelope,” she reminds me, cuddling her close, whispering soothing words I can’t quite hear from her perfectly shaped lips.

“Penny,” I declare, finally remembering our conversation. Fucking Elscher being around is doing nothing for my concentration. “I’ll be calling her Penny.”

Penny’s ears perk up at her new-ish name. Hell, she looks like she’s smiling at me.

Buddy’s megawatt smile is back. “I think she likes it.”

“I think you’d be wise to remember it,” Delilah warns, handing the dog back over and walking away.

I watch her ass move as she walks, her jeans tight over ample curves.

I think you’d be wise to watch how you speak to me, Miss Delilah. I could definitely handle the opportunity to spank that perfect ass of yours.