Page 87 of Keep You Close

A ferocious snarling.

My gaze found the cream-colored form again, recognizing it then as Samson.

Who’d leapt over me, and flung himself at Joss, his teeth viciously sunk into Joss’s arm, no matter how much he flailed and tried to push him off.

His little body whacked into the wall, making him release Joss’s arm.

But he was unfazed by the pain.

He arched low, his hackles high, and lunged again, his teeth snapping.

Joss scampered backward as Samson charged forward, snapping, snarling, doing everything in his power to protect me.

Joss’s eyes were wide with panic as he kept backing up.

Samson kept snapping, biting his leg, then his hand as he tried to swing it at the dog.

It wasn’t lost on me that this sweet, angel dog had been a gift from Joss for beating the shit out of me. And that same dog was now protecting me from ever getting hit again.

“Fuck. Back! Fuck,” Joss cried as Samson bit again.

He backed him right up into the door I’d been trying to escape from before.

Joss’s hands went back behind him, desperately trying to unlock it as Samson kept stalking closer.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” Joss cried.

Then, finally, the locks disengaged, and he was running outside.

With Samson in ruthless pursuit.

Alone, I scooted back toward the front of the building, cradling my hand to my chest, then curling up and letting out the sob I’d been holding in.

I wasn’t aware of anything but my fear and pain and relief for a long moment.

Until I heard a voice.

But this one, so, so welcome.

“AJ!”

Atlas.

He must have gotten my text.

And rushed to try to save me.

Another sob escaped me, but this time, arms wrapped me up.

And I curled into him, knowing everything would be okay now that he was here.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Atlas

I hated her night shifts.

Not because of any fears or shit like that. But because of pure selfishness.

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