Page 39 of Scarred Souls

I will?

Why did I get the feeling Dee was tossing me into shark-infested waters?

Vaughn picked up his bag and tried to hand it to me as if I were his goddamn bellhop. With a roll of my eyes, I turned my back on him and headed for the sliding door to the yard.

“It’s a pity all the kennels are taken,” I said.

The dogs barked with excitement as I led Vaughn across the lawn to the casita. When I opened the door to the disused room, dust motes along with a musty, stale scent tickled my nose. He could air it out if it bothered him.

Along one wall were clear plastic tubs filled with blankets and towels we used in the kennels and clinic. I pushed aside an old box of odds and ends and dragged the flimsy, ancient fold-out bed to the middle of the room. I unlatched it, and it sprang open in a cloud of dust.

“Good luck sleeping on that.” I kicked the rickety frame and aimed a smug grin at Vaughn.

“I’ve managed with far worse.” He dropped his bag onto the mattress, sending up another gray plume.

“Let me guess.” I folded my arms. “In prison?”

He went to the window and unlocked it. It took some effort to slide open, and I definitely wasn’t staring at his broad shoulders and biceps as they strained beneath his Henley.

“Gatita, there are places that make prison seem like an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora.”

The smirk dropped from my face as I remembered how Daphne had alluded to Vaughn experiencing some kind of trauma. Did it have anything to do with his job?

I leaned against the doorframe. “How did you become a mercenary?”

“Spent a bunch of years in the navy, special ops, and then…other stuff.” Vaughn pulled the cord on the ceiling fan, and it slowly spun to life, making an annoying ticking sound and wobbling like it might tear itself from the rafter. “Got sick of being a pawn for the government, and all their goddamn rules. Now, I have a say in where our team goes and how we run our ops. Pay is better.”

Vaughn’s answer made sense but was vaguer than I’d hoped. I wondered what the other stuff was. I doubted he’d go into details, which left me guessing what horrible thing had happened to Grim to make him hate the world.

“How’s your head?” he asked. “Did the doc look at it last night?”

“Um.” I touched my hair around the tender spot.

“You didn’t tell her you were hurt, did you?”

“Dee fusses over me. I didn’t want her to worry any more than she already does. I’m okay, though. Really.”

Vaughn made a disapproving grumble.

I patted Titan, who’d followed us into the casita. “I have to exercise the dogs now, but we can call your people after that.” I backed my way to the door. “I’ll leave you to settle in.”

Or in other words, Stay here, and give me some space so I can catch my breath.

“I’ll come with you.”

“To walk the dogs?”

“Yeah.”

Oh no. “You don’t have to do that.”

“When I said I’m not letting you out of my sight, I meant it. This isn’t a game, Hope. We’ve been chasing your father for over a year, and finding you has been the first lucky break we’ve had. I can’t risk anything happening to you.”

14

HOPE

Vaughn and I headed north along the calm bay with a dozen excited dogs in tow. We were the only ones along this stretch of beach, which wasn’t unusual and made it perfect for letting our more active rescue pups release their energy.

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