Page 6 of Unexpected Temptation

From the edge of the pit, Tank walks up, as wide-shouldered as his name. He’s still wearing his hair in the Marine cut. Maybe he always will. He grins down at us. “Looks like you’ve got that monster trained.”

“Halfway there.”

He chuckles. “Thanks for helping with this.”

“It’s a sight to see. Ooh-rah while clocking overtime and dealing with cats stuck in trees.”

He laughs at my teasing. He knows I’m proud of him for joining the boys in blue. “So you think Tiger has what it takes?”

“He’s ferocious enough.”

“Good,” Tank nods.

“But that’s not the part that really matters.”

“No?”

“It’s being able to turn it off.”

Tank grins. “I don’t think we’re talking about canines anymore, T.”

“No, we are.”

When I remove the padded glove, I throw it quickly, letting Tiger dive on it and tear it to shreds. Leaving the cage, I pat Loki on the head as he wanders over.

“What’s he doing?” Tank asks, nodding to Loki.

I grin at the little guy. “He’s waiting for Tiger to destroy the pad. Then he’ll go and claim a piece.”

“He’s a determined fella, ain’t he?”

“The southern came out in you then,” I say with a chuckle.

“I’m a man of the world, I’ll have you know … ooh-rah.”

I grin, then turn when Loki lets out a yapping bark. When he darts past me, I let my gaze follow him, turning to find him pawing at the fence that separates the open-air area from the rest of the sanctuary.

“I didn’t know the sanctuary business paid so good,” Tank mutters.

“Huh?”

I’m barely listening, mostly just wondering why Loki’s suddenly decided to lose his mind.

“All this land. All these amenities …” Tank sighs. “It’s a lot, T.”

“It’s what these dogs deserve.”

“You must have some generous donors.”

I grit my teeth. We both know what he’s getting at. Tank isn’t usually the sort to pussyfoot about anything, but now he’s with the boys in blue. A cop. There are certain topics we flatly avoid, like the fact that I have a childhood friend named Raffie Trentini, as in the Trentini Mob family. I never know how to feel about Raffie if I should have a shred of pity for what fate threw at him or punch him in his face. Tank doesn’t have any of those problems. To him, Mob guys are Mob guys. That’s it. Cold. Simple.

“Holy fuck,” I whisper, my mouth actually falling open when I look across the open-air area and seeherleaning down to stroke Loki.

“What? You know that girl?” Tank asks.

Now that it’s daytime and she’s closer, I can see the soft curve of her lips. Her eyes are wide and full of affection for Loki. Simone, one of our employees, loudly says in delight, “Do you two know each other?”

“T?” Tank says, laughing. “You’re ogling.”

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