Page 40 of His Captive Pet

“I remember you saying something like that, yes.”

In a different time, she might have been able to give him that. But he’d proven to her it wasn’t possible to give over without losing herself. She would never let those dog fights keep happening without at least trying to get the dogs out. No one should be left to be harmed like that, tormented and killed the way those dogs did. They may not be human, but they felt pain, they knew sadness, and she wouldn’t allow it.

“I haven’t released you from that.”

She wrapped the towel around her chest and tucked in the corner. “I believe I already released myself.”

He chuckled. “It doesn’t really work that way.”

“So, if I don’t want to belong to you, I don’t want to be yours, you won’t listen to me?” Her heart dropped six inches. Not being his, not having him hug her, touch her, kiss her, didn’t settle right with her soul, no matter what her brain told her. But she needed to keep her head on straight. A future with him wouldn’t be possible. Not if he couldn’t understand why she had to help those dogs, why she couldn’t be a coward again and let them be hurt when she could stop it.

“Do you? Want to say that? You want to tell me to just leave you alone? And when the smoke clears and we’re back home, you’ll just go your way and I’ll go mine?” He took another step, closing any gap between them. His boots touched her bare toes, and she had to crane her neck to look up at him.

She should have felt apprehension with him towering over her, but all she felt was the quickening of the flutter in her heart. Damn him.

Damn him to hell.

“Just let me deal with Los Pecadores. That’s all I’m asking.” She brushed a wet lock of hair from her face.

“I can’t. You don’t understand what you’re dealing with here, Aubree. You don’t. I know you think you do. I know you think you have it all handled, and since you’ve always had everything handled, now’s no different. But it is.”

“Then I don’t see how this works. Here or at home.” She averted her gaze from him, unable to handle the intensity of his attention.

The collar jangled before her, drawing her focus from the piece of lint she’d found on the remaining towel.

She hadn’t said what she needed to in order to get that collar out of her future. She hadn’t said she didn’t want him, at least a little.

“Turn around.”

He yanked the towel from her body as soon as she turned away from him. “This doesn’t stay on. Nothing goes on unless you get permission.” His nails brushed along her back, pushing away her wet hair and exposing her neck. “And you won’t be getting permission until you give me what I want. I need to know who helped you get into the fights, who sent you the info.”

“Why? What does that even matter?”

“The officer, John, the one we talked to at the raid, he needs it. He needs to find that guy and press him for more information. Maybe use him to build a stronger case against Jorge.”

She nibbled the inside of her lip. His touch muddled her thought process.

“No. He’ll never turn on Jorge, and giving his name would only make me the rat they think I am.” Eventually she would turn them all in, but not until she had enough evidence to keep all of them behind bars, or at least hurt the gang enough they’d have to find something else to focus on. But everything she had went up in smoke. She had nothing again, and just giving a name wouldn’t be enough to take them down.

One finger trailed down her spine all the way to her ass. Pushing lower, he slid between her cheeks.

“Don’t.” She tried to step forward, but he easily gripped her hair, holding her in place.

“The tail will go back in whenever I see the need. For now, I just want to put the collar back on and get some breakfast in you. You didn’t eat enough last night.”

He stopped touching her, which made thinking a bit easier.

“Hold your hair up.”

The collar slid around her throat, and he worked the buckle until once again the leather pressed firmly against her skin.

“Now, back to your hands and knees. No more showers or anything else unless you ask. Got me?” His hands dug into her ass. He squeezed, his nails biting into her and driving her up to her toes.

“Yes!” She tried to wiggle away but he had a firm grip.

“Good. I made eggs and bacon, let’s go.” He released her, snapped his fingers, and walked out. Fully expecting her to follow.

She looked at the floor. Crawl again? Why hadn’t she told him she didn’t want him? Why not give that little lie to keep her dignity intact?

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