Page 15 of Training His Pet

“Coming!” she sang back at him. What she wanted to do was find a way to shimmy out the bedroom window and get more information on the man who had been killed in the alleyway. But three floors from her bedroom to the street were in her way, and she knew Dax would find her before she got to the corner. If Joey Persuccio really did see her as a threat, staying in her apartment wasn’t a good choice.

Hey, going out of town for a few days

Rent is in your sock drawer

She finished texting Christy and grabbed her duffel from the bed, swinging it over her shoulder. Maybe Dax was the lesser of two evils, maybe he had information she could get from him, maybe he wasn’t as scary as his current scowl suggested.

“You changed,” Dax said when she walked back into the living room and he noticed the black mini dress had been exchanged for well-worn jeans and tennis shoes.

“I didn’t think the cocktail dress was really a running from the mob outfit.” She gave him a wry smile.

He scratched his chin and smiled. He’d liked the dress. Hmm. Good information for any future need to persuade him.

“Yeah. Guess not. Ready?” he asked, gripping the door handle. “Did you text your roommate?”

“Yeah.” She went to her desk and unhooked her laptop and the cords, fitting it all in her duffel.

“Can’t go without that, I guess.” He waved his hand at her bag.

“What? I can get some work done. Where are we going anyway?” she asked, stepping into the hall with him. He pulled the bag from her shoulder and gestured for her to lock the door.

“I have a place we can go. A friend is gonna give us a cabin for a few days.” He poked the elevator button. The doors slid open and he held them until she was inside, and he joined her.

“Do we need to stop by your apartment? I mean, you’ll need new clothes too,” she prompted when the elevator began to move.

“Probably not a great idea. Joey knows you’re with me. Might have some guys at my apartment. I have some clothes in my gym bag. I’ll make do.” He held the doors again when they reached the lobby and she stepped out.

She watched him as they made their way back to his car. “How long of a drive is it?”

“A few hours.” He grinned and opened her car door. She looked back at her apartment building then to him.

“And you’re not a serial killer?” she asked, realizing it was a stupid question to ask.

He huffed a soft laugh. “If I was, would I tell you?”

She pinched her lips together. “Right.”

The door shut once she was tucked inside, the loud bang reverberating through her. Maybe she wasn’t being smart. She checked her phone for a response from Andrew then tucked it away. Both he and Charity knew who she was with, and once she got where they were going, she’d text them that information as well.

Dax, aside from looking like a dark alley thug in his own right, hadn’t given her any indications that he was anything but what he seemed. If he tried to take away her phone, she’d worry. Until then, she would focus on what she could find out from him.

The trunk slammed shut just before his door opened and he sank into the car, jostling it with his bulk. She dropped her purse between her feet and buckled her seatbelt.

“What’s wrong?” she asked when he didn’t turn the key.

He tucked his phone into the holder attached to his dash. “Nothing. Just putting in the GPS.” He flashed her a grin and fired up the car.

GPS.

“You haven’t been to this place you’re taking me?” she asked as the car jolted into movement.

“It’s been a while. My friend’s brother owns the place. I visited just before he opened.” The muscles in his neck tightened. The tension filled the space between them.

“Was it a bad trip last time?” she asked, pulling her hair back into a ponytail and winding the holder around it.

“No. Why?” he asked, glancing over at her.

“You got all stiff when you said you’d been there a few years ago, that’s all.” Reading body language during an interview often gave her more insight into the person than their words.

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