Page 22 of Training His Pet

“And you couldn’t drop her at the police station?” Trevor’s head tilted.

“You’re getting more like an old woman the longer you live up here.” Dax frowned. “Gossiping like old hens.”

Trevor laughed. “That’s probably true.” He pointed toward the parking lot. “I have some stuff for you guys. Want me to drop it at the cabin?”

“We were going to run to the store after she finishes eating.” Dax jerked at thumb toward the door.

Trevor looked through the screen and grinned. “She looks done. But I already grabbed groceries. Well, Addison did. I’ll bring her by later today or maybe tomorrow.”

“Yeah, sure, that’s fine.” Dax nodded, peeking over at Erika. Her plate was cleaned off and she was drinking her bottle of water. Where did she put all that food?

“I’ll drop these off at the cabin, then I got to get to work. I have a shift.”

“Yeah, serve and protect. I’m sure it will be a busy day for you,” Dax joked. Being a police officer in a small town in Michigan was a far cry from the cop work Trevor did in Chicago.

“Living a quiet life has been good for me,” Trevor said.

“I’m sure,” Dax agreed. He’d been looking forward to the slow pace of family life when he’d gotten out of the military. He’d come home from his last tour, ready to settle into a new schedule. But it had all blown up in his face.

“I’ll let you get back to Erika, who has wandered out of the café and is headed toward the small dungeon,” Trevor laughed.

Dax’s heart paused. “What?” He jerked around and peeked through the screen to find his table cleared off and her chair empty. When he turned back, he found her walking casually toward the dungeon. “I told her to stay put.”

“Hmmm. Maybe she needs to be told in a different sort of way.” Trevor smacked his back. “Check in with you later.”

Trevor jogged off across the gravel road toward the parking lot, while Dax clenched and unclenched his hands and took his first step toward Erika.

Chapter Eight

Erika followed thesounds of crying to a small barnlike building next to the café. Dax had been busy talking with his friend, and she’d been finished with her breakfast when she heard the first smack of flesh on flesh. A man at a table near her had made a joke about someone finally getting what was coming to them, and Erika’s attention was caught.

“I’m sorry! I swear!” a panicked female voice cried out just before another resounding smack echoed through the small space.

Erika came up to the opening to the dungeon space, finding a spot beside a small group of other onlookers.

A woman strapped down over a wooden horse flung her head back, searching out the man pacing behind her naked body. He held a long thick belt in his right hand and his stern gaze was locked on her ass.

---