Page 45 of Training His Pet

Chapter Sixteen

Erika shoved the frontdoor of the cabin open and stomped inside. The screen door slammed behind her.

What an ass. Just because she got curious didn’t mean she was out to out Addison St. Claire. She was among Dax’s friends helping them at the moment; why would Erika repay that kindness with a blatant betrayal? Although she couldn’t deny it would make a good story. The high-ranking society circles would gobble it up. Ever since Addison left and her father kept his lips shut on the matter, rumors had spread, but no one really had a clue what had happened. Some even thought she’d run off and gotten herself killed in a drug overdose.

The screen door shut again, but she was already in her bedroom. Dax could just sit by himself for the time being. She wasn’t going to dignify his brute behavior with any sort of response from her.

She shut the bedroom door and leaned against it.

“Erika.” Dax’s deep voice vibrated her body; even with the wooden door between them, his voice had an effect on her.

“Go away, Dax. I’m not in the mood,” she called, bracing herself again the door. He had more strength than she could ever hope to have, she knew that, but she wasn’t going to just roll over for him.

Her phone rang from the nightstand before Dax had a chance to answer. Craning her neck to see the screen, she noticed Christy’s name.

“One second!” she yelled at the door, even though he hadn’t said anything else, and she left her post to grab the phone.

“Erika?” Christy’s panicked voice came through the phone.

“Yeah, Christy. It’s me. What’s wrong?”

The door opened and Dax appeared in the doorway. His dark glare settled on her and he slowly crossed his arms over his chest. The ripples of his muscles weren’t covered by his shirt sleeves, and the tattoos didn’t do much to hide them either.

He kept quiet. Resolved, probably, to wait her out.

“I just got your texts.” Christy blew out a long breath. “I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer.”

Erika’s eyes wandered to Dax’s chest. Even with the expanse of his strength showing, it didn’t send as much of a shiver as his heated glare.

“I left my phone at the cabin when we went up for dinner. I’m fine. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Erika said. “Is everything okay there?”

“Here? Yeah.”

“No one came to the apartment looking for me?” Erika asked.

“Why would anyone come looking for you? What’s going on, Erika?” The panic was starting to rise again in Christy’s voice.

“I met a guy and blew him off. Thought maybe he’d come by when I didn’t show for our date.” Erika dug her nails into her palm. She hated lying to Christy, but there wasn’t much reason to scare her with the truth. If the Persuccio thugs hadn’t gone to her apartment to look for her yet, she doubted they would. Christy was safe.

“No one came. Who are you with? Who is this Dax guy? And where the hell are you?”

“Dax is just—well, he’s a guy I met. We’re just taking a little vacation, that’s all. I should be home next weekend.”

“You met two guys?” The doubt poured out of Christy’s words. “You haven’t even dated in the last year and now you have two guys?”

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