Page 17 of Rage's Heart

Before I could say anything else, she hung up.

Pulling the phone away from my ear, I stared at the screen, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

Dread, grinning like the asshole he was, slapped my shoulder. “Hot date?”

I shook my head. “A friend.”

“You were blushing like a virgin bride, motherfucker,” he laughed. “Must be some friend.”

I ignored him, reaching for the truck door and carefully lifting Diesel out. “Get back to fixing your bike, dickhead.”

“You got it, lover boy,” Dread called after me, laughing as he turned back toward the garage.

Jesus Christ.

Inside, I settled Diesel onto a folded blanket on the floor in the open living space near the couch. He stretched out, curling his paws, looking up at me silently with dark eyes that seemed far too aware.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I muttered, stepping away to give him a little space. “She likes you. Not me.”

A few minutes later, I heard tires crunching over the gravel outside.

I stepped onto the porch just as Mac’s white sedan parked next to my truck.

Dread straightened from where he was crouched beside his Harley, wiping at the grease on his hands as he gave the car a once over. His gaze darkened with intrigue when Mac stepped out with two massive pet store bags in her hands.

Then, the motherfucker had the audacity to whistle as he blatantly checked her out.

That had my temper flaring. “Knock it the fuck off!”

Dread grinned, not phased at all by my warning. In fact, he almost looked amused, like he’d just won a goddamn bet. He laughed under his breath and turned back to his bike, shaking his head.

Mac, completely oblivious to the pot my brother was stirring, approached. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” I grunted, waving her toward the door. “Come inside.”

I held it open for her, letting her step in before me. Immediately, her eyes found Diesel, and her face softened.

“Aww, hey there, handsome,” she cooed, dropping the bags in the middle of the floor and crouching beside him, gently scratching behind one of his ears.

The lucky boy raised his head slightly, sniffing at her hand before letting out a soft huff.

“Vet must’ve bathed him,” she noted aloud. “He looks way better than he did last night.”

“Guess so,” I responded idly, watching the way she smiled at him.

Pulling my focus back, I reached down and grabbed one of the shopping bags. “What’d you get?”

“Oh, just the basics,” she said, standing and grabbing the other bag. I followed behind her into my kitchen as she began pulling things out.

“Here.” I held out my hand for the bowls she’d bought and went to the sink to wash them. Once I had them clean, I filled the new bowls with water and food while watching her take the tags off a lime green collar.

“Didn’t exactly think that far ahead about dog food.”

She grinned like she’d expected that answer. “Lucky for you, I planned accordingly.”

Her confidence, her smile, the way she had no hesitation moving through my space. It all hit me at once.

I wanted her, and I didn’t have a fucking clue why.

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