Page 68 of Vendetta

My mind raced, wondering what the fuck he was talking about.

“Why isn’t Angelina cooking?”

“Nate and I talked and decided to give her the night off. Figured you might want to cook for a change. You seemed to enjoy it quite a bit when you stayed at the penthouse during Taken. I hope that’s okay with you.”

When I stayed at the penthouse? More like when I was abducted and held there against my will for three days. And he watched me? Was he watching me the whole time when I was there? My mind reeled at how to respond.

“I don’t know—I’ve never cooked for that many people before. I mean, it’s seven people.”

“Nate and Zayn both already agreed to sous-chef for you. They’ll be your little helpers for anything you need.”

“You guys talked about this already?”

“Yes. Nate was the first to offer when I ran the idea past him this morning after you were clearly upset. Zayn just asked if he could get stoned first before admitting that it sounded fun. Don’t worry though, he’s quite functional when he smokes. It actually brings him down a couple notches, so he might be more tolerable.”

Something warm spread in my chest, excitement mixing with the nerves. He had set this up? I had to admit, the thought of cooking an actual meal for this many people gave me quite the rush. I couldn’t help the smile that bloomed across my face.

“Thank you,” I genuinely told him before turning back to face out the window.

The rest of the ride was silent until we pulled up to the shelter, not a single car in the parking lot as he stopped in front of the entrance.

Grabbing the handle, I opened the door, pausing for a moment before stepping out.

“Do you… Would you want to come in with me?” I tentatively asked, surprising even myself. He stayed quiet, and I took that as my answer as I stepped out onto the pavement, shutting the door behind me. Who was I kidding, of course he didn’t want to come with me. Why would he?

Making my way to the front doors, I pulled the set of keys out of my wallet, unlocking the doors and making my way through the front lobby to turn on the lights. I could hear the barking from here, the animals impatient to get fed for the evening.

I heard the bell ring, alerting me that the front door had opened once again. Spinning on my heels, I spotted Cashton’s tall form walking in, his eyes roaming over the small space.

“Hi…” I breathed, too caught off guard to think of anything better.

“How can I help?” was all he asked.

Taking a moment to shake myself, I told him to follow me as we made our way around the reception desk and through the doors leading to the kennels. He helped me let all of the dogs loose, guiding them to a few of the outdoor runs to let out some energy. Guiding Cashton to the food, I showed him how to make each bowl and left him to it, making my way to power wash all of the pens before throwing the soiled blankets and beds into the wash.

I let the laundry run, making my way back outside and resting my elbows on the edge of the fence as I watched the dogs of all ages and sizes play with each other. It wasn’t long before I sensed Cashton’s presence, his tall form coming to stand next to me.

“Which one is Reba?” he asked.

I smiled internally, surprised that he had remembered the name. Careful to not let my excitement show too much, I looked around before pointing to the red Pit Bull mix, the hair graying around her face and eyes as she sniffed around the border of the run.

“And what about Tomahawk?” he asked next. I spotted the goofy black and white Pit Bull pretty quickly, his zoomies kicked in as he sprinted around the pen at top speeds, his tongue flying in the wind as he shamelessly barreled through the groups of dogs. I couldn’t help but laugh as he skidded through the turns, his butt tucking underneath him as he ran like the devil himself was on his tail.

“That’s Tomahawk,” I chuckled, calling him over to us and squatting down to give him some love. “He’s one of my personal favorites. He might look mean, but he’s scared of his own shadow most of the time, and he wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s the greatest cuddler out there, and will stick by your side like glue if you let him.”

I went through all of the dogs, telling Cashton their names and offering a few fun facts about each one. It felt strange sharing this part of me with him.

He didn’t say much, but that was fine with me. I was in my happy place, rejuvenating from everything that had happened over the last few days. I could stay here forever if it were up to me.

We continued with the chores, Cashton remaining mostly silent but asking the occasional question. Once all of the animals were good and fed, we sank down against the wall in the laundry room, waiting for the dryer to run its course.

“Emory would have loved it here, you know?” he finally spoke, a slight edge of pain laced in his tone. I looked down at my hands in my lap, wondering how I should respond.

“You said she had a dog, right? Ava?”

He nodded solemnly, his gaze straight ahead as he seemed to play the memory through in his mind.

“She was always a big animal person. Asked for one from Santa every Christmas. She was sixteen before they let her get one. Our living situation before then wouldn’t have been ideal for a pet.”

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