Page 54 of The Pretender

“They know we’re out here,” she says with a smile.

“Super.”

I hope they don’t attack strangers or men with Vee. She tends to bring the crazy out in people.

“Who’s excited to see fresh meat?” she calls out as she punches the keypad.

“What?”

I feel the blood drain from my face.

“Relax, you big sissy. They won’t hurt you.”

I flash her a bored look, so she knows I’m not amused with her shitty jokes.

“I’m serious,” she tells me. “Here, hold my hand. I’ll protect you.”

She thinks she’s being fucking cute by making fun of me, but honestly, her hand feels nice, so I’ll play her game for a few minutes. At least until I can get a better read on the dogs and their temperament.

The door slides open, and I’m hit with cool air and a view of a huge open space with obstacles and dog toys strewn all around. “The barn has air?”

Vee nods. “Yeah. Do you like to work out in the heat?”

I go to answer her, but the minute the door is opened far enough, something barrels into Vee, which sends both of us to the ground.

“Whoa! Hey, girl,” Vee says, after taking a second to catch her breath. The giant dog gives her a few licks and then moves to me, but instead of licking me, she sniffs as if she’s trying to determine, just by my smell, if I’m cool to enter her playground.

“Dogs are a great judge of character,” Vee says, as I lay stock still, not even breathing. “Scarlett, here, once took out an entire house of terrorists. She was shot taking down the leader who had her partner at gunpoint.”

“Scarlett sounds like a badass,” I whisper, hoping my speaking doesn’t trigger her to attack. If what Vee says is true and Scarlett is a good judge of character, she might eat my face.

“She is a badass, and she’s secretly my favorite.”

Scarlett finally puts me out of my misery and licks my face in one slippery lick.

Vee hums. “Maybe she isn’t such a great judge of character after all.”

I sit up and rub the furry head in front of me. “Or maybe she is.”

Vee smiles. “Maybe.”

Scarlett flops down and pins me to the ground with one of her massive paws.

“I’ll give you two some space and check on the other dogs.”

Scarlett swipes a slobbery kiss over my cheek, and I laugh. “Alright. I hope they all aren’t as brutal as this one.”

Vee stands and grins down at me. “She usually isn’t this friendly with strangers.”

I look at the beast lying on top of me. She looks calm, like she’s never seen war a day in her life. I scratch behind her ears and shrug. “Maybe she’s just having an off day or—” I roll my eyes dramatically, “—maybe my Midol threw her off?”

Vee belts out a laugh that isn’t very dainty. “I bet that’s it.”

“Of course,” I agree.

* * *

Two hoursinto Vee’s shift, and Scarlett and I decided to let her continue running around and entertaining the other dogs—seven in total.

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