Page 30 of It Shouldn't Be You
"I’ll have you know there is no fucking with her heart going on. She knows exactly where we stand, not that it's any of your business, and the absolute last thing I plan on doing is hurting her in any way, shape, or form. She is my wife, and I’d sooner cut my own hand off than hurt a hair on her head. Or let anyone else for that matter. Now, I’ll appreciate you keeping your threats to yourself in the future and remembering who the fuck she belongs to," I growl, standing up so I’m towering over him. Who the hell does he think he is coming in here and threatening me? I could bury him six feet under in a second if I was so inclined.
"Someone has to look out for her. She’s too loving, too kind for her own good. Just know the second you make her cry, I’ll fucking end you," he growls before leaving my office, slamming the door behind him.
I have to hand it to him. The kid has balls. Seeing someone stand up for Abigail is far from a bad thing. For that reason alone, I let his check slide. Having someone so determined to keep her safe in every meaning of the word is invaluable.
I don’t doubt for a second he’d leap in front of a bullet for her.
And with the way things are going, someone might just have to.
Chapter 24
"Just where are you taking me?" I look at Abigail with a smirk, unable to contain my excitement about the surprise I've planned for her. I also can't wait to have her arms wrapped around me, clinging on for dear life.
"I told you; it’s a surprise. Trust me, you’ll love it." I pass her a helmet and guide her out of the house towards the garage, skilfully dodging her barrage of questions. Some surprises are best experienced firsthand.
"And I told you that I don’t like surprises. How do I know if I’m dressed appropriately for a start, never mind the risk of not liking it and having to quickly fake a positive reaction."
“You’re dressed like my wet dream, and I promise you, you’ll love this.” Abigail, in her leather trousers and biker boots paired with a white corset and leather jacket, definitely stirs the biker in me as I help her onto my bike.
My Fat Boy 114 was the first big purchase I made as a middle finger to Angus after he tried to have me assassinated. He’d always been vocal about how trashy he found motorbikes andmy love for them, so as soon as it became clear that Alex and I wouldn’t get very far on foot or in stolen cars, we hightailed it to a dealership, maxed out our credit cards, and never looked back. Part of me wishes I’d had the chance to see his reaction when I pulled up on it.
“Hold on tight.” Once I feel her arms tightly wrapped around my waist and her body pressed firmly against my back, I rev the engine and peel out of the compound.
The adrenaline rush of pushing the bike to its limits, feeling the wind whip against my face, is a sign of freedom. Abigail laughs behind me, her hair whipping around us, and hearing her sound so carefree and happy strengthens my resolve to do whatever it takes to preserve her innocence. It's a miracle she’s managed to hold onto it this long, and over my dead body will I be the one to take that away from her.
The drive passes all too quickly, and before I know it, we're pulling up to the side street where Perfect Paws' back entrance is located. Dismounting the bike, I hold her steady as she steps off and looks around with a puzzled expression.
“What are we doing here?”
“We’re gonna pet some strays, come on.” I tug her by the hand towards the door, pulling out my set of keys to let us in, ignoring her questioning look for now. She'll understand soon enough why we’re here.
“Logan. We weren’t expecting you today, is everything okay?” We’re barely through the door when Anna, the older lady I hired to run this place, stumbles into the hallway, freezing when she sees us.
“Everything’s perfect, Anna. We’re just here to give the strays some love, if that’s okay?”
“Of course it is, help yourselves.” Anna gives us a warm smile and grabs the printer paper she must have come back here for before heading back to the reception area.
“Lo, what’s going on?” Abigail asks, her hair shaken out from the ride, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.
“I’ll tell you once we have some puppies in our laps, and you can't get mad at me,” I say with a smirk, pulling her along to the back room.
“You’re really reassuring me here.” Her eye roll would typically earn someone else a harsher reaction, but with Abigail, it just makes me want to tease her even more.
“I’m glad to hear that. Now, come on, what pup would you like first?” Ignoring her sarcasm, I push her into the room ahead of me and watch as the puppies all dive straight for her with excited yaps and tail wags. If I ever had any doubts about her true nature, this scene would dispel them instantly. Animals are the best judge of character, and it’s clear they adore her. As she settles on the ground with a swarm of puppies fighting for space in her lap, I join her and pick up my own furry bundle.
Never thought I'd be so jealous of dogs, but here we are.
“Time to spill your guts, Viking.” Abigail pins me under her stare with a quirked eyebrow, looking expectant as she scratches one of the puppies behind the ears.
“You know, considering I own this place, you should be careful with that sass unless you want to lose your job.”
“Excuse you? What do you mean you’re my boss, Anna’s my boss.”
“Anna is your manager, but she answers to me. I opened this place a few years ago but quickly realised I didn’t have the time needed to run it myself but also couldn’t stomach closing it down or selling it so…”
“Enter Anna. But why open it in the first place?”
“Because animals are the purest souls and don’t deserve to be abandoned on the sides of streets. If opening this place can help even one animal, it’s worth it. I’d adopt them all if I could, but up until recently, I shared a small apartment with Alex and was constantly on the move.”
