Page 66 of Papa's Bébé
“Tank is . . . scared . . . shy . . . he’s been . . . hurt in the past.”
Anger flashed through him.
Only the worst sort of scum hurt those that were smaller than them, that were unable to defend themselves.
“Who?” he asked in a dark voice.
He tried to rein in his fury when he saw her jump. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. But he needed to know who he needed to take care of.
“I don’t know them.” She shook her head, letting out a deep sigh. “He’s a rescue. I have a friend at the local shelter. Tank was brought in with welts. Malnourished. So thin. He still is no matter how much I try to help him . . . they couldn’t get him to eat.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “He was starving himself to death.”
There was a hitch in her breath and he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He drew her against him, rocking her gently.
“Fuck, sweetheart.”
“Yeah. So Naomi called me and I went and got him . . . only thing is . . . I don’t think I’m helping.”
“Does he eat?”
“A bit. With Berry. He trusts Big B.”
Big Berry. What a name.
“Then he’s already doing better than in the shelter by the sounds of things. He’s eating. He has a friend. He has a warm, safe place to sleep and eat.”
She nodded, but she seemed so dejected that it was breaking his heart.
“He’s just . . . he’s so sad, Matthieu. I can’t stand it. I want to make it all better.”
It was too much for him. He held her even tighter and she melted into him.
Merde.
How was it possible for him to feel this much for her in such a short amount of time? Then again, he’d have to be a monster not to feel something for her when she was this upset over an abused dog.
God.
Whoever had hurt that dog deserved to rot in hell.
And maybe there was a way to track the owner. And make them pay.
“I just feel like I’m getting nowhere. I’m letting him down and I don’t know what to do.”
“And what would have happened if you hadn’t gotten him?” he asked.
She was more relaxed with him now that she was more worried about something else.
“I don’t know. I guess they would have put him down. That’s what Naomi was worried about happening.”
“Right. So he’s already better off. You can’t expect things to be better straight away. Pain and hurt like he’s obviously gone through . . . it will make it hard for him to trust again. But if you show him that you’re there for him, that you won’t let him down or harm him, then you will eventually win his trust.”
She sucked in a deep breath and nodded but didn’t move her face away from his chest.
“Hey, listen to me,” he said to her firmly as he drew her back. Of course, she didn’t look up at him so he was speaking to the top of her head. “You are doing a good job. Hear me?”
She nodded.
“Say it back to me,” he demanded.
