Page 44 of Ace
Funny Red had crawled on his belly and inserted himself between Keller and the Pitbull like a jealous child trying to get Keller’s attention. She smiled at the glow in that crazy dog’s eyes.
Red had come to her in tears and tatters. His now sleek, glassy coat had once been torn away by other dogs, and if Keller took the time to pet the dog, he’d discover a wealth of knots and gnarled ridges beneath the shine. Dear, sweet, happy-go-lucky Red had been used as a bait dog in one of the worst underground dog-fighting rings in the state.
Savannah’s fingers curled into fists as she recalled the day she’d faced Dickie Bob Boudreaux, aka Bubba, in front of his so-called friends.Killer,that was what she’d called him to his face that day.Murderer!
Defiant and as angry as she’d never been, she’d climbed into his bloody fighting ring to rescue Red. When Bubba jumped in after her, screaming “Get the fuck off my property!” she’d stood up to him in front of all his jeering homies. She’d told him, “Go on, then, hit me! That’s what big tough guys like you do, isn’t it, Bubba? You’d hit a girl the same way you beat these dogs!”
She’d been out of her mind that day. But she’d also been filled with righteous wrath, and determined shewasn’t leaving without Red. The poor bloodied dog had curled at her feet by then. She couldn’t have left him, not with two vicious pitties skulking around the ring like slathering monsters out of a nightmare, waiting to tear him apart.
Bubba’s buddies urged him to, “Slap that bitch, bro! Do it! Show her who’s boss, Bubba! Give it to her! Bloody her. Do it! Do it!”
He’d curled back his fist, and Savannah was sure he’d punch her rather than look weak in front of his buddies. But she was way past cowering to the likes of Bubba. She wasn’t sure which she’d been that day, stupid or brave, but she’d gotten right in his face, close enough to see his nose hairs. And she’d told him, “Go ahead and hit me, Dickie, but you’d better kill me when you do, because I’m taking this dog with me if you don’t. And I’m telling Gran Mere what you’re doing out here on the land she gave your mama!”
It might’ve been because she’d call him by his name. It might have been because she’d invoked his mama and Gran Mere’s holy name. But whatever... Dickie dropped his hand and took a full step back before he told her to, “Go to hell and take that shittin’ dog with you. Go on. Get outta here before I turn you into one of my bitches! They made rape stands for women like you, ya know.”
“And they make prison cells for men like you!” she’d volleyed right back at his squared-off, empty head.
He’d turned on her then, his face red and the pits of his yellow shirt stained with sweat. “I said git!”
Which Savannah did. She’d dragged poor Red out of there, and she’d gotten him inside the back of her car,and she’d driven straight to Doctor John’s clinic. There was no vet close by, and she’d been afraid Red wouldn’t last if there were. Rudy had been surprised to see her, but he’d come through for her. Between patients, he’d doctored Red, then kept him overnight until he was sure Red was going to make it.
“I think Red likes you,” Savannah told Keller. “But no, I don’t have another car, and before we leave, I want to check my birds. I’ll be right back.”
Before she walked three steps, Keller was at her side, his hand at the small of her back. “Not without me, you don’t.”
“Suit yourself,” she replied as Galahad and Red followed along. Together the four of them circled the house. Savannah was right. Her birds were okay. Most of the damage had occurred at the rear of her house and on her deck, but her fire suppressant system had worked. She’d have a watery mess to clean up later, but this was nothing compared to what the last hurricane did.
“You need to feed them?” Keller asked as he escorted Savannah up the porch steps.
“If you don’t mind. I’ll only take a minute.”
While he and the dogs took up post at the top of the steps, Savannah hurriedly washed water bowls and filled food cups. She snuggled each of her nervous feathered babies and told them she’d be gone until morning, but she’d make it up to them as soon as she got back.
At last, she turned around. By then, Keller sat on the top step with a dog at each side. But while Galahadstood like a rock, panting, drooling, and snorting, Red had climbed onto Keller’s lap and rolled over on his back. Keller cradled the silly heart like a baby, scratching Red’s poor scarred belly. Tears filled Savannah’s eyes. Her favorite lost warriors had finally found each other.
“He likes you,” she whispered.
Keller looked up. Too late, he tried to mask his heart, but she’d seen. He’d let Red into a place in his heart where he’d blocked her out. Keller cleared his throat, then coughed again. “Someone hurt this guy, didn’t they?” he asked. “How’d you…? Where’d you…?”
“I rescued Red from an illegal dog fight. It’s closed down now, not that Dickie’s not sneaky enough to open another one. But if he does, I’ll find out. I always do.”
“Red was a bait dog. Shit.”
Exactly.When he couldn’t seem to speak, she said it for him. “I think Galahad and Red should come with us, don’t you?”
“Yeah, ahh, sure. That’d work for me.”
Of course, it will, you softhearted, badassed guardian angel of mine.
By then, Keller wouldn’t look at Savannah, and that was okay. Even tough men cried, and she’d cried plenty over the sweet boy now resting with his eyes closed on Keller’s lap. Didn’t they make a handsome pair of bodyguards, Red with his patchy but silky scarlet hair and Keller with his golden, tan skin? They were a perfect match, familiars who’d recognized each other at first sight.
“Are you guys ready?” she asked as she breezed by them on her way to the cat barn and the garage behind it. Little did Keller know that she’d kinda, sorta not told him the truth. True, she didn’t own another car. She owned something better.
“Hey, wait up,” Keller grumbled while he, Galahad, and long-legged Red scrambled to keep up.
“You boys are slower than dirt,” she teased as she kicked into high gear and ran ahead of them. Red outpaced her easily, but Keller overtook her just as she passed the cat barn.
“Slow up,” he growled. “We still don’t know if it’s safe yet or—”
