Bella didn’t want a teddy bear. She wanted dangerous and threatening. She wanted a guard dog. He did have the looks though, and those sad eyes drew her in. She was a sucker for animals with baggage.
“Hey, boy, come here,” Bella spoke softly and knelt down a few feet away from Rumble. She waited patiently for him to come to her. Never once did he stop his grumbling.
“Has he been abused?”
“He came to us skinny and flea-ridden. The son kept him tied in his backyard for a while. We believe the teenage grandson abused him.”
“You’re a handsome boy.” Bella kept talking. Finally, Rumble belly-crawled to her and lay his huge head on her knee, gazing up at her. She was sold.
After a trip to the pet store, Bella returned home with her new companion. He glommed onto her and wouldn’t leave her side. She’d already fallen in love with the big guy with his black and tan markings, oversized feet, and St. Bernard-sized head. He wasn’t hyper, and she appreciated his laid-back, somewhat grouchy demeanor until he started scratching at the door. She realized in horror he’d need walking a few times every day and night, and she’d be forced to go outside in the dark.
What the hell had she been thinking?
It was dusk, and Bella bundled up for the cold in baggy sweats, one of Cedric’s sweatshirts, and a too-large hoodie. She attached the leash to Rumble’s collar and opened the door. He sat obediently in the doorway and stared up at her. Hesitantly, Bella stuck her head out and glanced up and down the hallway. Not seeing anyone, she stepped into the hallway with Rumble at her side. Bella jumped at every noise she heard. Rumble had little wrinkles above his eyes as if he were worried about her sanity.
Just as Bella reached for the elevator button, the door across the hall opened and an oddly familiar face emerged, even though she was damn certain she’d never seen this guy before. She plastered herself against the wall and wrapped her fingers around the cold metal canister of pepper spray in her pocket.
“Are you okay?” The guy looked her up and down, but not in a sexual way, almost as if he was afraid she might go postal on him. He kept a wary distance, glancing from her to the dog.
“I’m…I’m fine. You startled me.” Bella gripped Rumble’s collar, as if she were holding him back. The traitorous animal yawned and sprawled onto the floor, as if taking a power nap.
A slow smiled crossed his handsome face and crinkled the corners of his blue eyes. “Sorry about that.”
She shifted her gaze to the door of the condo he’d stepped out of. “Are you a friend of Fernando’s?” Fernando pitched for the Seattle Skookums Major League Baseball team. He was a good guy and watched out for her when Cedric was gone. Having him next door in case of emergencies gave her a measure of comfort.
“Yes, we go back to our minor league years.”
“Oh, you’re a baseball player too?” She gestured to the doorway of her own condo. “My, uh, boyfriend plays hockey for the Sockeyes.”
At the mention of the Sockeyes, the man suddenly closed off and shut down as if a steel door slammed over his expression. His smile faded and he inched toward the elevator.
Feeling braver, Bella stepped closer, tugging on Rumble’s leash. “Don’t like hockey much?”
With a sigh, Rumble stood and sauntered over to them. He stuck his nose in the man’s crotch.
“Not really.” Pushing Rumble’s muzzle away from his privates, the guy stroked the big dog’s head. Rumble growled, but her neighbor wasn’t the least bit put off. In fact, he laughed. “My brother plays for them, and we aren’t exactly on good terms—or any terms at all.”
Bella processed this bit of information, and it only took her a few seconds to arrive at the most obvious conclusion based on her knowledge of the team. “Your brother is Isaac Wolfe.”
He nodded grimly. “Yeah, you know him?”
“It’s a small world.” Bella snorted a laugh, feeling comfortable with this younger version of Isaac and Tanner. Zeke was reputed to be the good kid of the family. He wouldn’t hurt her any more than his brothers would.
Zeke frowned, glancing around and poised on the balls of his feet as if plotting an escape route. His discomfort fueled her confidence, and Bella wasn’t about to let him go so easily.
“Not only do I know Isaac, but he’s my sister’s fiancé, and Tanner is married to my other sister.”
He blanched, turning pale underneath his tan. “Fuck,” he whispered, and she had the distinct impression it wasn’t a word he used much. “Please don’t tell them I’m here.”
“Like they aren’t aware you’ve been traded to the Skookums?” she shot back.
“I’m not interested in a family reunion, not today and not ever.” His expression hardened, reminding her very much of Isaac’s and why he’d earned the nickname of Ice.
“That’s a long time to hold a grudge.”
He scowled at her. “It’s mine to hold.”
“Fine, be a dick.” Bella smiled as the old, outspoken Bella reared her sassy head. “If you’ll go with me to walk the dog, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
“That’s blackmail.” He almost smiled.
“Take it or leave it.” She shrugged, feeling as comfortable with him as she did with Isaac and Tanner. It felt good to banter harmlessly with a guy. She hadn’t even flipped Cedric shit lately.
Bella had no intention of telling anyone in her family about her encounter with Zeke Wolfe. She had enough problems of her own, and his life was his business. Unlike in the not-so-distant past, this Bella didn’t relish the drama such a revelation would cause in her family.
He held out his hand, but Bella wasn’t willing to go so far as to shake it. “Zeke,” he said. Realizing she wasn’t going to take his hand, he patted the dog’s head as if that were his original intention.
“I’m Bella,” she answered sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I’m a little skittish lately. I was attacked a few weeks ago, and now I have to go outside and walk this dog I got today.” And she was telling him this why?
“You didn’t think of that ahead of time?”
She shook her head. “Dumb, huh?”
“I’ve done dumber things.”
She doubted that. Zeke’s reputation was squeaky clean. Grateful for the escort in the near-dark Seattle evening, she walked the short distance with him to the park and waited while Rumble did his business. Bella cleaned up after the dog, who had poop the size of a horse’s piles, and deposited the plastic bag in the receptacle provided. Obviously this was a dog-walking park.
They walked back, chatting about the Skookums’ chances this year. Bella filled him in on the not-to-miss places in Seattle.
He grinned at her as she put her key in the door. “Grab me, and I’ll go with you for his late-night walk too.”
“Oh, thank you. Thanks so much,” she gushed, and she’d never been one to gush. She’d already started worrying about the next walk as soon as they’d left the park.
He winked at her. “Not a problem. Later.”
Bella shut the door and locked it, leaning against it with a smile on her face. Cedric would be so proud of her, once he got over his initial jealousy, an odd trait he’d been exhibiting lately. He’d be glad she forced her way out of her comfort zone though she wasn’t so sure how he’d feel about the dog. As if realizing she was thinking about him, Rumble, asleep on the floor, opened one eye and grumbled.
Bella laughed then jumped when she heard a loud rapping on the door.
Assuming it was Zeke, she called out, “Zeke, you miss me alr—” She leaned forward to look in the peephole, and her words stuck in her throat mid-sentence. “Hi, Izz.”
“Let me in,” her sister demanded. Bella considered ignoring her and going to bed, only the consequences of such insubordination wouldn’t be worth the momentary satisfaction.
Without so much as a glance in Bella’s direction, Izzy strode past her, head held high, and back stiff, sure signs she was pissed.
“How’d you get past the doorman?”
“I’ve been up here countless times with Cooper. Ross knows me.”
Awakened from his slumber, Rumble whimpered and literally lay across Izzy’s feet, rolling onto his back to stare up at her as if he were smitten. Izzy laughed and knelt down to pet him. “Who’s this handsome boy? I didn’t know Cedric had a dog.”
“He doesn’t. He’s mine. This is Rumble.” Bella relaxed a little, grateful Rumble had broken through Izzy’s hard shell.
Izzy stood, and the fickle canine sat up and leaned against her leg, gazing at her with lovesick brown eyes. “Does Cedric know about the dog? What are you wearing? Who the hell is Zeke?” She spit out the questions in her typical rapid-fire manner, but her gaze was laced with concern and worry.
Oh, crap. She knew
. Bella sensed it. Izzy was in protective mother-bear mode, and there’d be no bullshitting her out of it. Cedric must’ve told Coop. She’d known that bigmouth couldn’t keep this quiet, and he hadn’t.
The bastard. She’d make him pay. He’d promised.
Damn it.
Bella gathered her composure and adopted her usual play-stupid technique when dealing with her pissed-off big sister. “No parties to crash tonight?” Bella settled on the arm of the overstuffed couch.
“I’m taking a break. I need more staff, especially since you’ve been more unreliable than usual.” Izzy’s little dig was meant to goad Bella into defending herself by confessing the truth, but Bella refused to take the bait. Izzy was devious when a situation required such tactics, but Bella considered herself far more devious and a much better liar.
“Sorry,” Bella responded, refusing to give Izzy any ammunition in case she’d guessed wrong, and Izzy didn’t know. Izzy might be on a fact-finding mission instead.
“Let’s cut the bullshit.” Izzy pinned her with a don’t-give-me-crap glare.
“Bullshit?”
“
I know
.”
“Know what?” Bella asked innocently, one last attempt at denial.
Izzy blew out an exasperated breath. “About the attack.” She stalked over to Bella to stand within a few feet of her.
Bella shot to her feet. It would never do to give Izzy any advantage, including height. “Know what?”
Izzy rolled her eyes. “Stop it. Your dumb act has never worked on me. Cedric told Coop.”
“I’m going to kick Cedric’s Swedish ass all over Seattle.” Bella slipped past her, but Izzy followed, hot on her heels. She stopped in front of the huge wall of windows, hands locked behind her back, and stared at Elliott Bay. A loaded container ship crept into the harbor, and she distracted herself by musing where its home port might be and what treasures might be loaded in those containers.
“Bella?” Exasperation laced Izzy’s voice.
With a sigh, Bella turned to face Izzy and the facts. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Cedric did the right thing. Why didn’t you tell me?” Izzy’s faced softened and tears filled her eyes, throwing Bella off her game. Izzy was as hard-ass as they came.
“You were planning the best party of your life. I wasn’t going to ruin that. Even I’m not that selfish. I couldn’t make your day all about me.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I still wish you’d come to one of us immediately,” Izzy conceded. “And why not after the wedding?”
“I was dealing, and I didn’t need a lecture.”
“I don’t lecture,” Izzy argued.
Bella raised a brow. Who was her sister kidding? Izzy had a doctorate in lecturing.
“Okay, maybe I do, but just a little.”
“Try a lot.” Bella walked to the small wet bar and poured them two glasses of wine. She flopped onto the couch, and Rumble crawled up beside her, putting his big head in her lap. Izzy sat down next to her. She was quiet for a long while.
“Tell me everything.”
And Bella did. Once she got started, she didn’t stop. In between alternating tears and anger, Bella let it all out and felt ten times better for sharing her pain with her sister. Izzy held her, and for once, Bella was grateful for Izzy’s strength and mothering. Sometimes a girl needed a mother. Tears flowed freely with sobs so wrenching they drained every last bit of energy until she was a limp rag doll with her head buried in her sister’s shoulder.
Izzy rubbed her back and murmured to her. The words didn’t matter; the sentiment did. People loved her and cared for her. She’d known that, even as she’d cut her sisters out of her life recently. The attack had shattered more than her confidence and forced her to face some previously denied truths. The partying, the drinking, and anonymous hookups meant nothing, but her family and true friends like Cedric meant everything. Shutting them out didn’t do any of them any good.
Finally, Bella straightened and sniffled. She blew her nose with the tissues Izzy handed her. With her tears dried up, an awkwardness replaced the raw emotions, leaving her stripped bare and vulnerable, a position Bella had never relished.
Izzy stared into Bella’s red-rimmed eyes. She dabbed at her cheeks with another tissue. “Feel better?”
Bella nodded wordlessly.
“Are you going to be okay?”
Bella avoided her gaze. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think I am, other times I’m a mess. To think I used to teach self-defense to victims of crime and abuse. Yeah, that was me—all superior and judgmental as if I had the answers and they were all clueless. Turns out I was the clueless one.”
“Is that why you aren’t teaching?” Leave it to Izzy to leave no hard question unasked.
“I don’t deserve to be training people to defend themselves when I took every risk I warned them against and finally my recklessness caught up to me.”
“Maybe your experiences make you the right person for that job.”
Bella shook her head.
“I won’t say I told you so. You already know that.”
“Thank God for small favors.” Bella managed a feeble smile, and Izzy laughed.
“Why don’t you stay with Riley and me until Ced gets back?”
Bella shook her head. “I know I need to get beyond this overwhelming fear I feel each time I venture out of this condo. If I don’t, my life will never be mine again.”
“Give yourself some time. It’s only been a couple weeks.”
“I know, but I think it’s like falling off a horse. If you don’t get back on, you may never ride again. I don’t want that.”
“I can understand.” Izzy nodded grimly. “I want you to be careful. He took your ID and your phone. He knows who you are and where you live.”