Page 18 of Keeping Knight

It takes me a second to answer, because my attention slips to the bruises around her neck. They’re darker than last night. The purplish shade is more lurid. And the sight of them fills me with rage.

Breathing deeply against the anger, I raise my gaze to meet hers. “I worked with a handler, and I was intrigued by the relationship he had with his dog. The way they worked together… it was like they were teammates. So I started asking him questions. How he got into it, the training he had… then I convinced my superior to let me take some certification courses.”

“Did your dog go with you everywhere?”

“Not everywhere. It wouldn’t have worked on some of our missions. But when he could, he did.”

“But then you left the Army.”

I nod. “I did. About six years ago, now. Rogue wanted to start up Fox & Falcon. And he had the idea of me heading the canine services division. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Working with my best friend, my Delta teammates, I could work with dogs all the time… and the timing ended up working out perfectly. Sampson retired right before I separated from the Army, so I had first choice of adopting him.”

Like he knows we’re talking about him, Sampson comes into the solarium, nails clicking on the ceramic tile. He walks over to us and sinks onto the floor with a soft huff. Ruby reaches down to pet him. “And now you’re both here.”

“Now we’re both here,” I agree. “And I’ve never regretted it. I loved my time in the Army. But I think this is the right place for me now.”

Ruby gives me a long look. An unreadable emotion works in her eyes. “I’m glad you’re here,” she finally says. “I know that.”

My heart gives an uneven thump. Then I reach for her hand. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

Chapter Five

RUBY

“So, you’re Ruby.”

Tall and muscled, with light brown hair and freckles, Micah’s friend flashes me a bright smile and offers his hand. His gaze dips to my neck, and his features go hard for a moment. But just as quickly, his expression shifts to friendly again.

“It’s nice to meet the mysterious woman who got Knight into cooking,” he continues. “The extent of my cooking expertise is microwaving frozen dinners. And stopping into the bakery to pick up these.”

With the hand not holding mine, he holds up a white cardboard box for display. “Not for now, of course,” he explains. “But I thought you guys might like them for later.”

“Hi,” I reply, hiding my wince when my throat protests. I’ve been drinking tea and water since I got up, but it hasn’t helped much. “I’m not sure I’m the one who got Micah into cooking. He joined the class before he even met me.”

“But he stuck it out.” He flicks a glance at Micah. “How many weeks now? And it’s not like you need to cook for yourself. Not when⁠—”

“Maybe you could try introducing yourself,” Micah interrupts. “Instead of going on about cooking.”

I already know who he is, since Micah told me before answering the door. This man with the friendly smile and smattering of freckles is Jester—aka Jaxon—who first served with Micah on the same Delta team and now works at Fox & Falcon with him.

“Right.” Jester hands the box to Micah. “I’m Jaxon. Or Jester, if you’d prefer.” His smile sobers. “And on a more serious note, while I am glad to meet you, I’m sorry it’s under circumstances like this.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I tell him. “And trust me, I’d prefer different circumstances, too.”

Micah flips open the box and chuckles. Then he angles the box towards me to display several rows of elaborately-decorated donuts arranged inside. “You couldn’t resist, could you?”

“I was going right past the place,” Jester retorts. “Donuts always put me in a better mood.” His gaze slides to the bruises ringing my neck again. “And they’re soft. So they shouldn’t be too painful to eat.”

“Thank you,” I tell him. “You’re right about donuts. They usually put me in a better mood, too.”

“Well.” Micah says. “Why don’t we head into the dining room while we wait for the others?”

Jester and Micah exchange a quick glance. After a beat, Jester nods. “Sounds good. But I think I’ll grab a drink from the kitchen first.”

As he takes off across the living room, Micah turns to me. “You don’t have to eat the donuts,” he says. “Not if you aren’t feeling up to it. Or if you don’t like them.”

“I do. Like donuts, I mean. It was nice of Jester to bring them.”

“He has a thing about donuts,” Micah explains. “I think he’d have them for every meal, if he could.”