I Need a Hero

by Gary, Codi

  Her good mood restored, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and raised her eyebrow. “You’re kind of a pervert, aren’t you? I bet you go through panty drawers, too.”

  “Is that an invitation?” he asked.

  “As long as you don’t try any of them on, I’m okay with it,” she said. His startled expression set her off into peals of laughter. When he set her on her feet, she had to lean against him she was so overcome with mirth.

  “For the record, I have never worn women’s underwear.”

  “Just one more thing I like about you,” she said breathlessly.

  “So, wait, are you saying you like-like me?” he teased.

  “No, but I’m toying with the idea,” she said.

  “Why you gotta be so cold?” he asked.

  Raising herself on tiptoe, she gave him a kiss so heated the air around them turned humid. “Take me back to your place, and I’ll show you how hot I can be.”

  OLIVER PULLED INTO his driveway and practically jumped out of the car. He had probably broken the speed limit and performed several California rolls, but he’d wanted to let Beast outside and get him all squared away before Eve got there.

  Seeing her headlights in the distance, he rushed inside, but as soon as he stepped through the door he knew something was wrong. The metallic smell of blood was strong, and as he came around the side of the couch and flipped on the light, he saw the mangled bars of the cage where it looked like Beast had bitten through the metal. Only he hadn’t chewed the hole big enough, and his large head and neck were stuck. His flat, brown muzzle was covered in blood, and he whimpered softly, hardly moving.

  “Fuck,” Oliver said. He knelt on the floor, and blood seeped into his pants as he studied the way the metal had scraped and gouged into Beast’s skin, cutting into the muscle. It looked as if he’d been struggling for hours, and his movements had just further embedded the sharp, broken metal.

  “Okay, buddy, I know it hurts, but you need to stay still, okay? I’m going to get something to cut the wire.”

  “Oh, God,” Eve said behind him.

  He hadn’t even heard her come in, but as he stood up, he whispered, “Keep him calm, and don’t let him move. Those wounds in his neck are deep, and I don’t want him puncturing anything.”

  Eve nodded and knelt down in his place, talking softly to Beast. Oliver ran through the house to the garage, raiding his tool box for wire cutters. When he found what he needed, he grabbed a bunch of rags and headed back inside.

  He settled next to Eve and realized his hands were shaking as he started cutting the wires around Beast’s neck. Every time the dog whimpered, he winced and tried to calmly reassure him. He heard Eve’s sniffles and knew she was crying, but he couldn’t comfort her now. All he could think about was getting his dog help.

  Fifteen minutes later, he cut through the last wires and was able to move Beast’s head back into the cage while Eve opened the front of it so he could step out. Blood oozed from the raw, pink wounds, and Oliver didn’t hesitate before picking Beast up in his arms.

  “Can you look up the nearest twenty-four-hour veterinarian?” He didn’t like the way Beast’s head and neck seemed to be swelling.

  “There’s one on Watt Avenue I’ve taken Matilda to,” Eve said. “I know how to get there. You hold him, I’ll drive.”

  Oliver didn’t argue, just followed her outside, climbed into her passenger seat, and settled Beast on his lap. He realized that as much as he’d resisted bonding with Beast, it had happened anyway. Despite how crazy Beast made him, he’d come to love the big, stupid mutt.

  Once Eve pulled into the veterinarian’s parking lot, Oliver could hardly wait for her to get the door for him. They entered the office, and Eve called out, “Can someone please help us?”

  A stocky woman with short brown hair came around the desk. “What happened here?”

  “I left him alone in his metal kennel, and he chewed through the bars. I came home, and his head was stuck, there was blood all over his face and neck. I cut the cage off him, but his neck and head seem to be swelling, and there are these deep gouges—”

  “How long was he alone for?” she asked.

  “About three hours.”

  “Let’s carry him into the back. Is there anything wrong with his limbs?”

  “No, I just didn’t want to put a leash on him,” Oliver said.

  “Well, let’s get a look at him.”

  They followed her through the door, and she pointed toward a stainless steel table. The sound of yipping dogs agitated Beast, and he started to struggle against Oliver. Eve reached out and touched Beast’s head, whispering to him. Oliver set him down on the table gently, keeping a hand on him and stroking his back.

  “Hang on, dude. I know it’s scary, but we’re gonna make you feel better,” the technician said kindly. Oliver caught sight of her name tag. Karen. “Is he allergic to any medications?”

  “I don’t know,” Oliver said.

  “How about a history of separation anxiety?” she asked.

  “I’ve had him less than two weeks and haven’t really left him alone. At least, not since he destroyed my couch the day I brought him home,” he said.

  “Well, it definitely sounds like the big guy does not like to be separated from his person. We’re going to give him a sedative and let our vet get a better look at these wounds to make sure there are no punctures or other concerns.” Her matter-of-fact confidence reassured Oliver. “Hey, Josie, can you help me get . . . What’s his name?” Karen asked Oliver.

  “Beast.”

  The tech grinned. “Like from The Sandlot? It’s fitting. He looks like he might have some mastiff in him.”

  Josie, another technician, came over and laid a calming hand on the dog’s back. “Shh, it’s okay, big guy.”

  Oliver and Eve stepped back, and Beast started twisting to sit up.

  “Hang on, Dad and Mom, we’re gonna need you to stand up by his head and talk to him while we get his weight and prepare his drugs.” Karen disappeared, and Eve rubbed her hand over Oliver’s back as he stepped around Josie, kneeling so he was eye to eye with Beast.

  “Hey, dude. Look, I’m sorry I didn’t figure out that you really couldn’t be left alone. I feel like a tool, but I promise, if you come out of this I’ll share my eggs with you every morning for a week.”

  He heard a wet laugh behind him and looked up at Eve, who was brushing at her eyes rapidly.

  Beast whined, and his big, pink tongue snaked out, catching Oliver right on the nose, but he didn’t care.

  Karen came back and drew up some clear liquid in a syringe. “All right, buddy, now this might sting a bit, but Dad’s right here and he’s going to talk you through it. Josie is just going to keep you still.”

  Beast hardly flinched as she administered the sedative, and within moments, his whole body relaxed.

  “If you want to go to the front desk and fill out a new client form, we’ll call you with an update as soon as the doc finishes,” Karen said.

  “Can’t I just wait in the lobby?” Oliver asked.

  “You can, but it might be awhile, especially since Beast will be a little groggy from the anesthetic. I promise, as soon as he starts waking up, I’ll give you a buzz and you can rush back over.”

  Oliver didn’t argue, and with one last stroke of Beast’s big head, he walked through the doors to the lobby. Eve caught up to him and slipped her hand in his, giving it a squeeze.

  Thirty minutes later, they arrived back at his place, and he was surprised when she asked to come in.

  “I figure I can help clean up the cage, and the floor, and, well, you.”

  Oliver looked down at his shirt and pants, which were covered in blood, and nodded. “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

  He opened the door and let her in first, hardly knowing what to say. Guilt swirled inside Oliver, berating him for not having realized that there was something more going on with Beast than simply adjusting to a new environment. T
here was something Oliver could or should have done, and it pissed him off that he had gone to the bar tonight. He should have been home with Beast.

  “This wasn’t your fault,” Eve said, practically reading his mind.

  “Well, it’s somebody’s fault, so it might as well be mine.”

  “Have you ever had a dog? Not just when you were a kid, but one that you were solely responsible for?”

  “No,” he said.

  “Then how were you supposed to know what to look for, let alone realize that Beast had a serious disorder? I mean, dogs chew things when they’re bored. It was a simple mistake,” she said.

  “But if Best had entrusted Beast to someone with more experience, they might have caught his issues and . . . ”

  “And what? Sent him back to the shelter? You actually think he’d be better off there than with someone who cares about him?” Eve said.

  “I just think that he deserves more than I can give him,” Oliver said. Picking up Beast’s cage, he carried it outside and set it in the backyard. Tomorrow he’d take it to the dump, but for right now, he just needed it out of his sight.

  When he came back through the door, Eve was rummaging through his cupboards.

  “What are you looking for?” he asked.

  “A bucket and floor cleaner, so I can mop up the . . . blood,” she said.

  “There’s no bucket, but the cleaning supplies are under the sink,” he said.

  Eve bent out of sight and popped back up with a bottle in her hand. She set it on the counter and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

  “Look, I know tonight was scary, but I’ve seen you with him. I’ve heard the way you talk about him. You love him. That’s all he needs. He’s not going to get better than that, anywhere.”

  Oliver wished he could agree with her, but he was completely out of his depth here.

  “The dog’s not really mine anyway,” Oliver said. “I’m supposed to be training him to be a military dog, which means he’ll go from me to someone else, but after this, Best probably will need to replace him.”

  Eve tipped her face up. “So adopt him.”

  “If he’s not in the program, I highly doubt Best is going to let me cart him back and forth to the facility, and besides, what happens when I go back to full MP duty?” Oliver shook his head, wondering how he’d never thought of this before. “This was supposed to be a temporary thing.”

  Eve pulled away, and Oliver could sense her hurt even without words.

  “What did I say?” he asked.

  Eve didn’t answer. Frustrated, Oliver took her shoulders in his hands and turned her to face him again, but she avoided his gaze. “Hey, answer me.”

  But still she said nothing, and he felt his frayed nerves unraveling.

  “Eve, what in the hell is the matter with you? I am in no mood to play games right now.”

  “Okay, fine,” she said, her green eyes blazing up at him finally. “When you were talking about this only being temporary, did you mean the job, Beast, or—by extension—were you talking about me?”

  “Of course I wasn’t talking about you,” he snapped.

  “So, it was the job, then,” she said. “When you get back to your real job, what hours do you usually work?”

  Oliver didn’t like where this was going but he wasn’t going to avoid it, either. “The night shift, but depending on what we’re working on, the hours can be longer.”

  “And is your job dangerous?”

  It was a trick question, and he knew any way he answered it, he was screwed. “I’m a police officer on a military base where everyone has a gun. Depending on the call, yeah, my job can be dangerous.”

  “And what about being deployed? Could that happen?”

  “You know it could.” Oliver softened his voice and ran his hands over her shoulders, willing her to understand and accept him. All of him. “You grew up with a dad in the military. You know I can get a new post at any time; if there’s a war, I can be deployed, and yes, if I take the wrong call on the wrong night, I could be dealing with a scary situation, but that’s not going to stop me from doing my job, Eve. I’m good at it.”

  “I know,” Eve said. “I knew that before you said the words, but I ignored it for a little while because despite my better judgment, I do like you. But it isn’t just one bad experience that has kept me from dating guys like you. I want a guy who is safe, who is going to be home with me at night to eat dinner and watch TV. I don’t want to get involved with a guy I might not see for years on end or who might not come home because he has to deal with dangerous situations all day. For a moment there, I thought I could put all those things aside because I liked you, but I still want a normal, safe life.”

  Oliver released her shoulders, squeezing his hands into tight fists at his side. “A normal, safe guy could die in a car crash.”

  “That would be horribly tragic, but he wouldn’t be putting himself in harm’s way daily or be separated from me. I’m afraid that if I keep letting myself get close to you, I’m going to forget that I don’t want these things because I’ll want you more.”

  Hope swept through Oliver at her words, and he wished he knew the right thing to make her understand that this was who he was. He helped people, and there was nothing wrong with that. He could still have it all; they could still spend time together. Their schedules just might be a little different than those of other couples.

  “Come on, Eve, we’ve had a rough night—”

  “And after one rough night you give up on Beast without even putting up a fight. Kinda says a lot about how much you value your relationships,” she said.

  That glimmer of hope was snuffed out by a blaze of fury that tightened every muscle in his body and burned across his skin.

  “Are you actually comparing the way I feel about you to my connection with a dog?”

  “No, God, I don’t know. Okay?” With a heavy sigh, she pushed past him toward the door, but he was too exhausted to follow.

  Chapter Nine

  OLIVER STOOD IN Sparks’s office the next morning, spoiling for a fight. Between worrying about Beast and being frustrated by Eve’s attitude, he’d hardly slept at all last night. Most women would’ve been wetting themselves, calling him a hero, but he’d managed to fall for the one woman who actually looked at his dedication to his job and country as a drawback. And now, he had to fight to keep Beast.

  “I don’t give a fuck what you think, he’s not going back to the shelter,” Oliver said roughly.

  “I didn’t say he had to go back to the shelter,” Sparks said.

  “But he can’t be in the program,” Best added, earning a threatening look from Oliver. Best threw his hands up in a don’t-shoot-the-messenger gesture. “I’m just saying that these dogs go through so much, it wouldn’t work for him. It doesn’t mean we can’t find him a good home.”

  “As long as I can bring him to work with me, I’d like to keep him,” Oliver said.

  “What happens when you get put back on patrol?” Sparks asked.

  “That’s another thing I’d like to discuss. If you have somewhere you can use me, mentoring, or running social media, or hell, scooping dog shit, I’m in.” He could tell he’d surprised Sparks and Best, but the idea had been rolling around in his mind all night. He could provide a home for Beast. Besides, he actually enjoyed working with the kids, and although he had never considered himself the mentoring type, he’d enjoyed spending time with Tommy, Darrel, and Jorge.

  Even if he wasn’t upholding the law, he was helping people. That was all he’d ever wanted to do.

  And maybe Eve would consider being with you if your job was less dangerous?

  Oliver told himself his decision had nothing to do with her, but it definitely felt like a lie. The truth was, while he’d been lying awake last night, he’d pictured his future. He hadn’t been surrounded by medals and trophies. He’d been sitting in the living room of his house, watching TV, and then suddenly, a woman sat down
in his lap and handed him a beer.

  That woman had been Eve.

  Best and Sparks exchanged heavy glances, and Oliver gritted his teeth. “What? You think I’m a bad fit?”

  “No, but we just want to make sure this is really what you want,” Sparks said.

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “Then I hope you don’t mind working with the MP and police dogs we’re training,” Best said. “I’ll go order one of those full-body attack training suits for you.” Best clapped him on the back on his way out of Sparks’s office.

  Oliver kicked out at Best as he left, but Best dodged his boot with a laugh.

  And then it was just him and Sparks.

  “You know you’re going to have to talk with General Reynolds about making your position permanent.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Oliver said grimly. “That’s my next stop. I made an appointment at eleven.”

  Dean raised his eyebrows. “You were that sure we were going to want to stare at your ugly mug every day?”

  “I was banking on it,” Oliver said.

  EVE’S HEAD WAS hammering. Whether it was from the total lack of sleep or the half a bottle of wine she’d downed when she’d gotten home, she wasn’t sure. Even Matilda’s cries to be fed were earsplitting, and Eve covered her head with a pillow to block out the noise.

  Suddenly, she felt Matilda jump up onto the bed and step on her legs before sitting on the small of Eve’s back. Tiny, bony paws kneaded her back, and Eve winced as Matilda’s sharp claws broke through her T-shirt, scraping her skin.

  “Okay, ow, I’m up,” Eve said, squirming. Matilda jumped off her back, and when Eve turned onto her side and lifted the pillow, Matilda was staring back at her with a bored expression on the white mask of her face, her tail twitching back and forth like a black snake.

  “You are a mean cat. I scoop your poop, give you fresh water, and feed you more than I should, and you can’t let me sleep ten extra minutes?”

  “Rouw,” Matilda answered.

  “I guess that’s a no,” Eve said. She sat up slowly, clutching her head with one hand and groaning. “No more wine, ever.”