Page 41 of Sweet Violence
"When you said dogs, I was picturing two. Three, tops. How many do youhave?"
"Ten," he replied tightly, clearly pissed I invaded his sacred space.
"Here," I huffed, practically throwing the plate of pancakes at him.
He froze, reassessing me.
"They're from Joseph. Don't get any ideas; I don't care if you starve."
He snorted, relaxing, and snatched the plate, folding up a cream-covered pancake and digging in. Oops. Joseph had overlooked cutlery. But Taj didn't seem to care.
"Hello, babies," I cooed when three blonde, fluffy dogs came towards me, tails wagging ferociously. I kneeled and laughed when they swarmed me, sniffing at my clothes, nudging my face, inspecting me. One was a little overzealous and licked my face, making me screw my eyes shut.
"Bea, don't be gross," Taj chided.
"Bea?" I asked, my voice high and cutesy as I spoke to the puppy. "That's a very cute name, baby."
"It's short for Beheading," Taj muttered, watching me out of the corner of his eye.
"Of course it is," I laughed, feeling all my stress evaporate. "That pup just stole a pancake, by the way," I said, nodding at a dog trying to slink away, a pancake held carefully in their jaws.
"Nightmare!" Taj barked. "Bad girl;drop it."
Uh oh. I reacted highly inappropriately tobad girl,remembering how bad Taj and I could be together. And how fucking good, too.
"You can't eat all this, Mary, it's not good for you," Taj sighed.
Nightmare's nickname was Mary? Awwww.
"I want to know all their names," I told Taj, yelping when Bea jumped up on me and knocked me onto my back on the polished floor. The room was empty except for the dogs, scattered toys, and soft beds, but luckily my head landed on a fluffy doughnut dog bed. "All of them. Immediately."
"I've got better things to do than introduce you to my dogs," Taj grumbled.
"Oh yeah, like what? No wait, let me guess. One hour of intense brooding, followed by a two-hour death glare workout?"
"I will actually kill you," he threatened.
I grinned, flattened to the floor by a heavy ball of floof. "Try it."
When he said nothing, I sighed. "Come on, Taj. All you have to do is tell me their names. What harm's gonna come from it? I already know Mallie Baby's name."
"Malice," he bit out. "Are you intentionally trying to provoke me?"
"Not right now," I answered honestly, smushing the face of another puppy when they pushed into my personal space, panting happily.
Taj groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's Slaughter, and Massacre’s on your other side."
"Okay, but give me the name you call them, too." I changed my tone, speaking to the doggies in a sweet, high voice. "What does your daddy call you? I bet it's not Slaughter is it, baby?"
"Terrie and Massie," Taj grumbled.
The puppies' ears twitched at their names and they climbed off me, leaving me strangely bereft.
"Hey, you stole my dogs," I complained.
Taj just raised a groomed black eyebrow. Okay, so maybe they werehisdogs.
"Tell me the rest," I urged, watching him offer his plate to Massie. She instantly licked at the remnants of cream. "Pleeeease. It's the only time you'll ever hear me beg."
