Chapter 15
916 Words
Beagle was startled by the sudden noise.
In his panic, he hopped towards the door, shivering.
The wheels supporting his damaged back legs added to his distress as the sharp sound of heels coming through the door made him turn back again.
His rheumy good eye shot to Adrian while his blind eye twitched nervously.
Angry at whoever made that sudden noise in an area where signs clearly showed that distressed animals were kept, Adrian tried to salvage the situation.
Still on his knees, he patted his thigh gently, calling Beagle.
“Beagle, here. You are okay. You are safe…”
“Heavens, I was wondering where that wretched smell was coming from!”
The high-pitched voice affected the other dogs at this point.
Steve quickly tried to return them to their pens, but before Adrian could scoop Beagle up, he ran towards the newcomers.
“Get that thing away from me!” the lady screeched as she kicked Beagle hard with her stiletto heel.
The moaning sound from Beagle as he fell onto his side with his wheels cut through Adrian as he quickly crawled forward to pick up the dog.
Cradling the shivering Labrador, Adrian looked up at the face he had not seen in three years.
Amanda Carter. His ex-girlfriend.
Right in the arms of his smirking stepbrother.
“Are you insane?” Adrian gritted out, furious, yet trying his best not to spook Beagle further.
Amanda's Botox-pretty face darkened as she scoffed. “How dare you talk to me like that? You are the insane one here.”
To the man beside her, she whined, “Dan, say something.”
The sound of her voice, how tightly she held Daniel's arm, and the twin smirks on their faces sickened Adrian.
The disgust came more from the memory of the first time he had seen them together this close.
They were both buck naked then, with Amanda’s backside in the air.
“Why would I settle for a nobody like you when a real man like Daniel can give me all I want?” was the only response he got from his supposed girlfriend of three years.
“I did it to show you I can take anything I want from you, and there's nothing you can do about it,” was what Daniel had told him later.
Then he had dumped Amanda soon after.
How they ended up glued to each other in Furryheart was beyond Adrian.
He wanted them as far away from Beagle and the other animals as fast as possible.
“Hello, brother. Fancy meeting you here.” Daniel's face was etched in arrogance and cruelty as he wrinkled his nose at Adrian.
“Never seeing your face again would be all the fancy I need,” Adrian said tersely as he gently handed the now-calm Beagle to Steve.
“Get him checked up immediately,” he instructed.
“Not so fast,” Daniel said as he clicked his fingers.
Steve blanched as two men stepped through the door.
“You were running your mouth just now, weren't you? Think you know what should be what?”
Steve's face whitened as he stammered, “No, Young Master. I was just saying Adrian here knows how this place runs more than any other person. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to run it? Especially since he is… family?”
“Steve,” Adrian called urgently, but the damage had been done.
Daniel hated being reminded of his ties to Adrian the most.
Thwack!
One of the men slapped Steve hard across the face.
The movement jolted Beagle and he sprang, wheels and all.
The man swatted him aside, throwing him right onto Amanda.
In confusion and pain, Beagle sank his teeth into Amanda's newly done nose.
“Argh! Get it off me!” she screamed and struggled as blood painted her cream gown crimson.
One of the men swung a bat at Beagle and would have crushed his skull if Adrian had not immediately blocked it.
Beagle was cradled in his arms as the bat cracked across his shoulder.
He grunted in pain even as he whispered to the trembling dog, “Ssh, Beagle. It is alright.”
“He caused this. He made that disgusting creature attack me! You must punish him. Punish them all!” Amanda screeched with her bloodied nose.
The other workers were drawn by the commotion, and Daniel looked disgusted by her presence.
“Get her to the hospital,” he ordered the men.
“Kill it. You must kill it!” Amanda would not let up even as she was escorted away.
“Of course,” Daniel answered behind her.
Anger surged in Adrian as he pushed Beagle into Steve's hands, putting the two of them behind him as he squared up to Daniel.
“You will have to go through me first.”
Daniel laughed and gave him a derisive look.
“You? Who the hell do you think you are? You are nothing, brother. When will you learn that?”
He stepped forward to pat Adrian's face mockingly like Patricia had done earlier.
His hand was seized mid-air and twisted backwards.
“Argh! What is wrong with you? Let go of me!” he yelled as he doubled over in pain.
His men wanted to rush forward to hit Adrian.
“Do it and I bet he will never use this hand again,” Adrian responded with deadly calm.
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