The Great Escape by Lori R. Taylor

Author:Lori R. Taylor [Taylor, Lori R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone

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After the terror of the first part of the day, Athena was grateful for the quiet normality of the second half.

Eventually, slowly, most of the fear eased into the normal half-sleepy boredom of the day, and she was able to relax and lie down and even, after a bit, close her eyes, safe in the knowledge that Eliza was nearby and looking after her.

She was woken from a doze by the sound of feet inside Eliza’s little kennel.

Tony.

She cowered away from him, but he wasn’t looking at her, barely even seemed to notice her aside from a single passing glare shot her way when he first stepped into the kennel.

Eliza was talking to no one and tapping at her human electronics like she spent a lot of her days doing, unaware of Tony behind her. Athena wanted to bark, wanted to alert her to the intruder, but she couldn’t find her voice. She just whined and shivered away from Tony, but neither sound nor movement was enough to attract Eliza’s attention from the frustrated, one-sided conversation she was having.

He waited quietly, arms loose at his side, face scrunched up in a manner Athena wasn’t quite sure how to interpret.

Athena considered slinking out of the kennel altogether, perhaps returning to her bed to scratch her itches and wait out the rest of the day, but she didn’t want to leave Eliza alone with Tony. This morning, he’d hit her.

Athena hadn’t acted rightly then, too cowed by the stranglehold he had on her leash, the warning press of his fingers on her neck, but she wouldn’t do that again. If he hit Eliza, Athena decided, she would bite him back.

She’d never wanted to bite someone before, never, and the impulse scared her. But for Eliza, she would.

The talking-to-no-one ended, and Eliza gusted out a breath and tapped a few more times on her computer.

Athena whined again, a little louder this time.

But before Eliza could turn and ask her what was wrong, Tony stepped toward the back of her chair and spoke, his voice low and soft. “Eliza.”

She made a noise of surprise and whirled around to face him. “Tony!”

“I need to apologize for what happened this morning. I never should’ve raised my hand against you in anger. I swear, I’ll never do it again.”

Eliza blinked, and her eyes turned glossy in the way Athena knew meant tears were threatening. “Oh. It’s fine. Forget it, I’m okay.”

The scrunched-up parts of his face scrunched further, a sincerity that somehow both eased Athena’s nerves and sparked them. “I can’t forget it. Not until you say you forgive me.”

Eliza blinked again, and this time, she reached up to wipe her fingers beneath her eyes. “Of course I forgive you.”

Tony bent down to be eye-to-eye with Eliza still perched in her chair. He lifted his hands, and Athena summoned her courage to growl at him, to warn him that he was never to raise his hand against her again, but then his touch to her cheeks was obviously gentle.

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