Her Mane Men (Paranormal Dating Agency Kindle World)(28)

“Pretty much.” Sally leaned in conspiratorially, “When they discovered that this division had no breaks and was riddled with sexual harassment, that was the first place they went. Gotta get lawyered up.”

“I’m just glad he’s gone.” If I’d realized the breaks were a huge thing, I’d have reported him long ago. Many of us would’ve since it was an easily provable offense, unlike the leering and accidental touches.

“You and I both.” She reached to her shelf, grabbing a binder and handing it my way. “That leads me to the second reason you were called in.”

By the time I left Sally’s office I’d gotten a brand-new job. George’s, to be specific. It wasn’t anything like the jobs I’d been putting my name in the hat for, but it was a huge raise and one that had transfer potential, which, in the back of my mind, was the best part of it. Our company had sister companies across the country, including in Maple Rivers. It put more options on the table for our future, for, after this weekend, there was no doubt we had a future.

It was an hour before lunch when I finally left her office, and all I wanted to do was to call the guys and tell them all things. I promised not to say anything to the rest of the staff until the formal announcement was made, so I let Betsy know I was stepping out and went outside to call them. The patio was where the smokers took their breaks and had a few people doing just that, so I snuck around to the alley, dialing them as I did.

“Everything all right?” Curtis answered the phone on speaker.

The alley was exceptionally smelly, the scent of urine filling my nose.

“Hello to you, too.” I blew a kiss because why not? They were mine, after all. “Everything’s great, I just wanted to let you know how things went because silly me I thought you might worry.”

Parker’s laughter belted through the phone at my jibe.

“What? Us? Worry?” He was still cracking up, and I could envision him shoulder bumping Curtis as he did. I was a worrier, so I got Curtis’s concern. I really did. It didn’t make it less funny.

“We are close by. Can you take an early lunch?” He completely ignored our teasing. Lunch sounded perfect. I could easily get the rest of the afternoon off since my new job hadn’t started and they’d offered any time I might need.

“I think so. I no longer have my position–”

“What?” Parker cut me off before I could finish, leaving me feeling not at all bad about his concern “Oh baby, we’ll think of something.” He was sweet about it though, so bonus points for him.

“I meant I no longer had mine. I now have George’s. He was canned this morning.” A growl filled the alley. Not the sexy growl of my future mates, but that of a dog.

“Congratu…”

I dropped the phone as I came eye to eye with the most enormous dog I’d ever seen, with the possible exception of a Newfoundland a neighbor had when I was a child. A blood-curdling scream escaped my lips. Unlike that Newfoundland, this dog looked feral, his teeth bared, his eyes on me as the growl grew louder with each step he took. Fuck. I might not know a lot about animals, but I knew that I was currently his prey. Thank the good human resource fairy, I had yet to go to my desk, and my keys which held my pepper spray dangled from my purse. Slowly taking baby steps back, I popped the pin of my pepper spray, praying it still worked. Roxanne and I got the little canisters years earlier at a women’s expo, so who knew? As he lurched forward, I pointed and sprayed, keeping my eyes closed to avoid accidentally incapacitating myself in the process. His yelp triggered my flight mechanism, and I bolted as fast as my feet could take me to the main street and into the insurance company, the first door I saw.

“Miss, are you all right?” Stanley called as he ran over from his station.

“No. No, I am not. There is a rabid dog in the alley set on eating me.”

“Stay here, miss.” And with his hand at his holster, he ran out the front door.

Feeling safer with a gun in the picture, I ran out just as a roar echoed through the streets. Running back, fearing it was my men about to be eaten by the rabid beast, I was stopped short as unfamiliar arms wrapped around me.

“Stay put, miss. Your mates will handle this. The mutt doesn’t stand a chance.”

He led me inside, and I let him, hearing the weakening whelps of that wretched beast. I was not one for animal cruelty, but I hoped that thing went down and fast.

Stanley’s walkie talkie went off, my mind too focused on the front door and when the guys would come through it to even register what was being said.

“Miss? Maddie?” Squeezing my shoulder, he started again. “The guys are on their way in, but through the back entrance. Follow me.”

The short walk had us at the door just as it opened, another security guard in front, my men holding scraps of clothing but looking unscathed.

I ran to them just as they made it through the threshold, throwing my arms around them both as they murmured words of comfort. They were fine. My men were fine.

“What should we do with him?” an unknown voice called from the doorway where two security guards now waited for instructions, a bloody mess of a man between them.

Double eff. That dog was a shifter. Scratch that, that dog was George. What the heck?

“Holding cell,” was all Stanley said, and they marched him away, but not before he put his two cents in.