Drawing Blood

Chapter Sixteen

A loud roar erupted to the side of me. Keeping my eyes squeezed tight, I began to say my goodbyes.

"Sheba!"

Surprised, I lifted my head to see Mitch emerge from a knot of trees, his boots muddy from traipsing through the forest, a dog lead dangling from his hand. Before I could even register him properly, Adam came hurtling out of nowhere; his face twisted with fury. He sprang into the air, as the weight of four heavy paws sunk ruthlessly into my back.

"Sheba - No!"

I let my hands fall from my ears, the air leaving my lungs faster than a speeding train. "Mitch?"

"Rose?"

Instinctively, I turned my gaze to where Adam had fallen.

"Get this dog off me!" he was shouting, the muscles in his arms straining as he fought to contain a huge German shepherd, its jaws only inches from his face. "Get it off me now!"

"Sheba! Off!" Mitch commanded. Nearing his dog, and very gently, he grabbed her by the collar, dragging her away from Adam in order to put some distance between the pair of them. "What are you doing here?!" he exclaimed, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I could ask the same thing about you," Adam blasted back. He hauled himself into a seated position, and I watched him; noting his breathing was as jagged as mine. "Put a muzzle on that thing, will you!" He came to rest his arms on his bent knees, letting his heart rate return to normal, struggling for control. "The bloody thing almost killed me!"

"You scared her," Mitch frowned. Keeping hold of Sheba's collar, he attached a lead to it, ruffling her ears for good measure. "She's just doing her job."

"By attacking people!" Rising swiftly, Adam walked over to where Mitch stood and began to get into his face; immediately the dog started barking at him again. "That dog is a danger and should be put down!"

"Let's not go there, shall we?" Mitch warned him, keeping his back straight, his composure intact. It was evident he wasn't intimidated.

Adam pointed in my direction, refusing to budge. "It tried to attack Rose!"

"You're wrong." Tugging on his dog's lead, Mitch told her to sit and be quiet. She obeyed him instantly. "She was protecting her."

"That's crap!" Leaving him, Adam made his way over to where I was then, and stooped; offering me his hand. I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. A dull ache spread up my leg as I tried to put some weight on it. Something didn't feel right. "If I hadn't been here, who knows what would have happened!" he finished, angry.

"This dog won't attack just anyone," Mitch argued. "She's trained."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure about that!" Watching me brush the dirt off my hands, Mitch's eyes raked over my dishevelled appearance, and I realised how this must have looked to him. "Will called the flat looking for Annie," he explained, but only to me, "He told me what happened tonight."

"Why are you here?" I questioned him; my face flushing scarlet as Adam's hand snaked protectively up my back. I pulled my jean jacket tightly around me, grateful he was there.

"I've come looking for you," Mitch divulged. He paused, his brows knotting together when he saw how close Adam and I were standing. I saw the cogs turning in his mind, putting two and two together. "Have I interrupted something?"

I shook my head, adjusting the weight on my leg. "No, of course not," I muttered. "Adam just happened to be in the right place at the right time." And when he didn't push it any further, I reasoned he was satisfied with my response and shifted my weight again; using my toes for support.