“Think you can help me lift it and take it outside?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Savannah was almost afraid to see if anything had leaked through the cardboard. She was surprised to find the top of the desk as clean as it was before the package had been set on top.
Holding their breath, the two carried the box out the side door to the parking lot. They set it on the ground and Savannah stared at the top, almost afraid of what she’d find when she opened it.
“Here goes nothing.”
Using a pocket knife she always kept in her scrubs pocket, she cut into the packaging tape and lifted the sides. Even outdoors, the odor was more robust and more pungent than inside.
Savannah had conjured up all sorts of unimaginable items that could be resting inside the box, but she was surprised to find what appeared to be a bunch of packaged meats that had turned rotten.
“Hey, doc. There’s an envelope taped to the top.”
Sure enough, Savannah found an envelope taped to the inside of the open flap. In the upper left corner was a gold embossed name, Harp Inc., but no address.
With a shaking hand, Savannah opened the envelope and slipped the letter free from inside.
Did you know that veterinarians are three times more likely to die of suicide than the average person? It would be a shame if the pressure got to you.
Have the report and charges dropped or you’ll just be another statistic.
“What does it say?” Conner asked.
Placing the letter back in the envelope, Savannah tried to comprehend the words that she had just read.
It was a threat, for sure, but why? She couldn’t even drop the charges if she wanted. The state placed the report; it was just her name as a witness.
God, what kind of mess did she get herself into. All she wanted to do was treat the animal that had been on the receiving end of an attack. But it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the dog had been in training. He was malnourished and starving. Savannah knew that was why most of the dogs would fight. They wanted food. The owners bred that aggression so that they understood they'd get fed if they fought and attacked. If they didn’t come out on the better end, they starved or died right there in the ring.
The underground sport of dog fighting was vicious and Savannah despised it with every ounce of her being. She thought she had done the right thing by turning in the owners for abuse. How was she supposed to know they were tied to the mafia and had the local government in their back pockets?
“It’s nothing. The package was part of a service I ordered, but it was delayed, and obviously, it was missing the dry ice.” Savannah tried to play it off, but she could see that Conner didn’t believe her. But the kid was smart enough to let it drop.
“Why don’t you let the last patient into their room and I’ll be there shortly.”
“Yes, doc.”
As Conner went back inside, Savannah carried the package toward the large dumpster on the other end of the parking lot. She tried not to let the contents scare her, but she wanted to know how they found her. There were no ties to her grandfather in name.
Savannah knew that she needed to call Hilary and let her know about the newest development, but right now, she needed to rid all of it from her mind and focus on the canine that needed her care.
Putting on the bravest face that she could muster, Savannah strolled back into the clinic and grabbed Belle’s file from the holder outside the door.
“So, how is my favorite patient?” She said that to most of her client’s owners, but she actually meant it with this one. Savannah made sure to look at Belle; first, dogs could sense who had the attention in the room and saw that she was wearing a cone around her neck. “Aw, sweet girl, did you try to nip at your sutures?”
Beau quickly chimed in, “Yeah. After the third day, she kept trying to scratch and bite them. I left the cone on to be safe, but they don’t seem to bother her now.”
“Well, we can take a look and see if there are any infections. If it’s all clear, I’ll take out the external ones. The internal sutures will dissolve on their own.”
Savannah reached down and unlatched the cone from around the dog’s neck. As she worked, she did her best to keep her eyes on the animal. Beau had lifted the canine onto the work table and gently caressed the pet’s fur as Savannah worked. Belle barely moved as each stitch was nipped and pulled free. The dog had healed extremely well and quickly at that.
It took about fifteen minutes, and before she knew it, Belle was licking Savannah’s cheek and wagging her tail. It was hard for Savannah to believe that this was the same animal Beau carried into her clinic a week ago with barbed wire wrapped around her body. The dog was most definitely feeling better.
“She looks great, Beau. How has she adjusted to your home?”
Beau lifted the dog into his arms and placed her back on the ground as he answered. “I’m pretty sure she thinks my bed is her bed. But we’re working on that. She’s a good girl.” He kneeled beside the animal, who was now nuzzling her owner as he rubbed his hand up and down her back.
How could she ever think that he would do harm to the animal? It was clear that Beau was a caring guy. One that was a great kisser too. She wondered if he was as good at lovemaking as he was with his tongue.
“What are you thinking about over there?” he asked, breaking the daydream Savannah had found herself in.
“What?” she replied breathlessly. She sounded like she had just finished running a mile.
“Your cheeks turned all red and you were staring at me like you wanted something.”
Narrowing her eyes, Savannah was going to attempt to deny all of it. Instead, she said, “Wanted something?”
Beau stood to his full height and towered above her slight frame.
“It looked like you wanted me to kiss you again.”
“Kiss me again? What makes you so sure that was what I was thinking about?”
“Because that’s all I’ve been thinking about.”
“You have?” she responded with a whisper.
“Does that surprise you?” he asked her as he dropped the leash attached to Belle and took a step toward Savannah.