“I’ll clean the car when we get home. So sorry about that. We should be grateful we aren’t taking Raven. She was covered in mud. Axel had dragged her for all he was worth on the morning walk. Raven refused to let go after Axel had been so successful yesterday.”

I grabbed Axel’s collar and helped direct him into the backseat. I cracked the back window a bit and he immediately put his nose in the gap.

Taylor got in and closed the door before Axel could get any more ideas about being an adventurous wanderer.

“I guess Raven’s mud was part of the reason we picked him up so quickly?” I petted his head and he managed to lick my hand three times.

“Oh yeah. She was super done with his ass.” She dug into the bag and pulled out a dog treat. He instantly propped his head on my seat. Taylor gave him the bone-shaped dog cookie.

He munched in my ear and dropped a crumb on my shoulder. Taylor picked it off.

“Did we ask Endgame if he’s allergic or anything?” Taylor bit her bottom lip with worry.

“He’s fine. He hasn’t paid rent ever. He gets no say about a dog. He can take a Benadryl if he needs to.” I wasn’t sure how he felt about pets in the apartment. I knew he didn’t have any growing up and seemed to think the time and effort most people paid to their animals was a waste of time. He hadn’t said that much, but it was just a feeling I got from his interactions with any of the dogs and cats we encountered during our relationship.

Taylor pulled out her phone and checked her email. “I have to read this article and then answer questions for my class.” She kept petting Axel’s nose as he rested it on her shoulder.

“Go for it.” I synced my music up on the aftermarket screen I added to my dashboard and let her have the time to do her work.

On the drive, I wondered when Endgame would be back. A huge part of me hoped he wouldn’t be. And then, the tiny part of me that seemed to be in charge when it came to any decision about him pinged to the surface, hoping that I’d know he was okay. I had ways I wasn’t proud of to get information on Endgame. Where he was and what he was up to. If I had to I'd tap into that. But for now, I had Taylor to think about and her dog to keep me occupied.

13

TAYLOR

Through some sort of Labrador miracle, Axel’s paws did not get the car muddy. The blanket would have to be washed, but at least it contained the worst of the mess.