Aiesha put her hand out for the dog’s lead. ‘Give me the dog.’
The man scooped the dog up and held it underneath his right arm, glaring at her. ‘Get away from me.’
She took out her purse with hands that were shaking so badly several coins fell out as she opened it. ‘Look, I’ll pay you. Here, take this. It’s all I’ve got on me. Let me have the dog. Please, let me have the dog.’
The man screwed up his face. ‘You are mad. It is not even a pedigree dog. It’s twelve years old and has teeth missing.’
Aiesha was shivering and sick and her head was pounding so badly she felt spaced out and light-headed. It was as if she were looking down at herself from above. It was someone else down in the alleyway begging and pleading with the man to hand over his dog.
But then another person appeared in the alley, his voice so familiar as he called out her name she stumbled towards him, sobbing hysterically. ‘James, quick. You have to do something.’
‘What on earth’s going on?’ James gathered her in his arms, opening his coat to wrap her inside it against the strong wall of his chest. ‘Hush now. It’s all right. I’m here.’
‘He’s going to hurt it.’ She clutched at his shirt lapels in desperation. ‘You have to stop him. He’s going to kill it.’
‘That lady is crazy!’ the man said. ‘She tried to steal my wife’s dog, then she tried to buy it off me.’
James kept one hand on the back of Aiesha’s head while he spoke to the man in French. ‘My fiancée seems concerned you were going to harm the dog.’
‘It’s my wife’s dog,’ the man said. ‘She’s sick in bed so I offered to take the dog out. He doesn’t like walking on the lead. But if I let him off he runs away from me and then I will be the one killed, oui?’
Aiesha looked up at James. ‘What’s he saying?’
‘I’ll explain later.’ He turned to the man. ‘I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I hope your wife gets better soon.’
The man shifted his bulky body inside his coat like a bantam rooster after a fight with a rival who had outmatched him. He patted the dog, who subsequently licked his hand and looked up at him with bright button eyes. ‘Come on, Babou,’ the man said. ‘Didn’t I always tell you the English are mad?’
Aiesha bit her lip as she watched the man open a door further down the alley leading to a block of flats. ‘I guess that’s where he lives...’
‘Yes, with his wife.’ James looked down at her with a concerned expression. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘No, you’re not. You’re shaking.’
‘Can we go back to the hotel?’ She gave a long shuddery sigh. ‘I’m cold and wet and...and I need a drink.’
He took her hand and led her out of the alley. ‘I think I could do with one, too.’
* * *
James kept his arm around her on the way back to their hotel. She was still shivering and shaking but he wanted to get her warm and safe before he pressed her about the incident with the dog. He had thought her little tantrum the other night was bad but this was so much worse. He had never seen her so hysterical. So emotionally undone. At first he’d thought she was in danger. Seeing her in that alleyway confronting an angry-looking man had given him a visceral blow to his heart. The thought of her being attacked or harmed in any way had been like a knockout punch to his solar plexus. He tried to convince himself he would be just as concerned for a stranger but he knew it wasn’t true. It physically hurt to see her in danger. His chest still felt tight, restricted. Painful.
He wondered what was behind her reaction. She didn’t even like dogs...or so she said. What was she doing trying to rescue one that didn’t even need rescuing? Did it have something to do with her past? Would she tell him if he asked or would she give him that hard, steely look and tell him to mind his own business? He could only push her so far. He had learnt that the hard way. When would she finally let him in? He wanted to know what put those dark shadows in her eyes. He wanted to know what gave her that sharp tongue and don’t-mess-with-me air. He wanted to know what had made her so prickly and defensive that she pushed away anyone who showed the least bit of care for her.
‘How did you know where I was?’ she asked when they got back to their suite.
James took her coat off her. ‘I was in a cab on my way back to the hotel and I saw you run into the alley. At first I thought you were trying to hide from me. I paid off the cab and got to you just as you were about to floor that poor man. What was that all about? I thought you didn’t like dogs?’