Seeing as most of the boys loved dogs, it hadn’t taken them all that long to agree to find a nice space and to start the process of turning it into a kennel. He couldn’t get Maddie out of his mind, not that he wanted to. He’d laid it out pretty fucking clear for her.
When he’d offered her the chance to take dating advice for him, he had cursed himself for being such a fucking pussy. Maddie wasn’t like the women he knew around the club or out of it.
Even with his scar, he was used to women throwing themselves at him. The patch had a lot to answer for, and it helped get him laid. Of course, he didn’t stick his dick in any of the club pussy, and hadn’t for a very long time. Rusty being his case in point, in spreading all kinds of infections and diseases. He had ordered all his men to bag their dicks, and they had complained at the time.
“Talk about what?”
“The dogs. Maddie. Any of it.”
“Last time I checked, you weren’t a trained psychologist,” Bull said. “I’m not going to be telling you jack shit.”
“You break my heart. As the brother that gets most of the pussy around here, I know when I see a guy chasing it. You’re chasing Maddie’s pussy.”
“Watch it.”
“Look, brother, you’re old, but you clearly don’t know how to go chasing what you want.”
“I’m not going to take dating advice from a brother who thinks getting crabs is a weekend of fun.”
Rusty sighed. “When are you going to let me live that down?”
“You’re not, ever. It’s gross.”
“I had no idea the chick was infected.”
“There’s a chance you gave her the crabs that infected the club.”
Rusty groaned. “You’re just making me sound bad now, and I don’t like that. I can help you with Maddie. Believe me, I know the way into every woman’s pants, and, Prez, you haven’t exactly been a very nice guy the past few days.”
“I’ve been organizing kennels, Rusty. I’ve been busy. I don’t have time to play games with you.”
“I’m not playing games, but it’s true what they say about all fun and games make everyone dull people.”
“You’re making that up,” he said.
“Am not. I know what I’m talking about.”
Bull glanced over Rusty’s shoulder and was surprised to see Maddie at the front gate of the clubhouse.
He got to his feet.
“Dude, I’m talking with you here,” Rusty said.
“And I’ve got shit to do.”
He went up to the gates to where Maddie was waiting. It had been a couple of days since he last saw her. Monday was the last day when she’d been worried about the dog going into surgery. The dog had made it. She went to the animal shelter every single night after work.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I’m sorry. Should I go? Is now a bad time?” She looked behind him, and he turned to see a couple of the scantily clad club women smoking and laughing.
“No, I don’t mind you being here at all. It’s not really your scene.”
She smiled. “Not a lot is my scene. I wanted to talk to you … about something.” She nibbled on her lip. “I didn’t know where to go and you brought the dogs in.”
“It’s about the dogs?”
“Yes.”
“Then follow me.” He walked toward the clubhouse, and he glanced toward Rusty, who gave him two thumbs up.
He was going to kill that bastard when he had the chance. Leading the way through the main room, he went to his office, holding open the door.
“What is it about the dogs?” he asked.
“It’s not about the dogs,” Maddie said. “I … er, this is so hard. So, after Rose, you know the dog that I had recognized?”
He nodded and took a seat. Pat was still looking into Marshall Smith of the dogfighting ring, and like he figured, the man didn’t exist. Pat was using some of his contacts in the military to attempt to get a face recognition or anything on the guy.
So far, other than costing him a fortune in land and the kennels, the dogs hadn’t come with a problem, but he knew that wasn’t going to last. His gut told him so.
Maddie sat forward.
“I checked over all the dogs. We have at least five that were rehomed within the last year, but their files are empty. I know you took the dogs to a kennel close by. I was wondering if I could perhaps look over them and see if I recognize any of them.”
Bull put his arms on the desk and looked her in the eye. “What are you telling me here, Maddie? I get the sense you don’t need to go looking through thirty more dogs to see if you can find ones that came from your animal shelter.”
Maddie crossed her arms over her chest, pressed her lips together, and shook her head. “I … I don’t know.”