“Shh. You’re safe with me.”
Weird thing was, she was starting to feel safer with him.
Or at least she no longer feared him hurting her physically.
Emotionally, that was a whole other ballgame.
Before she knew it, she was being carried into the large barn. To her surprise, they walked straight into a clean, bright reception area. The walls and floor were white, so it should have looked sterile. But all over the walls were decals of animals in funny poses, making faces, stacked up on top of one another, even some playing poker. They immediately made her smile. A corner of the room had toys and a play kitchen and she had this urge to head over there and check it out.
But you’re an adult, Keira. Act like one.
There were a few comfy-looking chairs and a reception desk, then a door that she assumed led to the dentist’s office.
“You can put me down now,” she told Zander.
Maybe she could still make a run for it.
Right. With bruised ribs and a throbbing mouth. Not to mention the fact that she had barely eaten in days and felt about as energetic as a sloth.
“Where is everyone?” Did no one come here? Because the dentist was crap? She knew it.
“Ah, well, normally I’m closed on a Sunday,” a deep voice said, coming up behind them.
She gasped and tensed, but Zander didn’t move. He’d obviously heard the other man approach. He slowly turned, revealing a big man standing behind them.
Seriously, was there something in the water around here?
If they hadn’t told her that he was Ammo’s brother, then she would have guessed it, they looked so alike.
Only difference was, instead of a scowl on this man’s face he was smiling.
“Hello there, gorgeous, I’m Lochlan. But you can call me Lochy if you like. That’s what most of the kids call me.”
What did that mean? Was he implying that she was like a child?
“Lochlan mostly deals with kids,” Zander explained.
“Yes, and this lot here. Which is just like dealing with giant kids. I swear, I have to bribe Ammo with a sucker just to get him here.”
She pushed the image of Ammo with a sucker in his mouth out of her head, because, weird.
“Should you give away suckers when you’re a dentist?” she asked suspiciously.
“Oh, I never give him one. No, those things will rot your teeth and I’m a dentist. I mean, I guess it would ensure I was never out of a job, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue. No, I just bribe him with one. You’d think he’d have learned by now that he’s not actually going to get the sucker.”
He grinned, winking at her and she found herself relaxing. At least he wasn’t scary or mean.
“Now, should we get you into my special seat? It will be easier for me to check your mouth.”
“No.”
“No?” he asked, looking to Zander.
“She’s scared of dentists,” Zander explained.
“Ahh, common thing to feel. We get a bad rep. Hurts. Right here.” He tapped his chest with his fist. It looked so silly she found herself smiling.
“There, that’s better. Now, how are we going to get you into the chair? What about if I bribe you with a sucker?”