4: So Suspicious
"Why does he want a dog?" asked the man in the all-black suit, wiping sweat off his forehead with one arm while holding a fluffy dog in the other, which was attempting to scratch a car window.
"Dom, we'll never understand the way rich people think. Just do as they say," replied the other man who was driving with a laugh.
"That's right. You're pretty sharp for a newbie," said Dom, who usually headed the security team, but now found himself holding the dog's neck with his arms.
"So, I'm just following the GPS?" asked the driver.
Dom ignored him.
"Yeah. Okay, doggy, we'll get you all cleaned up," said Dom to the furry bundle in his arms.
"Woof, woof," replied the dog.
"Don't talk back. If you want to be with our boss, you need to be immaculate," he said firmly. Dom thought everyone knew how strict their boss was.
"Woof, woof," said the dog once more. Who said I want to stay? Let me go. I want to travel the world, Kaew protested.
"Do you speak dog language now, Dom?" the driver laughed.
"Well, this little guy seems pretty smart for a dog," Dom replied, patting Kaew all over.
"Speaking of Mr. Carl, I've never actually seen him in person before. Is his schedule always this busy? I've noticed he rotates through different drivers," the driver inquired.
"Only his secretary knows his schedule. We've had to strengthen our security recently," Dom replied, and Kaew could feel the weight of Dom's hand on him and the tension in his shoulder.
"Is it because of what happened in Macau?" The driver looked at the rear view mirror through his sunglasses.
Dom was silent.
Kaew sensed Dom's discomfort.
"I heard other bodyguards talking about it earlier," the driver continued.
"If you want to keep this job, you'd better act like you're blind or deaf," Dom warned.
"I just wanted to have a small talk with you. I mean, look at what we're doing now, taking a dog to a salon?" the driver chuckled nervously.
Kaew's instincts told him to stop trying to jump out of the car and pay attention to the conversation between these men.
"Good boy. Stay still." Dom rewarded Kaew with a pat on his black ears.
The person holding him had the scent of fresh and sporty cologne. His sharp eyes and cautious behavior expressed a sense of alertness to his surroundings. Kaew thought he passed the vibe check.
Ah, he even scratches my eyes. Kaew tilted his head, finding the best spot for a scratch.
However, the driver gave Kaew a strange feeling. He was definitely in his early 20s, and though he seemed laid back and friendly, his energy was off with the scent of cigarettes and metal. Kaew needed to sniff him a little closer.
"Get the hell out of my face!" the driver shouted as Kaew's nose got too close to his face.
Dom watched quietly.
"I don't like pets. I don't trust them," said the driver furiously.
Kaew sat back in his seat, his brown eyes catching a glimpse of the driver's face as he gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw. The driver even pointed at Kaew and murmured that if he could, he would kick him out.
Kaew whined in his throat, his eyebrows furrowing uneasily. He's a hard pass. A man who dislikes animals is untrustworthy and suspicious. He even thinks about hurting me. I should run away from this kind of human being, Kaew thought.
Speaking of running away, how could he do that when all his belongings were in Carl's luxury condominium? Kaew let out two big sighs.
"Aww, you don't like that, do you?" Dom patted Kaew's head gently.
Kaew sighed again, unable to understand why Carl let him sleep in and didn't wake him up. He had slept in until late morning and Carl was nowhere to be seen. The only indication of his whereabouts was a small yellow post-it note on the ceramic bowl on the floor, saying that he was away for work and they would see each other that night.
The werewolf was relieved. This is my chance to sneak out, he thought. But before he could come up with an escape plan, Dom, apparently a dog lover, suddenly appeared and fed him the most delicious breakfast of bacon, ham, and mashed potatoes. Kaew inhaled his breakfast within seconds and even received a nose and mouth wipe from Dom. What service. He's definitely a dog lover, Kaew had thought.
After breakfast, Dom took Kaew out for a walk in the garden in front of Carl's place without a leash. Kaew thought this was another chance to run away, but he was still worried about his belongings. Before he realized it, a black Mercedes Benz van with all-black mirrors was parked in front of them, and Kaew was once again caught in a car.
"Be a good boy, alright? I'll be back when it's done," Dom handed Kaew over to a lady in an all-white uniform at the dog salon.
"Nggh...Nggh..." Kaew cried out when Dom paid for the premium dog spa package; the lady informed Dom to come back and pick up Kaew at 5 in the afternoon.
Hold on, what time is sunset? If the traffic is jam-packed at 5, I'm doomed, Kaew thought. The big dog started pacing back and forth anxiously before heading to the doorway. However, the sweet lady was much faster than Kaew. He thought she must have been a dog-blocker, coming out of nowhere and grabbing him under his armpits like a pro. And just like that, he was trapped in a queue for a bath.
"Woof, woof," Kaew barked. Let me go! I need to get back before sunset.
"Please, don't worry about him. If you stay, he will keep resisting," the lady assured Dom, who was now known as a dog hater. He nodded and left Kaew at the salon without looking back.
Kaew's brown eyes glanced at the clock on the wall. It's only 10 AM. Why on earth would it take 7 hours to give a dog a bath? He thought to himself.
The mixture of dog shampoo and wet dog scent spread all over the salon. Damn it. The cages are so secure here. There's no way I can break through. Should I wait until my turn? Then, I can just run back to the condo as fast as possible. Hopefully, my short memory can still remember the direction, Kaew contemplated.
Mission failed!
After waiting in the cage for many hours, the kind lady who had just finished bathing a Shih Tzu and a Poodle next door grabbed Kaew at the back of his neck. Her grip was so firm, she could possibly kill a bull with her bare hands. It was impossible for Kaew to escape, and as a gentle dog, he wouldn't even dare to nip her to get away. In the end, he was absorbed in the full-service dog spa experience, including bathing, blow-drying, massaging, and grooming. He once tried to jump out of the grooming bed, but the lady ended up tying him with a leash around his waist. There was nothing he could do but sigh multiple times while thinking of possible ways to get out.
"Nggg...Nggg..." Kaew shook his head when he saw the lady take out nail polish. I'm a boy. I don't want it pink or blue!
Then he saw the color. Oh! It's black. Wow, this gives such a hot-gangster vibe. I feel cool now, Kaew thought.
"It's done!" the lady exclaimed.
Kaew was in shock. OMG. This is just... OH MY GOD. Is that me in the mirror? His white fur was shiny, and his black fur seemed glossy. Every part of him smelled amazing, making him feel like a royal dog.
"Wait here for a little while, good boy. Your owner should be back soon," the lady told Kaew as she tightly grabbed him and put him back in the cage.
Waaa…. Here goes my last chance, Kaew thought as he looked at the clock. It was almost 5. Please, dear Lord, let there be no traffic, and let those men come on time.
His ears perked up when he heard the door opening, and a black-suited man came in looking unhappy.
Nggg...Dang, it's the driver, Kaew thought.
"Hello, sir," the lady greeted the driver.
"I'm here for that dog," the driver said.
"Uh...my apologies, sir. But you're not the one who brought the dog this morning. Due to our security policy..." the lady explained.
"What? That guy is busy, so he can't come right now. Do you think I want to be here?" the driver said impolitely.
"For the dog's safety, we can only release him once we are able to identify the owner or a person who is in charge of him," the lady reiterated.
"What do I have to do then?" the driver asked.
"What's the dog's name?" the lady asked, looking at Kaew.
The driver looked at Kaew and hesitated.
The lady glanced at Kaew's reaction. He looked rather uneasy at the sight of this man.
"I don't know... Oh, come on! I gotta go," the driver said impatiently.
"Let me just call and ask the owner for a moment, please," the lady suggested.
Ask me! I don't want to go with this driver at all. But if I keep resisting, I might shift in this tiny cage, or possibly in the middle of the way back... Kaew thought.
The Bangkaew let out a sigh before whining for attention, wagging his tail, and slightly jumping in the cage to show a bit of excitement for the man to pick him up. I was being salty because I was left alone earlier, hehe... Let's go home, at full speed, please. I'm in a rush, Kaew thought.
It took a while until someone picked up the phone call from the woman. After making sure that everything was on track, the lady finally opened the cage and let Kaew go with the man.
"Such a pain in my ass, you damn dog! Why the hell do I have to do this?" the driver complained as he slammed the car door, almost trapping Kaew's tail.
Kaew was not in the mood to threaten anyone right now. He was too focused on getting back home and not wanting to shift in front of anyone.
He started to behave obediently, sitting nicely on a seat next to the driver and trying to keep his fluffiness away from the furious man who was driving and heading towards the main street. Suddenly, the driver's phone buzzed, and he picked it up to see the screen. Kaew sneaked a peek at it too.
The word "Boss" appeared on the screen, causing Kaew's heart to flutter as he wagged his tail excitedly. But the driver declined the call and started texting instead.
Driving. There must be a spy tracker here, he typed.
Kaew's ears perked up, and his brown eyes glanced around the 8-seater car as an immediate response popped up on the driver's phone.
Confirm your target, the message read.
Uncertain. Need more time, the driver typed quickly with one hand while holding onto the steering wheel with the other.
By this week, came the reply.
Noted. His schedule... the driver continued to type.
Kaew's instincts told him that something was not right. Isn't his boss Mr. Carl? What target? Why this week? His fluffy head moved over to look at the phone more closely.
"Hey!" shouted the driver. He was so concentrated on texting that he almost hit a car in front of him. Realizing that the dog was so close to him made it even worse. He lost control of the steering wheel, and the car crashed against the steel barrier, making screeching noises.
"God damn it!" swore the driver as he hit the steering wheel.
Kaew fell to the car floor as he didn't have a safety belt on.
"You idiot! You screwed me up!" the driver yelled at Kaew.
The driver rose from his seat and kicked Kaew's hip so forcefully that the dog cried out. Quivering, Kaew scrambled to find shelter under a nearby seat, but the driver seized one of his front legs in an attempt to deliver another blow. Kaew managed to escape his grip, only to fall back and then quickly retreat to the back of the car.
Curling up tightly, Kaew's tail folded in as his body shook from the pain. Fearful that the driver would finish him off, Kaew worried about who would inform his family - Grandpa, Sandee - if something happened to him. Whimpering, he thought of Carl's face.
As the driver stepped out of the car to drag Kaew out and teach him a lesson, an incoming call from Carl's secretary interrupted him. The driver thought Kaew was a lucky dog.
"There's been a bit of an accident, sir," the secretary explained.
"I...I..." The driver returned to his seat to finish with the call.
Kaew overheard everything. The driver had lied, claiming that Kaew had jumped at him while he was driving, causing him to lose control of the car. Such slander! The driver spoke in a low, polite voice, sharing his location and promising to wait in the car until someone from the insurance company arrived.
Kaew tried to scratch open the car door, but to no avail. The driver cursed at him and threatened to finish him off if he didn't sit still. After several attempts, Kaew gave up and curled up in pain. He glanced out the window at the street lights and neon signs, realizing that the sun had almost set.
Kaew nestled his head against the seat, absorbing the noise of the engines, honking, and people on the street. He felt completely doomed. Although he had shifted into his human form, there seemed to be no way out.
Suddenly, everything became silent. The driver opened the door and stepped out of the car. Kaew's pointy ears moved to track the sound of his footsteps. He wondered if the driver was going to finish him off for real.
The footsteps drew closer and closer until they stopped in front of the door. The car beeped automatically as the door opened and light poured in.
"Kaew..." someone called him.
"Nggg... Nggg..." Kaew whined in response.
A big hand gently patted Kaew's head. It was Carl. Kaew saw the fright and confusion in his own bright eyes before they were filled with pure joy. His black, fluffy tail wiggled insanely, his ears rose, and his throat whined. His pink tongue licked Carl's big hand in excitement, and his head nuzzled toward the man. He was extremely happy to see him again.
"Come with me. Let's go," Carl said, moving over to allow Kaew to get out of the car.
Kaew stood up but fell back down from the pain. As he whined, Carl immediately came to check on him. His watch started beeping. Carl picked up the dog and shot an intense glance at the new driver.
"He must have been hurt when I suddenly braked. I was trying to help him, but he was not cooperating at all. He kept scratching and jumping back and forth..."
Carl frowned.
If he wasn't carrying Kaew in his arms, he would have slapped the man who hurt Kaew. But time was of the essence. Carl's tall figure took long strides towards his Tesla. He opened the passenger seat door and gently placed the dog inside. He nodded as Kaew cried out in pain, shooting him a concerned look. Carl took off his well-made Italian suit and used it to cover Kaew's body.
"I'll go on my own now," Carl said to his secretary, then quickly got into the driver's seat and started driving.
"Thank you," murmured the werewolf, who had just shifted back into his human form. Kaew curled up against the leather seat, his pale hands clutching the suit around his body. His brown eyes were red and burning, and his whole body shivered as he thought about what had just happened.
"You're safe now." Carl's big hand patted Kaew's head to comfort him.
Kaew swallowed hard, but he couldn't help but think, But you're not...