Chapter 1 - THE MOST FEARED MAN IN BOSTON GAVE HIS DOG ONE COMMAND—AND TITAN CHOSE ME
“Don’t touch him!”
The words came out louder than Emma Hayes intended, but once they were in the air, she could not take them back.
Four armed men stood inside Second Chance Pet Supply while rain hammered against the storefront windows. A ridiculous squeaky-toy jingle played through the ceiling speakers, cheerful enough to make the situation feel almost insulting.
Between Emma and the men stood one hundred thirty pounds of terrified Cane Corso.
Titan’s coat was black enough to reflect the fluorescent lights, but nothing about him looked imposing in that moment. His legs shook. His breathing came in short bursts, and his entire body pressed against Emma’s thighs as if a woman he had known for less than twenty minutes had somehow become the safest object in the room.
One of the men reached toward the heavy leather harness on Titan’s back.
Emma stepped in front of him.
“I said don’t.”
The guard looked at her as if no civilian in Boston had spoken to him that way in a decade.
“Ma’am, move.”
“No.”
“You don’t understand what you’re standing in front of.”
Emma glanced at Titan.
“I understand he’s terrified.”
“He’s trained.”
“So?”
The man’s jaw tightened.
“So he doesn’t get terrified.”
Emma almost laughed.
“That may be the stupidest thing anyone has ever said inside a pet store, and yesterday a customer asked whether guinea pigs could become vegetarian.”
“They already—”
“Exactly.”
A second guard muttered:
“Dante, stop arguing with her.”
The first man—apparently Dante—looked ready to continue anyway.
Then the bell over the front door rang.
Nobody needed to introduce the man who walked inside.
Emma had seen Roman Calder’s photograph enough times to recognize him even through the rain.
Thirty-nine years old. Charcoal overcoat. Black suit. Dark hair pushed back from a pale scar that cut through his left eyebrow.
Officially, he was chairman of Calder Maritime Holdings, owner of hotels, warehouses, waterfront developments, and enough commercial property to make half of Boston resent him.
Unofficially, people said other things.
Things about organized crime.
Things about his late father.
Things about witnesses who suddenly remembered they had relatives in Arizona.
Emma did not know which stories were true.
She knew every armed man in her store straightened when Roman entered.
That was enough.
His eyes went first to Titan.
Then to Emma.
“Move.”
Every sensible instinct inside her said yes.
She remained where she was.
“No.”
The silence became physical.
Dante looked at the ceiling.
Another guard actually closed his eyes.
Roman studied Emma.
“Do you know who I am?”
“No.”
It was an obvious lie.
His eyebrow moved slightly.
Then he looked at Titan.
“Titan.”
The dog’s ears shifted.
“Come.”
For half a second, Emma thought the ordeal was finished.
Titan slowly lifted his head.
Then deliberately lowered his enormous body and sat directly on Emma’s right foot.
Pain shot through her toes.
Nobody moved.
Emma looked down.
“Seriously?”
Titan leaned harder.
She nearly tipped sideways.
Roman’s expression remained controlled, but something in his eyes changed.
“Titan.”
The dog did not move.
“Come.”
Nothing.
Emma looked at Roman.
“Well.”
One of the guards gave her a warning look.
Emma ignored him.
“That seems pretty clear.”
Roman stepped closer.
“What did you do to my dog?”
“Opened my door.”
“He has never ignored me.”
“Maybe he never needed to.”
Roman’s gaze hardened.
“You have known him for how long?”
Emma glanced at the clock.
“Twenty-three minutes.”
“And you believe you understand him?”
“No.”
“I believe shaking means shaking.”
“I believe trying to hide behind a woman who weighs seventy pounds less than you means you don’t feel safe.”
Roman looked toward his security men.
Then back.
“He escaped during a security transfer three blocks away.”
Emma crouched.
Titan immediately lowered his head toward her shoulder.
“What kind of transfer?”
“Routine.”
“Nothing about today looks routine.”
Roman did not answer.
Emma slid two fingers beneath the edge of the harness.
Titan flinched so violently that she stopped immediately.
“Easy.”
His breathing accelerated.
“I’m not taking it off.”
She looked closer.
The expensive leather had rubbed the skin under his right shoulder raw.
There was also a tear along the inner seam that did not look like ordinary wear.
Emma frowned.
“How long has he worn this harness?”
Roman answered:
“Months.”
“Same one?”
“Yes.”
“Who handles it?”
“My staff.”
Dante stepped closer.
“Mr. Calder, we should move.”
Titan’s head snapped up.
A low growl rolled through his chest.
Emma looked at Dante.
“No.”
Dante froze.
“What?”
“Back up.”
“He’s reacting to movement.”
“Then stop moving.”
Roman watched Titan carefully.
Emma looked toward the other guards.
“All of you.”
Dante stared at her.
“You’re giving us orders now?”
“I’m giving advice.”
“If you enjoy having fingers, consider following it.”
Roman made one small gesture.
The four men moved toward the windows.
Emma almost smiled.
One of the most feared men in Boston had just ordered four armed guards backward because a pet-store owner told him his dog was overstimulated.
“Music.”
Roman said.
Emma looked at him.
“What?”
“That noise.”
She realized the store jingle was still playing.
“Right.”
She reached behind the counter and turned it off.
The sudden quiet helped immediately.
Titan’s breathing slowed.
Emma dimmed half the overhead lights.
Roman removed his coat.
He crouched several feet away.
“Titan.”
Emma looked sharply at him.
“No commands.”
Roman stared.
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
“He knows me.”
“That’s not the issue.”
“What is?”
“He’s deciding whether whatever scared him is still happening.”
Roman’s gaze moved to the harness.
For the first time, he looked worried rather than irritated.
He sat.
Actually sat on the tile floor of Second Chance Pet Supply in a three-thousand-dollar suit.
Emma did not comment.
Mostly because she wanted to survive the evening.
Minutes passed.
Titan’s breathing became deeper.
Roman said nothing.
Then Titan finally lifted his head.
His tail touched the floor once.
Roman’s entire expression changed.
Almost imperceptibly.
But Emma saw it.
There was affection there.
Real affection.
Titan stood.
The weight left Emma’s foot.
She flexed her toes.
“Thank God.”
Titan took one step toward Roman.
Then another.
Roman remained still.
“Good boy.”
Emma allowed that one.
Titan crossed half the distance.
Then stopped.
His entire body went rigid.
Ears forward.
Head low.
The growl came back.
Different this time.
Not panic.
Warning.
Every guard moved for a weapon.
Emma stood immediately.
“Don’t.”
Roman’s eyes locked on Titan.
“What is it?”
The dog was not looking at Roman.
He was looking past him.
Emma followed Titan’s line of sight.
One of the guards stood directly behind Roman.
Tall.
Close-cropped blond hair.
Gray suit beneath a rain jacket.
Emma had barely noticed him before.
Now she noticed his right hand.
It was inside his jacket.
Roman turned slightly.
“Felix.”
The guard froze.
“Boss.”
“Show me your hand.”
Felix Doran swallowed.
“It’s nothing.”
Titan’s growl deepened.
Roman did not raise his voice.
“Felix.”
Slowly, the man pulled out his hand.
He was holding a small black object.
Emma frowned.
“What is that?”
Felix answered too quickly.
“Garage remote.”
Dante looked at him.
“You drove the Suburban.”
Felix nodded.
“Yes.”
Dante’s expression changed.
“The Suburban has built-in access.”
Felix said nothing.
Titan suddenly lunged one step forward.
Emma caught his harness instinctively.
The dog yelped.
She released it immediately.
“Sorry.”
Then she saw it.
A tiny red light inside the torn seam.
Her stomach dropped.
“Roman.”
He looked at her.
“There’s something inside this harness.”
Everyone went still.
“What?”
Emma pointed.
“Look.”
Roman moved closer but stopped when Titan stiffened.
Emma touched the torn seam with two fingers.
The leather separated slightly.
Something rigid sat between the layers.
Not part of normal harness construction.
A tiny dark module.
Felix’s face changed.
Emma saw it.
So did Roman.
Roman stood.
The temperature of the room seemed to fall.
“What is in your hand?”
Felix’s jaw tightened.
“Nothing connected to that.”
Roman looked at Dante.
“Take it.”
Felix stepped backward.
Dante moved forward.
“Felix.”
“Don’t.”
Dante stopped.
Titan growled.
Felix stared at Roman.
“You don’t know what this looks like.”
Roman’s expression became almost calm.
“That sentence usually means I know exactly what it looks like.”
Felix suddenly moved toward the door.
Two guards intercepted him.
No gunfire.
No dramatic struggle.
Just three trained men hitting one another hard enough to knock over a display of organic dog biscuits.
Emma winced.
“Those are eight dollars a bag.”
Roman looked at her.
“Now?”
“They’re imported.”
Dante got Felix against the counter.
The black object hit the floor.
Roman picked it up.
Emma looked toward Titan.
The dog was trembling again.
“Get that thing away from him.”
Roman immediately handed it to Dante.
Emma crouched.
“Easy.”
Titan pressed his head against her chest.
Roman stared at the torn harness.
“What does it do?”
“I don’t know.”
Emma looked up.
“But his skin underneath is irritated in one specific area.”
“There’s a device hidden where it shouldn’t be.”
“And he reacts to the man holding something that may or may not control it.”
Roman’s face became unreadable.
“Can you remove the harness?”
“Yes.”
“Safely?”
“If everyone stops behaving like they’re in an action movie.”
Dante looked offended.
Emma pointed.
“That includes you.”
Roman almost smiled.
Almost.
Emma retrieved trauma shears from the grooming cabinet.
She cut the harness rather than pulling it over Titan’s shoulders.
The dog flinched once but remained beside her.
When the leather fell away, the raw patch beneath became visible.
Roman’s jaw tightened.
“That wasn’t there yesterday.”
“You checked?”
“I brush him every night.”
Emma looked at Roman again.
The newspaper version of him did not brush a dog every night.
The man standing in her store apparently did.
She lifted the damaged harness.
“Do not turn this device on.”
Dante asked:
“What do we do with Felix?”
Roman looked toward his guard.
Felix had stopped fighting.
He looked pale.
Roman said:
“Who told you to do this?”
Felix laughed once.
“You think I’m answering that here?”
Roman’s gaze hardened.
Felix continued.
“You think the dog was the point?”
Emma felt cold.
Roman stepped closer.
“What does that mean?”
Felix looked at Titan.
Then Emma.
His smile disappeared.
“The dog was supposed to run.”
“Why?”
Felix said nothing.
Dante shoved him toward the rear stockroom.
Roman stopped him.
“No.”
Dante frowned.
“Boss?”
“Police.”
Every guard looked at Roman.
Emma did too.
Dante lowered his voice.
“You want Boston PD walking into this?”
Roman looked at the hidden device.
“Yes.”
Felix laughed.
“That’s new.”
Roman turned toward him.
“A lot of things are about to be.”
Emma studied Roman.
Something larger than the dog was happening.
Roman seemed to understand it too.
He looked at her.
“What’s your name?”
“Emma Hayes.”
“You own this store?”
“Yes.”
“Anyone else working tonight?”
“No.”
“Family?”
Her stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“Because someone interfered with my dog.”
“Your employee appears connected.”
“You witnessed it.”
“I would like to know who may be exposed.”
Emma folded her arms.
“That sounds uncomfortably like a threat.”
“It’s the opposite.”
“Not much difference when you say it.”
Roman took a slow breath.
“Ms. Hayes.”
“Emma.”
“Emma.”
His voice softened slightly.
“If Felix did what it appears he did, whoever instructed him now knows this failed.”
“You are standing between that failure and my dog.”
Emma looked at Titan.
Then Felix.
Then the rain outside.
“I hate Thursdays.”
Roman glanced at the wall clock.
“It’s Friday.”
Emma checked.
12:07 a.m.
“Fantastic.”
Titan sat on her foot again.
Emma looked down.
“Buddy.”
Roman looked at the dog.
Then at her.
For the first time that night, something like disbelief crossed his face.
“My dog has known you less than an hour.”
Emma rubbed Titan’s head.
“Maybe your dog has excellent judgment.”
Roman’s eyes shifted toward Felix.
“We’re about to find out.”
By sunrise, Felix Doran would be in custody, the strange device would be logged as evidence, and Emma would learn Titan’s security transfer had been altered less than an hour before he escaped.
But the most frightening discovery would come later.
Felix had not been assigned to Titan’s transport until that morning.
May you like
Someone much higher inside Roman Calder’s organization had changed the schedule.
And that person belonged to Roman’s family.
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