An Echo in the Mafia (Echo Reid, Reid Family Book #1)

Part 58

"I'm sure he won't mind once he sees the finished product." Marco said, relaxing again. "It looks great. You did good." 

"You think so? I hope he likes it." She said with a nod. 

"I'm sure he'll love it." Marco said, stopping and prompting her to do the same. "You're amazing, Echo. Luke is very lucky."

Echo blushed, lowering her gaze from his. She wasn't sure why but Marco's words made her nervous. 

"I..." She began to say but stopped when she suddenly felt the leash relax. She turned, wondering what Baby was doing and immediately she freaked out. "Oh my god... Baby?"

Marco glanced at the broken leash, wondering how in the world the small dog had managed to do that. 

"Baby!" Echo called out, walking down the sidewalk and picking up her speed with every step. "Baby!"

Echo turned the corner, glancing frantically. Where did he go? Echo felt as her hands began to go numb, she could feel as it was becoming harder and harder to breathe. 

"Echo... hey..." Marco said, catching up to her and noting how pale she was. "Calm down, we'll find him."

"I just... I looked away and... what if..." She said between breaths, trying to make sense. 

"Hey... you're fine." Marco said, putting a hand on either arm and rubbing them up and down. "Relax."

Marco began to look around, searching for any sign of the small dog. 

"Baby!" She called out again, putting a hand to her forehead, trying not to get overwhelmed. 

"Look..." Marco said, suddenly spotting a white fur ball, hanging out beside a trash can across the street. Echo turned, her eyes widening as she saw the bright harness. 

"Oh, thank god." She said, about to run after him but the little dog seemed to notice something else and promptly began sprinting after it. 

"I've got him." Marco said, taking off in a jog after the dog. Echo watched him, a knot in her throat as she tried not to cry, and her hands now pressed tightly together as she watched him chase Baby.  How could she not notice that he'd been chewing through the leash? If anything happened to that dog... no, it was fine. Marco would catch him. 

She pictured the first time she saw the little pup, peeking out from the box. She'd be devastated without him. As Marco disappeared in the distance, she closed her eyes, silently praying to whoever was up there in the universe that her puppy would be okay. 

"Echo." 

She opened her eyes and found Marco standing less than a foot away from her, a very dirty little poodle, wiggling about wildly in his arms. 

"Oh Baby..." Echo said, scooping the puppy away from Marco and cuddling him close. "Why would you do that to mommy?"

Marco watched as Echo held the dog up to her face, babbling like an idiot to it sweetly and incoherently. It was utterly ridiculous, but then again, Echo had a unique talent for making the ridiculous adorable. 

"You stink." She said, shaking her head and turning back towards the house. "Playing in filthy garbage."

He could tell by the way she trembled that she was still nervous, still not feeling completely calm. Luke had mentioned that Echo had anxiety issues, and he'd learned about it while investigating her earlier on. Still, he hadn't seen it first hand, she'd done so well during the incident before with Nadia, how was it that something this small go her so worked up?

"Echo." he called out to her as she rushed back into the safety of the back gate. "Wait up."

Echo could hear Marco calling out to her but she couldn't stop, she needed to get inside, needed to try to feel some normalcy. It wasn't until she heard the gate close behind her that she stopped.