The day Victoria Whitney adopted Beatrix the dog

Victoria Whitney is my favorite character I’ve ever written - and although she is technically the villain in Behind the Veil, I know so many readers connected with her kooky spirit, her many “lovers”, her commitment to her own ego and her belief that laws and rules were meant to be broken if you really wanted to own a book. Victoria also had a core of tender loneliness about her, so when I was writing WILD OPEN HEARTS and pairing up these side-characters with rescue pups, I just knew that Victoria deserved some unconditional love. That love, of course, came in the form of a giant bull mastiff named Beatrix.

Chapter 60: BECK

Beatrix was finally going home.

Wes, Jem, Elián and I all came out for this adoption interview because, according to Wes, “the lady who wants Beatrix is fucking dope.”

I needed a happy story right now. It was a few days after Justine’s visit and the big donations from Luna’s foundation and her best friends. I literally ached with missing her. The only thing I could focus on—really, the smart thing to focus on—was Lucky Dog.

Jem had Beatrix on the leash. Beatrix’s big head came up to her waist. She wasn’t the snarling, terrified beast she’d been when we’d brought her in more than two months ago. But I was still wary. If Beatrix didn’t like you, she didn’t like you. And I doubted she’d like the woman standing in front of us.

“Victoria Whitney,” she said, holding out her hand like the Queen. I didn’t know if she wanted me to kiss it or shake it or what. We all just stared at it until she placed it back on her expensive-looking handbag. Victoria was a white woman in her sixties, white hair, giant diamonds in her ears. She held a black umbrella to shield her from the sun, and her nose was tilted high.

“Beck Mason,” I said. “This is my staff. I’m sorry, but did you say you’re here for Beatrix?”

A curl of her lips. “Yes, well, I’ve flown all the way from Philadelphia because my arch-nemesis, Bitzi Peterson, told me I had to get my dog from your nonprofit. I was going to go purebred, as you can imagine.”

She said this in a whisper, as if the tattooed ex-convicts standing around her were the kind of people who cared about a dog’s pedigree. “But Bitzi won’t wear anything other than the makeup from that Instagram model. What’s her name? Luna da Rosa.”

My back stiffened. “Luna?” I croaked it out like a teenager.

“Bitzi told me that if Luna da Rosa says this place is all the rage”—she sniffed around again, like she didn’t quite believe it—“then it’s all the rage. And I am nothing if not all the rage, darlings.”

Who the hell was this woman?

“Uh, okay,” I said, hands in my pockets. “What kind of dog companion are you looking for? Beatrix requires a lot of work. And love.”

She lifted a shoulder. “I have love.” She said this with a slight sadness, which piqued my interest. “And a sinful amount of money. Beatrix would live a life of luxury, I’ll tell you that.”

“Beatrix used to have to fight dogs. She was chained up every hour of the day,” I said. “Luxury is fine. Love is more important.”

Victoria turned around, eyeing Beatrix with a new appreciation. “A fighter, you say? Just like me.”

Elián smirked at me from behind Victoria. But I was watching dog and human carefully.

“Would she protect me?”

“Bullmastiffs, as a breed, are very loyal,” I said. “She’ll love you forever.”

She touched the string of pearls around her neck. “I’ve had some things stolen from me quite recently. I had hired a team of men to keep them secure.”

Victoria fixed her gaze on Jem. “I think I’ve learned my lesson about hiring men for things, right, darling?”

“Dogs are better,” Jem agreed. “No offense to my boyfriend over there.”

“None taken.” Wes beamed.

I hid a smile, watched Beatrix sniffing her way toward Victoria’s high heels.

“Is she trained?”

“She is now,” I said. “But she’ll need firm direction. Jem, can you let her off the leash?” Jem did, and Beatrix began wandering off, following her nose on some scent. Victoria snapped her fingers and said, “Halt.”

Beatrix stopped. Turned. Victoria pointed at her feet. Beatrix went.

“Sit,” Victoria said, like an empress giving orders. Beatrix sat. All four of us watched wide-eyed as Beatrix laid her giant head against Victoria’s leg, and stared up at her.

Victoria smiled. Placed a hand on top of Beatrix’s head. “She’s quite a good girl. Very pretty.”

Beatrix wasn’t pretty, but I wasn’t going to disagree.

“Would you like a collar made of diamonds?” Victoria cooed down at her. “I’ll have one made for you as soon as we return.”

“How about I take Victoria and Beatrix around for a bit?” Jem asked. “See how they do?”

I mouthed They’re a match and Jem flashed me a thumbs-up. I watched them make their way through the field, Beatrix staring at Victoria like she was the center of her universe.

“Wouldn’t have guessed that one,” I admitted.