What sort of person was capable of this? What would it take to steal an innocent dog from a pair of sweet kids like Denise’s? It would be one thing if the intention was to sell them elsewhere—that would be bad enough. But to pit them against each other?
It came as no surprise that everyone she encountered promised to place the fliers in their windows. There were a lot of shaking heads and scowls. “I can’t believe this happened again,” the owner of the Main Street Salon sighed as the two of them stood in front of the business.
“I know. It’s terrible.” Even walking a few blocks in the fresh air and sunshine hadn’t done much for Holly’s attitude. If anything, she was angrier than before. “I wish I could do more, Mitzi.”
“Those poor kids too. Never easy to lose a dog.” Mitzi looked from the flier to Holly. “And it must be tough on you. Do you think it’s those dog-ring guys who did this?”
What would Mason want her to do? Should she play it safe? Shrug it off? That would be the smart thing to do, wouldn’t it? After all, she could only afford to replace her window so many times. Not to mention the threat behind the vandalism.
What good would that do anyone, though? It wouldn’t help the dogs to play it safe and turn a blind eye the way the police seemed determined to do. Holly couldn’t just give up. This was her fight. She didn’t struggle running the rescue just to crawl into a ball and pretend nothing was going on.
“I wouldn’t bet against it,” she settled on replying. “The gate was still locked. Fergie wasn’t big enough to jump their fence. I have no doubt someone went out of their way to steal the poor dog.”
“I hope those guys fry,” Mitzi growled. “I’ll put this in the window and make sure everyone who comes in knows to keep an eye out.”
“Thanks a lot.” Holly counted the number of fliers she had left, wondering if putting them on light poles on the side streets would be too much. She decided not, since even if Fergie was a lost cause, anyone who saw a flier might be more careful with their dogs.
A car passed slowly enough for her to take notice. She looked up, more curious than anything, and found a man in a black ball cap staring at her as he drove by. Straight at her. There was no way to pretend it was a misunderstanding. He couldn’t have been doing more than five miles an hour, and he was staring out the open window as he went. He even lifted his chin in a silent greeting.
Or silent challenge.
Chapter 14
“Just keep putting the cream on it like I explained, and whatever you do, don’t scratch.” Mason patted the man’s shoulder with a sympathetic smile. “Poison ivy can be a pain, no pun intended.”
“Thanks, Doc. I told my wife that’s probably all it was, but she was sure I had some flesh-eating disease.” He rolled his eyes. “Women, right?”
“I’m sure she was only trying to take care of you.” Mason chuckled, escorting him from the exam room. “That’s what women do best. They’re caretakers. They can do the work of ten men, day in and day out, but they somehow manage to take care of the people around them while they’re at it.”
When he emerged into the reception area, he was sure he’d find it empty. The number of patients he’d seen hadn’t fallen off too far, but things had calmed over the past two days. Mr. Thorpe had been the last patient waiting to be seen. Mason had even considered eating lunch at a reasonable time.
It wasn’t a patient waiting for him, however, though it was better to act like she was. “Holly. What brings you in?” he asked as Mr. Thorpe made his way out.
Earlier, he’d received her text about passing out flyers. He’d debated about whether or not to let her until he figured it’d be safe. It wasn’t like the night when the brick came through the window. There were enough businesses open and people milling about. Plus, if she did something against character, it might make people suspicious. If he was going to stop them, he needed them to stick around.
“There’s another lost dog in town,” she announced, holding out a flier. Her hand shook, shaking the paper until he could barely read the information posted beneath the dog’s photo.
“Another one?” Mr. Thorpe doubled back to take a flier for himself. “I’ll put this up by my house. We have two dogs, you know. All of our neighbors do too. I’d hate for it to be one of us.”
“Thank you,” Holly breathed, offering a smile that shook as badly as her hand did. “We need to spread the word and make sure everyone keeps a close watch on their pets. Don’t let them outside without watching them.”
Mason took a flier, withholding comment until they were really and truly alone. Once they were, he put the Be Back Shortly sign on the door before locking it. It took all of five seconds to do this, yet that was all it took for Holly to burst into tears.
He didn’t think before pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry this happened again,” he whispered.
“It’s not just that,” Holly wept. “I got spooked.”
His arms tightened around her. No wonder she was shaking so badly. “What happened?” It took all his self-control to keep the anger out of his voice. The last thing she needed was to be scared of him.
“There was a guy in a car. I wish I’d thought to get the plates, but I was too freaked out to think straight.” She pulled back, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry. I got your shirt wet.”
The last thing he cared about was a tear-stained shirt. “Tell me about the guy.”
“He drove very, very slowly, crawling down the street. He stared at me the entire time with one arm hanging out the window. He wore a black cap, but I could still see his eyes, you know? He glanced at the fliers and back at me and jerked his chin.” Her brows drew together. “Am I jumping to conclusions? I’m probably jumping to conclusions.”
“No.” He held her arms as gently as he could, locking eyes with her. “Never second-guess yourself. Your instincts are there for a reason. Too many people ignore them, and they end up wishing they hadn’t. Do you understand?”
Her head bobbed up and down. “Yes.”
He was still holding on to her, he realized, and it took an act of will to let go. What would’ve happened if someone decided to attack? To make an example of her? Eventually, they’d decide she hadn’t taken their messages seriously enough, and what would happen then?
It was time to watch her more carefully. He’d held back a little because of her resistance to being monitored and to remain undercover, but after this, he needed to ignore his personal feelings—and hers—and do the job like he usually did.
“You’re going to be okay. I intend to see to it. Remember? That’s why I’m here.” Only he wasn’t doing much to keep her out of their crosshairs, was he? “I shouldn’t have let you pass out flyers today. I should have told you to go straight to work so I could keep an eye on you. Were you talking to a lot of people about this today? The missing dog?”
“I went door to door up and down Main Street, asking business owners to put the flier in their window. Why do you ask?”
“Were you vocal about your theory behind what happened to the dog?”
“Yeah, people need to be aware so more dogs don’t go missing. I can’t just turn off that part of my personality. Blood, sweat, and tears have gone into homing these animals. I love them as much as their families do. Don’t you care what happens to them?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“It isn’t that I don’t care. This infuriates me.” He looked down at the flier, his eyebrows knitting together. “This is the hardware store owner’s family, right? He was helpful to me earlier this week when I needed help with your window. My heart breaks for them.” He returned his gaze to her. “But you’re my chief concern, which means keeping you safe.”
“I can’t just sit—”
“You have to. Think of your family…and Kennedy. If not for your own sake, for them. I need you to be careful. I need you to be safe.”
“Because that’s your job?” she asked, her lips pursing together.
Th
e right thing to do was nod and tell her exactly that. It’s what his head was screaming for him to say, but his emotions were in a tug-of-war with his heart. “No, not just because it’s my job. I care…about my clients. You’re a good person who does good things and has a family and friends who love them.”
Her gaze lifted to his with an unreadable expression on her face. “Right. I do have a family, and I need them to know I won’t run when things are scary. Besides, you can’t exactly keep eyes on me when your dating.”
Mason blinked. What? “Dating? I’m not dating.”
“But Mrs. Carter…you were going out with Bridget.” She raised an eyebrow.
How on earth did this turn on him so quickly? He’d thought of telling Mrs. Carter no but then thought better of it. If he was too joined at the hip with Holly, people might think he was only there for her, which in turn might make the dogfighters wonder why Mason was in town. Dr. Klein wasn’t someone who went on vacations frequently, and it wouldn’t take many tongues wagging for rumors to float. If he was linked to Holly, it would be harder to sleuth for information.
“I’m seeing her tonight because it’s part of my cover, and to get Mrs. Carter off my back. Believe me; you’ll never be so far that I can’t get to you. I have my phone with me at all times, and I can keep an eye on you when you’re home or in the clinic.”
Holly’s shoulder’s squared as she glared at him. “Exactly. You have your cover, and I need to be true to who I am. I can’t and won’t just sit idly by while dogs are taken and abused, even though I’ve lost all privacy because of it.” She grunted. “Is there any area of my life that is mine anymore?”
Groaning, Mason shook his head. “I thought you were going to work with me on keeping yourself safe. Kennedy—”
She held up her hand. “And I am. You’ve got cameras everywhere, which is way more than I wanted in the first place. Now, I have dogs to take care of,” she said, turning to the door and opening it. “And you have a date to get ready for. Have a great time, and I’ll see you later. Or I guess I should say you’ll see me.” With that, she stormed out of the office.
Mason crossed his arms as he watched her disappear behind the clinic door. Fine. If she wasn’t going to cooperate, he’d just have to relegate her to hostile client and take matters into his own hands.
One thing was for sure: it would be easier to keep his feelings in check when the reason he was there in the first place was front and center. Something he should have been doing since the moment he met her.
Chapter 15
Holly’s car was exactly what Mason would’ve expected her to drive. Modest, four-door, the back seat covered in a blanket obviously meant to keep dog hair off the upholstery, and a car seat. She wasn’t the flashy type, and a car with a deep back seat was spacious enough for a child and for picking up new dogs in need of her love.
She had a lot of love to give.
Which was why Mason broke into her car to install a GPS tracking device that afternoon.
His conscience weighed on him as he worked, though he knew it was for the best. This was part of his job, tracking his client in case they needed him and were unable to communicate their location. What if one of the people threatening her decided a carjacking was in order, just to scare her? Or to do more than scare her?
He couldn’t take that risk. He should’ve just asked her for access to her car, but he was afraid she would say no and he’d be out of luck. Yes, she might blow her top if she found out he’d done it without her permission, but he’d pay that price if it meant being able to get to her in a hurry.
He put the lower dashboard cover back in place and worked quickly to screw it firmly. She would never know it was there, would never even know he’d been in the car.
Maybe he could convince her to get an alarm system installed. Who went around in a car without an alarm? A trusting, caring woman who wanted to believe the best in others even though she’d been given proof time and again of how low people could get. He hadn’t known there were women like her in the world since he’d also seen proof of humanity’s darker side.
“Mason?”
He froze. The tools he’d used were in his backpack, and the door was closed, but he hadn’t been quick enough in getting away from the car.
“Hi.” He waved and shot her a sheepish smile. “One of your tires looked a little flat, and after how upset you were earlier, I thought I’d make it up to you.”
“I’m sorry about earlier. I was just…frustrated with this whole situation. I know you’re only trying to keep me safe.”
Nodding, he stepped closer. “I am.”
She shoved her hands in her jean’s pockets. “You need to keep your cover. It’s the only way these jerks are going to get caught.”
“Exactly,” he said, his heart aching at the words. His cover. “And it’s not real. At least not for me, and I promise she’ll know that I’m not interested. I don’t want you hurt or anyone else.” If he was going to date anyone, it would be Holly. Whatever fishing hook she’d used, it was quickly embedding itself into his heart.
She shook her head, a smile lifting on her lips. “You’re unbelievable; you know that?” Yes, she would most certainly use that word to describe him if she knew the truth, and others that weren’t nearly as repeatable.
“What can I say? I’m here to protect you, and that means keeping you safe from flat tires.” He winked, his heart swelling when she blushed.
“Good thing, too, since I have to run over to my mom’s for a bit.”
Running to her mom’s? “Isn’t that thirty minutes from here?”
“Yeah, but it’s a back road no one knows about. There are hardly any stoplights or signs. It’s super quick too.”
Shaking his head, he replied. “No, I’ll go with you.”
With a sigh, her shoulders rounded. “No, you said yourself that you need to make your cover look good. If you break the date with Bridget to go with me, that’ll be a big red flag.” Catching his gaze and holding it, she pulled one hand from her pocket and palmed his forearm. “I’ll be fine, and I need to go.”
Keeping his eyes locked with hers, the battle raged. She was probably going to see her son, but she still hadn’t mentioned him to Mason yet. He couldn’t keep her from spending time with Jack. And he wasn’t just there for her protection. He was there to stop illegal activity and keep those men from threatening other people and animals. Plus, he’d installed a tracker on her car. He’d know where she was at all times, especially now.
“Fiona’s on top of things over there?” He nodded down the street toward her office. A shiny new window had been installed that morning.
“Sure. I can always trust her to hold down the fort, and as of yesterday, she has a nurse coming in to care for her dad. I guess his VA coverage finally came through. Either way, she has a little more freedom now, so I can pop out for little things like this.”
“That’s great. I’m sure it must be trying, having to take everything on yourself.”
“Look who’s talking.” She giggled. “You’ll need to hire a receptionist if you don’t want to lose your marbles.”
“I sort of forgot that part, didn’t I?” They both laughed. “I don’t have the first idea how to go about it.”
“I can help with that if you want.” She bit down on her bottom lip, maybe second-guessing the offer. “I’ve had to hire people before.”
“That would be a lifesaver,” he breathed, slumping slightly. “I’m burning the candle at both ends.”
And thinking about Holly constantly. Wondering how she was doing with all this and whether he should call at night just to make sure she felt safe. How much was too much?
“Maybe we can talk about it later. After I get back, I mean. We never did take our walk the other night.” She lifted her shoulders. “We still haven’t eaten a decent meal together, and I owe you one.”
His heart skipped a beat and slammed right into his brain. He couldn’t. His cover, her safety, and
stopping an illegal dogfighting ring depended on him. Reality splashed him in the face like a bucket of ice water. “Not tonight. I…have plans.”
“Oh, right. Date.” The light in her eyes dimmed. “Some other night, then. We’ll have to compare notes to find one that works for both of us.”
“Believe me,” he blurted out. “I’d prefer that.”
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “It’s okay. I need to get going anyway. I don’t want to be late to my mom’s.”
“Sure, by all means.” He stepped aside to give her room, wondering if he’d ever figure out how to stop inadvertently hurting her.
* * *
A date. A date!
It had been hours since she’d driven away from Mason with her heart in her throat. A date. And there she went, putting her foot in her mouth by asking him to spend time with her. That wasn’t what he was in town for.
He’d promised to look at real estate documents to see if any new leases had gone into effect recently on large out-of-the-way buildings. Warehouses, shuttered factories, that sort of thing. Soon, he’d have the entire situation buttoned up. And then he’d be on his way.
Shouldn’t she want that? Not just for her sake and Jack’s, but for the sake of protecting the dogs. She wanted the entire enterprise burned to the ground. But it would mean losing Mason.
Though she’d never had him, so how could she lose him? He was dating someone else. He wasn’t hers. Only in her dreams—and he was definitely hers in her dreams, both nighttime and daytime variety.
“Are you still upset over your friend having a date?” Holly’s mother brought a pot of tea in from the kitchen. Jack was asleep, like many people in the retirement community his grandmother called home. There wasn’t much of a nightlife scene there.
The Ranger's Destiny (Army Ranger Romance Book 6) Page 6