by Terri Reed
Hunter wasn’t the only one to meet Sean’s suggestion with raised eyebrows. It was well-known that he and his ex-wife, Ivy, were not on speaking terms.
“Are you willing to reach out to her?” Lorenza asked.
Sean nodded. “I am.”
“That would be so appreciated,” Eli said. “I’ll owe you one.”
“We all owe you, Eli,” Helena said. “You’ve saved many of us countless hours and probably our lives numerous times.”
There was a murmur of agreement among all the team members.
“That settles it,” Lorenza said. “Sean, we’ll wait to hear back from you. Eli, if you or your godmother need anything else, you let us know.”
“I will, ma’am,” Eli promised. “Thank you.”
The meeting ended and Hunter clicked off. He put his computer away and then he and Juneau headed out to the kennel building, but the room was empty. All the dogs’ bowls had been cleaned and put away. He and Juneau followed the sound of Ariel’s voice through the back door and off to the side, where there was a large fenced yard. And a specially made treadmill that was wider than the normal exercise equipment found in a gym was hooked to a sled that had been bolted to a concrete pad. No doubt that was how she trained the dogs to run together in a two-by-two formation when not out on the trail. He was impressed by her business acumen and her operation. There was much about Ariel that he found appealing.
He turned his attention to her and the dogs. All of the canines were sitting six feet apart. Curious as to what she was doing, he stayed where he was so as not to interrupt. Ariel threw a ball and called out a dog’s name. That dog would chase the ball and bring it back to her, then return to its place. She called the dogs’ names randomly until each had had a turn chasing the ball.
Beside him, Juneau let out a plaintive howl. No doubt his partner wanted in on the chase. But he wasn’t sure how the other dogs would react to Juneau in their domain. It was one thing to allow him near while they were still in their kennels, but off leash and loose? He wasn’t going to risk it.
Ariel waved. She released the dogs and all eight trotted off in various directions to sniff around the pen. He noticed none of them played with each other but stayed apart.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes, everything’s fine.” He leaned on the slatted rails around the dog yard. “What’s on your agenda for today?”
“The dogs and I need to prep for this coming weekend’s race,” she said. “There are drills I plan to do. I was contemplating taking them out on the fresh snow—” Her voice had a distinct rasp to it.
He held up his hand. “Whoa. What did the doctor tell you to do?”
She made a face.
He waited, holding her gaze.
Blowing out a breath, she said, “Rest.”
“Exactly.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine. I’ll arrange with Trevor to come over and exercise the dogs.”
“Good.” He was glad she was willing to take it easy and let someone else do the work for her. “I could use some actual food. The granola bar was a nice snack.” But certainly not enough to sustain either of them for long. If he made it seem that he needed the sustenance, then maybe she’d eat, as well. “And then I’m going to take Juneau for a run around the edge of the property. The crime scene unit will come back out here sometime today.”
She grimaced and started walking back toward the house. “They came yesterday and didn’t find any usable clues. They probably won’t today, either. I feel bad dragging them out here a second time.”
“They will come out here as many times as they need to,” he said as he walked beside her. “That’s their job.”
Her nose wrinkled in a cute way. “I know. Just like it’s your job to stay here to protect me and the dogs. But really, we’ll be safe now. I can’t imagine whoever attacked me would come back. And I don’t for a second believe it was Violet.”
“That remains to be seen,” he said. “We don’t know exactly what’s going on. Better to be safe than sorry.”
He’d made a promise to his boss and he was not going to renege on that promise. Ariel Potter was going to be safe and he was staying put, whether she liked it or not.
* * *
Two days later, Ariel was about to jump out of her skin. Having somebody underfoot, in her space, wasn’t comfortable. Add to that her growing attraction for this man who at every turn seemed to be there when she needed anything, whether it was feeding the dogs, cleaning the kennel and yard, locking up at night or preparing a meal. Though he’d slept on the couch the first night, she insisted he move his things into the guest room that her parents usually used when they visited. Much better than having him in the living room, should she want to get a drink of water in the middle of the night.
He was just so amenable and patient with her. She’d snapped at him on more than one occasion, mostly because she wasn’t sure how to handle all the emotions he stirred in her. Gratitude, longing, frustration...affection.
Ariel couldn’t help but smile at the image of him toggling his fingers at her and telling her to rest. She was tired of resting. Tired of the constant anxiety created by the threat of danger, waiting for the next time someone tried to hurt her. She kept telling herself the danger had passed, but Hunter wasn’t convinced.
And to add to the pressure, she had a speech to write.
Tomorrow night was the regional awards banquet. The winners of the Iditarod and the runners-up would all be present, even though the official banquet celebrating the end of the Iditarod race had already commenced in Nome last month.
This banquet was for those who called Alaska home, and she would be receiving an award for the most champion sled dogs to come in the top fifty spots. She didn’t quite know what she was going to say.
As she sat at the dining room table with a notebook and pen, Hunter came in and plopped down in the chair next to her, stretching out his long legs. He wore running pants and a thermal T-shirt that molded to his muscled and lean body. His hair was slicked back and his face glistened with a sheen of sweat. All that masculinity threw her off balance.
“What are you doing?”
Eyeing him, she wondered if he was always so curious. Must be a good trait in his line of work. “Trying to write a speech. The regional awards banquet is tomorrow night.”
His chin dropped and his brow furrowed. “You are not going to an awards banquet.”
She set the pen on the paper and faced him squarely. “Oh, yes, I am.” She’d worked hard for this and nobody was going to deprive her of accepting that award. Not even this gorgeous lawman with control issues.
He made a noise in his throat that sounded suspiciously like a harrumph. “I need all the details.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“Place, time, the organizers’ info. I’ll need to make sure Eli, our team’s tech person, has access to the video surveillance cameras.”
“If there are any,” she said. “You don’t know what you’d be looking for. And I am certain whoever attacked me wasn’t someone from the sled dog community. I thought you believed Lance’s tale that it was Violet who attacked me.”
“I’m reserving judgment.”
That was welcome and unexpected news. “So you think Lance and Jared are lying?”
There was consternation in Hunter’s blue eyes. “I didn’t say that. I’m not sure what to think. The only thing I am sure of is you’re not going anywhere alone.”
Though the temptation to argue with him was strong because she would be among friends and wouldn’t be in any danger, she choked back the protest and said, “Super. You can come with me. Do you have a tux?”
She couldn’t keep the smirk from her tone. Not many men had a tux ready at the drop of a hat.
His lips curved into a smile that sent her heart pumping
as if she had just crossed the finish line at the Iditarod.
“Yes, in fact, I do have a tux. I’ve been in a few weddings over the years and will have my father drop it off.” He grabbed her notebook and turned to a blank piece of paper. Then he picked up the pen and held it out. “Write down the details of this event, please.”
Her mind turned from thoughts of his tux to the maid of honor dress hanging in her closet. A wave of worry crashed over her. Where was Violet? She missed her friend.
Taking a deep breath, she jotted down all the information that she knew off the top of her head about the award ceremony. Then she opened her laptop for any other details she’d missed while keeping half an ear on the one-sided conversation that Hunter was having with his father, asking him to bring the tux to her house.
It seemed she had a date for the banquet. She’d been on dates before so there was no reason for the flutter of nerves in her tummy. But she’d never had a date to something so public. Nor one she looked forward to with such anticipation.
The flutter died. So silly of her.
This wasn’t a date. He would be on duty. Because someone wanted her dead.
* * *
The late afternoon sun cast shadows over the ranch. Was it a ranch? Hunter wasn’t sure. Earlier in the day, he and Juneau had taken a few laps around the edge of the property on the lookout for anything out of place while keeping the house in view. Thus far they’d found nothing of interest. Nor had the crime scene unit when they’d conducted their search. “What do you call this place?”
Ariel sat in the recliner, reading a book with Sasha napping on her lap. Juneau lay next to the recliner and Hunter sat on the couch typing up his notes from the past few days. Or rather, revising his notes. Taking out his personal observations of Ariel. They had no place in his official report.
Looking at him over the top of her book, she seemed to ponder the question. “It’s a ranch of sorts. But typically, when you say ranch, people assume you have horses or cattle. Most breeders say dog kennel. Then there’s no question.”
“Now that I believe.”
His cell phone vibrated. He quickly scanned the caller ID on the cell before answering. “Hunter here.”
“Hey.” Will Stryker’s voice filled the line. “We just got word from the hospital that Lance and Jared have barricaded themselves in an operating room.”
“I’m on my way.”
Ariel set her book aside and released the footrest on the recliner with a slam. Sasha awoke and jumped from Ariel’s lap to race to his water bowl. “What’s going on?”
“Lance and Jared.” He was up and moving toward the hall closet, where’d he’d hung the clean uniform and tux his father had brought over.
That had been a strange visit. His dad and Ariel had hit it off right away. And before Dad had left, he’d pulled Hunter aside and told him that Ariel was the one and he’d better not blow it.
Shaking his head to dislodge his father’s words from his brain, Hunter grabbed the clean uniform and then headed to the bathroom to freshen up and change. When he returned to the living room, Ariel was standing by the door with her shoes and jacket on and her purse slung over her shoulder. Juneau stood beside her.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going with you. You might need my help.”
Hunter hesitated. He certainly couldn’t leave her here unattended. The Metro police hadn’t any officer to spare the past two days, and Ariel’s safety took priority over whatever Lance and Jared were up to. “I’ll call Metro to see if Officer Gorman is available for a few hours. Once he arrives, then I’ll head out.”
However, when Hunter started his SUV a half hour later, Ariel climbed into the passenger seat and wouldn’t be dissuaded from going to the hospital with him and Juneau. Figuring that the situation would most likely be resolved by the time they arrived, he didn’t bother arguing with Ariel.
However, when they pulled into the hospital parking lot, the place was on lockdown. He showed his ID, getting him, Ariel and Juneau inside. They met Lorenza and Will on the fourth floor, and both of his colleagues had a dog by their side. Denali sat proudly beside Lorenza and a sleek-looking, black-and-white border collie stood next to Will.
The colonel’s eyebrows rose as her gaze bounced from Ariel to Hunter.
“Ariel thought she might be able to help,” Hunter explained. “What’s going on?”
Lorenza’s gaze turned speculative. “We’re not completely sure,” she answered. “The officer who had been stationed outside Lance and Jared’s hospital door had been knocked out.”
“Lance and Jared are claiming that it was Violet James,” Will stated. “They say she tried to kill them, but somehow they managed to escape and for some reason barricaded themselves in the OR by pushing some of the bigger equipment inside against the door. Maya is checking with the hospital’s surveillance videos to corroborate their story.”
Ariel made a distressed noise. Hunter’s heart ached for her. This had to be hard to hear.
Gabriel approached with Bear. The big, strong Saint Bernard outweighed the other dogs by at least twenty pounds. “The operating room has no other entrance points.”
“The hospital is being searched,” Lorenza said. “If Violet is here, we will find her and take her into custody, hopefully without anyone getting hurt.”
Hunter glanced at Ariel, who looked like she might throw up. “Here, you need to sit.” He directed her to a plastic chair. Juneau nudged his way between them.
The last thing Hunter needed was Ariel taking a nosedive. Apparently it had been a bad idea to allow her to come with him. He’d let his growing affection for Ariel affect his judgment.
A mistake.
One he wouldn’t repeat, because there was no way he wanted to end up like his father, duped by emotion into making bad choices. It was time to guard his heart and put some distance between him and Ariel.
* * *
Ariel hung her head between her knees and took deep breaths as the nausea rolled through her. Juneau’s warm body pressed against her leg. But not even his soothing presence could calm the riot of anxiety beating through her veins.
Please, Lord, please, she begged silently.
She wasn’t even sure what to pray. Violet couldn’t have done this. There had to be another explanation.
She sat up and looked at Hunter. “Has the guard come to? Has he confirmed it was Violet?”
Hunter looked to his teammates.
The trooper named Gabriel answered, “The guard is conscious. He said somebody came up from behind him. He didn’t see who it was.”
Ariel couldn’t wrap her mind around the information. She buried her hands in Juneau’s fur. “The guard must have left his post for somebody to be able to sneak up on him.”
From the grim expression on Hunter’s face, he’d come to the same conclusion.
Inside the operating room, the jangle of a cell phone going off rattled Ariel’s nerves.
“We’re hoping Lance or Jared will answer their phones,” Lorenza said. “But so far, they aren’t picking up.”
“Is there an intercom system?” Hunter asked.
Lorenza turned to the hospital security guard.
“Yes. At the nurses’ station.”
Lorenza and Gabriel walked down the hallway to the nurses’ station. After a few minutes, Gabriel jogged back. “They asked for Ariel.”
“I can try to talk to them.” She rose. “Maybe hearing a familiar voice will help them to feel safe.” She could only pray so.
Ariel moved quickly toward the nurses’ station with Hunter and Juneau keeping pace. Hunter deferred to his boss. The colonel nodded. He flipped on the operating room intercom.
Ariel gripped the mic. Her heart pounded in her throat, making her already sore vocal chords protest as she said, “Lance. Jared. It’s Ariel. Pleas
e, come out. The K-9 team is here. They will not let anything happen to you.”
Ariel waited a heartbeat, then tried again. “Lance, you know me. I don’t trust easily, but I trust these officers. You have to come out and let them help you.”
There was a commotion down the hall as the doors to the operating room slowly opened. Lance and Jared stepped out, wearing hospital gowns and the gray hospital-issue socks.
Ariel hurried away from the nurses’ station and skidded to a halt with a small gasp.
Lance had a scalpel in one hand and a bedpan in the other, held like a shield, while Jared had some sort of saw that he held like a bat. The white bandage around his upper bicep showed red seeping through from his wound.
“Violet’s here somewhere.” The green of Lance’s eyes nearly disappeared behind his dark pupils. “You have to find her. She’s evil, I tell you. She tried to kill us. Again.”
TEN
A chill ran down Ariel’s spine as she stared at the two men, who were clearly freaked out, claiming her best friend wanted to kill them.
It was so hard for Ariel to comprehend that Violet was some kind of maniac. But why would Lance and Jared make up such a story? She had to know.
Hunter’s arm snaked around her waist and held her to his side. In a low voice, he said into her ear, “Let’s get them disarmed first.”
Juneau moved to stand in front of Ariel as if providing another line of defense. A warming sensation at the show of protectiveness from both man and dog chased away the cold that had filled her veins.
The three other dogs present stood beside their handlers and stared at the pair brandishing their makeshift weapons. An intimidating sight. Alaska State Troopers Will Stryker and Gabriel Runyon stood ready to move, with one hand hovering over their sidearms.
Lorenza stepped forward, drawing Lance’s and Jared’s attention. Ariel held her breath, praying for the other woman’s safety as she dealt with the two men.