It suddenly dawned on me that she wasn’t as strong and fearless as I’d always thought. She’d rather bitch and moan to me than do something about her situation.
“Sam. Sam!” Finally she stopped complaining long enough for me to get a word in edgewise. “Have you talked to Frank about what’s bothering you?”
“I’ve tried, but he’s always watching TV or drinking beer.”
“At home, though. He’s not going out behind your back, or hanging out in a bar with a bunch of buddies, right?”
“Yeah. But he doesn’t pay attention to me and he does nothing around the house to help me.”
“Then make it clear. You have to specify what you want him to do. What you need. And then if he doesn’t do it, there are consequences.”
“You make it sound like we’re in elementary school again.”
I sighed. Yeah, that was a good analogy for both of them. Boohoo, my husband watches too much TV! “Things will only change if you have a come-to-Jesus talk with him. You have to say exactly what the problem is, and specify what it is you want.”
“What if he’s a dick about it?”
I tried not to let my frustration with her increase my volume. She was one of the most fearless women I knew. Why was it so difficult for her to ask her own husband for what she wanted? “Then you’ll know he’s a dick. Why would you want to stay with a dick?”
“I can’t believe you’re telling me this. You’re the biggest doormat I’ve ever met.”
I winced, grateful she couldn’t see my face. “Yeah, you know me, I’m always on the lookout for the next guy who’ll wipe his boots on me as he walks out the door. I’ve dated a lot. I’ve seen a lot. You can’t stay mad at someone forever if you never told him why you were upset in the first place. The man doesn’t have ESP. He can’t read your thoughts, no matter how much he might love you.”
“Did you learn this in therapy?”
Damn, at this rate, I was going to need a Band-Aid every time I talked to her. “She told me all of these things, but I never believed or understood it. Not until Charlie.”
“So he’s treating you well.”
Shocker. Now she was going to ask me about my guy? “Yes. I love him.”
“So soon,” she whispered. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” I blew out a disgusted sigh. “I’m sure. When you’ve been through what I’ve seen and done and heard, then you know the real thing. It hits you...” I choked a moment and remembered one of his phrases. “Like a bullet in the skull.”
“You sound different. Stronger. More sure.”
“Yeah. I am. It’s amazing what happens when I date someone who cares about me and builds me up instead of tearing me down.”
“Maybe you could bring him over this weekend so we can get to know him better.”
My heart ached so badly I touched my chest a moment to make sure it was still beating. “Not this weekend. He’s gone on a business trip and won’t be home for days.” Please, let it only be days. Not weeks, or months, or, God forbid, years. I don’t know that I can survive that long without him.
“Oh, I didn’t know he travels.”
“Yeah, this time he might be gone for a while,” I answered.
“How are you holding up?” Her voice sharpened. “Are you feeling like you did when Josh broke things off?”
“No, not at all. Josh wasn’t good for me. He didn’t help me deal with things. Charlie does. I’m too busy to mope.” Much.
“Well, if you need anything, give me a call. I’ve got to go.”
“Yeah, I will. Good luck with Frank. Love you.”
“Love you too.” She softened her voice and it was almost as good as a hug through the phone. “Thanks, Sis.”
“Any time.”
I watered my plants and dragged a fresh bag of clothes to the car. Then I took a huge step and dropped off my thirty-day notice at the front office. Charlie wasn’t here to ask, but I planned to stay at his house until he returned for me. Given what I knew about him, I couldn’t see us staying in Springfield and I didn’t want my parents to have to sort out my mess. I sure as hell didn’t want to damage their credit, since they’d cosigned for me. They’d done enough worrying and clean-up already. Most of the furniture was rented, so I called the company and scheduled a pickup time on Friday. The rest of my stuff could fit in my car and I’d be moved out.
It was a huge step to take without consulting him, but it felt right. I’d barely set foot in my apartment anyway since I’d started dating him.
Since I was on a roll, I stopped at Walmart on the way home and took Sheba inside for the first time. I put on her service halter recommended by Dr. Wentworth and made sure I had all her paperwork in my purse if anyone asked. The greeter’s eyes widened as we approached. I pulled the certificate out to show her in case she wanted proof. “She’s my service dog.”
The woman waved off the papers. “Could I pet her?”
“Of course.”
Sheba sat quietly while the woman scratched her behind the ears. “Beautiful dog.”
“Thank you.”
We drew stares for sure, but they were of admiration, not fear. Sheba was too well behaved, and people recognized that she was working. She kept close to me, checking out all the people, but we didn’t have any problems.
Relieved, I drove back to Charlie’s place. It was almost dark, but as I neared his driveway, I noticed a white car pulled in front. I slowed to a crawl, trying to see who it might be. No insignia on the side or siren, so it wasn’t a cop car. I didn’t know anyone who drove a white car.
Heart pounding, I drove past without turning in and went a mile down the road before pulling over. If Charlie was here, I could’ve explained the car as a visitor. But I couldn’t ask if he’d been expecting anyone, or if he had any friends who might drop by. It was getting darker by the second and while I had ultimate faith in Sheba, I didn’t want an innocent visitor to get attacked accidentally.
Finally, I had a brilliant idea. I dug in my purse and found Deputy Daniels’s card. He answered on the second ring.
“This is Ranay Killian.”
“Good evening, Miss Killian. How can I help you?”
“I’m just getting home from work and there’s a strange car in the driveway. I don’t know who it is. Since it’s dark, I’m scared to approach the house alone.”
“Of course, after what you’ve been through, I totally understand. Where are you now?”
“I drove on past the house and pulled off the road about a mile away.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes and escort you inside.”
“Thank you.” I watched my rearview mirror to see if anyone approached. If the person left, they’d gone back toward town. It seemed like forever, but finally Deputy Daniels drove up and rolled down his window. “Thank you for coming.”
“Not at all. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Follow me and we’ll go see who it is.”
I did a U-turn and followed the deputy’s car to Charlie’s house. The white car was still there. I parked in my normal spot off to the side and got out, Sheba on my heels. Deputy Daniels went to the rear of the car and wrote down the license plate number.
“It looks like a rental car. There’s an Enterprise sticker on the bumper. Are you expecting any company?”
“No.” It wasn’t only the chilly air making me shiver. I zipped my coat and wrapped my arms around my waist. No lights were on in the house and no one waited on the porch. “Where would they have gone? It’s too cold to stand around outside.”
Daniels dropped the notebook into his pocket and felt the hood of the car. “It’s still warm, so they haven’t been here long.” He raised his voice. “Hello? Anyone here?”
My fingers were cold, making it hard to shuffle through the keys to get to the house key.
Suddenly, Sheba darted off around the side of the house. “Sheba!”
She barked furiously. The deputy and I looked at each other and tore after her.
“Sheba! Come!”
A gunshot roared through the night. I jerked to a halt, my hands covering my mouth with horror. Sheba’s barking stopped. “No. No!”
“Stop, police!” Daniels yelled, running past me. “This is Deputy Daniels of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office!”
I followed him, blinded by my tears. The lights blazed in the backyard. Sheba lay on the ground and a man stood over her. With a gun. Pointed at her. As if he was going to shoot her again.
I screamed and he looked up. His eyes were flat and cold, colder than the ice sheeting the deck. Like Charlie’s when he went into predator mode. But this man’s upper lip was curled in a perpetual sneer. He didn’t look at the deputy with a gun on him, but stared at me, directly in the eyes. He wasn’t afraid. He certainly wasn’t sorry he’d hurt Sheba. He stared at me, his eyes dark and intent. He refused to look away, challenging me, or maybe trying to cow me.
That look froze me in place. Terror shrilled through me. My instinct was to duck, drop to the ground and cover my head. Hide my eyes. I didn’t want this man seeing my secrets, getting into my head. And that’s exactly what he wanted.
“Identify yourself,” Deputy Daniels demanded, his gun pointed at him.
Without looking away from me, the man took a step back and dropped the arm holding the gun down along his side. “Special Agent Rusk.”
Daniels didn’t lower his gun. “Show me your badge.”
Whimpering, Sheba crawled across the snow, leaving a trail of blood. But she didn’t come toward me. She inched toward Rusk. With Daniels to back me up, I rushed toward her and dropped to my knees in the snow, careful to face the threat. No way in hell I’d give Rusk my back. I wrapped my arms around her to keep her still. “Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”
I kept my head down, but I watched him carefully. He slowly holstered his weapon and pulled out a black wallet from inside his coat pocket. He flipped it open and Daniels lowered his gun.
“Sorry, she came out of nowhere.” His voice didn’t sound sorry. In fact, he sounded...cheerful. Rage boiled inside me. When he smiled at me, I wanted to punch his stupid face. Preferably while gripping one of Charlie’s knives. “I’m here to speak to you, Miss Killian.”
Fumbling, I got my phone out and called Dr. Wentworth’s personal number. “Sheba’s been shot. Should I bring her to you or take her to the emergency pet hospital?”
Calm, cool Dr. Wentworth gasped. “Bring her to me. I can be there in fifteen minutes.” Over the phone, I heard her muffled voice talking to her family, and then the door slammed and her car door dinged. “Keep pressure on the wound.”
Deputy Daniels put his gun away and jerked his head at the other man toward Sheba. “Help us get her into my car. What the hell were you doing out here without identifying yourself? You scared her to death and damned near killed her dog.”
“I wanted to check out the point of entry in the report, see if you missed anything.” The deputy started to lift her, while the other man reached down to grab her around the shoulders. Sheba snapped at him and Rusk stumbled back. “Fuck, that’s one mean dog.”
I pushed my phone into my pocket and moved around to help Daniels. “She’s hurt. I’d bite too.”
Between the two of us, we hefted her up, though he took the bulk of her weight for me. Rusk went ahead and threw open the back door of the deputy’s car. I climbed in and Daniels wrestled her onto my lap. “Let me grab my emergency kit.”
I ran my hands through her fur until I found the wound, a slash across her front shoulder. It didn’t feel like a hole, so maybe the bullet had only grazed her. The agent stood beside the open car door. “I’m sorry, Miss Killian. It was instinct. She came out of the dark and I shot.”
“Good thing she wasn’t a child.” Daniels tore open a large square sterile bandage and handed it to me. “Next time you’re going to interview a victim of a break-in and possible attempted abduction in my county, maybe you should come in broad daylight or at least call her first.”
“Yeah,” Rusk drawled. “Sure.”
He backed away and shut the door. Daniels jumped behind the wheel and tore out of the driveway so fast he threw gravel on Rusk and his car. The agent cursed and shot an ugly look after us.
Trust Sheba’s instincts, Charlie had told me. She’d tried to bite Rusk, but not Daniels, even as he’d struggled to heft her dead weight up into his car.
I bent down over her, stroking her face, making sure she was still breathing. “You’ll be okay,” I whispered, dripping tears on her. “I promise.”
Warning received, loud and clear. Beware Special Agent Rusk.
* * *
Dr. Wentworth ran out of the clinic with a rolling table, which made getting Sheba inside much easier. In minutes, she had an IV in her front leg and trimmed the fur around the wound.
“Oh, Ranay, she’s so lucky. See the path of the bullet? We’ll take an X-ray to be sure, but I don’t think she has any broken bones and it’s a clean wound. She’s lost some blood but that’s nothing rest and care won’t cure.” She lifted her head and gave me a brilliant smile. “She’s going to be just fine.”
My breath sighed out with relief. I dropped my head and braced my hands on the exam table for a moment, trying not to burst into tears. I’d done pretty well on the emotional front so far. I wasn’t going to fall apart now.
“Another inch to the right and she’d be dead.” Dr. Wentworth pointed to the stainless steel table on my side of the room, so I grabbed it and rolled it over for her, careful not to touch any of the instruments. I hadn’t washed up yet. “She’s smart and well trained. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Mac taught her to evade a man with a gun.” She stitched the wound, not looking up at me, but her tone was careful, probing as gently as she’d examined the wound. “Then there’s the service dog angle. A deputy helps you bring her in because she’s shot. Are you in trouble, Ranay? Or Mac?”
Deputy Daniels might still be in the waiting room, and I wasn’t sure if he could hear our conversation or not. “It’s complicated. Someone tried to break in, and now the cops and the FBI are involved. Charlie’s gone.”
“Another Doctors trip?”
“No,” I whispered. “Gone.”
“Oh, honey. Is he in trouble?”
I shrugged, unwilling to betray his confidence, even with my boss and friend.
“Are you in danger? I’m guessing yes, if Sheba’s been shot.”
Again, I had to be so careful. I didn’t know who to trust. I didn’t know how deep Charlie was in this mess, or how it would end. I didn’t want her getting into trouble for my sake, either. “The FBI agent shot her.”
“What?”
“Exactly.”
“Well.” She made the last stitch and then set her instruments aside. “I don’t know what all might be going on, but I do know that Mac loves her. No man who takes such thorough care of his dog—and you—can be bad. I don’t believe it.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, giving her a tremulous smile.
She pulled off her gloves and came around the table to give me a hug. “I’ll keep Sheba here a few days to make sure she’s healing without infection. She ought to be up and around quickly. Can I call your parents for you, or is there someone else you’d rather stay with until she’s back in commission?”
I didn’t want to leave his house. While I was there, I could remember every time he touched me. The way his eyes heated when he looked at me. The dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. The soft curls that fell across his forehead, and how he raked his fingers through them when he was at the very edge of his control. I could be a sad, desperate sub and bury my face in his pillow so that I could breathe his scent and remember him moving inside me.
But the smart thing would be to stay with my parents until all of this blew over. I nodded, trying not to show how miserable the thought made me. God. I might have to stop by my place and find the last of my anxiety meds. The thought of Mom’s loving but frantic hovering made my eye
twitch.
In my mind, I heard Charlie’s words again. It doesn’t matter if they understand as long as you and I have an understanding.
I stroked Sheba’s face and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you for protecting me. Even from men with guns.”
Dr. Wentworth rolled her into the recovery area and I washed up and headed toward the waiting area to let Deputy Daniels know how she was doing.
Before I pushed open the door, I heard low voices. Automatically, I stopped, my hand on the door.
“You went to interview a witness without me.” It was a woman’s voice, assured and intent. “I told you to wait for me.”
“It’s not my fault that your plane was delayed. I was in the neighborhood. Thought I could get a jump on it before we lose him again. I knew you’d be along any minute.” That smug, arrogant tone could only be Rusk. “It wasn’t any big deal.”
“No big deal?” she replied incredulously. “You discharged your weapon on private property and wounded the witness’s pet. What if you’d shot her instead?”
“If that beast’s a pet, then my dick’ll fall off.”
“Pet or guard dog, it doesn’t matter. You have to follow procedures, and we always interview as a team. That way we always have a witness to back up any questions that might come up later. What if you’d caught her alone in her house, and then later she accused you of improper conduct? Besides, how willing do you think she’ll be to help us now that you’ve nearly killed her dog?”
“I’ve got twenty years on the job—”
“Yeah,” she broke in. “And I’ve only got ten. We’ve had this argument before. But I’m your partner and you have to follow fucking procedures or I’ll put in for a new partner. How many new partners have you gone through in the past five years?”
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