Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 70566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70566 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“It’s my dog.”
“It’s also my liability,” Boone countered. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Professional opinion.”
I hated to side with a man, but…
“I agree,” I said softly. “Until we can for sure know that he won’t attack, and not just you, we can’t let him out without having him secured.”
She said something under her breath about kidnapping and ‘we’ll see.’
After a couple of awkward minutes trying to decide what it was that we were going to do, we decided to go back to the dog we were able to inject with some calming meds earlier.
Charlene and I cried as we checked the dog’s wounds over.
Boone and Denver talked quietly in the corner while watching Sage all but press herself against the kennel and talk quietly to the pup.
“I hate people,” Charlene said as she slowly wiped at the dog’s matted fur. “Especially ones that mistreat animals.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Fifteen minutes later, the dog was cleaned up, his wounds—which weren’t as bad as we thought—were cleaned and he was back in his kennel.
Charlene cleaned up while I went to the corner to see what the two men were discussing.
Young was feeding all the dogs and making sure they had water when I passed, and he gave me a sad smile.
When I got to the men, it was to find them in a deep discussion.
“That’s Gentry’s woman,” Denver said quietly.
I whipped my head around. “What? She said she was single.”
At least, that was what I thought I overheard when Young and her were talking as he got close to her.
There was more silence as Boone and I stood in the dark room. A thickly charged silence that had me insanely curious, because there was something these men weren’t telling me.
Something that I wasn’t privy to know yet.
When the silence went on a little bit too long, I said, “You don’t have to tell me anything. I can leave…”
“No, it’s okay.” Denver sighed. “We’ll change the subject. I just need to call Gentry really quick. I’ll be right back.”
He left, leaving me alone with Boone.
“That was awkward,” I admitted once he was far enough away.
Boone’s lips twitched. “When you’re his, and he trusts you implicitly, you’ll know. Until then, you’re a liability.”
“What do you mean, when I’m his?” I asked, feeling a strange sort of flutter in my stomach take root.
“You’ll know what I’m talking about soon,” he said. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go talk to her.”
Boone left, dropping silently down onto the ground beside the now lazing dog.
The medicine had done wonders.
I moved into the room, cleaning up after ourselves while I listened to Boone talk to Sage.
“What’s the next step?” she asked.
“Sedating him enough that he doesn’t want to kill us when we open that cage,” he stated. “He’s our last patient of the night. But he looks pretty good, considering.”
“I’ve been checking him out, too. He looks like he’s perfectly fine,” she admitted. “But just because I don’t see anything doesn’t mean that it’s not still there.”
The front door opened again, and heavy footsteps entered the room.
Sheriff Black and Deputy Gentry.
I looked over to Sage to see her completely ignoring Gentry.
Her gaze stayed on the dog, but there was a charge to the room that had me squirming in place.
Denver came up beside me, and I whispered, “What the hell is going on?”
“A mess,” he muttered. “One that’s going to explode.”
Black joined us while Gentry walked toward the woman on the ground.
The rest of the room all but cleared out when Gentry said, “Sage…”
“Don’t talk to me,” Sage hissed.
We left the room, all of us.
Charlene and Young headed to the break room with wide eyes.
Black, Denver, Boone, and I went to the waiting room and took a seat.
“Got anything good yet?” Denver asked.
“Other than the kidnapping and battery against this one.” He jerked his head toward me. “I still need your statement, by the way.”
I nodded. “Now?”
He shrugged and pulled out a notebook. “As good as any.”
I gave him everything, starting with the moment I got the call, and ending with when they’d all arrived.
“The woman,” he said. “Did you get her name?”
“No,” I admitted. “She’s apparently his granddaughter. Has a mom with a bunch of kids that she’s expected to take care of.” I paused. “But I swear, when she left, she gave me this look like she knew that I was in danger. That this would happen.”
Black took more notes.
Denver wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against his solid chest.
I would not admit how great it felt to be in his arms.
But my eyes drooped as exhaustion started to worm its way through me.
My eyelids grew heavy, and before I knew it, I was asleep.
EIGHTEEN
I don’t get enough credit for the things I manage not to say.
—Denver to Holly
DENVER
I got her to wake up enough to take a shower and slip into a t-shirt of mine, but that was it.