THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE (10 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Bree expected the police or Larry and his cohort to pull up at any minute. In her opinion, they’d been at Jake’s apartment too long. They had enough money to buy anything they needed and didn’t need to waste time doing laundry.

But here she sat, nice and clean, full from a very good sandwich and cup of instant hot chocolate, waiting on her jeans and shoes to dry. An exhausted Dallas was curled on the couch cushion as her host gathered things for their trip.

Jake had finally let her call her family. She’d tried several times. No answer. Her heart pounded each time it rang, uncertain of what she’d say or how they’d take the news that she was alive.

Would they forgive her? Understand why she’d thought it was necessary to hide? And more than anything, were they okay or had Griffin’s men already harmed them? The same questions she’d been asking herself while she’d been gone. She needed to get to Amarillo, find the answers and put an end to this story.

For the umpteenth time, she counted the cars in the parking lot and on as much of the street as she could see. The newest parked were easy to spot since another snow flurry had begun. There were two cars in the lot with snow melting on their warm hoods. But she was more curious about the tire tracks next to Jake’s truck, where a car had come and gone.

Being mindful of her surroundings and if anyone followed her for any length of time was a way of life for her now. It hadn’t prevented any of the events today, but she must have seen those men at some point. Where? They must have found her location and followed her around. Otherwise, how would they have known she was supposed to work for Brenda Ellen?

Sitting here, wearing only a robe, she was vulnerable and unprepared. But finally warm. Jake brought her an ancient handmade quilt as an extra layer before he joined Dallas on the couch.

Poor little Dallas. Even at six months old she slept a lot, but she needed to run and play. Maybe it would be better to leave her behind somewhere? It would be so hard to part with her, though.

Dallas had played in the warm shower like any Labrador who loved the water. Handing her over to Jake to be dried had been strangely intimate. She still wasn’t certain which had been more embarrassing—him watching her throughout her shower or her watching him during his?

Actually, it hadn’t been too intimidating undressing in front of him for some reason. She trusted that he’d kept his eyes shut. Trusting him was actually rather easy. Jake was the one who’d gotten soaked when Dallas shook the water from her fur. A lighthearted moment before he’d pulled off his shirt and tossed it in the hamper.

But she hadn’t been laughing when he’d kissed her and handcuffed her to the pipes. Not only didn’t he trust her to stay in the apartment, he didn’t trust her to be cuffed to something comfortable in another room. And was totally avoiding any contact or repeat of their kiss.

“Does it make sense to just sit here? The longer we wait, the harder it’s going to be to get my family back. I can’t call my uncle again until I get a replacement charger since you left mine in my suitcase.” She took a deep breath before facing him, determined to stand her ground and move forward.

“You can’t panic when we’re delayed. Trust me. I made a couple of phone calls while you were in the shower. I’m not dragging my heels waiting on your clothes. I’m waiting on a marine buddy who’s bringing some equipment.

“We should be on the road in a half hour or so. Anything about the weather?” he asked.

“Sorry, I had the sound down and was watching outside.”

She tugged the belt of his terry-cloth robe tighter and hugged the collar closer to her neck. Under the robe she wore nothing. She’d chosen the hard footstool so she wouldn’t fall asleep. She should be exhausted and terrified, but relaxing when she couldn’t reach any of her family didn’t make sense. She could only leave messages for her uncle, too.

Four paws in the air, Dallas stretched, laying her head on Jake’s lap. Bree could easily be envious again. Of the soft cushions, not Jake’s lap.

“When will your department notice the money’s gone?” Bree asked as the clothes and tennis shoes tumbled dry in the background.

“They’ll probably miss the phone Monday morning, but the money? No one found it before you called. You’re lucky I hadn’t been escorted from the building. A little earlier or later and I wouldn’t have been able to help you.”

“I feel terrible that you’ve lost your job. Do you think you can get it back?” She did feel bad. But if he hadn’t been suspended, would he be helping her now? She had to count her blessings when she could.

“Maybe.” He shrugged, the white of his undershirt outlining his solid, broad shoulders. “Maybe I don’t want it saved. I haven’t decided. It’s been an awkward promotion. I’ve known from day one it wasn’t a great fit. They groomed another patrolman all last year. My military service fast-tracked me and, unfortunately, there was only one opening. It might have worked out in the long run, but it would have been a very long, lonely run to make. Enough about me, I need facts, Sabrina Watkins. You ready to tell me your story now?”

Had he just shared personal feelings with her? Was he trying to gain her confidence in spite of securing her to the bathroom floor?
Does it matter? You’ve got nowhere to go and no one to ask for help.

“Do you know the guys who abducted you?” he asked. Leaning back, he stretched his neck from side to side before raising a water bottle and tossing two aspirin into his mouth.

“I can’t identify them. They kept their masks on the entire time they had me in a car and an old warehouse. But I’d recognize the one called Larry. I don’t think I’ll forget his eyes. He had the same glare of the man who told Griffin I had to be killed. I’m praying he’s not the one who has my family.”

What was she going to do? She rose to wander the room, unable to be still. There weren’t any boxes sitting in corners, but there were stacks of things that had been unpacked and just left.

“Now who’s Griffin?” he asked. “You’ve mentioned him before.”

“Is your friend ever going to get here?” She walked back to the balcony door, searching the lot again. Should she mention those tire tracks or ask him to let her in on his plan?
Trust works both ways, fella.

“He’s getting our supplies. Talk.”

“Our families were friends in Silverton. Griffin Tyler is a bit older, got his veterinary license and started his own business in Amarillo. I owned a pet grooming and boarding business. Very small, but he asked me to join forces with him almost four years ago.”

“So that’s the business they took from you?”

She nodded. “They ended up setting fire to the building, after I stabbed Griffin with a scalpel.”

“In self-defense?”

“He was trying to kill me.”

He smiled. Even in the dim light from the hallway she could see the shine of his teeth. “What made you think they were trying to kill you?”

In spite of the conversation, Bree was very conscious she was undressed and couldn’t leave. As much as she wanted to avoid discussing what happened on the day that changed her life, she couldn’t steal his keys that he’d left near the door and just go. He’d catch her as she fought to keep the robe together while running down the sidewalk.

“The gun for starters. I know a lot of long-haul truckers, my dad’s friends,” she continued. “I’d groom their dogs when they stopped in Amarillo. I usually worked two Sundays a month. That day, I finished early and decided to check on the animals we were boarding for the weekend. My assistant had gone to a wedding or baby shower and couldn’t get by until much later. That’s when I overheard them talking. The evil guy—his eyes gleamed when he spoke about killing—he was there telling Griffin what their orders were.”

“And you saw his face?”

She shivered when the image of the man popped into her mind. “I can’t forget what he looked like. The nightmares keep it fresh. I’ve never remembered things so vividly before. There was just something evil about the way he looked when he mentioned killing. I hate the nightmares.”

Jake looked as though he sympathized and understood. Did he have nightmares from his experience in the military?

“So you...” He urged her to finish while stroking Dallas gently between the ears.

She searched the titles of books stacked in the corner instead of Jake’s face. She shouldn’t wonder about his dreams or what his life was like. She had too much to think about as things stood. “I knew I needed to get out of there fast. I ran for my van, hoping they hadn’t seen me. Then I remembered the animals. If they were going to ‘torch’ the place, like they’d discussed, all the animals I was boarding would die. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Just like you couldn’t let Dallas stay at the shelter and risk no one adopting her?”

“It took three months to talk Brenda Ellen into taking her home and if I wasn’t there, they might have...” She didn’t want to think about the animals she hadn’t gotten homes for—there’d always be too many. “Why did you think I’d come back for her?”

“Don’t know. An impression from the connection you two seem to have with each other.” His voice was low, like he almost didn’t want to admit that she could care. “So where did the money come from?”

More reality. She hadn’t shared the details of that night with anyone, but they were as clear as ever. She’d written them down so she wouldn’t forget. Everything was in her electronic journal that she hoped would be impossible for anyone to find.

“Griffin must have heard me moving pet carriers. He caught me just after I loaded the last cat and forced me back to his office. We fought. I grabbed an open briefcase. I escaped in my grooming van, leaving it in front of another animal clinic.”

“Why not go to the police and explain what you overheard? You could identify the guy and they could have protected you.” His east Texas twang became more prominent.

Just like when he’d been irritated with her earlier. Which part had upset him? Not going to the police? Or not identifying a potential killer?

“I overheard Griffin say that someone in the police department would help with the cover-up. The evil guy wasn’t too pleased with a cop’s involvement but said it would help when they blamed me. I was so confused. I drove around in the van with three dogs and a kitten, too scared to talk with anyone. I just kept driving around in circles.”

It was doubtful a confident marine would ever feel as scared as she had been that night. She could see the framed commendations stacked on a bookshelf instead of hanging on the wall. Maybe she’d ask her own questions about his past one day. But right now, they had to concentrate on putting Griffin and his cohorts in jail.

“The fire was huge and could be seen for miles. Griffin made a statement for the radio claiming he’d confronted me about embezzling and that the police were searching for me. The next day, I was...my remains were positively identified in the fire. That meant they’d not only switched the dental records but had killed a woman. It sort of confirmed they had someone on the police force. I didn’t know who to trust.”

“I’d think the same thing. It’s amazing that you managed to stay under the radar so long. How did you get from Amarillo to Dallas? And how in the world did you end up as a dog sitter?” He smiled and sort of laughed at the last words.

“You wouldn’t know this, but I started my business by pet sitting and dog walking. Some of us didn’t have money for college or fancy careers and made the best of very difficult times.”

He rose from the couch, carefully moving Dallas’s head as he got up. In a heartbeat he stood in front of her and tilted her chin to look at him. “I didn’t mean to insult you. We just met this morning, but I can tell how much you love animals. It’s a good fit.”

She had been momentarily hurt. Right up until she looked into his concerned eyes.
Remember that you’re alone and vulnerable. You have to stay strong.
She had an uneasy feeling and searched the parking lot. Snowflakes fell, melting as they hit the warmer blacktop or refreshing the piles of snow from the previous two days.

“There was more than money in the briefcase. A list of names I’ve been checking. All of them have pets and lived around Lakewood. I thought I heard the evil guy say the higher-ups were in this area, but I haven’t found any connection. All I accomplished was getting Brenda Ellen killed and you suspended.”

“Don’t do that to yourself. Nothing good will come from it. There’s no retreat and no going back.” Jake stared somewhere over her head.

At first she thought he’d stopped speaking because he’d seen something. But she quickly realized he spoke from experience and had changed his mind about explaining.

“Let me think a little while about what you’ve told me,” he said finally. “We can talk more in the truck.”

“Is there an all-night store nearby? We need dog food for Dallas. She needs something more suited for her than lunch meat.” She joined the puppy on the couch, needing her unconditional comfort. The dryer buzzed.

“It’s been taken care of.” He followed her to the couch and stroked Dallas on the crown of her head. “You know, we can ask my pal to take care of her.”

Strong, lean, long fingers...so close to her breasts and a robe she felt compelled to flatten across them was all she could focus on. If the circumstances had been different... She shook her head, answering his question about Dallas and saying no to her attraction. Jake’s extra care with her pet touched her deeply. “I’m probably being selfish, but I’d like to keep her with me. She’s been through so much, I don’t know how she’ll react if I leave her behind.”

“Got it.”

Maybe he considered the Lab his now? If it was his intention to send her to jail, she couldn’t keep a puppy. Either way, he treated Dallas in a loving manner. And unfortunately for Bree, it was very attractive. She had to remember that Jake Craig intended to put her in jail and she couldn’t let him succeed.

Jake answered his house phone by just listening. No words, then he set it back on the charger. “Can you two go to the bedroom for a minute? Mac’s here.” He withdrew his gun from the holster and stood at the door, ready for the worst. “We’ve got what we need now and will be leaving in five.”