 by Aliyah Burke.jpg)
Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter 1
“I don't think he ever gave a thought to other people's opinions, which was just as well because they were often unkind.”
― James Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small
* * *
Leena shivered and burrowed her hands further into the oversized men’s jacket, ducking her head further below the upturned collar. The snow whipped around her, biting exposed skin with a hungry ferocity.
“Come on, Argo,” she muttered. “Unlike you, I don’t relish being out here.” Like he could see her—or respond in words, she shrugged. “Not at night anyway. Especially at a rest area. I want my bed and warmth.”
The winds carried his deep bark to her, and her shoulders sagged. I know what that means. There would be no return trip to the van until she went to see what he wanted. “Argo, hier!” she pitched her voice to carry over the wind and pelting snow.
She stomped her feet, wishing once more she was back in the van and on the road, headed home. The trip had been a long one, good, but long. From the darkness he appeared like a rocket who’d locked in her trajectory, snow flew out from his bounding strides. He executed a perfect sit before her as if there weren’t all that snow under his ass.
“Good boy,” she praised, before giving him her unique release command. “Wazzu.”
He barked again and backed up now that he’d been released. His intentions plain. Her heart broke for a moment; he looked so much like his father. Her heart dog. Another bark followed by a spin and two bounces in the other direction.
“I’m coming. Two legs, not four here.” She struck out after him, cursing as the land dipped down, causing her to slide through the knee-deep snow. Her dog led her to a thick copse of trees where he barked at a log, lying partially in the freezing river.
She brushed a wet curl away from her face. “Seriously? You wanted me to see you bark at a log? I should kill you. Let’s go.”
He ignored her and stepped closer to the water. Her mouth dropped open when he grasped something in his jaw and yanked. Shit, that’s a person.
She scrambled over by Argo, driving him back with a single word. It was a man, the blowing snow had partially covered him and his lower body still lay submerged in the icy water.
“Shit.” She shifted and bent to grasp him beneath his arms, then pulled. By the time she got him free of the water, she was panting. He wasn’t small by any stretch. His body riddled with burn marks, wounds, and absolutely no clothing.
Without thought, she shrugged out of her coat and covered him. On her, it went past her calves. On him, it barely hit his knees.
“What the fuck happened to you?”
“Leave me,” he rasped before he collapsed, completely unconscious.
“Sure, because I was raised to leave half frozen naked men alone. I don’t suppose you’re just pretending to be unconscious, are you?” Of course not. “Fuck me sideways, this is going to suck.” She bent back down and got to the arduous task of moving him to safety.
It took her nearly twenty minutes to drag him up to her van that thankfully she’d parked close to where she was coming up. The wind had picked up along with the snow, making her all the more pleased to have Argo with her. The parking lot was vacant on her end, everyone else having parked near the restrooms.
Per her norm, she’d chosen an empty area so the dogs she travelled with wouldn’t be around everyone. Especially when she let them stretch their legs. She paused, digging in her pants pocket for her keys, then unlocked her van.
“This is how serial killers get into your life, Leena. You bring them in.” She opened the side door, immediately saying, “Blibe.” The three dogs there stayed as ordered and she returned to the unconscious, still naked man lying in a heap.
Her own strength waning, she grunted and groaned as she maneuvered him into the vehicle. “Gotta let you in on a secret here Mister. Usually I’m having sex when I mutter and grunt this much. Or I think I do, haven’t had any in a while so I’m not quite sure I can remember how it goes.”
Once inside the van, she reached and closed out the cold after Argo had jumped in. At least until he shook. Her dogs were interested in her newcomer, but she moved them aside as she took him to the bench seat converted to a bed in the back. She reached around him and removed the jacket, doing her best to ignore his cock that lay against his leg.
“Maybe you’re not all cold.”
She drew back the blankets and nearly lay him back but a moment of hesitation for the injuries on his back were a problem that needed addressing. Reaching over him to the rear of the van, she grabbed the first aid kit she always carried from where it rested in its spot. Then set about cleaning his injuries.