Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
“Got a leash and food,” he grunted, pulling Tucker closer to the door.
“What about heartworm prevention medicine? We keep some in the office.” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder, thinking about how I could grab my cell from the desk and dial 911 while I was getting a box of the chewables. Maybe if the operator heard us talking, she’d send someone to check on the situation.
Unfortunately, my suggestion didn’t help at all. “No, we’re leaving.”
He turned and darted out the door, dragging the German shepherd behind him. I raced after them, determined not to let him get away with Tucker. Although he was well-trained, I wasn’t sure how he’d behave if he were treated poorly, and this man’s actions didn’t inspire confidence.
“Please, no,” I cried, closing the gap between us when we reached the reception area. With Tucker doing his best to dig his claws into the tile floor, I was only an arm’s length from the German shepherd as we neared the front door. Facing off with this guy was terrifying, but the thought of losing Tucker forever had me following them out the door and reaching for the leash so I could get him away from the dognapper before it was too late.
6
Kade
Iparked my truck in the disabled person parking spot in front of the training facility—grumbling about it the whole time. But I’d worked myself a little too hard at physical therapy, and my leg was sore as fuck, so it was a good thing I could park so close.
Just as I was shutting off the engine, the doors to the building burst open and a man emerged, dragging a leash behind him. Then the world felt as though it slowed down, and I watched in horror as the scene unfolded before me.
Annalise rushed outside, managing to get slightly ahead of the man. She grabbed the leash and tried to get it away from him as the dog it was attached to barked like crazy and tried to stand in front of her. But the man was bigger and stronger.
Frustrated, he yanked the leash out of her hand and shoved her hard, sending her flying back against the door. Her head hit the glass and snapped forward from the impact.
The dog lunged and sank his teeth into the man’s leg, causing him to scream and kick out, trying to dislodge the animal. I silently cheered when the animal didn’t let go.
I’d already been on my way out of the car, but I scrambled even faster when I saw her crumple to the ground, cursing because my damn injury slowed me down. However, my heart—which had frozen with fear—started beating again when she sat up and held her head.
By the time I was about to get out and hobble to the sidewalk, the man had gotten free of the dog and went running. To my surprise, he didn’t let go of the animal. Instead, he dragged it along with him. Unfortunately, even with the added weight, he was still faster than me.
He shoved the dog into his trunk and jumped into the driver’s seat, then raced out of the parking lot on squealing tires. I tried to get the number on his plates, but it was caked with dirt and the nearest light post was flickering, making it hard to focus on the numbers. Shit.
I’d only been about halfway to him when he got away, and while part of me wanted to hop—so to speak—in my car and give chase, I needed to check on Annalise. So I hurried to my girl as quickly as I could.
While I limped up to her side, I made a quick call to 911.
She was still sitting on the ground, so I crouched down on one bent leg, keeping the other outstretched. “Are you okay, baby?”
She kept a hand to her head as she looked up at me, then winced when she nodded.
“Let me look over your head,” I requested. She removed her hand, and I gently pulled her hair from its ponytail—although it still caused her pain, making me want to hunt down that bastard even more. As I searched for any broken skin or bleeding, I heard the sound of sirens approaching.
As the cars screeched into the parking lot, I slowly climbed to my feet, careful not to lose my balance and topple over, injuring myself—or Annalise if I fell on her—anymore.
She also tried to get up, but I held a firm hand on her shoulder. “Stay put until a paramedic looks you over,” I ordered.
“But—” She stopped protesting when she saw my expression, which made it clear that I expected to be obeyed. The flash of annoyance in her eyes almost made me laugh. She was so fucking adorable.
I quickly shot off a text to Deacon. His specialties were Surreptitious Entry and Technical Surveillance Operations, and he was a wicked hacker. I gave him what I could remember about the car to see if he could possibly find the vehicle on traffic cams or whatever other kind of magic he could do with the limited information.