Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
She looked so scared. His protective instincts went into overdrive. He would do anything to erase this experience from her life.
“I don’t want to go to the police,” Pippa said quickly.
“I know,” Zale told her as he taped the gauze into place around her wrists.
“You have to work, right? Train or something? I should get going so you aren’t wasting time with me,” Pippa told him.
“Not happening,” Zale told her. “We’ll figure something out.”
“I’ll call Aspen. She and Rexy can come pick up Pippa to take her to our house. She’ll be safe and can get cleaned up. That will give us time to do some research and figure out the best course of action,” Jerico suggested.
When Pippa stepped closer to Zale, Jerico said, “I’m Jerico, Pippa. My girlfriend has a large dog named Rexy. You’ll be safe with them.”
“Thanks, Jerico,” Zale said with relief. He knew they’d have to go to the authorities soon, but preferred to go in with more information.
“What can you tell us about the guy in the accident?” the burliest guy in the group asked. When she looked at him hesitantly, he introduced himself with a smile. “I’m Max, Pippa.” Zale knew he was trying to make himself appear less intimidating.
She nodded and said, “His name was Jacob, but everyone called him Junior. He didn’t like that. Every time he talked on the phone, he corrected people. I didn’t get the impression that he usually drove—especially not that car. He complained about a lot of things. There had been others in the car. That armrest was completely marked with other plastic ties.”
“The son of the big boss, forced to ferry the latest woman himself. He’s not having a good week. I’ll contact a friend who’s an MP and get his name. Hi, Pippa. I’m Hank.” The quiet guy in the group was the one Zale always paid attention to when the team was in a tight spot. Hank always had a handle on what was happening.
“I’m never going to remember everyone’s names,” Pippa admitted.
“That’s okay. You’ll have some time to get to know us,” Zale told her.
“You’re not going to drop me at the police station with a note?” she asked.
“We don’t do that, Pippa. Want to meet Aspen and Rexy to see if you’re willing to stay with them while we do our training?” Zale asked.
“You think someone’s going to put two and two together and figure out that you have me,” Pippa said.
“That’s a good possibility. Until we know who that guy is, we’re better safe than sorry,” Zale answered.
“In that case, I’d love to see exactly how big this dog is,” she said.
Jerico and Hank stepped away to make phone calls as the others talked. Zale wrapped an arm around Pippa when she stepped closer to him, as if needing reassurance. She moved closer and leaned slightly against him. Zale couldn’t believe how good the contact felt. No, not good—perfect.
He met Jerico’s gaze as the commissioned officer rejoined the group. Zale could see the unspoken question in his eyes. Nodding, Zale confirmed Jerico’s suspicion. Zale knew Pippa was his.
“Is everything okay?” Pippa whispered, looking back and forth between the two men.
“Yes. Everything is fine. When a team works together as closely as ours does, we develop the ability to communicate with a glance. Jerico was asking if you were someone special to me and I confirmed his suspicion,” Zale said quietly to her. His words covered by Hank’s return.
“We just met,” she whispered.
“It doesn’t matter. Do you feel it, too?”
“Like we were supposed to meet?” she asked. When he nodded, she echoed the gesture. “It’s strange, but I feel it, too.”
“I’m glad,” Zale told her, hugging her closer to his side.
“Zale, you’re going to want to hear this,” Hank called for his attention. “The bad guy is Jacob Scroggins, Jr. We’ll have to investigate him. He has a crystal-clear record. Not even a single parking ticket. Several residences listed. Driver’s license from Atlanta, Georgia.”
“Here’s Aspen.” Jerico walked forward with a grin on his face to greet a woman in a car. He helped her out and held the door for a giant dog to squeeze his way out. The car actually lifted slightly when the dog landed on the pavement. Jerico pulled Aspen close for a kiss and the dog leaned against them. Jerico dropped one hand to pat the dog’s torso solidly. Thump, thump, thump. The dog’s tail beat a staccato rhythm in response against Jerico’s thigh.
The love flowing between the couple was unmistakable. She hadn’t met many people who cared about each other as much as these two obviously did. Despite all the crap that had happened in her life, Pippa couldn’t help but smile at the happy picture.
She snuck a glance up at Zale. He seemed happy for them. Looking around the group, she sensed a hint of envy from the others. Were they all single?