Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 157672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 788(@200wpm)___ 631(@250wpm)___ 526(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 788(@200wpm)___ 631(@250wpm)___ 526(@300wpm)
I launch myself to the bed, curling him in my arms and chanting his name. He doesn’t move, his eyes glassy and unfocused.
“Fuck, give him to me, baby.”
“No!” I wail, sobbing into his fur. “Please wake up.”
A hand slides between my cheek and Wolf’s neck. “He has a pulse, baby. Let me check him over.”
I refuse to release him. The mattress dips behind me and Talon’s body encases mine, his hands prying so we can both cradle Wolf. He feels over every limb and body part.
“Nothing is broken and there’s no blood. He’s breathing strong.”
“Why isn’t he conscious?”
“We’ll get him help.”
Talon holds us tight, comforting my cries until the tromping of boots and commotion erupts in the living room. The stomping stops, sounding close.
“Get me a vet,” Talon demands.
“On it,” Ace replies, and I finally lift my head.
Ace, Ford, and two men I don’t recognize are like giants in my little room, all staring at me with worry.
“Someone broke into my house,” I say flatly.
“We got that, babe.” Ford’s attempt at sounding calm fails, and I’m reminded of Rowan’s similar situation.
“Why?”
“We’ll find out. But you have to come talk to us.”
“Give us a minute.” Talon’s clipped tone sends a shiver down my spine.
The two men I don’t know leave, Ace and Ford staying planted in place.
“Wynn’s still here,” Ace grates out with the same fierce voice as Ford and Talon.
“He was waiting on Willow when she got home. I don’t take him for this. Find out if he saw anything.”
“We need to collect evidence before they take Wolf,” Ford announces.
“What does that mean?” My voice cracks.
“The team will take pictures of him, scrub his nails, teeth, saliva, anything that may be essential.”
“Why would someone hurt my dog?”
“There are a lot of questions, babe. Let us get started.” Ace tips his chin to Talon before disappearing down the hall.
Ford turns his back to us but doesn’t leave. It occurs to me he’s giving me as much privacy as he can while still guarding the door.
Another quiet sob escapes and Talon curls around me, careful of Wolf.
This time, I’m crying for another reason.
I’ve never felt so protected in my life.
21
TALON
Un-fucking-believable.
I read the report on the screen again, ready to rip someone apart. Rage boils in my blood, racing through my veins with every beat of my heart. The words blur as red takes over my vision and I chuck the laptop across the room, hitting the wall with a crash.
“It was fucking peanut butter. The vet tested his stomach contents and reported the poison was likely in the peanut butter.”
“Goddamn,” Major hisses. “Didn’t see that coming.”
“Peanut butter supposed to mean something?” Finn asks
“Not long ago, Willow was in the hospital. They suspected allergic reaction.” Ace explains what happened, and with every word, my fury magnifies.
I swing around, scrubbing my hands through my hair. “I’m trained to identify threats and smoke them out. How the fuck did I miss this?”
We had no idea what happened to Wolf to put him in the condition he was in. There was still the possibility he got into something outside after the pest control service left.
Now that I know the cause, I’m not sure my control can last.
“Man, you gotta hold it together.” Robbie eyes me cautiously.
“Ember and Blaze were poisoned, and her house ransacked, then you talk to me about holding it together.”
“That woman in the kitchen has had enough for one day. The girls will only keep her occupied for so long before she’ll need you.”
I blow out a breath and drop my head back, knowing he’s right.
Not to mention, Bex and Chase will be here soon. After Major arrived and took Wolf to the vet clinic, we answered questions for over an hour.
Willow went through her house, reporting what was missing and describing the damage.
I made her leave to visit Wolf and let my guys do the rest of the sweep.
Then, I called Chase and explained she wasn’t going back anytime soon, if ever.
Once the vet confirmed Wolf would be fine and he’d need to stay overnight, I got her here. Jewls, Jay, and Rowan were waiting.
But the distraction won’t last long.
“Breaking it down, Willow gets sick, speculation it’s an allergic reaction to possibly peanut butter, but all tests prove negative. She’s had no other reactions. Then today her house is robbed and her dog found in the same state as Willow. Only this time, they identify the reason is actually peanut butter that was contaminated. This just got a hell of a lot messier than a run-of-the-mill break-in.”
The calmness in Finn’s tone ratchets up my already destructive irritation.
“You fucking think? There’s nothing run-of-the-mill about this.”
“Playing devil’s advocate here—let me throw out a setup. Perp breaks in, Wolf goes crazy, and the intruder lures him out of the room with the temptation of peanut butter, not knowing it’s tainted. Shuts the dog in the room, finishes the job, and leaves.”