by Terri Reed
Hunter figured the boy needed to know enough to be prepared. “Like I explained before, somebody has been targeting Miss Potter. She would appreciate having someone here the dogs know.”
“That’s messed up,” the kid said. “I’ll be right over.”
Hunter then called Metro PD, explained to dispatch the situation and requested another officer to come to Ariel’s property.
He hung up the phone and turned to Ariel. She sat on a dining room chair, holding her head in her hands. Juneau was perched at her feet, his amber eyes watching her.
Hunter knelt down before her. “You doing okay? Do you need to throw up?”
She shook her head and lifted her gaze to meet his. “Water.”
He filled a mug and brought it to her. She took the cup and drank a few sips. After a moment she handed it back to him. She swallowed several times and cleared her throat.
“Thanks. I’m getting better already,” she said, though the raspy tone of her voice hadn’t lessened. “It hurts less. I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
“Right.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
She clutched his hand but didn’t move. “You came in the nick of time. God sent you.”
Hunter wasn’t sure if God had prompted him to return to her place after leaving headquarters or not, but he was grateful he’d arrived in time. He’d finished up his paperwork and had seen the message that she’d called. If God was at work here, Hunter was thankful.
“Tell me about Violet,” she urged. “What did you find on the mountain today?”
Not ready to delve into Lance and Jared’s accusation, he said, “Let’s get you to the hospital and checked out before we deal with that.” He tugged her to her feet.
She wobbled, then steadied herself by flexing her knees and holding on to him. “No, I have to know.”
He rubbed her hands between his, holding her gaze. As much as he knew the news would hurt her, he had to tell her at some point and if she insisted on hearing it now, then he would accommodate her. “We found Lance and Jared. They claim that Violet shot Cal Brooks.”
“What?” She winced and yanked her hands from his to clutch her throat. “No.”
“This is why I didn’t want to tell you yet. You need to heal before you face all of this.”
She lowered her hands and tilted her head slightly to keep eye contact. “I want all of it. Now. I’m not—” She swallowed and turned away to grab the mug. After taking a few sips, she set the cup back down, then faced him again. “I am not some fragile flower that can’t handle the truth,” she said between clenched teeth. “Tell me everything.”
“Lance claims that Violet was having an affair with Cal Brooks and Cal wanted to come clean about it.”
Ariel stepped back and shook her head. “That’s not true.”
Knowing his next words were going to cause her anguish, Hunter closed the distance between them, ready to steady her if needed. “Lance and Jared claim that Violet pushed you over the side of the cliff.”
For a prolonged heartbeat, she stared with a stunned expression that had him fighting the urge to draw her to his chest and hold her. Ariel’s sweet face registered shock, then denial as her eyes darkened, and she pushed past him to place her hands on the kitchen counter. Her shoulders sagged as she gasped for breath. Then she seemed to gather her composure. She straightened, lifting her chin, and turned to face him. “It’s not true. None of it. They’re liars.”
He grimaced. “But what do they hope to gain by lying?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. I want to see them.”
He could only imagine what it was costing her, both physically and emotionally, to be so strong. “We need to go to the hospital.”
A stubborn light entered her eyes. “Lance and Jared first.”
“Like I said, we’re going to the hospital. That’s where they are.”
Her eyebrows dipped together. “Why didn’t you say that to begin with? Let’s go.” She grabbed her wallet and keys off the sideboard next to where she had her phone charging. Then she stopped. Panic etched into her features. “Where’s Sasha? I didn’t put him in his crate.”
Hunter grabbed her by the biceps as she swayed. “We’ll find him. You sit down before you pass out.” He helped her to the dining chair. “Could he be outside?”
She frowned. “I don’t know.”
She started to rise, but he held up a hand. “I’ve got this.”
Deciding to start the search indoors, he called out, “Sasha!”
Hunter walked through the living room and down the hallway with Juneau at his heels. There was only one door opened. He and Juneau entered Ariel’s inner sanctuary. The room was a burst of color with a bright flowered bedspread and a variety of pink, orange and yellow throw pillows piled high on the bed. A deep burgundy comfy chair in the corner near a bookshelf provided an inviting space to sit and read. Hunter could imagine Ariel sitting there at the end of the day with a book and a cup of tea.
His gaze zeroed in on the puppy. Sasha lay curled up on a fluffy round dog bed wedged between the side of Ariel’s bed and the wall. The puppy lifted his head and gave a little yelp of joy as he bounded out of the bed and across the floor, jumping on Juneau. Juneau backed up a step, dropped his head and nudged the puppy backward. Sasha plopped onto his hindquarters.
“You little scamp.” Hunter scooped the puppy up and cradled him close to his chest. “Your mom is going be very glad to know that you are okay.”
When they returned to the dining room, Ariel had her hands folded on her lap and her head bowed.
Hunter stopped. The sight of her praying lit a fire in his heart. She’d suffered so many traumas in a short amount of time and yet she still believed, still looked to God for help and answers. She was an amazing woman. And he had better figure out a way to keep her from invading his heart. He wasn’t interested in any type of long-term commitment beyond this assignment.
* * *
Aware of Hunter’s gaze, Ariel finished her prayer, thanking God for saving her life yet again. And she also thanked Him for bringing Hunter and Juneau to the rescue.
She opened her eyes and her heart stalled in her chest as her gaze landed on the big, handsome state trooper tenderly holding the little Alaskan husky in his arms, his beautiful K-9 partner at his side. The itch to photograph the man and dogs dug at her like a thorn. If only her camera hadn’t been smashed in the fall.
Why wasn’t she more alarmed at having Hunter in her space? Unaccountably, there was something comfortable about being with the man. He’d saved her life multiple times. It didn’t mean anything beyond he was good at his job and God was watching out for her. She couldn’t put any more importance on the emotions bouncing around inside her, not if she wanted to stay safe from heartache. Which she did. She’d learned long ago not to allow herself to rely on others for her happiness. It never worked out. Not with her parents. Not with Jason.
She rose and reached for Sasha.
“He was sleeping in his bed,” Hunter said as he handed over the puppy.
As she nuzzled Sasha, his soft fur tickling her skin and his rough tongue scraping across her cheek with kisses, relief that he hadn’t escaped out the door or gotten into anything harmful made her limbs quiver. The adrenaline ebbing from her body was making the pain in her throat and head throb.
“As soon as Trevor gets here as well as the other officer, we can go,” Ariel said, not at all looking forward to what was to come. She’d need every ounce of strength to confront Lance and Jared. Why were they telling such vicious lies about Violet? “But I’d like to see the dogs now. Let them know I’m okay.”
Hunter nodded and they walked out to the kennel room. She didn’t believe a word of what Lance and Jared claimed. Violet would not have shot anyone. And she definitely would not have pushed Ariel over the cliff. They had
been friends far too long and had gone through too many dramas and heartbreaks and joyous occasions together. There was just no way. And there was nothing anyone was going to be able to say to make her believe that Violet had that kind of malice in her.
Inside the kennel room, she greeted each dog with a quick pat to let the pack know she was unharmed. And once again her dogs didn’t seem to mind Juneau or Hunter. Which was odd considering every dog was an alpha in their own right.
A knock on the kennel building door jolted through her. Hunter looked at her and put up his hand, stopping her from going to the door.
She gestured for him to answer the knock, her stomach knotting with nerves. But she rationalized that a killer wouldn’t announce their presence, would they?
A moment later, Hunter ushered Trevor in. He spoke softly to Trevor. The young man looked over at Ariel, then nodded. When they came forward, Hunter said, “The Metro officer is here. Your pack will be safe.”
She stared into Sasha’s eyes. He was going to be a gorgeous dog and would one day sire equally gorgeous Alaskan huskies. She handed him over to Trevor. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” he answered. “My mom wanted to know if you need anything.”
“I’ll call her later,” Ariel promised.
Hunter cupped her elbow, and they walked out of the kennel building to greet the new police officer, a large, muscular man with a shaved head.
He made it clear he would not let down his guard. Hunter thanked him and then helped Ariel into his SUV.
On the drive to the hospital, she couldn’t seem to sit still. Where was her friend? Where were Lance and Jared’s accusations coming from?
Hunter’s question—what do they hope to gain by lying?—bounced through her mind like a pinball ricocheting off one thought after another. “There has to be another explanation,” she said aloud.
Hunter’s jaw was set in a firm line. “You have to prepare yourself,” he said. “Sometimes folks aren’t who they seem.”
She made a face. “I’m sure in your line of work, you see all kinds of horrible things from people. But I know my friend. We’ve known each other since our freshman year of college. There’s just no possible scenario that would make me believe she did this.”
“I have seen a lot of horrible things on the job. But I also know how hard it is when you love someone to see beyond what that person wants you to see.”
Had someone he loved betrayed him? She was sad for him, but that didn’t mean Violet was capable of such evil. “I’m sorry you were hurt by a loved one,” she said. “But I’m sure this situation is different.”
“Deception is deception.”
“Just because someone deceived you doesn’t mean that I can be easily deceived.” Even as the words left her mouth, she recognized the pride in them. She winced. Was she fooling herself? Perhaps her ego was unwilling to entertain the idea of Violet’s culpability, because it would mean Ariel had been a poor judge of character. She didn’t want to contemplate that she was being obstinate out of pride rather than out of loyalty to her friend.
“Not me,” Hunter said, claiming her attention. “My father.”
She braced herself. “What happened?”
“Six years ago my dad fell in love. Head over heels, rainbow and unicorns, in love with a woman. He was too enamored to realize her true conniving nature.”
“You did?”
“Yes. I had her pegged from the beginning, but my father wouldn’t listen.”
Which, no doubt, hurt Hunter and clearly made him wary of love. “She betrayed him?”
“Fleeced him of his life savings. And then planned to move on to the next unsuspecting mark.”
Empathy bloomed inside her. She could only imagine how devastating that must have been for Hunter and his father. “Planned? I take it you intervened?”
Hunter glanced at her. His bright blue eyes reflected the soft glow of the dashboard lights. “Yes, I intervened. But not before the money was gone. I’ll always regret that I didn’t act sooner. She is now paying the price for her deception.”
“But not everyone is like this woman,” she argued. “That’s like saying because one dog bites then all dogs are dangerous.”
He brought the SUV to a halt in the parking lot of the hospital near the emergency room entrance. Then he turned off the engine and faced Ariel. “And if Violet is found guilty, then she will have to pay the price, too. Justice must be served.”
A deep ache throbbed in her chest. “I agree that justice must be served. But Violet is innocent.”
The look in his eyes as he popped open the driver side door made it clear he wasn’t convinced.
EIGHT
When they arrived at the hospital, Ariel had to force herself to walk through the emergency room doors. Juneau brushed against her leg as if he sensed her hesitancy. She didn’t want to be here. Not only because she didn’t want to be poked and prodded again, but knowing she was going to face Lance and Jared and their accusations against her best friend had her stomach twirling like a weather vane on a windy day.
Hunter insisted that having her injuries checked out came before talking to Lance and Jared. She didn’t protest, figuring it was better to get it over with. Hunter paved the way, dealing with the administrative process easily and pushing for a doctor to see her right away.
The doctor, the same one Ariel had seen the day before, scoped her throat and sent her off for imaging. When she returned, the doctor said, “It’s a marvel that you’re not worse off than you are. Whoever did this didn’t quite know what they were doing. If they had, they would’ve been able to crush your larynx. As it is, they only managed to give you some mild bruising. Your throat will be sore and your voice a little hoarse for the next day or so, but you’ll recover quickly enough with some rest.”
Grateful for the prognosis, she said, “That’s good news.”
“For your sake, Ariel, I really don’t want to see you again anytime soon.”
“Believe me, I don’t want this to become a habit.”
After signing discharge papers and being given instructions on how to care for her throat, she and Hunter took the elevator up to the floor where Jared and Lance shared a room to recover from their ordeal.
An officer sat outside the hospital room door and stood as they approached. Hunter introduced himself and Ariel.
“Trooper McCord.” He gave Hunter a chin nod of greeting. “Ma’am.” He nodded to her. “My boss said I was to cooperate with the K-9 Unit.”
The officer’s gaze dropped to Juneau before he stepped aside to allow them to enter the room. The TV blared from where it was mounted on the wall. Jared and Lance each lay sitting up in their own bed. Lance, sporting a bandage on his head, had his smartphone out while Jared, whose arm was wrapped up in white gauze, stared at the TV. Both men’s eyes widened and they sat up straighter when they noticed Ariel and Hunter.
“Ariel?” Lance exclaimed, barely audible above the noise of the TV.
Jared grabbed the remote control and turned the TV off. The silence was eerie as the men stared at her. Their faces drained of color.
Lance recovered from his shock first. “Ariel, you’re alive!”
The two men glanced at each other, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief, then looked back at her.
“This is so great!” Jared pushed himself up with his good arm. “We thought for sure you were dead.”
A mix of anger at what they were saying about Violet and sympathy for the injuries they’d sustained swirled in her gut. “What really happened on the mountain?”
Both men looked to Hunter rather than Ariel. “We’ve already told the trooper, here, everything.” Then Lance’s gaze narrowed on her slightly. “How did you survive the fall? Jared saw Violet push you over the edge.”
She shook her head and then decided that was not a good id
ea. Between the headache throbbing behind her eyes, the soreness of her throat and the ache in her heart, she really just wanted to leave, but this was too important. “It couldn’t have been Violet.”
“It was,” Lance insisted, his face twisting. “She was out of control. She was having an affair with the tour guide and then she just went ballistic.”
Ariel stepped forward. Hunter matched her step. Did he suppose that either of these two men would hurt her?
“She was not having an affair with Cal Brooks,” Ariel ground out. A flush of outrage heated her face. “That’s ridiculous. She didn’t even know him until we met him that morning.”
“Says you,” Jared shot back at her. “We know what we know. She did this to us. And she did it to you. She’s not a good person.”
Ariel’s fists balled at her sides. Her gaze zeroed in on Lance. “Did she tell you about the baby?”
Lance tucked in his chin and stared at her. “Excuse me? What baby?”
“She was pregnant with your child,” she said as tears gathered in her eyes. “She had planned to tell you on the hike.”
Genuine shock registered in Lance’s eyes. He shook his head, winced and leaned back. His gaze drifted to the ceiling. “I didn’t know...” His voice broke. “It’s not my baby. It’s probably Cal’s.”
“No! She was not having an affair. I don’t know why you’re saying this horrible stuff.” Ariel glared at Lance.
He met her gaze with sadness in his eyes. “Violet isn’t the person you think she is.”
Her breath caught. “Don’t say that.”
Hunter stepped past Ariel. “Hold up a moment. You really didn’t know about the baby?”
“No, I didn’t know about the baby,” Lance said. “If there even is one.” He looked at Ariel. “She could’ve lied to you.”
A fresh wave of frustration crashed through Ariel. “She wasn’t lying! I was there when she took the pregnancy test. It came out positive. She’s carrying your child.”
Lance scrubbed a hand over his face. “If that’s true—” He looked at Hunter. “If that’s true, you’ve got to find her. You’ve got to get my baby prenatal care and whatever else it is that babies need when they’re still in their mom. You have to find her and put her in jail before she hurts anyone else.” He leaned back again. “I have a child...”
