“The car’s in lot A. You can take the tram.” He gave her the row. “Look for the frog sticker on the back window.”
The way he watched out for her was refreshing. She was an independent woman, but it was nice now and then for a guy to act like he wanted to take care of her. “If I get lost, I’ll ask for directions. Would you like me to stay with you?”
He tilted his head and smiled. “I’d enjoy the company, but you probably have things you need to do which are more important than hanging around here waiting. I’ll be fine.”
He wasn’t fine, but he’d never admit it.
“Call when you’re done.”
“I will.” He nodded.
She watched him make his way down a wide hall on crutches, the muscles of his arms working as he swung himself forward. He clearly knew where he was going, and that worried her some. How often had he, or one of his teammates, been here?
Her phone rang and she fished in her purse for it. It was the office.
Sherry’s voice was hushed. “Piper, there were two detectives here wanting to go back over your interview about the break-in.”
“Was it Detective Sherman?”
“No. One’s name was Detective Schneider. I’m not certain about the other one. He was older, blond, and looked like a body builder. Schneider asked a bunch of questions about you.”
A rush of terror stole her breath and shot adrenaline into her system. The hand holding the cell phone shook. “What kind of questions?”
“The nosy kind, like where you went to school, how long you’ve practiced, that kind of thing.”
Lester already knew where she’d gone to school. He wouldn’t have to ask. She forced the tension from her shoulders and dragged in a deep breath.
“Did they say they needed me to call them or anything?’
“No. He said he’d call you if they needed any other info.”
“Okay. Thanks, Sherry.”
She tucked the phone into the back pocket of her jeans. It couldn’t be Lester. He already knew all her basic information. They were probably double-checking on something.
But her heart continued to race the entire tram trip to Zach’s car.
*
Zach took a power nap in X-ray while he waited his turn. The pain meds made him drowsy, and without a mission of some sort to keep him sharp, he couldn’t keep his eyes open.
Downtime did give him time to think about Piper, and relive the kiss they’d shared. She was worried about him, but he didn’t want her pity. He wanted her. She was too concerned about his physical well-being to realize that his hip might be sore as hell, but the rest of him was in excellent working order, and went on high alert every time she came within touching distance.
To distract himself, he used his smartphone to access the newspaper article about the break-ins. While he read it, an idea came to him, and he called Flynn through the hospital switchboard.
“What vet office do you use?”
“Dr. Bertinelli asked me the same thing.”
“She needed the information to get Gracie’s shot record. There have been some break-ins at area vet offices, and I was just wondering if yours was one of them, and if there might be a connection between the burglaries and Gracie’s attempted dognapping.”
He gave Zach the name.
“Are they on the list?”
Zach’s jaw clenched. “Yeah, they are.”
“If they’d called me, I’d have kept a closer eye on my dog.”
After he hung up, Zach dwelled on the ramifications. It was three-thirty by the time he saw the doctor, and the diagnosis was no broken bones, but an impressive hematoma from the collision with the rock. No blood clot. The doc sent him on his way with the same advice as the first. Avoid aspirin, stay off the leg and hip, and take the pain medication as directed until he didn’t need it any longer.
He called Piper from the doctor’s office and meandered through the hospital to the main entrance. During the twenty-five minutes he waited for her to pick him up, he tried to plan how he might approach her about contacting their pet owners to issue a warning.
She looked small behind the wheel of the SUV when she pulled to a stop beside him. He stowed his crutches in the back and climbed into the passenger seat gingerly.
“How did it go?” she asked.
“No breaks, just a prize-winning bruise. He even took a photo of it for his scrapbook, since you can see the imprint of my service weapon on my hip.”
“Ouch. It must be really horrible.”
“He did say something about using leeches to suck the blood out from under my skin so it wouldn’t look so bad, but I decided to forgo that pleasure.”
She tilted her head and glanced at him. “He didn’t.”
He grinned. “Just teasing. I thought of something while I was waiting.”
“What?”
“Flynn’s vet was on the list of veterinary offices broken into recently. What if they accessed your files in order to steal the dogs they want? They have a list of your clients and the kind of dogs they own. I think you should call the people whose files have been compromised and give them a heads-up. Caution them to keep a close eye on their dogs, and not to approach these guys if they catch them in the act.”
Piper remained silent a moment as she turned onto the main road. “We have one partner in particular who’ll be against doing it. I don’t know about the rest.”
“If someone were to be injured trying to save their pet, Piper, they might not be as lucky as the master chief. It isn’t just the four-legged customers you have an obligation to.”
“I agree, Zach, but I’m in partnership with three other people. We’re a team, and I can’t take action without their agreement. I’ll have to discuss this with them first.”
“I understand. But you need to move quickly.”
“I will. I promise.”
Zach studied Piper while she drove, and couldn’t completely suppress his disappointment about her response to his suggestion.
But there were times he disagreed with the chain of command, and he had to follow their orders instead of what he felt was right. His team had done an extra six-month tour in Iraq and Afghanistan because they’d done the right thing and the powers that be thought otherwise.
When more than one person was involved, decisions were seldom black and white.
Silence, heavy with unspoken thoughts, lay between them the rest of the way to her office.
“Thanks for visiting Master Chief Flynn with me,” he said when she pulled into the lot and parked.
“You’re welcome.”
“How was Trouble?”
“Waiting at the door for me with his leash in his mouth.”
“I think he’s getting a bad rap. He sounds like a good dog.”
“Until he chews up a brand new pair of shoes or eats the corner off a twenty-five-pound bag of dog food and has it spread from one end of the house to the other.”
Zach looked away to hide his amusement. “Why don’t you bring him to work with you? He’s probably lonely and needs company.”
“You may be right, but there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t get bored and chew something important here.”
“You know your dog.” He didn’t have to have a map drawn for him to see the distance she was putting between them. It was in her body language and her tone. Was it because of his comment about calling their clients? Or was it because she’d decided getting to know him wasn’t worth the effort when he’d be shipping out soon. For the second time in ten minutes, disappointment lay heavy in the pit of his stomach. “I’ll call tomorrow to check on Gracie. I need to stay off the leg more.”
“I think so too.”
He reached for his seat belt and exited the car to limp around the back of the vehicle to the driver’s door.
She stood next to the SUV, her brown eyes searching his face. “Take care of yourself, Zach.”
“I will. You do the same.”
She turned away and re
gret even deeper than his disappointment took root.
He adjusted the car seat and gritted his teeth while he hauled himself up into the vehicle. He reached for the door only to find her standing in the way.
“It isn’t because I don’t want to do the right thing, Zach.”
He drew a relieved breath. “I work for one of the largest bureaucracies in the world, Piper. I know about how things can get skewed when more than one person has a say. I’m not sitting in judgment on you.”
“You don’t know my situation.”
“No, I don’t. Are you going to give me a shot at understanding what it is, or are you going to end things here?”
He was grateful to see uncertainty flicker across her features. Her lips parted as though she meant to tell him something.
“I don’t know.” She ran her fingers through the long tail of hair hanging over her shoulder. “Come to dinner on Sunday and you can pick Gracie up. I’ll have dealt with things by then.”
The curve of her cheek and the full pout of her lips was driving him crazy. He bit his lip to keep from saying something. If she was on the fence, he needed to figure out a way to ease her off and in his direction. Pouncing on her in the parking lot didn’t seem like the right way. He wasn’t in pouncing condition anyway.
“If I’m going to come to dinner, I need the address.”
She took out her phone and typed it in, and he heard the ding when the text arrived.
“What time?” he asked and slid back off the seat.
“Six o’clock.”
He settled his feet on the ground with only a little pain. “Red or white?”
“Call me on Sunday and I’ll tell you then.”
“Will do. Hey! You’re not going to send me away without a good-bye kiss, are you?” Not a pounce but a nudge. As wary as she was, it was a better strategy. “If you’re trying to make up your mind, you might as well try things out to see if I’m worth your time.”
She looked away and bit her lip but he caught a glimpse of a smile. “I’ve already kissed you.” She brushed a hand across her forehead, as though trying to hide the quick color in her cheeks.
“Darlin’, that wasn’t a kiss, that was just an appetizer.” His arms went around her and pulled her against him until her breasts pressed against his ribs. Everything south responded with stubborn enthusiasm, like she was naked and he could feel every inch of her skin against his. His mouth covered hers, and she tasted of sweet iced tea and smelled like jasmine. When her mouth parted, inviting him to take the kiss further, his tongue searched for hers.
Chapter 11
‡
Every nerve in Piper’s body sprang to instant, tingling life. Thanks to his lips brushing against hers, and the tempting thrust of his tongue tangling with hers, a sensual lassitude invaded her limbs. She didn’t want to think beyond this moment. Couldn’t think beyond it. She wanted his hands on her. Wanted her skin against his.
He increased the pressure, the kissed deepening into no-tomorrow-land, like he wanted to experience what he could before life as they knew it ended. A raging need tightened muscles down low and shot her heart rate into the stratosphere. She clung to him, her legs weak as cooked pasta.
“What the hell are you doing making out in the parking lot, Piper?”
Hunter Rawls voice shot ice crystals of reality through her and tore her out of the sensual haze she’d fallen into. She stiffened, but when she attempted to pull away, Zach’s arms tightened holding her firmly against him. His cheeks were as flushed as hers as he raised his head.
Zach’s eyes narrowed and his scowl flared into intimidating masculinity. He raised a brow, challenge in his glare. “I wasn’t aware we had a morality police in this country. But we were kissing, not groping each other. And why did you walk all the way around the SUV to check us out?”
Hunter’s cheeks reddened, and he shot Piper a look, then continued into the building.
“Is he the prick who’s going to give you a hard time about calling your clients?” Zach asked.
“Yes.” Hunter was a prick. And lately she’d begun to wonder more and more often of late about why she agreed to go into business with him. But the fact was, they were stuck with him, because none of them had the money to buy him out, and they needed a fourth partner. But she was getting pretty fed up with his bossy, judgmental, prickish attitude.
“Who drove the sharp stick of prissy righteous up his ass?”
“I think he was born with it.”
Zach gave a bark of laughter she would have smiled about at any other time. His expression quickly became intent. “If he says anything to you about this, lay it on me.”
“No.” The longer she thought about Hunter’s tone and the look he gave her, the angrier she got. She’d allowed someone to dictate how she lived her life seven years ago. Hunter wasn’t going to get away with doing the same thing. “I won’t do that. He may try to dictate how things happen here in the office, but my private life is mine.”
She was distracted by the sudden spark of sunlight on Zach’s beard stubble. It glinted red against his skin. She rather liked his scruff. She reached up to trace the square shape of his jaw and felt the prickle of his beard against her skin. He gripped her hand and guided her fingers to his lips to kiss them. The gesture left her breathless, and she sounded it when she said, “I need to go to work. Call me on Sunday about the wine.”
“Okay.”
Reluctantly she withdrew from his arms. She had to fight the urge to look back the entire way across the parking lot until she entered the building.
Sherry handed her lab coat across the counter and a file. “A woman just brought in a Chihuahua. One of her teenage sons stepped on its foot, and she’s afraid it might be broken. She’s in room six.”
Shit! “Okay.”
She hurried back to the exam rooms. When she spotted Hunter sitting behind the desk in his office, she paused in the doorway. He looked up.
She stepped into the small room and lowered her voice. “Don’t you ever, ever talk to me that way again. What I do in my personal life is my business. Do you understand?”
His cheeks flushed. “What if a client had seen you? He’s a customer.”
“A temporary customer, until Gracie goes back to Master Chief Flynn. And we were in the employee parking lot all the way in the back, so the only witnesses besides you were the dogs. We are entitled to our personal lives. I imagine our customers kiss their boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, or partners. There was nothing indecent about what we were doing. And who are you to sit in judgment on me, anyway? Don’t talk to me like that again, Hunter.”
She strode out of his office before she let other resentments take over and she lost control of her temper. This was not the time. Tomorrow morning would be soon enough. She had patients to take care of.
She stood in the hall outside the exam room for several seconds, waiting for her temper to settle. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hunter come to the door and look out. She ignored him, opened the door, and walked into the exam room.
An X-ray confirmed the tiny Chihuahua’s foot was only bruised, not broken. The owner was as relieved as she, and Piper sent her on her way with a caution about big feet and tiny bones.
She took a minute to check on her recent surgery patients, and was relieved to see the kitten up, moving around, and curious about her surroundings. Piper gave her a quick exam and cuddled her for a moment before securing her back in her kennel. Next she turned her attention to Gracie, who had risen to greet her when she entered the room, and had been pawing at the front of the kennel, wanting out. A good sign. She gave the Malinois a quick exam, listened to her heart and lungs, and checked the tightness of the wrappings around her leg. She stroked and spoke to her reassuringly, then fastened the kennel door again.
The evening progressed with a steady stream of patients and Hunter keeping a low-key presence around her. Her tension didn’t ease until he left at seven.
A lull came arou
nd eight, and she went into her office and activated the computer with a flip of the mouse. She looked up the addresses of the clients she remembered had been pulled, wishing she’d paid closer attention to the files lying on the counter.
Next she looked through her desk for the business card Detective Sherman, the officer in charge of the investigation, had given her. She stared at the card, her stomach muscles cramping, her tension like a spring being wound around her insides.
Not all policemen were stalkers. Not all of them became obsessed with their cases and accused innocent people of unspeakable things.
The police knew professional burglars had broken into the clinic. And she wasn’t a professional burglar.
She needed to know if they’d contacted her clinic’s clients, just in case. She hoped they had. Otherwise, she’d have to call them herself, and she didn’t relish doing it. She dialed the detective’s number.
Detective Sherman’s voice sounded brusque. “What can I do for you, Dr. Bertinelli?”
“Our receptionist, Sherry, called and said someone came by earlier to go back over my statement. Was there something you needed clarified?”
“No. Who came by?”
“A Detective Schneider. He had another man with him.”
After a short pause, Sherman said, “Everything seems to be in order.”
That was strange. “I also want to know if you have contacted the clients whose files were compromised. I have concerns about their safety.”
His tone sharpened. “What do you mean?”
“I visited a man in the hospital today who was nearly killed by two men attempting to steal his retired war dog. He tried to stop them, and was badly beaten with a bat. His vet’s office was identified in the paper as one of those burglarized. They’re not breaking in to steal only meds, but to possibly find particular breeds of dogs they intend to steal. All the files I saw opened on the desk were for large breeds capable of aggression, Detective.”
“Look, Dr. Bertinelli, I think you and I should meet.”
“We can meet whenever you like, but I need to know whether you’ve contacted the clients. If you haven’t, I need to do so myself.”
Breaking Out (Military Romantic Suspense) (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 6) Page 10
