"She freaked out when we got here, Ben," Mari said, ignoring Mack so completely that he got a little more respect for her. "I thought she was going to leap out of her skin when I knocked on her window. She was scanning the woods like she knew someone was watching her. It freaked me out, too."
Her words piqued Mack's interest, despite his reluctance. A woman in danger was a dangerous trigger for him right now, even more than usual. "You think it was nerves from the attack?"
"No." Her convocation was absolute. "It definitely had to do with someone else. Whoever it was that she said would be coming back for her."
"Coming back?" Mack leaned forward, listening more intently. "When did she say that?"
"At the hospital, when she found out that the story had been in the papers and on the Internet. She said he'd see it, and he'd come back. She was so freaked when she got home."
Ben swore under his breath and shot a scowl at Mack, as if it were his fault.
"Joseph found me," Mari said, her voice cracking slightly. "There's nowhere to hide if someone wants to find her. We all know that."
Mack did know that. He was one of the ones who could find anyone. And he'd completely fucked it up a month ago.
"We'll talk to her when we get there." Ben's voice was gentle, gentler than Mack had ever heard him use. "You doing okay, Mari?"
"Yeah. She kind of wigged me out, but Haas is here, so I'm okay."
"Haas Carter?" Mack repeated the name, fighting the temptation to open his computer back up and add it to Charlotte's file. Ben had such praise for the old-timer Alaskan that Mack was actually interested in meeting him.
"Yes, he's here—" Mari paused. "Charlotte's coming out the door now with a bag. Haas says he won't shoot her to make her stay. How far away are you?"
"We're here."
As Ben spoke, the truck rounded a bend, and a well-worn log cabin came into view. A second building had part of the frame up, a couple trucks were in the driveway, and an old man and a woman were next to the bigger one.
But what caught Mack's attention was the woman jogging down her front steps with a duffel bag that was twice as big as she was. On her heels was a gorgeous German shepherd, glued to her side as if it were trained to perfection.
But it wasn't the dog that riveted his attention.
It was the woman. Charlotte.
It wasn't the gorgeous dark waves of her hair. Or the rigid set of her shoulders that told him of a raw, inner strength. Or the way her jeans hugged her hips like they were made for her.
It was the way she stared at the woods, terror etched over every line of her body as she came to a sudden stop.
She spoke to the dog, who took off at a sprint, nose to the ground as he bolted into the trees.
Mack was peripherally aware that Ben and the two folks in the driveway had paused to watch the dog.
He didn't.
He watched Charlotte.
She remained still, but she wasn't watching the dog either. She was carefully scanning her property, her gaze focused and methodical, as if she knew exactly what she was looking for while she waited for the dog to finish.
After her survey, he saw her shoulders loosen infinitesimally. She then raised her gaze to the dog, who was trotting back, his body at ease, and his tail waving peacefully.
She relaxed more, and held out her hand to the dog, who ground his head affectionately into her palm as she spoke softly to him.
The brief moment had told Mack much.
She was strong.
She was smart.
She was good to her dog.
And whoever was hunting her had been doing it for long enough that she'd developed a defense system, one that she no longer believed could keep her safe.
He swore under his breath as Ben pulled up beside an old, battered pickup truck that he assumed belonged to Haas.
Charlotte looked up and saw Ben's truck. As soon as she realized he was there, for a split second, she relaxed, a full and complete release that made her face soften.
Mack knew it was because Ben's appearance made her feel safe, and for that split second, she leaned into it, grasping for a respite from being constantly on edge. He liked that she trusted Ben. It showed she had good sense. Ben was the only person he trusted, so he appreciated that Charlotte could see that about him as well.
Then her gaze went to the passenger seat, and she realized Mack was with him.
Her jaw immediately jutted out. She pulled her shoulders back. And she set her hands on her hips. A fighting stance that made him grin.
"She's ready to kick you out before you even move in," Ben said, resting his forearms on the steering wheel.
"I see that."
Ben cocked an eyebrow at him. "What are you going to do about it?"
Mack leaned forward, watching Charlotte. She was too far away to see clearly, and he knew she couldn't see him well behind the windshield. "She believes she'll be attacked in her own home," he observed.
"I agree." Ben drummed his fingers on the dash. "What if you walk away, and that happens to her?"
Mack was unable to take his gaze off her as she stared him down. She was attitude and sass, even when she was scared shitless. He respected that. Which made Ben's question jab right into his gut and twist its blade. What if he walked away, and she was killed? "Really? That's the line you're throwing my way to get me to stay?"
"Yep." Ben cocked an eyebrow. "Did it work?"
Mack sighed and picked up his backpack. "Fuck you, Forsett." He grabbed the door handle and stepped out of the truck.
Ben leaned across the seat, grinning at him. "So, that's a yes? It worked?"
Mack's only answer was to slam the door in his friend's face, but he was grinning as he heard Ben's laughter.
Yeah, it had worked.
Charlotte Murphy was officially his next case.
* * *
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A Quick Favor
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Love,
Stephanie
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Books by Stephanie Rowe
PARANO
RMAL
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Order of the Blade series
(Dark Paranormal Romance)
Darkness Awakened
Darkness Seduced
Darkness Surrendered
Forever in Darkness
Darkness Reborn
Darkness Arisen
Darkness Unleashed
Inferno of Darkness
Darkness Possessed
Shadows of Darkness
Hunt the Darkness
Darkness Awakened: Reimagined
* * *
Immortally Sexy series
(Funny Paranormal Romance)
Immortally Cursed
Curse of the Dragon
Devil’s Curse
To Curse a Wraith (Coming late 2020)
* * *
Heart of the Shifter series
(Dark Paranormal Romance)
Dark Wolf Rising
Dark Wolf Unbound
* * *
Shadow Guardians series
(Dark Paranormal Romance)
Leopard's Kiss
* * *
NightHunter series
(Dark Paranormal Romance)
Not Quite Dead
* * *
Noble as Hell series
(Funny Urban Fantasy)
Rock Your Evil
* * *
The Magical Elite series
(Funny Paranormal Romance)
The Demon You Trust
* * *
Devilishly Sexy series
(Funny Paranormal Romance)
Not Quite a Devil
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
* * *
Wyoming Rebels series
(Contemporary Western Romance)
A Real Cowboy Never Says No
A Real Cowboy Knows How to Kiss
A Real Cowboy Rides a Motorcycle
A Real Cowboy Never Walks Away
A Real Cowboy Loves Forever
A Real Cowboy for Christmas
A Real Cowboy Always Trusts His Heart
* * *
A Rogue Cowboy series
(Contemporary Western Romance)
A Rogue Cowboy for Her, featuring Brody Hart
(Coming Soon!)
* * *
Linked to A Rogue Cowboy Series
(Contemporary Western Romance)
Her Rebel Cowboy
* * *
Birch Crossing series
(Small-town Contemporary Romance)
Unexpectedly Mine
Accidentally Mine
Unintentionally Mine
Irresistibly Mine
* * *
Mystic Island series
(Small-town Contemporary Romance)
Wrapped Up in You (A Christmas novella)
* * *
Canine Cupids series
(Romantic Comedy)
Paws for a Kiss
Pawfectly in Love
Paws Up for Love
* * *
Single Title
(ChickLit / Romantic Comedy)
One More Kiss
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
* * *
Alaska Heat Series
(Romantic Suspense)
Ice
Chill
Ghost
Burn
Hunt (novella)
* * *
BOXED SETS
* * *
Order of the Blade (Books 1-3)
Protectors of the Heart (A Six-Book First-in-Series Collection)
Real Cowboys Get Their Girls (A Wyoming Rebels Boxed Set, with bonus novella!)
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For a complete list of Stephanie’s books, click here.
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Rowe is "romance at its best" (Bex 'N' Books). She's thrilled to be the winner of the 2018 RITA® Award for Best Paranormal Romance, as well as a five-time nominee of this prestigious award, the highest honor in romance fiction. As the bestselling author of more than fifty books, Stephanie delights readers with her wide range of genres, which include cozy mysteries, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense novels.
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For the latest info on Stephanie and her books, connect with her on the web at:
www.stephanierowe.com
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to my beta readers. You guys are the best! Thanks to Kelli Ann Morgan at Inspire Creative for another fantastic cover. There are so many to thank by name, more than I could count, but here are those who I want to called out specially for all they did to help this book come to life: Alyssa Bird, Anita Hanson, Ashlee Murphy, Bridget Koan, Britannia Hill, Caryn Santee, Deb Julienne, Denise Fluhr, Dottie Jones, Felicia Low Mikoll, Heidi Hoffman, Helen Loyal, Jean Bowden, Jeanne Stone, Jeanie Jackson, Jodi Moore, Judi Pflughoeft, Kasey Richardson, Linda Watson, Regina Thomas, Summer Steelman, Suzanne Mayer, Shell Bryce, and Trish Douglas. Special thanks to my family, who I love with every fiber of my heart and soul. And to AER, who is my world. Love you so much, baby girl! And to Joe, who teaches me every day what romance and true love really is. I love you, babe!
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