K-9 Defense (HQR Intrigue)

by Elizabeth Heiter

  When the rescue team had arrived, Kensie’s first words had been about her sister. She’d been frantic and desperate, barely making sense, so Colter had filled in as best he could with aching lungs and a body that wanted to just lie down and sleep.

  He’d been asking for updates every time he woke, but no one seemed to know anything.

  “We sent a tactical team out to the cabin,” one of the officers replied. “It was partially cleared out. We’re tracking the Altiers now. We’ve talked to the nearest neighbors—a couple of miles away—and learned it’s a family of seven. The parents and five children. The neighbor confirmed the oldest girl is named Alanna.”

  The news sent a shock through Colter, even though Kensie’s reaction when she’d seen the girl had already told him it was her.

  “Our team is still searching. We’ll let you know as soon as we find them.”

  The officer spoke with confidence, as if locating the Altier family was a foregone conclusion, but Colter’s shoulders slumped. They’d managed to keep Alanna hidden for so long. What if they got away again? How would Kensie survive coming so close, only to lose her sister once more?

  Colter’s heart ached for her. He’d do anything he could to help her, assuming she wanted his help. But in all the time since they’d arrived, while he was worrying about how she was faring, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about one other thing.

  When they’d gotten to safety, she hadn’t repeated her words from the mountain. She hadn’t repeated that she loved him.

  He wanted to say the words back to her anyway. But should he? Or should he give her a clean break, let her focus on her family, on trying to make it whole again?

  A shriek outside his door jolted him out of his thoughts and he realized the officers had left. Rebel jumped up at the sound, recognizing the voice, even though it didn’t sound quite normal. Kensie.

  Together, they moved as quickly as they could to the door and Colter flung it open, ready to handle whatever threat faced her. Instead, he saw a different pair of officers walking down the hall, Alanna between them.

  Kensie was in the hallway, too, in a hospital gown, her leg wrapped up. She limped awkwardly toward the trio, not even noticing him as she breathed, “Alanna?”

  “Kensie!” the girl replied, racing toward her sister and wrapping her in a hug.

  * * *

  AFTER FOURTEEN LONG YEARS, Kensie was finally hugging her sister again.

  It didn’t feel real. The last time she’d wrapped her arms around Alanna, she’d had to bend down to reach the five-year-old. She’d buried her head in her sister’s unruly curls, breathed in that little-kid scent of sugar and dirt that she still smelled whenever she thought of Alanna.

  Now her sister was nineteen and only two inches shorter than Kensie. Her hair was thick and straight, cut in a blunt line at her shoulders, highlighting the elegant lines of her face.

  Kensie pulled back, holding Alanna at arm’s length to get a good look at her.

  “We still look like sisters,” Alanna whispered.

  Her voice was different, too, and yet a hint of the five-year-old was still there. Tears filled Kensie’s eyes and she swiped them away, not wanting to miss a single detail of her sister’s face, all grown up.

  They did look like sisters. Kensie’s hair was longer, but if they twined strands together, Kensie doubted they’d be able to tell whose was whose. Alanna’s eyes were a darker brown, closer to Flynn’s than Kensie’s, but she and her sister had the same long eyelashes, the same strong eyebrows. People would have known they were family at a single glance.

  What would it have been like to grow up with Alanna? With eight years between them, they never would have been in school together, but Kensie would have wanted to be her protector. Just like she had when she was thirteen.

  “I’m so sorry,” Kensie whispered back, remembering that moment in their front yard, the defining moment in her life. When she’d read a book while Alanna had run around the yard, too close to the street. When a car had sped up to their curb, slammed to a stop, and the man inside it yanked Alanna away from them.

  Alanna took her hands. “It’s not your fault.”

  Kensie burst into tears. It hurt her lungs and her face, which she’d only started to feel again in the past hour. Wiping her tears away with her arm so she could keep hold of her sister’s hands, Kensie gave a shaking smile. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  From the corner of her eye, she spotted Colter and Rebel, standing in the doorway of a hospital room. They were sliding quietly backward, obviously trying to let her and Alanna have a private reunion.

  But there’d have been no reunion at all if it weren’t for the two of them. Keeping her right hand gripped in Alanna’s, she turned her head and held out her left for Colter.

  He seemed a little unsure, but Rebel limped over immediately, pushing her way in between Kensie and Alanna and making Alanna laugh.

  Kensie’s heart felt so full at the sound. As her sister petted Rebel, Kensie stretched her hand out farther, silently imploring Colter.

  When he stepped carefully toward her on bandaged feet and placed his hand in hers, she squeezed tight. She never wanted to let go of any of them, ever again.

  She wasn’t sure how long they stood there, in the hospital hallway, huddled together and smiling at each other, until Alanna suggested, “Let’s sit.”

  The pain in her leg had actually been forgotten, seeing Alanna safe, but now it returned in a wave of agony. She wasn’t supposed to be standing on it yet, let alone walking.

  They must have been quite a sight, limping into her hospital room. Once she was seated, Colter beside her, Alanna on the empty bed across from them and Rebel on the ground between them, Kensie asked, “What happened all these years, Alanna?”

  As soon as the words were out, she wanted to call them back. What if her sister had been terribly abused? What if it hurt her too much to talk about it? Was Kensie prepared to hear what Alanna had endured?

  Colter’s fingers slid through hers, squeezing gently, lending her strength, and Kensie tried to stay strong for Alanna.

  But her sister shook her head. “It’s not what you’re thinking. They were...good to me.”

  “Good to you? They kidnapped you, Alanna! They stole you from us for fourteen years!”

  “I know. And all that time, I tried so hard not to forget you and Flynn, and Mom and Dad. I tried so hard to protect my memories. It wasn’t easy. I was five. But I still have good memories. I was one of the lucky ones.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You saw them, right? At the cabin?”

  The other kids. Kensie had assumed they were the Altiers’s own children, that only Alanna had been abducted. Realization made the blood seem to drain from her body. “They were all kidnapped?”

  “Yeah. The younger two don’t remember their birth families at all. Sydney—she’s twelve—remembers best. She was the oldest when they took her and I guess they learned from that, because they started picking younger kids. Johnny—my older brother—he was five, like me. He barely remembers his birth family. It’s why they’ve been able to mold him so much. It’s why he shot at you. To protect the family.”

  Kensie swallowed back her instant response. Johnny wasn’t her older brother. Flynn was her older brother. And she and Flynn and their parents weren’t Alanna’s birth family. They were simply her family.

  Colter pulled her hand into his lap, stroking her palm gently, like he could read her mind. Across from them, Alanna sighed.

  “I guess it’s hard to understand,” she said. “But I lived with the Altiers for fourteen years, most of my life. They picked kids who looked like them. They wanted a family and couldn’t have one, so they kidnapped kids. They treated us well, never hurt any of us. They wanted us to be happy, but the way we lived—it was like kids probably did a long time a
go. We worked hard, all of us. We lived off the land. We were all homeschooled. And we moved around. A lot. Especially at the beginning. Until eventually we came here. I guess they felt Alaska was safe, because we built the cabin. We finally stayed in one place.”

  “You were happy?” The question was hard to get out, because she hoped her sister would say yes, but some part of her felt like it was wrong for Alanna to have been happy with her kidnappers.

  Alanna’s gaze dropped to her lap and she fiddled with a worn gold and garnet ring on her right hand. It looked like an antique, something that would get passed down in families. But it hadn’t come from the Morgans.

  “Mostly.” She met Kensie’s gaze again, her eyes imploring Kensie to understand. “I never forgot you, Kensie. I never forgot any of you. I wanted to come home. I tried not to let them know, but I always wanted to come home.”

  “And at that store, you finally had a chance to write a note without being seen?” Kensie asked, trying to contain her emotions. There were so many. Happiness at having Alanna back, regret at missing most of her childhood, anger that the people who’d stolen her had pretended they were her family, relief that Alanna hadn’t been hurt or abused.

  Alanna bit her lip. “Sort of. I—”

  When Alanna looked like she might cry, Kensie assured her, “It’s okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me. We’re sisters.”

  Alanna smiled. It trembled on her lips, her eyes still watery, but it was fueled by happiness. Kensie knew because it looked just like her own smile.

  Happiness burst inside of her at sharing that with her sister. In that moment, she knew whatever Alanna had been through, whatever Alanna needed to help her move forward, they could do it together. They could rebuild their family. Finally.

  “I had chances before. I was allowed to go places. I mean, they watched me, but they trusted me, too, once I’d been with them for a while. It’s just that...”

  “What?” Kensie whispered.

  “I love them.”

  The words made Kensie’s chest hurt, made her whole body tense up. But she tried not to show it.

  “I’m sorry,” Alanna said. “I know that has to be hard to hear. But they raised me. I knew they’d kidnapped me, but they treated me well. They took care of me and over the years, I just—”

  “It’s okay,” Kensie assured her. It was hard to hear, but she understood. And although she didn’t want to owe the Altiers anything, she was grateful they’d given Alanna a good childhood.

  “But last month, Johnny started talking about wanting to get married. He’d met this girl and he was so excited about adding to our family and I just... I realized if I didn’t try, I’d never get any milestones like that with you, Flynn, Mom or Dad.”

  “Were they mad when they learned what you’d done?” Kensie asked, not wanting to think about what the rest of her life might have been like if Alanna hadn’t taken that risk.

  “Yeah. They thought we’d lucked out when the FBI called it a hoax, but then they said you’d come to town. They were talking about leaving. I convinced them to let me go into town, to just see it one more time. It was the only place I’d lived for more than a year—except back in Illinois with you. Da—Mr. Altier took me into town late at night, figuring not many people would be around.”

  The day she’d followed Henry. He must have gone the other way, down the alley and back toward town, instead of into the storage units, like she’d thought. But without knowing it, he’d led her right to Alanna.

  Alanna burst into tears. “When that man attacked you in the parking lot, I thought I’d gotten you killed.”

  Kensie shoved to her feet, her leg screaming as she put weight on it, and folded her sister into a hug. Hopefully just one of many, many hugs to come. “No. You saved me. You and Colter and Rebel. You saved me.”

  “Alanna Altier?”

  Kensie’s head swiveled at the question and she saw a doctor waiting in the doorway. She wanted to correct him about her sister’s name, but kept quiet. There would be time for that. Right now was a time to reunite.

  “I need you to come with me so we can make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine,” Alanna said, her arms still looped loosely around Kensie.

  “I’m sure you are, but this won’t take long,” the doctor insisted.

  Alanna looked at Kensie and she nodded. “I’ll be waiting for you,” Kensie promised.

  As the doctor led her sister into another room, Kensie sank onto the bed Alanna had just vacated, staring at Colter as disbelief and joy mingled. “I can’t believe any of this is real. I can’t believe we found her.”

  Colter smiled back at her, the sight of it already so familiar and comforting. “Believe it,” he told her. “This is your new normal.”

  “I’ve got to call my family,” Kensie said, even as her mind screamed that she wanted him to be part of her new normal, too.

  “I can go,” Colter said, standing. “Let you call them.”

  “No.” Kensie reached out for him and he let her pull him closer. Her heart beat a frantic, frightened tempo as she stared into his eyes, wanting him to see the truth of her words as she spoke them.

  Obviously sensing something important was happening, Rebel scooted closer, pressing against Colter’s side.

  “I meant what I said on the mountain,” Kensie blurted before she could lose her nerve. “I know it’s fast and I know it’s not what you were looking for, but I can’t help it. I love you.”

  She had to tell him. He’d done so much for her. He’d lost so much in the past year. Even if he couldn’t love her back, she wanted him to know that he was worthy of someone giving him everything they had.

  She expected his face to twist with regret and discomfort, but instead he smiled. It started out slow and sexy, putting crinkles beside his eyes. Then it burst wide and Kensie’s heart seemed to do the same.

  “I love you, too, Kensie.”

  Epilogue

  His journey was coming to an end. He hoped.

  Colter stared up at the apartment complex across from the lake, frozen in place. The wind coming off the water was cold, but nothing compared to the brutal weather Desparre was getting right now. Beside him, Rebel nudged his leg with her head, as if to say get moving.

  Colter laughed. “Be patient, girl.”

  It had been a month since he’d seen Kensie. He’d dropped her and Alanna at the airport, watched as Alanna stared nervously up at the sky. She’d never been on a plane. The people who’d raised her since she was five were in custody and she hadn’t wanted to leave behind the siblings she’d grown up with. But they all had families, too, people who’d been waiting for them, praying for this day to come.

  Kensie had stared back at him, a smile trembling on her lips and tears in her eyes. She needed to go, needed to help Alanna transition back into a life she barely remembered. Needed to be with her family as they all reunited.

  And his place was in Alaska. Over the past year, it had truly become his home. The noise of a city brought on unexpected panic, while the quiet solitude of his cabin soothed his soul. Gave him a little peace.

  He hadn’t wanted to let her go, but he couldn’t go with her.

  The truth was, they hardly knew each other. A long-distance relationship from Alaska to Chicago seemed a little crazy, but they’d vowed to give it a shot.

  But over the past month, he’d realized it wasn’t right. He couldn’t move on like this. There was still too much baggage from his past weighing him down.

  So for the past three weeks he’d been lying to Kensie. He’d pretended he was still in Alaska whenever they talked. But the slightly guarded tone her voice had taken on lately told him she suspected something wasn’t right. Or maybe she was starting to have second thoughts about their arrangement, too.

  Swallowing his nerves, Colter tapped his leg for Rebel, but s
he was already up and moving. He had to follow her into the complex. He almost forgot to use the cane he’d brought along for show as they hurried through the doors. He’d done his research beforehand—this apartment complex didn’t allow pets.

  The guy sitting behind the security desk frowned and Colter leaned heavily on the cane. “Sorry. I forgot her service vest.”

  The guy looked like he was going to argue, so Colter rushed to the elevator, ignoring the man’s calls to sign in. The doors slid closed behind him and Rebel before anyone could stop them.

  As the elevator rose, so did Colter’s stress level. He hated enclosed spaces, especially ones made of metal. Closing his eyes, he breathed slowly in and out through his nose as Rebel pressed hard against his side.

  “Thanks, girl,” he said as the elevator dinged and the doors opened, letting them off on the fourth floor. Kensie’s floor.

  Swinging the cane back and forth as he walked, Colter followed Rebel down the hall. Although they’d never been here, his dog seemed to know right where to go. She ran up to Kensie’s unit and sat on the welcome mat, then thumped her tail frantically.

  Before he caught up to her, the door swung open and Kensie was standing there. She wore workout gear and carried a yoga mat under her arm, which fell to the ground as soon as she saw Rebel. Her gaze darted up, eyes comically wide as they met his.

  He smiled, but it was shaky. “Hi, Kensie.”

  Rebel lifted her front paws off the ground, almost knocking Kensie over as she rested them on Kensie’s forearms.

  “Rebel,” Colter admonished, but it lacked heat. He wanted to jump on Kensie himself.

  Kensie laughed and dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around Rebel’s neck as his dog’s tail swung back and forth. “Hi, Rebel.” She looked up at Colter. “Her leg healed well.”

  “It’s as good as it will ever be,” Colter agreed. The same as his. Neither of them were quite whole, but then again, if they were good enough for a woman like Kensie, maybe they didn’t need perfect.

  Finally Kensie stood, wariness in her gaze. “What are you doing here, Colter? I thought—”