LITMIR.BIZ

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us a ride to a safe place.”

      She took the hand he offered and hopped down. “You seem to have a lot of friends.”

      “Just three that I can count on.”

      She didn’t ask any more questions. They stood by the truck, the damp cold night air surrounding them while the water lapped at the shore down below.

      “Those men got away, didn’t they?” she asked, a shiver tapping down her spine. “There had to be at least two, right? One driver and one gunman.”

      He leaned down and swiped at his bangs. “You must watch a lot of crime shows.”

      “I’m just being logical.”

      “Yeah, you’re probably right. These kinds of underlings always travel in pairs.”

      “And the ones who first showed up at the bar would have taken me or shot me right there if you hadn’t been there with me,” she said. “But you stopped them.”

      “You should have stayed in Oklahoma and let the locals figure this out.”

      “The locals don’t care.”

      He gave her a hard stare, but his whisper was raw and low. “And you think I do?”

      His question hadn’t fooled her. She stared up at him with wide-open eyes. “I know you do. You’ve proven that over and over today.”

      She had him there, but Hunter wasn’t ready to concede. “I didn’t have much of a choice. I couldn’t let you get hurt or worse. I won’t have that on my conscience.”

      “You’re right,” she said, a cold disappointment cresting in her expression. “You were just doing your job.”

      Thankfully, Alec pulled up in a sleek SUV and saved Hunter from having to analyze things too deeply. Best to just go with it and not think about how this woman was cramping his style and messing with his head.

      “Ride’s here,” he said, taking her by the arm to put her in the backseat.

      Chloe gave him a questioning look as she got in the vehicle but she didn’t say anything.

      Hunter got in the front. “Alec Caldwell, meet Chloe Conrad.”

      Alec turned around and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you. Sorry about the circumstances.”

      Chloe stared at his extended hand for a moment and then shook it. He was different from Hunter. More clean-cut and upper-crust. “Same here. Thank you for helping us.”

      “You’re welcome,” Alec said. Then he turned and faced Hunter. “Where to?”

      “About that, bro,” Hunter said. “We need one more favor, but it’s a big one.”

SIX

      Chloe couldn’t believe Hunter had brought her here, of all places. But she hadn’t had time to argue, since he’d insisted they had to hide her until he could come up with a plan.

      He’d asked Alec Caldwell to let her stay in the training dorms at a place called Caldwell Canines Service Dog Association. It was a big industrial building on the outskirts of town, surrounded by security fences and a well-lit parking lot and training yard.

      The preacher—their other friend they’d also called—a nice man named Rory Sanderson, escorted Chloe to one of the dorm rooms and set her suitcase on the luggage rack before he scanned the area outside the small window. “You should be safe here. Your room faces the training yard.”

      Chloe glanced around at the stark but clean room, which contained a single bed, a cushioned side chair and a small functional dresser/desk combo with a tiny flat-screen television and a narrow closet. A small bath was off to the side. When Hunter had suggested she stay in one of the dorm rooms here, she’d been surprised. But now she was beginning to understand. Alec had readily agreed.

      “So this is the Caldwell Canines Service Dog Association?”

      Rory Sanderson’s smile lit up. Giving her a blue-eyed gaze, he said, “The official name is the Alexander and Vivian Caldwell Service Dog Association. But that’s a lot to remember. We call it Caldwell Canines for short.”

      He pointed to the area beyond the second-story window. “Clients who are in need of a service dog are screened for acceptance, but this organization rarely turns anyone away. Clients come here to train with a dog matched to their needs. Most of the dogs are pound animals, so a lot of them live here on the property until they can be matched with a human. Funding covers scholarships for those who can’t pay their own way.”

      He stopped and grinned again. “Sorry. I’m on the board of directors, so I have to give that spiel to everyone I meet.”

      “Interesting,” Chloe said, the distraction taking her mind off her troubles for a brief time. She closed her eyes and prayed that Hunter would stay safe. He’d gone back to the bay to search for the two men who’d tried to kill them.

      “It’s a win-win situation,” Rory said. “People come here from all over the country, a lot of them wounded veterans, and work with the staff and the animals. I’ve seen a lot of amazing things happen in this place. These dogs learn to do all kinds of everyday tasks, but I think it’s the unconditional love that cures our wounded warriors more than anything.”

      Chloe smiled at that. “Animals can sense things like that, right?”

      “Right.” Rory gave her a patient, understanding stare. He probably thought she needed lots of prayers and maybe a puppy, too.

      She heard dogs barking, but the big yard looked deserted. “I don’t see anyone training out there,” she said, numbness and apprehension tugging at her. She certainly didn’t want to stay in this big place all by herself.

      “Alec said they’d just finished a session. But there is an entire staff here around the clock and most of them are trained in either K-9 work or service dog expertise. And if anyone unknown walks up onto the property, the dogs will all start barking.”

      She had to smile at that. “Hunter brought me to a place that is covered by a lot of watchdogs?”

      “Hunter has a wry sense of humor and a strong sense of duty.”

      She could agree with that. “I hope he finds the people responsible for all this.”

      Rory turned from the window and gave her another quiet stare. “Hunter is good at his job and he has a knack for sniffing out bad people. If anyone can solve this puzzle, it’ll be Hunter Lawson.”

      “That’s why I came across the country to hire him,” she admitted. “I’ll be fine here if you and Hunter vouch for this place.” She hung her jacket across the chair. “And Alec assured me this is okay. I got the feeling he’s here a lot.”

      “He’s devoted to the cause,” Rory said. “And his PR assistant had to move to the West Coast with her air force husband, so he’s doing double duty for a few weeks until he finds someone to replace her.”

      “That is devoted.” Chloe imagined working here could be very rewarding.

      “Okay, then. A few things to know.”

      Rory showed her the small bathroom connected to her room and then took her to meet some of the staff members and showed her the kitchen and dining area and the lounge where a television, magazines and books were located, and explained the Wi-Fi hotspots to her but suggested she didn’t get on the internet for her own protection.

      “Stay on the premises and mostly in the training yard,” he told her. “This place has tight security. It’s well lit and it has a state-of-the-art alarm system. We’ll all come by and check on you around the clock, and knowing Hunter, he’ll find someone he can trust to sit right outside your room. You can also alert the staff at any time, day or night.”

      “Who

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