Mack took the leash, holding on to Frank, who didn’t really move. The leash might as well have been for show. Emily carefully cradled Noodle, who seemed to fall in love with her.
Mack elbowed his buddy. “Looks like a match made in heaven,” he said before something spooked Emily and she turned quickly. The Chihuahua jumped to the floor and took off toward the front, threading through a sea of legs. Unfortunately, the door opened at the wrong moment, and Noodle escaped.
“Shoot. Hold this.” Mack handed the leash to Reggie and hurried after the pup. Late at night, no one would see the little guy if he darted into the road. Though the cute Queen Anne neighborhood had a lower speed limit, even a car going ten miles per hour wouldn’t save the dog from being crushed.
Outside, he nearly ran over one of their other volunteers, a huge, beefed-up guy covered in tattoos who often helped home unwanted strays.
“Yo, Sam, have you seen a white Chihuahua?” Mack asked, frantic.
“Follow me.” They raced down the sidewalk and across a thankfully empty street, up into a residential area off Queen Anne Avenue. As they ran, Mack spotted a flash of white and heard a familiar yip.
“Noodle!” he yelled, but that blasted dog turned his head, his tongue out, laughing, and moved down a driveway that led to an alley behind some really nice houses.
“Shit. Come on.” Sam ran, but Mack was faster.
Not loaded up with all that muscle, some of us can move.
He heard sirens and swore, seeing all over again a puppy nearly run down, a woman lying in the street, having been hit saving it. Exactly what had happened to Maggie and Frank a few months back.
He’d outraced Sam but still didn’t see Noodle. And now he’d entered someone’s private backyard. Not cool.
“Noodle,” he whispered. “Come out.”
It took him a few minutes, but he finally spotted the escapee chewing someone else’s bone about the size of his body.
After tugging the dog out from under some bushes, he tossed the bone back in the yard and left, climbing back over the wooden fence he’d been forced to scale.
And found two annoyed police officers, one holding Sam by the upper arm, his wrists behind his back…as if in cuffs.
The taller of the two officers smiled wide. “Well, well. If it isn’t the love bandit, stealing another heart. What you got there, buddy, lady bait?”
Sam looked from Jed to Mack and rolled his eyes. “Obviously, you know Mack. How about uncuffing me, Officer?” he said to Cass.
The hard-ass looked from Sam to Mack and shook her head. “They both look like criminals to me. Jed, drag Revere back to the car. I have this one.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He yanked Mack with him, following a cuffed Sam and Cass as they walked toward flashing lights. “And you, make things right. She’s been a huge pain lately.”
Mack cradled Noodle, still panting and overjoyed from his escape. “Me?” In a louder voice, he said, “She’s the one being a pain. She crushed my poor heart.”
Cass glared at him over her shoulder.
Sam looked over and grinned.
“What’s up with your boy?” Jed asked. “He looks like he just escaped from King County.”
“Nah, Sam’s a mechanic who runs a lot of the Pets Fur Life adoptions. His wife owns the massage shop on Queen Anne. Bodywork.”
“She doesn’t own it, Mack. She’s a partner there.” Sam asked over his shoulder, “And what’s the deal with you and that dog? Are you taking it too? I heard you found some kittens you’re keeping. Nice.”
“You adopted a dog?” Cass asked, pulling Sam back with her to walk next to him and Jed.
“No, I didn’t adopt a dog,” he said. “But I did find this sly escape artist. Tell them, Noodle, how fast you are.”
Sam nodded. “He’s a bullet. So’s Mack. Mack outran me, and I’m pretty good at running from the cops.” Sam grinned.
Jed hadn’t been wrong. The guy did look dangerous. But seeing him with any of the animals or his wife you’d know he was a softie at heart. Despite the tattoos. And the muscles. And the killer glare…
They arrived at the car, where Cass uncuffed Sam. “Sorry, but we had a few calls about possible burglars in the area.”
