She dropped her hand and gave the dog a command that had him sitting on his haunches. His tongue lolled out as if he hadn’t been poised to rip out Bryson’s throat seconds earlier.
“Why would I be in Savannah?” She sounded genuinely confused.
It was his turn to be surprised. “Didn’t you get a call? From FBI special agent Pierce Buchanan?”
She shook her head. “No. But I haven’t checked my messages since leaving your place yesterday. My phone number listed in the folder I gave you is a landline at my apartment. It’s not one that I share with many people. And it’s not registered under my name.”
The truth sent a wave of anger and sympathy straight through him. “You carry a burner phone, don’t you? You’re worried that your attacker might trace you.”
Her gaze was her answer, darting toward the fences on either side of the path and the thick trees and bushes blocking the view of anyone behind them. He wondered why the homeowners association hadn’t voted to clear out these dangerous hiding places, especially after what had happened to Teagan. But mostly, he wondered why she was here.
He took a step forward, hesitating when her dog emitted another threatening growl.
“Zeus, stop.” She shook the leash and the dog quieted, but his dark eyes followed Bryson’s every move. “Why would an FBI agent be looking for me?” Her eyes widened again. “Have they found something? In Savannah? Oh no. Someone else wasn’t attacked, were they?”
Ignoring the new round of growls from her dog, he limped toward her, stopping just out of lunging distance. “No. I’m not aware of any more attacks linked to the man who hurt you. Pierce is a good friend of mine who lives in Savannah. Because of his experience with serial killer cases, he ended up assisting on the task force in Kentucky. We worked the Ripper case together. After you left yesterday—”
“After you threw me out, you mean,” she accused. “I thought you Justice Seekers were supposed to be honorable and help people in need.”
He smiled, pleased to see a return of the sassy confident woman he’d met in Gatlinburg. “Yes, well. I was on hiatus from the Seekers at the time. So you weren’t officially my client. But I did want to help you. So after I threw you out, I called Pierce and asked him to give you an insider’s reading of the Ripper cases and to answer any questions that you had.”
Her brows crinkled in confusion. “Why would you do that? You told me that looking into the Ripper case was the wrong approach.”
He started to move closer, but Zeus stood up, his ears flattening. Shooting her dog to defend himself was the last thing he wanted to do, so he took a step back.
“I’m glad you have Zeus with you, for protection,” he told her. “That’s smart.”
She winced and looked away.
Understanding had him filled with regret. “I wasn’t trying to say that you shouldn’t have been out here without him that first time.” When she didn’t answer, he leaned to the side, trying to get her to look at him. “Teagan?”
She sighed and met his gaze. “What?”
“It wasn’t your fault.” He waved his hands along the path. “None of this is your fault. A woman should be able to dance naked through the streets without worrying about someNeanderthal attacking her. It’sneverthe victim’s fault. The only person to blame is the monster who hurt you.”
A reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “You sound like my parents.”
Now it was his turn to wince. “Ouch.”
She laughed, then winked, looking more like her old self again. “Don’t worry. There’s exactly zero chance of me confusing Hot Guy with my parents.”
“Good to know. I think. Assuming I’m Hot Guy?”
She grinned. “Definitely.” Her smile dimmed, and some of her earlier uneasiness had her glancing around again. “I’m staying with my parents for a few days. And like I do every time I see them, I walk this trail. Not because I want to go...where it happened...some survivor’s weird hang-up or something. But because it’s the same routine I had before the attack. I’ve walked these trails almost daily since I was a little girl. And I refuse to change that because of...because of what happened. He took so much from me. It might seem silly, but letting him take away my joy of nature and long walks would be letting him win.” She patted the dog beside her. “My only concession now is to bring my mom’s dog Zeus and Annie along.”
The dog seemed to be licking his lips in anticipation of sinking its teeth into his hide—if dogs had lips.
“Wait. Annie? Who’s Annie?”
She slid her hand into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a compact .22-caliber pistol. “Meet Annie.”
“Let me guess. After Annie Oakley?”
Her gorgeous smile made another appearance. “Very good, Sherlock. Maybe you should be an FBI agent.” She shoved it back into her pocket.
“Been there, done that.” He gestured toward her pocket. “Should I ask for your concealed carry permit?”
“That depends. Did you become a police officer since the last time we met?”
