He had a phone call to make.
Caleb slipped into the office and dialed one of his old military friends who still lived in the DC area. He and Jack Hendricks had served together on two deployments, and Jake had settled in DC after his discharge. Now he worked private security for a consulting firm.
His friend answered on the first ring.
“What’s going on?” Jake asked. “You calling with a wedding invite?”
“A wedding invite?” Caleb’s brow furrowed. “I’m not even dating.”
“I’m just waiting for the day when I get that call. You’re the only one from our old team who’s still single.”
“Believe me, I know.” They all liked to remind him.
“So, if that’s not why you’re calling . . . ?”
Caleb shifted in the seat. “There’s something I need you to do for me.”
“Whatever you need.”
Then he explained the situation to him.
Jake agreed to help.
He was going to keep tabs on Garrick Anderson. If that man left the DC area, Caleb wanted to know.
And he was making no apologies about it.
That night, a noise jerked Millie out of sleep.
She sat up, heart already racing. The frantic sounds of the dogs barking zipped through the air.
Was it Garrick? Was he here?
No . . . that couldn’t be it. She was just being paranoid.
Still, she wanted to know what was happening.
Heart pounding, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Biscuit lifted his head instantly, his body tense and his ears forward.
She jumped to her feet, ready for action.
But she listened first, trying to contain her panic.
The sound came from outside.
But not just from the direction of the kennel.
The barking wasn’t confined, she realized.
It seemed to be coming from every direction on the property.
Biscuit sprang up, nails skittering across the floor.
“Stay.” She kept her voice firm as she locked gazes with Biscuit. “Stay here. Guard.”
He whined once, low and unhappy, but sat, muscles quivering.
“Good boy,” she breathed, backing toward the door. “I’ll be right back.”
