The two agents strode through the space, giving the dog a wide berth.
Malcolm waited until the door had closed before standing. “Let’s get out of here before they change their minds.”
Dana nodded, packed up her belongings, and jogged toward the elevator with the rest of the group, including Roscoe. Kat had stayed home with Pippa for the day, so she didn’t have to worry about him. Once outside the building, Roscoe seemed as happy as she did to get away from the office, jumping into Mal’s truck with a wag of his tail.
They shared companionable silence on the way home, and Pippa had dinner waiting at Mal’s house.
“I love her,” Dana said, taking a deep breath of the fragrant air and preceding Mal into his home.
“So do I,” Mal said, smiling.
They had a wonderful dinner of chicken and rice before Dana yawned and decided to take both Kat and Roscoe home. She had another baby doll to wear to bed, this one a sexy black, and she wanted to get ready for Wolfe, so she walked between the backyards, with Malcolm watching her. Maybe Wolfe had some candles somewhere so she could make it more of a romantic night.
Daylight was fading, but not the oppressive heat when she opened the door, entered the alarm, and breathed in the cool air inside. She moved to the fridge for a glass of wine, remembering at the last second that she couldn’t drink. Kat sprawled across the table, sleeping, and Roscoe conducted a quick survey of the house, hitting every room.
Should she tell Wolfe about the pregnancy tonight or wait until the morning, after, well, welcoming him home the right way? Excitement flushed through her.
Roscoe returned to her and sniffed at the door.
“Why didn’t you go while we walked over?” She sighed, punched in the code, and opened the door. The dog bounded out. She laughed, watching him play. He was so sweet to check out the house before relieving himself outside. What kind of training did he have, or was that just instinct?
He stopped cold in the middle of the yard and spun around, looking at her.
“Roscoe?” She stepped near the slider. What was wrong with him?
Silent as death, a man twisted off the roof, hands on the eaves, and swung inside. He hit her with his legs, knocking her several feet back to land on her butt. Pain ripped up her back to her neck, and she slid across the floor, striking the lower part of the kitchen counters.
Roscoe bunched and ran full bore at the intruder, impacting him and shoving them both inside. Roscoe slashed with his teeth and growled, furiously going for the guy’s neck.
The man covered his face, fighting back, and reached for a gun at his waist.
“Roscoe!” Dana scrambled up and jumped for the duo, but the man turned and fired. The gun barely made a sound. It had to have had a silencer. The dog yelped, spittle flying from his mouth.
Roscoe stopped, his eyes wide, then fell back, blood spurting from his side.
The man stood and slid the door closed, turning to face her. He slowly dropped a backpack to the floor.
Gary Rockcliff.
Chapter Forty-Two
Dana cried out and dropped to her knees, reaching for Roscoe. His eyes had shut, and blood poured from above his belly. She frantically turned and ransacked the second drawer for a towel to press against the wound. The dog didn’t move.
She looked up, her body going numb.
Gary Rockcliff stared down at her, the barrel of the gun pointed at her head. “It’s time for us to go.”
She shook her head, pressing the towel against Roscoe’s fur, the blood welling up between her fingers. “You’re crazy. How could you shoot a dog?”
Kat jumped to all fours, arched his back, and hissed at Gary from the table.
Gary pointed the gun at the kitten.
“No!” Dana exploded, jumping for Kat, snatching him up, and shoving him into the small pantry. She shut the door, leaning against it, her nerves misfiring from adrenaline and terror.
Gary pointed the gun at the unmoving dog. “Come here, Dana, or I’ll shoot him again.”
She rapidly thought through her options, glancing between Gary and the dog. “I don’t understand what you want.” Wasn’t there a knife in the drawer by the oven? She had to get over there somehow.
