The little bird had a little snore. She slept on her side, turned away from the door, her blond hair light against darker sheets. Oh. This girl liked luxury. The sheets were silk.
She shifted beneath the bedclothes, a defenseless bird somehow knowing a predator was near. Was coming for her.
The challenge had started to wane until Laurel arrived in town to play. Now, the game was exciting again. Strong. Powerful.
The blonde on the bed shifted again, stretching her legs. Her instincts must’ve awakened her. There was no choice but to bring the tire iron down fast and hard. She cried out and then went limp. Hopefully not dead.
Now it was time to take her to the nest.
* * *
Huck found himself underwater, knowing what he’d find if he went just a little deeper. He didn’t want to go deeper and find the dead boy. His leg ached from where he’d taken a bullet years ago in the service, but his head remained calm. His body remained cold as he did his job.
He went deeper.
Two years later, his eyes opened to total darkness with the wind blowing hard against his house. The sweet scent of Laurel Snow clung to his pillow, and he buried his face in the soft material until his heart rate slowed down. His neck hurt and his leg ached. It had been a while since he’d had a nightmare.
Knowing he couldn’t return to sleep, he pushed the covers out of the way and stood on the cold floor, running through the leg exercises he’d learned after being shot. They helped him enough that he could get through the day without any medication.
Then he went to his home gym in the basement and worked his body hard until it was light outside. He returned to the kitchen, let Aeneas out and then moved to the fridge. Sweat covered his body and he drank about a quart of water.
A sharp rap on the front door had Huck turning. Red and blue lights swirled through the still closed curtains. “What the hell?” He set his cup down and stalked to the door, throwing it open.
Sheriff York slapped a piece of paper against Huck’s chest. “Captain Huck Rivers, you’re under arrest for the murder of Yana Richards, for a start.” He ran through Huck’s rights.
Huck tilted his head and spotted two news vans, their logos bright with color, jerk to a stop behind two state police cars. “You have got to be kidding me. You brought backup? Expecting a shootout?”
“No, but it never hurts to be prepared.” Sheriff York drew handcuffs out of his back pocket. “Turn around, Captain.”
Aeneas barked and bounded back inside, his wet coat wiping across York’s pants.
“Kitchen,” Huck ordered. “Bed.”
The dog obediently ran toward the kitchen, drank water, and dropped into his bed, panting.
“I could’ve had him eat you,” Huck said, not turning around. “I’ll give you one chance to stop this right now, or I am going to sue you. Full on, York. I’ll go for your job at the very least and a tidy retirement for myself in the process.” His jaw was set so hard, his entire head hurt.
Sheriff York rocked back on his heels. “Just so you know, the university lab rushed the results for us, and the dog hair inhaled by Yana Richards was Karelian Bear Dog fur. Black and white, and the lab matched it to your dog, Captain.” York showed his teeth. “I served a warrant on the dog bed in your office. Sorry you weren’t there to see it.”
Another truck slid to a stop and Monty jumped out, running past the reporters and officers to reach the door. His countenance was red beneath his shockingly white hair. “Huck. The news of your arrest just came over the wire.” He pivoted and shoved York. “You’re a moron, you know that? This will ruin you. I’ll make sure of it.”
Cameras snapped wildly.
“Monty, stand down,” Huck said, his voice calm, his chest filled with warmth. Apparently Monty trusted him and was on his side. He’d forgotten what it was like to work with a team. To trust a team. “I’m fine going in now and suing the shit out of this guy later. In the meantime, you go figure out who killed Yana Richards, and start with anybody who had access to Aeneas’s fur. Whoever got ahold of it obviously wanted to frame me.”
“That could be anybody,” Monty said. “Aeneas has only been in the office a few times, but his fur is everywhere already. If somebody wanted fur, they could get it.”
“Good point,” Huck allowed. “Monty? You have Aeneas for the day, and I’d like you to coordinate with the FBI until we figure out what’s happening. I’m going to step outside, and York and I are going to his car. Sheriff York, if you even think of cuffing me, we’re going to get into one newsworthy fight for those reporters, and I promise you won’t be standing when we’re done.” Huck reached for his jacket and pushed York back onto the porch.
“This is a disaster.” Monty stepped inside and immediately shut the door.
* * *
Early in the morning, Laurel finished another set of booties, this pair in a cute mint color. Her mind wandered through the details of the case, making connections, as she waited to go to work.
Her phone buzzed and she lifted it to her ear. “Agent Snow.”
“Hi, Laurel. It’s Monty. Huck was just arrested.” Monty rattled off the facts.
