Relief hit fast enough to make Max exhale. “I think she may be in danger, Caleb. It’s a long story, but Kendra is unstable. I think she may be going after Hadley.”
“What?” Caleb’s voice lilted with surprise. “Hang on. I’ll put eyes on Hadley. She stepped outside to check on the dogs.”
“Yes, do that. Please.”
He listened as Caleb moved, the faint shift of sound over the line as a door opened, then closed. Then footsteps sounded.
Max kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead, but his focus had narrowed entirely to what he could hear. “Caleb?”
“Hold on. I’m almost there.”
A few seconds passed.
The line stayed open, but the silence on the other end stretched thin.
Then Caleb’s voice came back, tighter now. “Hadley’s not in the kennel. That’s where she said she was going.”
Max sat forward. “Check outside.”
“I am.”
More footsteps sounded, faster this time.
“She didn’t drive off,” Caleb added. “Her car’s still here.”
That cold edge of panic slid into Max’s chest, sharper now.
His mind already raced ahead of the facts. “Something’s not right.”
Caleb let out a quick breath.
“What is it?” Max rushed.
“It’s the deputy who came here with her. I just found him on the back side of the kennel near the office. He’s out cold.”
Dread pooled in Max’s stomach.
This was exactly what he feared might happen.
CHAPTER 39
Max had barely cutthe truck’s engine before he shoved the door open and jumped out.
Cold air slammed into him, but he barely felt it. His boots hit the ground hard as he sprinted toward the kennel, adrenaline surging through his veins.
From inside the building, a dog’s howl cut through the night. The sound was long, low, and desperate.
A chill went down his spine.
Max pushed through the kennel door, and warmth rushed over him, thick with the scent of disinfectant and something else.
Fear.
He scanned the place. The dogs paced in their runs, barking and whining in uneven bursts. Naomi stepped from the back.
Relief flashed across her face when she saw him. “Max.”
“What happened?” The words came out rough, already edged with urgency as he rushed to meet her.
