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  CARTER

  The K9 Files, Book 7

  Dale Mayer

  Books in This Series:

  Ethan, Book 1

  Pierce, Book 2

  Zane, Book 3

  Blaze, Book 4

  Lucas, Book 5

  Parker, Book 6

  Carter, Book 7

  Weston, Book 8

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  About This Book

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  About Weston

  Author’s Note

  Complimentary Download

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  About This Book

  Welcome to the all new K9 Files series reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Steel in a new series of action packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer. Pssst… you’ll meet other favorite characters from SEALs of Honor and Heroes for Hire too!

  Staying away was harder than he thought …

  Recovering from an accident was hell on anyone, but, for a stubborn guy like Carter, it was worse. No way would he be a burden. So he stayed away from Montana, where his best friend lived … and his best friend’s sister.

  Until Geir and Cade ask Carter to check up on a dog delivered to a small town close by, but the dog never arrived. Considering this was one of the missing War Dogs that Titanium Corp was handling, Carter was happy to assist. Maybe even relieved as it gave him a reason to go where he’d been afraid to go before.

  Walking into her partner’s office to find his dead body on the floor had sent Hailey down a nightmarish path that never seemed to end. Then it had started with Carter’s arrival. What else should she expect from the man who she’d always loved and who had rejected her time and time again. She’d hoped the attraction to him would have lessened by now, but it was even worse.

  As the body count mounts, and the town takes sides, Hailey realizes that Carter was always the one to back her up, even when it meant he could die in this fight that’s gone to hell. Particularly when Carter finds the missing K9 dog, and his current owner is on the wrong side of the war …

  Only Carter doesn’t care, knowing he’d always stand on the side of right, but maybe—if he was lucky this time—he wouldn’t be standing alone …

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  Prologue

  Cade sat on the steps of Geir’s house and wiped the sweat off his face, taking a break from their latest renovation project.

  Geir sat beside him. “You okay, man?”

  “I am,” Cade said. “I’m just thinking about those K9 dogs. And I can’t believe what Parker went through. That’s just insane.” He closed his hand in a fist, then sighed. “We thought the military scenario was the right place to send him too.”

  “Well, he’s out of the service now, and so is his new partner. We’ll see a lot more of them too, I think. They’re talking about relocating here in New Mexico, although that might depend on Parker’s father. Just the two of them are left.”

  “That would be fine,” Cade said. “Parker’s a good person.”

  “Samson too, of course,” Geir said. “It’s amazing how many of our guys ended up keeping the missing dogs.”

  “When the dogs saved their lives too, the men developed a sense of gratitude and indebtedness, where they wanted to look after them and to make sure these War Dogs had a decent life forever after.”

  “So, what the heck are we doing about the next one now?” Geir asked.

  “I was thinking about that this morning. Carter Batterbridge”—Cade pointed at a man who stood with a tool belt around his hips, a two-by-four in his hand, and a pencil behind his ear—“has been pining for his dogs back.”

  “What do you mean, pining for his dogs back?”

  “He and his wife had a breeding pair of labs, but they divorced. The wife got to keep the dogs. Apparently though, Carter was really good with them and now misses them a lot.”

  “But does he care about going after a K9 dog? It’s hardly the same thing. Did you know he has a degree in finance? Investments or some such thing.”

  “No, it sure isn’t the same thing as construction. But he’s wasted here.”

  “Carter’s hardly wasted here,” Geir said. “He’s been a huge help.”

  “He is, but he’s also way more capable. He should have his own company.”

  They studied him and the two prosthetics Carter worked with. He had a badly damaged arm and hand but appeared to have adapted well. He was also missing a foot on the opposite side.

  “So, why doesn’t he?”

  “I think he’s been struggling to find himself again.”

  “When did he get divorced?”

  Cade nodded. “That’s the root question, isn’t it? She walked out when he was in the hospital, waiting on multiple surgeries. Probably about the time she realized he would be missing at least part of one limb.”

  “Bitch,” Geir said.

  “Easy to judge but this life isn’t for everyone.”

  “No, we’re the blessed ones, aren’t we?”

  “We are,” Cade said. “So Carter here? I think he could do a hell of a lot more in this world.”

  “But where?”

  “His best buddy in Montana has been asking him to come to his ranch for a long time now. It’s pretty hard to have a really good friend and yet not spend time with them.”

  “How good a friend is he?”

  “When we were still in the navy, Carter used to take all his military leave to head to that friend’s ranch. He always helped out there, but now he feels like he can’t quite help because he’s not as fit. He doesn’t want to be a burden.”

  “So, what will we do?” Geir asked. “Send him to Montana?”

  “Well, that’s where one of the dogs is.”

  Geir looked at him in shock. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Not exactly sure what happened to the dog—the file’s pretty empty. The K9 should have been adopted by a family in Montana, but, when the War Dogs program checked on the adopted family, the family stated they never received the dog. Now the family has moved on and isn’t too interested in pursuing the adoption, but the dog’s still missing.”

  “Since when?”

  “Three months ago,” Cade said. “A bloody long time.”

  “When did the military find out it was missing?”

  “About eight weeks ago when they checked up on him. But again, no time, no money, no man-hours to search for him.”

  “It’ll be almost impossible to find a dog like that now,” Geir said. “That’s a long time, particularly if he wasn’t received on the other end after that long flight. Hell, he could have been lost at any airport across the country. Although you’d think someone would have found him and called it in.”

  “Yes, and no,” Cade said. “The adoptive family said they had been called about the K9 a couple times but hadn’t kept any of the information as to who called. And the family wanted the Defense Department to leave them alone. They were extremely less than forthcoming.”

  Silence reigned between them.

  “Do you think they did something to the dog?” Geir asked. “Like something permanent? Then they didn’t know how to cover it up, so they said they never got him?”

  Cade slid him a sideways look. “You and
I both know people can be the worst sorts. At heart, most are good, but a lot of them? Well, they don’t make the grade, do they?”

  “But to hurt a War Dog? That would be really shitty.”

  “Maybe—maybe—they didn’t get him. Maybe they took one look at him and took off. Maybe they changed their mind and didn’t show up to receive him.”

  “What’s this dog’s name?”

  “Matzuka. It’s one of the names I have always remembered,” Cade said. “I was trying to find somebody in the Montana area, and I was talking to Carter. He’s the one who told me that his best buddy was there, but Carter just wasn’t sure what to do with his life now. He wanted to go see him, yet felt like he wasn’t ready.”

  Geir asked, “What kind of funding does he need to start up his own construction business?”

  “Enough money to build his first house probably. Maybe fifty thousand dollars to cover costs and a crew? Or maybe not even that much to get started. Possibly a bank loan with revolving credit allowed could work at the beginning.”

  Geir frowned. “We really need to have some ongoing funding source to help these guys, like seeking out more donations and investors on a routine basis.”

  “That’s a lot of money to come up with though,” Cade said, “especially if you consider all the other vets we want to help as well. But then I’m not sure Carter’s all that broke. I think he’s here because he’s lost, like so many of us were. With his education in finance, he could have money stashed away. I think, for Carter, it’s more a case of needing another reason to go to Montana, one that overrides his hesitancy based on his physical fitness. Just like the rest of them did.”

  “Does the best friend have a sister, by any chance?”

  Cade looked at him, and his gaze twinkled. “Are you up to more matchmaking?”

  “Maybe,” Geir said. “We’re doing pretty damn good at it so far.”

  “Well, Carter’s best friend does have a sister, but that doesn’t mean anything’s between them.”

  “No, but, if they aren’t together, they can’t become an item, can they?”

  “I think there was some talk about the two of them not getting along,” Cade said. “It’s one of the reasons why I’ve hesitated. What I don’t want is to put him in an uncomfortable situation, where he feels obligated to stay—unlike here, where he can be free and easy with us.”

  “He’s hiding here,” Geir said bluntly. “And we all know exactly how that feels.” Geir looked at Cade, then over at Carter. “So, do we ask him now? Or …?”

  Cade nodded. “I was kind of waiting for the right moment.” He watched as Carter took off his tool belt and hitched it onto the back of the pickup. Cade gave a whistle and motioned with his arm.

  Carter turned to look at him and nodded.

  “Here goes nothing,” Cade said. He hopped up. “I’ll let you know how it works out.”

  Chapter 1

  “Well, well, well,” Gordon said, staring at Carter Batterbridge, as he stood outside the front entrance for arrivals at the airport. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  The two exchanged man hugs. Carter was self-conscious about his arm but slapped his buddy on the back of his shoulder. “Hey,” he said.

  “That’s it? Just ‘hey’? I’ve been trying to get you to come for … what? Two years now? At least since you got blown up. And, for some dang reason, you walked away from the people closest to you. When you needed us most …”

  “The one closest to me,” Carter said, his tone a little caustic, “walked away from me first. She left me feeling isolated and wanting to keep it that way.”

  Gordon looked at him and smiled. “I can understand that. But then your wife was a first-class bitch. I told you that a long time ago.”

  Carter chuckled. “She was, indeed, and, yes, you did. And I ignored you. We had a lot of good years. But …”

  “But is correct. Anyway, enough about her. Come on.” Gordon looked around for Carter’s bags and frowned. “You only have one bag?”

  “I travel light these days,” Carter said, picking up his bag. He didn’t want his friend to think he needed help. He was still touchy on that subject. They walked toward Gordon’s truck, and Carter tossed his bag into the bed, studying his ride. “This a new rig?”

  “Yep,” Gordon said. “The ranch is doing well.”

  Carter chuckled. “There are worse things.”

  “There are a lot of worse things now.” He took a deep breath. “Debbie moved out months ago.”

  Carter stared at his buddy. “Why?” He shook his head. “What the hell? You guys have been close since forever. You’ve been married for what? Ten years?”

  “She thinks I had an affair,” Gordon said abruptly.

  “Did you?” Carter asked. Carter and Gordon had always had the kind of relationship where they could be upfront and open. He was glad it still came to him naturally, the closeness he felt with his buddy, even after the accident.

  Gordon shook his head. “No, I didn’t. But I almost did.”

  “I think there is no almost for women,” Carter said. “As soon as you think about it, they know all too well that’s where your body goes. Faithful just doesn’t encompass physical actions.”

  “I know,” he said. “I was stupid, and I’m damn sorry, and I want her back, but she’s not even talking to me.”

  “Damn,” Carter said morosely. “That’s not what I expected. I thought you two would be good forever.”

  “We would have been,” Gordon said, “if I wasn’t such a fool.”

  Carter couldn’t say a whole lot about that.

  “Anyway, you’ll know all that dirt on me as time goes by,” Gordon said. “Let’s talk about you. What’s this about a dog?”

  “A job. Unpaid at that,” Carter said with a laugh. “It’s probably a make-work reason to be here, but I figured it was time.”

  “Hell, it’s past time,” Gordon snapped. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t come here to heal. We wanted to help.”

  “Because you would have taken care of me, and you would have made it too easy for me to not get back on my feet.”

  “I wouldn’t baby you. I can always use real help around the place.”

  “I couldn’t have helped you much back then,” Carter answered. “Do you still have ranch hands?”

  “Sure do, more than when you were here last. Business is good, as I said.”

  “Any of them female?”

  Gordon winced. “The new cook, but, yes, she’s gone too.”

  At the look on Gordon’s face, Carter sighed. “Probably not fast enough for Debbie, huh?”

  “No, not fast enough. But it doesn’t matter how many times I say nothing happened—and I was a fool—she still doesn’t believe me.”

  “Yeah, it’s one of those hard things to walk back from,” Carter said.

  “You ever cheat on your wife?” Gordon asked.

  “No, but I think she thought my job was cheating enough.” Carter studied Gordon’s face to see if his buddy understood. When it didn’t appear that he did, Carter explained. “She always said the navy was my mistress, and I didn’t need a wife.”

  “Ah. Ain’t that a bitch. You always wanted to go into the navy while I just wanted to ride horses. You were after every bloody naval experience you could get your hands on.”

  “I sure was,” Carter said. “I still would be if it didn’t mean riding a desk. That’s not for me.”

  “Not to mention the time you were off on medical discharge, right?”

  “Well, the medical was pretty rough. Lots of surgeries followed by lots of rehab. But, yeah, I’m good now.”

  “Are you?” Gordon asked with a raise of his eyebrow. Carter knew Gordon was asking about more than the surgeries.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I am. I’m sorry for not coming earlier. It’s just that sometimes …”

  “I know. After my dad died, I kind of went AWOL for a while. I walked away from everybody and wouldn’t see anyone. I d
idn’t know how to handle it. That’s when I crossed the line, as you put it. Took me about a year and a half before I got slowly back to normal.”

  “Exactly,” Carter said. “Life can sometimes send you in a tizzy, and you don’t know if you’re coming or going.”

  “Yeah,” Gordon said. “Anyway, I have to stop at a couple places and pick up stuff. You know the drill.”

  “Yep, never make two trips if you can do it in one.”

  Gordon chuckled. “Exactly. Even on a Sunday. Got to go to the feed store, got to hit the vet’s, and God only knows what else.” He smiled. “Gotta write it all down or I’ll surely forget something on this trip to town.”

  “At the vet’s office, I’ll come in and ask about the dog,” Carter said. “I know this one’s a long shot, but I said I’d check it out.”

  “What do you mean by this one?” Gordon asked curiously.

  Carter explained about the military’s defunct K9 program and the request from Titanian Corp, the organization he’d been working with.

  “Wow, so Uncle Sam really wants to know about this dog?”

  “They’d like to know, as long as it doesn’t cost them man-hours and money,” Carter said in a dry tone. “I’m not getting paid to do this. This is a good-heart mission.”

  “We all need those,” Gordon claimed. “Hell, I had lambs in the house for six weeks this spring because winter hit so bad.”

  “How many?”

  “Twelve,” he said in disgust, “and you know we already had one or two other newborns. We always have a calf or two to bottle-feed. But this year the house got pretty darn crowded.”

  “I bet Debbie didn’t complain.”

  “Nope, she didn’t. She was in her element.”

  “Still no children, huh?”

  Gordon shook his head, and his face looked drawn and tired. “Now there’s not likely to be any.”

  “Did you ever get tested?”

  “Nah, I didn’t bother. Either it will happen or it won’t.”

  “And again that’s not necessarily good enough for Debbie,” Carter said. “I know she wanted a big family.”