Carter (The K9 Files Book 7) Read online

Carter gave him a smile. “After the doctor left, I went to the nurse and pretended to be somebody I wasn’t. I can tell you the bullet’s from a 30-30 lever action rifle, so somebody was very fast loading and firing.”

  “Or,” Hailey said, “there were two shooters.”

  “It sucks,” Gordon said, “but that is possible.”

  “It is, indeed,” Carter agreed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

  Gordon shook his head. “No need. The last thing I wanted was you babysitting me. That would have just gotten both of us shot.”

  The two best friends grinned at that. Hailey noticed Gordon getting fatigued. She grabbed Carter’s arm, pulling him back. “Time to leave.”

  “I want you to stay safe in here, do you hear me?” Carter told Gordon.

  He nodded. “I hear you.”

  Carter spoke softly to the uniformed officer standing guard outside Carter’s room. The officer nodded, and Carter clapped him on the shoulder.

  As they walked out of the hospital a few minutes later, Carter asked Hailey, “Do you want to slip into your office and take a look, or do you want to go straight home?”

  She frowned and took several deep breaths of cool fresh air. Hospitals always had an off smell. “We should probably go to the office. At least to check on your program. I have the files at home, but I don’t know if I’ll have the energy or the concentration to work on them.”

  “Okay, let’s go to your office first. I can always sweep for bugs too. I picked up the package I was waiting for at the post office.” With that, he called for Matzuka to jump into the front of the truck and waited until she started up her truck and passed him leaving the parking lot. He followed her to her office.

  As she hopped out, she was happy to see everything was as it should be. It was a weeknight, and nobody should be here. She undid the security and let them both in, then reset it. “Do you think we should leave Matzuka in the truck?”

  Carter looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “We’re only going to be a few minutes.”

  She shrugged. “The last thing I want is to have somebody follow us inside and shoot us.”

  “Good point,” he said with a smile. “So let’s go fast so we can go back to him.”

  Upstairs, Hailey walked into her office. She was glad the locks were still set. She walked over to her desk. “Nothing’s changed here,” she said.

  “Nothing here either,” Carter said as he checked the laptop where his software program continued to run. “That’s all good.”

  Then she heard a footstep outside her office door and froze. Carter put a finger to his lips, and she nodded. He slipped toward the door and tilted his head against it, his eyes closed, as if listening. Gently he opened up the door and stuck his head out. And there was a tall, slim man.

  He motioned her over, and she called out, “Slim, what are you doing here?”

  Slim took one look at them and bolted.

  Carter swore and tore after him. She realized how hard that must have been on his leg. He had already put it to heavy use today. She locked up her office and went to check the other offices. Fred’s was unlocked. And they had locked that door with the key and had set the numerical keypad. She went inside and looked, but it didn’t look any different. She checked on Phil’s office as well.

  After that, she tore after the men. By the time she reached them, Slim was on the ground, with Carter holding Slim’s hands behind his back.

  “Now we can add breaking and entering to your list of crimes,” Carter said.

  “Worthless.” Slim sneered.

  “That was you in that pincer move,” he said. “You and your buddy, Andy. You were the ones with access to the offices.”

  “I didn’t get anything,” Slim said in a raw voice. “You took everything away.”

  “What’s still here has been keyed differently,” Hailey said, “yet you still got into the offices and that pisses me off.”

  She stepped off to the side and called Raleigh. “Sheriff, we’ve got another problem.”

  When the sheriff arrived, he swore as he saw Slim on the ground. He hitched his pants up higher on his waist and said, “What the hell did you do this time, Slim?”

  Carter let Slim stand, and he waited to see if the sheriff would do the right thing.

  “My understanding is you’ve been fired, and you’re not allowed access to the property,” Raleigh said.

  “So what? Until I get my final paycheck, I still have rights.”

  “No, you don’t,” the sheriff said. He glared at Hailey. “I thought you already had everything changed.”

  “I did,” she said. “So the question really is, how did Slim get in?”

  The sheriff swore up and down. He took out his handcuffs and locked Slim in them. Then he searched Slim, took all his keys away from him, then led him to the back of the cruiser.

  He secured Slim in the back seat, then stood closer to Hailey to have a private conversation. “I won’t be able to hold him,” he told her. “You have a reluctant and angry employee getting back into the building, but he didn’t do any damage, did he?”

  Carter shrugged. “No clue, we didn’t have a chance to check yet.”

  “He had keys to both Phil’s and Fred’s offices,” Hailey said indignantly. “The ones you just took off him and pocketed. Maybe he shot Fred.”

  From inside the sheriff’s car, Slim yelled out, “I did not! He was family.”

  “Yeah, but family that was old and holding onto money, right?”

  Slim glared at her.

  She nodded. “Young punks like you don’t ever want to wait for the older generation to pass on in their own time. You just wanted to give him a little help, didn’t you?” At that, she smiled at him and made sure it wasn’t a nice smile.

  Carter almost wanted to cheer her on, but there was a limit. If Hailey lost her temper and attacked Slim, that would cross several lines.

  “I need to know that you’ll investigate Slim as a potential murder suspect and for breaking and entering alongside corporate espionage, maybe even money laundering and embezzling,” Carter told the sheriff.

  The sheriff pushed his hat off his head. “Well, now …”

  “Either you do your job,” Carter said calmly, “or I’ll bring in people above you.”

  The sheriff got angry.

  “You can get as angry as you want, but, from what I see, your town’s got a huge problem. And it’ll get cleaned up with or without your help. It’ll get cleaned up now.”

  “I’ve never taken any bribes,” the sheriff said. “I always do my job. This is an official sheriff’s matter. You are not a deputy or the sheriff. You can mind your own business.”

  At that, Carter gave him a smile that should have had the man running. He liked the fact that the sheriff stepped forward and glared at him instead.

  “I’m glad to see you’ve got some balls,” Carter said, “because you’ll need them. If you don’t charge Slim and keep him under arrest until you get the rest of your murder investigations taken care of …” He left the threat undefined.

  “There’s nothing to suggest it was anything other than a murder-suicide,” Raleigh said. His voice was low and hard. “And don’t threaten me, or I’ll throw you in jail along with him.”

  Carter nodded. “You know what? That’s not a bad idea. I wouldn’t mind a few days of beating up that piece of junk.”

  “You can’t put him in the same cell with me,” Slim roared.

  “Why not? After all, you and Andy pulled that pincer move on Hailey,” Carter said. “That’s attempted murder as far as I’m concerned.” He turned to face Raleigh.

  The sheriff swore and looked at Slim. “Damn it, Slim. Why did you have to go do that? You’re in a heap of trouble now.”

  “Plus, not too long afterward, Gordon was shot twice. Maybe by the same two guys who tried to box in Hailey on her way home to the ranch? They were right there close by.”

  Slim sank back, a sullen look on his face. That
was all the answer Carter needed.

  “Does that answer your question?” Carter looked at the sheriff with smugness.

  The sheriff snorted in disgust, focused on Slim and, ignoring Carter, said, “You always were a piece of shit. I’ve been telling you since you were in kindergarten to shape up or ship out. Instead, look at you! You’re just another nobody.”

  “I am a nobody with connections,” Slim snarled. “Wait until my dad hears about this.”

  “Good,” Carter said. “I’m looking forward to meeting him.” Then he turned to the sheriff. “You sure you don’t want to take me in, Sheriff? I’d be more than happy to sit in jail for a while.”

  The sheriff shook his head. “That’s the last thing I need. His dad’ll already be riled up that I’m locking up Slim.”

  “More than locking up,” Carter said, his voice soft. “He sure as hell had better be charged with at least reckless endangerment and attempted manslaughter. You know yourself how dangerous that pincer move is.”

  “Not only is it dangerous,” Hailey said from beside him, “but I’m also pretty sure a young woman already died the same way not too long ago. Maybe two years back? Wasn’t she your girlfriend, Slim?”

  Slim looked at her, and the color bleached from his skin. “That was an accident. You’re not pinning that on me.”

  “I wonder if we should believe him or not…” Hailey turned to the sheriff. “Maybe you should take another look at that case.”

  Chapter 12

  Hailey couldn’t believe they had caught Slim in her office. Finally he had been caught in the act of doing something wrong. Now if only she was as sure he’d been working alone. After the sheriff left, they went back to do a quick sweep, found nothing thankfully, then changed the security codes and left. “I’ll have a locksmith come in, just in case more copies of our office keys have been distributed to Andy and God knows who else.”

  Now, back at home, she was too keyed up to rest. She paced the kitchen. She wanted food, but she wasn’t hungry. She wanted coffee but didn’t need anything else to jack up her nerves. The dogs, Matzuka included were stretched out on the floor sleeping.

  Finally Carter walked over and placed a shot of whiskey in front of her. “Drink up.”

  She glared at him. “Why the hell would I want a shot of whiskey? Are you trying to get me drunk?”

  “If it will give me some answers, maybe.”

  She frowned, spoiling for a fight. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she snapped.

  “Answers,” he said. “Answers about why you’re such a bitch to me all the time.”

  Instead of stepping back, she glared at him. “Except for today,” she said.

  “Yes, except for today, in a time of crisis. But every other time? I’ve been here a lot over the last fifteen years.”

  She shrugged. “So? We got off on the wrong foot.”

  “No,” he said. “I think it’s a lot more than that. I’ve talked with Gordon, and I also had an interesting conversation with an old lady on the street today.”

  “What? You’re talking about me with the locals?” She wanted to put him in his place right here, but she was also curious and weary. “What did you talk about?”

  “She told me that I was supposed to come back, marry you, and put you out of your misery.”

  Color and heat flashed up her skin. When it drained again, it left her pasty white and icy cold. “She must be joking,” she said bluntly.

  “I don’t think she was,” he said. “And I have a theory. A theory I have yet to test because I couldn’t get past your prickles.”

  She glared at him and lifted her nose in the air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He laughed and spun her around so she was leaning against the counter. Then he grabbed her chin. “Let’s find out,” he said in a low voice.

  He lowered his head and kissed her with a force that soaked up every ounce of blood in her veins and sent it ricocheting around her body. Her whole body pulsated, from her toes to her forehead and then back out her lips. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. He made a half guttural sound and shifted his lips on hers for a moment, adjusting the two of them. Then he tucked her closer and kissed her back just as hard.

  But she couldn’t let this happen. Finally she managed to gain some semblance of control and pulled herself back. She stared up at him, her chest heaving, his gaze going to her rounded breasts as they shifted with every movement. She had already felt his physical reaction when their hips had locked together. “We’re not doing this.”

  “Why not? According to that old lady, you’ve had a crush on me for years.”

  “A schoolgirl crush,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I’m a woman now.”

  “Absolutely,” he said. “So, what was this just now?”

  “Stress,” she announced, desperately telling her hormones to gain control of this situation before she did something she would regret.

  He took a step back and eyed her from head to toe, then back up again. “So, in the spirit of healing,” he said, “do you want some stress relief?”

  He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she stared at him, but laughter bubbled up from inside her. Because, damn it, she really did want some of his brand of stress relief. She seriously did. She looked at him and struggled to keep the words in her mouth.

  “Your choice,” he said, “but I heard sex is supposed to be great for getting rid of stress.”

  She took a deep breath, intent on saying Hell no, but the words that came out were different. “Hell yes,” she said. Then she clamped a hand over her mouth.

  He laughed. “I like that answer.”

  She slowly lowered her hand. “For just right now. Not for tomorrow.”

  “Right now. I would take right now, as in right here on the countertop.”

  She shook her head. “This way.” She had already opened the buttons to her shirt and then ripped it off as she raced up to her bedroom. Carter followed closely behind her. At the top of the stairs, she dropped her shirt on the newel post. By the time she went around the corner, she had her camisole off. She left it tossed over the railing. She shucked her jeans and her socks and turned around to stare at him in just her panties when they reached her bedroom door. She figured he could take those off himself.

  Her breath caught in the back of her throat as she realized he stood nude in front of her. He was a beaten-up warrior but stood proudly with his body a little more damaged than she’d expected. She dared not show it though. She smiled up at him, motioning at his prosthetics. “Glad to see those things don’t slow you down.”

  She could almost feel a tremor going through him. It looked like relief, and she thought she understood. But, when he scooped her up, tossed her on the bed, and came down above her, he burst out laughing.

  “Sweetie, I’ve been wanting to chase you around this ranch for well over a decade, as soon as you became legal.”

  “Instead,” she said, rolling over so she was on top, “you went and married that bitch.”

  He nodded, a shadow in his eyes. “Gordon told me not to, but Gordon didn’t know I was lusting after his sister and not wanting to break up a friendship over something like that.”

  “It depends if it was just about doing the horizontal tango,” she said. “But, right now, I really don’t give a shit.”

  He laughed, his hand cupping her bare breasts. “You still have too many clothes on.”

  She shifted back and forth rubbing against his shaft and whispered, “I do, but sometimes maybe that feels pretty nice too.”

  “It does, but not today or right now. Not when I’ve wanted you for so long.”

  Suddenly she found herself flipped on her back, her panties ripped and tossed to the side and her legs spread wide. He placed himself by her entrance and looked at her. She nodded and said, “Absolutely.”

  He plunged deep and hard.

  She arched her back and cried out, grabbing his
hair. He started to ride, driving deeper, faster, and harder until she exploded in his arms, crying out the whole time. When she heard his own cry of release, and his body shuddered, she held him as he collapsed beside her.

  “I always wondered if you’d be a screamer,” he said.

  She laughed. Then she opened her eyes so she could look directly into his. “Too damn bad you didn’t find out a long time ago then, huh?”

  He slipped his hand up behind her head and pulled her closer. “That’s all right. I figure we’ll just make up for all the lost time tonight,” he whispered.

  Carter didn’t know how many times they woke and found each other only to exhaust themselves and fall back into asleep again. When he finally woke up the next morning, his body was still humming, satiated, happy, and replete. His arms were wrapped around Hailey, who lay curled up against him, snoring gently. He loved how she was completely unconcerned about her physical body. She lay nude without covers, comfortable in her own skin. Thank God she hadn’t made any instinctive grimace when first seeing his nude body. After his accident, he had worked hard at rehab to be the best he could be for anybody, and he was the best he could be for himself, but he didn’t know if that was any good anymore.

  When his wife had left him, Carter knew more than just one issue was involved with her defection, but it still struck a nerve. A nerve that went way deeper than where he had thought it would. It was such a sense of abandonment and feeling like he was so much less. But Hailey … Hailey hadn’t even grimaced. And, for that, Carter wanted to hug and kiss her all over again. They talked about his injuries throughout the night, and she’d cried when she saw some of the scars on his body. Then, at one point, he had even taken off his prosthetic and showed her his stump. She had kissed the edge of it several times with tears in her eyes too. He tried to reassure her that he was fine now.

  He appreciated how the long years of recovery looked a lot less important now and a lot more distant in his thoughts. There was something very specific and enlightening and just heartwarming about lying here with somebody who accepted him in his broken condition without expecting him to get any better. He knew that, as time went on, he would probably strengthen up some more muscles as he used them in different activities and that the prosthetics themselves were built in a way he knew he could probably improve a lot more too. He’d heard about a great designer in New Mexico, Badger’s wife a while ago. Carter was working with her now, and she had a lot of ideas he was anxious to implement in his next prosthesis designs.