Tucker (The K9 Files Book 13) Read online

  “I was,” he said gently. “I think I said I was much better, didn’t I?”

  When a cold nose hit her warm thigh, she gave a small shriek, only to see Bernie sitting there outside the shower curtain, her tongue lolling to one side. Addie reached out a wet hand and gently stroked the dog. “And, of course, you’re here too,” she said, “and somehow that just makes it all the more perfect.”

  He kissed her hard for that. “I didn’t expect to meet anybody of the same mind-set.”

  “I know,” she said. “It’s just so very strange, isn’t it?”

  “Strange and yet wonderful.” He looked at her and said, “What about your hair? Do you need to wash it?”

  “I do,” she said. “The chlorine from the pools is deadly.”

  “Got it,” he said, gently disengaging. He turned the water a little bit warmer and quickly shampooed her hair, taking great care as he dispensed suds along the full length.

  “I love that feeling,” she murmured, as he gave her a gentle head scrub. By the time she had her hair washed twice and conditioner on, she asked for the soap. “My turn.” And gave him a cheeky grin.

  With his eyebrows up, he handed it over, and she quickly worked her way all over his back, down his buttocks, to his muscular thighs. When she came to the prosthetic, she asked, “Is that allowed to be in water?”

  “Yes, even in the pool,” he said. “Regular water is fine, if I’m wearing it. This is a special design by my boss’s wife, made specifically to look lifelike,” he said. “The chlorine can be bad for long periods, without rinsing it all off with soap and water. So a hop in the shower after pool time is recommended.”

  She continued her ministrations to his front, taking gentle care of his growing erection. “Nice,” she said impishly. “I’m okay to carry this into the next room.”

  And, with that, she gave his huge erection another silky slide up and down, before stepping back and out of the tub. She grabbed one of the big bath sheets, quickly toweled off, and then handed him the spare. In the next room, she pulled back all the bedcovers on one bed. Their bags were on the other, and she stretched out on her back. He came in and asked, “Are you ready for bed?”

  She grinned at him, invitingly, then sat up on her elbows. “Do you think Bernie has to go back out again?”

  He hesitated. “I should take her out. Hold that thought.” He dressed quickly, gave her a smoldering kiss, then slipped out.

  While she waited, she curled up on her side of the bed, completely uncovered, loving the heat, the warmth, but also the coziness of just being with somebody special. She barely heard him as he curled back into bed with her, and then he murmured against her ear, “Do you need to sleep?”

  “Just for a little bit,” she said. “Catch me in five.”

  She closed her eyes and drifted off.

  Tucker was disappointed to not be resuming the activities that had just gone before. It was one thing to come together once, but he didn’t want to hold it to that. He wanted to do so much more with her. As he lay here, his head back, the dog relaxed on the floor beside him, Tucker realized how far the three of them had come in such a short time. And, sure enough, only a few minutes later, she rolled over, looked up at him, and yawned.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” he murmured.

  She smiled. “I power nap,” she said, sitting up on her knees. She looked at him, grinned, and said, “Now, where were we?”

  His heart leaped with joy, as he raised his arms above his head to lay them on the pillow. “I’m pretty sure,” he said, “you were about to do something to me that was absolutely heartbreakingly and dastardly lovely,” he said with a confusion of adjectives.

  She chuckled out loud. “Maybe,” she said, her hand sliding over his long length. “And maybe I would just explore this beautiful prime example of male flesh in front of me.”

  “Feel free,” he gasped, as her hand closed around him again. “Do with me as you will.”

  “No arguments?”

  “Hell no,” he said, groaning as she slipped her hand up and down, squeezing, stroking, coming over the tip with her thumb, his hips already surging.

  “I do see that you’re tense though.”

  “Absolutely not,” he said.

  She leaned down, kissing his nipples. “Anything I do, I promise,” she said, “I’ll make it good.”

  And make it good she did. By the time they were done with this second round, he was the one shuddering in place. He groaned. “I think you finished me.”

  “That’s good,” she said. “It’s supposed to relieve stress. But now I need to sleep.”

  “We both do,” he said firmly. He reached a hand down the side of the bed to find Bernie’s muzzle reaching up. He smiled and whispered to both his ladies, “Go to sleep, baby. Go to sleep.”

  And he closed his eyes and did the same.

  Chapter 13

  When Addie woke the next day, she hadn’t realized just what a fun outgoing day it would be. They ended up meeting the newlyweds for breakfast, going to the beach at lunch, and then attending the reception held in Tampa that afternoon. It went all through until dinner, which was part of it. By the time it was over, and everyone said their goodbyes, she and Tucker had been firmly encapsulated and introduced as a couple. Addie was fine with that, and the wedding couple appeared to be okay with it too. Matter of fact, Addie was more than fine with it, and, throughout the entire day, Bernie had been at their side.

  Finally it was their turn to say goodbye. Tucker and Addie walked over to Rodney and Molly.

  “We’ll head back now,” Tucker said. He leaned over, kissed his sister, shook hands with his brother-in-law, and said, “Welcome to the family again, not like you need it after all the years you’ve been there for us,” he said. “I’m just glad you finally got this done.”

  “Me too,” Rodney said. “Also keep an eye out because, as far as I understand, Rural’s still not been caught yet.”

  “Not a problem,” he said. “We’ll keep a close eye. You too.” At that, Tucker and Addie and Bernie hopped into the truck and headed back to her house. When they finally neared her place, she said, “Do we need to pick up any groceries?”

  “You have to work in the morning, don’t you?”

  “I do,” she groaned. “I don’t like working for a living.”

  He burst out laughing. “I think most people would agree with you there,” he said, “but it is a necessary evil. Unless you find your dream job.”

  “I guess,” she said in a disgruntled voice. “Too bad I don’t have enough money where I could just stay at home.”

  “And then what?”

  “I don’t know. I guess that’s the question, isn’t it? I’d be bored stiff.”

  After they parked, she hopped out, stretched, and said, “What a hell of a weekend.”

  “But a good one.”

  They walked to the front door, busily talking about how the reception had gone and how much fun it had been. She pulled out her key, turning it, only to wonder if the door had already been unlocked. She stepped inside without saying anything about it and froze. Tucker came in behind her and froze right by her side. Immediately Bernie started barking.

  “Shut the dog up,” the gunman snapped, holding the gun on her sister, who sat frozen on the couch. “Shut her up, or I’ll shut her for you.”

  Immediately Tucker put a hand atop the dog, easing her back. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Take it easy.” Bernie’s butt hit the ground, and she sat there, growling deep in the back of her throat.

  Addie moved forward. “You must be Rural. What are you doing here with my sister?” she asked the two of them.

  Her sister glared at her. “I can’t believe you’re the one who went behind my back to save that stupid dog,” she said. She turned to the gunman and said, “The least you could do after the way you’ve treated me is to shoot it.”

  He shook his head and asked, “What have you got against the dog?”

  “It hates me,
” she said, sneering. “It also bit me.”

  “Well, maybe that’s a good thing,” he said. “From everything that’s come out of your mouth since I’ve been here, it doesn’t sound like there was a whole lot to like about you.” Before Bernie could speak again, Rural ordered Addie, “Get over here.” Her sister glared at Addie, while the gunman waved at Addie. “Hurry up.”

  She looked at Tucker, who pulled her toward him, while Tucker slammed the front door hard. He glared at the gunman. “You haven’t had enough yet?”

  Rural snarled. “It’s because of you guys that I’m here. What the hell were you doing at the restaurant?”

  “Same thing you were,” Addie said, stepping in front of Tucker. “We were looking to see if you or your partner had left any evidence behind.”

  “He was such an idiot,” he said. “Now I’m the one left to pay the price.”

  “If you hadn’t fired at the police, it wouldn’t have been so bad,” she said, “but maybe not, since you killed your partner.”

  At that, her sister stood and gasped. “You killed someone?” She glared at Rural. “What kind of asshole are you?”

  He glared back at her. “Shut the fuck up and sit down.”

  She sneered at him. “Or what?”

  In a fit of temper, he turned the gun and placed it against her temple. “Or I’ll pull the trigger, just like I did with my partner.”

  The color left Bernie’s face as she slowly sagged in place. She looked at her sister. “Addie, you won’t let him talk to me like that, will you?”

  Addie stared at her sister. This was so bizarre. Then everything with her sister was full of drama. The gunman was one thing—and should have been the biggest issue—but, true to form, her sister was making this all about her. “I doubt I could stop him, since he’s the one with a gun. Besides, what are you doing here?” she said. “And how did you get in?”

  Even Rural seemed interested in the family conflict playing out here.

  “I used Mom and Dad’s key, of course,” she said. “They’re not home anyway.”

  “You used their key. I get it, but why? You’ve never been here before.” Maybe if Addie kept the gunman distracted, Tucker could find a way to get the gun away from Rural without anyone getting shot. But her sister was involved, … so all bets were off.

  “I came a few times when you first moved in,” she said. “It’s awfully tiny though.” Her sneer and bravado were back again. She looked at the gunman. “Don’t you think so?”

  He shrugged and said, “It’s okay.”

  Bernie couldn’t believe it. “Are you serious?”

  “You just walk into my house when I’m not home? So you can what? So you can criticize it?”

  “Why not?” she said. “It’s not like you were answering your phone.”

  Addie shook her head, her hands on her hips. “What did you need this time? Somebody to run get you a coffee?”

  At that, the gunman snorted.

  Her sister looked at her and frowned. “No,” she said, “I needed cream.”

  “Well, if you can manage to get here, you’re capable of getting your own cream,” she said in exasperation.

  “Oh, and our parents called,” she said. “They’re coming home this weekend.”

  “Great. What’s that got to do with me?”

  “I told them what had happened about the dog and that you were angry at me.”

  “I’m always angry at you. Nothing’s changed there. You tried to kill a dog that did nothing to you. You treated it horribly. You abused it constantly,” she said. “The best thing for that dog was to get away from you.”

  “That’s not true,” she snapped, glaring at the dog. “I hate it.”

  “Too damn bad,” Tucker said beside Addie. “You have no rights to this dog now. It’s mine.”

  She sneered at him, then spoke to Addie. “What’d you do? Pick up a hero while you’re out? Men like that are easy,” she said. “The trick is to get one with staying power.”

  “You’re hardly one to talk,” she said. “If you can’t use and abuse, you don’t give a damn.”

  Her sister looked at her in surprise.

  Tired and fed up, hoping Tucker had a plan for the gunman, Addie snapped at her sister. “What are you here for?” she repeated. “And give my key back.”

  “I don’t know what you’re going on about,” she said. “I just came for a visit.”

  “No, you didn’t. You probably contacted your friend at the pound, and he told you that I had something to do with the dog’s release.”

  “You had no fucking right,” her sister said in her mean dictator voice, her face twisting with fury. “That damn dog needs to die.” She looked over at the gunman. “I’ll give you one hundred bucks to kill it right now.”

  He shook his head, looked at the dog, and said, “I still don’t get what’s wrong with the dog.”

  “She doesn’t like my sister,” Addie said in a dry tone. “That’s all my sister cares about—herself. She wants it killed for that reason alone. She would torture the dog when it was sleeping and hit it with a chair.”

  Rural looked at Addie in shock and then looked at her sister. “Seriously?”

  “I was hoping it would die,” Bernie said.

  “She used to starve it. Or she’d pour cleansers in her dog food,” Addie continued. “There’s nothing good about my sister’s behavior to this dog—or to people for that matter.”

  “It sounds like the only one who should be getting a bullet is her,” Rural said with a sneer, waving his weapon in Bernie’s face.

  Bernie bounded to her feet and walked up to the gunman, pushing him against the wall. “Don’t you talk to me like that,” she snapped.

  He quickly pushed her back. “Hey, bitch. That’s not too smart, since I’m the one with the loaded gun.”

  “I don’t give a shit,” she said, poking her finger into the gunman’s chest.

  He backhanded her with his free hand, the noise echoing, hanging in the air, as Bernie stumbled, grabbing at anything to keep from falling.

  Bernie seemed affronted. “Don’t you talk to me,” she said, pouting now. “You have no idea how bad it’s been. That dog hated me ever since I first got it. I begged my parents to get the dog, and then, when we get it, the dog hates me. So I decided it would pay,” she said, now her hurt turning into anger. “It’s not my fault. I wanted to make sure it suffered. So I filed a complaint. It should have been put to death yesterday, except for these two.” She turned, looked at her sister and Tucker. Gave a clipped nod and snapped at the gunman, “Actually I’ll pay $300,” she said, “to shoot them all.”

  Tucker stared at the sister and wondered about the severity of her psychoses. He had his phone in his hand in his pocket and had turned it on to video as soon as he saw the two intruders. Even though the video would only show the inside of his pocket, his phone would at least record their words.

  “Wow,” Tucker said, “you take the cake. It’s totally about you, isn’t it? Nothing matters as long as you get what you want, huh?”

  “That’s the way life is,” she said with a disdainful look at her fingers. “There are users and losers.”

  “No,” he said, “that’s not the way life is. You’re not supposed to sit here and just take everything you want in life. You’re supposed to help others.”

  “No,” she said in a languid tone, and she walked past the gunman, completely nonchalant about the gun in his hand.

  Tucker was stunned because, given an opportunity, he would have removed the gun and, therefore, the threat from the guy altogether, but Bernie, who had the opportunity, didn’t even care. She didn’t even consider it. Didn’t even think about it, not for her own self-preservation or for anybody else’s. He figured she wasn’t like Rural, expecting suicide-by-cop earlier, although this would be suicide-by-intruder instead. Nope. Tucker figured she never had to do anything for herself, including saving herself from … herself and armed intruders.

>   He shook his head. “You’re unbelievable,” he murmured.

  She smiled at him and said, “Thank you.”

  “Unbelievably evil.”

  She huffed and sat back down on her chair. The gunman waved the gun at her and said, “Now stay there.” She just looked up at him and flicked her fingers, as if to say, Piss off, and ignored him. The gunman looked over at the two of them. “I feel sorry for you,” he said. “She’s a total bitch.”

  “She’s always been like that,” Addie said, her voice tired. “When my parents get back, she’ll wrap them around her fingers and make their lives miserable too.”

  “They’re not miserable,” she said. “They love me and will do anything for me.”

  “But you don’t do anything for them,” Addie said, hating the truth of her words. “Even worse, you make their life something they don’t want. Why do you think they take off on trips all the time?”

  “Well, of course they do. They want to travel a lot.”

  “Instead of kicking you out of their home, they do it to get away from you,” Addie snapped. “You aren’t even adult enough to move out and to support yourself.”

  “Of course I could move out, but why would I? I mean, I’d have to pay rent and other bills, plus look after myself and cook.” She snorted. “Until I can afford to have maids, I’ll stay home,” she said. At the word maids, the gunman stared at her in shock.

  Tucker nodded. “Isn’t she something?”

  “Jesus,” Rural said, “I pity the poor bastard who hooks up with you.”

  She glared at him, her voice like ice when she said, “I make their lives wonderful,” she said. “But I’m looking for one who’s wealthy enough. Some of them have been close, just not quite enough there yet. I don’t intend to work for a living,” she said with a sneer, glaring at Addie. “That’s for the lowlife laborers.”

  “Well, it’s certainly for the everyday Joe,” Tucker said with a note of amusement. Something was just so farcical about this whole mess. … He shifted to one side and realized that the dog hadn’t let her gaze off the sister. He reached down and whispered to Bernie, “It’s okay. She won’t hurt you anymore.”