A vicious curse escaped his lips. The muscle in his eye ticked with fury. “Okay, now I’m pissed. If I arrest you, you’ll have a record. Charges will be brought against you. You’ll be written up in the Verily paper, and the dog will be returned anyway. Everyone loses. Do you understand? Now get your ass in the car!”
Then it happened.
His worst nightmare came true.
Her entire body shook and tears filled her eyes. “Please don’t do this.” Her voice broke. “Please let me save her. I’ll do anything. I can’t leave her behind.”
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Even though he hadn’t known her for long, Stone sensed she didn’t fake tears. No, this woman didn’t cry easily or use emotion for manipulation. Genuine distress and fear was written on her face, but it was for the rat fink dog rather than herself. She probably didn’t care if she went to jail and lost her job. She just wanted the dog to be safe.
A headache pounded at his temples. Think. If he decided on his next course of action, it might haunt him forever. Stone believed in rules. He despised dirty cops who used their authority to give out favors or make their lives easier. He served the public for a reason and had never faltered. This next decision would go against every rule he’d ever abided by, on his oath to serve and protect the world against injustice. He might be out of uniform, but what he did next would affect him.
Yeah, he was gonna kill her.
“Don’t say another word,” he warned. “Not one. Cover up the thing with your jacket quick.”
She obeyed quickly and trotted quietly behind him. “What about my car?”
“Leave it. I don’t trust you right now. I’ll take you home and make a call for someone to get it back to you by morning.” He muttered under his breath, berating himself for his own stupidity and weakness against female tears. He cursed her, the rat fink, himself, and the whole damn situation. She got in his car without another word.
He refused to look at her or speak while he drove. She sat beside him, the dog still under her jacket, staring straight ahead through the windshield. She didn’t even look sorry. More like resigned to take her punishment. Stone simmered through the drive, examining each angle and hoping he made a clean getaway. Stealing a dog was a crime. As an officer of the law, he’d assisted a criminal. He hadn’t even gotten to finish his donuts.
Finally, he pulled up to her house, a small yellow bungalow with a large pine tree in the front yard. He’d been there a few times over the summer when Genevieve had lived there and he’d been called in to a crime scene. Without a sound, he got out of the car, opened her door, and escorted her to the front porch.
“Umm, thank you very much for helping me and—”
“Open the door and get inside.”
She jumped a bit but slid the key in the lock and walked in. He followed, kicking the door closed with his heel. She jumped again but took off her coat, holding the dog tight against her. For protection? Oh, she was sorely mistaken if she thought anything would keep him from exacting punishment. He’d risked his career and his reputation.
Stone was gonna take retribution.
And it would be sweet.
ARILYN REFUSED TO SHOW fear. It wasn’t the type of fear she’d experience if a stranger threatened her with violence. No, this was the uneasy, sick feeling in her stomach when she realized the man she was really attracted to was severely pissed off. At her.
What surprised her the most was the hard twist of excitement ramping her up. Her skin tingled, and an odd arousal pounded between her thighs. Was his anger turning her on? She’d heard about things like make-up sex, role play, and all sorts of darker kinds of sexual elements that intrigued her but she’d never experienced. Her lovers abhorred rough treatment or bringing negative emotions into the bedroom. She’d thought the same, though the occasional fantasy cropped up.
Now she was living one.
He practically oozed alpha male and sex. Jeans cupped his powerful thighs and rear, and the washed-out cotton of his hunter-green jersey clung to those meaty biceps and pecs. He glared with hot, dark eyes, devouring her with his gaze. Hands propped on hips. His full lips tightened to a thin line. His jaw locked. Stubble roughened his cheeks.
Her nipples rose and begged for attention. Arilyn squeezed the small, frightened dog a bit tighter for security. She needed to be calm and explain why he had made the right decision. He’d saved a dog’s life, and Arilyn owed him gratitude. Now she just had to show him the danger was over and ease his temper.
Why, oh why had Stone found her? The plan was supposed to be simple. Arilyn never intended on kidnapping a dog. The intention was to scour the area one last time so she could find proof of an actual animal.
Until she found the Chihuahua.
Definitely abused. The poor thing lay in filth, with no water or food. She approached cautiously, ready for a giant pit bull or German shepherd to come out, but it seemed the doghouse had only one broken resident. The dog never moved, just stared at her with flat, emotionless eyes. Open sores bled on its starved body. She had no idea what the dog was being used for—it didn’t seem like a breeder situation—and the breed was a bit small for a bait dog. But the dog served some purpose for its sick owner.
There was only one thing to do.
She climbed the gate. Blinking back tears, she slowly lifted the dog. A quick check confirmed it was female. When Arilyn cradled her against the warmth of her jacket, a shudder wracked the tiny body.
Arilyn had always felt an affinity for animals, and her parents loved taking care of a wide menagerie before her mom got sick. She’d grown up sharing her bed with dogs, cleaning up cat hair on a regular basis, and playing with reptiles at a young age. Connection with the creatures in God’s world made her happy and helped her believe in something bigger. Like with children, an animal’s soul was pure. There was a reason dogs were used for therapy and helped children with a variety of issues such as autism spectrum disorders. They reminded people of love, devotion, and the simplicity of giving.