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His old friend braked to a stop right in front of the prisoner who squinted against the glare of high-beam headlights in his face. Dale smiled, wanting the guard to suffer every possible discomfort and inconvenience just for the way he’d spoken to Heather.
Irrational? Definitely. Dale didn’t give a damn. The case, and his workable plan, had gone spiraling out of control. But that was nothing compared to his personal feelings about the woman who’d brought him the case.
He couldn’t act on it of course. She was too young for him on several levels. And those kisses proved she was too dangerous. Her open, brave outlook would wither under his cynicism and that would be unforgivable. Her family, while more than hospitable in general, surely wanted someone better for her than a broken older man.
He’d done it once before, ruined a perfectly good woman by bringing her into his life. Love and devotion had soured quickly under the strain of his demanding Army career.
Dale’s life hadn’t changed, even if the professional affiliation was different. His core values were set in stone now. Fixed. Immovable. Commitment to his career had always come first and that dedication only intensified with every successful case.
When Ross had loaded up the guard and driven away, Dale reached down and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go work that evidence. We have a take down to plan.”
No, he wouldn’t let Lester or his men hurt Heather, but he was equally determined he wouldn’t hurt her either.
Chapter 13
Heather sighed as they started the hike back to the car, wishing she could borrow some of Dale’s absolute confidence to boost her sagging spirits.
Questions raced through her mind, interspersed with the images she’d captured tonight. Her camera felt like a hundred pounds in her pack. She knew she wouldn’t like what she saw, but they needed to look and identify as many people as possible.
One face in particular haunted her. Special Agent Bingham. Knowing Dale had his suspicions didn’t mean it would be easy for him to accept the cold truth in a photo. When Bingham had come out of the silver sedan, she’d nearly bobbled the camera.
Would it be enough to convince a prosecutor? She had no idea. That part of the process was too far removed from her life experience. Her feet dragged as she wondered how anyone would believe a waitress from Haleswood had cracked an extensive, well-funded dogfighting ring.
Somehow, Dale would make the case. He had to.
No matter what the guard had said, she knew Terry had been loyal to their effort, as determined as she was to bring down this operation. He’d been genuinely helping her stop the cruelty. Yes, he had a criminal record, but everyone needed a second chance. The work at the shelter had changed Terry and she wouldn’t let anyone ignore the progress he’d made reforming his life.
A chill rippled across her skin, raising the hair on her nape and she hunched her shoulders.
“Almost there,” Dale said, his deep voice quietly emerging from the shadows where he was walking just behind her on the left.
She wanted to ask how his leg felt, but refrained. He wasn’t lagging, merely taking a position to protect them both. His persistent watch for threats should probably make her nervous. They weren’t out of the woods—literally or figuratively. Instead, his vigilance gave her comfort, despite the mounting dangers.
When she spotted his car she nearly burst into a run, she was that eager to get out of this area and evaluate the evidence on her camera.
Dale stayed her with a gentle touch. “Let me check it out first.” He handed her his phone and walked forward, flashlight in one hand, gun ready in the other. “Clear,” he announced after he’d worked his way around the vehicle.
She hurried forward, though she couldn’t tell by his voice if he was relieved they’d escaped detection or worried something worse awaited them down the road. They didn’t talk during the drive back to the beach and for once in her life she was grateful for the silence.
Her family would never believe it. They thought of her as the girl who always smiled and never stopped chattering. Yes, Dale was right, she had a chip on her shoulder and it hadn’t been fair to take out her frustrations on him.
She wanted to break free of that confining mold even as she sought the comfort of those known interactions with the people who’d loved her all her life.
Dale had called her brave and she wanted to be. For the investigation, yes, but also beyond that. She wanted to claim her life on her terms. It would be so much easier if she could figure out what that meant.
She didn’t want a life in law enforcement. Not a lifetime serving breakfast at the Rooster either. She wanted something more. Something bigger than the small slice of the world she’d seen. Something more upbeat and happy than this horrible dogfighting scandal.
An image of the castle in Walt Disney World popped into her head and she snorted. She wanted something more real than even the happiest place on earth.
“What are you thinking about?”
She turned, smiling at him. “You’re the only person who asks me that.”
“That can’t be true.”
She shrugged. “Believe it or not.”
“Were you thinking about Lester and the case? I don’t want you to worry about the guard’s outrageous claims.”
