The sound of my phone buzzing on the desk startles me, and I grab it, frowning when I see Malerick’s name on the screen.
“Mal,” I answer, leaning back in my chair. “Is everything okay?”
“You at home?” he asks, his voice tight.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Someone broke into the clinic.”
I sit up straighter, my heart thudding against my ribs. “What? When?”
“About an hour ago,” he says. “Alarm went off. I had a deputy swing by to check it out.”
“And?”
“And nothing’s missing,” he says, his tone sharp. “Except patient records.”
“What?” My voice comes out louder than I intended, and I lower it automatically, glancing toward the door as if Maddie or Nysa might hear. “Why the hell would anyone take patient records?”
“Not all of them,” he clarifies. “Just the ones connected to the ranch. People who’ve been there, brought their animals in for treatment. Whoever it was knew exactly what they were looking for.”
I push out of my chair, pacing the small space. “Do you have any leads?”
“Not yet,” he admits. “But I’m working on it.”
I stop pacing, my free hand gripping the back of the chair. “Mal, what the fuck is going on? First Nysa, now this. It doesn’t feel random.”
“It’s not,” he says bluntly. “And you know it.”
I do know it. I’ve known it since the night she showed up, her eyes darting around like she was waiting for someone to jump out of the shadows.
“Do you think this has to do with her?” I ask, my voice low.
“I’d bet money on it,” he says. “But until I know more, keep her and Maddie close. Don’t let your guard down.”
“I won’t,” I say, my grip tightening on the phone. “Let me know if you find anything.”
“I will. And, Hopper?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
The line goes dead, and I stand there for a moment, the phone still pressed to my ear.
Someone broke into my clinic. Someone took patient records. Someone is digging.
And the worst part? I have no idea what they’re looking for—or why.
I glance toward the door, my thoughts racing. Nysa’s here because she’s scared, because she thinks someone is after her. Maddie is here because this is her home, her safe place.
And me?
I’m here because I don’t know how to be anywhere else. But tonight, I’m wondering if this house—this life—is as safe as I thought. This is why I moved to Birchwood Springs, to give my daughter a safe life. I . . . I need to keep my promise to her and her parents. Nothing will ever touch her. Nothing.
And maybe this is why I don’t let myself feel much, because I fear that I might become . . . how did my mother describe my father? A man with too much passion and too many feelings he couldn’t control. She asked me to forgive him on her deathbed. I don’t plan on doing so, but at least I know what to avoid so I don’t become him.
Chapter Thirteen
