Page 24 of Hidden Obsession

Chapter Eleven

The entire agencywas on high alert as another one of its members had been attacked. Killian was more than a simple working dog, and every available agent had been called in for support.

Like everybody else, Mason knew a significant shift had happened, something that turned what would normally be a minor threat into an emergency.

Just after Caitlin had raced Killian to the vet, with Cain accompanying her, everyone had made sure to secure the premises and search for anything that could have affected Killian in any way—scraps of food, liquid on the floor, anything the dog could have accessed and ingested.

However, everybody knew Killian had too much training to touch anything without his mistress’s consent. When and how had he been poisoned?

At the same time, Wolf and Alex were working on the computer side of things, trying to find out where the email had come from. The initial assessment made both men frown, meaning it would take some time.

Cleo, the trooper she was, remained at the agency too, but Mason could see how broken she was. It was obvious she was riddled with guilt. He wished he could whisk her away and make her forget everything, but there was too much work to do, and nobody would move until they had news from Caitlin.

Returning to his office, Mason was distracted by his cell phone buzzing in his vest. Making sure to close his door, he saw it was Mercy.

“Hey! You alone?”

That question didn’t bode well for Mason. “Yeah. I’m in my office with the door closed.”

“I heard about Killian. Any news yet?”

“No, nothing. I’ll call you as soon as I have information.”

“Thanks. I wasn’t calling about that, though. I found Spears and he’s in Miami.”

Everything in Mason went still before rage slowly took over his body. Only experience and logic made him keep his head when everything wanted to punch the man who’d put fear in the young Cleo. “Where is he?”

“He’s at Mercy Hospital. I’m really starting to hate the name of that hospital.”

That wasn’t something he expected to hear. “How come?”

“Spears isn’t here as a patient but came with his sister. She’s having treatment for some kind of cardiac problem. I still need to investigate. I don’t know yet if it’s a cover or if Spears even knows Cleo is here. I’m going to hang around until visiting hours are over and follow him. See where he’s staying. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Want me to come to you, Mercy?”

“No need for now. I’ll follow him at a distance. If he does anything stupid, gets close to your apartment, Cleo’s place, or the agency, we’ll know.”

Mason would have preferred being in the middle of the action, but he understood it wasn’t needed for now. “Okay, call for back-up if you need it and send me pictures of the man. I want to know what he looks like. And why he chose Miami to treat his sister.”

“I’ve already sent everything to Malco. Mercy is renowned for its cardiac surgery, but the coincidence doesn’t jive for me. Malco will do some research on that and join me later. Better to have two sets of eyes in this case.”

His anger took a step back as he realized Mercy had everything under control. ”Thanks, Mercy.”

When they disconnected, Mason took a few deep breaths, calming himself. He had to stay in control of himself, if only for Cleo’s protection. Shaking his head, he was ready to jump back into other parts of the investigation when running footsteps came from the main hall. Hand on his gun, ready for anything, Mason opened his door to see Shane and Emme, as well as the rest of the team, crowded around Cleo’s desk.

The violet head turning to look at him reassured Mason instantly. She came to his side and linked her fingers with his. It was the first time she’d come to him willingly, especially when the other members of the team were around.

Shane spoke. “I’ve heard from Caitlin. Killian has been stabilized, but he had indeed been poisoned. The vet told her it’s not a current product, so we’ve asked him to get a blood sample and send it to a lab I know. We should get the results soon.”

Cleo’s hand jerked in his grasp before tightening. “It’s my fault.”

Shane reacted before Mason could open his mouth. “Cleo, stop it. You didn’t poison, Killian. Some asshole did, one who thinks he has power over you and can hurt you. Don’t ever blame yourself again. You have an entire team that cares about you and has your back. Killian included.”

Cleo relaxed a bit as the other people present in the room stepped closer in silent agreement. Wolf smiled and winked at her. “And you take care of the money. That makes you the most important and feared member of our team.”

Alex rolled his eyes, elbowing him, but everyone laughed, which defused the intense situation.

Shane shook his head as he addressed the team once more. “I want each of you to be extra careful. We’re not certain where the threat is coming from yet. James, I want you to go to the clinic too. Killian isn’t being released yet, and Caitlin is staying with him. Cain will need back-up. As for the rest of you, go home and rest. It’s been a long day, and we need fresh eyes in the morning. Mason, before you leave, can I have a word?”