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Jacquie scooped Killer up into her arms and followed the path into the woods, but saw and heard nothing. “Do you know where this trail goes? I don’t think I’ve ever been back here.”
“Deeper into the forest. The kids like to come up here and party sometimes.”
She frowned at the trash left in various places—soda cans, beer bottles, candy wrappers. They reached a fork in the path. “Now which way?”
Josh studied the two paths. “No way to tell. You okay to split up?”
“Of course.” Just because she was carrying a pink-clad puppy didn’t mean she couldn’t take on a skinny jerk who hurt women.
He looked hesitant. “All right, but check-in every ten minutes. Don’t take any chances.”
She grinned as she rolled her eyes. “Okay, Dad.”
He fixed her with a serious look. “Jacquie, you just got out of the hospital and you’re carrying a Chihuahua for a weapon.”
“Hey, she is a trained killer.” She set Killer on the ground.
“Yeah. I’m sure she’s hiding a blade under that tutu.”
Jacquie took her gun out of her purse and shoved it in her waistband. “Don’t worry about me, I’m good.” She veered to the left, after ten minutes sent a quick text to Josh then continued following the path through the woods. Another ten minutes passed as she moved diligently, listening intently, checking the ground for any sign of recent footfalls but saw nothing.
She sent Josh another text, when her phone pinged. A text from Chase.
Where are you?
Chasing hoodie guy in the woods.She glanced at Killer as her pup explored the area around a large rock.
Alone? Chase asked.
Killer is here.She grinned, imagining his expression. And Josh. Somewhere.
Okay, Aiden was here.
Aiden was there, and here she was chasing shadows in the woods.On my way.
She put her phone away, the leash dropping. As she bent to pick it up, Killer ran, chasing something in the bushes, her leash bouncing along the ground behind her, her ear-piercing bark echoing through the woods.
“Killer!”
Jacquie took off after her dog. Killer’s barking grew more and more distant. Her heart skipped and started to race as a sour dread filled her. Nothing around her looked familiar, and in the distance was only more woods. Where was she? She shuddered to think of the multitude of bad things that could happen to her in these woods. She moved quickly, following deer paths, running around the trunk of a large tree, and catching sight of pink through a sea of green.
“Killer!” she yelled again and continued forward. She paused as she heard movement in the brush behind her, then spun around just as a blow slammed into the back of her head.
Pain erupted through her skull as everything went black and she sunk to the ground.
13
Chase checkedthe entire parking lot again but saw no sign of the man in the cowboy hat. Time to head back and findJacquie and Josh. Hopefully, she and Josh had more luck finding the man in the hoodie. That man tried to kill Jacquie twice. The sooner he was in custody, the better Chase would feel.
Of course, Jacquie would tell him she could take care of herself. Chase had no doubt she could, but he was having a hard time reconcilingJacquiethe Raleigh detective with the girl from his youth who wanted to take care of animals and run the ranch. He’d wanted to marry that girl more than he’d ever wanted anything. Every time he looked at her wild dark curls and laughing eyes, he saw the girl she used to be.
But that wasn't who she was. Not anymore.
He supposed his father’s death altered the course of more lives than just his and Aiden’s.
He moved through the crowds toward the west side of the park and the last row of booths. He spotted the trail behind the stage leading into the woods and followed it, winding through the trees. A moment later, Killer came running down the path toward him as fast as her little legs could carry her. The pink tule of her tutu was all torn and barely hanging on her small body.
“Killer!”
