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“Really? You’re an amazing person. How can people do that? Dogs are precious little creatures who deserve to have a wonderful family with dogs and treats.”
“He came from a puppy mill. One day he could be blind so the jerks who owned him couldn’t get top dollar. That’s why he’s a damn good tracking dog, his other senses heightened.”
The look on her face was different. “Do you know what’s wrong with his eyes?”
“Glaucoma.”
“That’s treatable although he’ll have it for the rest of his life. That doesn’t mean he’ll go blind as long as you keep the intraocular pressure low. I hope to God your vet told you that.”
As I slowly turned my head, she blushed several shades. “That’s exactly what he said. How would you know?”
Her laugh was cold and haunted. “I read a lot.”
Uh-huh. She was keeping all kinds of secrets.
“You’re really good with Sam. You’ve had pets before.”
Sighing, she shook her head. “No. Never. One day when I settle down.”
That wasn’t a lie, just an expression of regret for a past that ate her alive.
“I hope you can. To answer your question, people don’t think of animals as anything but a possession they can discard. They’re selfish assholes who buy dogs they can’t handle and bring ‘em back, trading them in. He was a couple hours away from getting the goddamn shot. If a buddy of mine hadn’t brought him to my attention, he wouldn’t be here today.”
“He’s a great little boy for you. He loves you very much.” Sam knew he was being talked about, sticking his head in between the seats. “Yes, you are.”
“He’s more than just a good tracker. He’s my family now.” I was getting close to the area. The storm wasn’t as bad as I’d thought, but I’d been right to have her stay with me.
“You track a lot of lost souls? Your job sounds fascinating. You get to be outside, combing the beautiful mountains. You don’t have to kowtow to anyone.”
At least I could chuckle. “The job isn’t glamorous if that’s what you’re thinking. Tourists are notoriously bad about getting lost and ignoring maps, so I’ll get hired by the forest rangers or smokejumpers to hunt them down. And I assure you every government operation has rules that infringe on how I handle business. Fortunately, they’re usually quick jobs, decent enough pay. It’s tracking criminals that makes the most money, which means I travel wherever they are in order to hunt them down like dogs.”
“So you’re a bounty hunter?” she asked more nervously.
Snorting, I threw her a look. “Bounty hunters are untrained in this state. They think they’re going to make big money from idiots who skip bail, thinking they can get lost in the mountains and people will forget about them. A small percentage are successful. Plus, they’re assholes.”
“Ouch. I didn’t mean to compare the two. What’s the difference? Educate me.”
“I’m hired by the US Marshal’s service most of the time to track down more dangerous criminals than a few assholes who skip trace on a few thousand dollars’ bail. Sometimes, I get those who escaped prison. They’re the most dangerous people to track.”
Her body language changed, her face turning pale. Then she chewed on her lip again, her nervous little tic that told me far too many things I didn’t want to know.
She was running from something or more likely someone.
“I thought I saw a bad man in these mountains. That’s why I tripped and fell over the edge.”
A bad man. “Somebody you know? Tell me who it is.” My tone had changed, the forceful savage peeking his head from his lair.
Laughing softly, she tried to pass it off. “No, but he seemed odd, and he was walking around with a big gun in his hands.”
“A big gun. Was he hunting? We are known for wildlife.”
“No. It was an assault rifle.”
How the fuck would she know what an assault rifle looked like? I didn’t have a chance to ask her before I pulled up next to her truck. Within a split second of me stopping, she jumped out. When Sam tried to go with her, I had to pull on his collar. “No, buddy. Stay right here.”
I grabbed her bag, surprised when she acted like she was going to leave it. I managed to grab her arm before she climbed inside. “Whoa. What the hell is really going on here, Lily? You think you saw a man in the woods with an assault rifle and you’re just telling me this?”
She jerked her arm free, trying to do the same with the bag. “I knew you could take care of us. You’re big and strong. You have weapons you could have used.”
