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“Sheriff’s Department,” Sheffield announced loudly as they climbed the porch steps. “If someone’s in there, you have three seconds to make yourself known!”
I shifted my focus to Lyric, reaching up to brush a loose strand of hair that had escaped her bun from her face. I’d never seen her hair styled the way she was currently wearing it, but like everything else when it came to this woman, she looked beautiful. “You did really good, Little Dove,” I said gently, running a palm up and down her back until the worst of her shaking stopped. With my other arm, I kept her clutched close to me, unable to let go. “Played it smart and kept yourself safe. You did everything right.”
“W-what if he’s still in there? Or she. Robbers can be women too, I guess. There’s no real gender discrimination when it comes to criminal activity. Or at least I’m assuming. I wouldn’t know since I’m not a criminal.”
She was rambling, and even though I still felt the dump of adrenaline and worry in my bloodstream, I couldn’t help but laugh. She was fucking cute when she was rambling. “No, sweetheart. I’d assume you’re right too. But if there is a person in there, Sheffield and Hernandez will get them. You have my word. They’re good deputies. No one’s getting by them.”
That seemed to offer her a bit of comfort, and I took more of her weight as she melted into me. “That’s good.”
My dog’s yap carried through the air, drawing Lyric’s attention. “Is that Churro?”
“Yeah. You joked about it, but she’s basically become the station mascot now. If I don’t take her with me when I’m on shift, the other guys give me hell. They all carry treats and toys for her now.”
She leaned to look around me toward my truck. Sure enough, my dog’s nose was pressed to the back window. Like she knew Lyric was looking right at her, she started barking repeatedly, her mouth curled back in that way that made it look like she was smiling, that damn tongue hanging out the side as she danced in the window.
“Hi, sweet girl,” she crooned loud enough for Churro to hear through the window I’d left cracked for her. She was still a little out of it, but I breathed a sigh of relief that she loosened up even more at the sight of my dog.
“Come on, baby. Why don’t you go sit with her, keep her company while I talk to the sheriff’s deputies, yeah?”
She didn’t respond verbally, but when I began to lead her in the direction of my truck, she didn’t put up any resistance. She moved on stiff legs toward the door, and I pulled it open for her.
“Aw,” she breathed. “You got her a little doggy booster seat and everything.” Those big eyes came back to me, some of the expressiveness inside them having returned. “That’s so sweet.”
“It’s not a booster seat,” I said flatly. It was the same argument I’d had with Alexis. “It’s a harness. It’s for her safety.”
Lyric hopped up into my truck and scooped my dog up, cuddling her in her lap. “Did your sweet daddy buy you a booster seat so you’d be comfy? He’s just the sweetest.”
I rolled my eyes, but there was no annoyance there. In fact, at the sight of her sitting in my truck, holding my dog, I felt a heated tug in my groin. I was hit with the feeling that she looked good there. That she belonged. And when she’d referred to me asdaddy... fuck me, but I liked the sound of that way too damn much.
This wasn’t the time or place for those kinds of thoughts, so I stuffed them into the back of my mind and reminded myself why I was there and what I did for a living.
“You want this locked or no?” I asked, pointing at the door.
I caught a flash of panic in her eyes, but she schooled her features and lifted her chin. Little Dove’s spine was made of steel, no doubt about it.
“I’m good. But thanks.”
“All right. I’ll be right inside, okay? You need me for anything at all, you shout, and I’ll hear you. You’ve got my word.”
She gave me a wan smile. “Thanks, Holt.”
It was nice to hear my name on her lips again after so long of being referred to asdeputy. Following my gut, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to her forehead. I felt her stiffen for just a moment before her whole body relaxed. Pulling back, I shot her a reassuring smile and closed the door before jogging toward her house to see what the hell was going on.
* * *
The bloodin my veins went from a slow simmer to a rolling boil the instant I stepped across the threshold into Lyric’s house.
The one and only time I’d been there, I’d taken the time to have a look around, and while it had been small, it had also been neat. It was clear Lyric took pride in her home and wanted to make it as comfortable and homey as possible.
And some prick had come in here and ruined all that hard work.
I stopped in the middle of the living room, jaw clenched so damn tight my back molars creaked. My hands were braced on my hips as I slowly turned in a circle, taking in the destruction.
The stuffing and foam that had once been inside the couch and love seat was now scattered across the floor. The coffee table and skinny bookshelf against the wall looked like someone had taken an axe to it. The television was lying face down on the carpet with signs that someone had danced a fucking jig on the back of it for optimum damage. There were holes in the wall, art and photographs hanging haphazardly from nails, and those were just the ones that managed to stay up. Figurines and treasured items had been smashed to bits.
A glance toward the kitchen showed it had faired the same. Cabinet doors looked like they’d been ripped off the hinges. Every dish that had been inside was in millions of shards on the kitchen floor. The counters had been axed as well. I didn’t need to go down the hall to her bedroom to know the damage probably extended all the way back.
My hands clenched into fists so tight my blunt nails sliced into the palms of my hands, but I did my best to remain calm, needing to keep a level head in order to do the job right. “What are we looking at here?”
