Love Inspired Suspense June 2021--Box Set 1 of 2, page 42
“Well, that was interesting,” Justine said. “Since we’re here, I’d like to stretch my legs. I’ll run in and get a large cup of coffee. What would you like?”
Trey wrinkled his nose. “It’s going to be one hundred degrees with ninety percent humidity today, and you want coffee?”
“What’s your point?” Justine tilted her head, blinking innocently.
He chuckled. “Would you grab a bottled raspberry tea for me?” Trey reached for his wallet.
Justine’s lips curved, and she waved away the offer. “Seriously?”
“What? You thought I’d want a powered-up energy drink?”
“Something like that.” The playfulness in her tone sent a strange flutter through Trey’s chest.
He cleared his throat, guesstimating the distance to the store was half a football field away, and three semis in the gasoline bays blocked his view. Protectiveness consumed him.
Magnum headed toward an oak tree, tugging on the leash. Trey knew that stride. “Wait up until he’s finished doing his business, and we’ll escort you into the store.” His attempt at sounding casual flopped, based upon Justine’s quirked eyebrow.
“I don’t need a babysitter. I’m perfectly capable of defending myself. No one will kidnap me from a populated truck stop.”
Trey lifted his hands in surrender. “Whoa. Don’t kill the messenger. Just being cautious.”
Justine frowned and looked down. “Sorry. My limited sleep is starting to dampen my joyful attitude. Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be fine.”
Trey wasn’t so sure, but she didn’t give him a chance to respond. Not that he had anything brilliant to say. He walked toward Magnum, who glanced back with an expression that said “smooth.”
“What?”
With one eye on Magnum and the other surveying the truck stop, Trey contemplated following her. The place was busy, so there were plenty of witnesses should anyone try to harm Justine, and as she’d said, it was broad daylight.
Still, uneasiness kept him on edge as Justine disappeared between two large semis.
Too many long minutes passed without her presence.
Disquiet niggled down Trey’s spine, with a knowing he couldn’t explain. “Mags, I don’t like this.”
“Officer, excuse me.” A woman jogged toward him, waving as if he could miss her. “Officer!”
Trey glanced over his shoulder, anxious to see Justine, but there was no sight of her. He tugged on the leash. “Mags, this isn’t a social call. Do what you need to so we can get on the road.”
The woman closed the distance between them, invading Trey’s personal-space bubble. She pressed a hand against her chest, splaying her extremely long, painted fingernails. “Oh, I’m so glad I caught you.” She sidled beside Trey and lifted her blond hair, twisting and securing it up with a clip. Her heavy perfume inflamed his nostrils.
“How can I help you?” Trey shifted to keep one eye on the store.
The woman moved closer, blocking more of his view. “What a beautiful puppy. Aren’t you a lovey-dovey boo-boo? What’s your name, handsome?”
Why did people speak to his seventy-pound dog as though he was a toddler? “He’s working.” He deliberately refrained from using Magnum’s name.
She reached out, disregarding everything Trey said. He stepped in her way, preventing her from touching his dog. “Ma’am, we don’t recommend socializing.” Rarely did Trey discourage Magnum’s public interaction, but something about her bugged him.
Magnum shifted away from her in silent agreement.
“He’s as handsome as his master.”
Where was Justine? “We’ve got to get going. Have a nice day.” Trey turned.
The woman clamped her dagger nails over his forearm. “But, Officer, I need your help.” She blinked bloodshot brown eyes wearing heavy makeup. “I accidentally locked my keys in my car.”
Trey firmly but gently removed her claw hold. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to call a locksmith.”
“Please. You don’t understand. A locksmith will take forever, and my little dog, Scriffy, is trapped inside.”
A dog locked in the car on a stifling hot day demanded immediate attention. “I’ll need to grab my window-punch tool. It’ll break the glass though.”
“A small price to save my Scriffy,” she replied.
“Where is your car?”
The woman pointed to a sedan parked on the east side of the parking lot. It would be faster to run there than to load Magnum.
“I’ll meet you there.” Trey jogged to his pickup and grabbed his dual-purpose seat belt cutter and window-punch tool from his utility box in the truck bed. He turned, nearly colliding with the woman standing behind him.
“Thank you so much, Officer.”
They reached her car, and Trey confirmed the door was locked. A small white dog panted inside.
Trey applied the tool, breaking the glass, and unlocked the doors.
The woman raced to the passenger side and scooped up the dog. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” She lavished kisses on the animal’s head.
“No problem.”
With the dog in her arms, she ran to Trey, inching too close. “I’d like to show my appreciation for you rescuing Scriffy. Maybe I could buy you a cup of coffee?”
Unable to see the convenience store door, Trey stepped to the side. “Appreciate the offer, but I’m meeting my—” he hesitated, unsure how to refer to Justine “—partner. Did you see a woman with dark hair walk out?”
She brushed a stray tendril from her face. “Darlin’, I only had eyes for you. I wouldn’t have seen a herd of elephants if they’d stood right in front of me.”
A man came rushing around the corner, waving his arms wildly. “Hey! Get away from my car!”
Trey jerked to look at the woman. Her mouth hung open, and her gaze bounced between him and the enraged stranger.
“What’s going on?” Trey asked. Had she played him?
She lifted a hand in surrender.
The man closed the distance between them, but the run had clearly worn him out. He bent over, huffing with both hands flat on his thighs. “You broke. My window,” he panted.
“Liar!” the woman argued, hugging her dog closer.
Great. And now he was in the middle of a domestic dispute. “I need to see the registration and both your driver’s licenses.” Trey didn’t have time for this, but that was the quickest way to get to the truth.
The man glared at him. “You should’ve asked for those things before you broke my window. Don’t ya think?”
“He saved my little Scriffy-poo,” the woman whined.
“What was your dog doing in my car?”
A gunshot cracked from behind them, somewhere near the long line of parked semis.
Trey spun in the direction of the sound. “Both of you, stay here.”
“I’ll have your badge. You can’t—” the man hollered.
Trey barely heard the rest of the sentence. He took off, sprinting toward the row of trucks.
* * *
Justine’s mind screamed for her to run, but every cell in her body ignored the command. Her gaze froze on the stranger’s pistol, which seemed to grow to the size of a cannon.
“Get into the truck. Now, or the next bullet has your name on it.”
Cornered between two ginormous semitrailers, Justine was hidden from the view of any witnesses. The passenger door of one semi stood wide, blocking her escape, and the rumble of the massive diesel engines would drown out her scream. Had anyone heard the warning shot the man had fired seconds before?
You’re so stupid, choosing a shortcut between the semis instead of going the longer way around. The condemning voice echoed in her mind, feeding her fears.
No. Justine slid into the mode of a psychologist. “I’ll give you my purse. Put down the gun.”
“Lady, save it. Just get into the cab.”
“No.” Justine gripped the bottle of tea in one hand, a large foam cup in the other.
“Get inside the truck. Now.” The man’s thick, unruly beard covered most of his face, and the stained baseball cap shadowed his crooked nose. His bulging midsection enlarged the cartoon character on his dirty red T-shirt, stretching out the rabbit’s head to unnatural proportions. He glanced past her, as if searching for someone. “C’mon, Peggy, we gotta go,” he mumbled.
Justine sidestepped, fighting to steady her shaking hands.
“Move!”
Now or never. Justine took a step forward and flung the coffee at the man’s face. He yowled and threw up his hands.
Justine bolted past him.
He clamped a brawny hand over her arm, but she jerked free and ran, rounding the trailer without looking back.
In the open, she spotted Trey and Magnum sprinting toward her across the expansive lot.
“Trey! Gun!”
A shot rang out behind her.
Justine ducked in front of another rig, where Trey joined her.
Someone screamed.
“Are you okay?” Trey withdrew his weapon, one hand holding Magnum’s leash.
“Yes.”
“Stay here.” Trey peered around the rig and returned fire.
Movement in her peripheral vision drew Justine’s attention. A woman watched from the distance, her gaze nervously darting between Trey and the dog park. She quickened her pace and a husky man stumbled after her, hollering while he cradled a small dog in his arms.
As her eyes connected with Justine, she lunged into a sprint.
“Oh, I don’t think so, sister.” Justine took off after the woman.
The exchange of gunfire continued, as did Magnum’s furious barking.
The warm sunshine beat down on Justine. She pumped her arms, increasing her speed to catch up. She reached the dog park and leaped into the air, tackling the woman to the grass.
They skidded to a stop, and Justine pushed up, pinning the woman’s arms beneath her knees.
“Get off me!”
Scanning the area, Justine searched for something to bind her wrists with. Magnum rushed toward her, his leash dragging on the pavement.
“I’ll kill you!” The woman wriggled, but Justine restrained her by pushing her head down.
Magnum was with her in seconds, growling, hackles raised.
“Calm down or the K-9 will attack,” Justine warned.
“Don’t let him bite me,” she whimpered, chest heaving with frustration and exertion.
“Don’t give him a reason.” Justine reached out and Magnum moved closer, allowing her to disconnect his leash. “Good boy.”
She wrapped the cord around the woman’s wrists.
“Be still,” Justine warned.
Magnum shifted protectively in front of her, emitting a low growl.
Trey hauled the gunman into view, approaching Justine.
“Wait. This is all a misunderstanding,” the woman interjected.
“Really? You’re going that route?”
“Honest. We wouldn’t hurt you. All you had to do was go with us.”
“Where?”
“Don’t you say a word, Peggy,” the gunman hollered as they neared.
“Who sent you to attack me?” Justine asked.
“I want a lawyer.”
Sirens screamed, announcing help. Within seconds, responding patrol cars screeched into the parking lot. One sped to where Justine and Magnum stood, and a trooper she didn’t recognize stepped out. She launched into an abbreviated explanation as the officer helped the woman to her feet, then handcuffed her and returned the leash to Justine. “Resourceful.”
She grinned and jogged to where Trey relinquished the gunman to another trooper’s custody.
“Are you okay?” Trey asked Justine, surveying her, then Magnum.
“Thanks to him.”
Trey took the leash and gave his dog a scratch behind the ears. “What happened?”
“Let me start with admitting you were right.”
“I like to think so,” Trey teased.
“Whoever is after this diary is determined, and apparently—” she gestured toward the parking lot filled with cop cars and people “—even in broad daylight, I’m not safe.” Justine gave him a quick rundown about the shortcut and abduction attempt.
“How’d you get away?”
“Threw my coffee in his face.”
“Foiled by caffeine.” Trey grinned, revealing identical dimples she’d failed to notice before. “Well done.”
Justine shrugged. “Use what you have on hand. Magnum arrived right on time or the woman might’ve wriggled her way out of my hold. I borrowed his leash to tie her hands.”
Trey knelt and checked Magnum’s paw. A frown creased his brows. “Buddy, we need to re-dress your wound.”
Justine gasped. “Did he reinjure his paw?”
“Probably just overdid it.” Trey hefted the dog into his arms, and they headed for his patrol truck.
Guilt sent Justine’s stomach roiling. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Mags can’t help himself. He saw you running and took off before I could stop him. He’s chivalrous that way.”
“Yes, he is.” Justine smiled, but Magnum babied his paw, driving a nail of shame into her heart. What had she done?
Magnum shot her that irresistible grin as Trey loaded him into the kenneled area before disappearing behind the truck bed. He returned a few seconds later with a bag of medical supplies and expertly bandaged the paw. “Good as new.”
Trey filled a stabilized dog bowl with bottled water. Grateful laps followed, and Trey passed her a treat. “Since you two worked the case together, you reward him.”
She offered the bone-shaped biscuit and Magnum’s soulful eyes pierced her as he gently lifted the treat, whiskers brushing her palm. The acceptance released a stray tear, and Justine swiped it away.
“Whoa. Hey, it’s okay. See? He’s fine.” Trey pulled her into a hug.
She allowed herself to be held for the first time in forever. “I’m so sorry.”
Justine refused to let any more tears flow while the weight of the attacks crashed onto her shoulders. She buried her face in Trey’s chest, unsure how to respond. The comfort of his strength and his heartbeat calmed her.
“You’re a superstar for chasing that woman down.”
She lifted her head and forced a smile. “I wouldn’t go that far.” Her gaze traveled from Trey’s blue irises, the color of tropical waters, down to his jaw, strong and firm. He leaned in, his breath warm on her face. She inched up on her toes.
An engine drew closer, and she jerked to see a patrol car approach. Trey’s hold loosened, and he quickly shot a glance in Magnum’s direction. Justine stepped back, arms at her sides.
The second K-9 vehicle parked beside them, and a trooper exited, then opened the back door, releasing a dog that could’ve been Magnum’s twin.
“Who’s that?” Justine asked.
“Vulture,” Trey mumbled.
A smirk split the trooper’s young face as he rounded the vehicle, his dog moving in stride with him. “Hey, Jackson. Out causing trouble, I see.”
“Irwin, are you lost?”
Though the two spoke in jest, a gravy-thick tension hung in the air.
Irwin turned to her. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure. Trooper Eric Irwin, and this is K-9 Apollo.” He gestured to the Belgian Malinois beside him.
“Justine Stark.” She took his proffered hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
He responded with a weak single shake, then addressed Trey. “Sergeant Oliver sent us to Supply to pick up materials. Too bad we weren’t a few minutes earlier or I could’ve come to your rescue.”
Trey visibly bristled, but his expression remained neutral. Whatever was going on between the two blared animosity. “We’re fine.”
“Heard the call over the radio. Sounds like you had a serious run-in with some criminals. Was Magnum a help?”
Trey closed the door, creating a boundary between Magnum and Irwin. “He’s staying within his light-duty restrictions.”
“Good. Thought you were forcing him to work before he was ready. Would sure hate for something to happen and put Magnum out of commission permanently.” Irwin patted Apollo’s head.
“Trey is diligently watching over Magnum,” Justine said.
“Sergeant Oliver wants a K-9 in our assigned work area.” Irwin ignored Justine’s comment. “Apollo’s raring to go.”
“Magnum’s right on schedule,” Trey said.
Irwin faced Justine. “You’re the psychologist helping with the Nolan case?”
“Yes.” Who was this guy?
“Hmm. Is today’s event related?”
“It’s a possibility,” Trey answered.
“So someone’s trying to prevent Miss Stark from testifying?”
“I’m not testifying. I’m developing a profile,” Justine corrected.
“Has Jackson mentioned protective custody?” His disingenuous smile irked her.
Trey stepped between them. “So, hey, thanks for stopping by, but we were just leaving. We have an appointment and need to get going. See you around.”
Irwin chuckled. “Right. Nice meeting you. Better give Apollo a quick break.” He led his dog to the grassy area.
“I’m scared to ask what that was about,” Justine said.
Trey moved to the patrol pickup and slid his hand along the undercarriage and wheel wells.
“What are you looking for?”
“A tracking device. How else did the trucker couple know where we were?”
“You don’t think Drazin is involved, do you?” Justine joined him, working the opposite side.
“Possible. Got it.” Trey held a tiny black square with a blinking green light. He flipped it over and slid a small switch, killing it. “I’ll see if I can find the GPS coordinates or anything to show who owns this little tattletale.”
