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- Herausgeber: Dale Mayer
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
Tucker is always ready to fight for the underdog. So when he’s offered a mission to save the life of a dog unfairly judged and slated for termination, he can’t let her go down without a fight. Plus the dog is in Miami, where his sister lives, and … no way he can refuse to attend her upcoming wedding.
Addie knows her sister lied about being attacked by the dog, but Addie isn’t sure to what extent or how far her sister will go for revenge against an animal she hates. Yet Addie is determined to help the dog who she loves, even if no one else does. Finding a hero to champion her cause isn’t part of her plan, but she is quick to realize Tucker’s value when she meets him.
Now if only he didn’t have a nightmare scenario of his own … one that threatens to take them all down, including the dog.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021
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TUCKER
The K9 Files, Book 13
Dale Mayer
Books in This Series:
Ethan, Book 1
Pierce, Book 2
Zane, Book 3
Blaze, Book 4
Lucas, Book 5
Parker, Book 6
Carter, Book 7
Weston, Book 8
Greyson, Book 9
Rowan, Book 10
Caleb, Book 11
Kurt, Book 12
Tucker, Book 13
Harley, Book 14
Kyron, Book 15
Jenner, Book 16
Rhys, Book 17
Landon, Book 18
Harper, Book 19
Kascius, Book 20
Declan, Book 21
The K9 Files, Books 1–2
The K9 Files, Books 3–4
The K9 Files, Books 5–6
The K9 Files, Books 7–8
The K9 Files, Books 9–10
The K9 Files, Books 11–12
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
About This Book
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
About Harley
Author’s Note
Complimentary Download
About the Author
Copyright Page
About This Book
Welcome to the all new K9 Files series reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Steel in a new series of action packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer. Pssst… you’ll meet other favorite characters from SEALs of Honor and Heroes for Hire too!
Tucker is always ready to fight for the underdog. So when he’s offered a mission to save the life of a dog unfairly judged and slated for termination, he can’t let her go down without a fight. Plus the dog is in Miami, where his sister lives, and … no way he can refuse to attend her upcoming wedding.
Addie knows her sister lied about being attacked by the dog, but Addie isn’t sure to what extent or how far her sister will go for revenge against an animal she hates. Yet Addie is determined to help the dog who she loves, even if no one else does. Finding a hero to champion her cause isn’t part of her plan, but she is quick to realize Tucker’s value when she meets him.
Now if only he didn’t have a nightmare scenario of his own … one that threatens to take them all down, including the dog.
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Prologue
Tucker Wilson walked across the property and stared up at the building, then gave a long whistle. “Man, you guys have worked fast,” he said. “The new house had gone up like a dream.” He looked over at Badger, who stood there with a clipboard, wearing a hardhat. “I didn’t think this was your deal?”
“Until all seven of us have houses,” Badger said, “it’s our deal.” He glanced at Tucker, noting the lifelike leg under his shorts, and asked, “How’s that prosthetic working for you?”
“Well, it’s one of Kat’s newest prototypes,” he said, stretching it out and twisting the ankle. “A waterproof model while on, apparently. I haven’t had a chance to try out that part. And, of course, I’ve got titanium knees and titanium hip joints now,” he said. “I’m almost a rebuilt bionic man,” he said with a laugh.
“Join the rest of us,” Badger said.
“I’ve got a hankering for heading home though,” Tucker said, looking at Badger sideways. “I didn’t say anything about it because I didn’t want to slow down your progress, and you’ve been such a great help getting me back on my feet.”
“That’s what we’re here for,” he said, “and, if it’s time to go home, then it’s time to go home. Nobody can tell you when and where, except for yourself.”
“Yeah,” he said, “it’s just one of those things I need to do.”
“Any particular reason?”
“My baby sister, Molly, is getting married,” he said. “There’s just the two of us. She’s marrying my old buddy Rodney.”
“That’s a good reason to go home then,” he said. “You thought about work?”
“Well, Rodney’s got a construction company, and he wants me to be a foreman.”
“Well, you’d do that quite nicely, wouldn’t you?”
“Maybe,” he said, “but personally I want five acres out in the middle of nowhere and an opportunity to just, … I don’t know, maybe raise a few dogs.”
“Dogs,” Badger said. “You’re a dog person?”
He looked at Badger and frowned. “Isn’t everybody?”
“Oh no, not everybody is.”
“You seem to be running a ton of dog operations through this place. I don’t quite understand what that’s all about.”
“No,” he said, “and it isn’t always all that clear. But the bottom line is, we’re doing a bunch of pro bono work for the War Dog Division.”
“I heard about that. You’re done though, aren’t you?”
“No, they dropped a bunch more files on us. We did the original twelve, and I guess our success has led them to give us a few troublesome cases.”
“Great,” he said. “Troublesome how?”
“I’ve got a couple dogs that need rescuing, depending on what quarter of the world you’ll be in?” he asked.
“Florida,” he said.
“Well, I’ve got one in Florida, held in a pound, about to be put to sleep in Miami.”
“What? A War Dog?”
“Yes, apparently it attacked a woman.”
“And is that confirmed?”
“No. I’m pretty sure nobody gives a shit, and it’s just another dog to them,” he said sadly. “I’ve been fighting with them for days.”
“Have you got anybody out there to fight on the dog’s behalf?”
“No. I’m trying to get them to do DNA testing on the bites, but apparently the woman’s refusing.”
“Well, that’s suspicious as hell.”
“She doesn’t like dogs,” Badger said with a sigh. “So she’s not being cooperative.”
“Well, Miami isn’t exactly my choice,” he said. “I don’t do huge cities like that. I’m actually from Saint Pete’s Beach originally, but, I mean, that’s a tourist town. Since my sister’s getting married nearby in Tampa though, I’m heading in that direction.”
“So no other family?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure where I’ll end up settling. My sister and her soon-to-be husband and his company are based farther out, in a smaller town, where he’s doing a couple hundred-unit condo developments.”
“So potentially a place where a dog might have a better life?”
“If I have any say about it, yes. Is this one male, female?”
“Female and they’re not exactly sure why she turned on and bit her caregiver.”
“Aggravation or protecting someone or something,” he said immediately.
“Well, that’s typical animal behavior. We just don’t really know what happened in this case. Nobody’s talking. Nobody has any video, and nobody gives a shit. That’s the bottom line.”
“Yeah, but those dogs have given their lives to the military. The least they deserve is a chance at a decent life.”
“She was adopted by the family, and then apparently the parents went on a cruise, and they left her with a daughter, who was attacked.”
“And how long was the daughter with the dog?”
“Just a couple weeks.”
“Hmm,” he said. “Well, I can be there first thing tomorrow.”
“That would be good,” he said, “because I think she’s slated to be put down on Friday.”
“Two days, counting tomorrow? The dog will die on the same Friday as my sister’s rehearsal dinner? That’s cutting it really close. Not a whole lot of time.”
“Well, I won’t be at all upset if you somehow sneak that dog out of lockdown where she is,” he said. “We have a little bit of money to help buy her way out, if need be.”
“I’ll book my flight and head down there right now,” he said. “You’ll make my sister’s day.”
“Maybe,” he said, “but why don’t we make the dog’s day and not put her to sleep?”
“What’s her name?”
“She’s got a big long Latin name, but basically she’s Bernadette, and they’ve shortened it to Bernie.”
“That’s not a nice name for a beautiful dog,” he said.
“She’s big, heavily muscled. She’s a Malinois with a bit of shepherd thrown in there, typical army breed,” he said. “Very well trained and she was a fire dog.”
“Well, she should be sniffing out fires then,” he said with a frown.
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Badger said. “There, you were looking for a dog, … for a job. Why not that one?”
“It’s not exactly construction work.”
“Maybe not,” he said, “but you have something to do in the interim, if you wanna look for something else.”
“Not a bad idea.” Just then his phone rang, and he frowned, as he stared down at it. “An SMS message,” he said staring at it. “Apparently my soon-to-be brother-in-law has a firebug at one of his condo complexes.”
Badger looked at him in delight.
Tucker raised an eyebrow. “You shouldn’t look quite so happy about that.”
“Maybe not,” he said, “but the dog would be perfect to assist on that problem, and we might get a stay on the kill order because of it.”
Then Tucker realized what Badger meant. “You got a point there,” he said. “I’m on my way. See if you can get us a stay order on the euthanasia.”
“Confirm or deny the facts as we know them ASAP,” Badger said, “and let me know when you arrive.”
“I’ll be on the next flight out,” he said. “So it all depends on the flight time.” He lifted his hand and said, “Nice job for me, by the way.”
“If you say so,” Badger said. “We’re just grateful to have somebody on the animal’s side.”
“I’m always on the animal’s side,” Tucker said. “The real predators in the world are the two-legged ones,” he said. “The four-legged ones? Well, their behaviors are simple. It’s the humans in the world you must watch out for.”
And, with that, he turned and walked out.
Chapter 1
Tucker exited the Miami airport the next morning, breathing the heavy air inside. “Certainly not my favorite place,” he murmured. Still, it was a far cry from where he had been and where he would have chosen to be, if he had a say. But he was here for a job and his sister Molly’s wedding, and that’s what counted. At that thought, he heard a honk, and he looked out to see a white new model SUV, pulling toward him, and his sister waving frantically from the inside of the car. He smiled, raced to the passenger side door, and hopped in. “Wow,” he said, “that was good timing.”
“Of course it was,” she said. “I’ve been tracking your flight the whole way.”
“I could have just gotten a rental car here and driven straight to my hotel. A little happy to see me or something?”
“Or something,” she said with an impudent grin. “Plus I happened to be down here picking up my wedding dress. As it is, I’m cutting it close, with the wedding in just two days.”
“You couldn’t find a wedding dress you liked near you?”
“The designer’s a friend of mine,” she said. “So I came down here to have her do it. And it just so happened to be that you were flying into Miami, so I arranged to pick you up at the same time.”
“So you’re not staying in Miami?”
“I’ll head back to St. Pete’s Beach this afternoon,” she said, “and then I’ll see you there tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’ve got to get a rental vehicle. I would have gotten that at the airport, but you stopped that.”
“We have a company truck for you, if you want to use that locally,” she said. “You’re okay to drive?”
“Yes. I’ve told you that many times. I’m fine to drive. I’ve been driving for a lot longer than you have.”
“Sure, but then I didn’t lose body parts and go through multiple surgeries,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re like now.”
“I’m fine,” he said with a smile.
She gave him a searching glance and then returned her attention to the traffic. “How have you been?”
“I’m fine,” he said with that same neutral tone he always used.
She nodded. “Of course you are,” she said. “You’d never tell me if you were anything other than that, would you?”
“Because nothing’s changed,” he said. “What’s the point of belaboring the fact?”
“You look better,” she said abruptly.
“You didn’t see me before,” he said with a half laugh.
“Other than initially in the hospital, no, but you’re better than I thought, than I expected,” she said. “You’ve got good color in your face. Your eyes are bright. You’re standing tall.”
“And all those things matter,” he said with a nod. “Still hasn’t been an easy journey, but I’m here.”
“And that’s what counts,” she said. “We thought we’d lost you there for a while. Of course it didn’t help that you wouldn’t let any of us come see you.”
“You all came and crowded me right after surgery,” he said. “I didn’t want to see anybody at that point in time, thanks.”
“Yep. I know. Rodney and I probably came on a little too strong, didn’t we?”
“You think?”
“Hey, it is what it is.”
“Did you have to bring Rodney’s mom and sister too?” he asked in a mocking tone.
“They were coming with us anyway,” she said. “So we just thought that everybody could go to the hospital.”
“I can’t believe they even let you in.”
“We lied,” she said cheerfully.
He groaned. “Well, it didn’t help my healing in any way.”
“And that’s why we left,” she said, “and it was very hard for me to do. I hope you appreciate the fact that I was looking out for you.”
“Of course,” he said gently. With just the two of them, it was not hard to see that that had been her motivation. He had just wanted them all to go away and let him sink back under the cloud of drugs. “And it wasn’t an easy recovery,” he said. “We did stay in touch, but I didn’t really want any visitors.”
“And I never really understood that, but, any time you got sick, you always wanted everybody to go away. You were like an animal, holed up to either live or die, and you wouldn’t come back out again until one or the other had happened,” she said, shaking her head. “When I get sick, I want to be held and cuddled. I want somebody to look after me.”
“That’s why we’re so different,” he said with a smile. “You’ve always been like that, and I’ve always been like I am.”
“I know,” she said, “but, for somebody like me to be around somebody like you and to not be able to help, it’s really frustrating.”
“Which is also why you weren’t supposed to come,” he said, “because you knew I wouldn’t want you there, more so because I just wanted to focus on my healing and either live or die, as you so eloquently put it,” he said with a note of humor. “Or I would be unconscious. Regardless, I didn’t want you there while I was trying to get back on my feet. It was a journey I had to take alone.”
“But you see? I don’t agree with that,” she said. “You didn’t have to be alone at any time.”
He laughed. “Having to be alone is a very different thing,” he said, “than choosing to be alone. That’s another thing entirely.”
“Right,” she grumbled. “And, for you, it’s always choosing to be alone.” She shook her head. “You know that’s not normal, right?”
He smiled. “It’s normal for me. It’s even got a name. Introvert.” It was an old argument that they had had—but not recently. “Anyway, once I was back on my feet and was capable of letting you guys know I was doing okay, I did contact you. We’ve been in touch ever since.”
“Yes, but you were alone when you needed somebody,” she said, frowning.
“No,” he said, “I was alone at a time when I needed to be alone.”
“It’s very strange,” she muttered.
“Only strange for you,” he said, “because you’re very different from me. But it’s the differences that make us work so well together.”
She snorted at that. “Basically you just want to be left alone to do your own thing,” she said. “You’re not a team player.”
“I’m very much a team player,” he said. “Yes, it took me a long time to get there, but once I realized that that was necessary for the kind of work I was doing,” he said, “I was definitely a team player. But, when you’re injured, there’s no part of … there’s no team in ‘I’m injured,’” he said. “It really doesn’t matter how much of a team player you are because your team becomes the medical team. And you have to trust that they know what they’re doing, or you have to argue your way out of whatever it is that they’re trying to talk you into,” he said. “At that point in time, there’s not a whole lot anybody can do. You have to make your own decisions and follow through.”
“But you don’t have to be a hard-ass,” she said in exasperation. “Other people can be there to help you make those decisions.”
“Maybe in your case, yes,” he said, “but I’m the one who has to live with the outcome. I’m the one who has to live with the process, the recovery, and whatever I’ll have at the end of the day.”
She nodded, looking at his leg.
“Missing one lower leg, but new titanium knees and hips,” he said cheerfully. “Missing a whole mass of muscle on the one calf, and my back is definitely not pretty, but then I’m not pretty anymore either.”
“And never did pretty matter to you before,” she said. Once again she shot him a long look. He pointed at the highway and said, “Keep your attention on the road. You’ll have lots of time to stare at my scars later.”
She shook her head. “See? You were always like that,” she said. “Even if there weren’t any scars, you’d say that.”
“Well, the scars are there,” he said. “No doubt about it. I’m no poster boy.”
“You are, though,” she said. “You’re a poster boy for courage and bravery.”
“I don’t think anybody gives a shit,” he said. “The world’s very much about me, me, me.”
“I’m sorry you see it that way,” she said. “Because we haven’t been through your experiences, it doesn’t seem the same for us.”
“I wonder,” he said. “Your soon-to-be husband might have a different take on that.”
“He might,” she admitted. “I’m glad you came for the wedding,” she said impulsively.
“Well, I’m combining it with another trip too,” he said. She raised her eyebrows. He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m here to also help a War Dog,” he said.
“But we’ll still see you in Saint Pete’s Beach tomorrow?” she asked. When he nodded, she added, “I’m just so glad that you survived all of it and that you’re here,” she said.
“Well, I wouldn’t miss my only sister’s wedding, particularly when she has no other family.”
“And I appreciate that,” Molly said mistily. “And you’re still okay to walk me down the aisle?”
“That too,” he said, wincing ever-so-slightly.
“You don’t have a suit, do you?”
He looked at her and frowned. “I thought I could rent one today.”
She snorted. “On such short notice? I’m not sure that you can,” she said, “and I highly doubt any suit you rent will look any good.”
“I’m not that hard to fit. I still take a standard forty-two long off the shelf,” he said.
She hesitated and then shrugged. “As long as you show up on time,” she said, “I’m fine with whatever.”
“Meaning, I could show up in Hawaiian shorts and a big T-shirt?”
“Please don’t,” she said with a wince.
He laughed. “Okay, I’ll try not to.”
She gave him a weepy smile. “It’s really good to see you.”
“Hey, stop the maudlin theatrics,” he teased, “and I appreciate the ride.”
“I wanted to spend more time here with you,” she said, “but just so much has to be done right now.”
“You’re getting married in two days,” he said. “You know that you’re expected to be rushed off your feet, but you’re supposed to have a lot of help for it.”
“I have help,” she said dismissively, “but I wouldn’t let anybody else pick up my brother.”
He smiled at her. “And, once again, I appreciate the ride.” They pulled into the hotel he had booked.
She looked at him and said, “You know you could stay with us in Saint Pete’s.”
“I could,” he said cheerfully, “but I can’t deal with the dog here in Miami that way.”
“I don’t understand the dog part,” she said, “but I’m grateful that you’re here. I was afraid you would find an excuse not to come.”
He winced at that because, of course, he had been half planning that. Only as the dog came to the forefront did he decide to grab the late flight to Florida. He’d been waffling over it the whole time. He hated to let her down, but he didn’t like crowds and particularly not weddings. As he grabbed his bag that he had kept on his lap, she looked at it and frowned. He said, “It’s fine. I’ll go shopping, and I’ll rent a suit this afternoon.”
She looked at him, grinned, and said, “Everything at the last minute, huh?”
He shrugged. “It’s not like I’ve needed a suit for the last few years.”
Her smile fell away. “And it wouldn’t fit anyway, would it?”
“Nope, sure wouldn’t,” he said. “I’ll rent a vehicle, rent a suit, and I’ll be at St. Pete’s Beach tomorrow afternoon in time for the rehearsal and afterward the dinner.”
With that, he hopped out, lifted his hand to wave, and walked into the hotel. He registered and then asked about a rental vehicle. Thankfully the hotel had arrangements with one of the big local companies, and he quickly arranged for a small truck. If he freed the dog, he needed a way to carry it. The hotel itself wouldn’t let him take the dog inside. That was a concern. But he could do some legwork throughout today—both wedding-related and dog-related—stay here tonight and then hopefully figure out what to do after that to rescue the dog tomorrow. He walked up to his room, dropped his bag, quickly searched on his phone for a suit rental, realizing that his procrastination had caused him some last-minute issues.
When he couldn’t find anything via a quick internet search, he headed back to the reception desk and asked someone there. The guy quickly sent Tucker down two blocks. As he walked into the store, everybody was friendly and happy, until he said he needed a suit in two days. At that, they stopped and looked at him in horror. He shrugged and said, “If you can’t help me, I’ll find somebody who can.” He added, “I don’t need anything but a black suit.”
Apparently asking for that was akin to asking for a full-on tux. But thankfully that wasn’t the requirement for this wedding. His sister, although she wanted a nice wedding, hadn’t required all the stops being pulled out for it.
By then the manager came out and said, “Let’s see if we have something in stock for you.”
Sure enough, they did. And what could have been a horribly painful and difficult exercise was settled within an hour. They arranged to send the suit to his hotel, which was also good because then he didn’t have to pick it up and bring it back. With that taken care of, he carried on back to the hotel, where he asked for directions to a pet store and the pound holding the dog. With directions programed into his phone, he headed out to the rental car area, picked up his truck, and drove to the pet store, just for food and treats. He didn’t take long, as he wanted to get to the pound as soon as possible.
It had a large parking lot and was one of those depressing cement buildings. He stared and frowned. “Talk about a lousy place for a War Dog to end up.”
He walked inside and approached the woman at the front desk. She looked up at him with a frown. He smiled nicely and said that he was inquiring after the War Dog.
“Ah,” she said, “you mean, that shepherd cross.”
“Yeah, that shepherd cross, who’s won several awards for her bravery in defending our heroes and saving military lives,” he said quietly.
She flushed ever-so-slightly.
He realized he was taking his ire out on the wrong person. “Where is she?”
“She’s in the back,” she said, but she hesitated.
“I’d like to see her,” he said firmly.
Again she hesitated.
“Are you telling me that she’s not allowed to have visitors? Even prisoners on death row are allowed visitors.”
“I just know that this case is being put to sleep,” she said.
“Which is exactly why she should be allowed visitors and exactly why we are working hard to get a stay order on her being killed.”
“That just extends our expenses to keep her alive,” she muttered.
“Meaning?”
“The bill to release her will be high.”
He stared at her. “Are you telling me that a dog who risked her life and saved several soldiers many times over isn’t entitled to a fair deal?”
She didn’t know what to say to that. She got up and hurried into the back office. She returned, following a big strapping male with a huge beer gut on him. He looped his thumbs on his belt loops and said, “What do you want with the dog?”
“First I must positively identify that she’s who we think she is,” he said, “and then I’ll pull a DNA swab from her and get it matched to the bite,” he said.
“The victim already has refused that,” he said.
“Good, I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “We’ll see what she says to me when I talk to her.”
Immediately the man frowned. “I can’t have you harassing her.”
“I’m sorry. Did you imply that I would harass somebody?” he asked sharply. “Did I, at any point, say that this woman would deal with something like that?”
“Hey, now, let’s just get along here,” he said. “We’re just following orders here.”
“Good,” he said. “Then you’ll follow US Navy Commander Cross’s order right now, which will allow me to see the dog and to confirm identity,” he said.
“Do you have something in writing?”
“Do I need it?” he asked in astonishment. “Are you seriously telling me that I can’t get in there and confirm who she is? Abuse of animals is a federal crime. Are you not aware of this?”
He just looked from him to the receptionist and back again, and then the manager shrugged. “I guess there’s no problem in letting him see her.”
“Thank you,” he said with exaggerated politeness. He followed the man through a double door to the back of a long hallway, where cages were stacked upon each other. Just seeing the animals caged like this made his heart hurt. He knew most of them would be put to sleep within the week. He just couldn’t imagine how a country that was so great and so huge and so wealthy hadn’t found a way to solve the lost and abandoned animal problem without trying to kill every single one of them.
