Page 26 of Scent of Fear

She gnawed her lower lip for a few seconds, then nodded. “Okay. Thank you. That’s very kind.”

He was tempted to remind her that he wasn’t kind but practical, but he swallowed the urge. It wouldn’t hurt for him to put some effort into being nice. Libby was going through a difficult time, and the least he could do was offer some support.

“I, uh, just need to let my family know. They’ll worry if I don’t show up.” He turned away, tucking the gun in the small of his back so he could pull out his phone. “Come, Bryce.” He stepped back outside with Bryce to call Chase.

When his older brother answered, Shane got straight to the point. “I’m sleeping on Libby’s sofa tonight. I don’t know if you’ve been updated by Alexis and Joel, but I may need additional search support in the morning too.”

“Alexis filled me in,” Chase said. “Did some guy really search the cellar?”

“Yeah.” Shane stared up at the stars flickering in the sky. “There’s something fishy going on, Chase. It just doesn’t make sense that someone would kidnap an old man. What could they possibly want?”

“The cabin and the land?” Chase suggested. “You know as well as I do people will do drastic things in desperate times.”

“Maybe, but I’m sure Libby is set to inherit the place if Marvin passes away.” Shane found himself shaking his head even though Chase couldn’t see him. “I don’t think this is about the cabin or the land. I think Libby’s grandfather has secrets she doesn’t know about. Or secrets she does know about but hasn’t told me.”

“Another good reason to stick close,” Chase said. “If this guy comes back, Bryce will take him down.”

“Yeah, except the last time the idiot fired several shots to keep us back.” The near miss had concerned him. “But Bryce is a good watchdog for sure. I’ll let you know if anything changes. Thanks, Chase.”

“Be safe.” His brother ended the call.

Shane watched as Bryce trotted around the yard lifting his leg to mark his territory. Shane opened the back hatch and pulled out the backpack he’d used earlier that day. Bryce would need food in the morning, plus water for tonight. He slammed the hatch, waited for the dog to finish up, then headed inside.

Libby had left a pillow and blanket on the sofa. Then he noticed she’d folded a second blanket on the floor for Bryce. Her thoughtfulness made him smile.

“Do you need anything else?” Libby asked, hovering in the kitchen. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t find a spare toothbrush.”

“That’s okay.” He set the pack down. “Bryce has one in the backpack I can use.”

Her brown eyes widened, then a wide smile bloomed on her face. “Is that a joke? You made a joke?”

“Apparently not a good one if you have to ask.” He raked his hand through his hair, feeling like an idiot. So much for trying. “Never mind. Good night, Libby.”

“Good night, Shane.” She turned and disappeared down the hallway leading to the bedrooms. He didn’t notice her limping and hoped her ankle would be back to normal come morning.

Shane set his weapon on the end table, dropped onto the sofa, and removed his hiking boots, giving her time to get settled before padding to the bathroom. Bryce really did have a toothbrush in the backpack, but Shane had no intention of sharing it. He turned off the lights as he returned, then stretched out on the sofa.

“Here, Bryce.” He patted the pallet Libby had made for the dog. Bryce sniffed it, then made a circle before curling up and closing his eyes. “Good boy,” he murmured.

He repositioned the pillow behind his bed and covered himself with the light blanket. The sofa wasn’t bad, a tad short, but he’d slept in worse places. It wasn’t the strange surroundings that kept him awake.

It was Libby and whatever had gone down today with her grandfather’s disappearance.

He couldn’t toss and turn, so he tried to relax the muscles in his body. The trick must have worked because Shane awoke to the low growl rumbling from deep within Bryce’s throat.

He jackknifed into a sitting position, blinking to peer through the darkness. The low, constant growl was a warning.

Shane reached for the gun and shoved his feet into his hiking boots. He rose and moved through the kitchen, listening for whatever had caught Bryce’s attention.

Suddenly Bryce jumped to his feet and let out several sharp barks. A hint of movement outside the patio doors caught his attention. Shane bolted across the room, yanked open the sliding glass door, and shouted, “Stop!”

Of course, the guy didn’t stop. He ran toward the woods.

“Get him!” Bryce didn’t need additional encouragement. His K9 raced through the opening, covering the distance in the blink of an eye.

Shane followed his dog, again praying the intruder wouldn’t shoot. The darkness made it difficult to see clearly, but he shouldn’t have been surprised to hear an engine roar to life.

“Get him,” he shouted again, hoping Bryce would stop the guy from escaping. But the engine roar only grew louder, then faded as the intruder disappeared.

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