Page 34 of Junkyard Dog

“Damn,” he muttered, his hips jerking up involuntarily. “I… Damn. I promised no sex, right?”

“Not in so many words, but yes.” She grinned, her confidence spiking as he ran his hands over her bare skin and licked his lips.

“I’m an idiot.”

Chapter Twelve

Alex padded throughthe back streets of a small town north of Joshua Tree, making use of the first few hours of moonlight before Charlotte got off work. She had assured him that she and Max would be traveling together for the first few afternoon shifts as they acclimated to the different procedures and responsibilities that day shifts provided. He’d swung by for a quick belly rub before heading north, taking the rare opportunity to nip at Max’s hand when it got too close.

The guy did kiss her once, after all.

And man or beast, he definitely owned up to his jealous streak when it came to that woman. Even if they were officially nothing more than make-out buddies.

He was nose-deep in a discarded burger when he caught it.

Pirithous.

He lifted his snout, turning slowly to pinpoint the direction of the scent. Once he zeroed in on it, he maneuvered through the streets, keeping tight to the dark corners to avoid detection as the bloodline grew stronger. Stopping at the entrance of a small apartment complex, he inched across the tiny parking lot, following the smell until he hit the jackpot.

Fucking. Sedans.

Memorizing the address and license plate, he tore off toward the highway where his SUV sat abandoned on a side road. He morphed quickly, yanking his jeans over his hips and pulling his cell phone out of the glove box.

His thumb hovered over the phone icon.

One more night.

He glanced at the time. Charlotte would be off in an hour, and it would take him that long to circle the park and meet her at the station.

He’d found his prey. One more night wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Shoving his phone into his pocket, he started the engine and pulled onto the highway.

*

“Dude,” Max said,gesturing wildly. “The thing is, like, this tall. Huge. You need to tell your woman to keep her distance from that animal. If it turns, it’ll kill her in a heartbeat.”

Alex lifted a brow and leaned against the counter of the ranger station, watching Charlotte as she trailed her finger along a map to show a pair of hikers their path. “Tell my woman?” He laughed. “How about you tell your partner. See how well that goes over.”

“I did. She yelled at me.”

He smirked and turned his attention back to Charlotte, listening in to her enthusiastic description of Skull Rock, her dark eyes lighting up as she spoke. “Damn,” he muttered, taking a long drink from his water bottle. “So, is the dog aggressive?”

Max snorted. “Rolls over like a fucking kitten for Chuck. Tried to take my hand off, though.” He leaned in and flexed his hand in front of Alex’s face. “Almost lost those three fingers.”

Other hand.

“I wouldn’t be too worried,” he mused. “If the animal’s loyal to her, then he’s probably a good guard dog. And since no one seems able to track down whoever left those bodies in the park, a guard dog is a pretty appealing idea right about now.”

Grumbling a reluctant agreement, Max leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet onto the counter Alex was using to remain upright, his entire body aching from lack of rest and the hours he’d spent monitoring Charlotte’s route and tracking his target.

But it was a small price to pay to have one last uninterrupted evening with her. One more night before he called in Bo and Ryan.

No harm, no foul.

Charlotte dropped into the chair beside Max, her face flushed from the intense heat of the summer that battled valiantly against the station’s air conditioner. “That’s it. I’m done. Want to head back to my place for a bit?”

Max slammed his hands on his knees. “Yes, yes I do.” When she leveled him with a glare, he grinned. “See you tomorrow. Leave your car and I’ll pick you up at eight.”

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