Page 29 of Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses
She crossed her arms. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
He pulled to a stop in front of his parents’ place. “Please, get out. My parents are expecting you.” When she didn’t budge, he said, “Belle, you’re wasting time.”
“Just go. I’ll stay in the car.”
He had a feeling this was the best deal he was going to get from her. Time was ticking, and his phone kept vibrating with alerts. “Do I have your word that you will stay in the car?”
There was a slight hesitation. “Yes. Go. Go!”
Just then his parents’ front porch light came on. He’d have to explain it to them later. He stomped the accelerator. He waited for Belle to point out that he was speeding, but she was utterly silent. He had a feeling that if she were driving, she’d be doing the exact same thing.
A five-minute drive took him just under three minutes. When they pulled up, his deputies had already arrived. He didn’t say a word as he jumped out of the pickup. He left the engine running so Belle wouldn’t get cold.
He crouched down and pulled his backup gun from his ankle holster. Then he rushed toward the darkened house. A flash of light streaked across a window on the first floor. He wondered if it was from one of his deputies or if the suspect was still inside.
With his gun in hand, he stepped through the open front door. He paused and listened. He heard a couple of footsteps.
“Clear” came a female voice.
“Clear” came a male voice.
The familiar voices came from upstairs. So, then why did he hear some sort of shuffling coming from the living room?
Parker took quiet, sure steps toward the darkened living room. Luckily, it was a clear night. The moonlight shone through the windows, allowing him to see the outline of someone.
Parker’s body flooded with adrenaline. He took quiet, measured steps. He glanced around to make sure there weren’t any other intruders. He didn’t see anyone else.
“Sheriff’s Office!” He squinted into the dark with his hand on the gun. “Hands up.”
The next thing he knew, something hard hit him in the side of the head. The unexpected impact made him see stars as he lost his balance. He went down hard.
When he regained his senses, he heard a jingling sound. Then something crashed to the floor. This was immediately followed by the shattering of glass. A frigid breeze smacked him in the face. Parker gave his head a shake before scrambling to his feet.
With his gun still in his other hand, he moved toward the suspect. “Stop. Police.”
The dark shadow of a person escaped through the broken window. Parker rushed to the window. With each footstep, he felt something crunch beneath his feet. Whatever it was, it appeared to be all over the floor. He didn’t have time to investigate. He had a criminal to catch.
The moment he reached the broken window, the bright overhead lights came on. He was momentarily blinded. At the same time, he heard a motor start, and then someone gunned it as they made their getaway. It sounded like a snowmobile.Wait. No. An ATV.
He squinted into the night. All he saw was the red glow of the taillights fading into the night. When his gaze lowered, he noticed blood on the broken shards of glass.Gotcha!
“Parker!” Belle’s voice held a worried tone. Her beautiful blue eyes were rounded with fear. “You’re bleeding.”
“I am?” He raised his hand to his face and pressed it to the area that hurt. When he lowered his arm, he saw his fingertips were covered with bright red blood. That wasn’t good.
“Boss, I’ll call the ambulance.” Deputy Luke Williams’s voice held a shocked tone.
“No. The suspect went out the window. I think he took off on an ATV. See if you can track it.”
“On it.” Deputy Williams turned and jogged out the door.
Belle reached for her phone. “I’ll call the ambulance.”
“It’s not necessary.” Parker retraced his steps. When his head began to pound, and the room tilted to the side, he came to a stop. He closed his eyes and lifted his hand to his temple. He willed the pain to go away.
Belle stepped up to him. She reached out and touched his upper arm. She gave him a reassuring squeeze. “You need to sit down.”
“Not here.”
