Page 55 of Break Away
“Sorry, but yeah. The blood from the meatsoaked into it, so I don’t know if you’d want to keep it anyway.Right now it’s evidence.”
Another police SUV turned into the drivewayto park next to Jack’s. Levi stepped out and Lucy started prancingat the end of her leash when she spotted her favorite guy. Levicrossed to where they stood, and like Jack, leaned down to petLucy. His bold blue gaze locked on Zoey. “You okay?” The shinerhigh on Levi’s cheekbone looked worse today than it had the eveningbefore.
“I’m fine. I’m just glad Lucy didn’t eat anyof that meat.”
“Jack, look away.”
Without waiting to see if his instruction wasfollowed, Levi lightly grasped the braid that held Zoey’s hair backand bent his head. He kissed her, and they both seemed to need theconnection because she could feel her tension ease at the same timeLevi drew in a ragged breath. Lucy headbutted Levi’s knee, thenpushed herself between them, forcing him to let go.
Jack let out a short laugh. “That dog’s likehaving kids, there’s always someone else around when you want it tobe only the two of you.”
Levi stepped back, his gaze not leavingZoey’s face. She wasn’t sure how or why things had changed betweenthem, but the intensity level had certainly ratcheted up.
He pulled himself away to follow Jack, whoopened the rear door of his cruiser. Levi took the evidence bag ofmeat, holding it up to examine the contents. He held out the bagand pointed. “See those?”
Zoey stepped closer to see what he waspointing at. “What?”
“Those things that look like green pellets?My bet is rat poison.”
“Rat poison?” Zoey swallowed down the suddenroll of nausea. “Would that kill a big dog?”
“I don’t know if it would kill her and itwould depend on how much she ate, but it would make her sick. Labtest will tell us for sure what it is.”
Jack pulled out his keys. “I’m going to getthis to the station so we can log it and get it out to the labbefore the end of the day.” He cocked a brow at Levi. “You comingto practice tonight?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Jack nodded, then got in his SUV.
They watched Jack leave, then Levi turnedtoward her. “You want to come? I could impress you with my amazingskills with a ball.”
She cast an uneasy look at her house. “I’llcome for a bit. I think introducing Lucy to the team and lettingher see what goes on there will make her more comfortable onSaturday.”
“Hey, you okay?”
She shrugged. “I’ve never felt nervous aboutliving here by myself, even though we’re a little isolated. I’m notgoing to be able to let Lucy out off-leash any longer. There’s notelling what this nutjob is planning next.”
Chapter Sixteen
Zoey walked to the edge of the practicefield, her dog plodding beside her on the leash. She recognizedseveral of the players. Jack swung at balls spewing from a pitchingmachine, while Levi, Monica Valdez, and a couple of others fieldedthem. Logan practiced pitching to a player in catcher’s gear on thefar side of the field. Brad crossed from the dugout to greetthem.
“Hey there.” He rubbed Lucy’s head, then heldup a t-shirt he’d carried over. “Do you think our girl here couldwear this?” It was one of the team’s HLPD sleeveless practicet-shirts.
Zoey eyed the dimensions. “I’ll have tomodify it, but I can make it work.” She rubbed the back of herneck, scanning the few people in the bleachers. Something wasmaking her feel jittery.
Brad pulled a large navy bandana from hispocket. “How about this?”
“That’s too small to fit around her neck, butif you have two, I can tie them together.”
“I’ll get you another one.”
Levi loped over, his glove on one hand, aball in the other. “Hey there. This Lucy’s gear?”
Brad held up the t-shirt. “She’ll rock this.Since the Hoses are bringing their dog out onto the field on a firetruck, I thought we could have Lucy riding in on a cruiser. We’llhave the window down so she can hang her head out.”
“She’ll love that,” Zoey said, even thoughshe figured she’d have to ride in the cruiser too. The irony wasn’tlost on her. She’d avoided the police for years, and she’d beriding in a police car to support them. Her social life was beingtaken over by all things law enforcement.
Levi tossed the ball and caught it and Lucywent on alert. She sat, her ears perked as she followed themovement of the ball.
