Page 6 of Make Me Trust Again (Bluebonnet Creek #3)

CHAPTER FOUR

CHASE

My phone rings as I pass by the Welcome to Bluebonnet Creek sign. Checking the caller ID, I press the answer button, and the call connects through the speakers.

“Yeah?”

“Hello to you, too, Mr. Grumpy.” A cheerful female voice fills the cabin of the truck, and I can see Shadow’s ears perk up in recognition, her tail wagging excitedly.

“She’s not here, so no treats for you.” I give Shadow a pointed look, which earns me a glare from the dog.

“Poor pup,” Maisie coos. “You should bring her to me so I can spoil her. God knows she deserves it. She’s a saint for sticking with your broody ass.”

“She’s doing just fine,” I grumble, not in the mood for her antics. “Did you need something, or are you just bugging me?”

“You need to cheer up, Williams.” Even though I can’t see her, I know she’s rolling her eyes at me. “Where are you?”

“Heading home.”

“Perfect. I just got a call. Apparently, there is a wild dog running around Long Road Street. Can you stop and check it out?”

“Sure.”

Maisie gives me the address, and I promise to get back to her after I have some info.

She’s a vet, and she decided to open her own clinic and animal shelter called United Paws.

Since I got back home, she bugged me into helping her once because she was short-staffed.

And although I was annoyed at first, it turned out it wasn’t that bad.

I didn’t mind animals; I’d take dealing with them any day of the week over having to deal with humans.

It takes me about fifteen minutes to get to the neighborhood Maisie mentioned.

Pulling the truck to a stop by the side of the street, I kill the engine and get out.

“Ready to get to work?”

Shadow doesn’t need to be asked twice. She jumps out of the truck, and I close the door behind her before turning around and taking in the residential street.

Everything seems to be in order. This isn’t the best part of Bluebonnet.

The houses are built closer together, with smaller front yards—some kept better than others.

Most houses have seen better days, but some are in good shape.

I start walking down the street, Shadow beside me as I scan the space. There are a couple of kids riding their bikes further down the street. One of the houses has the window open, and you can hear the music blasting outside.

An older woman climbs onto her front porch, bags with groceries in her hands. She gives me a curious look, but I just nod and continue on my way.

“Are there any pups around?” I glance down at Shadow.

Her ears are standing straight, and I can see the determination shining in her eyes. She lowers her head, trying to catch a scent, so I slow down.

Although she was technically retired, Shadow was born to be a working dog. She loved her job. The moment I put her working harness on, you could see something in her shift. She would stand taller, her eyes would turn sharper, more serious. Work kept her mind busy and gave her a purpose.

Even though she didn’t have her working harness right now, I could see that shift in her.

A spark that she lost in the last few months was back.

She lifts her head, her pointy ears peaking slightly as if she’s listening.

There is a slight tilt to her head, and then, before I know it, she goes into a run.

Cursing silently, I hurry after her. The sudden movement makes a jab of pain pierce through my lower back and down my leg, but I push it back and focus on not losing sight of my dog as she runs down the street and then slips into one yard.

“Fuck,” I hiss softly.

My breathing is ragged as I try to keep up with her. She slips around the house when a loud cry pierces the air.

My heart plummets, and all my senses go into high alert at the sound. Years of training kick in, making everything else fall to the background as I push harder. Turning the corner, my eyes scan the space, taking in my surroundings and assessing the situation.

Shadow circles around another dog.

A woman is standing with her back pressed against the wall.

And not just any woman.

Rose Hathaway.

Her hand is covering her chest as she pulls as far back as she can, her other hand trying to feel for a way out, but there is none.

Shadow barks in warning as she stands in front of her, and those big blue eyes full of fear meet mine. “I didn’t do a-anything. He just came out of nowhere.”

The panic in her voice is unmistakable. It’s like I’ve been sucker punched, all the air leaving my lungs as my heart kicks into overdrive.

What the hell is she doing here?

But before I can get an answer, the dog’s attention shifts to me. Our eyes lock. He growls once again, baring his teeth at me, and his stance turns even more hostile.

I lift my hands in the air, my voice coming out soft. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”

I take a small, tentative step forward, toward Rose, as I take in the dog.

It is one of those Belgian Malinois. The dog is as big as Shadow, but clearly malnourished.

You can see his ribs peek from beneath his short brown fur.

And then there are the scars. Some are old, faint white lines you can see on his body, others are fresh, lines and even cigarette burns, with dried blood coating his fur.

The rage at the unnamed person who did this to such a glorious animal simmers inside my gut, but I push it back. The dogs could sense it, and they don’t understand it’s not directed at them, but what was done to them.

“You’re safe now,” I continue speaking in a low tone as I take another small step, making sure to keep my body relaxed. Unthreatening. “Nobody will hurt you again.”

Another step.

“I bet you’re hungry.” Slowly, I slide my hand into my pocket and pull out some of the dog food I always carry around and show it to him.

His eyes dart to the offering, ears perking. I can see him weighing his options. I can see the hunger and desperation—the caution.

“C’mon, boy,” I coax, extending my hand further. “You have to eat.”

“He’ll bite you!” Rose calls out from behind me.

She must make some kind of movement because the dog barks, his eyes narrowing in distrust as he glares at us, and before I can make a move, he dashes away.

“ Dammit. ”

I watch as the dog slips between the unkept bushes. Is this his hiding place, or is there some kind of hole he snuck in through?

Running my hand over my face, I push to my feet, and I have to grit my teeth to stop a wince from coming out.

Fucking useless.

“Are you okay? He didn’t bite you?—”

“No. You shouldn’t have done that,” I grind out, annoyed as I make my way to the bushes and poke around carefully.

“He was dangerous.”

The fence is broken, and there is a hole; the dog is nowhere to be found. Great, just great.

I turn toward Rose just as Shadow brushes against my side. Those blue eyes are fixed on mine. They’re the color of the ocean, and I swear I can feel them pulling me in.

“He was hurt. Better question is, what are you doing here?”

“I—” She tucks a strand of her shiny brown hair behind her ear. “I came to check out the house.”

Before she can finish whatever she wanted to say, we can hear somebody call her name. She looks up and smiles at the newcomer.

Slowly, I turn around, and there is a preppy guy in a suit coming our way. His hair is slicked back; his dress shirt is buttoned all the way to his neck.

“I saw your car, so I knew you had to be here.”

“Yes, I wanted to give it a look?—”

A loud bang pierces the air.

My body moves on autopilot. My arms wrap around Rose’s middle, pulling her body into mine as I duck to the ground and cover her body with mine.

My eyes fall shut, the piercing bang-bang-bang echoing in my ears on repeat. Even behind my closed eyelids, I can see the red sand and fire from the blast, feel the scorching heat licking my skin, the collar of my shirt tightening around my neck and making it hard to breathe…

“ Chase .”

A hand cups my cheeks, snapping me out of my thoughts. I suck in a sharp breath as those dark blue orbs stare into mine, a trace of worry on her face.

Rose.

A wet snout nudges my neck, followed by a lick of a sharp tongue.

Shadow.

The sharp, green grass around us is full of flowers.

Bluebonnet Creek.

We are back in Bluebonnet Creek.

“Sorry,” I rasp out.

Pulling back, I get to my feet and help her up before turning my back to her. I run my palm over my face and suck in a sharp breath, willing my heart to slow down. My skin is damp from sweat, hands are trembling, so I curl my fingers into a fist, my nails digging into my skin.

My gaze lands on a piece of the metal gutter that has fallen from the rooftop.

Not bullets.

Soft fingertips touch my arm, and my whole body goes rigid.

I jerk back, breaking the contact, and when I turn around, I find a wide-eyed Rose staring at me.

Fuck.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine,” I bite out, avoiding her gaze. I can’t deal with the concern written all over her face. I don’t deserve anybody’s worry.

The guy steps closer to Rose, placing his hand on her arm as if it belongs there.

I grit my teeth.

“I’ll leave you to it.”

Dog. I have to go and find that dog.

Before either of them can say anything, I get the hell away from there.