He sighed.
“Long day,” Meg said as they pulled onto his street.
He nodded and glanced over at her. “Are we good?”
She reached across and placed her hand in his. “We’re good. Just don’t shut me out.”
He squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips. “Don’t let me shut you out.”
He kissed her hand and sat it back in the seat.
“Deal.” She smiled.
They pulled into the driveway and climbed out. Harley nearly shoved him out of the way to check out the yard.
“Ox,” he muttered.
Liam slammed the door, came over to Meg’s side and leaned against the door next to her. They watched in quiet silence as the dog moved in and out of the shadows in the dark yard, sniffing everything in sight. They laughed when he hopped around the yard after a bug in the grass.
“I’m going to get a beer, want one?” he said to her.
When she turned in the moonlight and smiled at him, he felt his traitorous lower region kick into gear.
“Sure,” she said and turned back to watch the dog.
Liam shook himself free of her intoxication and walked to the house. A cold beer might work just as well as a cold shower. Either that or they could finish their beers and take things to the bedroom to work it out.
He grinned as he reached the door, thinking of all the things he wanted to do to her.
Liam unlocked the door and strolled into the tiny space. He didn’t bother with the light until he reached the kitchen. He froze as he assessed the situation. The back kitchen door stood wide open. Glass from the window littered the floor.
Liam pulled out his gun and started making his way through the small space. The positive thing about having a small place was there weren’t many places to hide. As he made the final pass through to his room, he let out a sigh. The place was thrashed but empty.
He kicked a few things on the floor and frowned. Just like Meg’s house, there was nothing taken, just papers everywhere.
Bewildered, he walked back through the house to the front door.
“You’re not going to believe this,” he said as he reached the door.
Liam ducked as bullet ricocheted off the door frame above his head.
“Get down,” he yelled to Meg.
He watched as she dropped to the ground, but her position still left her fully exposed to the shooter. Bullets rained down on them, slapping at the ground in front of both the house and Meg. Just a little closer, and she’d be the one taking the bullets.
The night went silent. He didn’t dare move. It could be that from where they were, the shooter couldn’t get a clear shot, and all he needed was a little movement to target them properly. He peered into the darkness of the wooded area that seemed to be the source of the shots. He swore if he found the bastard, he wouldn’t hold back.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Meg move. Just slightly. It wasn’t until he saw her gun that he knew what she was up to, but it was too late. That was all the shooter needed. She pulled the trigger just as another shot rang out from the woods.
“No!” he screamed. The loud gunfire swallowed his voice.
In awe, he watched as Harley rushed around the danger zone, his mission clear, get to Meg. One giant leap and the dog was on top of her.
The gunfire stopped, and he wondered if they were reloading. The wail of sirens ripped through the air, and Liam knew it was only a matter of minutes before the police got there.
“I got him.” Meg worked her way from under the massive dog.
Liam raced to her from the house.
“You’re bleeding,” he said. Blood soaked her skirt and ran down her leg.
“No, I’m— Oh my God, Harley!” Meg dropped to her dog who was now lying still in the dirt.
Liam stooped down next to her.
“He’s alive,” she cried. Blood coated her whole body, and Liam knew this wasn’t going to be good.
He tore off his shirt and wadded it in the spot where Harley seemed to be bleeding from. Not wasting any time, he threw open the door to the backseat and hefted the dog into the back.
“Get in and put pressure on the wound,” he said and ran to the driver’s side.
He could hear the police getting closer, but there wouldn’t be any time for them. And if he knew anything, there were going to be far too many questions before they would be free to go. The best thing he could do was call Kace and hope he’d be able to smooth things over.
“This is getting to be a habit,” Kace grumbled into the phone.
“We were shot at,” Liam said as he sped through the darkened streets.
“Is Meg okay?” Kace said into the phone. All pretense of his previous teasing was gone.
“We’ve had to leave the house,” he said and took a sharp turn. He checked the mirror and saw Meg silently crying in the back. “Harley protected Meg and was hit. Police were nearly there. We made a choice. Can you deal?”
“You left the scene?” Kace groaned.
“He’s dying,” Liam said quietly into the phone. “That dog just saved her life. He’s not fucking dying on my watch.”
The line went quiet, and he wondered what the former cop would do if he knew what Liam had planned for this bastard. Maybe Liam was more like this brother than he thought. His taste for vengeance seemed about the same.
“I can deal,” Kace said after some time. “What about the shooter?”
Liam glanced in the mirror as they made another turn. They were close to the emergency animal clinic he’d seen.
“Meg said she hit him. So tell them to check the woods, but I’m guessing he’s long gone,” he said. “I’ll ask Finn to look around. This is starting to smell more organized. Maybe even the Russians.”
The phone went quiet again, and he wondered if Kace had just hung up.
“You know this guy needs to pay for his crimes,” Kace said quietly.
“He does,” Liam said tightly.
“Don’t do this,” Kace pleaded into the phone. “Let’s just catch him.”
“I will do whatever I have to in order to keep her safe,” Liam said. “The rest shouldn’t matter.”
“The rest is all that matters,” Kace said quietly.
“We’re here,” he said as he pulled in front of the building. “You might send Cage,” he said. “He and Harley have a special bond.”
“That bad?” Kace said on the phone as Liam jumped out of the car.
“Worse,” he said quietly and hung up.
Chapter Fifteen
They waited for hours with no news. Meg was ready to crawl up the walls. Harley wasn’t just some dog to her. He was a part of the family. He was the joy of her life these past few years, and she really didn’t know what she’d do without him.
Liam took her hand.
“They had a lot of work to do,” he said quietly to her. “He’s just lucky that the bullet missed any organs and arteries.”
She twined her fingers with his. “I can’t believe they have to amputate.”
He pulled her into him, and she sighed. “He’ll be fine. Plenty of dogs learn to get around on three legs.”
She sighed and tried not to think about all the things that could go wrong.
A commotion in the other waiting room caught her attention. Meg stood and followed the noise.
“What do you mean you can’t tell me about him? Just because he’s my sister’s dog doesn’t mean he’s not a part of my family,” Cage yelled at the small older woman behind the desk. Despite his mostly easy going nature, Cage wasn’t someone to mess with.
“Sir,” the woman said and picked up the phone.
“I’m sorry,” Meg said from the door. “He’s with me.”
The woman gave her a sharp look and slammed down the phone.
Meg walked in and pulled her brother into a warm hug.
“He’s been in surgery for a while now,” she said into his wide chest.
Cage pulled back to look at her. His brow was creased with worry. “Is he going to be all right?”
Meg shrugged. “The doctor said it really depends on how the amputation goes.”
“Amputation?” Cage nearly shouted.
The woman at the front desk cleared her throat and glared at them.
“Let’s go wait with Liam,” she said and pulled him toward the other waiting room.
“Just a dog,” the woman mumbled.
She felt Cage tense beside her.
“Just a dog? How the fuck do you work someplace like this and say just a dog?”
He waved his arms, and Meg cringed. This was not going to go well.
“That dog in there,” Cage pointed to the emergency door, “he’s a part of our family. A friend. Someone we all treasure and love. He laid down his life to protect my sister, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s worth a thousand of you. How many people have you saved?”
“Get out,” the woman snapped.
Meg opened her mouth to say something but stopped when the doctor stepped into the room. Her dark red hair was about the only thing visible under the scrubs and mask.
“Sharon,” the doctor said to the woman at the desk. “Go get a coffee.”
“But did you just hear how he talked to me?” Sharon glared at Cage.
“I did,” the vet said, narrowing her eyes at the woman. Sharon shrank back. “I also heard how you spoke to them. Now get a coffee.”
Sharon scurried off behind closed doors.
“How is he?” Liam said from behind Meg. He must have come in behind her when Cage started his speech.
The vet sighed and took off the mask. Meg was surprised at how young she was. Though Meg saw her briefly when Lian and she first arrived, she hadn’t been paying much attention.
“He’s made it through,” the vet said.
Meg slumped forward and was glad when Liam gripped her around the shoulders.
“Thank god,” Cage said.
“But.” They all looked to the vet. “He’s not out of it yet. Twenty-four hours. We won’t know anything for a full day.”
“So long?” Meg asked weakly.
The vet nodded. “I’m afraid so. He’s fighting infection and blood loss. I’ve given him a pint of blood, and we’ll just have to see how that does. The plus side is that he’s such a big guy that the wound area isn’t large, proportionally, as it would have been on a smaller dog.”
Meg nodded. She knew she should be happy, but she wasn’t getting her hopes up until he was totally clear.
“Can we see him?” Cage asked.
The vet looked between the three of them.
“One person,” she said firmly. “Any more than that, and it might overwhelm him.”
“We’ll just wait in there,” Liam said. He nodded to the other room and kissed her gently on the lips.
Cage grumbled as he made his way to the other room.
Meg followed the doctor back through the doors and into the hallway. She was surprised to find the back very similar to other operating rooms she’d seen.
“Your brother seems to really love Harley,” the vet said.
Meg smiled. “They are like best friends. Have been since I brought him home.”
“It’s very sweet.”
Meg laughed. “I think he likes having a fellow tail chaser.”
“Oh.” The vet wrinkled her nose. “I see.”
Meg groaned inwardly. She hoped she hadn’t just cost her bother the chance to date a non-skank.
Meg stopped just before the door and stuck out her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name in all the chaos.”
The woman placed her hand in Meg’s. “Whitney Carter.”
“Thank you, Doctor Carter, for everything you’ve done.” She beamed at her.
“Please.” Whitney blushed. “Whitney.”
Meg followed Whitney into the room. A huge cage, about waist height, was attached to the wall. Harley lay on his side, tubes running into him.
“He’s resting,” Whitney said quietly.
Meg moved closer to the cage. It was so hard to see him like that. “Can I pet him?”
Meg turned to look at the vet but found Whitney had moved next to her and was already opening the door.
“They seem to like it when their owners come by,” she said quietly.
Meg watched the gentle way Whitney handled Harley and smiled. It was nice to know Whitney cared as much as she did.
Meg placed her hand on Harley’s giant head and smiled when he sighed in his sleep.
“Does this happen often to you?” Whitney asked.
“What?”
“Getting shot at.”
“More often than you would think,” Meg said and looked back to Harley. “But never at home. This is different.”
“So are you safe now?” Whitney said as she studied the chart in front of her.
Meg shook her head and pulled her hand out of the cage. “He’s still out there,” she said and shivered. “But Harley’s safe. That’s all that matters right now.”
She frowned.
“Now I think I need to go find out who shot my dog,” she said.
* * *
Liam waited in the room with Cage while Meg visited Harley. The nasty receptionist had returned to her seat and was glaring at them from her spot.
The door chimed as someone stepped in. He watched as the receptionist sat up ramrod straight.
Fear gripped him. Maybe the shooter had decided to go all in. Liam reached inside his jacket and put his hand on his gun. He crept quietly toward the door, Cage close behind him. He peeked around the corner. He relaxed and held up a hand at the sight of Finn.
“Take Meg to your house for some sleep. Sun’s just coming up now, and I know she has to be exhausted,” he said to Cage. “I’m going to go with my brother to make some arrangements.”
“Brother?” Cage said, confusion on his face. Apparently, Reed and Kace had kept his connection to Finn a bit closer to the chest than Liam realized.
“Long story.” He clapped Cage on the back. “I figure if I’m that connected, might as well use it to protect the woman I love.”
Cage scratched his head. “I think I’m missing something here.”
Liam laughed. “Have Meg fill you in. I’ll pick her up in the afternoon.”
Cage nodded. “Be careful out there.”
“Protect her.”
Liam strolled out of the clinic, Finn close behind.
“Got a plan?” Finn asked when they reached his car. “We need to handle this quickly. The police are going to make things difficult soon, even with Kace running interference.”
Liam’s bloody shirt was still visible in the back. He was thankful that he had his gym bag with him for the quick change.
“What did you find?” he asked Finn.