We will be in touch again. Until then, be of good health and cheer.
Sincerely,
The Capitoline Group
Everyone was too shocked to speak. Even Gina looked like she’d been punched between the eyes and she was the coolest person Alex had ever met. She was one of the co-owners of Watchdog’s main office in Los Angeles and had ties to the CIA—and possibly more.
Kyle set the letter aside and picked up the other envelope. It was brown manila, the size of a sheet of notebook paper. Inside were several eight-by-ten glossy photographs of a police officer they had trusted who betrayed them. In the first photo, he was whole, but by the last, there wasn’t enough of him left to identify him as human.
When he recognized the man, Alex did his best not to be sick. His heart pounded as his palms turned slick with sweat.
No. This can’t be.
Gina spoke first. “You know we have your back, Pup. Through all of this. Anything you need.”
Kyle nodded. “I know.”
Meanwhile, Alex’s blood ran cold. He feared for the future and safety of everyone associated with Watchdog. But more immediately, he feared for the woman who’d told him of her suspicions of police corruption and her determination to root it out and put a stop to it, then swore him to secrecy. A woman who he was supposed to meet up with at the music festival but who’d stood him up and wasn’t responding to his texts. A woman with ties to the dead cop in the photo.
His lover, Officer Sylvie Madden.
Alex took a deep breath. “Kyle. We need to talk.”
CHAPTER TWO
Two weeks before finding the package
Alex stepped out of his company-issued SUV into the Watchdog Protectors parking lot, eager to start the day. The scent of pine in the cool morning air contrasted with the warmth of the rising sun, promising another midsummer scorcher, even on the mountain. Sometimes he wondered how he’d ended up coming to Colorado from San Diego, from ocean to high desert, big city to quaint little town. But on a beautiful morning like this, it all made sense.
Especially since he would be seeing Officer Sylvie Madden and her dog, Chewie in class in an hour. That kicked his personal body temp up about a hundred degrees. After a couple months of circling each other, he’d decided today was the day he’d ask her out once their classes together ended.
Right up until he talked himself out of it. Again.
He went around to the back of the vehicle and let Mac out of his kennel. The Malinois gave him a big grin before he jumped down, looking just as eager to train up a bunch of humans in the ways of their much smarter four-legged partners. Waiting in the crate, tail wagging, was Mac’s son, Champ. Champ was the first puppy in what Alex hoped would be a long line of proud military working dogs who would train at Lackland in Texas where Mac was born and raised, then go on to serve their country alongside their humans. If the puppy’s enthusiasm and smarts were any indication, they were off to a good start.
Alex lifted Champ out of the carrier and set him on the ground before leashing him. He was still learning to heel and needed the leash as a reminder not to go chasing rabbits and squirrels. With Mac trotting on one side, Champ on the other, Alex entered the Watchdog canine training facility—his own little kingdom and the real reason he’d answered Kyle’s call to come to Colorado after Alex retired from the SEALs. Where else would he get the chance to head up a department like this one? He kept Watchdog’s in-house guard dogs in top form and oversaw the new breeding program. He taught classes for private service dogs. And he designed and taught classes for trained law enforcement in working with their dogs, a supplemental program to the one the Boulder and Denver police used.
Which brought him back to thoughts of Sylvie. He hadn’t expected to be attracted to anyone out here—his days of taking home base bunnies for a night of fun were far behind him—but then she walked into his very first class. Tall, long-legged, curves that even a police officer’s uniform couldn’t hide. Bright, inquisitive eyes that missed nothing. Quick with a joke, a smile always tugged at the corner of her full lips. Especially when she looked at him.
Or so he liked to think.
He had to be careful not to treat her like a teacher’s pet, but it wasn’t easy. Not just because of his attraction, but because she and Chewie excelled in class. The only other person he’d ever trained who worked as hard with a dog was Kyle, back when they were SEALs together. But Kyle never looked that good.
Alex couldn’t help but laugh at the thought as he opened the door to find the man himself there with his dog, Camo.
“What’s so funny, Alex? You know I don’t allow laughter this early.” Kyle grinned and reached down to scratch Mac’s head.
“Right, right. I’ll try to remember that. Speaking of early, did you already do my job for me today?”
It was Kyle’s turn to laugh. “Some of it.”
“You just can’t help yourself.”
“Once a trainer, always a trainer. I was checking on Buster to see how he’s faring. Besides, you need to take a little R and R now and then.” He nodded toward Champ who had taken a length of his leash in his mouth and tugged. “Speaking of training, how’s this little guy coming along?”
“Excellent. I think we have our first contender for Lackland.”
Kyle’s smile eclipsed the previous one. “That’s what I wanna hear.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the facility. Alex read his thoughts.
“It’s good here, Kyle. You really made something great. Water-tight.”
Kyle visibly relaxed. “Thanks, Chief. That means a lot coming from you.”
“You’re welcome, boss.”
Kyle’s shoulders tensed again. He looked momentarily uncomfortable at the title coming from his former senior officer—not something Alex had meant to do.
“You know I’m grateful for this job, Pup.”
Kyle changed the subject. “Class today?”
“Police dog training all day.”
And there it was—the knowing nod.
What was I just saying about water-tight? This place leaks gossip like a sieve.
Alex decided to let it go and work that much harder on not showing his interest in Sylvie. There were no rules on his side saying he couldn’t—she wasn’t exactly a client—but she might catch hell if her department accused her of trying to influence her instructor. She was in the running for a position on Boulder’s K9 Unit and everything rode on how well she did in this course.
At least that’s what he told himself each time he tried to get up the nerve to ask her out.
“I’d better get ready,” he said as he fist-bumped Kyle and started toward the kennels.
“It’s okay, you know,” Kyle said behind him.
“What’s okay?” Alex paused, not liking the tone in Kyle’s voice.
“It’s okay to be interested in someone. They’re not all gonna be like her.”
Alex felt the now-familiar knot begin to form between his shoulder blades at the mention of his ex-wife.
“Best not to take chances.” He started walking again.
Alex was out in the practice yard near the doggie obstacle course with Mac. He’d just succeeded in convincing himself again that it was a bad idea to ask Sylvie out when the door opened and Sylvie and her dog Chewie stepped out into the sun and he was right back at war with himself. Jesus, what he would give to just be able to tear off that uniform. He tortured himself at night wondering if she was the lacy panties type or went for boy shorts. Not that it mattered—both would look equally good on his bedroom floor.