Protect And Serve

PERSON OF INTEREST

When rookie K-9 officer Shane West and his German shepherd partner find the lead police dog trainer murdered, he’s determined to bring the killer to justice. But then he discovers Gina Perry hiding nearby—a pretty junior trainer who had the motive, means and opportunity to kill her boss. Gina insists her troubled brother is the real murderer…and this isn’t the first time he’s killed. And when Gina’s brother comes after her, Shane is assigned to protect her and uncover the truth. Suddenly, Shane—a cop who always hoped to join a big-city force—vows to stay by Gina’s side as a murderer lurks in the small-town shadows.

Rookie K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

Gina had almost been killed.

Shane ran a hand over the back of the truck’s seat. Applying a little pressure on the backrest, he could feel the sharp tip of the arrow where it had gone through the metal of the truck. So close. He breathed out a prayer of thanksgiving.

Another inch and the arrow would have skewered Gina in the back.

Gina came out of the police station. “Tell me what’s happening.” She spotted the arrow sticking out of the back of the cab and gasped. “Do you think… Did my brother do this?”

Shane wouldn’t sugarcoat the truth. “Unless there’s someone with a vendetta against the K-9 trainers, which I doubt, I can’t think of anyone else who wants you dead. Can you?”

She wrapped her arms around her middle. “No.”

Shane didn’t like her standing outside, making herself an easy target if her brother had followed them to the station. “Come on, let’s get back inside.”

Gina followed Shane into the station and sank onto a bench.

Bella, Shane’s K-9 partner, went to her and put her chin on Gina’s knees.

That told Shane a lot.

ROOKIE K-9 UNIT:

These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

Protect and Serve—Terri Reed, April 2016

Truth and Consequences—Lenora Worth, May 2016 Seek and Find—Dana Mentink, June 2016 Honor and Defend—Lynette Eason, July 2016 Secrets and Lies—Shirlee McCoy, August 2016 Search and Rescue—Valerie Hansen, September 2016

TERRI REED’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publishers Weekly top twenty-five and Nielsen BookScan’s top one hundred lists and have been featured in USA TODAY, Christian Fiction Magazine and RT Book Reviews. Her books have been finalists for the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award contest, the National Readers’ Choice Award contest and three times in the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Carol Award contest. Contact Terri at terrireed.com or PO Box 19555, Portland, OR 97224.

Protect

and Serve

Terri Reed

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

—2 Timothy 1:7

To my family and my critique partners

for your encouragement, love and support. And to my editors Emily Rodmell and Tina James for inviting me to write this book and for believing in me. Thank you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

ONE

“Georgiiiinnnaaa!”

Gina Perry froze midstride in the center of her bedroom. An explosion of panic detonated in her chest. She recognized the unmistakable singsong tone of her brother.

Oh, no. No, no, no. Tim had tracked her to Desert Valley, Arizona.

Frantic with alarm, she whirled around to search the confines of her upstairs bedroom. The sliding glass door to the terrace stood open, allowing the dark March night air to fill her house.

Where was he? How had he discovered where she’d been hiding? Had she made a fatal error that brought him to her door?

She stumbled backward on shaky legs just as her brother stepped from the shadows of her closet.

Light from the bedside table lamp glinted off the steel blade of a large knife held high in his hand. His face was covered by a thick beard, his hair stuck out in a wild frenzy and the mania gleaming in his hazel eyes slammed a fist of fear into her gut.

Choking with terror, she turned and fled down the stairs.

She couldn’t let him catch her or he’d make good on his threat to kill her. Just as he had their father two years ago.

Her bare feet slid on the hardwood steps. She used the handrail to keep her balance.

Tim pounded down the stairs behind her, the sound hammering into her like nails on a coffin.

Her breathing came out in harsh rasps, filling her head with the maddening noise. She made a grab for her phone on the charger in the foyer but missed. Abandoning the device, she lurched for the front door and managed to get the lock undone and the door opened.

Without a backward glance, she sprinted into the night, across the small yard to the road. Rocks and debris bit into her bare feet, but she ignored the pain. Faster!

Dear God, help me!

The Desert Valley police station was only half a mile down the quiet residential road on the west side of town. Street lamps provided pools of light that threatened to expose her. She ducked behind the few cars parked along the curb and moved rapidly through the shadows.