Chapter 2

CHAPTERTWO

Raiden had been pacing for the last hour. He couldn’t help it. Every time he sat down and tried to relax, anxiety swam through his veins, making it impossible to sit still. He was stressed about Duke, yes, but he was also going over every conversation he and Khloe had ever had, trying to figure out what signs he’d missed about who she really was.

He shouldn’t be surprised she was a veterinarian. He’d known all along that she was overqualified to be a librarian’s assistant at a small-town public library. He’d felt it in his bones. Not to mention, she stuck to herself and avoided people as often as possible.

Raid was somewhat ashamed to admit, even to himself, that despite suspecting Khloe had issues…he hadn’t wanted to get involved in whatever they might be, attracted to the woman or not. He’d finally settled into a comfortable life. He had friends, his job, his dog…and no one was trying to kill him, lie to him, or evade being captured by him.

Sometimes it felt as if his life in the Coast Guard was decades ago, and other times it felt as if it was just yesterday that he was hunting down drug dealers and other nefarious criminals. When his mind threatened to turn to the incident that made him finally call it quits on a career he’d once loved, Raid forcefully thought about the woman behind that door in front of him, saving his dog.

Khloe was standoffish. Had been since he’d known her. But he’d also caught glimpses of a completely different person. One who was compassionate, who would do anything for her friends, even as she purposely held back from getting close to Lilly, Finley, and the others. Now that at least one of her secrets was out in the open, Raid wondered what else she was keeping from everyone. Why she’d felt that she had to hide her profession, why she couldn’t make friends.

Turning his head, Raid glanced through the opposite door into Doctor Ziegler’s lobby. It had quickly become filled to the brim with people who were worried about Duke…and him. Every single member of the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team, along with their women. Heather and Tal had brought their newly adopted daughter, Marissa, and Elsie and Zeke’s son, Tony, was currently keeping her entertained by reading her a book.

But it wasn’t just his friends who were there. Edna, old man Grogan, Whitney, Karen from the diner, Art, Otto and Silas, and even Davis Woolford, a local homeless man, were all in the waiting room. There were also people Raid only recognized by sight…he didn’t know their names. People from Fallport whom he’d met through his job at the library or whom the SAR team—and Duke—had rescued.

Simon was still there. As was Miguel, one of his deputies. They’d tried to get people to leave, because he and Khloe had broken in, after all…but no one was budging. If Khloe was hoping to keep her break-in at the vet clinic on the down-low, she was going to be disappointed. The parking lot was full, which only meant more people kept arriving to find out what was going on. That was small-town life for you.

There wasn’t a chance in hell of keeping this from Raymond Ziegler. And Raid knew the vet wasn’t going to be happy.

But the man’s feelings were the least of Raiden’s worries at the moment. Thanks to Khloe, Duke’s life would be saved. If she hadn’t been there, if she wasn’t who she was—apparently a librarian’s assistant slash secret veterinarian—if she hadn’t chosen to break into the vet clinic, Duke’s outcome would be questionable.

“How you doin’?” Ethan asked quietly, entering the long hallway.

Raid was still pacing outside the operating room. “I’m good,” he said.

“Right. How about you stop the bullshit and tell me how you’re really doing,” Ethan said sternly.

Raid stopped and took a deep breath before turning to look at his friend. “I’m scared to death that I’m going to lose another dog way before it’s his time to go. I’m wondering what the hell else Khloe’s been hiding from us. Why she moved to Fallport. Why she very suddenly took those two weeks off to go home not so long ago, and wouldn’t tell anyone where ‘home’ was. And I’m overwhelmed by everyone’s support.”

Ethan stepped toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Duke’s tough. And from what I understand, Khloe didn’t waste any time getting him here.”

“She didn’t,” Raid told his friend. “If it wasn’t for her recognizing the symptoms of bloat, and the fact that she’s apparently a skilled veterinarian, his prognosis would be a hell of a lot worse right now.”

Ethan nodded and squeezed Raid’s shoulder before dropping his hand. “I’m thinking at the moment, you need to just go with it, rather than torturing yourself thinking about stuff you have no control over. Once Khloe’s done, Duke’s on the road to recovery, and we do damage control with Ziegler, you can work on getting answers to the other questions.”

Raid knew Ethan was right, but he couldn’t stop thinking about this new version of Khloe. All sorts of worst-case scenarios kept running through his head. What if she was on the run from an abusive ex? What if she was married? What if she was in witness protection? He was having a hard time coming up with good reasons why she’d turn her back on a profession she obviously loved to live in Fallport as a librarian.

Taking a deep breath, Raid did his best to push all the questions to the back of his mind. First things first. As Ethan said, he needed to make sure Duke made it through surgery. Then care for him until he was back on his feet. Deal with Ziegler and the repercussions of Khloe breaking into the clinic.

“How are you doing?” Raid asked his friend, needing to turn the conversation to something other than himself. “How’s Lilly?”

“We’re all right. Won’t lie, losing our baby was a blow. For both of us. But we’re doing better.”

Raid nodded. “Good. If you guys need anything, all you have to do is ask.”

“I know, and I appreciate it. What’s been helping the most is getting on with our lives. Not dwelling on it. You know? We won’t ever forget, but we can’t wallow in our sorrow either. Work helps. For both of us. You know what else helps?”

“What?”

“Letting us help you. We all love Duke. He’s gonna be a handful trying to keep still so he can heal. I’m sure you aren’t going to want to leave him alone, at least for a while. So call us. Lilly and I would be happy to come and dog-sit. As would everyone else.”

Raid smiled at Ethan. “I will. Thanks.” He knew he was lucky. He was able to bring Duke to the library with him when he worked, and even though the dog was definitely partial to his master, his friends would spoil him and treat him like gold when Raid couldn’t be with him.

“So…you should know, Rocky’s already called one of his contacts to get materials, so he can get the door frame replaced. Not sure if he’ll be able to get it fixed before Ziegler gets back from his stupid fake hunting trip, but he’s going to do what he can to make that happen.”

“I appreciate it.”

Ethan brushed off Raiden’s gratitude. “Khloe was smart to make sure Simon was here when she broke in.”

Raid nodded. She was. Basically, having the police chief present meant she had his approval. So if Ziegler tried to press charges, he wouldn’t have much luck. “She’s adamant about paying for all the supplies she’s using too.”

“Whatever,” Ethan said with a shrug. “It’s not going to be an issue. Finley’s already started an online fundraiser to cover the costs of Duke’s surgery.”

Raid stared at him. “She has?”

“Yup. And it’s already gotten over two thousand dollars in donations.”

Raid almost choked. “It’s only been like two hours since Duke bloated.”

“Yup,” Ethan repeated with a smile. “I think we have to face the fact that Duke’s the favorite member of the Eagle Point Search and Rescue team.” Then he sobered. “You think Ziegler’s going to be a problem for Khloe? They don’t really get along.”

No, they didn’t. And her extreme dislike for Fallport’s only vet should’ve been another red flag for Raiden. Khloe had always had a personal stake in the business practices of Raymond Ziegler. She knew more than the average person about how a vet should run his practice.

He shrugged at Ethan. “I’d like to say no…but I think we both know he’s gonna be pissed.”

“Yeah. Well, even so, keep an eye out for her. The last thing she needs is him all up in her face and making a scene around town. We’ll all keep watch too, when you aren’t around. You know, just to make sure she knows she has our support.”

Raid took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he did his best to harness his emotions. He had the best friends anyone could ask for. When he was active duty, he sometimes felt as if he was an island. That he and his dog were on their own. But in Fallport, he’d found what he’d always wanted…a family. A group of friends who would drop everything to help in any way they could. “Thanks,” he said belatedly as he opened his eyes.

“Look, I haven’t said anything for the entire time I’ve known you. I don’t know what you do with your free time…but I do know that most days, you go home from the library and you don’t emerge until the next morning. You’re one of us, Raid. We have your back, just as you have ours. We’d all love to see you around a little more.”

Raid swallowed hard. He’d always been the odd kid. He didn’t get invited to sleepovers as a boy, didn’t have any friends in high school. His friends had always been online. He loved the camaraderie with his teammates on the job, and he did accept the occasional invite for one event or another. But he’d gotten so used to doing his own thing that it never even occurred to him they’d want to hang out more often.

“I’d like that,” he said softly.

Ethan grinned. “Although, you’re gonna have to get used to crazy. Our women certainly liven things up when we get together now. Not to mention Tony, Marissa, and the kids that are on the way.”

Little did his friend know, Raid wouldn’t enjoy anything more. Being in the middle of a rowdy group of people who genuinely cared about each other? Yeah. After a lifetime of loneliness, that sounded awesome.

“Raid?”

Hearing Khloe’s voice had him spinning around so fast, it would’ve looked comical if it had been anyone else. “How is he? Is he all right?”

“He’s fine. Made it through surgery with no complications. Afton is suturing him up.”

“Is that okay? I mean, shouldn’t you be doing that?”

Khloe smiled, but Raid could tell she was tired. “She’s good. Really good. I have a feeling she probably does a lot more around here than most vet techs would because of Ziegler’s laziness. Anyway, I’m going back in to make sure everything’s all set, but wanted to let you know as soon as I could that things went well. He’s going to be just fine, Raiden.”

Raid felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He hadn’t been able to save his last dog, but he hadn’t lost Duke. He stared at Khloe and did his best to make sure she heard the gratitude and relief in his voice as he said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“When can I see him?”

“As soon as we get him sewed back up and moved to recovery.”

“Will he be staying here?” Raid asked.

Khloe wrinkled her nose. “It’s not ideal. The longer we’re here, the more likely it is that Ziegler will find out. But I don’t want to move him just yet. Doc Snow said we can use one of the rooms in his clinic once Duke’s more stable.”

“Um, Khloe,” Ethan interjected. “I think Ziegler finding out is inevitable. The parking lot’s never been as full as it is right now.”

Her eyes widened. “It is?”

“Yup. Everyone’s here. And by everyone, I mean everyone. Not to mention social media’s been doing its thing too.”

“Crap,” she muttered.

“It’s fine,” Raid reassured her.

“He’s gonna be outraged,” she said.

“Yup. Do you care?” he asked.

Khloe thought about his question for a long moment. It was one of the things he liked most about her. She didn’t rush to speak. She thought carefully about what she wanted to say and how to answer questions. Even if those questions came from a five-year-old, she treated them just as important as if someone had asked her to explain the meaning of life.

“No,” she said. “Although dealing with him could disturb Duke, and I don’t want that. Not to mention, he could take out his anger on the animals that are brought in. He might also be a dick to his staff…especially Afton, since she helped me.”

“We’ll deal with him when we have to,” Raid said. “There’s no sense worrying about him right now.”

“You’re right. Anyway, Duke’s okay. I’ll come get you in a bit.”

“Sounds good. Khloe?”

She paused in her retreat. “Yeah?”

“For the record…I don’t care that you didn’t tell anyone you were a vet. I don’t care why you’re here in Fallport. Right now, I don’t care about anything other than making sure Duke’s all right and you’re safe.”

Raid knew this wasn’t exactly the time and place for such a dramatic statement, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying the words. He and Khloe had a lot to talk about, but he didn’t want his reaction to the revelation that she was a vet to weigh on her.

Her hazel eyes widened a bit. Her face was flushed, probably from the heat of the lights in the operating room. Her hair was stuffed up under a surgical cap, but a few tendrils had escaped. She looked tired and stressed, but Raiden didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful woman in his life.

He suddenly realized that he wasn’t upset that she’d kept some pretty big secrets from him. She had her reasons. He knew that without question. There had been times in the past when she’d seemed wary. Even scared. He wanted to know her story, but he wanted her to be comfortable with him even more.

All the times he’d sniped at her, had been curt or rude, had argued with her over stupid things, made a little more sense now. He liked her. Admired her. And he’d had no idea how to get under her skin like she’d clearly gotten under his.

Which obviously irritated him. Made him feel even more unsure about himself. As a result, he’d done what he could to hold her at arm’s length.

But no more. He was done with that. This obviously highly educated woman had more layers than he’d realized. He didn’t value her any less when he’d thought she was a simple librarian’s assistant. But he definitely yearned to know what made Khloe the veterinarian tick.

Khloe didn’t respond verbally to his statement, just nodded at him and closed the door behind her as she went back to check on Duke.

“You need to go easy,” Ethan warned quietly.

Raid turned to him as he continued to speak.

“A person doesn’t come to a town like Fallport, keep to herself, and do what she can to not make connections if she doesn’t have baggage.”

“Don’t we all?” Raid countered.

“All I’m saying is…be careful. I think we’ve all learned our lessons with everything that’s happened with Lilly, Caryn, Elsie, Finley, Bristol, and Heather.”

“So you think…what? I should fire her? Turn my back on her because she might be in danger or running from something?” Raiden asked, his voice showing his irritation at his friend’s warning.

“No,” Ethan said, sounding genuinely shocked. “I’m saying for you to be careful,” he repeated. “Things have a way of getting out of control and becoming scary real quick, at least they have for the rest of us. The last thing I want is for something in Khloe’s past to get out of control or scary for her.”

They stared at each other for a long moment before Raid looked away. “Noted,” he told his friend. But there was no way he was going to turn his back on the woman. He owed Khloe. Big time. She’d saved his best friend. Anything she needed, she’d get…whether she asked for it or not.

But if he was honest with himself, he didn’t want to get to the bottom of what was going on with Khloe simply out of gratitude. From the first moment he’d met the woman, he’d been drawn to her. He’d just been too chicken to do anything about it. He’d let her prickliness convince him whatever was going on wasn’t his problem. But now that he knew for a fact that she was hiding something, and clearly something big, he was done with that.

“Right. On that note, I’m going to go out and let everyone know Duke made it through surgery and see if I can’t get people headed out of here. You need anything, call. I’ll be pissed if you don’t.”

“I will,” Raid reassured him.

“Let me know how Duke’s doing and I’ll pass it along to everyone, so you don’t have to worry about anything but spoiling that hound.”

“Appreciate it.”

“Head’s up, the women were discussing a welcome home party for Duke when I left them…so you should start thinking about how you want that to go down. At your house, the library, the square, so everyone in town can participate. Or if you don’t want it to happen at all. Let me know.”

“Jeez,” Raid said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

“You and Duke are way more loved around here than you realize,” Ethan said with a smile. “’Bout time you let that sink in.”

Ethan clapped him on the back, then headed down the hall toward the door that led into the waiting room. When it opened, Raid could hear all the voices, but he wasn’t up to seeing everyone just yet. He appreciated them being there, but it was going to take more than a conversation with Ethan to make him comfortable with being the center of attention.

It was extremely difficult to stay in the hall and not go in to see if Khloe needed help. But she had both Doc Snow and Afton. They’d get Duke settled in the back and she’d come get him as soon as she was able.

He wasn’t sure if he was more anxious to see Khloe or his dog.

* * *

Khloe felt buzzed. It had been so long since she’d been in the operating room and it felt like coming home. She hated why she was there, of course. She didn’t like for any animal to be in pain. But knowing she had the skills to help Duke survive felt damn good.

She’d thought, after everything that happened, she’d be fine hanging up her scalpel forever. That she could find another career and be perfectly happy. But she’d been fooling herself. She loved Fallport, and enjoyed spending time in the library and helping people find books that interested them. But she was born to be a veterinarian. Loved everything about it…except maybe abusive owners who brought animals to her to be “fixed” when they were the ones who’d fucked them up in the first place.

It was obvious that no matter how hard she’d tried to tell herself differently, she wasn’t ready to give up her lifelong dream of being a vet. There was a storage container full of her equipment from her old clinic that contradicted her plans of doing something different with her life. She could’ve sold it all. Padded her savings account. But instead, she’d carefully packed it all away…just in case.

And now, after saving Duke’s life, Khloe was more certain than ever she couldn’t give up her veterinarian career.

She had no idea what would happen next. She hadn’t actually set out to deceive her new friends, but there hadn’t exactly been a good time to bring up the fact that she was actually a renowned vet. That she was living in Fallport because one of her former clients had tried to kill her when she hadn’t been able to save the dog he’d brought into her clinic, half dead from a horrific beating.

It was almost a relief that her secrets would soon come to light. It was exhausting trying to be someone she wasn’t. Khloe had no idea if she’d stay in Fallport, or even Virginia, but she was done hiding. From her friends. From Alan Mather. From herself.

“You want me to stay?” Afton asked after they’d gotten Duke settled.

It didn’t feel right to Khloe to put him in a kennel after everything he’d been through, so she’d made a pallet on the floor with old blankets and towels. Duke’s IV was hooked to the wire bars of the kennels behind him. He’d woken up briefly after being settled, and Khloe was satisfied that he wasn’t in any pain thanks to the drugs in his veins.

“No, thank you though,” Khloe told the vet tech. Doc Snow had gone home a few minutes earlier, after making sure she had everything she needed and reassuring her that he’d be back in the morning to check in with her and Duke.

“Are you sure? I’m used to it. I usually hang around after a serious surgery like this. Since I live so close, it’s not a big deal.”

“I haven’t seen any beds for overnight shifts,” Khloe said, as she lowered to the floor to sit next to Duke. It was a question without being phrased as one.

“A bed? There are clinics that have beds for overnight shifts?”

Khloe was pissed at Ziegler for Afton’s disbelief. “Yes. The good ones at least.”

Afton shrugged. “No. No beds here.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised, but she still was. “It’s okay. I’ll stay. I want to monitor him carefully.”

“Okay, but if you need me, I’ll leave my number. I’m happy to come back and help if you’d like.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Doctor Ziegler isn’t supposed to be back for three more days.”

“Right. I’m hoping Duke will be good enough to be moved to Doc Snow’s clinic tomorrow afternoon. And, Afton?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have to worry about me telling anyone you assisted me in surgery.”

The younger woman gave Khloe a small smile. “It’s okay. He’s gonna find out anyway. I’ve been trying to work up the courage to turn in my resignation, hoping to find another job first…this’ll just give me the push I needed. This is probably presumptuous, but if you ever decide to open up your own clinic, I’d love the opportunity to apply to work with you.”

Khloe blinked in surprise. “Oh, um…I haven’t thought much about it. This thing with Duke kind of fell into my lap.”

“You’re a damn good vet, Khloe…er…Doctor Moore. Fallport needs someone like you. Someone who cares about the animals they see. All Doctor Ziegler sees is dollar signs. I know I shouldn’t be talking about my boss like this, but it’s not as if it’s a secret. People continue to come here because he’s the only option unless they want to drive thirty minutes or more.”

“It’s Khloe. Not Doctor Moore,” she told Afton, not sure what else to say.

“Right. If you don’t mind, would it be all right if I came by to check on Duke once he’s moved to Doc Snow’s clinic?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks. Well…I guess I’ll see you around.”

“You will. And, Afton?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t let Ziegler give you any shit. You’re a damn good assistant. And if I do ever open a vet practice again, you’ll be on the top of my list of people I want to hire.”

The younger woman smiled. Huge. “Awesome. Thanks. I’ll tell Raiden you’re all set in here and send him in. See ya.”

She walked out still beaming. Khloe had barely a few seconds to reflect on their conversation before Raid was there. He must’ve been waiting at the door for the go-ahead to come in. Not that she could blame him.

“You okay?” he asked softly as he walked toward her.

Khloe nodded, scooting back a little as he knelt on the floor next to Duke. His large hand reached out and smoothed over the bloodhound’s head. His gaze ran over his body, from head to his tail, taking in the bandages, the places where Khloe had to shave his fur so she could see what she was doing and to put in the IVs.

Raid then leaned down, kissed his head, and whispered something in the dog’s ear.

It was all too much. Things in her life had changed so much, and seeing Raiden’s concern for his dog made tears well in her eyes.

She hadn’t realized how stressed she’d been until right that moment. She loved Duke. The dog was a ham, drooled nonstop, and was a damn good tracker. He so obviously loved Raiden, was completely devoted to his human, and that devotion was just as obviously reciprocated.

Khloe was tired, her back hurt, her leg throbbed, and it had been a long time since she’d been in the operating room. She’d used muscles she hadn’t used since closing up her practice.

Of course, Raid chose that moment to look up, and he caught her crying.

Her tears didn’t even seem to faze him. He turned so his butt was on the floor, his back against the wall, and pulled her into his arms.

Khloe was shocked for a moment. He hadn’t asked her permission, hadn’t given her a choice. But honestly, this was exactly what she needed. It had been so long since she’d been touched. Since she’d been hugged.

She lay against Raiden’s chest, her arms curled in front of her, Raid’s arms around her, and watched Duke sleeping. His breaths were even and normal and every now and then, one of his paws would twitch.

“Thank you for saving him,” Raiden said softly.

She waited for the questions to start. When he said nothing else, Khloe picked up her head and looked into Raid’s green eyes. His red hair and beard were mussed and he had circles under his eyes. His clothes were rumpled and even as she lay in his arms, she heard his stomach growl. He’d been there every minute, same as she had. He might not’ve been in the operating room, but he’d still been there, refusing to leave. He was the kind of owner she wished every animal had. But she was well aware, unfortunately, how many unkind and downright cruel owners were out there.

“Is that all you’re going to say?” she blurted.

Raid nodded. “For now.”

That didn’t bode well for Khloe, but she was still so relieved, she simply nodded and lowered her head so it rested against his chest once more.

“Can you tell me about the surgery? And what we need to watch for now? I know you talked about some of that before the operation, but I don’t remember what you said. Sorry.”

“You had other things on your mind,” she said with a shrug. It felt good to be with him like this. The time would come when she’d have to answer Raid’s questions about her life, but for now, she was going to enjoy the calm.

“He was lucky. There wasn’t much damage to the stomach when I opened him up to take a look. When too much time passes between when the belly twists and when the animal has gotten into surgery, there’s really nothing I can do. The stomach can’t be fixed once it’s dead. I checked his spleen and it looked okay. There was a little bit of damage, but I didn’t have to remove it. I did a gastropexy…which is tacking the stomach to the body wall so it won’t rotate. There’s still a ten percent chance that it’ll happen again, but that’s a hell of a lot better than if we hadn’t done it.

“His heart is strong. There were no abnormal arrhythmias during the surgery, but I’ll continue to monitor him now to make sure his heart beats the way it’s supposed to. He’s got a few layers of stitches, in the body wall fibrous layer, the subcutaneous tissues, and then I buried the third layer in the subcuticular layer, mostly so there aren’t any stitches or staples to remove later.”

“I don’t know what any of that means, but…it sounds positive,” Raid said.

“Sorry, I’m out of practice talking about what I’ve done in surgery.”

“It’s fine. What happens with him now?”

“We’ll need to monitor his incision to make sure it doesn’t get infected. I want to keep him on the IV and pain meds for at least another two days. That was a serious surgery, and I don’t want him to be in any discomfort. He needs antibiotics, but for now I’m administering them through the IV. How is he with pills?”

Raid chuckled and the sound reverberated through her. “If it’s smothered in cheese or peanut butter, he’s all for it.”

Khloe smiled against him. “Yeah, he’s definitely a food-motivated hound. Right, so after the IV comes out, he’ll need antibiotics for a while. I’d say in about three days, you should be able to take him home and slowly reintroduce soft food in small, frequent meals for a while. While he’s here, and at Doc Snow’s clinic, he won’t get any food or water, and I’ll watch for arrhythmias, aspiration pneumonia, and monitor his pain and infection.”

Raid nodded above her, and Khloe could feel his beard catch in her strands of hair.

“Will he be okay if you sleep for a while?” Raid asked.

“Yes. He’s tough, Raid. I promise. But I’m not tired.” Of course, as soon as the words left her mouth, she yawned huge.

Raiden chuckled. “Right, I see that. Close your eyes, Khloe. I’ll watch over you both. When you wake up, I’ll catch some z’s while you keep watch.”

She wanted to protest. Tell him that she was fine to stay up and make sure Duke was all right. But being in his arms felt good. Really good. And the surgery had taken more out of her than she wanted to admit. “Okay, but only for an hour or so. Then I need to check on Duke.”

“All right.”

When she tried to get up, and he made no move to let go, Khloe picked her head up and looked at him. “Are you going to let go of me so I can lie down?”

“No.”

She waited for him to say more. But that was all he said. Just no.

Khloe’s lips twitched. “Right.” If she wasn’t so tired all of a sudden, she would’ve protested. Insisted he let her move. But truth be told, she was happy right where she was. There was no telling how Raid would react to the talk she knew was coming. If this was going to be her one chance to be near him like this, she wasn’t going to let it slip through her grasp.

It was hard to admit how much Raid intrigued her. Always had. From the first interview she’d had with him at the library, she’d felt like a fly being drawn into a spider’s web. He was such a dichotomy. Serious and reticent with people. Goofy and unashamed of his affection toward Duke. He was one of the smartest men she knew, but he didn’t flaunt his intelligence. He was muscular and handsome, yet he didn’t flirt. Khloe wasn’t sure he even knew how to flirt. He’d always seemed very unsure of his own allure. Which was crazy. Surely the man knew how good-looking he was. Maybe not in the classic sense, but Khloe had never been the sort of woman who was attracted to the guy-next-door type.

“Stop thinking, Khloe. Sleep,” Raiden said firmly, but with a hint of humor in his voice.

“Has anyone told you that you’re really bossy?” she asked, even as she closed her eyes.

“No.”

“Well, you are.”

“Only with you, because you never do what I tell you to.”

She smiled at that. He wasn’t lying. They’d spent many an afternoon butting heads in the library when he found out she hadn’t done the tasks he’d assigned her to do that day. It wasn’t that she was deliberately trying to disobey him, but most of the time she found other things she deemed more important…or more interesting than what he’d assigned for her.

“Wake me up in an hour,” she reminded him.

“I will.”

It usually took Khloe forever to fall asleep. Every creak of her apartment, every car driving by, every little noise made her wonder if Alan had somehow managed to follow through on his threat to make her suffer for the rest of her life. But now, snuggled in Raid’s arms on the cold, hard tile floor of Raymond Ziegler’s vet clinic, she fell into a dreamless sleep almost as soon as her eyes closed.